Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bread

Last month, there was an abundance of "kaki" in Koper! Our landlords have a large tree in our front yard, and they were kind enough to climb the tree, pick the persimmons, then give us several baskets full!

I don't mind the taste of persimmons, but I don't really love eating them in bulk. Dante really doesn't like them at all. Until... now!
I stumbled upon this recipe... after making it 3 times (and making a few adjustments), this is a delicious way to eat up a ton of persimmons!!!

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bread

(I doubled the original recipe to make it fit into a cake pan... the original recipe was for a 10x15 loaf pan.)

- 2 cups persimmon juice/pulp

- 2 teaspoons baking soda

- 2 beaten eggs

- 2 cups white sugar

- 1 cup vegetable oil

- 3 cups flour

- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

- 2 teaspoons nutmeg

- 2 teaspoons salt

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

- 2 cups chopped nuts

glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons lemon juice

1. In a small bowl, mix your persimmons and baking soda. Set aside.

2. Mix eggs, sugar, and oil.

3. Mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves.

4. Add the 3 mixtures together and mix well. Then add nuts.

5. Spread in a greased cake pan and bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

6. Mix the glaze while the cake is baking and drizzle over the bread immediately after removing from the oven.

Holiday Wassail

There are many varieties of this holiday drink out there. This is the recipe that has been handed down through my family... and my personal favorite!

Wassail

- 64 oz. apple juice (8 cups)

- 1 1/2 cups orange juice

- 2 cups pineapple juice

- 3/4 cup lemon juice

- 1 teaspoon of whole cloves

- 1 cup sugar

- 2 sticks of cinnamon

note: if you buy any juice that has sugar added, you probably want to reduce the amount of sugar. Lesson learned!

Mix all ingredients together in a large pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and let it simmer. The longer it heats, the more the spices will sink in.

 

Chicken Enchiladas

This is my go-to favorite Mexican food!
I order it every single time I eat out in Texas.
I've cooked it for every Slovene friend.
I love it.
This is my Mom's chicken enchilada recipe. Like most "Tex-Mex" Enchiladas, the sauce has a delicious, sour cream base (some restaurants just use a sour cream and chicken broth mix). But Mom's recipe is a bit more flavorful. I feel like we eat enchiladas at least 3 times a month! :)

When I lived in the US, I would buy frozen, pre-cooked fajita meat and use it in recipes like this. It saved time and added a nice flavor! I do prefer chicken breast fajita meat. But now we typically use shredded chicken instead.

Chicken Enchiladas

- chicken broth

- 1 can cream of chicken soup (or substitute- I substitute milk & mushroom soup mix)

- 8 oz. of sour cream (or more if you prefer)
- taco seasoning (to taste. I use about 1/2 a package)
- boiled, shredded chicken (or chicken fajita meat)
- tortillas
- cheese

Boil your chicken earlier in the day (or earlier in the week!) and shred the meat.
(For 2 people, I only use the meat from about 1/4 of a chicken.)

Heat the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and taco seasoning on the stove.
After the sauce comes to a boil, fill your tortillas with meat, cheese, and sauce.
Once you have a full pan of enchiladas (2-4 per person), cover with more sauce and a thick layer of cheese.

Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Grandma's Chicken N' Dumplings

It's cold.... so I have cool-weather food on my mind! Gumbo, sausage and potatoes, chicken and rice... and this favorite! When I was in college, Wednesday night was Chicken n' Dumplings night at my grandparents.... I made this a routine to visit on Wednesdays! :)

Chicken N'Dumplings

- 1 whole chicken, boiled

- chicken broth

- 2-5 tortillas

- cream of celery soup (or substitute- I substitute milk & mushroom soup mix)

- spices (salt, pepper, garlic, Tony's, parsley, etc.)

Boil your chicken earlier in the day (or earlier in the week!) and shred the meat. For 2 people, I only use the meat from about 1/4 of a chicken. 

Boil all the ingredients together for 15-30 minutes (until the dumplings are soft). Enjoy!

