Chile and Cheese Enchiladas with Tomatillo sauce

These authentic chile, chicken and cheese enchiladas made with tomatillo sauce and housed in stone ground organic tortillas are so delicious, they are sure to please even the toughest connoisseur and even the fearful dinner guest who is afraid of ethnic cuisine!! On top of it, this recipe is so easy to prepare that you will feel like a super chef after you taste them....!! Enjoy this authentic Mexican dish that can feed 4 people if served with a tomato salad.
Here is list of all the ingredients you will need to make this savoury dish:

- 2 organic chicken breasts, cooked* and shredded by hand(*cook for 20 minutes in a pot with boiling chicken stock, and drain)
- 1 tablespoon or two of chopped jalapenos or chipotle chiles
- a package of (5) organic stone ground tortillas (AZIM if possible)
- 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, mild cheddar, or Monterrey jack cheese, or the mexican cheese Oaxaca
- one can of tomatillos, drained and rinsed (you can find cans of tomatillos at most grocery stores, in mexican section)
- one small organic onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp organic sunflower oil
- a lightly greased lasagna pan (I use a small 12 x 9 glass dish that fits the 5 enchiladas perfectly)

Step 1: Make the tomatillo sauce. Heat a tablespoon of organic sunflower oil. Add the chopped onion, and saute gently for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Add the drained and rinsed tomatillos and stir to combine with onions. Simmer, while stirring to break up tomatillos for about 5 minutes. Once you stir and all the tomatillos are softened and broken up,and bubbling, take off heat and COOL. Move on to step two while the tomatillo sauce is cooling. Once cool, add the tomatillo mixture to a blender or a food processor and blend briefly until smooth. Set aside.
Step 2:Preheat oven to 350 F. Take the organic tortillas and wrap them in foil. Heat in oven for a few minutes until warm. It should take less then 5 minutes for them to be sufficiently heated. Next, take one tortilla and lay it flat in the bottom of the lasagna dish. Add 1/5 of the shredded chicken and some chopped chipotle or jalapeno, plus some shredded cheese (1 tbsp approx.) and place in the middle of the tortilla. Wrap it up and place it flush to on side of the lightly oiled lasagna pan. Do this for the 4 other enchiladas. Optimally, all 5 wrapped enchiladas would fit perfectly, without a lot of space between them.
Step 3: Pour the tomatillo sauce over the 5 enchiladas and then sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Cover with the pan of enchiladas with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. After that if you want to have the cheese brown a little you can take the foil off, and broil it for 1-2 minutes, watching it carefully!
Serve immediately with a prepared tomato salad (see photo below) Use fresh arugula, tomatoes and my homemade vinaigrette (1 table spoon of organic oil, one tablespoon of white wine vinegar and a scant teaspoon of Maille Dijon mustard + salt & fresh ground pepper)
Bon Appetite!

Tantalizing white albacore tuna salad

Prepare to be amazed by this tantalizing combination of flavours that takes minutes to prepare! When you make this salad using all the ingredients I specified you will want to start eating salads for supper every night of the week! This delightful combo of protein and low saturated "good" fat topped off with my zesty vinaigrette (**see 3 cheese pizza margherita recipe) is sure to please the super health conscious and the picky eater who wants a delicious meal with lots of flavour! Note: As highly recommended by my friend Mike, ONLY USE ALBACORE WHITE TUNA IN WATER, for this recipe! It has a beautiful way of absorbing the vinaigrette and avacado and is not as strong tasting as regular tuna in a can! Also remember to check that whatever BRAND of ALBACORE TUNA you buy, that it is DOLPHIN FREE (look for the symbol)
Place all the ingredients listed in a bowl in the order they are listed and then toss with my zesty vinaigrette -made with white wine vinegar, olive or sunflower oil and Maille Dijon mustard.

Here is the ingredient list:

- Fresh organic arugula or mixed organic mache lettuce
- 1 or 2 sliced organic tomatoes
- 1 or 2 perfectly ripened organic avocados, sliced in cubes and seasoned with lime juice (If serving for 2, use 1, for 4 persons, use 2)* don't worry if the avocado gets mushed a little, as it combines even better with the vinaigrette in this case!
- 1/2 red pepper, sliced and chopped up into bite size pieces
- 1 to 2 cans of albacore tuna, drained of water and added to salad in the smallest pieces you can, the more fine it is the better it tastes in the salad ( use 1 can for 2 people, 2 cans for 4 people)
- finely shredded extra old cheddar for the top of the salad (shred on top once all the items are tossed with the vinaigrette)
-Feel free to add some pine nuts or sunflower seeds (unsalted, and without shells of course)
Bon appetite!
Let me know what you thought of this after you eat it!!

