Mexican Dinner, Take Two

Happy Saturday! Spent the morning doing local garage sales with Nicholas. We each had pretty big scores today. One of the garage sales we went to had a box of cookbooks for 10 cents each — cheapest I’ve seen yet. I snagged 10 of them. Most of them were older, but still, at 10 cents each, I wasn’t leaving many behind. ;) At another garage sale, Nicholas spied a toy cash register. He has a another one at home that he inherited from my stepdaughter, but the one he found today was MUCH fancier, and a bargain at $2, it’s kept him busy off and on all day. We both made out well today.

My stepdaughter, Danielle, turned 11 yesterday, so I made her a special dinner tonight. I decided on Shrimp Enchiladas for a main course and built the rest of the meal around that. Didn’t intend to make it another “Mexican night,” it just kind of evolved that way. I made Nachos to start, Spanish Rice on the side and finished up with Fried Ice Cream with Cinnamon Tortilla Crisps. The Shrimp Enchiladas are from the new issue of Eating Well. The Husband liked them. Danielle and I didn’t, so I won’t be making them again. Just kinda blah for me, and a good waste of shrimp. I’ve made the Spanish Rice before – it’s easy and pretty flavorful.

And now for my favorite part … the fried ice cream! I love Chi Chis Mexican Fried Ice Cream, so the fact that I can have something similar at home is A-OK by me! Two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream, a sprinkling of cinnamon, topped with crushed corn flakes and a drizzling of honey. Two Cinnamon Tortilla Crisps on the side, and you’re done. Very very good – can’t wait for another one tomorrow. ;) The Cinnamon Tortilla Crisps are simple enough to make. Brush flour tortillas with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on them. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 5-7 minutes until they start to brown. Let them cool, and they’ll be nice and crispy. Break off pieces to add to your dessert. Can’t get simpler than that, right?
Fried Ice Cream with Cinnamon Tortilla Crisps

The nachos were very yummy, and between the four of us, the entire plate was wiped out. I put a platter of mixed tortilla chips and cheese (Jack and Cheddar) in the oven until it melted. When it came out, I topped it with homemade guacamole, homemade pico de gallo (just chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, fresh cilantro and salt), chopped black olives and sour cream. Deeeelish!
Nachos

Shrimp Enchiladas

Spanish Rice

The Spanish Rice is another easy recipe. Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add 1/2 a chopped onion. Once the onion is translucent and soft (about 5 minutes), add 1-1/2 cups of uncooked rice. Stir often until rice starts to brown (about 5 minutes). Add 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of chunky salsa. Stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. Serve.

At long last, here’s where I’m going tomorrow. I’m really excited about it. If it’s anything like the Food Expo I went to in Philly last year, we’re sure to come out with lots and lots of goodies. Paula Deen will also be there. She was at the Philly one too, and her in-person personality is the same as she is on TV. Truly a pleasure, warm, down-to-earth, unaffected and friendly. Just what you want when you meet someone “famous.” Tune in tomorrow for all the details … until then … happy trails.

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