eggnog bread pudding

I saw this eggnog bread pudding recipe last week and knew I had to give it a try. I happened to have a ginormous panettone on my kitchen counter. One of those impulse purchases, where I knew I wanted a panettone...but somehow I neglected to notice the size of the thing. So anyway, I come across this recipe that promises to turn half of my (huge) sweet bread into an equally decadent dessert-- or in our case, brunch-- and I knew it was fate. OK, fine, I don't need to get all dramatic about it. But seriously, you must try this recipe. Not only because it is so, so easy, but because it's Christmas-y and special and soooo good.

Eggnog Bread Pudding

based on this recipe from Cooking with Trader Joe's

(makes a 9x13" dish of decadence)

750g loaf of panettone*

6 eggs

1 quart of eggnog (4 cups)

1-2 Tablespoons of vanilla

zest of an orange, optional

cooking spray or butter

Preheat your oven to 350. Butter your baking dish, or lightly coat with cooking spray. Cut the panettone into roughly 1" cubes and place the bread in the baking dish. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, eggnog, vanilla and orange zest (if you are adding it) and mix until well blended. Pour evenly over bread. Let this sit and continue to soak while the oven is warming up. The original recipe has you making a water bath and baking the bread pudding for about 1 hour. You can go that route, or you can skip the water bath (as I did) and bake it (normally) on the middle oven rack, uncovered for the first 45 minutes. Then, I covered mine with foil because the top was starting to brown quite a bit, and I continued to cook it for another 45 minutes. You'll know it's done when a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean. As you all know, my ovens are dying a slow death, so you can assume that the whole cook time is somewhere around 1 hour...but it could be as long as 1.5 hours, depending upon how pesky your oven is. (Plan ahead if you're having guests!!)

Speaking of planning ahead, this dish can be made in advance either fully baked (and then warmed in the oven, covered loosely with foil) or you can pour the egg mixture over the top and pop it into the fridge, and bake it the next day if you want to wow your family/friends/house guests with an absolutely amazing smelling kitchen. That said, if it's going straight from the fridge into the oven, count on it taking more like 1.5 hours to bake.

Here are action photos for those who like to see the step by step:







*A little side note: panettone is studded with dried fruit and has quite a distinctive taste. I thought that was what made this bread pudding special...I loved the plump raisins and bits of orange rind in the finished product. But, if you think your family would prefer it with plain bread, you can make the recipe I posted above with about 5 cups of French bread, also cut into 1" chunks.

our family's Thanksgiving feast-- side dish recipe round-up

Our feasts are plentiful each year, but not over the top. I read somewhere that it helps if you think of Thanksgiving as dinner with a few extra sides. Last year, I pared back on the sides and made a colorful, delicious spread that offered up enough variety, but was totally do-able-- particularly since most of the sides can be made in advance.

First, the turkey. Here's the scoop on the brine I make. It's a slight modification of The Pioneer Woman's brine, which is so, so good.

We dine in the late afternoon, so I served a super easy baked brie as an early afternoon appetizer, alongside Trader Joe's mini crabcakes and a veggie crudite, to munch on something light before we delved in.

Our late afternoon family feast included:

• my go-to Cranberry Sauce (make up to 4 days in advance)
• a simple mashed sweet potato side (make up to 4 days in advance)
• my doctored up stuffing (make up to 4 days in advance)
• creamy mashed potatoes (make up to 4 days in advance)
• cider-braised cabbage (with or without apples, make up to 4 days in advance)
• simple roasted brussel sprouts (make right before serving)
• pumpkin pot de cremes (make up to 4 days in advance)

I made all but one of the sides in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, so all I had to do on Thanksgiving was roast the turkey and brussel sprouts. This year's feast will probably be quite similar, though I plan to try my friend Janet's Winter Herb and Fennel Slaw in lieu of the braised cabbage and I'd like to try a pumpkin flan for dessert if I can get up the courage to make a flan. Hopefully having my go-to Thanksgiving side links in one post provides some inspiration when it comes to planning your family's Thanksgiving feast!

two easy summer apps

There is nothing worse than inviting friends over and putting out a spread of appetizers that suddenly go soggy before your eyes on a humid summer evening. Well, ok, there could be a lot worse things, but still, it's disappointing when you're the happy hostess. My winter go-to's like Trader Joe's Tempura Shrimp or phyllo shell tartlets like this or this flop in humidity. So when summer rolls around I have other go-to's which I realized yesterday I haven't shared yet. I made both of these to bring along to a little gathering last night. They are quick & easy, and everyone loved them.