How about a picture of me with Grandma and Pa? That's nicer than soup...

Mom's Cornbread

I grew up eating peas and cornbread. We don't have purple-hull peas here... but I still enjoy this sweet, crumbly cornbread! (I don't make it as much as I'd like, because I rarely think of it 30 minutes in advance!)

(picture while baking.... we were too busy chowing down to take a "finished" picture!)

Cornbread

- 1 cup flour

- 1 cup cornmeal

- 1 tablespoon baking powder

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 egg

- 1 cup milk

- 1/4 cup oil

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Pour a little oil into your pan and stick it in the oven. (when you pour the batter in the hot oil, it will give it a nice crunchy crust!)

2. Mix all and bake 30 minutes at 400F. 

A Gumbo Success Story (and why everyone should have red hot chili peppers)

In April, I wrote about my first attempt at making Gumbo here in Koper. It did not turn out the way I hoped!

Now, we have a wonderful red hot chili pepper plant that is helping our food taste better! Get one! These little guys are very spicy and add a great kick to all our food!!!

 (almost ripe....)

This time, I had a better supply of ingredients to experiment with and came up with a much better version! I know there are a lot of great recipes online from native Cajuns.... but this is a recipe based on things I always have in my pantry, so maybe it's a bit more accessible for those of us who aren't from the Bayou.

Easy Gumbo

- Rice
- Sausage and shredded chicken

- 3 small red peppers

- 1/2 can tomatoes
- Oil, flour, milk, beef bouillon cube, vegetable bouillon cube
- Spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, tabasco, Tony's (to your taste)

1. In a pot, make a roux (paste) with oil and flour. In another pot, boil your water and add the rice.

2. Add onion, garlic, salt pepper, Tony's and continue stirring. Add milk (less than 1/4 of a cup), water, beef bouillon cube, vegetable bouillon cube, tomatoes, peppers, and 2-3 dashes of Tabasco sauce.

3. Add the meat to the spicy mix, then add the rice. Boil all together until it is as thick as you prefer (around 30 minutes). (or if you prefer, you can keep the rice and gumbo separate until serving.) 

Serve with some fresh cornbread  and you have a great meal!

Sauce to the left, rice to the right.... mix them together and there you go!

Best White Cake

My Mom makes the best cakes in the world! They are delicious, beautiful, moist, and always have a wonderful ganache between layers. (She uses boxed cake mixes.... they're just less dense than something from scratch!)
But, since moving to Koper (goodbye, boxed cake mixes!!), I've experimented with several home-made cakes....and this is the best one! I found this recipe online but the website is no longer up.

*the secret to a GREAT cake is to freeze it overnight... it makes it so moist!*

White Cake

- 1/2 cup butter 

- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla 
- 1 1/4 cups milk

- 2 cups flour

- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 350F. 

2. Mix butter eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk. 

3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Then stir into the wet ingredients.

4. Pour into a well-greased 9x12 pan and bake for 40 minutes.

After removing the cake from the pan, I cut it neatly in half.... so you can have a 2-layer cake. Then wrap in foil or wax paper and freeze for at least 12 hours.

Top with a buttercream frosting (vanilla, milk, butter, powdered sugar).

(obviously I like to garnish with grated chocolate/white chocolate, then cookies or strawberries. Another decorating idea from my Mom!)

Scones

I love breakfast foods! My favorite thing about the weekend is having time to sleep in, then cook a nice big, breakfast or brunch.
This recipe is from the Betty Crocker cookbook. I have made it twice already. It is so simple, and cooks quickly (unlike other coffee cakes and breads I make)!

There are many varieties of scones (suggestions are listed below). We have tried the chocolate chip and cranberry orange! (pictured: cranberry-orange)

Scones

-1 3/4 cups flour

-3 tablespoons sugar

-2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/3 cup butter

-1 beaten egg

-1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

-4-6 tablespoons of cream (I used plain old milk)

-more sugar

1. Heat oven to 400F. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. Add butter (I melted mine to make it easier).  Cut in until mixture looks like "crumbs".

