Daily Archives: 15/05/2011

Turkey & Spinach Enchiladas

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Ingredients
1 lb. ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
16 oz. package chopped spinach
4 oz. can of pitted, chopped black olives
8 oz. package cream cheese
8-10 corn tortillas
28 oz. can of enchilada sauce (El Pato is what I use)
8 oz. shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions
In a 12″ skillet heat the olive oil, add the chopped onion until it begins to soften and brown. Turn down the heat and add the minced garlic. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned.

Thaw the chopped spinach. Be sure you squeeze the water out before adding to the skillet. Add the olives and cream cheese. Stir in and melt the cream cheese until you have a consistent mixture.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9″ x 13″ Pyrex pan with cooking spray. Warm the tortillas and place a spoonful of enchilada, spreading it in the center of the tortilla. Add the turkey mixture and roll up the tortilla.

Once the pan is full cover with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle the shredded cheese on the top. Cover the pan and place in the over for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the enchilada sauce is bubbly.

Notes
This has quickly become on of my wife’s favorite dishes. I believe I found the original recipe on a low fat cooking web site. You can substitute any ingredients with low fat ones, for example the cream cheese and cheese. I have also added corn to this recipe for added flavor. Experiment and find out what works well for you.

CW Chirp & Possible Rotator

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Last weekend during the 7QP, NK7U commented about a “chirp” when I keyed up on 15M CW. After that a few other operators later on also made mention to me. In the mail on Saturday was a Official Observer Advisory Notice from W7POE in Washington as he happened to listen to a QSO with KX7L and also mentioned ‘frequency instability’ and a ‘chirp’ in our exchange.

During 7QP I actually sent an e-mail to the NCCC Reflector and got quite a few responses rather quickly. Many commented it being related to the DC power supply (Astron RS-35M) I use to power the Yaesu FT-1000 MP. I attempted to confirm the chirp by listening to CW in my truck on my FT-857D. In my opinion it sounded more like a click, but not being really knowing what I am listening for I cannot confirm it for sure.

Hopefully I can investigate a but further today with another club member on the air. Regardless I need to resolve this problem before the start of WPX on May 28.

Not all news was bad this weekend. I am hoping to put the hex beam on the peak of the roof just for WPX, but my problem would be turning it. Currently I have 3 guy wires I use to turn the hex in the intended direction and then tie the guy wires off.

The members at the Hex Beam Yahoo Group confirmed I could use a Channelmaster RC Antenna Rotator System (Model CM9521-A) in order to turn the hex. At $99 from Radio Shack, this is a great deal than sending off my CDE Ham-M off to be fixed and hoping it would be fixed by WPX. Hopefully in a week or so I will add the CM9521-A to the mast and see how it works. This would definitely help me from running in and out of the shack to change directions.

Chicken Fried Steak

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Ingredients
2 lbs. beef bottom round, trimmed
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup flour
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or olive)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup while milk
1/2 tsp thyme leaves

Directions
Cut the meat into 1/2 inch thick slices. Season each piece with a combination of salt and pepper. In separate pans place the beaten eggs, flour and bread crumbs. Tenderize the cutlets until approximately 1.4 inch thick.

Dredge the meat in the flour, followed by the egg, let stand for a few minutes and repeat this process. Do this for all pieces of meat. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch skillet preferably with high sides. Heat the oil until it shimmers. Add 2-3 pieces of meat and cover while cooking. Cook each piece of meat until each piece is a golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the meat and place on a wire rack set on a baking sheet and cover. Keep warm in the oven (250 degrees).

Add the remaining oil (1 tsp.) to the skillet. Turn down the heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour that is left over from the dredging. Slowly add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Turn up the heat and bring the gravy to a boil until it starts to thicken. Add the milk and thyme, stir for another 5-10 minutes. Season to taste. Cover the steaks and enjoy.

Notes
I decided to try this dish after overhearing the wife say she wanted it. In the end it turned out very tasty, especially the breaded cutlets. The only problem I had was too my thyme in the gravy and not enough flavor. I believe this could easily be solved by adding more seasoning when I breaded the cutlets.

While not necessarily a prerequisite, I have cheated and used cubed steak for this recipe before. While not as good as bottom round it was a bit cheaper when I was shopping for ingredients.


Guacamole

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Ingredients
1 large ripe Hass avocado, peeled, pitted
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 serrano chili, seeded, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions
In a bowl mash up the avocado with a fork or electric mixer. Stir in the lime juice. Add the minced garlic, chopped red onion and chili and stir into the avocados. Finally add the cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips

Notes
I found this recipe on Chipotlefan.com after eating at the restaurants for months on end. I thought it was a great tasting guacamole and the wife really loves the taste. I usually end up using 3-4 avocados, which makes me increase the amounts of ingredients.

I have never used salt and will usually end up adding some paprika and chili powder. For more of a chunky style guacamole, you can add Pico de gallo to the mixture.

White Chicken Enchiladas

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Ingredients
1 lb – boneless chicken breast, diced
1 – onion, chopped
2 cups – grated jack cheese
10 to 12 – corn tortillas

4 oz. – butter (1 stick)
1 – can of chicken broth
1 pint – sour cream
4 oz. can – chopped green chilies

Directions
Boil the chicken for about 10 minutes, until it starts to turn white, cooked too long and the chicken will be dry. Mix the chopped onion, grated jack cheese and boil chicken in a bowl.

In a pan melt the butter and stir in the flour to create a roux. Thicken the roux by pouring in the can of chicken broth until the roux is completely dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream and add the can of chopped green chilies.

Coat a 9″ x 13″ Pyrex with cook spray. Warm 8-10 tortillas and beginning adding the onion, cheese and meat filling to the middle of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place in the pan. After the pan is full cover the tortillas with the white sauce. Cover and place the pan in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees until it’s hot an bubbly.

Notes
This is a great tasting recipe that came from my mom.