corn tortilla

Enchilada Cheesy Hash Browns

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Enchilada Cheesy Hash Browns!  This time-honored recipe came to me from a friend who had perfected the art of authentic Mexican food. Monica shared some of her trade secrets on more than one occasion, but warned me about one unwary pitfall. “Once you perfect these traditional recipes, your husband may be less willing to take you out to dinner as often.”  So be forewarned. Choose this perfect alternative for those nights you need a “meatless” meal. 

ENCHILADA CHEESY HASH BROWNS

Ingredients:

4 baked potatoes, peeled and shredded into hash browns*

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

3/4 cup Spanish onion, chopped

10 ounces baby peas

1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

10-count package corn tortillas

15 ounces tomatillo salsa

Green onions for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9″x13″ glass baking dish with nonstick oil. Pour tomatillo salsa into a pie plate. Set aside. Place the corn tortillas on a plate nearby. In a large skillet, sauté onions in olive oil. Add hash brown potatoes, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Cook until slightly crisp. Add peas and mix well. To assemble enchiladas, dip one tortilla into tomatillo salsa on both sides. Transfer to a dinner plate and fill with potato mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of each cheese. Gently roll enchilada and place seam side down in glass dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Drizzle remaining salsa over all. Spread cheese over top of enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and brown cheese 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Garnish with green onion snips. Olé!

*If time is of the essence, you may substitute with frozen shredded hash browns. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter S

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Be Our Guest: Street Tacos! This is literally Cooking 101. I have been making tacos since I was 16 years old, before microwave ovens and gourmet kitchens were commonplace. My Aunt Gail, in Michigan, taught me the timeless secrets of a classic Mexican staple. First of all, you must use authentic yellow corn tortillas. Forget the box because you’re going to fry up the shells for freshness. It’s worth the effort, believe me. 
STREET TACOS
Ingredients:

16-ounce package yellow corn tortillas

2-4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound ground beef, lean

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 green onions, snipped

1 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Shredded lettuce

Fresh cilantro

Pico de Gallo or salsa
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250°. Brown ground beef in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the beef is crumbly. Drain, if necessary. Season beef with garlic, cumin powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Set aside. In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add tortilla; cook 10 seconds per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried. Reduce heat. One at a time, place a tortilla back into the skillet. Add 1-2 tablespoons ground beef mixture into each tortilla. Fold in half and place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all tortillas and ground beef are used. Warm in the oven until ready to serve. Assemble street tacos, per taste, with shredded lettuce, onion, cheese, cilantro, and Pico de Gallo.