3. Stir in egg, vanilla, and just enough of the cream/milk that all the flour leaves the edge of the bowl. Save the extra cream/milk.

4. Add any extra toppings. 

We have tried chocolate chunks (1/2 cup) and cranberry-orange (1/2 cup of dried cranberries &1 teaspoon of grated orange peel). Other options are dried cherries, dried cherries+lemon peel, dried or frozen raspberries, white chocolate.

5. Knead lightly on a floured board 10 times.

6. On an un-greased cookie sheet, roll or pat the dough into an 8-inch round, flat shape. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces (but don't separate the wedges).

7. Pour additional cream/milk over the scones, then sprinkle with white sugar.

8. Bake 14-16 minutes, until golden brown.  Immediately remove from cookie sheet and separate wedges. Serve warm!

Chicken Marsala

This is one of my favorites to eat at Olive Garden, but this was my first attempt at making it at home.
This recipe is another one from my new cookbook! It was easy and delicious! The chicken broth or wine sauce keeps the chicken very tender, and makes a great, flavorful sauce for the pasta.

Chicken Marsala

- boneless skinless chicken breasts

- flour

- salt, pepper, other spices (parsley, rosemary, etc.)

- 2 teaspoons olive oil

- a fresh chopped garlic clove (or dry garlic)

- mushrooms (I used canned mushrooms)

- 1/2 cup Marsala wine or chicken broth (I used chicken broth)

- pasta 

1. Coat each chicken breast with flour, salt, and pepper. 

(The original recipe said to pound each chicken breast... but I like mine fat and juicy, so I left the chicken breasts as they came.)

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet. In another pan, start boiling the pasta of your choice. 

3. Saute garlic, mushrooms, and spices in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook 5-8 minutes.

4. Add wine or chicken broth. Cook 5-10 minutes longer, until chicken is no longer pink.

5. Serve with pasta.

Stuffed Steak with Red Wine Sauce

I recently received a new cookbook from my wonderful sister-in-law, Mindy, when they drove down from Germany and spent a weekend with us. So far, (almost) every recipe I've tried from the "Betty Crocker Cookbook" has been a success! The original recipe was "Gorgonzola and Mushroom-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Merlot Sauce". However... we didn't have Gorgonzola or beef tenderloin or Merlot. So here was my adaptation!

Stuffed Steak with Red Wine Sauce

- beef steak

- mushrooms (I just used canned mushrooms)

- butter

- bread crumbs

- cheese (I used Parmesan and Guda)

- seasonings (I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary)

- beef broth 

- red wine

1. Tenderize the beef steak with a mallet until it is thin and pliable.

2. Saute mushrooms in butter until tender.

3. Cover steaks with mushrooms, breadcrumbs, and cheese.

4. Roll the steaks up like a burrito. Pin closed with 2 toothpicks.
 (the Betty Crocker recipe says "tie with kitchen string". I'm not sure what kitchen string is... and I definitely don't have that on hand. I always have toothpicks, and I'm not afraid to use them).

4. Coat the outside of the steak with spices.

5. Bake at 425F until they reach a desired done-ness. (The steaks are thin, so don't over-cook! I watched ours closely and took them out in less than 10 minutes).

6. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup of beef broth, 1 tablespoon of butter, and a small amount (maybe 1/4 of a cup) of red wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Spoon the sauce over the steaks and enjoy!

(even Sierra was eager for a taste....)

Asparagus Frittata

My friend Emi recently took on a wild asparagus hunt in the mountains, and taught me this simple way of cooking them! I have never liked asparagus before, but this combination is really great!

Looking for asparagus with Emi and Sierra: 

Asparagus Frittata

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.
2. Beat eggs with a dash of water, like for normal scrambled eggs. Add spices (we used onion powder, salt, pepper, and Tony's).
3. Add eggs and asparagus and scramble!