Soy Chorizo in Cucumber Cups

(makes about 30 cucumber cups)

4-5 English (seedless) cucumbers

olive oil

1/2 a medium onion, finely chopped

1 pkg soy chorizo (usually found in the produce section, by other soy "meat" products)

1 brick cream cheese (regular, low-fat or fat-free, your choice)

To make the cucumber cups: peel the cucumber, if you'd like, then cut into 1" rounds. Using a melon baller, or teaspoon, scoop out the inside about 3/4 of the way down. This will make a little cup. Place on a paper towel for 1/2 hour, or so, to let some of the water from the cucumber drain. Then fill with soy chorizo mixture, or any favorite dip or spread.

To make the soy chorizo filling: in a medium pan, saute the onion and soy chorizo in a bit of olive oil until lightly browned. Add cream cheese and lower heat, stirring until cream cheese is melted. Set aside until ready to stuff cucumber cups. May be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a few days. (Extra soy chorizo mixture makes a delicious addition to omelets.)

Endive Spears Stuffed with Parmesan-Walnut Pesto

(makes about 3 dozen)

4 medium heads of endive

1 cup Parmesan

1 cup walnuts

3 lemons, zested and juiced

1/2 cup fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons mayo (optional)

To make endive spears: simply cut the base of endive and carefully remove the spears.

To make Parmesan-Walnut pesto: in a Cuisinart, pulse Parmesan, walnuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley until desired consistency. (Adding mayo will help to bind the pesto.) Extra pesto is delicious tossed with whole wheat pasta, or broiled over a crusty piece of bread.

comfort of a homemade meal

I love the comfort of a homemade meal. When I was on bed rest with my younger child, friends came out of every corner, delivering meals to nourish and sustain my family during those long months. Perhaps that is why I always jump at the chance to cook for someone who would appreciate a homemade meal. (Either that, or I need someone to save me from myself.) When making these meals, I'll often scale the recipes up, making sure I can offer a second or third meal to others who could use a night off of cooking (and extras for us so I can take the next day off of cooking too). I've noticed there's a little glitch in the search function on full plate right now, so I'm going to link each recipe here. I've categorized this post under "throw a party and get to enjoy it too" because in addition to being a perfect room temp meal to drop off to a friend, all of these dishes are simple and can be made a day ahead, making them great options if you're having friends over some warm summer night too...

Giada's Grilled Chicken with Basil Sauce
Quinoa Salad with Grilled Vegetable, Feta & Pistachios (this link also has the basil sauce)
Lentil-Cucumber-Fennel Salad
and a fruit salad (mangoes, strawberries and blueberries this time) topped with fresh mint

enjoy!

so easy...roasted shrimp & tomatoes + a new video!

Last night was a little nutty between juggling my kid's dinner + bath + homework + bedtime needs, a friend stopping by for a (much needed) glass of wine, an 8pm meeting...and getting dinner made. This is one of my go-to recipes. It's just so easy. If you don't care for shrimp you can always make it with chicken instead. That's the beauty of this recipe, it's totally adaptable depending upon what flavors you like and what you have on hand.

Originally, a local friend Katharine passed this recipe along to me during one of those email recipe swaps. (Or maybe it was Siri? I can't remember, but one of these girls deserves credit!) The ingredients sometimes differ a bit, depending upon what I have on hand. When I wrote about it the summer of 2009, I happened to have these gorgeous multi-colored heirloom cherry tomatoes on hand and bell peppers. In the video, I had fresh mint, marinated artichokes and kalamata olives that I tossed in as well. Yesterday it was simply: cherry tomatoes, a large can of diced tomatoes, lemon zest & juice, fresh parsley, garlic, a drizzle of balsamic & olive oil, and Feta. And it was delish.

treat made faster than you can hop across the yard

perfect for a casual Easter gathering: two-bite brownies (whole foods has ones without additional ick in them) + homemade cream cheese frosting (cream cheese + powdered sugar + vanilla & a few drops of green) + jelly beans = simple treat the kids can help assemble to wow their friends coming over later to hunt for eggs. hope you have a wonderful, relaxing day with friends and family!

soup swap...a night out with a delicious twist

Make one giant pot of soup...have a bunch of friends do the same...gather everyone together on a chilly winter evening...swap...and go home with 6 different homemade soups. Brilliant. Last night, I hosted what I hope will be the first of many "Soup Swaps". I wish I could say I came up with the idea but I actually read about it here. But before sharing the idea, I decided I should give it a whirl. Here's how ours went...

