* Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce {Fat Free}

I'm still in a constant war with my weight, but I've finally begun to win more battles than I lose. You can probably tell by the fact that I've been labeling my recipes with Slimming World Syns rather than calories or points... that I have given the Slimming World WOE (Way Of Eating) a go... and so far so good... kind of - I have friends that have lost double the amount of weight that I have in half the time but I honestly don't care because this time it's staying off... again - kind of.

Most slimming world recipes drop cooking fats/oils and full fat products such as coconut milk, mayonnaise etc in favour of low cal sprays and low fat product alternatives, plus they don't tend to use any type of cream or butter and these have been my main concessions. I gave the fat free natural yogurt, fromage frais and quark a shot for a month or so in quite a few recipes - and hated them so have found alternatives. I'm not combining frog spit with calves ear lobes (not that that's what Slimming World is), so rest easy that all you have to do to unslimmingworld my recipes (currently) - is to swap back in the cooking fat/oil and full fat products... if that's what floats your boat. Personally my boat had stopped floating because it was weighed down with so much arse and I'm not getting any younger despite not telling anyone when my birthday is. Apparently, the fact that they don't know - doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Who knew??!!??

This Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce (Did you see what I did there? I bolded it... in case you forgot why you were here... I know I did.) came about because I was looking for a recipe to use up some rice and came across quite a few recipes for enchilada rice casseroles... I decided to make my own enchilada sauce to go in one because of the whole "boat that doesn't float" thing (plus I don't like jarred sauces) and it was scrumptious.

It was also easier than bunging on a pair of flip flops and flipflopping down the road to Sainsbury in the pouring rain. Those buggers get slippy when they're wet and I'm not ready to swap them for welly boots just yet. Plus Summer. It is still Summer. Until September 21st. The planet might not know it, because apparently it no longer takes any notice of The Calendar (wish my birthday didn't)... but it is.... still... Summer...

Kind of.

* Pork Meatballs with Chipotle Tomato Sauce

I am currently going through yet another "use up everything in the freezers" phase. It's only going to last long enough for me to make enough room to stuff more stuff in them... and also long enough to discover a million different ways to cook pork mince - I have a crap ton of the stuff... of course, I didn't know this when I started this phase. If I had, I might still be endeavouring to cram everything into my freezers with a shoe horn. There's only so much pork mince a person can eat before they start oinking.

Or before one's husband begins to roll his eyes and ask... "Pork mince again??? Have we started a pig farm and this is your way of telling me?"

"No - but if you'd like to take over the cooking from now on.....?"

"Nothat'sokay."

"Thought so. Have another meatball... we have a freezer full of them."

We don't... but for the sake of winding him up, I just can't resist.

So... as you can see... I made these Pork Meatballs with Chipotle Tomato Sauce. They're  rich and spicy and busting with flavour and are also fairly easy on the calories.... yes... I am still dieting, or rather - since my last post I sort of, kind of, might have... eaten my own body weight in chocolate (again)... and decided I should probably start making an effort to ensure that I only ever require one seat on an aeroplane...

... to house my bum...

* Spicy Mexican Cheddar Scones

I bought some Spicy Mexican Cheddar a few days back, with the the full intention of grating it over the top of some enchiladas and somehow... I forgot.

It's hardly a surprise, considering the fact that firstly.. well.. I'm me.. and secondly - I have a variety of cheese on the go at all times, and I can never use it up quickly enough. Currently I have Gouda, Soft Goats Cheese, Feta, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Mascarpone, Full fat Cheddar, Half fat Cheddar... uuummmm... Philadelphia Light with Grilled Peppers... and a chunk of Gruyere.

I don't know why I have all of this cheese. I don't know why I have to have all of this cheese. I just know that if I see cheese... I buy cheese. Unless I have that cheese already, in which case I pick it up and put it down a billion times, trying to convince myself that I really don't need this cheese. Doesn't always work though.

