Beef Enchiladas

2 ½ pds. Flank steak, cooked (they don’t sell this kind of steak here – I just asked the butcher what to get)
Vegetable oil
½ c. chopped cilantro
½ c. finely chopped onion
16 corn tortillas
½ c. oil, for frying tortillas
1 c. shredded monterey jack, plus 1 cup
1 c. shredded cheddar
salt and pepper
cilantro cream sauce, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Chop the cooked flank steak to a fine dice. Saute chopped flank steak in a little oil for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. Add cilantro and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine the 1 cup of the monterey jack and 1 cup of the cheddar and mix well. Add cheese to steak mixture. Stir well and reserve, covered.

In another saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Fry tortillas, one at a time, just until soft, about 10 seconds. Pat tortillas dry on paper towels. Portion out beef mixture evenly among the 16 tortillas and roll up. Place enchiladas on a baking sheet on in 1 or 2 rectangular casserole dishes.

Cover enchiladas with cilantro cream sauce and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling.

Cilantro cream sauce:
4 bunches cilantro
1 jalapeno, roasted and deseeded
1 cup heavy cream
1 T. cumin
salt and pepper

Blanch cilantro in boiling water for 30 seconds and puree in blender with jalapeno. In saucepan reduce heavy cream by half. Stir in cilantro-jalapeno puree and cumin. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Puffy Apple Pancakes

2 T. butter or margarine
2 T. brown sugar
¼ t. cinnamon
1 c. thinly sliced, peeled apples
2 eggs
½ c. flour
½ c. milk
¼ t. salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt butter in 9-inch pie pan. Brush butter around sides of pie pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over butter or margarine. Arrange apple slices over sugar. Beat eggs slightly in a medium bowl with a whisk. Stir flour, milk, and salt until just mixed (do not overbeat), Pour over apples. Bake 30-35 minutes. Remove immediately from oven and immediately loosen edges of pancake and turn upside down onto a serving plate.

Canned Salsa

16 c. tomatoes, chopped
1 c. bell peppers, chopped
2 c. onion, chopped
1+ T. garlic powder
3 T. salt
2 T. sugar
1 T. oregano
½ c. vinegar
3 c. diced chilies
2 c. carrots, shredded
3 cans El Pato sauce
1 (29 oz.) can tomato puree
1 (6 oz.) tomato paste

Cook everything while preparing tomatoes. Add tomatoes and cook 40-45 minutes. Put salsa in jars. Cover with water and boil in water bath for 20 minutes. Makes 14 pints or 7 quarts.

Tortilla Soup

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
6 c. chicken broth
2 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 14 oz. can chopped green chilies
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
½ - 1 t. ground cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
1 t. sugar
Juice of 2 limes
½ - 1 c. shredded cooked chicken
½ - 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla chips
Cilantro sprigs for garnish

In saucepan, combine onion, garlic and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, except cheese, tortilla chips and cilantro sprigs. Stir mixture well, cover and simmer about 30 minutes more. If liquid cooks down too much, add water to bring up to 8 cups. When ready to serve, warm bowls and bring soup almost to a boil. Put a tablespoon of cheese and handful of broken tortilla chips in each bowl. Fill bowls with very hot soup. Arrange sprigs of cilantro on top of soup for garnish.

This can also simmer all day in a crock pot.

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

¼ c. butter
1 med. onion
¼ c. flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 pkg. Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice (cooked according to package directions)
1 c. diced ham
½ c. finely shredded carrots
3 T. sliced almonds
½ t. salt
pepper to taste
1 pint half and half
Snipped fresh parsley

Saute onion in butter. Blend in flour and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in broth and cook to a simmer, stirring. Add ham, rice, carrots, almonds, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add parsley and half & half. Heat to serving temperature.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

4 T. (1/2 stick) butter
½ c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, mashed and diced
2 c. pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
4 c. chicken stock
1 bay leaf
pinch sugar
1/3 t. or more curry powder
pinch nutmeg
½ t. salt
¼ t. black pepper, freshly ground
2 c. light cream

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cover and cook until soft and translucent. Add the pumpkin puree and stock. Stir well to mix. Add bay leaf, sugar, curry powder and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, lower to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

While the soup is cooking taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add cream. Return to heat only to bring temperature of the soup back to hot. Do not allow to simmer—rising steam only.

Makes: 6 servings