Roasted Green Pozole with Chicken

Mmmm, fall is in the air.  I'm extatic!  Time to start baking everything with pumpkin, drinking hot chocolate every night and making gobs of soup! I LOVE soup.  My kids pretty much only like the homemade tomato or taco soup variety but we may have to do something about that soon.

Pozole, also spelled Posole, is right up there as one of my favorite soups. This is my third and definitely my favorite posole on the blog (see here and here for the others).  Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup using a rich brothy base with meat, usually pork or chicken, garnishes such as cabbage, salsa, lemon or lime, and it's staple: maize, or hominy.  There is also the red variety made with tomatoes and the green variety, made with tomatillos and peppers. If you can't tell by the color, this posole is verde!

This soup gets it's start by roasting the vegetables, giving it that little bit of smokiness.  Then while it's simmering away with the broth and chicken, you can prep your garnishes. The garnishes are almost my favorite part, they really brighten up the soup and give it a fresh element that is not only eye appealing but mouth appealing too!

Roasted Green Pozole with Chicken
1/2 cup roasted, salted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), plus more for garnish
1 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted
olive oil
3/4-1 lb. tomatillos, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1 jalapeño, halved and seeded
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
3-4 cups chicken broth (homemade preferred)
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs*
1 24-oz can hominy, drained

Garnishes:
roasted, salted pepitas
cilantro
avocado
thinly sliced radish
thinly sliced cabbage
fresh lime
crumbled cojita cheese (or similar) 

*Note: I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, just removed the skin before cooking. Either way works fine.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place tomatillos, garlic, onion and jalapeno on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with your fingers.  Bake about 15 minutes or until veggies begin to char.

 While veggies are roasting, toast the cumin seeds in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until they become fragrant; 2-3 minutes.  Grind pepitas and cumin seeds in a spice grinder until finely ground, set aside.

Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven and heat over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook a minute or two on each side then remove and set aside on a plate. 

Once veggies are done roasting, cool slightly and slide everything into a blender jar. Add half the cilantro, the salt and blend until desired consistency.  Add another little drizzle of olive oil to the dutch oven then pour in the contents of the blender.  Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently and scraping off the brown bits from the bottom. Add chicken broth, ground pepitas and cumin, oregano and hominy.  Stir to combine.  Gently place the chicken thighs in the pot and simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes.  Taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary.

Serve warm with desired garnishes.



SOURCE: Adapted from Not Without Salt

Mexican Cabbage Slaw with Jalapeño Dressing

So, I really enjoy celebrating different holidays with food.  Heck, I enjoy celebrating anything with food!  And when I get my act together, I can actually make something and blog about it.

I love Mexican style food and I really LOVE salad.  My biggest beef when making a Mexican meal though is that I never had a good salad to go with it.  I would sometimes make a simple cabbage slaw like the one in this post, but for Cinco de Mayo this year, I wanted something a little more. So I started with my basic slaw and threw in some extra stuff, made a simple spicy dressing and it hit the spot for me.

Cabbage salads are one of my favorites, not only because of the flavor but because they have a lot to offer nutritionally as well.  If you love salad as much as I do, you need to try this one!

Mexican Cabbage Slaw with Jalapeño Dressing
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1/4 head purple cabbage, shredded
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
5-6 radishes, thinly sliced
1 can black black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
diced avocado, for topping

Jalepeño Dressing:
1 jalapeño, finely diced
1 shallot, finely diced
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare all vegetables and toss together in a large salad bowl.  In a small glass jar with a tight fitting lid, add all dressing ingredients.  Shake well to combine.

To serve, toss individual salads with dressing, as desired, and top with fresh chopped avocado.  


SOURCE: Dressing from Bakers Royale

Chili-Lime Chicken Taquitos

 

I seriously can't believe I have not posted about these taquitos until now.  They have become the number one thing requested for dinner lately.  I don't even know how I stumbled upon making them the first time around, but they were a HUGE hit from the get-go.  After that my oldest daughter has consistently asked to have them for dinner about once a week.  Thankfully they are so quick and easy to throw together and just take a few simple ingredients; you're sure to have most of them on hand.

