I have an amazing little son. He is so imaginative and energetic and he makes supper times exhausting. All that energy and the need to act on everything that pops into his mind, make for a small bouncing ball of hair that only picks at his supper and distracts everyone else.
Imagine an exhausted mom, home from a tiring day of work, who has thrown together supper. She sits down for what she imagines is going to be a peaceful family meal (she may be slightly delusional), only to have to respond rationally to…”but mom I just need to check the dogs leg/look at that sparkly thing/colour this dot/find my favourite car/run around the kitchen”.
We’ve tried putting him back in his chair and telling him to stay put but that’s about as successful as putting a cat into a dress and expecting it to sit for a tea party.
So we went the other way and tried having him sit quietly and read books until the rest of us are finished. Also not successful. He can’t read yet so he comes over asking, “what does this letter tell mommy?” or sneaks behind his sister, peeking through her high chair completely ruining any chance she was going to eat too.
We finally talked to a child development social worker about it and her suggestion was to play a game at the table. I wasn’t super keen on the idea so it sat in the back of brain for the last few months. We have a no toys at the table rule and all I could imagine was food covered dice, (or worse) being tossed around the table and no one eating.
Until today…. I was in Target and for some reason the thought of wrestling with this small wriggling beast one more night just seemed impossible. So we bought the game Mouse Trap and although I think it almost killed him we waited to set it up until supper.
And it worked…. He sat at the table for the whole meal. He ate everything on his plate, even the mushrooms that he apparently hates. He drank his milk and we had a blast.
His sister decided to make an enchilada milkshake but other than that it was quite possibly one of the most peaceful and fun suppers we have had in ages.
Amazing how something that seems like it should be frowned on has made one of the most stressful parts of my day fun again:)
I guess it’s a great reminder that a little creativity and not always needing to be right can go a long way.
And now…. the enchiladas. These are so good and fairly easy that they can be made by a mom just getting home from work. The filling is super tasty and the sauce on top is creamy with a little tang that just seems to compliment the flavours perfectly.
The recipe makes 10 enchiladas so I would suggest serving them with a salad, rice or even refried beans. My hubby seems to be able to eat half the dish himself.
Preheat the oven to 350
Enchilada Filling
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups finely sliced mushrooms
1/2 a diced onion (about 1 cup)
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tbsp cumin
2 diced green peppers (about 2 cups)
300 g of frozen spinach (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4-1/2 cup tomatillo salsa/green Mexican chili sauce (optional)
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt
10 corn tortillas
In a large pan with the olive oil over medium heat saute the onion until soft. Add the garlic and cumin, cooking for about a minute and then add the mushroom, green peppers and spinach. Continue cooking about 5-10 minutes until all of the moisture in the mushrooms has been reabsorbed.
Stir in the salsa. Some green salsas are really mild and others are super hot so use what works for your family. I find they add great flavour and a little heat but if it’s not something you keep in your fridge feel free to leave it out.
Melt in the cream cheese then remove from heat. Stir in the yogurt and the cilantro and season with salt. Once it has cooled slightly, place a few spoonfuls of the filling in a corn tortilla, roll and place in a large casserole dish seam side down.
I find corn tortillas break very easily so I recommend heating small batches in the microwave prior to trying to fill and roll them
Yogurt Cheese Sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup grated cheese (I use old cheddar)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
In a sauce pan melt the butter with the olive oil, over medium heat, and whisk in the flour. Heat the stock in the microwave about 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour the stock into the butter/flour mixture. Continue mixing the sauce, reducing the heat to low. Allow the sauce to thicken until it can coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Once it is mixed in stir in the yogurt and pour the sauce over the rolled enchiladas.
Bake the enchiladas for 30-45 minutes until the tops are browned and the sauce is bubbly
I didn’t have corn tortillas the other night so I used whole wheat roti which are really similar to a small heavier flour tortilla. Because they didn’t need to be warmed first and are a little less finicky than the corn I was able to make this even quicker. Might be a great idea for beginner cooks or those even more pushed for time.
Let me know what you think, leave me a comment or even just say hi:)
I also have a Facebook page where I post nightly meal ideas and share more about how our family stumbles happily along.
My Weekly Dish 