I no longer have any Spicy Mexican Cheddar Cheese left, because I used it up in these scones. They were lush, straight from the oven, cracked open and spread with four inches of the buttery stuff. I'd made another batch of Broccoli Cheddar Soup (I bought a cr@p ton of broccoli) and they were lovely dipped in that.

Looking at that list of cheeses - I have no idea why I bought the Feta. I don't even like Feta.

However... there are tongue marks in the Mascarpone. 

They're mine.

* Mexican Cornbread Muffins {Meatless Mondays}

I absolutely LOVE cornbread, but Neil isn't usually a huge fan. Possibly because most of the time I use a medium grain polenta to make it, and he finds it a tad too gnarly. In which case I usually end up eating the whole lot - not in one sitting... but it's too close to call.

I managed to get hold of some fine polenta in Tesco's the other day, and seeing as I'm always trying to conquer my oven's urge to C-4 small cakes and muffins - I thought I'd have a go at making mini cornbreads... because I am determined to win this particular battle (with the oven) and selling Neil a Mexican Cornbread Muffin was going to be a damn sight easier than saying "I made cornbread". 

I was keeping my fingers crossed that he wouldn't connect the dots.

He didn't. Or maybe he did and decided to play along. He does that A LOT. It's part of his charm.

"Oooh look what my mum bought me!"

"Your mum bought you a new desktop for £600?"

"Ummm... yes?"

"With our debit card?"

"Ummmmmm...mmm... yessss???"

....... "That was nice of her."

What's not to love?!?!!!

He actually enjoyed the muffin that I let him taste test, warm from the oven. I taste tested two. One of them was eaten very quietly in the kitchen, away from all eyes but the dog's. Her eyes said "If you don't give me some of that I'm telling." 

So I shared.

* Slow Cooker Mexican Meatballs

OhMyGod I can't stop making (and eating) these meatballs. I think Neil is on the verge of leaving me for a vegetarian - if he can find one that will have him - that's how often I've made them! He's the main wage earner so I've stepped the meatballage back a bit (in case he leaves me and takes his wallet with him), but as soon he's not looking... we're having them again.

I'm not normally a huge fan of meatballs. They mostly remind me of bolognese... but lumpy, and making a straight forwards bolognese is a lot less hassle and a lot less messy. I'll eat 'em, but only because Neil likes them...

... not so with these ones!

They are tender, melt in the mouth, little spicy balls of heaven. Heh. I just read through that last sentence again. I like it. Little spicy balls of heaven. Lovely.

Because of that little bit of heat, we've chosen (I've chosen. I'm the one that does all the cooking. I'm in charge. I am THE BOSS. Evil laugh.) to eat ours with rice. It works really well with white basmati, but brown long grain adds a bit of gnarly nomminess to the dish.

They freeze incredibly well (probably too well... I'm tempted to put these on the menu daily) and are a great way of using up any bell peppers that you have lying around in your fridge, gasping for air.

Yet again, it' a recipe that I've adapted from The Slow Cook Book by Heather Whinney, and another rousing success for my slow cooker. Poor, poor dog sinks into a state of depression when she sees me get it out now, because she knows she's not even going to get to lick a plate.

I lick my own.

Addendum (love that word) - There's a great *link up* on a Friday at Simply Living and Eating and I've posted this recipe there. Check out the page to find more fab recipes, just click on the image or link above.

* Chicken Chilli

Because I knew I was going to be out all day today, I cooked dinner in advance - I'm not normally this organised, but I have my moments... and they never last. I made a chicken chilli, because I didn't know what we'd be eating today and knew we could have it with or without rice/bread etc, depending on how hungry we were both were.

You wanna know where I've been? You do?!? ... I have spent an entire day sitting in my cousin's garden in Newquay - in the sunshine - with my weird and wonderful family. They are mostly women with a few men thrown in to prevent any fits of uncontrollable girliness... though occasionally it slips through in the form of a blinged up Dorkie.

