ChoChoSan is so Funny (Rana)

ChoChoSan is a Sushi restaurant I frequent when I'm back home. Their prices are reasonable, and their quality amazing. Yet, yesterday while I was there, I noticed a new roll had been advertised on the revolving belt. The Vegan Delight.



Don't see it? Here, let me elaborate:



Can someone explain to me when fish eggs became vegan?
Or cream cheese?

I think it's just hilarious, and a little insulting.

Unless they meant VEGAN caviar, which is essentially seaweed, salt, and olive oil. It would be good to elaborate. For more information on Vegan caviar, go here:

Vegan Caviar

Speaking of Vegans, I made my first recipe from the Veganomicon!
A delicious Corn and Edamame Asian salad!
I have no pictures, but let me tell you, it was really delicious and crisp. I just wish I'd had time to roast the corn.

See you soon!
Rana

Food, food, FOOD! (Rana)

Glad to see you're back, Vivi! I'll be sure to make that amazing looking Cheesecake during the holidays.

Now as Thanksgiving has passed, I think a post showing what I ate for that glorious night is in order!

I'm just going to barrage you with photos, but let me list what you will see.
The 21 lb. Turkey
The veggie casserole (made with tons of cheese and a cream sauce)
Butternut Squash soup (The recipe of which you Spree-ers know. :])
Tabouli (Arab Parsley salad)
A separate salad that I made out of spring greens, balsamic vinaigrette, and topped with cranberries, homemade candied walnuts, and gorganzola cheese!
Roasted Lamb legs
Buttery carrots (right above the casserole)








Some things that I am much too lazy to post up:
Rosemary Roasted potatoes
Hummus and Babaganoush
The bread display
Meat pies (We call them Kubbeh)
Ceviche
and Shrimp Stew

NOW ON TO THE DESSERTS!



Pies upon PIES! We had banana cream, pumpkin, MORE PUMPKIN, and peach to name a few.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST:




Happy birthday, Grandma! Her birthday is so close to Thanksgiving, we celebrate both on the same day! <3

See you soon!
Rana

Vivi's Back! Pumpkin Cheesecake

So finally I make a post after, what, a year? It feels like forever, anyway. But here I go. My computer is finally fixed, my camera finally works, and I finally have a reason to share these recipes. Truth: I have no life, I might as well spend my time cooking and baking ^^;

So here it is. For anyone who wants a cheesecake and pumpkin pie for Christmas, plus the goodness of marshmallows.

Ingredients:

3/4 cups of sugar

1/4 cup of brown sugar (I had none at the time so I used pilloncillo/rapadura. If you're Hispanic, you know what I'm talking about. If not... don't worry about it. It's just unrefined brown sugar.)

1 1/2 blocks of cream cheese softened

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tbs sour cream

1 tbs flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp cloves

2 eggs at room temperature

Marshmallows (whatever size you want. I used normal size since minis are too troublesome to arrange and jumbos would overpower the cheesecake)

Directions: Very simple, easy instructions. ^^ If you don't want to go through the "trouble" of baking it, just follow instruction 2 and 3, and just put the marshmallows on, pop it in the oven on "toast" until they have a nice brownness and then chill for 8 hours or over night.

1.Preheat the oven at 325○

2.Combine sugar and cream cheese until smooth

3.Add pumpkin and the rest of the ingredients except the marshmallows(add only half the amount of canned pumpkin and omit sour cream, flour and eggs if not baking)

4.Pour in pan (I used pre-made graham crusts) and bake at 325○ for 35 minutes or until cake is set. turn oven off and cool for one hour with the door slightly open. (Slightly, not halfway open)

5. Arrange as many marshmallows as you want on top of the cake, and set it on toast for about five minutes, turning the cake around frequently so that the marshmallows don't burn. (that means you don't have to close the oven door!) Cool with door open.

6. When you can pick up cake with your bare hands, cover it and stick it in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.

So there you have it. Easier than pie pumpkin cheesecake that takes at the most, two hours to make (not including the hour cool off when you can be doing something else.) Mind you, this is the first cheesecake I've actually Baked, (for Thanksgiving. It was the first one to be finished!) so it really is easy!

Catching up- Restaurant Reviews and my Birthday gift!

