Grilled Fish Tacos

Taco's are a staple in my house. My whole family loves them. They are usually pretty easy to make, often quick to make, cheap (which is a good thing), and they taste really good too. Plus when you pile on the veggies they're even good for you. I am planning on doing a whole month of taco recipes in June so if you love them as much as we do, you're in for treat that month.
Fish taco's are still a very popular dish around the country. They're aren't so new to the food scene as they once were, but they have some real staying power. I don't know if it's because of how tasty they are but there is something about a good fish taco that people just can't seem to pass up. I'm not the biggest fish person as I've mentioned a few times before, but if a fish taco is on the menu, (and if it's grilled instead of fried) you can find me chowing down on it. In fact, we just went out to a Mexican night at my favorite little local cafe. Pam, from Paradise Bakery makes some pretty darn good fish taco's! If you recall, I did an easy fish taco recipe awhile back that used fish sticks. While that one is pretty kid friendly for my picky eater, this recipe is just as easy to make and tastes incredible.

One Year Ago: Sausage and White Bean Ragu
Two Years Ago: Basil Pesto

What You Need:

1lb tilapia fillet (or any firm white fish)
juice from three limes (1/4 to 1/3 cup)
2 tbs veg oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
Corn tortillas that have heated through
Pico De Gallo and other toppings

What To Do:

Combine the lime juice, oil, garlic and spices together in wide, shallow dish. Place your fish fillets into the mainade and turn to coat if needed. Let sit for at least 10 minutes but no more then 20 or the acid from the  lime juice will cook your fish and you'll end up with ceviche.
Meanwhile, preheat your grill (I did mine inside on a grill pan) over medium high heat. Once hot, give a spray with some non stick stuff or a quick spritz of oil. Grill your fillets for a couple of minutes on both sides. I had thinner fillets so they only took about 3 minutes on one side and maybe another minute or two on the other. It's cooked with your fish is opaque and doesn't feel so mushy. It should flake apart too.
Transfer your fillets to a plate and break it up into pieces. Fill your taco shells and top with your favorite things. Shredded cabbage or lettuce is pretty tradtional but I like just a little pico de gallo.

Veggie Fajitas

These are an incredible yummy, filling, lighter alternative to the chicken or beef version. Sliced, hearty portabello mushrooms replace the meat in this simple version of a classic Mexican favorite. It's also a super quick supper idea for nights when your busy and don't have a lot of time to cook. In fact, I don't even think it took me 30 minutes to make these and most of the time was spent slicing the veggies. Give them a try and I promise you won't even know the meat is missing!

One Year Ago: Coconut Shrimp
Two Years Ago: Sugar Cookies

What You Need:

4 large portabello mushroom caps, gills removed and sliced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
8 corn tortillas, warmed
2 roma tomtoes, chopped
1-2 tbs canola oil
salt and pepper

What To Do:

In a large, flat bottom skillet, head 1 tbs of oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add in the sliced mushrooms. Do not touch or stir until they are browned which takes a couple minutes. Add in the bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and garlic. Give it a stir and add in more oil ONLY if needed. The mushrooms tend to suck up the oil and leave the pan dry which can cause your veggies to stick. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes or until they the veggies are just soft but still have a crispness to them. Stir in your seasonings, along with some salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes off the heat and serve in the warmed tortillas, topped with some cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

Sofrito

Sofrito is very common in a lot of Latin cooking. I've been making some Cuban inspired dishes lately and they all have started with sofrito. Yes you can find it in a store, along with the other Hispanic foods but it's pretty easy to make. There are two types that I am familiar with, red and green. The green tends to be cilantro based and the red is either tomato or red pepper based. Sofrito is also one of those things that everyone has their own secret recipe for. I doubt you'll ever find two that are the same. I start mine with tons of garlic, onions and bell peppers. This recipe makes two cups and I use about 1/2 cup per recipe. It will keep in the fridge for a week or two but you can freeze it in 1/4 to 1/2 c sizes for later too.

One Year Ago: Maple Roasted Root Veggies
Two Years Ago: Buffalo Potato Skins

What You Need:

1 bulb of garlic, cloves peeled and roughly chopped
1 large spanish onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
2 tbs dried oregano
1 tbs ground cumin
1 (5oz) can tomato paste
1 tbs veg oil
salt and pepper

What To Do:

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the garlic, onion and pepper and cook until they start to soften. Add in the the oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste has turned a dark red, almost brown color. Let cool and transfer to a food processor/blender. Let it rip until smooth or just slightly chunky. Store in a GLASS container (unless you want everything else that goes in your plastic container in the future to taste like sofrito).