Chili-Lime Chicken Taquitos

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 Tbsp. chili powder

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (mozzarella or Mexican blend  is good too)

salt and pepper 

uncooked flour tortillas

sour cream

guacamole

salsa

Cook chicken using your preferred method.  For a quick and easy method, add uncooked chicken to a pot with 3 cups water, 1/4 tsp. salt, 8 black peppercorns, half an onion, quartered, and a bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover.  Cook 20 minutes or until done.  Remove from pot, cool and shred.

 

Add shredded chicken,  chili powder,  lime juice and cilantro to a large skillet.  Gently warm over medium heat.  Stir and taste for seasoning.  Add salt and pepper as necessary.  Stir in cheese and remove from heat.

Lay out one uncooked tortilla at a time.  Place 3-4 tablespoons of filling along one end, pushing it out to the edges.  Roll up and place seam side down on a baking sheet.  Continue with remaining filling and tortillas.  Make sure you leave a little space in between each taquito so they will be cooked all around.  Using a pastry brush, lightly brush olive oil over the tops of each taquito (you could also use an olive oil spritzer).  Sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt over each.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Bake taquitos about 15 minutes or until tops are lightly golden.  Serve warm, with your choice of guacamole, salsa or sour cream. 

Crockpot Pork Posole

I seriously under-use my crockpot.   I don't even know why, but I just don't ever think of things to cook in it.  It really is  a wonderful way to cook up something warm and cozy, especially during the winter time when comfort food, warm and tasty are key words!

Anyway, I love soups and I love the flavors of Mexican-types foods; one of my favorites! So this posole is right up my alley.  It is nice and brothy with tender pork and veggies.  Also delightfully contrasted with a little bit of crunch from some freshly shredded cabbage and radishes.  Everything is topped with cilantro,  avocado and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.  What's not to love!!


Crock Pot Pork Posole
2-3 lb. pork shoulder roast
16-oz chicken stock
1 onion, sliced
1/2 head of garlic (no need to remove paper)
1-2 large jalapenos, cut in half and seeded
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 cups diced roma tomatoes
1 30-oz can hominy (yellow or white)
2 large carrots, diced
juice of a lime
salt and pepper

Garnishes:
thinly sliced radishes
shredded green cabbage
diced avocado
lime wedges
chopped cilantro

Cut roast into 3-4 pieces and place in crock pot. Liberally season with salt and pepper.  Layer onion, garlic and jalapenos over it.  Add the chicken stock, bay leaves and oregano.  Cook on high until roast is tender and falls apart.

Remove roast from crock pot and cool long enough to shred it.  Remove jalapeno and garlic, taking off skins.  Finely dice both and return to crock along with carrots, tomatoes, hominy and shredded pork.  Cook another half hour or so, or until carrots are tender.

Add lime juice.  Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish as desired.


SOURCE: Adapted from Foodie Crush

Roasted Poblano Chicken Quesadillas

So, aren't quesadillas just about anybody's go-to meal when there's nothing else to eat or nothing sounds good? It's also one of those foods that just about any kid will eat?  I remember back in my college days when I lived with my younger sister for a couple of semesters.  One of our favorite late night snacks was chicken quesadillas (or a piece of bread slathered with peanut butter and honey or jam).  I don't know what it was about them, the ooey-gooey cheese  melting out of the middle or the crispy tortilla, but they were delicious!

This is more than a late night snack and oh so delicious!  I love caramelizing onions until they turn soft and sweet and poblano peppers are just the right kind of pepper for me; not too spicy but still have a bite to them. Make sure you taste test your poblanos before adding them all in your mixture.  Some can be more spicy than others.


Roasted Poblano and Chicken Quesadillas

4 poblano peppers
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 cup corn kernels (frozen, canned or fresh)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional)
salt, to taste
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
16 oz. monterey jack cheese, grated
8 8-inch flour tortillas
for serving:
sour cream
guacamole
pico de gallo

To roast your poblanos, place them on a cookie sheet and put them under the broiler.  Bake until they start to pop and char (black spots) on most of that side; maybe 7-10 minutes.  Flip peppers and bake under the broiler until they resemble the previous side.  When they are done cooking, immediately place them in a ziploc bag and seal.  Leave them until they are cooled. Once cooled, peel the thin, paper-like skin off, remove stem and seeds and finely dice. Set aside.

