Shrimp Enchiladas and Chocolate Cake

Brrrr! It's a cold wintery day in March! We need some warm comfort food to bring some cheer into this white world! How about cooking up some delicious shrimp enchiladas with my darling fiance and amazing cook, Adam! I am going to pull out my ghetto phone and start snapping some pics so I can remember this wonderful meal.

Mmm... I'm getting hungry!

 I smell good smells cooking and I see some nice warm tortillas getting ready for their insides to be filled with shrimpy goodnes......

Adam's cooking hands are busy today, mixing up a delicious concoction of shrimp, garlic, cilantro, onions, peppers and some other secret ingredients that he refuses to share. (That's what makes him a top notch chef!)

Time to whip up a white sauce with some salsa verde and cheese to make a fine addition to the shrimp and goodness above. This whole meal takes Adam just minutes to pull together, and add a pinch of love, and you have a wonderful meal headed your way! And by your way, I mean my way, because I'm the luckiest gal of them all who gets to spend a lovely evening, with a lovely man, having a lovely meal!

Oh! Did I not mention the sour cream? We love sour cream in this house!  Well, one of us does, the other one uses it only for exceptional dishes such as these....

Time for those patient tortillas to be filled with their hearts' desire! Adam's signature shrimp enchilada filling!
( And special shout out to my Uncle Jeff and his wicked cutting board making skills!)

My tummy is rumbling now! These babies are just about ready to be thrown into the fiery furnace! 

Mr. Adam generously pours on his hot and steamy garlicy white sauce onto the pan of prepped enchiladas..

In the meantime.... my hands got bored so I put them to good use and found myself a recipe to bake for desert for just the two of us.... awww... <3 And just for fun, decided to bake it in an old time cast iron skillet, and surprisingly it works out just peachy!

Chocolate Cake Recipe

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cups cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

mix well for 3 minutes

bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes in 2 greased 9" pans

Creamy Shrimp Enchiladas

8 6' flour tortillas

shrimp mixture:

2 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 cup white onion, diced finely

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound shrimp, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons lime juice

sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa verde

1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2. For the Shrimp Mixture: In a large skillet melt the 2 tablespoons of butter. Sautee the red bell pepper and onion until slightly soft. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
3. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes or until pink just start to turn pink. Remember we are still baking this so we don't want the shrimp to be overcooked.
4. Remove mixture from the heat and add the salt, chili powder, cilantro, and lime. Stir and set aside.
5. For the Sauce: In a large skillet melt the butter. Add the flour and stir and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth and continue to cook over medium high heat stirring constantly. The mixture will start out thin and thicken up once it cooks.
6. Once the mixture has thickened lower the heat and add the Monterey Jack cheese and stir until melted. You can remove mixture from the heat and stir in the green salsa and sour cream.
7. Add 1 cup of the sauce to the reserved shrimp mixture and stir.
8. Fill a tortilla with 1/3 cup of the shrimp mixture, roll the tortilla tightly and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
9. Pour the sauce over the tortillas and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and let the enchiladas sit for 10 minutes before serving.