Taco Soup

Nothing is more warming on a cold winters day then soup. This soup is doubly warming as it has a bit of spiciness to it. Warms the heart and soul! Taco’s, were are a favorite in my house, are turned into a yummy, hardy soup. Little meatballs are seasoned and baked, then tossed into a soup with two types of beans, corn and tons of flavor!

One Year Ago: Spaghetti with Sausage and Fennel
Two Years Ago: Anti-Pasta Salad

What You Need:

1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups salsa
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 c chicken stock or water
1 lb ground beef
1 c frozen corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
½ tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 tbs chopped cilantro
¼ c taco seasoning (1 package)
1/3 c bread crumbs
1 tbs cumin
Olive oil

What To Do:

Diced 2/3 of the onion and toss into a soup pot with a tbs of oil. Finely mince the remaining 1/3 of an onion and place it in a bowl with the ground beef. Mince the garlic and place half in the soup pot with the onion and the other half in the bowl with beef. Cook the onions and garlic over medium heat until softened. Then add in the tomatoes, beans, stock and frozen corn.
To the bowl with the ground beef, add in the egg, chopped cilantro, taco seasoning, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Form into meatballs; bake 400 for about 15 minutes. Toss into hot soup and serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, cheddar cheese, tortilla strips etc.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

You all know that Mexican is my favorite cuisine. I have never had a Mexican dish I didn’t like. This is a simple dish, made in the slow cooker. It’s easy to freeze too which is nice because then you have supper almost ready on nights you don’t feel like cooking. I sometimes double up this recipe too so that I have plenty left over to freeze. You can this mix for taco’s and then use what’s left for enchiladas too. Double duty meals are the best! Want a triple duty meal? Use the shredded chicken meat to make nachos too!

One Year Ago: Divine Chocolate Pound Cake
Two Years Ago: Chili Con Carne

 What You Need:

1 whole chicken, cut into 6 pieces (2 breasts, 2 thighs and 2 drumsticks) Can use the wings too but they don’t give much meat so I always save them for stock.
1 (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes
1 can of water or chicken stock
¼ c taco seasoning
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tbs oregano
1 tbs cocoa powder
1 jalapeño split down the middle
1 lrg onion, diced
1 chipotles in adobo, minced


What To Do:

Leave the skin on the thighs and drummies, remove it from the breast. Place everything into the crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Remove the chicken from the sauce. Toss the skin from the leg portions and shred the chicken. Strain the liquid from the slow cooker. Return the chicken back into the slow cooker with enough liquid to just keep the chicken moist. Serve the shredded chicken in warmed corn tortilla with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese etc. Freezing Instructions: Since you're using a whole chicken, you'll get two to three meals out this. I take any chicken we didn't eat the first night and package it into freezer zip top bags or containers with a little bit of extra sauce. When you want taco again, remove from the freezer to thaw and just reheat. With the rest of the sauce, you can let it cool and freeze it to use later for making this recipe again, or you can bowl it down till it thickens a bit and use it for an enchilada sauce.

Mexican Torta

Torta are a simple Mexican street food. Really it’s just a very yummy sammie! Traditionally tortas are served on a special type of roll called bolillo. Since I live in an area with almost no Hispanic population, I can’t find a lot of the specialty type items. Instead, I took a loaf of Italian bread and cut it into big sections, then cut in half length ways, so that I would have a top and a bottom. It worked out great and the sammie was incredible. The spicy grilled chicken pairs really nice with cooling, creamy, avocado.

What You Need:

4, thinly sliced chicken breast
4 large round rolls or Italian bread cut into pieces
1 large ripe avocado, sliced
1 large tomato sliced
chipotle mayo
salt and pepper
cayenne
olive oil

What To Do:

Preheat your grill. Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper and a bit of cayenne. Once the grill is hot, cook your chicken about 2-3 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. Brush both sides of the Italian bread with some olive oil and place on the cool side of the grill. You want it to warm up and get a little toasty.

To assemble the sammie, place some of the chipotle mayo on the bottom roll. Top with a chicken breast, a slice of tomato and a few slices of avocado and the top bun. Smush it all together and enjoy!

