When I first found Allison’s beautiful Main St. Cuisine blog in January, the first thing I thought to myself was, I wish this were a real restaurant, I’d eat here. Well, this is the next best thing. This past week, I’ve cooked three of her recipes this and had such a good time doing it. Everything was nothing short of delicious. Allison has the best cooking posts, with step by step photographs and directions that I used to make it all turn out so well. I really appreciate those, don’t you?
First up, Enchiladas Florentine:
I’m in! Oh boy, am I ever. These enchiladas. With the spinach. !!! Well, THIS, dish is just amazing. I can barely stand to look at the pictures here or over on Main St. Cuisine because I immediately feel a hunger pain. Hubby was more than impressed saying, “this is the best thing we’ve had in a long time.” And you guys know more than anyone how well we’ve been eating in the past few months, so that’s a pretty big deal coming from him.
Allison encouraged me to put my own spin on the things I cook. I tried Allison, but my lack of confidence was showing. In this case though, I did use ground turkey instead of ground beef, and ancho chile pepper rather than cumin. Cumin and I got a divorce years ago and haven’t talked since. I was SO not sure about the ancho chile pepper, but it worked out SO well!! Enchilada Happiness!
Hubby, devoured these. Almost literally! He had two for dinner Wednesday night and took the leftovers to work for lunch, sharing with his buddies (so he said anyway). I was sad, but I will be making them again soon. Enchilada paradise for sure! See Allison’s post that sold me on these right here.
The next morning I made these:
How about some French Breakfast Muffins? You have to read this Main St. Cuisine post. Truth in blogging is wonderful 
Like these muffins. I wish you could have been here for the smells as these were baking. I chose them, because it gave me a chance to use my favorite spice:
Do you use Saigon cinnamon? I look for any reason I can to use it. I’m addicted. It has an unbelievable flavor, so much better than “regular” cinnamon (which I like a lot, too). If you haven’t tried, it, give it a shot. I happened to choose the Spice Islands brand, but McCormick’s also has it in their gourmet line, and there are a few more I’ve seen too. It’s simply wonderful. Even if you don’t cook, ever, get some. It’s wonderful sprinkled on French toast, over yogurt, coffee…..I’ve even used it on frozen yogurt and ice cream.
But I digress…
These little darlings are magnificent, not too mention pretty as can be. For me, they’re like French toast meets a cinnamon doughnut, fall in love and get married. And how can you not love THAT? They’re very simple to make too. I didn’t change a thing about this recipe. Yumminess! Read Allison’s original post and recipe here.
Remember the other day when I made the Braised Chicken thighs and said that cooking them felt like therapy for me? Yeah, this recipe for Smothered Pork Chops is another one of those kind of dishes. I loved making them. They weren’t complicated to make, just fun to make. When Allison posted this recipe a month ago, Hubby started pushing for me to make them.
He LOVES pork chops, and was SO happy when I finally made these for him. He said they were perfect. They are. Don’t they look incredible? I love the onion, mushroom and rosemary sauce. That’s what did it for me with this one. Allison’s recipe is so well-explained, which I really appreciated – I don’t cook too many pork chops, so her instructions were no doubt invaluable to the delicious outcome.
I can’t tell you how much fun I had cooking from Main St. Cuisine this week. I have to wonder why I need all these cooking magazines and cookbooks when there are blogs like this out there to learn and eat from. I have learned quite a bit from Allison in these past two months….another reason why I love bloggers and blogging.
Thank you for the delicious food this week Allison!!
What about you? Did you make something from one of your favorite food bloggers recently? What was it and how’d it go?
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Your husband is super lucky to get to eat all the awesome food you make, haha!
Thankfully he helps a lot. It makes it more fun for me
Happy Tuesday Stephanie!