We've eaten barbecued hot dogs and chips... and trifle. I loooooove trifle. Never quite liked the idea of it as a kid and apparently kicked up merry hell whenever my mum used to put it on the table... then always asked for a second helping. I don't make trifle at home because I love it with a layer of custard, and Neil doesn't eat custard. Neil doesn't like being in the same room as custard. His face distorts into an "I don't like custard" grimace and his whole body physically shudders.

When he does this, I have a hard time not throwing stuff at him. He has never been able to say a polite "No thankyou" if he doesn't like something. He pulls out the whole "I don't like custard" facial/body move at every opportunity - even when faced with something like strawberry ice cream...

Him - "What's for dessert?"

Me (from the kitchen) - "Sod all."

Him - "What. Nufink?" He's common.

Me (opening up freezer to have a gander - I'm common too) - "Errr... there's some strawberry ice cream if you want it....?"

Him - lip curls up, shoulders suddenly appear by ears as if to protect them from the infiltration of strawberry ice cream... aaaannnddd.... "I don't like strawberry ice cream" aaaaand whole body shudders... shoulders relax... lip moves back into normal place.

Me (still in kitchen) - "Did you just pull an "I don't like custard" face? With the body shudder? DID YOU?!?"

Him - "Nnnnnno."

Liar.

Anyway, we had a fab day with fab company and fab food and then we came home and ate this.

It was lush.

* Spicy Butternut and Black Bean Soup {Meatless Mondays}

At last... it's a Monday and I have vegetarian fare to offer up for the band wagon that I am jumping onto - Meatless Mondays.

Before starting a food blog, I had no clue that such a thing existed and quite frankly I think it's brilliant.... and not just because I can finally "Get in there"... honest.

We're a family that don't have issues with meat, one way or the other... or issues with a lack of it - so I do manage to insert the odd meatless meal without anyone actually caring enough to go on a hunger strike. Plus, meat is so bloody expensive that occasionally it helps the budget to miss it out.

I have a friend who once, accidentally (after a few too many glasses of wine), forgot to put the chicken in a chicken supreme. We all ate it and thoroughly enjoyed it (we too were very, very sloshed). The fact that she got away with it, made me deliberately give it a shot a week later, and I made a chickenless chicken stew with dumplings. No one noticed. For years!!! Cheapest stew I ever made. One of the nicest too.

I KNOW that's not the idea behind Meatless Mondays! But a little slip up like that, does make you question your food priorities. Of which I have many. Priority number one being that "Thou must consume one's own body weight in chocolate... on a weekly basis". However, having meat on a daily basis, isn't one of mine, or my familiy's priorities. So... today I get to play.

I can't/won't guarantee that I'll ever join in Meatless Mondays again. I've been food blogging for nearly 9 months and this is the first time that I've coincidentally cooked, eaten and been able to blog meatless fare on a Monday.

So no holding your breath until next Monday...

... because you'll die. For real.

* Mexican Pasta

I had intended to update with a recipe on Monday evening, but when I came home from a somewhat long day in various parts of Devon and Cornwall.... Neil gave me the news that he had been made redundant.

I wish I could say I was surprised, but I've been holding my breath for the past six years, waiting for this to happen. He works (worked - whatever) in the construction industry, and the fact that we made it this far into the recession without him being made redundant, was not only a bit of a miracle, but had also almost convinced me that we might make it out the other side.

We haven't.... and neither did the rest of the team that work in the South West of England. Everyone has been made redundant. The firm that they work for ( a HUGE international company), will employ contractors rather than their own team of men in our little tiny corner of the world.

Neil was convinced that they'd be scraping him off of various parts of the county, after he told me. I think he was more fearful of my reaction, than of actually being made redundant... I surprised the living daylights out of the pair of us when my only response was "Oh well, we'll get through it."

