Cook of the Week
by Nathan Straus

Nancy Wood

A newcomer to Brownsboro, Amy Wynn is still East Texan to the core. She moved back to the area last month from Carrollton with her husband Charles Wheeler. Now she works part-time for Piggy's Too Barbeque.

"The people around here are real cool," Wynn said. "I've only been here about a month and everyone knows me already."

She moved into the Courtyard Apartments in Brownsboro with Charles after moving from Central Texas. Amy is originally from Frankston.

Amy is "always watching the kiddos," she said. By this she means her nieces, nephews and kids from a previous marriage. Charles also has three children from a previous marriage.

Wynn's two are Emily and Hayden Foreman, and Charles' three are Amber, Michael and Jakob Wheeler.

Wynn has been married to Charles for three years; they met at a Kroger's in Carrollton. Even this far back Amy's cooking was the topic of much discussion and praise as Wheeler would refer aspirant cooks to Amy for tips on select dishes.

One of her favorite aspects of cooking, Amy began, is that it brings the kids together for some quality time.

"There's camaraderie with the children, plus everybody's hungry," Wynn said.

Come Christmas, there's a dish Amy said she makes as a tradition. It may not be Holiday ham, but everyone still eats it up with taste buds singing Christmas carols.
Manicotti
1 package Ricotta cheese
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese
¾ cup Parmesan cheese (set
aside … cup)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
1 quart spaghetti sauce
1 pound ground hamburger
2 packages manicotti shells
2 eggs

Mix the Ricotta, Mozzarella and ‰ cup Parmesan cheese. Add salt, pepper, parsley flakes and eggs together. Boil shells four at a time in salted water for six minutes. Remove from water and stuff with the cheese mixture. Brown the hamburger and add spaghetti sauce; cover the bottom of the baking dish with sauce. Place the stuffed shells in the sauce and bake at 350 Degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add … cup of parmesan to the top.
Spinach Enchiladas
10 ounces frozen spinach
(chopped, thawed and pressed
dry)
10 ounces cream of chicken
soup
8 ounce carton of sour
cream
4 ounce can of chopped
green chilies, drained
2 tbsp minced green onions
‰ cup fresh chopped bacon
bits
12 corn tortillas
4 cups shredded Monterey
Jack cheese, divided
¾ cup minced green onion

Combine first six ingredients in a food processor, process until smooth and set aside. Fry tortillas one at a time in about … an inch of hot oil for about five seconds on each side until softened. Drain well and spoon 1 tbsp each of cheese and onion on each tortilla. Roll and place in a lightly greased 12x8x2 inch baking dish. Spoon spinach mixture over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 325 Degrees for 30 minutes.