Add  a drizzle of oilve oil to a hot skillet along with the onions. Cook over medium-low heat until the onions are soft and beginning to brown and caramelize, about 10-15 minutes.

 Add the corn, chicken, cumin and chipotle powder.  Stir to combine.  Allow the corn to cook for a couple of minutes until heated through. Add reserved peppers and stir to combine. Add salt to taste.

Heat a skillet, large enough to fit your tortillas, over medium-high heat. Place one tortilla in the skillet and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Add about 1/4 cup of the poblano mixture and spread evenly over the cheese.  Sprinkle another little bit of cheese over the mixture and place a second tortilla on top.

Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has begun to melt and the bottom tortilla is getting browned. Flip the quesadilla and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes or until all of the cheese is melted.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo
 

SOURCE:  Adapted from Buns in My Oven

Baked Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Taquitos

I guess I still have Cinco de Mayo on the brain from last week because I keep thinking of Mexican-style meals to make. It's a good thing though, because we love Mexican food here and I don't make it enough!

I am always looking for quick and healthy meals that a) don't involve a lot of dairy and b) don't involve a lot of meat. I saw a version a of these taquitos a while ago and knew with some tweaking they would be a new family favorite. I love the combination of beans, corn and chicken with Mexican flavors. The roasted red pepper was a great addition that lends a unique flavor and the spinach and cilantro not only pump up the health factor, they add great color and eye appeal! If you don't have roasted red pepper, you can roast your own (tip below) or just use fresh and saute it with the onion.

You'll want to add these to your dinner rotation soon! Tasty and quick to prepare, they make a perfect weeknight meal.

Baked Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Taquitos
olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. cumin
pinch cayenne pepper (optional, especially if you have little mouths to feed)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup chicken, cooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, un-thawed
*1 roasted red pepper, small-diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cups fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1/4 cilantro, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese (Monterrey or Pepper Jack, Mexican blend, etc.)
12 8-inch whole wheat tortillas

In a large skillet, heat a good drizzle of olive oil (about a tablespoon). Add onion and saute over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add garlic, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and saute about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese, and stir to coat evenly with the spices. Cook until the chicken broth has just about evaporated completely. Turn off the heat, but keep pan on burner and stir in the spinach and cheese. The residual head from the burner with wilt the spinach and melt the cheese. Add cilantro just before filling taquitos.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and warm them in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds. Spray a large baking sheet, such as a cookie sheet, with cooking spray. Lay one tortilla at a time on a large plate. Scoop about 1/4-1/3 cup filling across the bottom third of the tortilla. Roll it up, leaving the ends open. Place on cookie sheet, seam side down. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas.

Once all the taquitos have been assembled, brush the tops with olive oil and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. (This would also work as a great freezer meal. You could stop before brushing the tops with olive oil, cover the cooking sheet with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen, remove taquitos from cookie sheet and place in a zip-top freezer bag. When you're ready to bake, remove desired amount of taquitos, brush with olive oil and bake about 5 minutes longer.)

Serve warm with desired garnished: fresh lime, sour cream, guacamole, salsa

*To make your own roasted red peppers, cut fresh red peppers in half removing stem and seeds, and place them on a cookie sheet. Place under the broiler until they are mostly black and charred. Remove from oven and immediately place in a bowl with a lid or a paper bag. Once they are cooled, remove as much of the skin as you can (sometimes it's tricky and it doesn't all come off, but it's not a big deal). Use immediately, refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest you portion them into 1-2 peppers pr baggie. I usually place each pepper in a little sandwich bag, then place all the sandwich bags into a larger zip-top freezer bag so they are all together.


SOURCE: Adapted from Savour the Senses

Baked Chimichangas

Chimichangas are one of my most absolute favorite Mexican foods. My mom has been making these as long as I can remember and they have been the star of many a family gathering. So a little while back I got the hankering for some chimichangas and actually thought I could find a better recipe. So I looked and looked and found a recipe I thought would be good. Well, it got rave reviews and it was good, but it wasn't THIS good. It didn't really compare to my mom's recipe. So, I will never search for another chimichanga recipe again! This is my go-to; perfectly seasoned, wonderful taste!

