Satruday cooking session ... 4 meals!!!

Brian took Ashley and Dennis out for a couple of errands and then added Sam to the group for "manly" work outside. So, Amanda and I pretty much had the entire afternoon to ourselves. I decided to try some cook ahead meals, in hopes that this week will be easier for me (read my previous post about my first two weeks back to work after maternity leave). So, on Saturday afternoon I made 4 meals: enchiladas, enchilada casserole, a spinach-ricotta pasta dish, and for Saturday night's dinner we had pork carnitas.

Prep for Enchiladas

For those who are not familiar with Mary's book (from which the recipes in this blog are adapted), all her enchilada recipes are casserole style. My hubby is not a big fan of the casserole, but I know he really likes enchiladas so he would probably be a bit upset with me for telling him I'm making enchiladas and then presenting him with a casserole instead!

This recipe is meant to make two casseroles, one for that night's meal and one to put in the freezer for later (unless you actually have a family the size of Mary's, then you'll need both on the same night). I decided to try this as both traditional enchiladas, but also create the actual casserole as the recipe intended. I put the traditional enchilada in the fridge and we will eat them on Monday night. I made the casserole and put it in the freezer for the following week.

Next up was the spinach-ricotta pasta dish. Mary has several vegetarian dishes, but we don't do vegetarian. While I understand that many families, including Mary's, believe that vegetarian dishes provide all the nutrients a growing child needs, my husband would not allow me to serve a meal that did not contain meat of some sort! So, one small addition to this recipe is all it takes to make hubby happy! :) 

I actually added some onions and other seasonings not called for, but just because spinach is not a favorite of mine, so I thought it needed some garlic, salt, parsley, ginger, etc. to add some flavor to the spinach. I also used whole wheat penne because I didn't have the bow-tie pasta that the recipe called for. We will try it this week and I will add it to the list on the right side bar which lists all these new recipes in order from best to worst.

And, last but not least, after cutting my right index finger pretty badly (on the edge of a stainless steel pan, not with a knife), and taking a 1 hr break after cooking pretty much all afternoon, I started the pork carnitas. This one took the longest, but required the smallest amount of physical labor. The most labor intensive part was actually cutting up the pork into cubes for the pan and then shredding it afterward - it didn't require much attention at all while cooking.

Here is Amanda helping me get started. What kid wouldn't want to eat something soaked in SPRITE! Yep, 1 can of sprite and 2 cups of water, that's all it takes. Simmer for 2 hours and then up the temp and cook until all the water is absorbed. Shred and top with salsa and cheese inside a warm tortilla! I didn't think salt was enough seasoning, so I added a dash of ginger, and parsley, and some freeze dried cilantro for some added Mexican style flavor. 

I turned out ok, but the meat was dry. I think because the pork was still slightly frozen when I started that I probably should have cooked it an extra 30 mins at the lower temp, but I'll know to fully defrost the meat next time. Pork chops/loin have been on sale for $1.99/lb at several local stores for several weeks now. We bought a bunch when we did the borscht for the party a couple of weeks ago, but I couldn't pass up this good price at the market last week, so we have more pork than chicken at the moment!