Wednesday and Thursday, June 4 and 5: Birthday plans and Enchiladas

OK, so I'm on a roll here.  I've got it all planned out.  I'm organized, prepared, and unusually calm.  Must be my birthday week...(it is!).  Unlike a lot of people I know, I truly enjoy celebrating my birthday.  It's not the number, it's the day.  My day, dammit.  Every year (for a while now), I let the girls skip school, and we head to Boston for the day.  The past two years, we went to see the current exhibits at the ICA in Boston.  It is a stunning contemporary art museum on the waterfront in Boston, and there are great pubs and restaurants within walking distance for lunch.  Since I'm originally from Boston, I always manage to scare up a few friends to join the girls and me for drinks and food, and it's a grand little party.  For me!
This year, we did things a bit differently, due to the torrential downpour.  Rain certainly doesn't put a damper on my plans, it just means slight modifications (and no al fresco dining).  I chose the MIT Museum in Cambridge, which turned out to be a perfect choice.  Interesting interactive exhibits, unusual moving sculptures, AND located within walking distance of an Irish pub and Toscanini's!

What, you may ask, warrants this tangent upon which I have ventured?  The fact that despite this day off, and the day off for the funeral,  I was still getting things done without any panic or snafu's...that's what.

Back to the meals...
Wednesday:  Fettuccini Alfredo with Zucchini Ribbons
Creamy sauce with pretty bright green ribbons of zucchini...and pretty quick n easy to make.
I forgot to take a picture of it (but you'll see one if you click on the link to get the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/fettucini-alfredo-with-zucchini-ribbons-recipe.html), so I'm inserting a picture of my favorite shoes.  And the book I was reading on my break that day.

Thursday (June 5...my birthday, in case you forgot):  Improv Enchiladas

These are different every time that i make them.  The general idea is that I'm going to lay a bunch of good things on a tortilla, roll it up, cover it with enchilada sauce and cheese, and bake it.  Here's the version I made for today:

First, I made some brown rice.  While that was cooking, I pressed a block of extra firm tofu, then crumbled it, sautéed it with a little canola oil, and sprinkled it with taco seasoning (Whole Foods has a good one).  I chopped up a perfectly ripe avocado, diced some olives, chopped up some scallions, shredded some Monterey Jack cheese, and popped open a can of chopped jalapeños.  

Now comes assembly time:

 I started with the rice (which had cooled by now), then drizzled a bit of enchilada sauce over it.

Next, I spooned the seasoned tofu over it, then added some avocado, olives, and scallions.

The final addition is the shredded cheese.  Now you just roll this baby up, and lay it in a casserole dish that has a little enchilada sauce coating the bottom.  Make a few more, and nestle them together.  A little more enchilada sauce, another sprinkling of cheese, and it's time to pop it in the oven.   

375° for about 15 minutes (keep an eye on it...you'll know when it's done).

And there you have it...add your own fillings as you wish (I change it based on what's in the fridge and in my cupboard).  Filling and fabulous!