"White Sauce" Chicken Enchiladas

Absolutely, hands-down one of our favorite meals. Super easy, and a good one to stretch by throwing in leftover rice, or corn or anything else Tex-Mexy. Mmm. Love it.

~2 Tbsp. butter

~1/4 c. flour

~2 1/2 c. chicken broth

~1 tsp. dried coriander

~1 can (4 OR 7oz.) chopped green chilies, divided. (they are NOT spicy, and add good flavor)

~2 c. shredded cooked chicken (if I'm cooking it for this recipe, I season it with a Southwestern blend I was given. If I'm using leftovers, I sprinkle the seasoning in the sauce)

~1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

~8 (sometimes more) flour tortillas (7-8 inches)

~1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

For the sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in coriander, and half the chilies.

For the filling: In a bowl, combine the chicken, M. Jack cheese, and remaining chilies. Spoon 1/3 c. mixture onto each tortilla, roll up. Place seam side down in a greased (they will stick otherwise!) 9X13 in. baking dish. Pour sauce over enchiladas, sprinkle with cheddar cheese, and bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or  until heated through and the cheese is melted.

                                                                                          Serves:4

I generally get 12, because I just eyeball the filling in the tortilla.

Gingerbread Scones

I like these for breakfast, and so do the kidlets. We eat them all so poor B. has never tried them.

~2 c. flour

~3Tbsp. brown sugar

~2 tsp. baking powder

~1 tsp. ground ginger

~1/2 tsp. baking soda

~1/2 tsp. salt

~1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

~1/4 tsp. ground cloves

~1/4 c. cold butter, diced

~1/3 c. molasses

~1/4 c. milk

~1 egg, separated

~ a handful of dried cranberries, if you like 'em

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If your adding the cranberries, mix them in now. In a small bowl, combine the molasses, milk and egg yolk until smooth; stir into flour, and mix just until moistened. Turn onto a floured surface and gently knead 6-8 times. Pat into and 8 inch circle; cut into 12 wedges (I do 8) and place 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Beat egg white until frothy; brush over scones, sprinkle with white sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown (which, to be honest is kinda hard to tell, since these are already rather golden...)

Serve warm with a cold glass of milk.

French Onion Soup

One of B.'s favorites, and I say the cheesier, the better. One of the few things I don't make the kids eat, 'cuz that means more for us.

~6 c. thinly sliced onions

~1 Tbsp. sugar

~1/2 tsp. pepper

~1/3 c. vegetable oil

~6 c. beef broth (I do 8 bouillon cubes dissolved in 6 c. water)

~Thick sliced, toasted French Bread

~ Grated Swiss Cheese

In a large pot, over medium-low heat, cook onions, sugar, and pepper in oil for 20 minutes, or until onions are caramelized, stirring frequently. Add the broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle soup into oven proof bowls. Top with sliced French bread, sprinkle with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted.

                                                                                  Serves:8-ish

Fabulous Bean Soup

I on the whole, don't really like bean soup. Never have. The herbs in this recipe caught my eye though, and I decided to give it a go. I am SO glad I did. Honey could not get enough, "it's just so delicious!" Its kind of an all day affair, so plan accordingly, and serve with crusty bread.

~2 c. dry great northern beans

~5 c. chicken broth

~3 c. water

~1 large meaty ham bone (mine wasn't super meaty, so I threw in leftover keilbasa diced up)

~2-3 Tbsp. chicken bouillon granules

~1 tsp. dried thyme

~1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

~1/2 tsp. pepper

~1/4 tsp. rubbed sage

~1/4 tsp. dried savory

~2 medium onions, chopped

~3 medium carrots, chopped

~3 celery ribs, chopped

~1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain. Add broth, water, ham bone, bouillon, and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Saute onions, carrots, and celery in oil; add to soup. Cover and simmer 1 hour longer. Debone ham and cut into chunks, return to soup. Skim fat.

                                                                                      Yield:10 servings (2-3/4 quarts)

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar

My children, and actually, my husband too, ADORE asparagus. I happen to love it as well, but fresh, not that awful looking canned stuff.

I don't remember if I came across this recipe, or just made it up on my own, but whichever it is , it seems we never have enough.

~1 bunch fresh asparagus *

~Olive Oil

~Salt- I use a grinder, I will never go back to the other kind for the table again

~Pepper, fresh ground, or I use corse ground

Wash and dry asparagus, trim the ends. The easiest way to know where to trim is to take one stalk, hold each end and gently bend 'til it snaps. Cut the rest at the same place.

Drizzle a shallow baking dish with olive oil, add the asparagus, and roll around to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to what ever your guess at taste is.

Place in oven on broil (so I guess technically this is broiled asparagus...) and keep a close eye on it. You want them a nice brilliant green. You'll just *know* when that is. Remove from oven and drizzle around a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar over the asparagus. Serve to your impatient family.

* I like the slender stalks, I find them to be less woody and more tender. Also look for nice full heads.