Hubby’s all-time favorite Mexican meal has to be Tampiqueña, or number 34 on the menu of our neighborhood Mexican Cantina. Most nights, when we treat ourselves to a relaxing evening out, Tampiqueña is what Hubby loves to order.
Continue reading “Awesome Tampiqueña with the Works”Category: Mexican Cooking
Chorizo and Green Chili Stuffed Chicken Breast
A while back, I cooked up some Chorizo-Lime Street Tacos served with plenty of Refried Beans and Spanish Rice. We had a lot of filling left over, enough for another meal of tacos. The idea of tacos twice in the same week just didn’t appeal to me. I had planned to try a new recipe for Green Chili stuffed Chicken Breast. And that’s when the light came on! Why not add the leftover Chorizo? It’s been a while since I went winging it in the kitchen. When Kiddo came into the kitchen, he looked around and asked where the recipe was so he could help. I smiled, and said just follow my lead – we aren’t using a recipe tonight. How complicated can it be? Butterfly the chicken, brown, season and fill. Pop the breasts into the oven and bake.
Continue reading “Chorizo and Green Chili Stuffed Chicken Breast”
Spicy Beef and Chorizo Tacos
Growing up, Dad made the best tacos. What made his tacos so flavorful? It was the blend of meat filling – Ground Chuck and good quality Chorizo. By good quality Chorizo, I mean the good stuff you find in a Mexican Meat Market – the stuff sold in bulk, not in plastic tubes in the grocery store. And there was more.
Continue reading “Spicy Beef and Chorizo Tacos”Beef Enchilada Skillet
I love to collect recipes. I have hundreds of cookbooks (an ever-growing collection that hubby claims borders on obsession). I seek out cookbooks everywhere we go – flea markets, antique stores, used book stores – even the grocery store checkout lines. I read my cookbooks the same way some people read a novel – from cover to cover. Generally speaking; unless it’s a multi-step, complicated recipe with techniques I’ve never tried before; I tend to read through a new recipe and then tweak it a bit. Most of what I “create” are actually inspired by others, prodding me ever forward to create a rendition which reflects my unique style. Like most cooks in this modern age, my quest for new revelations in the kitchen is not limited to those bound in books – the internet is an ocean of tantalizing dishes just waiting to be discovered. My inspired creations are then added and saved to my online stockpile of cookbooks on yumprint.com (over 4,000 recipes thus far. It can be months or even years before a recipe is taken for a test drive). Most of my online collection is composed of recipes created by others that have inspired me to try new things, to reach new heights and learn through trial and error. That said, I invite – no make that encourage – you do the same with anything you like. In my humble opinion, recipes are designed to evolve with each individual, taking on new depth and flavors as they are joyfully passed along.
Recently I was inspired (by necessity mind you) to tweak a simple one-skillet dish I stumbled upon four years ago while perusing the recipe collection at 99cooking.com. The original recipe wasn’t complicated. I liked it just the way it was. Simple, straight forward, flavorful and perfect for a busy weeknight meal. So I added the dish to my weekly menu plan (one of the features I love so much in Yumprint – the ability to create menus and shopping lists from that).
In our house, we have our assigned “duties” when it comes to food preparation. Mine is to create and execute a weekly meal plan. This includes creating the shopping list for the week. My husband’s contribution to the “creative” process is to take that shopping list, rummage through the pantry; refrigerator and freezer, marking off the ingredients we have on-hand. That way we buy only what we need. I bring this up because the recipe I am about to share called for “Mexican Hot Chili” seasoning. I love my husband dearly, but he’s not necessarily the best person to check our spices. We had chili powder, so he marked it off the list, not realizing that there is a difference. When it came time to prepare dinner, I realized we didn’t have the correct chili seasoning, so I improvised. This improvisation resulted in an enchilada sauce that was HOT!!! So if you like it hot, use the notes at the bottom of the recipe. Or make up your own . . .
