What it all "broils" down to is this...

I actually used my broiler tonight, probably for the first time since moving into this house almost 3 years ago.  I had a new recipe on the menu, in addition to two "old" favorites. 

My mother-in-law surprised me with tahini this afternoon (yes, it doesn't take much to make me happy), so the boys and I whipped up some hummus to eat as a snack while we waited for dinner to cook. 

All you need is a can of chickpeas, 1/2 cup of tahini, 1/4 cup of water, garlic, salt, and lemon juice for basic hummus.

Adding the tahini

The boys also helped to make the topping for the Bigger One's Favorite Fish Dish (learn more here) which is an easy blend of light mayo, lemon juice or lime juice (we usually use lemon), chopped onions or onion powder, and ground pepper.  With a generous sprinkling of bread crumbs and a drizzle of olive oil, the fish went into the oven.

I then began the daunting task of trying a new recipe, Creamy Spinach-Mushroom Skillet Enchiladas from the Cooking Light Complete Meals in Minutes cookbook.  I had wanted to try these enchiladas for a while and even though I was exhausted after a long week (the Carnivore was away for 3.5 days) and a long drive from Arlington (don't ask), I powered through the recipe instead of backing down and making something easier.

It's definitely a recipe even amateur mommy chefs (like me) can follow, but there were more steps than I needed on a Friday night.  First, I had to sautee the mushrooms and spinach along with cumin, chili powder, and garlic (they asked for jarred, I used tubed).  Then I was expected to drain that mixture and add in the cream cheese (that's where the "creamy" comes in).  After setting the filling aside, the recipe demanded I dredge the corn tortillas in salsa and stack them on a plate.  By this point, I was tired and hungry.  I just wanted to sit down with my family and eat.  But I completed the final steps: assemble the enchiladas by filling them with the creamy spinach and mushrooms, sprinkle cheese over the whole mess, and broil for 4 minutes.  I felt like such a grown-up using my broiler (and correctly).

I wasn't entirely satisfied with the results.  They weren't very cute and the tortillas were too chewy.

Pandy seemed to like them. He makes everything look cuter.

The Bigger One asked to try them but took one bite and was done.  The Carnivore said he liked them but wouldn't eat a lot since he's avoiding carbs.  The Littler One wasn't even interested.  All that effort and no real payoff.  But one thing I am learning in our food adventures is that it doesn't hurt to try.  You win some (like the favorite fish dish and hummus) and you lose a whole bunch (especially with the ups and downs of young eaters' palates).  We'll just keep on experimenting because that's half of the fun.

How do you use your broiler?  I'd love to hear about your favorite broiler-dependent dishes!