If you're looking for a main dish to celebrate Cinco de Mayo look no further! These will be the star of your feast. They are easy to throw together, can be made a day in advance and they still get that flaky, crispy outer layer, resembling it's fried form, but healthier since it's baked.

Baked Chimichangas
for the Mexican Meat Mix:
2 lb. beef roast
1-2 cups beef broth
olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles
1 7-oz. can tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. cumin
3 Tbsp. flour
juices from roast
salt & pepper

for the chimichangas
12 8-inch flour tortillas
sour cream
roma tomatoes, diced
salsa
lettuce, shredded
guacamole

Set out a crock pot large enough to fit your roast. Turn on low.

Heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Generously season both sides of roast with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Brown on all sides. Place browned roast into warm crock pot and add beef broth until it reaches about half way up the roast; between 1-2 cups. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Alternately you could put the roast in a roasting pan in the oven at about 275 degrees F for about 2-3 hours.

Once roast is cooked, remove meat to a large platter, reserving juices. Shred meat and set aside. In a large skillet, over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds, then sprinkle with flour and saute another minute or so. Add green chiles, tomatillo salsa and cumin, then reserved meat and juices (should be around 1 1/2 cups-feel free to add more broth if you don't have many drippings). Cook about 5 minutes, until it has thickened. Cool slightly.

*Preparing the Mexican Meat Mix can be done a day in advance to minimize time spent in the kitchen during dinner prep.

To assemble the chimichangas: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Warm tortillas in the microwave about 20-30 seconds so they are pliable when rolling. Spread about 1/4 - 1/3 cup Mexican Meat Mix on lower third of tortilla. Fold bottom edge up over filling, then fold sides toward center and roll up the rest of the way. Place on greased baking sheet and continue with remaining meat mix and tortillas. Brush the tops of each chimichanga with olive oil and bake about 20-30 minutes or until lightly golden.

Serve on top of a bed of shredded lettuce. Top with your choice of garnishes: sour cream, chopped fresh tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, cheese, olives, etc.

*These freeze very well. Once you are done rolling them all up, stop there and place them in a zip-top freezer bag. When you're ready to bake, continue with the rest of the instructions, baking slightly longer to account for them being frozen.

Chicken Enchiladas

I am so glad I finally got to post these. I didn't think I would ever find (or make) an enchilada that looked or tasted so good. You see me and enchiladas, we don't get along-uhh we didn't until now. Years ago, when I first got married, I searched and searched for a good enchilada recipe and tried a few different ones out. They never ended up any good. I usually didn't like the sauce and they always fell apart on me! After much searching, I came upon these Chicken Enchiladas that had a green sauce and used flour tortillas. I actually really liked them and made them quite a bit for a while. However, there was still something in the back of my head that wanted to find that perfect traditional enchilada recipe.

Well folks, I think I have found it! When I saw this recipe on Annie's Eats a while ago, I bookmarked it because I knew it would be good. Her recipes are always spot on! When I got around to trying it the first time I was blown away by how good they were, especially the sauce. They tasted even better than a traditional enchilada and looked pretty good too. My only complaint the first few times I made these was that the tortillas always broke when I tried to roll them up. Very frustrating; no fault of Annie's though, I just needed to learn how to do it.

I was almost ready to bag the whole roll-it-up way and make it lasagna-style like my other enchiladas when I happened to randomly pick up some freshly made tortillas from a Mexican bakery. Score!

Let me tell you! It made such a difference using the fresh tortillas. They were much more pliable with rolling and filling them up and they didn't break all over the place.

Now, I'm sure I won't be able to get fresh tortillas ALL the time, so I may have to learn a trick or two when using regular store-bough tortillas so they won't break. Or I might just stack instead of roll. Either way this is a keeper! You will want to try these.

Chicken Enchiladas
for the sauce:
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 tsp. canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper

3-4 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided (Feel free to substitute mozzarella cheese here, farmers cheese or a soft Mexican cheese such as cojita.)
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
Cooking spray


Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste. Add shredded chicken to onion mixture, as well as 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup of each of the shredded cheese and the cilantro. Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Oil a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Stack half of the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable. Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚ F. Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce oven the top. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

SOURCE:Lightly adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from America's Test Kitchen

Chiles Rellenos with Mexican Tomato Sauce

A little over a month ago my friend had an overabundance of produce in her CSA basket and offered some Anaheim peppers and fresh garden tomatoes to anybody who wanted them. I was quick to take her up on her offer because really, who can pass up fresh garden tomatoes? Certainly not me, especially now that I don't have a garden anymore.