This is an easy meal with a nice kick to it! Try it out!

(this picture is actually a frittata made by Dante... I didn't take a picture of the first round!!)

Chicken-Fried Steak, Gravy, and Potatoes

This is my favorite meal that my Mom cooks. I always request it on my birthday!
She makes it with fresh deer steak... yum! Another alternative would be beef steak. This week, we made it with pork chops. And... it still hit the spot!!!

Chicken-Fried Steak

1. Beat the steak to a thin pulp, to tenderize it. (this is Dante's favorite job. He carried the cutting board around the house, beating the steak while chasing Sierra.)

2. Beat 2 eggs with salt & pepper. Dip the steak first in the eggs, then coat thoroughly in flour. (Dante: "now I see why it's  called 'chicken-fried'... because you coat it in eggs, which are chickens.")

3. Fry in a skillet in 1/2 inch of hot oil until golden brown, then drain on paper towels. (This is a time-consuming process if you're cooking many steaks... our skillet can only hold 2 pieces at a time, so be prepared to spend some time on this!)

Cream Gravy

1. After you finish cooking the steak, rinse out the skillet well and add fresh oil.
2. Once the oil is well-heated, add flour to make a thick roux. Stir continually. Once this mixture is thick, add milk, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly. You can always add more milk to make it thinner, but you can't add more flour later... so add it gradually.

Serve with mashed potatoes. I just learned the quickest way to make potatoes... instead of boiling, fork and cook in the microwave for 6-8 minutes. (You can peel before or after... or not at all... I just leave the skins mixed in.) Then blend with butter, milk, and spices, as usual.

Momma's Buttermilk Biscuits

When I was growing up, I loved it when my mom would make biscuits! In Texas, these more commonly accompany dinner (than the rest of the US, where biscuits are a breakfast food). Easy to whip up when you need to add some carbs to your dinner. We all need that.

Momma's Biscuits

1. Mix:
           - 3 teaspoons baking powder
           - 1/2 teaspoon salt
           - 6 tablespoons shortening or butter (I always use butter!)
           - 2 cups flour

2. Add - 1 cup buttermilk (I never have buttermilk on hand, just sour milk by adding a bit of lemon juice.)

3. Flour your hands and a flat surface well. Roll the dough into a ball, then flatten the ball with a rolling pin or whatever you have on hand. Cut into circles.
(I rolled my dough with an old wine bottle and cut my circles with a small glass!)

4. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 450F for 8 minutes.
Serve with butter, jelly, or my favorite--- butter and honey!

Oatmeal Cookies

I had never made this recipe till I moved to Slovenia... but I jumped on it because the ingredients were simple and easy to find! They are now Dante's favorite cookie!
This simple recipe is from a friend's grandmother. We like to add chocolate chunks and nuts to ours, but the original recipe didn't have those things. They're chewy and delicious, as cookies should be!

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

1. Mix:
            - 1 cup shortening or butter (I use butter in every recipe!)
            - 1 cup brown sugar (we prefer light brown sugar)
            - 1 cup white sugar

2. Then add:
            - 2 well-beaten eggs
            - 1 teaspoon of vanilla

3. Mix well, then add:
            - 1 teaspoon soda
            - 1 teaspoon salt
            - 1 1/2 cups flour (the recipe says sifted flour... but who has time for that? they taste fine un-sifted!)

4. Mix well, then add: 
            - 3 cups oatmeal.
If you wish, add nuts, chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks.

5. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake or they'll get hard! 

Best Coffee Cake!

Over the past few months, I have been on the search for the perfect coffee cake. After trying 5 different recipes (which is my definition of ultimate dedication), this our favorite (hands down!)!!! It has a great, moist "cakey" texture under a thick crunchy topping. It is a great combination of a variety of flavors!  It is from "The Joy of Cooking" cookbook. (And it is good on a Sunday morning....)

Deluxe Sunday Morning Coffee Cake

1. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a (10-inch) springform pan. (I learned a little trick from a cheesecake recipe.... wrap the springform pan in foil to prevent any leaking!)

2. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with dry bread crumbs. Turn to coat, then dump out the excess crumbs.

3. In a large bowl, mix:
            - 2 cups flour
            - 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
            - 1 teaspoon salt

4. After these are well blended, add 
            - 10 tablespoons (5/8 cup) butter. 
Cut in until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

5. Set aside 1 cup of this crumb mixture.

6. Add to the large bowl:
             - 1 teaspoon baking powder
             - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

7. Mix well, then add:
             - 1 large egg
             - 1 teaspoon vanilla
             - 3/4 cup buttermilk (I never have buttermilk on hand; I make my own by adding lemon juice to milk and letting it sit for a few minutes to sour.)

8. Whisk vigorously till the batter is smooth and fluffy. Scrape into the pan and smooth.

9. For the Streusel topping, add to the 1 cup of reserved crumbs:
              - 3/4 cup finely chopped nuts (our favorite was hazelnut)
              - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (the recipe calls for dark)
              - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

10. Sprinkle the crumbs over the batter. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

The recipe says to let it cool for 2 hours before eating (to "set")... but we always dig into it right away. It's a bit crumbly when it's fresh out of the oven, but it tastes great! :)

Buffalo Wild Wings' Parmesan Garlic Wings

This simple, delicious recipe is too good not to share! It certainly satisfied our craving for our favorite flavor of wings from Buffalo Wild Wings.

BWW Parmesan Garlic Wings

1. Fry wings in hot oil for 10-12 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, in a plastic container with a lid, mix:

- 1/2 cup melted butter

- 1 tsp. garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp. onion salt

- 1/4 tsp. black pepper

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

3. When the wings are light brown, remove them from the oil and drain briefly on paper towels. Then add to the plastic container and shake! Done!

Attempt at Gumbo

Sometimes, we just get the craving for something spicy.  So... without any of the right ingredients (and not being a native of Louisiana), I gave it a try!  Here are the ingredients I used, and it actually turned out pretty good!

Gumbo (ish)

1. In a separate pan, cook rice.

2. Make a roux, with oil (approx. 1/4 cup) and flour (approx. 4 TBSP).

3. After it has thickened, add

- vegetable powder (dried chopped vegetables in a bottle)

- salt and pepper

- onion powder

- chili powder

- lots of Tony's

4. Add 1/4 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of water, 2 beef bouillon cubes, and salsa. (use Tabasco if you have it, but salsa worked in a pinch!)

5. Boil for up to one hour. Add sausage, chicken, shrimp, etc., and add rice.

Simple Chicken and Rice

As I searched for a Chicken and Rice recipe, I couldn't narrow it down... so I made my own simple version. I was experimenting for company, but it went over well!

Simple Chicken and Rice

Ahead of time, boil your chicken, de-bone it, and set aside the broth. 

1. Boil chicken broth.

2. Add 1 package of mushroom soup mix and water, boil.

We don't have "Cream Of..."s here, so when I use mushroom soup mix, you could substitute "Cream of Mushroom Soup".

3. Add shredded chicken and rice (I used 1 1/2 cups for 3 people). Cover and boil for 30-50 minutes.

4. Add sour cream, milk, spices (onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, and a dash of Tony's).

Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce

I came up with the idea for this sauce last month, and it's been a staple ever since.
Thank goodness I packed Tony's.

