December 24, 2011: New Mexican Chalupas Recipe

Here’s another perfect winter dish that feeds a lot of people and fills them up quickly. The best part about this recipe is that you can throw the ingredients together in the morning and let it cook all day long, until the meat and beans are melt-in-your-mouth tender. Served with a salad and flour tortillas, it’s a complete meal with little fuss and muss.

Chalupas

One 3-pound pork roast (any variety; even tough cuts become tender)

1 T. vegetable oil

1 small white or yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. oregano

1 T. ground cumin

1 t. salt

1 16-ounce can tomatoes

2 14-ounce cans chicken broth

2 small cans green chiles (or 1 cup fresh/frozen chiles, diced)

1 pound dry pinto beans, rinsed

¼ t. powdered red chile

6 quarts water

Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, black olives and salsa for garnish (any or all optional)

Trim and discard excess fat from pork. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven to medium; add pork and brown on all sides. Add onion and garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Add remaining ingredients (up to garnishes). Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 6 hours, stirring often (you can also placed the covered pot in a low oven for the same amount of time).

Before serving, remove pork roast and shred into bite-size pieces. Return to pot. Spoon pork mixture onto tostada shells and top with garnishes, or serve with flour tortillas or corn chips on the side.

Serves 12 – 16

September 25, 2011: Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe

I haven’t made stuffed bell peppers in ages but recently a friend of ours brought over some bell peppers picked fresh from his garden. They were just too tempting – and the best way to use up several at once was to make this recipe. Rather than resort to my mother’s recipes, I decided to give stuffed peppers a more modern twist by turning them into a Southwestern style entrée. Hope you like it!

Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers

1 cup rice

1 cup coarsely chopped peeled and seeded tomatoes

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. dried cilantro (or 2 t. fresh cilantro, chopped)

1 t. minced garlic

½ t. garlic salt

Salt and pepper to taste

4 jalapeno cheddar sausages

4 large or 6 small bell peppers

2 ounces Velveeta cheese

4 – 6 T. prepared salsa

2 T. ketchup

1/3 cup water

Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, set a large of pot of water to boiling. Add the peppers and the tomatoes (about 2 medium). Remove the tomatoes after a minute with a slotted spoon. Immediately run under cold water and then remove the peels. Remove the seeds with your thumb and chop tomatoes into large chunks. After 5 minutes, remove the bell peppers and allow to cool. When cool, slice off the tops and remove the seeds and white membranes inside. If necessary, slice a small bit off the bottom of the peppers so they stand upright. Place the cleaned peppers in a greased baking dish.

When the rice is done, add the chopped tomatoes, green onion, Worcestershire, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. If desired, you can also chop up any extra bits of bell pepper from the sliced off sections and add these, too. Thinly slice the sausages and add them to the rice mixture.

Fill the peppers with rice mixture and top with a slice of Velveeta cheese. Top each with a tablespoon of salsa, allowing it to drip over the sides. Mix the ketchup and water and add to bottom of baking dish.

Bake peppers uncovered in 375 degree oven for about half an hour, until the peppers are softened and the cheese is melted.

Serves 4.

Note: If you like more heat, add a couple tablespoons of chopped hot green chile or jalapenos to the rice mixture.

August 5, 2011: Lite Chicken Green Chile Enchilada Casserole Recipe

I just got back from spending a weekend in my hometown of Silver City, New Mexico. While I was there I had to eat my favorite Mexican food. In my opinion, Silver City is home to THE best Mexican food found anywhere on the planet. I have fond memories of eating at each of the restaurants while growing up, including El Paisano, the Silver Café, Jalisco, and Tillie’s. I was in town for my 30th high school reunion and many of us reminisced about the wonderful food we had in our town while growing up.

These days as we all get older and – how shall I say it – bigger, we can’t eat the same food we used to without gaining pounds instantly. This recipe is my version of chicken enchiladas that is much lighter than the traditional (but the still most mouth-watering) enchiladas I enjoyed in Silver City.

