¡Ay, caramba!

"Hay Grinder on fire. Got it out." That was the text message that Hubs sent to me this afternoon. ¡Ay, caramba! We have had a few awful hay fires in the past, and my mind immediately raced to the memories of those blazes. Tons and tons of hay were lost then. Thankfully, today's sparks caused minimal damage and hay loss. Hubs' quick action and the help of the fire department prevented a huge catastrophe. 

Tonight, as my exhausted Hubs naps in his chair in front of the TV, the only heat is my laptop charring my legs as I menu plan for the rest of the week. ¡Ay, caramba! Lately, I have gotten so lazy about planning our meals. Usually, I just open the fridge or freezer and hope that something jumps out at me. It is a hit or miss way to get a meal On My Plate, and I just hope that whatever jumps hasn't been in the fridge long enough to actually (and not pretend) be coming to life again and really jumping.

One recipe that a friend recently shared with me easily fits heated last minute planning. Taco Soup uses basic pantry items and can even be heated in the crockpot, if time is short. I adjusted the original recipe to suit what I have on hand most of the time, and you could alter it to suit your own tastes. Add a can of black beans to stretch the servings further; change out the diced tomatoes to plain or those with jalapenos; brown diced green peppers with the onions and ground beef. (My friend makes a veg version by using meat substitutes instead of the ground beef. She also recommended ground turkey as an alternative.) Serve it up as a soup, or use it as a topping for baked potatoes. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, black olives, even shredded lettuce, diced onion, and tomato. My choice was with Deluxe Corn Muffins (with a can of green chiles added to the mix) on the side and crushed corn chips, shredded cheese, and freshly chopped cilantro on top. It's not On My Plate, but rather, in my bowl, and nobody will be shouting "¡Ay, caramba!" when you ladle up Taco Soup.

Taco Soup 

1 pound ground beef 

1 cup chopped onion 

1  15 oz. can kidney beans, undrained

1  15 oz. can chili beans, undrained

1  15 oz. can fat-free refried beans

2 cups frozen corn

1  15 oz. can tomato sauce

1  15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 1/2 cup water (If you want it more like a chili consistency, reduce or leave out the water.)

1 package taco seasoning

1 package Hidden Valley dressing mix(not buttermilk)

Brown the ground beef with the onion in a soup pot.

Combine the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. (Serves 6-8)

The Whole Enchilada

I *think* that I might finally be done canning the tomatoes from the garden. I still have a large bowl of cherry and yellow pear tomatoes on the counter for snacking and salads, and kept a couple big ones for slicing on sandwiches this week, but otherwise, all of the ripe tomatoes have been processed into some kind of salsa, sauce, juice, or jam. Yes, there is a tub of green ones that are tempting me into trying pickled green tomatoes (I have made my fill of green tomato salsa.), but I don't know if I want to go there. I am so over the canning thing for this year. I am ready to give up the whole enchilada.

Finally tally is 193 quart, pint, half-pint, and 4 ounce jars lining the pantry shelves from my garden produce. Not all are tomato-based, but most are. It will be nice to just grab a jar from the pantry shelf when I want to make spaghetti, throw together a quick snack with the salsa or the jam, make a traditional pizza, or whip up a pan of enchiladas. Yes, even enchiladas. I am testing a from scratch recipe for enchilada sauce that seemed to go over pretty well in my trial batch. Let's hope the jars of sauce don't disappoint this winter. Beef or chicken, I will be happy with enchiladas made with From Scratch Enchilada Sauce On My Plate.

From Scratch Enchilada Sauce

5-8 pounds tomatoes

1 cup white vinegar

3/4 cup chili powder

1/2 cup salt

2 Tablespoons cumin

2 Tablespoons oregano

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1 can tomato paste

Chop tomatoes and place in a large, heavy pot over medium heat.
Add the seasonings.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until tomatoes have cooked down and flesh has released from the skins.
Remove from heat.
Process tomatoes through a food mill/cone colander with pestle/sieve/or similar utensil to strain the seeds and skin.
Return sauce to heavy pot and bring to a simmer.
Ladle into prepared jars (I used half-pints) and secure lids.
Process in hot water bath for 30 minutes.

Fridge Friday: Episode 10

Hey! It is Fridge Friday! Did you think that I forgot about giving you little peeks into my fridge? Never. I may have neglected your inquisitiveness, but I didn't forget. I am back this Friday with a gem.

Check it out. That is my hotel room fridge. We have all the basics: water, wine, leftovers, and a Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treat. What could I possibly blog about from that fridge, you ask? Honestly, nothing. Or, at least nothing that I would want to eat when combined and heated in the little in-room microwave.

Instead, I am going to tell you that when we left home, Hubs had his mind made up that we were going to eat Mexican food. All day, I salivated at the thought of perfectly seasoned and grilled shrimp folded inside a warm corn tortilla with some creamy coleslaw to make the most awesome shrimp tacos. I wanted. I wanted badly. With beans and rice. Then, we got to the big city and Hubs decided he wanted pasta. So much for Mexican food. *shrug*

However, that doesn't mean that I couldn't still share a great Spanish Rice recipe with you. I have been making Denise's Spanish Rice for several years and pairing it with Spicy Black Beans whenever I serve a spicy Mexican/Tex-Mex themed meal. It is, in my opinion, excellent. Why wouldn't it be? It has bacon. Everything that includes bacon is good. Period.

So...it is Fridge Friday, and I have just a miserable hotel room fridge, and I didn't get Mexican food, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't jump at the chance to have Denise's Spanish Rice On My Plate.

Denise's Spanish Rice

6 strips bacon

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel...mild or hot, your choice)

2 cans roasted green chiles

1 cup long grain white rice (I use Jasmine)

In a large skillet, fry bacon until crispy.
Set aside on paper towels to drain.
To bacon grease, add the butter and melt.
Add the onion and peppers, sauteing until the onions are translucent.
Add the garlic and cook until soft, being careful not to burn.
Add the tomatoes, green chiles, and chicken broth.
Simmer about 5-10 minutes to blend flavors.
Add the rice, cover and simmer approximately 20 minutes, until tender. (May need to add more liquid.)
Before serving, crumble bacon over the top of rice. (Serves 4)