Vesle Vanoce
I have spent the winter holiday at home in Prague, and despite not being with my family either in Oregon or New Zealand, it has been very Christmas-y and relaxing. I have had a good friend visiting from Frankfurt and after a few days in the Czech mountains, we found ourselves very busy baking, cooking, and planning our two holiday days with friends.
rejuvenating in the mountains
On December 23, I made two types of fudge: chocolate and Bailey’s Irish cream. Both flavors were sweet and yummy and taste so great with a cup of coffee in the morning or a cup of tea in the evening! Thankfully the weather has been unseasonably warm. No snow, no ice, and not too cold to run outside… this is helping me run off the daily fudge intake! In addition to ample time spent in our pajamas, watching Christmas movies and singing to Christmas songs, we have been enjoying lots of good food and some Czech culture as well.
On Christmas eve, we went out to the village for a brunch and gift exchange. A created stuffed mushrooms with walnuts, lentils, and cranberries- a made up recipe that was a hit with the other brunch goers! Upon request, I made enchiladas. These are always a hit with the crowd no matter if they are served for brunch, lunch or dinner! I make my own sauce as you cannot just pick up a couple cans of Old El Paso in the local Albert! Knowing there would be a number of vegetarians at the brunch, I chose to stuff the enchiladas with a sweet potato, black bean and corn mixture.
sweet potato, black bean and corn
This is always a winning combo for a Southwest or Mexican style recipe. And easy to create. Saute one white onion (chopped), 1 clove of garlic (diced), 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of dried (or fresh) coriander/cilantro leaves and 1 tablespoon of oil. Add 2 chopped sweet potatoes and cook until slightly firm. Add 1 can of black beans and 1 small can of corn to mixture and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1 packet of taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix until well coated and remove from heat.
The best part of this concoction was using the leftovers! For our Boxing day breakfast on December 26, I made Huevos Rancheros- one of my favorite Mexican breakfast dishes.
leftovers are good
I filled the leftover corn tortillas with the sweet potato, black bean mix, diced jalapenos, and topped these with shredded, cheddar cheese. I baked these in the oven at 150 degrees C for about 10 minutes. At the same time, fry 1-2 eggs in a hot pan on the stove top. After removing the tortillas from the oven, place one (or two) a plate and slide the egg(s) on top. (I usually put one egg on top of each tortilla.)
Huevos Rancheros with a sweet potato twist!
Top with fresh, diced tomato, avocado, Cholula hot sauce (like we did) or top with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, fresh cilantro (Coriander) or anything else you like to eat with Mexican food! Whatever you choose to top your huevos with… enjoy them!
the prague basket 