Potato & Spinach Enchiladas and Refried Beans

Hi All!
When you cook with your heart, people can taste it. This is the real secret of great cooking. No fancy techniques, just the willingness to give yourself wholeheartedly to what you do! Same way with making art. What comes from the soul cannot be denied.

☞Potato Enchiladas

1 1/2 c. vegetable broth (I mix a teaspoon of Vegetable Better Than Bullion into 1 1/2 c. hot water)
1 package of Spud Puppies (oraganic Tatter Tots) baked in oven according to package directions.
8 oz. stick of cream cheese, mushed
2-3 big handfuls of baby spinach chopped
Shred a few onces of Mexican Queso or a creamy white cheddar
a good pinch of cumin powder
a good sprinkling of adobo powder

Place the softened cream cheese in a bowl, add the warm bullion and chopped spinach and spices. Add the shredded cheese.When the puppies are done baking, toss them into the bowl. It looks weird, like you've killed the puppies, but that's okay. Mush it all around till it looks gloppy.

Make a simple white cream sauce:

3 c. milk
3 T. corn starch
5 T butter
season with a pinch of paprika and dill and white pepper

Bring milk and butter to a simmer, add cornstarch. Carefully bring this warmer while stirring till it thickens.

Line the shallow casserole pan you're about to use with a thin layer of the sauce.
Take your (corn or flour) toritilla's and place some of the potato mixture into each. Roll and place into sauced pan. Repeat. Put cream sauce on top.
Bake for abouut 35 minutes in a 375º oven.
ENJOY!

☞Killer Refried Beans

2 c. dried pinto beans
bay leaves
3/4 c canola oil
1 bulb roasted garlic
2-3 tsp. kosher salt
tamari
adobo
cumin powder
1 can chopped tomatoes

Sort beans for any debris or stones. Rinse beans and add to pot with 8 c of water. Cook with cover ajar for 2 hours till soft. Add water if needed, but doubt that will be necessary.
Keep the water level about 2" above beans.
(Note:DO NOT SALT beans till they are fully cooked.)
In the meantime.......
Roast a bulb of garlic drizzled in olive oil with a pinch of thyme.
Remove bay leaves from the cooked beans.
When garlic is done roasting, remove cloves and mash them slightly and add to pot of beans. Mash beans in pot with a potato masher or big spoon.
Add the canola oil to the beans.
Drain the tomotes and add them to the pot.
Add tamari, salt and adobo.
Add a pinch of cumin too.

The longer you can cook this down with all the spices and things added, the better your beans will taste! Keep cooking them till they thicken a bit more and serve. You can add chopped jalapenoes and serve with shredded cheese or not.

The above goes great with chips, salsa, nopal cactus, and of course margarita's!!
••Oh, and this yummy recipe can be printed and safely tucked away in the cute little box above available from my etsy site.
How was that for a shameless plug!!

Okay, that's all from Purple Hill today.......gotta go switch hats and make art!
♥
Patricia