South West Egg’s Benedict

Here is the second version I promised you and this one has a spicy kick! I’m not using my usual format here of an ingredients list and then directions. Why? Because there is only a few small changes you need to make to the original recipe found here.

So here’s what you do. After making the classic hollandaise sauce, add to the blender 1 chipotle in adobo and blend it again until it’s full combined. If you don’t want something super spicy, just add in a bit of the sauce until it’s to your liking.

Then warm a small corn tortilla and give it a smear of heated refried beans. I used about 1/4 cup. Top that off with your two poached eggs and two tablespoons of your spicy hollandaise sauce, some diced tomatoes, a bit of cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

Mexican Breakfast

Nope, I’m not making huevos rancheros but I bet that’s what you thought you’d be getting right? Sorry to disappoint but this is so much better! Lots of leftovers often come with new ways to use them up. This way just happened to be a breakfast and I can not tell you how incredibly yummy it was! I ate it every morning for a week straight. I loved it so much that I want to make carnitas again, just so I can make this breakfast.

What You Need:


1 tsp butter or veg oil
1/2 c left over carnitas
1 large egg
1 corn tortilla, heated
1 tbs salsa verde
1/2 medium tomato, diced
shredded cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)

What To Do:


In a small sauté pan or your favorite egg pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the carnitas and heat briefly before creating a “hole” where the egg with sit. Crack your egg into the hole and cover with a lid. Let cook for a few minutes or until your desired doneness. You can also flip the whole thing over if you don’t like sunny side up eggs. Place your egg and carnitas on top of the warmed tortilla and drizzle with the salsa verde. Top with the tomato and devour.
It can be a bit spicy so I sometimes will add a bit of sour cream to the top as well. If you like cheese with your eggs, add a bit before removing your egg from the pan.

Carnitas

Carnitas or “little bites” is a Mexican dish that is a pork shoulder that has been braised in lard.  Now when your watching your waist line or trying to get it to shrink like I am, slow roasting something in a big old tub of fat doesn’t sound very appealing. The alternative? Searing the pork until it’s dark brown and very crispy, then slowly braising in a crockpot filled with yummy goodness. The result? Moist, flavorful pork that can be served up on some corn tortillas with chipotle mayo and some tomatoes. This recipes make a TON of meat. I’m always thinking ahead though and I love recipes that freeze well. We ate carnitas one night, then I used it to make Posole another night and still had plenty that went in the freezer for another time.

What You Need:

6-8 lb pork shoulder
2 tbs veg oil
2-4 cups chicken or veggie stock (homemade or low sodium)
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs ancho chile powder
1/2 tbs chili powder
1/2 tbs oregano
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
2 chipotles in adobo and a spoonful of the sauce
salt

What To Do:

Remove the pork from the bone and cut into large 2-3 inch chunks and salt well. I probably used a good 2 tbs of salt to season my pork. I know it sounds like a lot but it helps to pull the moisture from the pork and it adds tons of flavor. It does not making the dish salty at all, I promise!


Place a large cast iron or heavy bottomed bottom pot over high heat. Once screaming hot, add in the veg oil and start to cook the pork. Place the pieces in the pan in a single layer. Be sure not to over crowed the pan as you’ll end up steaming the meat and it won’t brown. Cook the pork over high heat until deep brown and caramelized and each side. Remove to paper towel to drain. Continue cooking the pork in batches until it’s all done. When all the pork is cooked and removed from the pan, turn the heat off and pour in 2 cups of the stock. Use a whisk or spoon to scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
Place the pork into the bottom of a crockpot. Pack it in as tightly as possible. Sprinkle the pork with the spices and the chipotles, then use the stock that you deglazed your pan with to just barely cover the pork. Use more stock or water only if needed. You don’t want to cover the pork completely, just barely bring the liquid to the top. Place the lid on and cook on low for about 5 or 6 hours or on high for about 3 or 4 hours. The meat will be soft and almost start to fall apart. Remove the meat from the liquid and either cut it into pieces or what I did is take my tongs to almost “shred” the pork. Strain the liquid and set aside. Return the meat to the crockpot and add about a cup of the liquid back into the meat. Give it a stir and put the lid back on. Let sit on low for 1 more hour. Checking it frequently and adding in more liquid only if necessary. You want to keep the meat moist, but not swimming in the liquid. When read to serve, warm/char some corn tortillas over a flame or in a dry pan and place a bit of the meat on it. You can top with just about anything you’d like but I used some chipotle mayo and diced tomatoes. Salsa verde would be an excellent choice too.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