Schezwan Tofu over Basmati Rice and Sweet Potato

This recipe is a nice, simple idea for those who want a quick and delicious vegetarian meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes! Buy a package of organic seasoned schezwan tofu and all you have to do it saute some fresh green onions and sliced organic carrots, prepare some boiled sweet potatoes and serve over fresh basmati rice! Prepare to have your taste buds be amazed by this unique combination of spice and sweetness!
Here is a list of all the ingredients you will need:
1 package of schezwan spiced soft tofu (ready to heat and serve)
1 chopped organic green onion
1-2 peeled and chopped organic carrot
some organic sunflower oil (for sauteing the onion and carrot in)
1 cup cooked basmati rice
1 large cooked sweet potato - *cooked for 20 minutes, skin on in a pot of boiling water, then once cooked, slide off skin, and slice potato in circles and cut those slices in half again (see main photo)
fresh organic cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh organic yogurt
sesame oil and sesame seeds
Step 1: Saute the green onion and carrot in the oil for 3-5 minutes (carrots can remain crunchy). Next add the schezwan tofu. Heat all for 1-2 minutes.
Step 2: Serve immediately over cooked basmati rice. Add the triangles of cooked sweet potato around the edges and garnish with fresh cilantro, fresh organic yogurt and a little sesame oil and sesame seeds (light ones) sprinkled on top. Bon appetite!

Have a glass of milk on hand because schezwan is spicy... but the spice will boost your immune system immensely! Feel free to substitute the prepared schezwan tofu with a milder flavour of soft prepared tofu like ginger and sesame, if your spice tolerance is low.

Tofu burgers

This recipe uses a combination of sauteed onions, cumin and coriander, which is added to a mixture of organic garbanzo beans, cooked potato, silken tofu and whole grain bread crumbs that when combined,create an amazing and healthy 100% vegetarian burger that tastes delicious! NOTE: Use LOTS of BREADCRUMBS so your burgers don't fall apart or stick when cooking!

Here is the ingredient list:
1 small organic onion chopped finely *
2 cloves of garlic crushed in a garlic press
2 tsps (or more) of ground cumin
1 tsps (or more) of ground coriander
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice from organic fruit
14 oz can of organic garbanzo beans
3 oz (or about half a package) organic SILKEN tofu
2 organic potatoes, cooked, peeled and diced
fresh organic cilantro
1/2 to 1 cup of prepared organic grain breadcrumbs (do them yourself by adding pieces of dried bread to blender)
organic whole wheat buns or egg bread buns (not organic but you can buy them locally)
2 medium organic tomatoes or 4 mini greenhouse tomatoes, sliced
1 large organic carrot, peeled and grated
RELISH ( Ingredients) -serve on top half of bun right before eating)
1 tsp sesame seed paste or 1 tsp light sesame paste and a little sesame oil
4 tablespoons or more of organic plain yogurt
1/2 a organic cucumber, ski off, chopped finely
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
Step 1: Place the onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, and fresh lime or lemon juice in a pan, bring to a boil, simmer, and cook until softened.
Step 2: Place the organic garbanzo bean, silken tofu, and cooked/diced potato in a bowl and mash well with a potato masher. An easier method, would be to quickly put in a food processor until mixed together. Next, stir in the spiced onion mixture, add the freshly chopped organic cilantro and salt and pepper. Divide mixture into four (4) patties measuring about 4 inches across. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs onto a plate and press the burgers into the bread crumbs to coat both sides.
Step 3: Heat some organic sunflower oil in a large frying pan and fry the burgers for 5 minutes on each side until golden. Mix the relish ingredients together in a bowl and leave to chill. Place the sliced tomato on the bottom half of the bun (you can lightly toast them in the oven if you like first), then add the shredded carrot on the tomato slices. Place the tofu burger on top of this. On the TOP half of the bun, put 1 tbsp of relish, and place on top of the burger. Bon appetite!
Suggested Accompaniments:
a green (organic) salad with a zesty white wine vinaigrette , feta cheese and cherry tomatoes
sweet potato fries, spiced with chili peper and a dash of cumin (Cook in an oven-proof pyrex dish for about 30 minutes lightly drizzled with some sunflower oil at 400C).

