Mexican Style Chicken Lasagna

While I might not serve this “Lasagna” on Christmas Day, the garnish of green onions and chopped tomatoes do bring in that holiday colors.  This recipe could easily be doubled for large gatherings, perfect for pot-luck parties.

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New Mexican Filet Mignon with Sizzling Chipotle Sauce

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Mexican Pepper Steak – Taste the Sizzle!

My family adores spicy foods. Now that the colder weather is settling in for a long winter’s nap, it’s time to dust off some of those old family favorites. You know what I’m talking about – those dishes that warm you to your toes from the inside out.

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Chipotle Marinated Pork Tenderloin

chipotle pepperThis is one of those times when canned ingredients are the only way to go. After all, unless you are growing your own jalapeño peppers, have a means to smoke-dry those peppers, you won’t find whole chipotle chilies in the produce aisle of your grocery store. A chipotle is not a type of chili pepper but rather a smoke-dried jalapeño. Typically, a grower passes through a jalapeño field many times, picking the unripe, green jalapeños for market. At the end of the growing season, jalapeños naturally ripen and turn bright red. In Mexico and the United States, there is a market for ripe red jalapeños. They are kept on the bush as long as possible. When they are deep red and have lost much of their moisture, they are picked to be made into chipotles.

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Grilled Tequila Lime Steak

A few years back, I came across what seemed to be a quick, easy way to prepare a perfectly marinated flank steak. The recipe called for a combination of McCormick’s Grill Mate Baja Citrus Marinade to be mixed with a little oil, water, vinegar and Tequila. Let the steak marinate for 15 minutes, fire up the barbecue and grill. What could be easier? So off to the market we went. Flank Steak was on sale – great news! However, the Baja marinate mix was no where to be found. After stopping at three different markets, I gave up on the convenience of a mix. A little internet surfing, a little imagination and a little luck produced an awesome marinated Flank Steak.

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Yummy Marinated Flank Steak Nachos

When I was first diagnosed with Diabetes, I thought my life was over. I would be eating like a rabbit while preparing wonderful, flavorful meals for my guys. Cooking two meals and resenting every minute of it. Have you ever noticed that people seem to react to a diagnose one of two ways? The first reaction is complete denial or over reacting. For me it was denial, until I spent three days in the ICU. Then the pendulum swung the other way – insanity set in and all I ate was lettuce. Okay, lettuce with chicken that had been poached without any seasoning. Uck!

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Margarita Grilled Chicken with Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms

It’s time to say adiós a México, at least from a backyard grill’s perspective.  Soon the weather will turn, the days shorter and the nights longer. Grilling season unofficially ends on Labor Day, although most of us continue to grill until the rains, winds and snow say otherwise. I wanted to go out with a bit of a bang, so I decided to try a recipe I picked up from the Slow Roasted Italian (theslowroasteditalian.com). Don’t let the name fool you  – TSRI isn’t just about Italian foods.  It’s all about home cooking, family values and a love for life.  I’ve made a number of Donna’s recipes, and haven’t had one fail me yet.

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Kicking Salsa Verde Chicken with Cornbread Puffs

First off, I want to give special thanks to Kevin and Amanda over at kevinandamanda.com for this phenomenal recipe, originally posted on their site back in November 2012. If you aren’t familiar with Kevin and Amanda, be sure to check them out. Great pictures, interesting travel experiences, and step by step directions for terrific recipes that are always a success. To their original recipe, I made very little changes.

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Chipotle-Orange Glazed Pork Chops with Mango-Jicama Salad

The first time I made this dish, I was a bit apprehensive. Chipotle and maple syrup together? Really? Yes, really! There’s just enough kick from the chipotle that you know it’s there, yet the maple syrup is your savior, taking the edge off just a bit. An added bonus is that sweet-salty sensation these beautiful chops impart.

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Spicy Sausage Pasta with Mexican Tortilla Salad and Avocado Dressing

I know summer seems to linger. I know, cooking spicy food when it’s still warm outside is seriously crazy, but this recipe from kevinandamanda.com has been on my menu for a while. Life just kept getting in the way – you know, those mundane things like laundry, cleaning the house, and keeping the hardwood floors looking sharp. Excuses, excuses!

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Beautiful Baked Chicken Fajitas

A while back, I came across one of those one-sheet pan dinners. This one was for baked fajitas. We love fajitas. And who does not like the convenience of a dish that is all cooked up together on a single baking sheet? (Original recipe can be found over at The Yummy Life http://www.theyummylife.com/Oven_Chicken_Fajitas)  Monica of The Yummy Life gained her inspiration from Sheet Pan Suppers, by Molly Gilbert of Dunk & Crumble blog. Thank you, ladies.

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Chorizo Crunch Wrap – Double the Pleasure!

Have you ever noticed that when a fast food or chain restaurant has a hit on their hands, dozens of Copy-Cat recipes flood the foodie world? Everywhere you look, at every turn there’s a Copy-Cat in books, magazines, the internet and even within the restaurant industry itself.

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Beef Enchiladas With Cilantro Cream Sauce

One of the things I look for in a recipe is down-time – you know, that time when the dish is cooking all on its own, without a great deal of attention. That “down” time allows me to do other things – run a few errands, putter about the house, reorganize a closet or simply relax with a cup of tea and watch the clouds roll by.

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Chicken Santa Fe

So I gotta ask, isn’t this chicken dish pretty? Swimming in a spicy gravy, garnished with peppers and tomatoes – yum! And just feast your eyes on that gooie melted cheese. Serve this delightful chicken with a side of refried beans, some warm tortillas and maybe Peach Margaritas.

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Frijoles Negros Refritos (Refried Black Beans)

Yesterday I gave to you my latest Mexican creation, Pork Salsa Verde. It was part of a desire to break out of a garden-fresh rut. Yeah, even when whipping up dishes with things straight from my garden, it’s possible to get stuck in a rut.

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