Fare thee Well

I had a bit of a shock Monday. My ex-husband died. He was considerably older than I was and had not been in real good health for a number of years, but it was still a shock.

He and I definitely had our differences, but in the end, we had decided to just agree to disagree and go on. We talked occasionally.

I will miss him in a strange way.

So, in honor of him, I am posting one of his recipes.

Wayne's Pico de Gallo

Cucumbers, seeded and diced
Black olives, sliced
Tomatoes, diced
Garlic, minced
Onions, diced small
Green peppers, diced small
Jalapenos (fresh) minced
Garlic salt
Fresh cilantro, chopped fine

Can add juice of 1-2 limes, depending on how big of batch you make.

Mix as much as you want (preferrably large quantities) in a big bowl and refrigerate. Eat with tortilla chips. Makes loads. This was done totally by taste, use more or less of any ingredient until you have the taste you want.

This is great to make and take to a picnic in the hot summer time. Can add some diced avacado.

We used to make this in the summer when his grandkids would come and visit, they loved it. We got everyone in on chopping things up. Then we would sit around and eat this and tell stories.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, I know that just about everyone has a version of chicken enchiladas. So today, you all are going to get mine! Note that this is another quick-n-easy recipe. The other night I was going to have left-overs for supper, when to my surprise, all of the left-overs were gone! So another quickie! I do promise that I don't cook like this ALL the time!

I made 2 more pans of these this morning, one to take to my sick auntie and one to pop in the freezer for us. Don't imagine it will be around long.

Chicken Enchiladas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
Approximately 1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 small can chicken gravy
1 can green enchilada sauce
Corn tortillas

In a bowl, mix chicken, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, gravy, sour cream and about 1/3 can of enchilada sauce.

Grease 2 8-inch pans.

Warm tortillas slightly in microwave so they are pliable. Take a tortilla and spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling down the middle. Roll up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat until you run out of filling. You can use more or less filling, depends on how quick you want to get done!

When done, drizzle 1/3 can of enchilada sauce on each pan. Then put about 3/4 cup of cheese on top.



You can now freeze this for baking later or bake it right now. Bake about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

You can mix up the cheese and the sauce for these, use pepper jack cheese or a hot enchilada sauce if you like it spicy. You can also saute onions and peppers and add to the filling. I am just giving you bare bones here. Also, DS does not care for onions and peppers, so I try to accommodate! Also before you bake, sliced black olives are great to strew over the top. Serve with a green salad with fresh tomatoes.

Aye, yi, yi, yi . . . .

I like Mexican food. There are no 2 ways about it, bring me some chips and guacamole, an enchilada and I am a happy camper.



When I was first married, I lived on base housing in a duplex. On the other side was a Mexican couple. Thomasita was so much fun!! We talked and laughed. She was taking a photography class and chose me as the subject for one of her class projects. For one of the pictures we went down by an aqueduct in a state park and I fell in. We just laughed and she took my picture, wet and all.



Thomasita was such a good cook. Whenever she made enchiladas and rice, she would always bring us some. If I had been interested in cooking then, I would have gotten her recipes.



Although I do not have many good memories of those years, the times I spent with Thomasita are some of the best. We never kept in touch. I am not in touch with anyone from those years. Makes me kind of sad sometimes, but most of our "friends" were not at all kind to me when we were going through our divorce. Thomasita, however, never let me down. She stood by me the whole time.



I would imagine that her and her husband have moved back to California, as that is where their families were.



So this one is for you, Tomi!



Wet Burritos

Makes 6 LARGE burritos!

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomato, in sauce, divided
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (or you can use mexican blend)
6 large flour tortillas
2 cups refried beans
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (18 ounce) jar homestyle beef gravy



Brown beef, garlic and onions in skillet. Drain fat off. Add next 6 ingredients and half of tomatoes. In a pan, heat enchilada sauce, remaining tomatoes and gravy.

Assemble burritos: Beans, beef mixture, cheese. Roll up and place in greased 9 x 13 pan. Pour sauce over top. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Optional toppings include:
Diced avacado, finely diced onion, finely diced peppers, sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, sliced jalapenos, guacamole, salsa and shredded cheese.