Lite green chile chicken enchiladas served with a salad of green leaf lettuce, tomatoes and avocado slices.

Lite Chicken Green Chile Enchilada Casserole

1 T. olive oil
½ cup minced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup chopped tomatoes
¼ cup chopped green chiles
½ cup chicken broth
1 t. cumin
1 t. dehydrated cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
4 corn-wheat tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory Hand Made Style Corn Tortillas, large size)
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Heat the olive oil to medium in a saucepan. Add onions and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, until slightly translucent. Add chicken, tomatoes, chiles, broth and spices. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for half an hour or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove chicken from the broth mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. When cooled enough to handle, shred chicken and add back to broth mixture. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine yogurt and salsa. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.

To assemble enchiladas: place two tortillas in the bottom of the greased pan. Spray with cooking spray. Pour half the shredded chicken mixture over the top. Dot with dollops of the sour cream mixture; sprinkle with half the black olives. Top with half the shredded cheese. Place two more tortillas on top and spray with cooking spray. Top with remaining ingredients.

Fresh out of the oven and bubbling hot.

Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through. It will look soupy but the tortillas will absorb any extra moisture as it sits, so let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serves 4

July 13, 2011: Pineapple Salsa Recipe

With the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies at the farmer’s market right now, I came up with this recipe to use ingredients I had on hand. Feel free to alter or substitute the fruit and/or veggies to match what you’ve got available - mangoes are just as delicious as the pineapple in this recipe. Green onions, bell peppers, leeks and other herbs would be good to try, too.

This salsa goes great with pork and fish – especially tasty on fish tacos!

Pineapple Salsa

1 large garlic clove, minced
1 mini sweet pepper (orange or yellow or red), finely diced
1 T. minced white onion
1 chile in adobo sauce (from a can), finely minced (less if you don't like quite as much heat)
1 t. dried cilantro (or 2 t. minced fresh cilantro)
¼ to 1/3 cup chopped fresh pineapple
½ t. kosher salt
1 lime

Combine all ingredients except lime in small bowl. Halve lime and squeeze juice over salsa. Let sit at room temperature for at least half an hour before serving or refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld.

Makes about ½ cup of salsa.

May 25, 2011: Beef Fajitas Recipe

When it comes to grilling meat for fajitas you have a couple options. Number one is to use a large hunk of meat, such as a skirt steak, and place the whole thing on a grill to cook. The other option is to use meat that is already cut up, such as the butcher’s package of “stir fry meat”, which is usually quite reasonably priced.

When I made this recipe I used the latter, and cooked them quickly on the cast iron griddle on the side burner of my propane grill. It doesn’t really matter which method you use (although it’s easier to get rare meat when you use the whole piece), in either instance the idea is to cook the meat very quickly, just searing the outside surfaces. If you do opt for pre-sliced beef, be sure to use a cast iron griddle or skillet over high heat.

Beef Fajitas

Marinade:
1 cup tequila
Juice of one lime
1 T. kosher salt
1 t. dried or 1 T. fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, crushed or 1 T. freeze dried garlic
2 T. vegetable oil
1 pound beef (cheap, tough cuts such as sirloin, skirt steak, etc. are perfect)

Combine all ingredients through the oil; add the beef (either as a whole slab or cut into strips as discussed above). Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight, turning the meat occasionally.

4 soft taco sized flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave for half a minute
1 white or yellow onion
1 bell pepper, optional
1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Nacho jalapeno slices
Sliced black olives
Salsa
Sour cream
Avocadoes, thinly sliced (or prepared guacamole)

Thinly slice the onion and bell pepper and sauté in olive oil just until soft. Set aside. Assemble remaining ingredients in bowls for diners to make their own burritos.