Pork Chops & Mushroom Sauce

1. In a skillet, cook your pork chops in a thin layer of olive oil. Season with:
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- Tony's

2. Bring water to boil in a pot. Add 1/2 package of mushroom soup mix. Boil. Add 1/2 cup of milk, and season to your taste with:
- salt and pepper
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- dash of Tony's
- dash of curry

3. Right before your pork chops are done, add to the sauce. Boil.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

Cinnamon Rolls (for cheaters)

On Sunday mornings, I always try to make a big, sweet breakfast. My Mom always made home-made cinnamon rolls on Sundays. So far, I haven't tackled her recipe... but this easy version was a hit with friends this last Sunday! Every piece was eaten in our gathering of friends. And when we returned home, Sierra (our 2 year old lab) had eaten the last 2 pieces I'd saved on the counter. Guess it was good.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

- 3 cups flour

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1 cup sugar

- 4 tps. baking powder

- 1 1/2 cups milk

- 2 eggs

- 2 tsp. vanilla

- 1/2 c. melted butter

Mix all the ingredients but the butter. Then slowly add the butter in. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Topping:

- 1 cup softened butter

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 2 TBSP flour

- 1 TBSP cinnamon

Mix, then pour evenly over the cake. Swirl with a knife.

The cake is thick, so this was not very easy to swirl... I had to spoon up some of the cake over the top layer to get it more "marbled".

Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes, when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. While the cake is still warm, drizzle with the glaze:

Glaze:

- 2 cups powdered sugar

- 5 TBSP milk

- 1 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Cake and Coffee Icing

This icing recipe has been my go-to favorite for several years! It dresses up any old plain chocolate cake from a box!
When I moved here, I had to find a good "box-less" recipe (aka from scratch).... so here is an easy, delicious cake from scratch. It's delicious as cupcakes or a big cake!

Easy Moist Chocolate Cake

- 3/4 Cup butter

- 1 1/2 Cup sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 Cup milk

- 2 Cups flour

- 1/2 Cup cocoa (6 TBSP)

- 2 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. vanilla

Blend all the ingredients, then add 1 cup of boiling water.

Blend well. Pour batter into a greased, lightly floured pan. Bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (approximately 30 minutes).

My Mom taught me the secret to a great moist cake is freezing it after it is cooked. It makes it moist and very easy to frost. Freeze the cake for at least an hour (a day or two is good too!).

Coffee Buttercream Icing

- 2 egg yolks

- 2/3 cup (sifted) powdered sugar

- 1 tsp. instant coffee powder

- 6 oz. (3/4 cup) softened butter

Beat until smooth (around 5 minutes). Chill until it thickens a bit but is still spreadable.

There may still be "clumps" of coffee powder. It's not the smoothest icing (even if you DO "sift" the sugar, which I sometimes skip), but it tastes great! 

If you make two cake rounds, this icing makes just enough to frost between and on top. If you also want to frost the sides, double it.

Chicken Chimichangas

Living in Koper, I have to do what I can to satisfy my longings for good old Tex-Mex. Usually, my Mom's Chicken Enchilada recipe will do the trick, but in February I decided to think outside the box and create a new recipe!

Chicken Chimichangas

Ingredients:

  - Chicken (raw or pre-cooked)

  - Oil

  - Shredded Cheese

  - Garlic Cream Cheese

  - Salsa

  - Milk

  - Taco seasoning + other seasonings of your choice

1. Saute the chicken (raw or boiled and shredded) in oil with seasonings of your choices.

I used a bit of every seasoning I could find: salt and pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and a dash of taco seasoning. 

2. Fill tortillas with chicken, shredded cheese, and salsa. Fold the top and bottom in, and then roll closed (where no filling can escape from any side!) Pin closed with 2 toothpicks.

Most recipes call for using 12-inch tortillas... we don't have 12-inch tortillas here! I use small ones and they work great. 

Cheese:  I would prefer cheddar, but I've had to find alternatives here- we used a cheap shredded "pizza cheese" that's a blend of Gouda and others. 

3. Fry it in hot oil for 2 minutes on each side. Watch them closely: they cook quickly!

4. For the topping, mix milk (1/4 to 1/2 a cup, depending on how thick you want your sauce), 1/5 package of taco seasoning, and 1 package of garlic cream cheese. Heat in the microwave and then slather on the cooked Chimichangas.  How did I not discover "garlic cream cheese" until we moved here?!

A normal adult will eat 2-3 of these small chimichangas. I cook them 2 at at time, and it cooks quickly!