I sent an email to a diverse group of friends that said, "I have invited you because your either a loyal reader of Full Plate (and you give me great feedback, which I am so grateful for!), you are a great cook, or (achem) you could really use a freezer full of homemade soup to enjoy this winter. The beauty of this Soup Swap is that each person just has to make one big batch of one kind of soup…but you’ll go home from this gathering with 6 different types of soups. Fabulous, hmm? Surely you have one soup recipe that is a crowd pleaser. Chilis, stews, chicken noodle soups, mushroom medleys, a healthy puree, the alphabet soup your kids love… it need not be fancy, just comforting and delicious."

Then the morning of the big day, I made a giant pot of my soup. Each person was to bring six quarts of freezer-friendly homemade soup, packed in six one-quart containers. (Our local market generously offered up freezer-proof quart containers to all of the participants, and I had labels available.) I decided on my favorite turkey chili and made 8 quarts, so we'd have two more for our own freezer, because it's really, really good (if I might say so myself)!

I invited everyone to come by 7:30+ for a glass of wine, and let them know that the swap would start at 8:15. Everyone's soups were lined up on the dining room table, and once we were ready to start the swap, I had everyone introduce themselves and give a quick description of their soup.

Then the swap began! We had 14 participants, so I had people draw numbers to determine the order we'd go in to select our soups from the amazing array.

We went through three times, choosing two quarts each time...and I had people draw new numbers each time, so the order was switched up. (Not that it would have mattered if you went last because each and every soup sounded amazing!!)

Once all of the soups were selected, everyone stashed their own away in the shopping bag/tray/Pampers box (hilarious) they'd brought their six quarts in and...

we all went back to the living room to sit by the fire and have another glass of wine, some apps, and catch-up with friends new and old. It was such a fun idea. I encourage all of you reading this to get an evite together and host your own with fellow class moms, your neighbors, colleagues, your book club...whoever! (Oh, and yes, I will gladly make a pot of something delicious again and join you. I thought you'd never ask!)

In addition to waking up to 6 homemade quarts of soup to enjoy in days to come, I also got emails this morning saying, "what a fantastic group of women you amassed last night"..."it was great fun, nice to meet new people and catch up with some I haven't seen in awhile"...."you are so talented with coming up with ways to bring people together around food"..."loved meeting the others what a great idea!"...and "I am so excited for my freezer full of yummy soup!!"

Making Something Special: Chocolate Pots de Creme

I’m not sure about you, but I am not really one for a bouquet of red roses and a prix fixe dinner with a glass of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. I’d much rather go out to dinner with my husband any night but Valentine’s Day. So, I try to come up with a meal that’s simple to prepare-- but also special-- for that night we always stay in. Here’s a fabulous dessert for Valentine's Day, or any time you want to woo and impress your guests.

Chocolate Pots de Crème
This recipe, modified slightly from In Style magazine's February 2007 issue, will make 4 generous ramekins. Double the recipe if you’re having a dinner party. Even if there are only two of you, make it as is…because this Monday’s a holiday and it’s just as good on day 2.

1 ¼ cups heavy cream
2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup coffee liqueur (or Cointreau or your favorite liquer)
3 egg yolks
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
Whipped cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 325. If you don’t have a double boiler, simply rig one by filling a saucepan with some water and then putting a metal bowl, that fits snugly at the rim, inside of the saucepan. (That’s what you’ll melt the chocolate in, so it melts but does not burn.) In the “double boiler”, over medium heat, whisk the heavy cream, chocolate and liqueur until the chocolate has melted. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Slowly whisk the chocolate into the eggs. Then divide the mixture evenly among 4 ramekins, and place the ramekins in a roasting pan. Now you’ll be making a water bath. Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan (around the ramekins—not onto them!!). Water should reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake custards until just set around the edges, about 25 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water and put them in the fridge for about 3 hours or until completely chilled. Serve with whip cream…and a glass of champagne.

