Sopapillas, Quick and Easy

One of the best things about eating tostadas is the all ingredients. It contains a bread, a starch, sometimes a meat, lots of veggies, and a dairy. Tostadas are an all encompassing meal in one perfect disk. What is even better about tostadas is afterwards there is always room for dessert. What better way to round out an almost healthy meal? Sopapillas!!!!

If you have never had a sopapilla then you have not lived. A recipe is not really needed as they are just a flour tortilla sliced in fourths, deep fried to golden perfection, and then drizzled with sweet honey. However, if you need one, Sopapillas with a Side of Honey is a perfectly written example of these warm, puffy treats.

Modifications:

There are few things better in the world than homemade tortillas fried to perfection into a sopapilla. If I were a stay at home cook who did not have a full time job with a full time family then maybe homemade flour tortilla sopapillas would be made. Since I am not, the quick weeknight version will just have to fill the need. Instead of homemade flour tortillas, I use store bought flour tortillas, thick or thin versions. I have even used flour tortillas which had been left open and dried out. They all work just as well.

No to the cinnamon and sugar. This is not toast. There is not butter. These are not bunuelos. Bunuelos are a whole other deep fried goodness. The differences between the two are huge, night and day. You can read more about them here.

Scaled for Likability: Great

Are these the as good as the homemade versions. No but they are good all the same. To say they are as good would imply that homemade brownies are as good as those plastic wrapped versions with the colored sprinkles. You know the kind, the ones in the cardboard box marketed for lunch boxes and can sit in your pantry for months and month. Yeah, no. These are not as good as homemade but they are worlds better than those fake plastic wrapped brownies. In fact, I would argue one could not tell the difference between the two when given a taste test. In fact, this will have to be done the next time homemade tortillas are made.

Better Than Campbell's Old Fashion Vegetable Soup

Went to the store with the hopes of gathering fresh produce for soup. With more than 45 people in line for two packages of any meat product and the produce section containing only avocado, orange, and most randomly, strawberries, I settled upon canned soup. Well not canned soup since that section was still void of food, too. Instead soup made from canned goods as the canned vegetable section had been mostly restocked. Soups like this 15 Minute Vegetable Soup are ideal in dire food situations such as current times. Modifications Made: Plain petite diced tomatoes omitted, frozen carrots instead of canned, green beans and corn undrained, peas omitted (gross, nasty little pods), one cup celery, three cups diced potatoes, one can tomato sauce, two beef and two pollo de tomate bouillon cubes, six cups water. Once onions were softened, carrots/celery/potatoes/juice of green beans and corn, sauce, bouillon cubes, water were added and allowed to simmer until carrots almost tender. Green be

Sour Cream & Chive Scalloped Potatoes

Can't believe the Month of the Potato is over. There are so many more potato recipes saved. Guess I will have to work them into another month. Last week's scalloped potatoes were one of the best new recipes during the month of potatoes. With today being the last day in the Month of Potatoes, I decided to go out with a bang by cooking another batch of scalloped potatoes but this time sour cream and chive. The Best Scalloped Potatoes , or so they said. Modifications Made: Recipe was reduced by half. Mayo was omitted and one entire package of chives were chopped and added to sauce before pouring onto layers. Scaled for Likability: Good Betty Crocker Sour Cream and Chive Box Scalloped Potatoes were the standard for this recipe. These were a family favorite for years but have long since been discounted. Bummer. Trying to replicate this seemed easy enough. Alas, it was not. These had a nice texture but were too oily from the cheese and did not contain enough onion, garlic,

Papas a La Mexicana (Ranchera)

It is a crying shame that there are six hens and not a egg in sight. What am I supposed to do with homemade ranchero sauce? Thankfully with a few quick searches of the internet a recipe from my hometown newspaper was discovered: Papas Ranchera . Not once in the thirty years I lived in my hometown did I ever eat at a local food joint serving papas rancheras. No time like the present to remedy this cultural dish. Because this recipe is hidden behind a paywall (grrr...) I have included it here for you: Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes, diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 large onion 1 1/2 medium tomatoes 3 jalapenos 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup juice from canned tomatoes Instructions: Fry potatoes in vegetable oil until lightly browned (about 4-6 minutes). Saute onions, tomatoes, jalapenos until soft. Add garlic powder and salt. Add tomato juice until vegetables are covered (may need to add water). Bring to a boil and then add potatoes. Cover and reduc

Eating Waffles

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