My Foodie Call

So my 13-year-old daughter is taking 8th grade Spanish. At the end of each chapter her teacher holds a fiesta and parents are asked to contribute a food item native to the country or chapter they have just completed. Worth noting, these celebrations are for REAL Spanish foods.

Do you know of any authentic Spanish foods? Apparently I do not either. I am learning though.

For the first two fiestas, my Spanish concoctions were duds, I am ashamed to say. The first recipe was a Spanish Tortilla, which is like a big potato omelette thing. Turned out horribly wrong and pretty much ruined my cast iron pan. :(. I havent touched that pan since the tortilla fiasco because it took me hours days of scrubbing. While I was not at the actual fiesta to see if kids actually tried it, the My Foodie Call daughter told me that kids had no idea what it was and pretty much steered clear. Fail.

The second fiesta I made a drink…this egg nog-like thing called a Coquito. I whipped a huge batch of this up in the blender and actually attended the fiesta this time, drink in tow. This drink was loaded with sugar. A winner right?

Wrong.

The kids went right past the Coquito and dove into the soda. hmmm.

According to dear daughter, “Everyone thought it was gross”.

What?????? Seriously?? I am convinced that no one even really tried it. 13-year-old closed minds. I might as well have just poured a 5 lb bag of sugar into the blender.

Fast forward to fiesta #3. The Texas Fiesta.

Finally! Tex-Mex. That, I can do. Found this recipe, have made it twice, and I will be making it again.

Don’t be fooled. These are not tortillas. These are egg crepes wrapped around a brown rice/bean concoction.

Recipe from: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/huevos-rancheros-enchiladas/

1. Whisk eggs with 6 Tbs. water in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Heat 8-inch nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup egg mixture into skillet, and swirl to coat bottom completely (like a crêpe). Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until egg is firm in center. Slide onto paper-towel-lined plate. Top with paper towel. Repeat with remaining eggs to make 12 thin egg crêpes, then cool.

2. Wipe out skillet, coat with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Add onion and cumin to skillet, cover, and cook 3 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add pinto beans, garlic, and water or vegetable broth. Cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Mash some of the beans to thicken sauce, add cooked brown rice and 1/2 cup prepared salsa. Cook 5 minutes more, or until only a little liquid remains.

3. Roll 1/4 cup filling in each egg crêpe, and place in large baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour 1 cup prepared salsa down center of enchiladas, and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 15 minutes at 350°F, or until enchiladas are heated through and cheese has melted.

Wish the picture was a tad fancier, but this was taken seconds before heading to 8th grade!