So while at school you have to eat a lot of fast food. I'm not saying you have a choice, you really don't. It's somewhat mandatory. Or, and yes, big OR, you can find places with AMAZING lunch specials and cheap delicious food! The two places I'm reviewing are:

Hong Kong Restaurant and
Sushi Cuisine

So, honestly, one of the greatest things you can get at HKR is their Won Ton soup! The lady that works there knows my order by heart once I say 'Won Ton Soup with extra-.' She'll automatically giggle and continue to say 'Bok Choy and chicken. See you in 10!'

Several weeks ago I went with my boyfriend to this amazing find of a restaurant, and we ordered some Mu Shu Chicken, the Won Ton soup, annnndddd CRAB RANGOON!These little buggers are 6 for... something under 3 dollars. I'm not sure anymore. But they are DELICIOUS!



Hot and crisp on the outside, with a slightly chewy texture, and then this flavorful cream cheese and crab mixture on the inside that is ABSOLUTELY to die for.



Okay, so now that I'm over the crab rangoon, let's continue on to a more recent dining event. At Sushi Cuisine you can find cheap, huge chunks of Salmon and Tuna that are good quality (but I've got high standards, coming from L.A. and having been to Japan). Their nigiri is priced lower than most sushi places in the area, and their lunch specials are just unbeatable!

For $6.50 my boyfriend got a bowl of Oyaku-don! What is Oyaku-don? It's like a chicken omelette with seaweed atop rice. If you know my boyfriend, you know that he'd be in heaven eating something of that sort. :]



Me, having been a little more adventurous than my usual Sake Nigiri, Cherry Blossom Roll, or Beef Teriyaki, I got the Beef Sukiyaki.



Let me just say that this is not on the lunch menu, and is not necessarily cheap, but for about $12 you get enough food to fill you, and then enough to fill you for dinner, and then enough to fill you for breakfast. There is a TON of food. I regret not sharing with my boyfriend, he seemed to love the tender tofu, glass noodles, and the extremely savory/sweet sauce that just tasted so satisfying. All in all, a wonderful meal!

Okay so today is my birthday!

Woo!

And you know what my boyfriend got me?

You guessed it!

Incentive to COOK MORE, and POST MORE on this website!



So my boyfriend put two and two together: I love reading, and I love cooking.

And he got me something amazing that I could use to entertain, and to enjoy myself with! This book has so many recipes that I just adore, and everything can be changed up to accommodate the carnivore in me and my friends!

So here's a thank you to my baby boo! <3

-Rana

Susie's Birthday, and an amazing Canoli! (Restaurant Review)

I have high standards for Canoli's. Ever since I went to Florence and had ordered one at one of my travel groups lunches, I can never simply eat a canoli. Actually, I can never simply eat anything, but canolis are a distinct acception.

Before I tell you more about this creamy, crunchy, amazing canoli... I'd like to say Happy Birthday to SUSIE! I hope we made it good, now keep studying for your midterms(I know I should be).

Now I'd suggested the restaurant that Susie had decided on, a wonderful little place called Strings Italian Cafe. It's a chain Italian restaurant located near my University, and some call it a step above Olive Garden. Whenever I come back to school, I make a point to go here. Just because their salad is always crisp, sweet, and the dressing is home made. Their minestrone soup is very delicious, and their bread? It's just plain heavenly. This time I'd decided to get something different than my usual choice of pan-fried ravioli, which is what Susie got.



I got the Strings' Combo Plate, which included a lasagna slice wrapped in a garlicky, crispy pastry shell, and beside it a helping of tortellini alla panna.



Now as for desserts, which we had plenty of, I think the ones worth mentioning are the canoli and the tiramisu!



So that's the amazing canoli, I ordered it without chocolate sauce because, as you'll see in the next picture, they use waaaay too much chocolate sauce.



See? But hey, it was still delicious!

All in all, a very enjoyable birthday late lunch! Happy birthday again, Susie! :]

Restaurante Review: The Odyssey (Granada Hills) [Rana]

This restaurant is high end. Not really, it attracts a great crowd and the atmosphere is amazing. The view is perhaps the best part of the experience, at least that's what people say. My favorite part of the experience is the Creme Brulee. Yup. We'll get to that later though.

