Beef Enchiladas (Taco Inn Style)

What can I say?  I love Taco Inn.  Unless you live in Lincoln, NE or the area, you have no idea what I am talking about, but you have to trust me on this one.  I live in Omaha, and make what we call "taco runs" every month or 2.  It is an hour to get these enchiladas but who cares?  My nieces who grew up in Lincoln, and I occasionally torture each other with photos if we are on a "taco run".  Do you have a place like that?  A place you love and so you occasionally indulge and when you do it is all fireworks and rainbows?!  Once in awhile Geo will say, "Let's go somewhere for lunch we haven't been in a long time".  When I have no response, just an empty stare he will sigh and say, "You want a taco run don't you"?  THIS is why I love this man. 

Now this recipe is just crazy easy.  I even considered not writing about it, but I decided my beloved Taco Inn deserved to be written about.  I think I hit these dead on.  Or as close as I can possibly get.  I have made them before with no onion.  You all know how I feel about onions.  BUT.  This can't be recreated properly without them.   I know everyone of you are at different cooking levels, is a "to easy" recipe such a bad thing?  I serve these with some rice and chips and call it good.  I mean after all, at Taco Inn, they come alone, but we all know a side of Meat Nachos is a must. 

So amigos, let us move into the important part of this recipe.  The MAKING.  Oh and let me tell you, without sounding to "Steel Magnolia's" on you...these freeze beautifully.  As I typed that, I said it with a southern accent in my head, just so ya know.  I love having things I can pop out of the freezer on a night when my kitchen vibes are weak!

For 12-15 Enchiladas you will need:
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 onion diced fine (do a little bit of extra if you want to top your enchiladas with raw diced onion)
2 cans of  RED enchilada sauce
6 inch corn tortillas
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brown hamburger and onion together. Mix the taco seasoning packet into 1 cup of water, then pour over the browned hamburger. 
Heat your corn tortillas in the oven or in the microwave, you need them very warm (almost hot) to make them pliable enough. 
On a cookie sheet, lay down a shell, cover half of it in your hamburger mixture and fold in half.  Repeat this until all of your hamburger is used.  Arrange on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan.  Cover with red enchilada sauce and cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.  Remove and serve!

Your "why is it that it is STILL better to get it from Taco Inn"chefwannabe

Vanilla Slice

Hey mates!!  It's finally Wednesday, the week is half over. WOOHOO!

This blog post is so fun for me.  You know I spend a lot of time recreating my favorite dishes, dishes that my mom made.....pretty good, but I make better, and things I eat out that I want to make at home and some things, are just my husbands middle of the night brain children.  THIS recipe though, if it turned out was going to make someone very happy! Let me explain....

There is a new officer at my husbands job, who my husband thinks it a really great guy.  He is from Australia and has lived in the states for a few years.  Of course my husband was telling him how madly in love I am with pavlova and he mentioned his favorite dessert was "Vanilla Slice" and how I should try to make it.  He also said it was like this iconic Australian dessert and I was devastated!  What about my heavenly PAVLOVA?!!?  Anyway, he said he hadn't had it for years and being the kind, loving, generous woman I am (shut up, I AM) I took that on as a challenge. 

I was presented with a few obstacles with this however. When I looked up the recipe, it seemed rather easy except for this whole "thickened cream" issue.  I know about thickened cream because of a YouTube channel I watch (holla, David) and he is from Australia.  I did a little research and watched back an old video or 2 and felt it was OK to go with just heavy cream since I can not purchase thickened cream here.  Also I could not find custard powder, BUT, by way of my faithful foodie readers, I learned I could make it myself.  Thank God for them, because I obviously forgot how to use Google!  Thanks guys, really!  So I had to tweak this recipe a bit, I also put the ingredients into American terms, even though you could likely figure it out, some might not and I just wanted it to be clear.  This is one recipe I would measure everything out first and have it ready to go.  This custard moves so fast you won't have time to stop whisking so measure it all out and get your head in the game! 

This will come out with a beautiful top and bottom "crust" and a thick, firm custard center.  This isn't an overly sweet dessert, however, it is pure vanilla perfection!

Without further adieu let's get on with this Australian classic!  Glad you liked it Steve and I appreciate the feedback!!  (I adjusted the recipe to reflect it)

Here is what you will need for your Vanilla Slice:
1 box of puff pastry (there should be 2 sheets in one box, you need 2 sheets
1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean (optional) if you don't use a vanilla bean you will need 1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 HEAPING T's cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar
3 cups HEAVY cream
3 1/2 tbsp butter
3 egg yolks
powdered sugar for dusting

Thaw your puff pastry in the refrigerator.  When it is thawed, unfold each and put on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 410 F for 8-10 minutes.  Remove and set aside to cool. 

