Quesadilla Casserole, by Beverly Hicks Burch

Quesadilla Casserole

By Beverly Hicks Burch

Well, cool fall weather is beginning to really grace us with its wonderful temperatures and colors and blue skies like none other. I’m also particularly fond of cloudy, rainy and even foggy days, especially up on the mountain when I can snuggle in with some good reading or good movie watching.

But, nothing says fall weather better than certain foods! Comfort foods for one…soups, stews, mac and cheese…I could go on. Ever notice how fall and winter foods just seem to be heartier and more filling…and piping hot?

In the October 2009 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray there was a recipe that when I saw it I heard the siren song almost immediately. It was to be…and soon. Only…as usual I also saw immediately a couple of thing I would do differently especially now that I am a gal trained to cook for and by a green chili eating Tall & Handsome native New Mexican. He ran out to the store this afternoon to pick up what we didn’t have on hand and we pulled this little dish together for supper tonight for my folks. It will be seen on the table around here again judging from the reaction of everyone this evening.

 

Bev’s Quesadilla Casserole

Inspired by a recipe in the Oct. 2009 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons olive oil

¾ chopped onion

One 29 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cups frozen sweet corn, thawed

½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Five 10 in. flour tortillas

2 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese or 4 cheese Mexican blend

2 small cans or 1 large can green enchilada sauce, divided

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a skillet heat the oil over medium heat then add onions and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Stir in 1 ½ cups black beans and mash the beans into a chunky paste. Stir in ½ cup green enchilada sauce.

3. Grease a heavy oven proof skillet or casserole dish.

4. In a separate bowl combine the corn, remaining black beans and parsley.

5. Place one tortilla in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the tortilla with 1/3 cup mashed black bean mixture. Then spread on 2/3 cup corn-bean mixture. Next evenly spread ½ cup of cheese over the vegetables. Drizzle a few spoons of green enchilada sauce over the layer.

6. Add another tortilla and press down to compress the layers. Repeat the layering process with the mashed black bean mixture, corn-bean mixture, cheese and drizzling of green enchilada sauce until all five tortillas are used and covered.

7. Bake for 30 minutes at 400°. Then broil on high for one minute. Serve with extra green enchilada sauce and lite sour cream.

Enjoy!!

© 2009 Beverly Hicks Burch All Rights Reserved.

Home-made Coconut Cake, by Beverly Hicks Burch

Home-made Coconut Cake

By Beverly Hicks Burch

Several years ago, a late friend would wow friends and family with a home-made coconut cake. It was often in demand and a real treat when she presented you with one. Where she discovered the recipe I’ll never know. Barbara is no longer with us having succumbed to cancer over 10 years ago.

While browsing through my mom’s cookbooks I found one that our former church had published ca the mid 1980s. Towards the back in the dessert section, there was Barb’s yummy Coconut Cake recipe bigger than Dallas.

Sweet memories and a sweet cake…too good to pass up and too good not to share…

Barb’s Coconut Cake

By Beverly Hicks Burch

Filling:

2 – 6 oz. packages frozen coconut

1 – ½ cups sugar

1 carton sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Mix together and set aside. Place between the split layers of cake once they have cooled.

Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

1 cup water

½ cup oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine ingredients and mix for 3 minutes. Pour into 2 nine inch pans and bake for 30 minutes. Let layers cool and then split then in half.

Icing:

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup light Karo syrup

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

2 egg whites

4 tablespoons water

3/4 cup sugar

Add ingredients to a double boiler. Beat to mix. When the water in the bottom of the double boiler begins to boil, remove from heat. Beat the mixture for 3-1/2 to 4 minutes until stiff peaks form. Ice the top and sides of the assembled cake. Garnish with coconut.

© 2009 Beverly Hicks Burch All Rights Reserved.

Nestle’s Oatmeal Scotchie Cookies, by Beverly Hicks Burch

Nestlé’s Oatmeal Scotchie

Cookies

By Beverly Hicks Burch

Everyone seems to have a favorite cookie. Some people are even cookie monsters…they have a weakness for the delectable baked good. When you hear the word cookie what’s the first image that pops into your mind?

I can take or leave cookies…if they are store bought. In general I really don’t care for store bought cookies. I was the rare, odd child who actually enjoyed the Fig Newton. (Of course Wheaties and Raisin Bran were my favorites as a child…go figure…) There is a miniscule list of store bought cookie I will eat on occasion. They usually include the words “Pepperidge Farms” on the package

I do admit a really good home-baked cookie is hard to pass up. Yes, those are my personal preference. My favorites? Well, I love home-baked M & M cookies, a good home-made chocolate chip (milk chocolate chips, please and I have one recipe that uses Rice Krispies for an added crunch) and one I found of the back of the Nestle’s Butterscotch Chip bag.

The cookie is called Oatmeal Scotchies. Oatmeal cookies are not normally a cookie I enjoy, but this one is the exception. As usual I have adjusted the recipe to my liking. If memory serves me, when the original recipe first debuted, I think it might have used orange flavoring. I switched to vanilla (pure vanilla of course…it really does make a difference over imitation vanilla). T & H has learned I have two secret ingredients…pure vanilla in one of them. Also, the recipe calls for ½ teaspoon cinnamon which I totally omit. I prefer a non-spicy oatmeal cookie, but that is up to your discretion.

This is a nice hearty cookie you can sink your teeth into. Very appropriate for our current season…fall. Interestingly, during election year Family Circle magazine polls its readers on which of the potential future First Ladies (or First Spouse) has the best cookie recipe. The recipes this year were from Cindy McCain, Michelle Obama and yes, Bill Clinton. Cindy McCain’s cookie took the title 54% to 44% and 2% respectively. Cindy’s recipe (Oatmeal – Butterscotch Cookies) is very similar to my old, time honored Oatmeal Scotchies.

So without further adieu, here’s the Nestle Oatmeal Scotchie recipe…

Enjoy!

© 2008 Beverly Hicks Burch

Nestlé’s Oatmeal Scotchie

Cookies

Adapted from an original recipe

1 – ¼ cup flour, unsifted

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter (you can reduce this to ¾ cup like Cindy McCain did and I have on occasion)

¾ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

3 cups rolled oats (remember oats are a healthy grain and help reduce cholesterol)

1 11 oz. package or about 2 cups butterscotch chips

*1/2 teaspoon cinnamon is an optional addition…with or without is your choice

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine dry ingredients and set side.

Cream butter and then beat in sugars, eggs and vanilla.

Gradually add flour mixture.

Stir in oats and butterscotch chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoons unto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 7 – 8 minutes for a chewy cookie or 9 – 10 minutes for a crisper cookie. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and remove to wire rack.

*You can make this a bar cookie by cooking the cookie dough in a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan for 18 – 22 minutes. Allow pan with baked dough to cool on wire rack.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!