I have been dreading... DREADING... this, since he started work for them 18 years ago, near the end of the last recession. I'm not a pessimist, but once you've lived on benefits and finally manged to get off of them, your worst nightmare is that it happens all over again... well - here we are again, and quite frankly - no one has died. In truth, I almost feel relieved that now that it's happened I no longer have to wonder if it will.

We're luckier than a lot of the men laid off - we're not just starting out - struggling to furnish our home or pay a mortgage, we have no little ones to feed and clothe, we don't smoke or drink... and we're twenty years older and wiser. When we moved into this house we had no bed to sleep in... just one sofa that my mum gave us, an old fridge freezer and a washing machine that my dad bought us, an oven that Neil's mum bought us and sent through the post!!!... and a bed for our son that a friend lent us.

Obviously we'll have to economise, and I imagine that one of the things to be hit will be the food budget... *sob*... so it may get interesting around here for a while, until one or both of us have new jobs... or we've won the lottery...

Ah well....  Here's to a new adventure in this zig zagging road through life. Nothing ever stays the same, does it!

There is a recipe here - honest. Just click the link below :)

* Cheesy Tuna Quesadillas

I've been making tortilla wraps stuffed with just about anything I have left over in the fridge - that needs eating up - for years. I've only recently started to cook quesadillas as an alternative, and I'm falling in love with them, though I've yet to find a way of stopping the chorizo ones from oozing orangey red oil down the front of whatever top I'm wearing... those ones involve a lot of strategic chin placement and mopping up.

Quesadillas have become an almost permanent lunchtime fixture of late because none of us like shop bought bread, and I keep forgetting to load up the bread maker until I'm hungry and it's too late. This is probably also the reason that I like such hearty soups, because they don't really require bread... there's one on the stove bubbling away right now, and even though I'm writing this and thinking "I must get a loaf in the bread maker in a minute"... it ain't gonna happen.

In another ten minutes -when I've finished updating etc - I have no idea what my brain will be doing. I know it well enough by now, to know that the mere fact that it has considered the possibility of making bread... is going to convince it, that it has, in fact, gone through the entire process of loading up the bread maker with the necessary ingredients and turned it on.

In four hours time it will be completely dumbfounded by the fact that there is still no bread cooking in the bread maker.

This is when it will have a light bulb moment... It will then promise to do better next time... make my feet walk into the kitchen towards the bread maker... spot the washing blowing on the line... get meowed at by Archie because he's decided he wants feeding.... feed the cat... wander back out of the kitchen... then four hours later...

Rinse and repeat.

It's incredibly hard work being me.

* Smokey Pork and Black Bean Tacos

I have a new love.

Whilst standing at the deli counter in Morrisons today - buying a hundred weight of Manchego cheese - I noticed these little tiny red peppers, stuffed with cream cheese. I couldn't resist them, but not knowing if they'd be as nice as they looked, I only bought 100g.

I wish I'd bought a kilo. They were sweet and spicy and bursting with flavour. They lasted all of five seconds after I'd eaten the first one. Happy days.

I also bought some fresh, slow roasted tomatoes, that were just as juicy and incredibly sweet and perfect to try out in a guacamole - that's if there were any left after I'd sampled them a few times.

Just to be sure.

I made tacos et al, to go with the guacamole. A boat load of them.

I'm plum taco'd out.

* Enchiladas

There's absolutely NO point in beginning this blog with a cooking disaster - I'd give up before I'd even begun. So... I'll start with one of my more constant successes - a dish that we eat quite regularly, when the boy is at his nan's - my own version of Enchiladas. It's not too spicy, as I like to be able to feel my lips after eating a meal, but it does have enough chilli to give it flavour and bite... and plenty of cheese.

First time I made this, I half heartedly followed a recipe on the internet, that only put the cheese on top of the finished dish before baking it in the oven... second time I made it, I wanted to use up some cheese, so I put it in the filling as well.

Oh.

YUM.

I stuck with the second version.