Beef Enchiladas

1 pound Ground beef
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 pkg Taco seasoning
1 can  16 oz Refried beans
2 cans 10 oz Enchilada sauce
Flour tortillas
Cream cheese (optional)
Shredded Mexican cheese or Colby

Brown meat. Add onions and seasoning. Turn off heat, add beans. Mix well.
Spray pan with nonstick spray. Spread thin layer of cream cheese in the middle of tortilla. Add meat mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese and roll. If using large tortillas, fold edges like a burrito, or leave unfolded for sauces to soak in while cooking. Put into pan. Continue until all meat is used up. Pour sauce over and cover with foil. Bake for 8 minutes at 375 oven, until bubbly. Take pan out and add cheese on top and put back into over for another 5 minutes until cheese has melted.

Serve with Spanish rice or as a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, black olives, sour cream.

Note: You can make ahead and freeze. Do not add sauce for freezing.
When ready to bake, add sauce; adjust cooking time due to it being frozen.

Variations: Can use ground turkey or ground chicken.

Blueberry Loaf

1 stick Butter, softened
2 cups Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Salt
2 cups fresh or frozen Blueberries

Optional 2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon for topping.

In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. In smaller bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Fold in blueberries. Pour into well-greased pans. Bake in preheat 350-degree oven for 40 minutes for mini and 50-55 minutes for large loaf. Test doneness with toothpick.

Makes 2 mini loaves or 1 loaf.

Sausage Kale and Potato Soup

4 medium Potatoes, skin on, thinly sliced and boiled
2-3 handfuls of Kale, chopped
3 Italian sausage links, casing removed and made small pieces
2 tbsp Olive oil
6 cups Chicken broth
1 cup Water
1 medium Onion, chopped small pieces
4 cloves medium Garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh Parsley, chopped
1 cup Milk
6 tbsp Butter
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes, removed and set aside. Blanch kale in potato water, remove and set aside. Brown sausage in oil, add onions, salt and pepper. When onions are soft, add garlic. Add 2 cup of broth to deglaze and bring to boil. Add cooked potatoes and slightly mash with ladle. Add remaining broth and water, bring to simmer. While stirring, continue to mash potato thicken soup with smaller pieces. Add kale and parsley. Add milk and butter. More salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer until ready to serve or can be made night before and warmed before serving.

Variations: Use fresh/frozen kale, spinach, arugula or mixture of greens. Use canned white beans in place of sausage, rinse beans before putting into soup. Use more or less meat, more or less greens to your taste. Can add red pepper flakes with garlic for a little more kick.

Homemade Cinnamon Buns

1 pkg Dry yeast
1 cup Milk
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt

3 cup All purpose flour
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon, more if you like
1/4 cup Sugar
3 Tbsp Butter, melted
Chopped walnuts (optional)

In a sauce pan, heat milk and 3 Tbsp butter until warm and melted, don't let it boil. Remove from heat and let cool to 110 degrees. Should be warm but not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl and sprinkle on yeast. Let sit to activate for 10 minutes, then add 1 Tbsp of sugar and salt and stir.

Next add in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring as you go. Dough will be sticky. When it's too thick to stir, transfer to lightly floured surface and knead for about 1 minute until it forms a loose ball. Use another bowl, coat with cooking spray and add dough ball. Cover with plastic and let rise for 1 hour or double in size.

After rise, roll out dough on lightly floured surface into a thin rectangle. Brush with 3 Tbsp of melted butter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon evenly (and nuts). Starting at 1 end, tightly roll up dough ending with seam side down. With knife, cut dough into 1-1/2 to 2-inch sections and placed in greased 8x8 square pan or round pan. You should have about 9 to 10 rolls. Brush tops with remaining butter and cover with plastic. Let sit for quick rise while oven preheats to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before applying glaze.

Glaze
2 Tbsp butter
2 cup Powdered sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
3 Tbsp hot water

Mix all in bowl and drizzle over warm cinnamon buns.

Peach Cobbler

1/2 Cup Melted butter
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2/3 Cup Milk, room temperature
1 Egg, room temperature
4 Cups Fresh peaches, sliced
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Melt butter and put in 9x13 pan. In a bowl, combine peaches, 3/4 cup of sugar and spices. Stir gently and let stand. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk and egg to flour mixture. Pour batter evenly in melted butter (do not mix). Spoon peaches evenly over batter (do not stir). Bake 35-45 minutes at 350 F until batter comes to the top and is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

Rice Tomato Cucumber & Basil Salad

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Cider vinegar

2 Teaspoons Chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

3 Cups Cooked rice, cooled. 

2 Medium Tomato, chopped (seeded optional)

1 Medium Cucumber, chopped (seeded optional)

1 Small Red onion, chopped

Whisk together in small bowl first 5 ingredients. In medium bowl, gently mix remaining ingredients. Pour in dressing into rice/veggie mixture and mix well. Serve chilled or room temperature. Serves 6.

Variations: 

Use your favorite shaped pasta or another variety of rice.

Substitute veggies...colorful bell peppers, peas, etc.

Adjust dressing more or less to your taste.