Mushroom Enchiladas

This is part of my cooking for a month series....
The cook book calls this Cream Mushroom Empanadas but I think that is a typo because these are not like any empanada I've ever seen and the look suspiciously like an enchilada. Therefore I call them enchiladas. With this recipe we discovered that freezing and reheating tortillas just does not work. They get soggy and gross. So, while I think the filling (chef's treat) for these was quite tasty Jeff said they were absolute mush so I didn't eat them after they were reheated. But he said it tasted good so I think this recipe is a keeper but only when not frozen first.

Creamy Mushroom Empanadas
10 servings

2lbs mix of wild mushrooms
2T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried thyme
pinch of salt
pepper
3T finely chopped fresh cilantro
1C light sour cream
8oz neufchatel cheese, cut into small cubes
1 can mild green enchilada sauce
8 burrito size whole wheat tortillas
1/2C shredded monterey jack cheese

Spray a 9in backing dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Chop mushrooms and set aside.  Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Add mushrooms, thyme, salt, pepper, and cook stirring often until mushrooms release their moisture and become tender and brown, about 7 minutes.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in cilantro, sour cream, neufchatel, allowing the cheese to melt and the mixture to get creamy.
Heat enchilada sauce in a large skillet over low heat. Dip tortilla in sauce to coat both sides and allow excess sauce to drip off.
Lay tortilla in the baking dish and fill with mushroom mixture, rolling tortilla around filling and placing enchilada seam-side down against the side of the baking dish.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and mushroom mixture.  Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over tortillas and sprinkle with cheese.Put in oven for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

This is before freezing.

My notes:
I froze this. It didn't work out so well. Also this made two (13X9) pans of enchiladas. I used regular sized tortillas instead of burrito sized because my store doesn't have whole wheat burrito sized tortillas. I think this would be quite tasty fresh out of the oven. Frozen it turned to mush during reheating. Not terribly appetizing.

Sriracha

Yum

I love Sriracha sauce and I desperately want this book.
 

Of course no one else in my house eats the stuff so this is a purely selfish desire. One of my favorite recipes to put this stuff on is our chicken fried rice. Jeff is generally the cook when it comes to making this dish.

Our Chicken Fried Rice

4 C cooked white rice
1T oil
2 chicken breasts marinated in soy sauce, diced in bite size pieces
1 C carrots, sliced
1 C onion diced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2/3 C frozen peas
1 clove garlic, minced
1 stick butter
3 eggs, beaten

In a large non-stick skillet (and I mean LARGE) or a wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and allow to cook while stirring for a few minutes. Add carrots, onions, and mushrooms stirring frequently until veggies are tender.
In a small skillet scramble the 3 eggs, chop them up and set aside with the garlic.
Stir in the rice, butter, peas, and eggs. Stir until butter is melted and then serve - with plenty of sriracha of course!

My notes:
I personally do not think an entire stick of butter is necessary but since Jeff is cooking he makes the decision. We usually do not use the entire 4C of rice. We just add until it looks like enough. I think you could put just about any vegetable in this but we generally stick with the carrots, onions, peas, and mushrooms.

Slow-Cooker Black Bean Mushroom Chili

Slow-Cooker Black Bean Mushroom Chili Stew
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/slow_cooker_black_bean_mushroom_chili.html
From EatingWell: Winter 2004
10 servings (1C) | Active time 25 min | Total tie 6.25-9.25 hrs

Ingredients
1 lb dried black beans (2 1/2C), rinsed
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 C mustard seeds
2 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin seeds, or ground cumin
1/2 t cardamom seeds, or ground cardamom
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
8 oz tomatillos
1/4 C water
5 1/2 C mushroom broth or vegetable broth
1 6oz can tomato paste
1-2 T minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 1/4 C grated monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese
1/2 C reduced fat sour cream
1/2 C chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into wedges

Preparation
Soak beans overnight in 2 qts water. (Alternatively place beans and 2 qts water in a large pot, bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hr.) Drain the beans, discarding soaking liquid.
Combine oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom in a 5-6qt dutch oven. Place over high heat and stir until the spices sizzle, about 30 seconds.  Add onions, mushrooms, tomatillos, and water.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are juicy, 5-7 minutes.  Uncover and stir often until the juices evaporate and the vegetables are lightly browned, 10-15 minutes.  Add broth, tomato paste, and chipotles; mix well.
Please the beans in a 5-6 qt slow cooker.  Pout the hot vegetable mixture over the beans.  Turn heat to high. Put the lid on and cook until the beans are creamy, 5-8 hours.
Garnish each serving with cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges.
Nutrition
306 calories; 10 g fat; 4 g sat; 2 g mono; 20 mg cholestrol; 40 g carbs; 18g protein; 13 g fiber; 415 mg sodium; 735 mg potassium

Tips & Notes
Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 day for freeze for up to 3 months.
Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapenos peppers.
Tomatillos are tart, plum-sized green fruits that look like small, husk-covered green tomatoes.

My notes
This is a VERY earthy chili stew. The flavor is interesting. The vote is still out on this one but it wasn't bad. But the flavor wasn't what I was expecting. I think I will play with this one a little bit and see what I can do. I'd like a little more spice.... maybe chili powder.