Fresh Tortilla Casserole – The Month of Mexican

Fresh Tortilla Cheese Casserole
Fresh Tortilla Cheese Casserole

There is nothing like fresh tortillas to make a great cheese casserole. When you are starting out making tortillas by hand, your tortillas might not turn out as nice and thin as those at the store, but that shouldn’t stop you. Use them for a casserole. You can use canned enchilada sauce as I did, or you can make your own salsa, which I will show in another post.

Read more

Broccoli Cheese Mashed Potato Soup

Glorious use of leftover mashed potatoes and broccoli come together quickly – Broccoli Cheese Mashed Potato Soup with Pimento Cheese Toasts

White Pizza with Sausage and Sliced Garlic

White Pizza with Sausage and Sliced Garlic
White Pizza with Sausage and Sliced Garlic

 

White Pizza with Sausage and Sliced Garlic

When I made the Pizza with Red Sauce and Tomatoes, I had another ball of dough leftover that I wanted to use right away.  I had a half a pound of Italian sausage in the freezer, fresh mushrooms, and leftover grated cheese. When I went to the cupboard to get supplies, however, I found that I had a) no tomato sauce to make red sauce and b) no onions because sausage, mushroom, and onion is my favorite combination.  It turned out that was a really good thing.  I left my comfort zone and tried something new – shallot scented béchamel white sauce and sliced garlic.  It was by far the best pizza I have ever had – bar none.

Read more

Pizza with Red Sauce and Tomatoes


Pizza with Red Sauce and Tomatoes

Pizza with Red Sauce and Tomatoes

I came home from work and I really wanted pizza.  I don’t really like commercial pizza because it has so much salt, and it’s relatively expensive when you compare it to what you can make at home.

It’s easy to make at home.  The dough comes together in about 10 minutes, and then you can sit and relax for an hour while it rises. I preheat the oven to about 450 and get all the ingredients for my pizza and have them at hand.  I had some leftover pieces of cheese, leftover canned whole tomatoes, leftover pizza sauce, and some leftover garlic butter.  All that stuff went into my pizza.  The juice from the tomatoes became the best Bloody Mary I have ever had in my life.

I like to make my own red sauce, and I like fresh tomatoes on my pizza. I used to use fresh plum tomatoes, but now I discovered that I like the whole canned San Marzano tomatoes much better.

Read more

Grilled Shrimp Salad

Grilled Shrimp Salad
Grilled Shrimp Salad

Grilled shrimp salad is easy to make, even in the winter, or in an apartment without a grill. You can add spices to make it just for you.

Read more

Seefood and Bows (Seafood and Farfalle)

Seefood and Bows (Seafood and Farfalle)

Seefood and Bows (Seafood and Farfalle)

That’s no misspelling when I made this dish the first time, I wanted to give it a catchy name, hence Seefood and Bows. It’s actually Seafood and Farfalle, an Italian bow-shaped pasta.

I use a light lemony dressing over this.  What makes the dressing stand out is the
Sunny Paris seasoning blend from Penzey’s spices. You will find yourself using this wonderful spice in all kinds of foods. It stars shallots and chives, plus pepper and herbs.

You can use almost any shellfish, but I prefer shrimp and crab. No need to bust the bank, Krab works just fine in this, and you don’t need much. If you want to go fancy, you can add lobster or King crab.

Read more

Hearty Clam Chowder for a Stormy Winter Night

Hearty Clam Chowder

I have always loved Hearty Clam Chowder, that is good clam chowder. The stuff that comes in the can, even the expensive stuff that comes in a can, just cannot compare to the soup you make yourself. Homemade soup is just richer and tastier.

Read more

Optimized by Optimole