Taco Soup

Time for an old stand by. It had actually been a while since I'd made Taco Soup. I used to make it all the time, but somehow it had fallen out of the routine. I am so glad I remembered this little gem. I whipped it up in no time - which is why I am confused about its absence - I have been a bit of a last minute cook lately, and have been getting pretty good at having dinner on the table in record time, if I do say so myself. 

1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked - I cook a lot at once, and only use a small portion for dinner, and freeze the rest in usable portions, saves time when your cooking in a rush. 

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced, mashed or however you want

1 bell pepper, diced

1 cup frozen corn

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can beef broth, or 2 cups water and 1 bouillon

2 roasted green chilis, diced, or 1 can green chile 

1/2 package taco seasoning

1 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything in a pot and bring to simmer. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve with avocado, cilantro, limes, and sour cream. 

Chicken Fajitas

We have been craving Mexican again. We crave Mexican a lot! I've tried those little fajita packets a couple of times, and never really liked them, and tried a few recipes online without much success. So, now whenever I make fajitas I never follow a recipe, I just throw in whatever sounds good at the time. These turned out fantastic so I thought I'd post how I made them so I can duplicate it and share it with others. 

2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

2 bell peppers, thinly sliced ( I like to use two peppers of different colors)

2 small onions, thinly sliced (or one very large onion)

1 pkg. corn or flour tortillas

1 lime, quartered

Marinade:

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalapeño finely diced

1 serrano pepper finely diced

1 Tb. hot sauce (like Cholula)

1 Tb. olive oil

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. dried cilantro

Toppings: 

Shredded cheese - cheddar, colby jack, or queso fresco

Sour Cream

Guacamole

Salsa

Dice up chicken, peppers and onions. Mix all ingredients for marinade in bowl or plastic bag. Add the chicken and let sit for 15-20 min. Pour into hot pan/skillet and sauté for a few minutes. Add the peppers and onions and cook until tender, but not too soft. Squeeze lime over top. Place a few tortillas in plastic bag and microwave for several seconds to warm, or warm tortillas on hot pan for a few seconds. Serve fajita filling in warm tortillas with cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa. 

Tres Leches

I don't make this very often, but every time I do I tell myself I need to make it more often. I made this recently for our Cinco de Mayo party, and after gorging myself on flautas and empanadas, I went back for some of my cake and found it completely gone. I should have made a lot more for the party! So, I made more today instead. (You can also substitute a white cake mix, instead of making the homemade white cake.)

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray a 9x13 pan and set aside.

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Mix flour and baking powder in small bowl and set aside. 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

5 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and sugar, than add eggs and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture while mixing. 

Pour into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes. 

1 cup whole milk

1 can (12oz) evaporated milk

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

Mix the milk in a small bowl. When cake is cooled, pierce it several times with a fork or knife. Pour over the milk mixture. Set in the fridge to chill. 

1 1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Whip the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla together until thick. Spread on cold cake. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Fish Tacos

I love fish tacos for lots of reasons- easy& tasty. Okay, just those two reasons. I seem to make them a little differently every time I make them, but this is my latest version, which my husband agrees has been the best so far. I have one confession to make, though. Are you ready?  I make mine with frozen fish sticks.  I know, I hear you. How low can I go, right? Someday I may just post how to make real fish tacos with real, fresh fish, but for now I am just happy and content with my own way of making these. And I think my way may even appeal to many a housewife (who just may be drowning in laundry). 

The Fish:

1 tsp. Cayenne

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

10-12 frozen fish sticks or 4-6 fish fillets

Place all the ingredients in a large plastic bag and shake. Lay fish in pan and bake according to directions on bag/box.

The Sauce:

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 tsp. cayenne

1 lime, juices

1 small handful cilantro, chopped

The Other Toppings:

Sliced avocados or quacamole

Chopped tomatoes or pico de gallo or hot sauce

Cabbage, finely sliced

Chopped onion

Chopped cilantro

Lime wedges

Don't forget the Corn Tortillas

Assembling your taco: Place several corn tortillas in a plastic bag and microwave them for 15- 30 seconds, just enough to warm and soften them. Spread The Sauce on 1-2 tortillas, and place a hot fish stick in the middle. Top with toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Biscochitos

Today is Cinco de Mayo! We celebrated by making the state cookie of New Mexico. They are delicious.

