So last night was Mexican Dish Night in the Stephens’s house and I was excited about it all day. I should have known that it would a task when I started to work on some other stuff before I started to cook and immediately got a headache of a lifetime. So needless to say things just weren’t looking good when it was time for me to start cooking.
First off I didn’t think I would be doing this but Steve asked for cinnamon rolls for breakfast and so I decided to make them. Usually, I make this ooey-gooey cinnamon bun recipe but it calls for pecan and since my brother in law doesn’t eat nuts I was trying to make something we all could enjoy and I know Steve loves Cream Cheese Frosting so I found this recipe and I decided to give it a shot. It’s called Clone of a Cinnabon.
Well, I should start by saying I was worried because I only had two-pack of yeast left. I couldn’t believe it I call myself a baker and I was out of yeast pretty much. This recipe is also a bread machine recipe and I don’t own one of those either (I need to put that on my shopping list along with a new griddle and my stovetop grill). I looked at the comments and so I decided to still make it without the machine.
First off I followed on suggestion and put the yeast in the milk but I didn’t add the sugar. Like I said I am a baker so I knew it sounded odd but then I saw a recipe that Paula Deen did it that way so I figured if Paula could then so could I. Well I didn’t like the result it just seemed to me the dough would not rise enough but I continued the recipe anyhow.
The dough to me was very heavy so I warned Steve it may not be the best. I let it proof for an hour and then rolled it out and made the rolls to be baked and let that rise for another half an hour and then baked them. To my amaze they were amazing. They were very heavy and a lot like Cinnabon so I was happy and so was Steve. Here is a photo of the finished product.
So we are moving on to dinner remember I was gonna make Mexican Sweet Bread well since I used all the yeast in the morning that was out of the line up so I replaced it with Churros. This was another feat at the start because again as a baker I don’t own a pastry bag or any cake decorating items for that matter so I had to improvise.
I used a small pastry tip I had gotten from an old set I grabbed from the dollar store years ago. It was cheap and didn’t last long but I still have the plastic tips so I ended up using an old disposable baby bottle insert and putting the dough in there to place oil to fry. It was time-consuming but so worth it. They ended up tasting great. I loved it and will have to try it again. Here are some pics of that process.
So while I was making the Churros I was also making the black beans and rice and baking my Enchiladas at the same time so that it would all be ready at once. Let me start with the Enchiladas because this is the end of the success of new dish night. They were great. I improvised on the recipe a bit. I used a pack of chicken parts instead of just the breast meat.
Steve loves dark meat better and it saved me from having to buy more just for this recipe. I deboned the breasts and thighs and cut them into pieces and seasoned them and let them sit for a while then I sauteed them and put them tortilla and did the rest of the steps and put them in the oven. They were so hearty and full of meat and filling. I was shocked that Steve could eat all his but I couldn’t even eat too it was just that filling. It was an absolute success I would have to give it 6 stars, yes I know it’s one above but it was just that good. Here are some pics of the finished product.
So finally we get to the black beans and rice. Boy did I fail at this dish and it was a hard lesson to learn but from here on out, I am gonna follow Sandra Lee and so Semi-Homemade. I had black beans that I brought from the store in the bag, so it was uncooked. I followed the directions and soaked them overnight to help with making them softer. Well, it was time to make the rice and I didn’t for one minute think I should have cooked the peas earlier.
It was a disaster. By the time the rice had cooked the peas were still hard and by the time I was ready to serve dinner, there was no way the peas would be soft enough. It was an error on my part of not cooking them first and thinking it was like the peas in a can. So from here on out if a recipe calls for peas they are coming from a can. I am still going to post a picture of the dish.
So there you have it the ups and downs of Mexican Dish Night. New week I am going to make Key Lime Pie and Try to find some Florida dishes to make it Florida Dish Night. Look out for the blog on what I plan to make.
The Submissive Wife
Nickida