The link: The Odyssey Restaurant



My brother ordered the seafood medley. There's a lobster tail, a scallop, white fish(I don't know which), and a slice of salmon. That all on a bed of pasta. My brother couldn't even finish the lobster tail, I ate some.



This is what I ordered. Filet mignon, cooked medium rare, over mashed potatoes(which were amazing), topped with fried onions, and a side of veggies. I finished the meat, and had two bites of potatoes. Honestly, it's waaaaay too big a portion.



This was my dessert. When I saw Creme Brulee on the menu, I just had to have it. And when I saw that it was topped with seasonal berries? I nearly fainted. I did what I always do. Slowly pick the berries off and eat them one by one, then dig into the sweet, creamy custard and crunchy chewy sugar coating. It's amazing. This is the dessert to order when you get here, no questions asked. My brothe had the red velvet cake, and hated it, so he stole a bite from me. Look, let me just tell you, when I'm eating Creme Brulee, you do NOT steal a bite from me. :]

-Rana

Steak, couscous, and grilled bread (Rana)

It's official. This is my favorite food. Depending on the time, I can almost guarantee you that I will always be up for eating steak. It's so simple to make, I really only used olive oil and Montreal steak seasoning, as you can see in the picture. I cooked the steak to a medium rare, and it was melt in your mouth delicious. Especially with a huge dollop of A1 steak sauce(the condiment I use on EVERYTHING).

The couscous was storebought, on sale for a dollar in the managers special aisle. It was really sweet and delicious, a wonderful texture and a great light side for an otherwise heavy meal.



That's the steak, raw, and drizzled with olive oil. I was outside, about to grill it, and I couldn't wait.



Mmm, look at those beautiful grillmarks. Sometimes I don't cook it thoroughly enough to produce grillmarks, but that's only when I get fresh meat that I know wont kill me if I consume some type of bacteria or something. You can even see a little of the grilled bread, which was warm, olive oily, and very chewy and delicious.



That's my steak, medium rare, a little of A1 on the side, and some amazing couscous salad to accompany the smoky, grilled flavor. I have no shots of the grilled bread, but trust me, it was delicious. Yum yum yummmm!!!! I have no ingredients or anything, it's a simple recipe. I just eyeballed everything.

-Rana

Rana and Vivi cook together! :D

It happened, kids! We finally found the time, in between work and just an outrageous busy schedule, to get together as friends(with Rana's best friend Laila) and makes some good eatin'!

Want a list of what we made?

Caprese Bites(Rana)
Chicken Fajitas(Rana)
Arab Carne Asada(no, it's not Shawarma...)[Rana]
Tomato Salsa(Rana)
Shrimp Patties(Vanessa)
Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas(Vanessa)

Mind you, Vanessa worked her butt off on those shrimp patties, and the sauce that came with them. But the recipe or picture wont go up just yet. Vanessa's making a new batch, and then putting up the recipe when she gets internet again. For now, you guys are stuck with my recipe. Sad, huh?

I'm providing the recipes for the Caprese bites, and the Arab Carne Asada.

First off, the Caprese bites are an idea I got from Yummyland, a food blog I frequent. The recipe is so easy, and those pictures do absolutely no justice. Grrr. Just go to her blog, she does a much better job, and doesn't stupidly use her phone camera.



Now time for the Arab Asada(I've shortened the name, so sue me...). It's only called that because I have no idea how to make carne asada, and Vanessa(Vivi) thought of a Mexican food themed get-together. So I spiced it up a bit. This is my recipe:



Arab Asada:

Ingredients:
As much thinly cut meat as you want.(I got the meat for Carne Asada especially because it was on sale!)
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
1 onion, cut in half then sliced
1/2 a bulb of garlic
1 tsp ground rosemary
3 tbsp Olive Oil

Slice the meat as thin as you want it, I did thick slices, and slice against the grain so the meat isn't too chewy. Place in a big bowl. Sprinkle with as much cumin as you'd like, I did around 2 teaspoons. Crush or slice the garlic and add to the mixture, add the olive oil, the rosemary, the onion, and some salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for a while(when I was making this I was also working on some failed plantain chips and the Caprese bites). Heat up a pan and a little bit of oil, then dump all the bowls contents into the pan and fry it all around. I wanted to serve it medium well done, but they sat too long(for good reason).