A Pre-Thanksgiving (or any Fall evening) Feast: Savory Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Cream Sauce

By popular demand, the recipe for Savory Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Cream Sauce...

A little background on the recipe: when I had my personal chef service, I prepared Thanksgiving sides for several families in New Canaan and Darien. One year, a client’s family was all arriving the day before Thanksgiving and they wanted a dinner they could simply pop in the oven, so they could enjoy their company…something that would feed a crowd…that kids would eat…but that was still a little gourmet/special, since it was an annual family gathering. That is when I started making Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Cream Sauce, which has become an annual pre-Thanksgiving meal at our home too.

This dish is a perfect dinner party dish, or pre-Thanksgiving meal. It freezes perfectly, so you can make it well in advance of whenever you’re entertaining. Yesterday, my son delivered trays of it to teachers at his school, and the feedback is the same as it is each year: “Wow, will you please share that recipe?” And so, without further reminiscing about my last my pre-child career, I now share this fabulous recipe with you. The original was from Caprial Pence, and I have modified it somewhat.

Savory Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Cream Sauce
(Serves 8, so double or triple according to your entertaining needs—and remember it freezes beautifully so make lots whenever you set aside time to make it!)

Sage Cream Sauce
I first make this in a large stock pot, and then let it cool while I am making the pumpkin filling.
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 large shallots, chopped
1 cup of dry white wine
2 cups (or ½ a box) of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tub of mascarpone cheese (or you can substitute a block of cream cheese)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 hearty bunch of fresh sage, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Pumpkin Filling
Olive oil
6-8 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 cup dry sherry
4 cups pumpkin puree (2 cans)
1 tub of mascarpone (or you can substitute a block of cream cheese)
¾ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese + extra to sprinkle on top before baking
1 cup mozzarella cheese + extra to sprinkle on top before baking
Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh pasta sheets (in Fairfield County they have them at Villarina’s)

To prepare the sauce: In a saucepan over high heat, combine the shallots, garlic and wine. Let the wine reduce down to about ¼ of a cup remaining. Add the chicken or vegetable stock and let that reduce down to about 1 cup of liquid remaining. Add the cream, lowering the heat to medium and let it warm for about 5 minutes (but not boil). Then add the mascarpone (or cream cheese), Dijon mustard and sage and let the sauce simmer until thick and the flavors are well blended. Season to taste and set aside, letting it cool down a bit while you make the pumpkin filling. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare the filling: Heat olive oil in a sauté pan or fry pan until very warm, and then add the garlic and onion and sauté until they are golden. Add the sherry and reduce it down until there’s about ¼ cup of liquid left (which intensifies the flavor). Take off the heat and let cool a bit. In a separate large bowl, combine the pumpkin, mascarpone (or cream cheese), breadcrumbs, Parmesan and mozzarella. Mix well, then stir in the slightly cooled onions and mix well again. (I like to use a hand mixer since I have usually quadrupled the recipe and my arm would fall off trying to stir it. Plus, my kids love revving up the hand mixer…) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To assemble the cannelloni: Preheat the oven to 350. Cut each sheet of pasta into quarters. One piece of pasta at a time, scoop a hearty line of filling in the center and roll it up, placing it seam side down in a casserole or other deep baking dish. Once you have rolled all of the cannelloni, pour the sage cream sauce over the top, sprinkle with cheese, then bake until golden brown (about 30 minutes). Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Pair with a nice green salad, a bottle of wine, and you’ve got a pre-Thanksgiving (or any fall evening special supper) that will make your friends and family swoon.

Hope your friends and family enjoy this special dinner as much as we do. Happy Thanksgiving!

Dinner Party Idea - An Oktoberfest Feast

Is there anything better than being invited over to friend’s home for a dinner party? It’s such a relaxing way to spend a weekend evening. But, is it as much fun to be the host? So many friends tell me they are hesitant to throw a dinner party because “they can’t cook” or “it’s too much work”. And so, when I can find some blips of free time, I am going to suggest a couple of menus to make entertaining easy…and yes, fun to host.