*Preheat oven to 350.
*Makes about 4 dozen 2-inch cookies

1 cup lard (not shortening)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp. Orange Juice
3/4 to 1 tsp. lightly crushed anise seed
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Beat lard with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the 2/3 cup sugar, then the egg. Beat in 4 Tbsp orange juice and the anise seed. Toss the flour together with the baking powder and salt. Gently stir in, adding more orange juice as needed to form a soft dough. Let stand for 10 minutes or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes as desired. Dip the top side of each cookie in the cinnamon-sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending upon size, just until the edges turn a pale blond. Let cool a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in a cookie jar or airtight container.

Margarita Cake

I love this cake! It is super easy and so moist! So, when that citrus craving hits, this is a quick fix. We are getting ready for Cinco de Mayo and all the good food we're going to have, and I thought this might be a good dessert to go with our Mexican party food, even though it's not a traditional Mexican dish. I thought it would go good with all the other lemon-lime flavored dishes that we are serving this year. I also used this recipe for cupcakes for our Easter party this year. They went fast! I got this recipe from Williams and Sonoma, but I used a generic Margarita Mix, rather than the Williams and Sonoma brand.

1 yellow box cake mix

Margarita Mix

1 bag powdered sugar

Mix the cake according to the box instructions, except substitute the margarita mix for the water. Bake as directed. While the cake is still warm, mix a small amount of the margarita mix with a few cups of powdered sugar, until a desired consistency is formed for a glaze. Poke holes in the cake, with a fork or knife, and pour over the glaze. (I also added some cream cheese to my glaze, and it worked great too.) 

Fresh Salsa and Tortilla Chips

Fresh Salsa

5 Tomatoes, chopped
4 Fresh Green Chilies, chopped with stems and seeds removed
1/2 bunch Cilantro chopped, optional
1/3 c. Onion chopped
1 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp. Lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix together in a medium bowl, and make sure to add the lime juice! It adds flavor and mixes the ingredients really well in the refrigerator. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes. Makes 3 cups. Serve with chips.


Fresh Corn Tortilla Chips

1/2 pkg. Corn Tortillas
Kosher Salt
Oil to fry
Cut tortillas into triangles or strips, fry in hot oil over medium heat till crisp. Drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with fresh salsa!

Pasole

In photo, bowl of Pasole, some sopapillas, and jalepeño poppers.

This is a delicious Mexican soup that we love! Naturally, it has a little bit of spice to it. If you want a mild soup, which I personally don't encourage, use only 2-3 chilis, or substitute the chilies with a can of chopped green chilies, which are a lot milder. Check the Mexican isle of your grocery store for the Mexican items.

2 lbs. chicken, chopped

2 lbs. pork, chopped

1 tsp. oil

1 head of garlic- I used about 8 cloves- minced

6 cans chicken broth, or use 6 cups water and 6 chicken bouillon cubes.

10-15 dried Guajillo or New Mexico chilies (It's the skinny little red, dried chilies shown in the picture.)

1 medium onion

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

1 30 oz can white hominy, drained, rinsed- don't worry- it's good, trust me!

1 tsp. lime juice

Optional Toppings:

Sliced cabbage

Sliced onions

Cilantro

Sliced radishes

Chopped avocado

In a large pot, saute the chopped chicken and pork, till browned. Add the onion and stir for a few minutes, till soft, then add the broth and garlic and bring to a boil. Place the Mexican oregano in your palm, over the pot, and rub your hands together, and let it fall into the soup. Let the soup boil for about 30 minutes. Remove the stem and shake out the seeds from the dried chilies. Spoon out some of the hot broth into a bowl, and add the dried chilies, and let rehydrate for 10 minutes. Blend or mash the chilies into the broth, then, strain the juice from the chili skins. Try adding a tablespoon at a time to the soup, stir and taste, until you reach your desired temperature. I think I only added 2 - 3 tablespoons to my soup, and it had some heat! Add the hominy to the pot, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Add the lemon juice before serving. Ladle the soup into bowls and add any of the desired toppings, although I don't usually top mine with much. I prefer just some avocado.

Sopapillas

If you've never had Sopapillas, you've probably had Fry Bread or Scones, which are quite similar. This is my moms tried and proven recipe that she would make for us while we were growing up.

2 cup flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup warm water

I generally mix the baking powder, salt and water together with 1 cup of flour, and add flour from there, and mix it in my bread mixer. It works really well that way. Then just take a golf ball size dough, roll it out super thin, and place in it some oil. It should puff up nicely, then turn it, and fry the other side. Yum! enjoy it with your dinner or as dessert with honey and powered sugar. If you want a picture, go to my Pasole recipe (look under soups).

Tip: One time, I doubled the recipe because we had company over, and I needed a little more, but I didn't end up using all the dough. So, with the leftovers the next day, I rolled out same size proportions nice and thin, and baked them on my pizza stone, like Indian Naan bread, to go with our curry, at a high temperature for about 4 min. It worked really well!! I even impressed my husband!