Yep, I’m on a Mexican kick again! Seems like once a month I get the urge some yummy, full of flavor Mexican food. This recipe however, is more Mexican American then truly Mexican. Quinoa is cooked with Mexican flavors, cooled and then combined with cilantro, cherry tomatoes and a delicious lime vinaigrette. The taste is wonderful and vibrant, perfect for when you don’t want Spanish rice!
What You Need:
1 1/2 c quinoa, uncooked
2 2/3 c water
1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used a mixed color variety)
1/4 c chopped cilantro
1 1/2 c frozen corn, thawed or use fresh corn
zest of 1 lime
juice of 3 limes
2 tbs olive oil
2 large clove garlic
1 tsp oregano, divided
1 jalapeño, minced
1 tsp ground cumin, divided
salt and pepper
What To Do:
In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add in the quinoa, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, minced jalapeno, 2 garlic cloves that have been pushed through a garlic press or finely minced and a bit of salt. Bring it back to a boil, then turn the heat to low and let simmer, covered, for 12-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining cumin and oregano with the lime zest, lime juice and olive oil. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and toss in the bowl with the vinaigrette to combine. Place in the fridge to cool completely. Once cooled, stir in the tomatoes, corn and cilantro.

Chile Verde Salsa

This recipe has a total of three ingredients. You know I love recipes like that! Green, spicy, tomatillo salsa, perhaps the best I’ve had. This recipe comes from my academic advisor. His name? Jose Gomez. He’s a pretty awesome guy and of course you know I love anyone who will willing to share recipes with me. I didn’t change his recipe in the sligtest and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. A quick note about tomatillos. They are NOT green tomatoes. They are apart of the gooseberry family and have green papery husks that need to be removed before eating them. When you remove the husk, they have this sticky stuff on them that needs to be gently rinsed off under cool water.

What You Need:

10-12 tomatillos
2-3 cloves of garlic
2-3 Serrano chilies (about the size of your pinky – more if you like it really spicy)

What To Do:

1) Peel the husks of the tomatillos and wash them
2) Peel the garlic cloves and wash them
3) Wash the serranos then chop the stems off
4) Place the tomatillos in a sauce pan (large enough that the tomatillos form a single layer) and fill with enough water to just cover the tomatillos – add the garlic and serranos, making sure they are submerged. Bring to a rolling boil then turn the flame to low and simmer for at least 45 mins, making sure the water doesn’t boil away.
5) Using a slotted spoon, place the tomatillos, garlic and chilies in a blender and maybe ½ a cup of water (see note below) from the sauce pan. Purée. (don’t forget to put the lid on the blender)
6) Let salsa cool then serve with chips. (NOT FRITOS)
NOTE: I didn’t add any water to my blender and it was the perfect consistency in my opinion.

Mojo Pork Loin

This is a really yummy supper and perfect for the summer months as it require little effort on your part and is pretty light for a dish that contains meat. Pork loin is marinated in citrus juices and spicy chipotles and adobo sauce, grilled, then sliced thin. I chose to put mine in warm corn tortillas but eating this by itself would be just as good. I topped mine with chipotle mayo and a few pieces of tomato. Shredded lettuce would be really yummy on here as well. I used just two chipotles in the marinade, but I think it really needs one or two more as it wasn’t as spicy as I’d like it to be.

What You Need


Pork Loin (2ish lbs)
Juice and zest of 2 each: lemons and limes
3-4 chipotles in adobo, minced
2 tbs adobo sauce from the chipotles
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbs agave, honey or sugar
salt
3tbs olive oil


What To Do:

In a bowl whisk all the ingredients together except for the pork. Place the pork and the mariated in a shallow dish or in a zip top bag and put in the fridge. Let sit for at least 4 hours but I wouldn’t let it sit much more then 8 or so. The acid in the citrus juice could start to “cook” the pork. 30 minutes before cooking, remove the pork loin from the fridge and allow it start coming up to room temp. Preheat your grill. Once hot, sear the pork loin over high or direct heat for a few minutes on each side, before moving to low or indirect heat to finish cooking which could take another 10 minutes or so depending on how thick your loin is. I had a pretty thin one so it didn’t quite take 10 minutes to finish cooking. To test for doneness use a instant read meat thermometer in the thickest part. It should read between 140 and 145 or you can use the finger test which is what I do. When it starts to feel firm when I press it, I know it’s pretty much done. I don’t recommend doing this unless you know what it feels like. You can always test it with a meat thermometer and then press it so you get used to the feeling. Remove from the grill, cover loosely with foil and let rest for at least 5 minutes. While it’s resting I usually heat my tortilla by holding them over the flame on my stove top. You can also do this in a dry pan, flipping them when they start to brown on the bottom. Once the meat is rest, slice very thinly and serve.