Skillet Beef Enchilada
Enchilada Meat
1 ¼ lb ground chuck
1 cup uncooked Minute Rice
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (more if you like)
Enchilada Sauce
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons Hot Mexican-Style Chili Powder (McCormick)
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon unsweetened coca powder
1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
1 can (8 oz) Hunts Tomato Sauce (plain)
2 Cups Water
1 Cup Beef Broth (from 32 oz container)
Brown the meat in a large skillet. Drain off any fat.
While the meat is browning, make the enchilada sauce. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients using a wire whisk to blend well. In a medium sauce pan, add 1/2 cup water and dry spices. Whisk until smooth. Add tomato sauce and remaining water and the broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until sauce thickens, about 8 minutes.
Add the rice and about half of the enchilada sauce to the cooked beef. Cook over medium heat until the rice is cooked, about 8 minutes. Add more enchilada sauce as needed to keep moist.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the mixture and lower the heat to prevent rice from burning. Cover and cook until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with the chopped green onion and serve. If desired, top with a dollop of sour cream.
* NOTE: To replace 3 tablespoon Hot Mexican-Style Chili Powder, I used 1 tablespoon each: Chili Powder, Chipotle Powder & Cayenne Powder. Next time I’ll use a little less Cayenne Powder – this blend was SUPER hot! My guys loved it, but then they like to each roasted jalapeno peppers, so they aren’t exactly shy when it comes to spicy foods. I thought it was a little over the top in the heat department.
On a closing note, the enchilada sauce was super easy to make. I plan to play with it a bit – maybe use the sauce to create a chicken dish (similar to a Mole). Like I said in the beginning, recipes are a source of inspiration, meant to deviate from as one sees fit. When I do make my chicken dish, I’ll be sure to share.
Notch It Up Nachos for Movie Night Fun
Those of you who have been following for a while might remember our family “Movie Night”. It’s just what it sounds like, watching movies together on the sofa with all the “junk” food delights you could get in the theater. (And for a heck of a lot cheaper!). We use to do “Movie Night” more often, when Kiddo was still a kid. He’s grown now, and although he loves us, he’d rather not spend a Saturday night on the sofa with his grandparents. We still have family “Movie Night” every now and again – renting two or three movies for the night and treating ourselves to Movie Night Hot Dog Delight, plenty of hot buttery popcorn, endless sodas, “Movie” candy and let’s not forget the nachos. We aren’t talking about Nachos that can be a meal fully loaded with tomatoes and spice and all sorts of things. No, we’re talking about the Nachos you get at the movie theater. You know, that paper tray piled high with stale corn chips and a cup of cheese sauce. The only difference between the Movie Nachos at home and the ones from the concession stand is that the chips aren’t stale. A while back we had one of those stay at home night’s out. Instead of making the regular cheese nachos with plenty of Jalapeno peppers, we decided to kick it up a notch by adding chorizo to the cheese and heaping on the sour cream. Yum!
It’s mid December, and that makes it official – we are buried in the Season. Our lives are on hold until New Year’s Day and a big pot of “good luck” beans. During the holiday season, there are tons of commitments, events and long to-do lists. Trees to trim, presents to wrap, cookies to bake and parties to attend. Finding some down-time as a family and closing the door to all the craziness out there is even more important. What better way to snag a few hours of fun than plan a family movie night? My guys will bore me with action-adventure type movies (in my opinion, these lack depth and character development) and I try to stimulate their gray matter with movies that require you to think, to wonder and sometimes to act. It really doesn’t matter what we watch, it’s all about some fun down-time spent together. Pick your movies, pop your popcorn and enjoy!
Notch It Up Movie Nachos
1 lb Ground Chorizo Meat (the good stuff)
2 Containers Frito Cheese Dip (Hot)
1 Jar Nacho Sliced Jalapeño Peppers
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, brown Chorizo. Crumble meat as it cooks just as you would ground beef. Drain off any excess grease.
Open cheese dip, pour over chorizo and stir to blend. Continue to heat over medium-low until cheese is hot and bubbling.