When planning a dinner party there are two things to keep in mind. First, a dinner party need not be fancy. No need to pull out the china and crystal. What’s important is that you’re gathering with friends over good food whether it be filet or grandma's casserole recipe. And second, it will be much more fun for you, the host, if you do the cooking ahead of time. This way, you get to actually enjoy the company of friends.

One of my go-to dinner parties I love to do in the fall is around the Savory Pumpkin Cannelloni I make each year. One weekend I’ll set aside time to make this rich, comforting dish, and I’ll make enough for a couple of gatherings, popping the dishes in the freezer. Serve it with a green salad and dinner is done…and wow, do the guests swoon. I'll have to post that recipe while we're all still thinking pumkin.

On a recent drizzly weekend, I made an Oktoberfest-themed dinner for a group of friends. I will admit that I spent several hours cooking on Friday, not because the recipes were laborious, but because I was actually reading recipes this go round (instead of cooking based upon what I have on hand, or relying on my own sense of flavors and textures). I had memories of German food from my time in Europe as an AFS exchange student, but I’d never actually prepared these foods. When planning the menu, I knew I would make one of my go-to fall recipes: Balsamic Braised Cabbage as a side, but the rest of these recipes I got by simply doing a google search for Oktoberfest recipes. I’ve linked to all of the recipes I made, in case you want to cook up your own Oktoberfest-themed feast. I considered it another fabulous evening, since everyone could relax over good food, and all of the recipes could be made in advance (including grilling the sausages), and then warmed in a low temp oven, or taken out of the fridge at mealtime.

“Oktoberfest” Dinner Party Menu

Trader Joe’s Cheese Puffs

Brown Sugar Bacon

Bavarian Cheese Spread on thinly sliced dark rye bread*

Trader Joe’s Pumpernickel Pretzels

*I wasn't so sure of this cheese spread when I first made it (shown above, before being "mushed") but it was actually pretty good. It's definitely a strong taste because of the brie, blue cheese, onions and beer but everyone enjoyed it...

Karottesalat (Carrot Salad)

Gurkensalat (Cucumber Salad)

Sausages**

Balsamic Braised Red Cabbage with Apricots (pictured above, before cooking)

Turnip Potato Gratin (pictured above before getting a heavy dose of cream and cheese)

Grainy Mustard

**Bratwurst, Knackwurst, Weisswurst…Walter Stewart’s carries the full line of Schaller and Weber sausages.

Trader Joe’s Apple Strudels (in the frozen dessert section of the market)

Ginger, Cinnamon or Vanilla Ice Cream

And of course, a hearty selection of German beers to go along with the feast. (I found this wide selection at Stew Leonard’s Spirits in Norwalk.)

Not your grandma’s meatballs

Not that I have anything against grandmas. In fact, our “Meme and Papa” are visiting now and we’re having a ball. (Hence the reason I haven’t spent much time updating this blog.) But, since the times when our moms taught us to cook, so many interesting ingredients and ethnic cuisines have become mainstream. With that in mind, I am sharing my recipe for Lamb & Pistachio Meatballs. Remember: meatballs are hard to mess up! These ones are amazing, and so easy. As an added bonus, they reheat well and can be frozen. A perfect make ahead meal…and these meatballs are special enough that you could serve them at a dinner party. (We ate them before I remember to take a photo, so I had to poach an image off the Food & Wine site...)

Kofte with Pistachios

1 bag TJ’s (Trader Joe’s) roasted, unsalted pistachios
1 lb ground lamb (which can be difficult to find, so call ahead and order this from your market’s butcher)
1 lb all natural ground beef
2 or 3 yellow onions (depending upon the size of the onion), small dice
1 bunch fresh mint, leaves roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves roughly chopped
hearty dash of cumin
hearty dash on cinnamon
hearty dash of kosher salt
olive oil in which to sauté the meatballs

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and mix with your hands. (Remove your wedding ring, or it will get nasty.) Heat olive oil in a large fry pan. Roll 1” meatballs and sauté until nicely browned then transfer to a roasting pan or cookie sheet. Bake another 15 minutes, or so, until cooked through. Done! How easy was that? Serve with Yogurt Sauce.

