 You probably are wondering, "Why is she posting about turkey in January?) I just couldn't wait until the next holiday to write about these great enchiladas I made after I got back from my mom's funeral in Germany. They were real comfort food that I needed badly. On December 23, the day before I left for Germany, I roasted my organic turkey and it turned out juicy and very tasty. I put a butter herb mixture under the skin, massaged the outside of bird with more melted butter and put some herbs, a lemon, and an onion inside the cavity. I used the convection roast setting on the oven and basted the turkey with chicken broth and melted butter. I usually dry rub my turkey, but had no time to do so. My husband and I had an early Christmas dinner and I left him the next day with a lot of turkey. After feeding friends and family, he froze the leftover meat and now we are back to my enchiladas. Most of you will have finished whatever turkey leftovers you had a while ago. Since chicken and turkey are close relatives, you can easily substitute chicken for the turkey. I have used tofu instead of chicken for my vegetarian friends. If you want this to be an easy and fast dinner, use canned sauce , although my sauce is easy to make and adds great flavor to the enchiladas. Use a rotisserie chicken instead of the turkey. The almonds add a nice crunch to the enchiladas and the salsa and sauce add flavor and taste. These enchiladas make great leftovers. For the cheese, I used an organic shredded “Three Cheese Mexican Blend” from Clover with Monterey jack, cheddar, and pepper jack cheese. You can grate your own cheddar or gruyere cheese or any other blend. For the salsa, I used a generic brand. Any old salsa will do. Costco has a nice organic salsa. I make these enchiladas the year and usually use leftover rotisserie chicken. For my vegetarian friends I use cubed tofu for protein.
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 My mom Behrensen, my village in December 2014 My mom passed away on Christmas Eve, peacefully surrounded by her family in Germany (I was on my way). She had fallen the day before on December 23 and broke her hip. There was talk of operating, but a day later my mom (and her body) decided that it was time to go. She would have been 92 in January; we all miss her. She was one of the fortunate Germans of her generation who lived in the same place all her life. Her family, especially her children, were the most important part of her life. My brother and I were raised with love, always knowing that we could return home at any time. Home was a large farm in a small village in the middle of Germany. My mom was an intelligent and strong woman with a keen sense of justice that was remarkable. She was well loved and respected by the people around her. She was an environmentalist long before it became fashionable — no water, electricity or any other resource was ever wasted. She formed an especially strong bond with my niece, who both loved each other very much. There are so many stories and anecdotes to tell and I hope to write them all down eventually. I just returned from Germany this week, and have to adjust to my new life without my daily calls and frequent visits to see her. I already miss her presence in my life very much.  This picture of my mom was taken was taken a year ago. I would like to thank all my blogger friends for the comforting words I received.  When I was in Germany, we watched an old film of my brother’s wedding. It was soothing to see all of us decades ago when we were younger. Part of the wedding menu was a wedding soup (Hochzeitssuppe). My German family loves it, so the next day I made the soup for them. It was nourishing and well liked, and I promise I will post the recipe. In the meantime, I needed a nourishing soup that was easy to make and healthy. My Creamy Vegetable Soup with Bay Shrimp fits the bill. The celeriac root adds so much richness that you don’t really need cream. I added some low-fat milk, but even that is not necessary. Thank you again for all your support and love you sent my way. This is a filling soup with the tasty flavor of sweet shrimp. It is a staple in northern Germany, in the town of Hamburg it is cooked with the local tiny shrimp, a true delicacy. You absolutely have to try if you ever find yourself in that part of the world. I used the little cooked bay shrimp that you find here in California. The celeriac (celery root) and the other root vegetables add an earthy flavor. When I made this for my German girlfriend, my picky American husband loved it. This soup is hearty enough for an evening meal served with crusty bread and a salad. Or it would make a delicious first course for a fancy dinner. It has hardly any calories, but it is very satisfying. I cook soups like this when I need to lose some weight. At almost any German grocery store, you will find different vegetables tied together in a bundle that consists of roots like carrot, celery root, parsnip or parsley root, leek and some parsley. The German call it Suppengrün, which is used to give aroma and taste to any broth and is usually discarded after cooking. In this recipe, I use it as a thickening agent. I did make a small bundle from the green part of the leeks and some parsley sprigs. I add several pinches of saffron (which is optional).
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WELCOME TO SUNNY COVE CHEFThank you for visiting my blog. My two passions are cooking and traveling. Traveling exposes me to a wide variety of food and experiences. I walk around cities looking for markets, restaurants, bakeries, shops, you name it, and if it is related to food you will find me there, tasting, smelling, talking to vendors, and having a great time. Categories
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