Place the complete and hot meat and onions into a soft taco, as much as you like. Garnish with cilantro(Laila hates it), salsa, fresh sliced avocados, and sour cream. Whatever you'd like! I had one, but if I could have eaten more, I would have. I know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow. ;D

So there you have it! Afterwards me and the girls went to Rite Aid for ice cream, but I was the only one who got some. Mmmm, Mint 'n' Chip!

-Rana

Quick for Sick Mashed Potatoes!

So these aren't my go to mashed taters, they're my moms. My mashed taters are made with loads of parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream. And roasted garlic. The special thing about these mashed potatoes is that they help with tummy aches!



We made these today because my housekeeper, Yolanda, wasn't feeling to well. She's like family so me and mom had to do something. We put four potatoes in a pot to boil on low heat for a loooong while, and waited.

Quick for Sick Mashed Potatoes:

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, boiled until tender
1 handful of parsley, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 pinch of salt
1 tbsp. of margarine
1/2 a lemon, squeezed
Olive oil, to taste

Step 1:
Mash the potatoes with a fork, make it rough so you still sort of have to chew to eat it.

Step 2:
Add all the other ingredients, mix them in.

Step 3:
Enjoy!

It's really yummy, I just had a plate, and honestly it's really easy to make.

-Rana

Restaurant Review: Adoro Mexican Grille

During Anime Expo my mother decided to treat me and my cosplaying brothers to some food. A year prior, at Anime Expo, we'd gone to the same hotel we were staying at that week. So we decided to go to the same Mexican restaurant we visited last year. Adoro Mexican Grille. It was as amazing as before. :]

I only took a picture of my food, because I love how they'd designed the plate. My guilty pleasure? Those pickled onions. They were absolutely amazing. And the avocado mash on top. To die for.

So I ordered the Burrito Fajita:



Located in the heart of Downtown, Los Angeles, this restaurant is pleasing to almost all senses. I loved the service, we got to sit outside because my mom wanted to smoke, and the food was just simply amazing. I wish I had got a shot of the inside of my burrito. The meat was cooked to a medium rare perfection. This was the fanciest Mexican restaurant I have ever been to.

The waiter made little small talk at the end of the meal, asking about the convention and such, and he actually gave us a little bit of guacamole for our free freshly made tortilla chips. This food was amazing, I recommend it to anyone visiting downtown Los Angeles. The prices are just a tad high, I got one of the cheapest meals on the menu, but it's a real bang for your buck.

-Rana

LET THEM EAT CAKE! :D

CAKE! CAKE AND CUSTARD! CAKE AND CUSTARD AND CREAM! CAKE, CUSTARD, CREAM, AND BERRIES! YESSSS!



Angel Food Custard Cake and Berries:

Ingredients for Angel Food Cake:

12 eggs
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
Directions

Step 1:
Separate eggs and discard yolks. Measure egg whites, adding or removing whites as needed to equal 1-1/2 cups. Place in a mixing bowl, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 2:
Sift confectioners' sugar and flour together three times, set aside.

Step 3:
Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites, beat on high speed.

Step 4:
Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time.

Step 5:
Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets.

Step 6:
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely before removing cake from pan.

Or do what I did and buy one from your local grocery store. :D

Custard recipe is at this site: Vanilla Custard Recipe

And for the cream on top just blend some heavy whipping cream, about a cup, and wait until slightly stiff. Slice some strawberries any way and decorate as shown in the pic, or get creative. The custard is in between the cake which I had cut in half. :] I zested some fresh lemons and sprinkled it on top. Super yummy. You can also decide to drench your cake in liquor. I happened to make one drenched in peach flavored liquor. It adds a very nice bite.

Enjoy!

-Rana

We got on FoodGazing!

It's a favorite Foodie website of mine! And we got featured! Yay!



By the way, the scones next to me are made by someone else I'm a devoted follower of. Visit her website at The Nesting Project!