Spread chips evenly on a large serving platter or individual plates. Ladle cheese mixture over chips, top with sour cream and nacho style Jalapeno peppers.
Enjoy!
Oven Baked Stuffed Tacos With Spicy Meat and Beans
Have you noticed all those Stand and Fill Tacos Shells in the Mexican aisle of the supermarket? The problem with the crisp corn variety is that while filling the shell is easy, one bite and the wide shell tends to crack and fall apart. If you aren’t careful, you will end up with taco meat in your lap! Not a pretty sight.
Continue reading “Oven Baked Stuffed Tacos With Spicy Meat and Beans”Crock Pot Mexican Chicken Burritos
It’s that time of the year – time to break out the crock pot. Sure, this pot is great for hardy winter meals like a big pot of slow-cooked stew or awesome soups. It’s also great for shredded meats for tacos, burritos and even hot sandwiches.
Spicy Chicken and Rice Burritos – An Entire Meal Wrapped in a Flour Tortilla
Earlier in the week, I shared with you a big crock pot of delicious shredded chicken for my Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Thigh Tacos. The tacos were awesome – with just the right amount of chicken to spice. The recipe made a giant pot of filling, more than we could possibly eat in one meal. Tonight I took that filling and created super quick, oh so delicious Chicken and Rice Burritos.
Continue reading “Spicy Chicken and Rice Burritos – An Entire Meal Wrapped in a Flour Tortilla”
Slow Cooker Pollo en Salsa Picante Rojo
This recipe has been on my weekly planner for a while now. I kept postponing it because I kept forgetting to thaw out the darn chicken. Then it occurred to me – why thaw the chicken?
Beefy-Corn Rice-A-Roni Taco Style
It’s amazing what one simple, little change can make.. For those of you who have followed my blog for a while, you might recognize the recipe for Beefy Corn Rice-A-Roni – When “Quick” is All That Matters. It’s a simple family favorite for those nights when time is of the essences. Recently, I whipped up the Rice-A-Roni based dish as I always do, with one tiny change.
Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Thigh Tacos
Most Chicken Taco recipes call for breast meat. Why not change things up a bit by using boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead? The flavor of the dark meat is superior to the white meat. The boneless, skinless variety of thigh meat isn’t overly fatty. And it’s a heck of a lot cheaper. All of these are definite reasons in favor of changing things up a bit.
Continue reading “Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Thigh Tacos”Crock Pot Pork Chile Verde
For a few months now I’ve been cooking up some yummy dishes from Mexico. An extension on the whole Taco Tuesday craze if you will. We’ve done so many delicious Mexican inspired dishes.
Mexican Style Picadillo over Mexican Tomato Rice
Those of you who have been following along for a while know that I am recovering from quadruple bypass surgery. Life goes on, and so does the need to prepare simple yet filling meals for my guys. While I’m still limited in my kitchen duties, with a little help from the men in my life, I can still manage to whip up something yummy. I manage just fine with the prep work (providing no lifting is involved) and my guys do just fine putting everything together. Meal time has become a regular family affair, and I’m loving every minute of it.
Continue reading “Mexican Style Picadillo over Mexican Tomato Rice”
Spicy Grilled Beef and Chorizo Burritos
A popular Mexican favorite outside of Mexico is the burrito, a tortilla wrapped entrée that is is both delicious and convenient. It’s a meal you can hold in your hand. There is a lot of folklore surrounding the origins of the Burrito and like most “peasant” food, its history is unclear.
Cornbread Taco Bake with Spicy Pinto Beans
I’m spending a leisurely morning sipping on French Pressed coffee while searching through my recipes. I like to plan out the family menu for at least a week or two at a time. Truth be told, I’ve gotten into a rut lately – we’ve been eating a ton of chicken. That’s okay because we like chicken and there is so much variety in the preparation of poultry. But I wanted something easy that didn’t include boneless chicken breasts in the ingredient list. That’s when I remembered a family favorite that I haven’t made it a while.
Continue reading “Cornbread Taco Bake with Spicy Pinto Beans”
Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 