I used a few of the tomatoes for tomato sandwiches but thinking of them with the peppers, I couldn't get the idea of chiles rellenos out of my mind. I have had chiles rellenos before but have never actually made them, mostly because they are fried. I don't really eat fried foods let alone make fried foods but these just kept nagging at me.

I found a REALLY fabulous recipe on the Food Network website for the chiles rellenos that had a fresh tomato sauce to go with it. It was perfect. It called for just the amount of peppers and tomatoes I had left. It was fate I tell ya!

The peppers are stuffed with a mild Mexican cheese, then battered with a beer batter, typically, but I opted to use ginger ale instead because we don't drink beer. I don't think the quality of the dish was compromised at all by using the ginger ale instead of the beer because, I tell you, it was one of the most fabulous things I have eaten. The tomato sauce was pretty wonderful too. It tasted so fresh and has a unique ingredient that'll make you go hmmmm.

Chiles Rellenos
For the chiles:
6 poblano chiles
8 oz. Mexican style cheese, such as Queso Fresco or Cojita (you could also substitute mozzarella, or Monterey Jack if you can't find the other)

For the batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dredging
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. fine salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 12-oz bottle or can ginger ale (or lager-style beer)
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Mexican Tomato Sauce, warm, recipe follows.

Position a rack on the upper most shelf of the broiler element and preheat. Put the chiles on a foil-lined broiler pan and broil, turning occasionally with tongs, until the skin is charred, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover, and cool for 10 minutes or more.

Carefully rub the charred skin off the chiles. Using a small knife, make a lengthwise slit along the side of each chile to form a pocket. Carefully cut out and discard the seeds, carefully rinsing in cold water, if necessary.

Cut the cheese into 6 (1/4-inch-thick) slabs, about 3/4 the length of each chile (your chiles probably vary in length, so tailor the cheese to the chiles). Slip the cheese pieces into the pocket of each chile so they're 2/3 full. (If the cheese protrudes from the chiles, just cut a little off.) "Sew" each chile shut with a wooden skewer or long toothpick.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cumin, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the ale/beer to a make a smooth batter.

In a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pot, pour in the oil to a depth of about 3 inches. (It is important here to make sure you have enough oil so your chilies don't stick to the bottom of the pan while frying.) Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers 365 degrees F.

Put the flour for dredging on a plate. Working in 2 batches, dredge the chiles in the flour (the dampness of the chiles creates a light paste with the flour that seals over any tears), dip in the batter, and carefully add to the oil. Fry, turning the chiles once, until golden brown and crispy, about 4 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer the chiles rellenos to a dry paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Sprinkle with salt, to taste. Gently pull out and discard the skewers.

Heat the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce on a plate and set 1 chile relleno on top. Repeat with the remaining sauce and chiles. Serve.


Mexican Tomato Sauce:
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1/4 medium yellow onion
6 cloves garlic
5 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 serrano chile (I omitted this because I was serving it with peppers already)
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (preferably Mexican)

In a blender, combine all the ingredients and puree until smooth.

Transfer the tomato puree to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until slightly thick, about 10 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.


SOURCE: Food Network

Linked to...
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Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance
Savory Sunday @ The Sweet Details

Tres Leches Cake

Ok, so I know I'm a day late and a dollar short on this Tres Leches Cake, but it is soooooo good! It was definitely the highlight of my weekend. And, I've been eating it since I made it Thursday night-YUM! I've been wanting to try Tres Leches for a long time. Last year I found a coconut Tres Leches Cakes that I thought would be fabulous because I love coconut. However, it wasn't so hot, so it put me off for a while. When we decided to have a Cinco de Mayo celebration, I knew this was my chance to make it again, the REAL thing this time though.