Wowowowowowow! All looks so delicious. Your photos are so fresh and beautiful, too. Just doing a quick catch-up now on some of the blogs after the weekend, and I give you a slightly sarcastic “thanks” for making the rest of this Monday so, well, Mondayish…this post makes me want to go home and cook and read and cook and eat and cook…! *sigh*
I’ve fallen behind in blog reading too…well, in everything, and it’s only
Monday. I’m screwed, lol. I’m giving serious thought to taking some time off so I can read, cook, write, eat, and repeat.
Sorry about the Mondayish
LOL! You’re great Tara….I’m so glad I “met” ya 
You have the happiest kitchen around, my dear. I bet your walls are grinning from ear to ear, not to mention the affect all your cooking and baking has on Russ. I know he appreciates and loves your adventurous spirit and the success you’re having.
Have Sunday to the two of you!
He’s got an adventurous spirit of his own in the kitchen! Which makes it so much fun. He loves to cook as much as I do, so it’s one thing we do together and fun with. I love it.
Warm weather on the horizon for us again Shaddy, YAY!!!
Wow! Such beautiful foods…the muffins are calling me, I think.
Thank you!!
They are calling you, and you deserve them for all the hard work you’re doing
Hope you’re weekend is going well!!
Sarah, thank you for including us (the recipes and the blog…we’re a team, you know) over at Sarah’s Place. I love how you photographed the enchiladas. It’s hard to make saucy, cheesy items look pretty and you did! Ahhh cumin….people either love it or, not so much. But you found a suitable replacement for sure. I hope those smothered pork chops lived up to your husband’s expectations (I was nervous about that).
.
I’m off to a day-long baseball tournament, but not before I find out more about Saigon cinnamon (I imagine the French muffins said, “merci”) and say thank you again sincerely for the feature. It is totally appreciated.
Allison, thank YOU! Are you kidding me? I owe ya one or three for these past few days of great food. These three dishes were incredible. The pork chops far exceeded Hubby’s expectations for sure. He’s crazy about them and “would like to eat like this every week.” His exact words.
Yeah, poor cumin, I kinda feel bad for it. But, like deep fried foods, it makes me kind of nauseous. Weird. I was very pleased with how the ancho chile pepper worked though…(I just bought the ingredients to make these again this week at Hubby’s request).
Sounds like you have had a terrific day! sounds like a lot of fun to me. I hope it was nice outside for you.
I’m gonna miss you when you’re off on your trip
Have fun and safe travels, ok?
Oooooh it all looks so fantastic! Even as a non-cheese fan, I would totally eat those enchiladas. Mmmmmmmmm. Omg I must find this Saigon Cinnamon!
Yes. you. do!!! If you can’t find it, let me know. I just know you’ll love it. It’s hard to describe how good it is. And these muffins are the perfect vehicle for it…..
I just went and got the makings for more of those enchiladas….;) I’m hooked.
Happy weekend Cindy!!!!
What a great post! And you picked all my fave Main St. recipes! Twice tested, no way I can go wrong now! Have a great weekend:)
Definitely try one or more of these when you can, they are SO worth it. I love how Allison writes the method with pictures. Everything comes out just perfectly.
I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend too Melanie. I can’t WAIT to see the message that you’re oven has been fixed….
I am also a fan of Main St. Cuisine.. and I think she would be thrilled that you’ve posted such a wonderful tribute to her blog! It’s such great fun to be able to cook from another blogger’s stash of tried and true recipes. I think these all turned out perfectly.. and changing one or two ingredients is adventuresome in my books:) I have to try those muffins now… I, too, love Saigon Cinnamon!
Like your blog Smidge, there are so many things over there that I want to make and eat. It is so much fun searching the blogs for recipes, rather than my usual magazines. I need to do this a LOT more.
Hooray for Saigon Cinnamon! These muffins are PERFECT for it too.
Once again though, I failed at caramelizing those onions….ugh!
Practice is needed!
Thank you for the visit Smidge, I just love seeing your name show up in my email inbox, you know? xo
Awesome!!! Seriously they all look so yummy!!!!!
They really are. It was so much fun making these!!
So glad you stopped by! Hope you’re weekend is going well