Cook the meat on a hot grill or griddle for 1 to 2 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove from heat and tent with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep warm until ready to eat; it will continue to cook. If you cooked a large piece of meat, slice it thinly after letting it rest under the foil for about 5 minutes.

Beef fajitas served with a simple salad with Chipotle Garlic Ranch dressing and Spanish rice

To assemble, take a flour tortilla and spread with shredded cheese, top with fajita meat, sautéed onions and peppers and additional ingredients as desired. Roll up and enjoy!

May 20, 2011: Guest Post Bachelor Chili Recipe

Today I welcome fellow writer, cook, and guest poster, AJ Best. She shares with us a recipe she calls Bachelor Chili. Take it away AJ!

I, for the most part, am lazy. If there is a cheap or easier way to do something, I’m going to do it. This is especially true when it comes to cooking. I love to cook, and eat, but I don’t want to spend an eternity doing it.

I developed this chili with myself in mind, and when telling people about it realized that it was so easy even a man could do it. You have to understand my dealings with male cooks, never good. My first husband burned Jello.

So I say:

If you can brown meat, open a can, and a jar, you too can make chili.

A guy could cook this for a date and really impress her. Here we go!

1 pound ground meat (go crazy with this beef, venison, chicken, turkey, bison, etc.)
2 12oz cans of kidney beans (white, red, or dark red) DO NOT DRAIN
1 16 oz jar of salsa (you decide heat level, mild, medium, hot)
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes

In a stock pot at medium high heat, brown your meat of choice until it is brown throughout. Drain off excess fat, return to pot. Reduce heat to simmer. Add full UN-DRAINED cans of kidney beans, and tomatoes, stir. Add jar of salsa to pot to complete meal.

This can be eaten as soon as it is warmed through, or you can let it simmer for a couple of hours to allow it to soak the flavor into the beans more. Add cheese or sour cream to taste.

See, even a bachelor could cook this. Do you have an easy recipe you would like to share with me?


AJ Best
www.ajbestwrites.com
ajbestwrites@gmail.com
A touch of real life in every story.

May 10, 2011: Sonoran Hot Dogs Recipe

What’s a Sonoran hot dog? Other than a really big, tasty meal in a bun, it’s just about everything and the kitchen sink piled on top of a hot dog or two! According to legend, these were initially cooked up in Mexico in the 1960s and quickly found their way across the border to Tucson. They didn’t really become popular until the 1980s or so, when they expanded across the state. Apparently you can even find Sonoran hot dogs in New York City now!

While the ingredients listed below are “traditional”, feel free to edit, delete, or add anything that tempts your tummy. Basically this is just a loaded hot dog overflowing with anything and everything you love to eat!

My version of a Sonoran hot dog, served with cheesy tater tots (which were overkill, BTW)

Sonoran Hot Dogs

4 – 8 hot dogs, each wrapped in bacon
4 bolillos
Mustard
Ketchup
Fresh minced white, yellow or red onion (or caramelized onions)
Pinto beans or refried beans or chili with beans
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded cheese of your choice
Nacho jalapeno slices or minced green chile
Red or green salsa
Mayonnaise, thinned with a bit of lemon juice

The number of hot dogs you use is based on how big they are and how big the buns are; using the big ones from the bolillo recipe I shared yesterday would require two hot dogs per bun.

Grill or fry the hot dogs until the bacon is crispy.

Split open a bun. Squirt it with mustard and ketchup to taste; place the hot dog(s) on top. Now layer with the rest of the ingredients, ending up with a topping of cheese and a drizzle of the thinned mayonnaise.

Warning: these hot dogs are not only huge, they are addictive! Move over Coney or Chicago dogs – Sonoran hot dogs rule!

Tips: You don’t really need anything else to go with these in order to make a meal except for maybe a light salad. And if you're counting calories... don't!
The bun is extremely important. Plain old hot dog buns from the grocery story just won't do; the bolillos are preferred because they are hardy enough to stand up to all the toppings yet still tender.