Quick Mac and Cheese

Originally from Simply Recipes.com with changes:

Ingredients:

• 1 qt. water
• 1/2 tbsp. salt
• 1 cup macaroni - your choice of type
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp. corn starch
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
• black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix corn starch and cheese so that all cheese is coated
2. Warm milk - don't let it simmer
3. Heat water, add salt. Add macaroni following instructions on the package. Drain.
4. Melt butter in a sauce pan, whisk in the flour. 
5. Add milk slowing while whisking to avoid clumping. 
6. Slowly add the cheese continuing to whisk the mixture. 
7. Stir in the lemon juice. 
8. Add the macaroni and sprinkle some black pepper to your taste.

Serves 2.

Easy Enchiladas for 2

Easy Enchiladas for 2

Ingredients:

•  1/4 lb. ground beef or chicken
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 5 ounces enchilada sauce - red or green - I like Hatch Red
• 4 tortillas

Preparation:

1. brown ground beef
2. stir in 1/8 cup enchilada sauce and 1/8 cup of cheese
3. heat and stir until all ingredients are mixed well and cheese is melted
4. pre-heat oven at 350 degrees
5. pour 1/4 cup of sauce evenly in bottom of a glass baking dish 13 x 9
6. place 1/4 cup of mixture in center of each tortilla
7. fold each tortilla around the mixture leaving the ends open
8. place each tortilla in the baking dish with the seam-side down
9. pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas
10. top with the remaining cheese
11. bake for 20-25 minutes 
12. serve with refried beans - I like Goya

Beef Burritos for 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 large minced garlic clove
• 1 tsps. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 cup El Fenix Hot Sauce
• 1/2 can refried beans (8 oz)
• 4 flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese - your choice - mixed use
• 2-3 chopped roasted Hatch chili peppers or jalapeno peppers
• olive oil

Directions:

1. preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. cook the ground beef until thoroughly cooked; drain.
3. add garlic, onion, chili powder, cumin, hot sauce and peppers and stir to mix
4. cook until thoroughly heated and peppers, onion and garlic are tender
5. spread 1/3 cup of mixture on the middle of each tortilla leaving 1 inch around the bottom and edges
6. top the meat with 1/4 cup of cheese
7. roll each tortilla starting from the bottom, then fold over the sides to completely enfold the meat 
8. brush all sides of each burrito with olive oil
9. place each burrito in a glass cooking dish, seam sides down
10. bake for 10 minutes
11. heat a can of Wolf Brand Chili - no beans
12. top each burrito with 1/8 cup cheese
13. broil on low for 10 minutes
14. place 2 burritos each on 2 plates and top with the chili
15. serve with a side of re-fried beans

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 10 ounce can of Rotel or Hatch - chilies and tomato
• 4 flour tortillas
• butter
• 4 eggs
• additional seasoning to taste
• Hatch chilies
• cilantro
• chili powder
• cumin
• Jalapeno peppers

Directions:

1. Saute the onion in olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. When translucent, add the Rotel contents including the juice. Add chilies and peppers and other seasoning to taste. Reduce to low heat.
2. Heat a warming tray or the oven to 150 degrees. In a non-stick skillet, add olive oil then heat each tortilla a minute or two on each side, then move to the warming tray or oven to keep warm.
3. Add butter to the same skillet used to prepare the tortillas and fry the eggs to taste - soft or firm yolk is ok. 
4. Spoon a little of the sauce onto a plate. Top with a tortilla then an egg. Add more sauce, another tortilla and another egg. Top with more sauce. Repeat for the second serving.

Serves 2 - very filling. Add a side of turkey bacon or beef bacon if desired.

Garlic Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

Garlic Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower - broken into 1" florets
• 1 head broccoli - broken into 1" florets
• 3-4 tbsp. olive oil
• 4-6 cloves garlic
• sea salt
• black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees and arrange one shelf near coils and another about 6" above the first.
2. In each of two glass baking dishes, toss 1/2 of all ingredients. 
3. Make sure the olive oil touches everything, adding more if needed. 
4. Place one dish on each oven layer and roast for 15 minutes. 
5. Remove the dishes and toss the ingredients again to make sure they mix well. 
6. Then place the dishes on the opposite shelf from the first 30 minutes and roast for another 15 minutes.

Serves 4.

Zucchini/Squash Side Dish

In the fall especially, we are inundated with nice folks' abundance of zucchini and squash.

Ingredients:

• zucchini
• squash (any kind)
• tomato
• green onion
• Italian dressing
• shredded cheese (Fontina, Asiago, Parmesan or other Italian cheese) 

Directions:

1. Slice zucchini and squash very thin. 
2. Combine in a bowl. 
3. Add thin slices of tomato and green onion. 
4. Add a small amount of your favorite Italian salad dressing.  
5. Sprinkle with shredded (not grated) Italian cheese (I used a mix of Fontina, Asiago and Parmesan)

Easy Brisket

Easy Brisket

Ingredients:

• 4 lb beef brisket
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed (I use more)
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. Combine onion and garlic in a slow-cooker. 
2. Season brisket and place it in the slow-cooker, fat side up. 
3. Add broth. 
4. Cover and cook 6 hours on high. 

Slice against the grain.
Very tender and tasty.