-Rana

Ratatouille and Parmesan-Thyme Couscous! (Rana)

Yumyumyum! Let me tell you, this vegetarian dish should get rave reviews. It was tender and flavorful and with the couscous, I literally almost melted into it. It's a homey dish that I'll be sure to make again! Besides, who didn't love the movie Ratatouille. This dish was a bit of a homage, but since my family just can't have squash and eggplant alone, we added a bit of a twist. :]

Now I don't want to take credit for a recipe someone else created. The Ratatouille was not my recipe, but I did happen to modify it. I added another clove of garlic, and when she specifies a few sprigs of thyme, I used 4, and I also added just a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes. And lots of olive oil because it's my favorite condiment! Also, PLEASE get a smaller and or longer and skinner bell pepper. My brother messed up and got me a fat one. Obese bell pepper makes me sad.



Okay so for the Ratatouille recipe, go here: Smitten Kitchen

Now I take credit for the couscous! It's not those tiny little couscous you see most of the time, but a chunkier version. Because these do well in filling you up!

Parmesan-Thyme Couscous

Ingredients:
1 Cup Couscous
1 Cup Water or Chicken Stock(I used consomme to make it taste like chicken stock)
2 Sprigs thyme
1 tsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 or 2 pinches of parmesan cheese, shredded
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley to taste

Step 1:
Bring water or stock to boil in a pot. Salt generously if water, if stock not too generously.

Step 2:
Pour couscous, drizzle just a tad of olive oil, swirl around, then cover and put it to low heat. Be patient, you want the couscous to absorb all the liquid.

Step 3:
Once liquid is absorbed, drop the butter in, then drizzle some more olive oil, sprinkle on the spices and run your fingers along the thyme sprig to separate the leaves from the twig. Stir around and let the flavors set in, give it a taste to see if you like it.

Step 4:
Sprinkle the cheese on, stir it around, give it another taste and adjust the flavors as you like.

Step 5:
Ready to serve! :D

It's amazingly delicioussss! You could even add sharp white cheddar for a nice zing! Now you may notice the bits of meat at the top, that pinkish ham looking stuff. That's some fried up prosciutto! One of my favorite things to splurge on! Just cut it up to your desired size, I actually used scissors(clean of course!), and then I tossed it into a pan with heated oil and warmed them up until I was certain they were free of the dangers of pork poisoning, or whatever they call it. xD

It's super yummy with the saltiness of the prosciutto, just sprinkle it on top, you can serve it however you like. My mom even came back for seconds on the ratatouille SAUCE. And the couscous flew out of the pot, so if you wanna make more because your sure it'll be a hit, just double the ingredients. No biggie. I should have listened to that advice, I didn't get enough couscous. ;D

Here's another shot just because I love it so much. <3



- Rana

Manaeesh(Arabic Pizza)

So this dish is extremely delicious and comforting. My mother made it the morning after my father returned from the hospital. She made three different kinds, onion and pepper, zaatar(which is a mixture of spices that I cannot describe), and lebni and veggies. My favorite?



Lebni and Veggies!

Now it may not look completely mouthwatering to you, but whenever I see this on a plate I drool. This is one of my favorite dishes ever. It's garlicky, sweet, tangy, spicy. It's absolutely amazing and refreshing and just... yummm. So here's the recipe!

Lebni and Veggie Manaeesh:
1 tomato, chopped
2 seedless cucumbers, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
2-3 stalks of green onion, chopped
1 handful of mint, cleaned and chopped
3 large tablespoons of lebni, or depending on how thick you want it. I actually usually put 2 tablespoons.
Salt to taste
Olive oil to taste
3 premade and half-baked pizza dough rounds(can be storebought, or you can make your own and freeze them like mom did)

A little note: The pizza rounds were about 6 inches in diameter, so they were a personal pizza size. If you want a big pizza, just make one. I'm sure you'll figure it out.

Step 1: Combine all chopped veggies and herbs into a bowl with lebni. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

Step 2: Drizzle some olive oil on your pizza dough. Start baking your pizza, once it starts to reach a golden brown around the edges, pull it out.

Step 3: Cut the pizza's in half, then pile the veggie mixture onto it and spread it around. Don't care about an even coat or anything.

Enjoy!