I did a little research on Tres Leches Cake and found out that the basic cake recipe is probably the most important part of it all coming together. Using cake flour and beating the egg whites separately gives the cake the perfect crumb and makes it rise enough to be able to soak up all the milky goodness. Otherwise, you may have a milk moat from a cake that cannot stand up to all that milk.

I wasn't sure how I would like eating a cake that was so moist, but after my first bite, I was blown away! The drizzle of dulce de leche was an extra special treat as well, making this actually a Cuatro Leches Cake! This dessert has lodged a place in my recipe book I'm sure for years to come.

Tres Leches Cake
For the cake:
6 3/4 oz. cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. granulated sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the milk mixture:
1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

For the whipped topping:
2 cups heavy cream
4 oz. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Garnish:
cinnamon
maraschino cherries
dulce de leche


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally spray a 9x13 baking pan with oil until well coated. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in about 1/4 cup of the sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Beat butter on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the rest of the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined; do not overmix. Add about 1/3 of the egg whites to the batter and mix on low until combined. Remove the paddle/whisk attachment from the mixing bowl and gently fold in the rest of the egg whites with a spatula. (You don't have to get them completely incorporated, it's ok if you still see ribbons of egg white throughout the batter-kind of like a souffle.)

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread to even out surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake it lightly golden. (Remember all ovens are different so be vigilant near the end of baking time to ensure proper doneness.)

Remove cake pan to a cooling rack and allow cake to cool for 30 minutes. Take a fork or skewer and poke holes all over the cake. Allow the cake to completely cool.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the milk mixture. Slowly pour mixture over the cake, cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the whipped topping, place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve the cake, drizzle some dulce de leche onto a small plate and place a piece of cake on top. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon and top with a maraschino cherry. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Some notes:
1)As always, you can make your own cake flour. For every cup of all-purpose flour, take out 2 tablespoons and replace with cornstarch. Sift well.

2)A kitchen scale really comes in handy in this recipe. They are a good investment, relatively inexpensive and I have used mine more than I thought I would. With that said, I'll give you an idea of the equivalents: 6 3/4 oz cake flour is just over 1 1/2 cups, 8 oz sugar is about a cup and 4 oz of butter is 1/2 cup or 1 stick.

3)I purchased dulce de leche in the Mexican section at my local grocery store, although you can easily make your own. I also thinned it out with a little milk so that I could drizzle it easily on each plate.

SOURCE:Adapted from Alton Brown and Pioneer Woman

Linked to...
Sweets For A Saturday @ Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen
Sweet Indulgences Sunday @ A Well-Seasoned Life

Chipotle Bean Tostadas

Have you ever made a fresh pot of beans? There is nothing like them and they don't even compare to what you buy in a can at the store. They taste so fresh and just free of "stuff." If you've never made your own beans, you should at least try once, it's about the easiest thing you can do. Just add water and boil. You can buy uncooked beans in 1-2 pound packages at your local market but they are not usually the freshest and take longer to cook, though they can still turn out a good product as long as you cook it long enough. I like to buy my beans at my local WinCo where they have a nice selection of bulk foods that tend to be more fresh since they are stocked more frequently.

I grew up eating tostadas a lot so this concept was nothing new to me, but I was used to topping them a little differently. I think these more closely resemble an authentic Mexican Tostada and boy are they good! Topped with beans, tomatoes, cilantro, radishes and queso fresco, they are pretty simple, but feel free to add salsa, Crema Mexicana (or sour cream), lettuce, guacamole, olives, you name it! You can buy pre-made tostada shells, but frying them up at home only takes a little time and effort.

Chipotle Bean Tostadas

For the beans
1 lb. dry pinto beans (about 2 cups)
2 quarts of water
salt

Rinse beans and remove any bad beans, pieces of dirt or stones.

Put the beans in a pot and cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for about 2-3 hours (time will vary depending on the freshness of the beans). The beans are done when they are soft and skins are just beginning to break open.

Strain beans of cooking water and return them to the pot. Add about 1/4 cup (or more) water and either mash with a potato masher or use a stick blender to puree the beans. Add salt to taste.