Chicken Enchiladas and Tomatillo Salsa

I've been looking for a good chicken enchilada recipe and hadn't been able to find one that I was really excited about. Then my sister had this recipe that was super good. I also really like this recipe for tomatillo salsa that I got from our last cooking group on Latin foods.

Red or Green Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

2 chicken breasts, cubed

2 Tb. butter

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can milk (from soup can)

1 can diced green chili

1 onion

shredded cheddar cheese

1 can green or red enchilada sauce

Saute chicken in butter. Add green chili and onion and cook till onion is tender. Add soup and milk. Warm tortillas. Layer tortillas, chicken and sauce in casserole pan. Bake for 30 min. at 350•.

Tomatillo Salsa

15 tomatillos, skins removed

2-4 serrano peppers

1 avocado

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic

handful of cilantro

1 lime, juiced

salt to taste

Boil tomatillos and peppers until soft (about 10 minutes). In the meantime, put rest of ingredients in blender. Add peeled tomatillos and peppers and blend until creamy. (Remove seeds and vein from serranos if you want a mild salsa, leave seeds in if you prefer hot salsa). Add more salt to taste if needed.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

makes 10-12 enchiladas
Enchiladas:
10-12 small (6-8 inch) tortillas (I use flour but the recipe I used calls for corn, so either way)
3 C shredded cooked chicken (I always just buy a rotisserie chicken and use about 2/3 of it)
12 oz shredded cheddar (or other shredded cheese you want to use such as Monterey Jack)
2-1/2 C enchilada sauce
1 to 2 (4 oz) cans of chopped green chiles, drained
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, combine chicken. 2 C cheese, 1/2 C enchilada sauce, and chiles. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. If the tortillas are stiff (if you're using corn tortillas especially), place the tortillas on a microwave safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for a about a minute to get them pliable.
3. Place 1/3 C of the chicken mixture in one tortilla and roll it up. Place it on a 9x13 inch baking pan, lightly sprayed with vegetable oil spray. Repeat with all 10-12. If you're making 12, you'll need to make 2 layers. If you're making 10 you should be able to fit them all in on layer.
4. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top, making sure to coat the enchiladas thoroughly, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until they are warmed through. Take the foil off and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Serve with Homemade Salsa, avocados, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Homemade Salsa:
1/2 vidalia onion, diced small
7-8 small sweet tomatoes or 1 container of grape/cherry tomatoes, diced small
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped fine
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl:)

Authentic Carne Asada

We recently had Carne Asada when we went to a friends house for a party, whose parents are from Mexico. They served this authentic Mexican dish and we loved it! They also served some Mexican Rice, Spiced Beans, freshly-made Pineapple Juice, and Horchata, a tasty rice drink. We decided to make it around Cinco de Mayo and post it as a fun Mexican Party meal idea.

2 pounds flank or skirt steak, or London Broil, cut 1/8" thick, (In spanish it is called Ranchero)

(We found our Ranchero at a Mexican Grocery store.)

Mojo, or Marinade

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalepeno, chopped

1 handful cilantro, finely chopped

2 limes, juiced

1 orange, juiced

2 Tbs. white vinegar

1/2 Cup olive oil

Hickory wood

Place meat in baking dish and pour over marinade. Cover and set in fridge for 3 hours. (Do not marinade longer than 4 hours.) Follow instructions on bag of wood for lighting. Grill meat 7-8 minutes on each side and salt and pepper to taste.

Guacamole Clasico

Fresh hot green chiles, (about 2 Serranos, or 1 Jalapeno) roasted and chopped

1/2 med. white onion, finely chopped

2-3 plum tomatoes, absolutely ripe, chopped

1/4 cup coarsley chopped cilantro

3 med. ripe avocados, mashed

1 fresh squeezed limes

Salt, to taste

To roast the chiles, lay them in a small, ungreased skillet on medium heat. Turn them every minute until they have softened and have dark spots. Chop and place in bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap until you are ready to serve.

Pico de Gallo

4 Vine ripe tomatoes

1/2 med. red onion, chopped

1 handful cilantro, chopped

1 Serrano chili, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 freshly squeezed lime

1/8 cup olive oil

1 tsp. Kosher salt

Combine all ingredients and toss. Let stand for 15 minutes.

To assemble your Carne Asada:

Place grilled meat inside a corn tortilla (We made ours homemade- the recipe is on the back of the bag of Masa.) Garnish with a large spoonful of Guacamole and Pico de Gallo. Fold the tortilla over, like a taco, and enjoy!