Quick trip to Charlottesville, Va.

My husband, youngest son, and I enjoyed a quick trip to Charlottesville, Va., last month. The trip was centered around a doctor's appointment, but we squeezed in some sightseeing and a couple of meals, too! Of course, Charlottesville is home to Thomas Jefferson's masterpiece, the University of Virginia. This also is the town where we had our mini-honeymoon in 2006, and has been a favorite travel spot for us for many years.

We dearly love Maharaja Indian Restaurant and made a stop there long enough to pick up some takeout for dinner. We love the entire menu, but we opted to split an order of vegetable korma, some pappadum (fried lentil wafers) and a couple of samosas (meat and vegetable filled pastries). The food was terrific, as always. Here’s a link to their menu, if you are inclined to visit. Vegetable korma is an easy, delicious recipe to make at home. Here is a version from AllRecipes.com.

We also made a quick stop to one of our favorite stores, Foods of All Nations. I picked up some Indian spice mixes, a box of super crispy rice crackers, and a jar of olive tapenade. Of course we wandered through the extensive coffee and tea offerings, fresh produce, overwhelming hot sauces, and the extensive seafood selections. I could spend a grand in that store every time I walk through the doors! Of course, on our budget, I usually drop about 20 bucks.

After the doctor's appointment, we enjoyed a casual lunch at Guadalajara’s, before heading back to Bristol. This restaurant has terrific Mexican offerings, full of fresh ingredients. Their refried beans are something special – a bit spicy and silky smooth. I enjoyed chicken tacos that were fresh and tasty. Robert enjoyed a lunch combo plate and Miles had his go-to favorite, beef enchiladas. All were terrific!

Frank's + Rotel, a happy pairing

I came up with this recipe in my never ending quest to devise new recipes for dinner. I’ve seen similar recipes that use tortilla chips, but I decided to use flour tortillas and layer then in lieu of noodles for “Mexican” lasagna. This recipe wasn’t that much of a stretch from family favorites like enchiladas, but the best addition was Ro*tel tomato sauce, a newer offering I notice in local grocery stores. I have long used Ro*tel products, like the seasoned tomatoes, but the sauce is a newer addition on local shelves. The sauce comes in two varieties, original and mild. Both are delicious and worth trying, if you love Mexican dishes.

I have a tried-and-true enchilada recipe I make, that incorporates cream of mushroom soup. I used that basic idea when making this recipe, as well.

You’ll need:

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
6-8 flour tortillas
1 can Ro*tel tomato sauce (original or mild)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, or a blend of Cheddar and Monterrey Jack

In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread a couple of tablespoons of the tomato sauce. Add 2-3 tortillas, tearing to fit the pan. Top with 2-3 spoonfuls of cream of mushroom soup, one-third of the ground beef and one-third of the cheese. Top with half the can of tomato sauce, then repeat layers two more times. I had a few extra tortillas, so I topped the whole casserole with the tortillas and cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and browned.

I served this dish with rice, diced jalapenos and Frank’s RedHot. It comes in multiple varieties, but the original is still my favorite.

Creamy enchiladas

My family loves Mexican food, but I hate how fattening many recipes can be. Too often, Mexican dishes are full of cheese, lard or are fried in grease. I came up with this recipe to fill the craving for Mexican food, without all the extra fat and calories. Plain yogurt with a sprinkling of lemon juice is an excellent substitute for sour cream. Sour cream has about 100 calories per tablespoon; yogurt has about 100 calories per cup. This recipe is creamy and satisfying, but with considerably less fat and calories of many similar dishes.

Creamy enchiladas
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 cup plain yogurt
4 ounce can green chilies
1/3 cup salsa
14.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
8 flour tortillas
½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, chilies, salsa and mushroom soup.

Put a couple of spoonfuls of the yougurt/soup mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Add one-eighth of the chicken and a sprinkling of cheese.

Roll the tortilla and place seam side down in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. You should have leftover yogurt/soup mixture – spread this over the rolled tortillas and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees until enchiladas are browned and bubbly on top.

Yield: 8 enchiladas. Serve with rice and fruit.

In love with El Mesquite

This is the real reason my husband wants to go back to Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tenn. He quickly fell in love with the food at El Mesquite, located on the Parkway in Sevierville, Tenn. Have you seen the new Red Robin commercial with the two guys driving/riding in a car? The passenger spies a Red Robin restaurant and the driver loses his mind, floors it like a maniac and basically crashes into the parking lot of the Red Robin.

That is nearly what my husband did last week, as we were following our noses and looking for a place to eat lunch. Me: “Hey, there is a Mexican place that says buffet.” My husband: “Seriously?!” (EEERrrrkk! Squealing tires and brake slamming.) My husband is a fiend for Mexican food and often asks why Mexican restaurants don’t offer buffet service (like Chinese, Indian and American restaurants often do.) Years ago, there was a Mexican place in Norfolk we loved that offered a lunch buffet on weekdays. It closed and was replaced by a Gold’s Gym (perhaps appropriate, considering how high in fat and calories Mexican food can be).

El Mesquite was casual, had friendly staff and plenty of parking. The buffet featured all kinds of Mexican selections -- tacos, burritos, nachos, salsa and more. Even the locals love it. We are already talking about making a trip there on our next visit to that part of the world.