Like I said, I love this dish. Have some gum on hand for afterwards, it gives you garlic breath, but man is it good. The chewy crust of the pizza mixed with the amazing crispness of the vegetables, the kick of garlic, the refreshing mint. It's a great summer eat. ;]

-Rana

A new post?!

It's insanity! Well I've been cooking a lot, but not putting it up on here. Makes me a bit sad.

Well here's another quick culinary fixation, my Homemade Pasta Sauce!
(Jimmy calls it Hoe-made)



I put it in a bento last I made it because I was going on a train ride and I really wanted to eat something that wasn't a sandwich. :D

Alright so let's get started on this sweet, savory, and spicy sauce. :]

Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground turkey or beef
1 large can of Hunts tomato sauce
1 large can of stewed tomatoes(italian seasoned, you can buy them in any supermarket)
1 or 2 large sweet onions chopped, depending on how much you like onion
1 handful of fresh basil chiffonaded(you can use dried if you like, just use less of it)
7 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder to taste

Start off by heating a pot, not a pan or skillet, on medium-high heat. Drizzle some oil on the bottom. Put in your onions and garlic and stir around until the onions are a little brown at the edges.

Place in beef or turkey and start breaking that stuff up, unless you like your pasta sauce super chunky.

Once the meet looks to be totally browned but not well done, pour in sauce and tomatoes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes. Stir it around, place the top on the pot, and let simmer for a while. Takes around 5 minutes.

Drizzle some more olive oil, throw in your basil, and stir around. Let simmer a little while more.

Season to taste, it should taste amazing.

And you're done! Enjoy with any kind of pasta, I love it with whole wheat spaghetti. :]

This recipe takes all in all about 20 minutes, maybe 10 minutes to prepare all the ingredients. It's great when my brothers or house keeper helps me. My house keeper actually asks for this dish on a lot of occasions.

YUM!

Spinach and Cheese Enchiladas (Vivi)

Wow, it's been so long since I have posted anything that i feel kind of bad. In apology, I will try to cook and blog about the food as much as possible~

I learned this recipe at work. I work in a convalescent home kitchen, and there's so much to learn during lunch time! My imagination for cooking has reached new heights because of lunches here ^_^

Ingredients:

Salsa-

• 8 tomatillos, (the green mini-tomatoes) husked
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• half a large onion
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or just one handful
  
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper (Roll it around a little bit against the counter with the heel of your palm if you want the salsa hot, My coworkers call this "pissing the jalapeno off")
  
• salt to taste
• two large green Chile peppers

Filling-

• 1 average sized pack of Queso Fresco (literally "fresh cheese" in Spanish but good luck trying to find it with the English name. It should be in most dairy sections) sliced into thin strips
  
• 1 box fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
  
• 1 large bag of fresh spinach
• Monterrey Jack cheese
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
   
   
2. Begin by placing the tomatillos, chili peppers, and jalapeno in a skillet on medium heat. This is to bring out the flavor of the veggies more and make it easier to blend later. Leave for a few minutes, turning them every now and then so the skins don't burn completely black. (A little is OK, just not too much or your salsa will carry a "burnt" taste)
3. Meanwhile, heat a very small amount of oil or margarine in a large skillet, then leaving the mushrooms and spinach to cook until spinach is very soft. add a little salt and pepper to taste as it cooks.
   
   
4. By now your salsa ingredients should be ready for blending. There might be a bit of juices from the tomatoes in the pan, so just pour all that into your blender, adding in the cilantro, onion, and garlic. Blend to your hearts content, and add salt to taste. Set aside.
   
   
5. Using the same pan you used for the salsa, heat more oil, this time for your corn tortillas. I'm not sure about the exact number of tortillas, but brown enough of them up in the oil to fill with half of the sliced queso fresco and spinach filling. About fifteen seconds for each tortilla.
   
   
6. Oil up a baking dish
   
   
7. fill each tortilla with one slice of cheese, and a bit of the spinach, mushroom mixture, roll them up and place them seam side down on the baking dish until you've used up all your spinach filling, but making sure you still have enough cheese to sprinkle over the top of the enchiladas
   
   
8. Slather some more of the salsa over the enchiladas ad sprinkle over the fresh cheese and as much Monterrey Jack as you want.
   
   
9. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.
   
   
10. Serve with some rice of your choice, and enjoy~