Herbed Yogurt Sauce
This sauce pairs wonderfully with the meatballs, but can also be a nice accompaniment to grilled chicken or shrimp, or stirred into orzo for a side dish, used as a dip for pita chips, etc. Lots of options for this simple recipe….

1 tub Fage 0% Greek Yogurt (or you can use 2% or full fat, whichever one you prefer)
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1 bunch mint, roughly chopped
1 bunch dill, feathery part roughly chopped
1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Freshly ground pepper

Combine all of the above and let flavors meld in the fridge for at least one hour. Dip will keep for several days as long as you started with fresh herbs!

Bumpy Slides, Cherry Blossoms, Rockets and Margaritas

I am, achem, recovering from my older son’s 2-week spring vacation. Actually, it was wonderful. We stayed in town for the first week and a half and I took the kids on a daily park adventure. Fine, so there was that one day early in the vacation when I called my husband at work to say “the kids are having a ball…they’re running all over like they’ve never been to a park before…Me? I am FREEZING, and I am fairly certain I am the only mom here,” I complained as I took inventory of the young au pairs and groups of nannies catching up while their charges ate sand. But after I changed my attitude, and was thankful that I have two healthy, really really excited little boys who think there’s nothing better than going to the local parks, things started to look up.

Then, at the tail end of the break, we packed the kids up in the car and went on a D.C. adventure. I had my doubts that going to D.C. with kids so young was going to be fun for any of us, but I was wrong. It was the perfect getaway. We stayed outside of the city, so the Metro alone was an adventure for them. (We made sure we picked a hotel that welcomed children, and that had a Starbucks close by.) We discovered (with the Michelin Guide’s help) a fabulous gourmet pizza place that served unique microbrews. We romped around the National Zoo the first afternoon, meandered through the Air & Space Museum in awe on (rainy) day two, and popped the kids in jogging strollers for a long circuitous walk to all of the Monuments and the Capitol on the morning of day three. Oh, and did I mention that all attractions were clean, very well kept, free…and that the Cherry Blossoms were starting to bloom?

Then, we capped off this exhausting but fun leg of the quick getaway with two nights in Richmond, VA, to visit our dear friends who moved south a little while back. The four little boys ran amuck and giggled for 48 hours straight, and the parents booked some well-deserved babysitting time to catch-up and enjoy each other’s company. On Saturday evening, we ate in with some of their local friends so I whipped up one of my go-to dinner party meals: chicken enchiladas. I have shared the “recipe” below so that you can give it a whirl if you are entertaining a crowd. It is easy to prepare, difficult to botch with cook times, and can be assembled in advance then just popped into the oven. Now that makes for a relaxing evening with friends!

Corn tortillas
Enchilada Sauce (I like Hatch brand, which you can get at Whole Foods)
Shredded Cheese(s)

The filling can really be anything. As I show my cooking lesson clients, once you understand the consistency (it helps to have a visual but the idea is: moist enough that the enchiladas will be solid and creamy, but not so moist that they'll be runny...), you can modify the ingredients depending upon whether you’ve got vegetarian eaters, meat lovers, mild and cheesy guests, those that like beans, those that don't….you get the picture. That night, I made ours with:
2 rotisserie chickens, white meat removed/shredded (I was all about ease that day)
2 envelopes Taco seasoning (Garden of Eatin’ brand is a favorite)
2 bricks low-fat cream cheese
2 cans black beans, drained
4 bell peppers, diced
3 onions, diced
1 can diced mild green chiles
½ jar of pickled jalapenos, diced

I assembled the enchiladas (not worrying if they cracked in the process b/c they're going to be covered in copious amts of sauce), poured the enchilada sauce over the two big baking dishes, sprinkled them with cheese and voila, done. Pop them into a 350 degree oven until heated through and cheese is lightly browned, about 45 minutes or so...though I was having such a good time that I forgot and left them in for about an hour and a half, no damage done. We served them with a yellow rice (which we added some frozen peas to for color/texture), black beans spiked with lime and jalapenos and lots and lots of homemade margaritas. Yes, the neighbor's “Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville Machine" made an appearance. Mmm hmm, I just might have to get one of those for our summer entertaining…