Easy Fish Tacos

Fish tacos have been the latest food craze in America. Everyone has their own version of making them, some with crunchy and spicy toppings, and other with sweeter salsa style toppings. There really is no right or wrong way to make a fish taco. I keep mine very simple by using store bought, frozen and breaded fish. I don’t often by prepackaged and prepared foods but when it comes to fish, location is everything. I can’t get really fresh where I live, so I normally opt for the frozen variety. Using frozen fish sticks also makes things easier and quicker. One last thing, I didn’t buy those minced up and pasted together fish sticks. I bought real haddock filets that were cut into planks and breaded. It makes all the difference in the world!

What You Need:


1 box frozen fish stick/filets
8 corn tortillas
Pico De Gallo
Chunky Guacamole
Chipotle Mayo
Lime slaw or regular shredded cabbage

What To Do:

Have the topping prepared before cooking your fish. Cook your fish according to package directions. While the fish is cooking, warm the tortillas. If you have a gas stove, turn a burner on medium low heat.

Place a corn tortilla over the flame, after about 30 seconds give it a flip to the other side. I usually flip my tortilla twice. Once both sides have some marks on them and the tortilla is warmed through, transfer to a plate that is lined with a kitchen towel. Cover the tortilla with the towel to keep it warm. Continue until the rest of the tortillas are warmed through. If using an electric oven, wrap the stack of tortillas in foil and place in the oven with the fish. In about 10 minutes, they should be heated through. Transfer them to a plate as described above.
 
To assemble a taco, smear a little bit of the chipotle mayo on the corn tortilla, then place a piece of fish, some slaw, pico de gallo and guacamole. Fold up and enjoy!

Enjoying fish tacos with family!

Chipotle Chicken

The end of this week is Cinco De Mayo, the day in which to celebrate the Mexican victory over the French in 1862. I celebrate by eating all sorts of yummy Mexican inspired dishes all week long. This week I have three recipes to share with you, all from the same meal. The first is this dish right here. A spicy marinated and then grilled chicken breast. The chipotle peppers in the dish not only give the chicken a kick but also lend a smoky flavor to them as well. Just one chipotle can pack a punch so if you don't want it super spicy, remove the seeds. You'll still get a kick, but it could mean the difference of enjoying the dish instead of not feeling your tongue!
The three dishes this week all share some common ingredients which is another reason why I'm sharing them. Make sure to check back on Wednesday and again on Friday to see the two side dishes.

What You Need:

1 chipotle in adobo
1 tsp of the adobo sauce
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tbs honey or agave
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp cumin
salt
4 chicken breasts

What To Do:

Remove the seeds from the chipotle if you choose, then minced it up fine. Combine it in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, minus the chicken breast. Pour half the sauce into a re-sealable zip top bag along with the chicken. Seal the bag and use your hands to work the sauce around the chicken so that it's well coated. Let sit for at least an hour, but no more then 4 hours.
Preheat your girll, once hot, remove the chicken from the marinade and grill over high heat for 3-5 minutes on the first side. Flip them over and baste them with some of the remaining sauce. Lower the heat and finish cooking the chicken breast another 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness. Use a meat thermometer if you're not sure. Flip and baste them one more time before taking them off the heat. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Refried Beans

Yep, you guessed it, I'm on a mexican kick again and I realized, I don't think I ever shared my AMAZING refried bean recipe with you! Sure there are tons of recipes out there and of course you can buy it in a can and have it loaded with salt and tasteless if you choose, but I have a secret weapon. I'm not going to tell you what it is just yet. You'll have to check out the recipe for that. At any rate, these refried beans are creamy, kind of spicy and just about the best thing you will ever put in your mouth!