* to read about the health benefits of onions see this link:
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/benefits-of-onion-1565.html

Tortilla Soup

This savoury and delicious soup is one of my favourites and everyone I serve it to raves about it! I always say this recipe is so easy... so now here it is! All you need is the following ingredients: 1 small organic onion and 2 cloves of garlic, pressed, one 14 oz can of organic whole or diced tomatoes, some prepared chipotle peppers and six cups of chicken broth (made with 6 tsps of dehydrogenated chicken powder and 6 cups of boiling water). Also have on hand a few real corn pressed tortillas to lightly fry, while you are making the soup (you will add strips of the fried tortilla in your bowl just before serving), as well as some fresh organic cilantro and crumbled Mexican cheese (asadero is best, but you could substitute feta).

Simply follow these easy steps to a flavourful, full bodied soup that can be eaten as a light meal:

Step 1: Lightly fry the tortillas in organic sunflower oil, til crispy on both sides. At the same time, take the finely chopped onion and pressed cloves of garlic and lightly fry them in some organic oil for 1 minute in a large sauce pan or dutch oven . Do not brown.
Step 2: Next, add the chopped tomato, fresh or canned (organic) and the finely chopped pieces of prepared chipotle chilies( 1 or 2). If you buy the chipotle prepared in a tin, like I do, add some of the liquid too. Saute the tomato, onion and garlic mixture for a few minutes.
Step 3: Add in the 6 cups of prepared chicken stock and stir over medium heat, boiling for 1-2 minutes, then reduce heat a little and simmer on lower heat for another 15 minutes minimum to allow the flavours to infuse.
Step 4: Place strips of fried tortilla in each bowl, add the hot tomato broth and top with fresh springs of cilantro and crumbled mexican asadero cheese. Bon appetit!

Bunuelos- Mexican Sugar Donuts!

Inspired by all my frequent travels to Mexico, these incredible mexican donuts (bunuelos) are so easy to make, it might be difficult to resist indulging in them! This recipe makes 24 mini donuts and can be ready to eat in less then 45 minutes! Once fried and golden, dip the donuts in a pre-made mixture of organic granulated sugar and cinnamon and serve with local market Maple syrup and cafe con leche or a black sugared tea. These organic donuts are perfect as a mid day snack or a weekend brunch.

Here are all the ingredients you will need:
*2 cups of all purpose organic flour ***1 large egg
*1 teaspoon of baking powder *** 1/2 cup milk
*1/2 teaspoon of grouns anise *** 2 tablespoons of melted butter
* 1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
*pinch of salt *** organic canola oil for frying

Aside: combine 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1 table spoon of organic granulated sugar in a bowl to dip fried donuts in, right after you remove them from pan.

Step 1: Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and ground anise into a mixing bowl. Stir well and make a well in the center.

Step 2: Place the egg and the mik in a small bowl and whisk well with fork. Add in the melted butter and stir to combine.

Step 3: Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon and then with your hands. Transfer to a floured surface and knead for at least 2 minutes, or until smooth. Leave to rest, covered for 5-15 minutes.

Step 4: Divide the dough ball into 4 equal parts. Then make 6 small equal sized balls with each of the 4 equal parts of dough you have. You should have 24 small balls of dough total. Next take a floured rolling pin and press the narrow rounded side handle (see left of this photo to see the part of the rolling pin you use) into the center of each ball of dough, so it flattens and there is a small hole in the middle the dough. In the end, your 24 donuts should now look like the photo above.

Step 5: Fry donuts in batches of 6 to 8 in a deep frying pan or wok. The oil should be preheated already on med-high so that a cube of bread turns golden in about 30-60 seconds. Add each donut to the oil with a spoon. It should take only 1-2 minutes PER SIDE for each to be sufficiently fried. Do one side, and then turn over. Note: the donuts may not turn out very golden since the oil is new. Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon and place on a layer of paper towel. As soon as you have the first batch done, dip them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and set aside on a new plate. Then, immediately add the new batch of uncooked donuts to the oil to fry. Continue these steps until all the donuts are fried.

Serve these delicious homemade donuts with maple syrup and prepare to amaze your guests and loved ones! Beware though, these donuts are so yummy, soon, they will be begging for homemade donuts every week!