Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce

For Thanksgiving at the Erives house we normally just open a can of cranberry sauce. But this year I made sure we had the real stuff. So I googled recipes and found that they were all very plain; the recipes only called for water, cranberries, and sugar. Then I saw a show on Food Network where Bobby Flay made a Cranberry sauce with rum. So I did more searching and I found the following recipe. And it turned out to be a great hit!

Cranberry Sauce

12 oz. bag cranberries

3/4 c. O.J.

2/3 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. sugar

2 oz. gold rum

1. Rinse cranberries

2. Combine all ingredients in sauce pan.

3. Cook on medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring often.

4. Let cool, refrigerate, and serve chilled.

the turkey tornado

The ultimate leftover sandwich. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey, ham, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce all stuffed into a whole wheat dinner roll that was dressed with a honey mustard sauce. I'd like to thank my Aunt, and my Mom, for making it all possible, and I'd like to thank my sister Carmen, who made the cranberry sauce, using fresh cranberries, orange juice, and rum. Delicious! Gobble, gobble. Serve cold.

Bird's Nest/Huevos Rancheros

Bird's Nest is a new take on Huevos Rancheros. Originally, this recipe was made by Moi but many agree that I perfected the plate. Though it is never the same each time I make it, there are a few esstential ingredients to make it, and the rest are up to the cook.

THE MAIN INGREDIENTS:

2 tortillas, sliced

2 large onion rings

2 eggs

1 garlic, sliced

jalapeno slices

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OTHER GOOD INGREDIENTS:

1 roma tomato, diced

bell pepper, sliced, diced, or rings

cilantro

cheese [i usually use cheddar, but any cheese will do]

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STEPS:

1. prepare the ingredients.

2. when the oil is hot lay the strips of tortillas in the pan, criss-crossing them so that they create a "nest" for the other ingredients. add the onion rings, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos.

3. when the tortillas begin to get crispy, crack the eggs into the onion rings. you may need a spoon to splash the oil onto the egg for it to cook fully.

4. after the egg is cooked place the birds nest on a plate and add the tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. [sometimes if i have the ingredients I like to make a pico de gallo]

5. I also like to add cholula to make it even spicier.

6. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken with Mole Wine Sauce

Ok, so what do you do when you got only about 1 cup of cabernet left in the bottle and a frying pan with leftover bacon fat? Simple you refry some pinto beans in the bacon fat and use the leftover wine to enrich your mole sauce.

Like usual I use Dona Maria mole sauce. It asks for about 4 cups of water or broth to mix with it. But I put 1 cup of red wine, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, and 2 3/4 cups of water. Then I brush it on the chicken when its almost done. While the chicken was grilling I sprinkled it with a little garlic salt. Then I pour some more sauce on the chicken when serving.

If you don't happen to have bacon fat laying around, simply fry one or two strips, and chop and add to the beans for an even greater flavor. I didn't have a pot of beans handy today, so I just used a large can of Sun-Vista pinto beans.

Margaritas mandatory, and overall, very rich.

Recommended Music: Manu Chao

Bacon Eggplant Spaghetti

I love to cook with leftovers and scraps. One, so that they don't go to waste and two, so that I have a chance to invent and create something new and interesting. And in this case there was 4 extra pieces of bacon and a medium-size eggplant that was about to get old.

This was very easy since I used Prego sauce, and didn't have to make the sauce from scratch. I just chopped the eggplant into bite-size pieces and then sauteed it in olive oil until soft. A couple a cloves of fresh garlic would have been great to chop and saute as well, but I was out.

The bacon I cooked until slightly crispy and then diced into tiny bits to spread the flavor throughout the dish. Then i mixed it with the sauce along with the cooked eggplant. And it was delicious. Parmesean and wine optional.

-Recommended Music: Dean Martin

World Famous Enchiladas

Okay, so these are not the World Famous Enchiladas, but they were pretty damn good. (pardon my French) But how 'bout some espanol ? Se van a enchilar con estas enchiladas. Yes these enchiladas are true to the word and are chile hot!
I love to make enchiladas. One beacause they taste so good, and two because their quick and easy to make. Usually I use Las Palmas red enchilada sauce, but in this case I was out. We did have a couple cans of the green sauce, but I don't like the way it taste, plus it has monosodium glutamate; aka MSG. So I simply got a can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce and blended it with water (about a cup) until it had the same consistency as regular enchilada sauce. CAUTION: Although delicious, these enchiladas are on the spicy side.
Okay lets talk cheese. I usaually use both mild cheddar and monterey jack, but in this case I just used the cheddar. The cheese that goes in the enchilada i chop into finger-size rectangles. (approx. 1/2" X 1/2" x 3-4") Then shred the rest to sprinkle on top. Also dice a brown or white onion, and slice a can of black olives.
Pre-heat the oven to about 350 degrees, and put the tortillas in the microwave for a couple minutes and flip them halfway thru. This is so they wont crack while rolling. Before rolling pour a little sauce on the bottom of the pan and spread with the backside of a spoon, so that it coats the entire bottom of the pan.
Now roll the the enchiladas with the cheese in it, and place each one in order, so that they don't roll open. Also be careful not to burn your fingers, as the tortillas may be hot. When your done pour the rest of the sauce evenly over the enchiladas, and use the spoon to smooth out the rest. Then sprinkle the cheese, onions and olives on, and place in oven for about 15 min. or until the cheese has melted.
If you have extra cheese, onions or olives, simply place in a sandwich baggie and save for other uses. Serve the enchiladas using a spatula. And don't forget to add dallop of sour cream!
Beans and Rice
The perfect sides for an enchilada dish! And all you need is a Mexican mother, who always has a pot of beans and rice handy. When I was little I used to complain about my Mom always cooking beans and rice, but now I see how lucky I was, and still am.
World Famous Enchiladas
To make the World Famous Enchiladas, instead of putting cheese in the enchilada you put mole chicken, and instead of sprinkling olives you sprinkle jalepeno slices (from a jar) along with the shredded cheese and diced onion. To make the mole I use Dona Maria mole sauce and warm it in a pan with shredded chicken. You can boil chicken legs or thighs in a pot and then shred it when its done, or you can buy a cooked chicken and shred that, as well.

Otras cosas

-chipotle means roasted jalepenos

-enchiladas montadas are enchiladas with a fried egg on top!

-Gaby style(my younger brother) is an enchilada made without any sauce. He wasn't a fan of chiles.

Also look for corn tortillas without any perservatives. Just corn and lime.

-Recommended Music: Pedro Infante, Trio Los Panchos, or Linda Ronstadt( Canciones de mi Padre).