What You Need:

1lb dried pinto beans
1 carton (approx 4 cups) beef or chicken stock
1 jalapeño pepper
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp oregano
1/4 lb panchetta, diced
1 tsp oil
salt and pepper
1/4 c tequila <-- secret weapon

What To Do:

Rinse and sort your beans, place them into a pressure cooker or a heavy bottomed pot. Add in 1 of the onions, diced, two chopped cloves of garlic, and the jalapeño chopped, seeds and all. Add in the stock, cumin and oregano, give it a stir to combine. Put the lid on your pressure cooker and cook for 1 hour, or probably two in a regular pot. The beans should just be tender. Turn everything off and let the beans sit for about 4 hour, or until they're pretty well cool. Leave the lid on the pot too. This lets the beans suck in all the flavor of the cooking liquid.
In a large sautee pan over medium heat, cook the diced panchetta in the oil until browned and crispy. Add in the other diced onion, and minced garlic. Once they've turned translucent and are softened, season with salt and pepper and stir in the red pepper flakes.
There shouldn't be a whole lot of liquid left in your beans. They should have absorbed almost all of it. I was left with less than a cup. If you have more then that, use a slotted spoon to transfer your beans into the sautee pan, otherwise, just pour everything into it. Take a potato masher and start mashing your beans. I like to leave some beans sort of whole, so I don't mash everything completely. Give it a stir and it should be nice and creamy. Stir in the tequila, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium low so that the alcohol cooks off. If your beans look a little dry, add in some water or if you have it, the reserved cooking liquid. If you like, stir in a bit of fresh cilantro before serving.

Chicken Tostada's

Latin American inspired food is one of my favorite things to eat. I love finding different Mexican restaurants and seeing how much they differ from each other. I was upset to find out that there isn't one close enough to where I live to get my fix as often as I'd like. I've had to come up with my own versions of certain dishes just to satisfy my hunger for all the spicy goodness I love. To me tostada's are sort of like a layered salad on top of a crispy tortilla shell. Of course there is more to it then that. I like to layer mine with a homemade spicy red salsa, refried beans and shredded chicken. You can use beef, pork or leave out the meat all together if you'd like. 

What You Need:

1 large onion

1 lb tomatoes, quartered

3 cloves garlic, skins on

2 jalapeños or 1 Serrano

1/2 c plus 2 tbs veg oil

1 rotisserie chicken, removed from bone and shredded

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

shredded lettuce

refried beans

corn or flour tortillas

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

What To Do:

Preheat your broiler. Meanwhile, cut the onion into quarters. Place three of the onion quarters along with the tomatoes, garlic and chilies on a sheet pan and drizzle with the 2 tbs veg oil, salt and pepper. Place under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat and cooked till softened and charred in places but not burnt.

Dice the remaining onion and set aside. Once the tomatoes are cooked, place everything into a blender or food processor (squeeze the garlic from the skins) and blend or pulse until everything is combined. Stir the chicken and 1/2 the chopped cilantro into the salsa and set aside.

Over medium high heat, heat the remain 1/2 c veg oil in a large enough skillet to accommodate your tortilla shells. Once the oil starts to shimmer, fry the tortillas, one at a time. Use tongs to help keep the tortillas immersed in the oil and make sure you turn them over once or twice so they cook evenly until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. 

To assemble the tostada's, spread a thick layer of refried beans on top of a tortilla, then top with chicken, and what ever remaining toppings you'd like: shredded lettuce, diced onion, cilantro, cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Chicken Noodle Soup goes to Mexico!

What can I say about chicken noodle soup.... BORING! To be honest, I'm not much of a soup/stew/chilli person in general but every once in a while the mood hits me and I want something warm and comforting on a cold and rainy night. Instead of making the same old boring chicken noodle soup, I decided to add in a hint of mexico with a little bit of spice, and a big punch of flavor!

What You Need:

2 chicken breast, about 1lb, cut into bite sized pieces

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

a big pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tsp cumin

2 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

1 (28oz) can coarse crushed tomatoes (regular crushed is fine too)

3-4 cups chicken stock

1/2lb fresh cheese filled tortellini or mini ravioli

2 tbs chopped cilantro

Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream are optional

What To Do:

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and the red pepper flakes together over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the veggies: onions, pepper, carrots, celery and garlic; along with a generous pinch of salt and lots of black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes to soften the veggie and then add in the chicken and cumin. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is about 1/2 way cooked. Add in the crushed tomatoes and the chicken stock. Stir well and taste adding more salt and pepper if you'd like. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer at least 20 minutes but I like to let it simmer for about a hour. Bring the heat back up to medium and once you have a good bubble going on, add in the pasta. Give it a stir and put the cover back on, letting it cook for another 5-10 or until the pasta is cooked through. Stir in the cilantro and serve with shredded cheddar and sour cream if you'd like. You can also easily double the recipe to freeze for later. Just don't add in the pasta or cilantro until you're ready to serve it.

Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde

Chilaquiles are mexican comfort food at it's finest! Tortilla chips cooked in some spicy salsa verde, topped with scallions, shredded cheese and either mexican crema or some sour cream. Words can not describe just how good this is!

What You Need:

Tortilla Chips
1 c salsa verde
3 scallions, diced
1/2 c shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
Mexican Crema or Sour cream thinned with some lime juice

What To Do:

Make a small batch of home made tortilla chips by following the directions here.
In a sautee pan, gently heat the salsa verde. Toss in enough tortilla chips for 2 people or a good couple handfuls. Let the chips cook for a couple minutes. Remove to an oven safe dish and sprinkle with the scallions and cheese. Place in a preheated 350 oven just till the cheese is melted. Drizzle the top with the mexican crema or the thinned sour cream.

Beef and Bean Nachos

On a Mexican kick, yet again, I set out to find a good nacho recipe. I found some that used canned nacho cheese sauce, some that made their own cheese sauce, some that chips were on the bottom, some where you dipped the chips in and even some that had so many spices and jalapeños that I'm sure I'm mouth would be on fire for days. I was looking for something simple to make, not to many ingredients and most importantly, something that wouldn't kill my husbands taste buds. He's such a light weight when it comes to heat. Using just plain old taco seasoning, some fresh veggies and colby jack cheese, I made pub style nacho's that I could really sink my teeth into!

What You Need:

1lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1/2 bunch scallions, diced
1/4 c sliced black olives
1 or more jalapeños, sliced (optional)
2 c shredded colby jack cheese
Tortilla chips

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a skillet, brown the beef till no longer pink. Add in the taco seasoning and beans and stir well to combined.
In the bottom of a large pie plate, dump a bunch of chips. Cover with the meat and beans, followed by the tomato, scallions, olives and jalapeños if using. Top everything with the cheese and place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and everything is warmed through. I have found that my homemade tortilla chips stand up better, then store bought ones.

How To Make: Tortilla Chips

Recently we were at a real Mexican restaurant, and by real I mean authentic Mexican food, not a bunch of people like myself who, while we enjoy cooking it, just can't compete with the real deal. There they had served nice warm tortilla chips and fresh salsa with every meal. The tortilla chips were dark in color, slightly thick and perfectly crunchy. The were of course, made right there at the restaurant, and me being me, decided I could do it myself at home. I bought a large stack of corn tortilla and let them sit out overnight to become stale and dry out a bit. Then I cut them into wedges and fried them up, but they weren't these nice dark, incredible crunchy chips. Instead they were kind of toothy and definitely need some salt. I found that if I threw them in the oven for a bit on low heat that they would loose the rest of the moisture and become dark, creating the perfect tortilla chip for  the nacho's and Chilaquiles that I was making that night.

What You Need:


A stack of corn tortilla chips
Veg Oil
Salt


What To Do:


Flip through the stack of corn tortilla's just to loosen them from each other. Then let sit overnight to help dry them out. When you're ready to cook them, heat a couple inches of veg oil in a large pot to about 375 degrees.
Cut each tortilla in half, then each half into thirds. When the oil is hot, add in some of the tortillas. Make sure you stir them for the first 30-60 seconds so that they don't all stick together. Then let them cook, stirring occasionally until they are no longer soft and floppy, about 2 minutes or so. Remove to paper towels to drain excess oil and give a sprinkle with some salt. Work in batches until all the tortillas are cooked. Place chips onto a baking pan and into a preheated 200 degree oven. Let them cook until they have become brown and crunchy. Try and eat them the same day as they go stale quickly. 


Here's another way to make them:


Not into frying? I don't blame you. Lots of fat and calories there. You're in luck though! Tortilla chips can easily be made in the oven as well. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. After cutting your corn tortillas into wedges, place them in a mostly single layer on a baking sheet. Give them a quick spritz with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. You can even sprinkle them with garlic or cayenne for a tasty difference. Then just bake them for 10-15 minute or until they've slightly browned and have become crisp.