In a small saucepan slowly heat up your milk, if you are using a vanilla bean split it in half and add it in while the milk is cold, so it warms up together and infuses vanilla into the milk.  Do not do this on high, heat it up slowly for the most flavor and the least chance of scalding or burning!  When it is done set it aside to cool for 10 minutes.  (NOTE: if you are using vanilla extract do NOT add it to the milk, you will add it later)

In a medium pot combine, cornstarch, sugar, and the milk you heated.  If you used a vanilla bean strain it first.  Add in heavy cream and bring back up to a boil, whisking constantly.  Did you hear that?  CONSTANTLY.  This puppy will go from nothing to fried in a New York minute!  When it is thickened, add in egg yolks one at a time whisking like a banchee!  Then add in butter and vanilla. 

Place a strip of parchment or foil into the bottom of a 9x9 square baking dish.  You want it long so you can lift the slice out when it is done for cutting and serving.  Place one of your puff pastry sheets firmly into the bottom.  You will likely need to trim it, but you want it to fit perfectly down into the bottom of the dish.  Add your custard mixture on top and smooth out evenly.

Then trim the second puff pastry sheet and place firmly on top.  Give it a little push down.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight!

Dust heavily with powdered sugar before serving!

This is so light and refreshing!  You will love it!  Make sure to let it sit overnight, that is important!!!  Plan ahead!

G'day!

Your "channeling her inner Aussie"chefwannabe

Pastelillos!

Thank you Puerto Rico for pastelillos!  Here is the story behind why I wanted to recreate these little pockets of love!

Where we used to live in NJ, we had a Flea Market every week.  A food truck guy named "Fat Daddy" used to come and serve these along with many other items.  These were our favorite.  I don't even know if Fat Daddy was Puerto Rican, but does it really matter?  He made these so good!  It has been a long time since we have had the originals but I decided to recreate our favorite filling.

I had to call 10 Spanish food markets in the city to find the correct dough "discos".  I knew I had seen Goya ones and ended up having to call Goya direct to find who they supplied in this city.  When I got her on the phone it was a disaster and when Geo and I got there, well, finally found them and I was ready to go!  I suppose there are other brands.  I suppose you could make this dough homemade.  I suppose I would rather hang myself by my eyelids.  Sometimes it isn't about having to have everything homemade, it is about putting it all together to create something amazing!

I hope you are sitting down.  Oh wait, you probably are.  My husband said only ONE thing could have made these better.   Drum roll please........ONIONS!  WHAT?  I almost went bat crap crazy on him!  I left the onions out FOR him and now he wants onions?  Where was my REAL husband?  The one who hates onions so much words can't express.  Wow.  So.  I will write this up with onions though ours didn't have any.  Pfftt.  (scratching my head) I still don't get that he WANTED onions.  Anyway, the fillings for these are endless.  They are a Puerto Rican version of an empanada.  Plain and simple.  I can't imagine there is anything you can't put in them!  I would get the plain discos if you are planning something sweet though.  The ones I used and Fat Daddy used were a reddish, orange color.  I assume turmeric is the culprit but honestly I didn't remember look at the package that close!

This recipe will make 20.  It seems like alot but I would say 2 or 3 would be a serving.

2 lbs ground beef
1/2 lb white American cheese (use any cheese you like)
3 envelopes Adobo Consazon
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup finely minced onion  (could use dehydrated onion too)
2 pkgs Goya Discos (dough discs)

In a skillet, brown your hamburger and onions.  As it is browning add in adobo and garlic powder.  Drain in a colander if needed and get an assembly line going.  I used only half a piece of cheese because it is all that really fit and honestly it was perfect.  Use an entire piece if you feel so inclined.

Lay out your discos and on one half lay down your cheese, some ground beef and using a bowl of water, wet the edges with your finger, fold in half and pinch together.

Use a fork to fully seal the edges.  It is slightly time consuming but so well worth your effort.  My husband decided to come help halfway through and sealed half of it up turn it so it was going up and down and would put in more meat.  His were way fatter than mine, and they were better.

Here they are!  All done and ready to fry!  Using 2 inches of peanut oil in a pan, heat to 360 degrees.  When it is hot enough put in 1 or 2, you don't want to overcrowd you pan, it will be the temperature of the oil down and you will soak up all that greasy oil instead of frying properly in it.  They cook literally 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side!  They are so fast!  Drain on racks or paper towels.  Here is what you get on the inside when they are done!

They were so good, we just sat and reminisced.  I love recreating foods we have eaten that we love.  Culinary memories.......ahhhh.

We decided we needed a dipping sauce.  Let me know what YOU think these should be dipped in the comments below!  

Your "pastelillos lovin' what can I put in it next"chefwannabe

Chris