For the tostada shells
1/2 cup high flash-point vegetable oil, such as grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil
1 dozen corn tortillas

To prepare the tortillas, heat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking pan with paper towels and place next to the stove. Heat 5 Tbsp of oil in a small skillet on medium high heat, until the bubbles form immediately when you insert the edge of a tortilla in it. Using tongs, place a tortilla in the hot oil and let cook until golden brown on both sides, about 30 seconds per side. You can use a metal spatula to flatten down the tortilla while cooking.

Use tongs to lift the cooked tortilla out of the pan, allowing the excess oil to drip off of it, back into the pan. Place the cooked tortilla on the paper towels to absorb more of the oil. Sprinkle a little salt onto each warm tortilla. Do each tortilla one at a time this way. As you fill up a baking pan, put the pan in the oven to keep the tortillas warm.

Add more oil as needed. Carefully monitor the oil temperature. Don't let it get too hot, or the tortillas will burn, or too cool - they won't fry up crisp enough.


For the Tostadas
4 cups smashed pinto beans
4 tsp. Chipotle Tabasco Sauce (not regular)
1 tsp. cumin
1 dozen tostada shells
Cotija, Queso Fresco or Feta cheese
finely diced fresh tomato
thinly sliced red radishes
cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Just after finishing cooking the beans and while they are still warm, add the chipotle tobasco sauce and cumin. Adjust seasonings if necessary. If beans are too thick, add more water, if they are too thin, cook them down a bit.

To assemble the tostadas, spread 3-4 Tbsp. of the beans on each tostada shell. Either top with tomatoes, cilantro, radishes and cheese and serve or put the topping in separate bowls on the table and let each person top their tostada how they wish. Garnish with additional toppings as desired.


SOURCE:Adapted from Simply Recipes

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
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Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance

Chicken Enchiladas-Updated

It's been over a year since I first posted this recipe and when I went back to look at it, I realized that I make this different now and that I needed to update it. This is a quick weeknight meal that will help you use that leftover chicken, cheese and tortillas. I have never made this the traditional, roll up your tortilla, enchilada way because it's just so easy to make it lasagna-style and tear up everything and throw it in. So this is my take on chicken enchiladas, the lazy way.

For the filling:
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 black peppercorns
1 onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese

For the sauce:
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 egg
1/2-1 tsp salt
*1-2 (11-ounce) cans tomatillos, drained
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained

Remaining ingredients:
8 flour tortillas
salsa

To prepare filling, place first 6 ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minute or until done. Remove chicken from cooking liquid; cool. Shred with 2 forks. You can reserve the broth for another use. (I usually poach my chicken this way for the enchiladas but I have also grilled my chicken on an outdoor grill with some McCormick chipotle pepper and that is great too and takes a little less time.)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine chicken and cheeses; set aside.

To prepare sauce, place milk, cilantro, egg, salt, tomatillos and chiles in a food processor; process until smooth. (*In the past I have substituted canned tomatillo salsa-salsa verde-for the tomatillos. I think it's Herdez brand, about 11 ounces. Recently I have started using the tomatillo salsa I bottled over the summer since we grew our own tomatillos. You can use part or all of a pint.)

In the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan pour a little of the sauce on the bottom. Rip up 2 tortillas and spread across the bottom. Spread half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and about a third of the sauce. Rip up two more tortillas and spread across the chicken. Repeat with anoter layer and end with tortillas, and a little sauce. Sprinkle with extra cheese.

Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Serve warm with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Smokin' Chipotle Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice

I love the smokey flavor of chipotles! My mom gave me this recipe the other day and was so excited about it. She also brought me some of her dried chipotles she used to make the same dish so I could make it too. I made it that same night because I had some cilantro and lime in the fridge I needed to use up and hadn't had a plan for them. This was perfect and so yummy! It's a great weeknight meal because it comes together REALLY quick and has very little prep. My girls even ate it all up, so that's always a plus.

Marinade
2-4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1-2 dried chipotles, crushed into a powder*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 - 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, or chicken breasts cut into strips

Mix all the ingredients together for the marinade and pour them over the chicken in either a shallow baking dish or a zip-loc bag. Marinade for about 15-30 minutes.

Preheat indoor grill pan on medium heat and cook chicken strips in batches until done. (You can also use an outdoor grill.)

*You can find dried chipotles in the Hispanic section of your local grocery store and they are pretty inexpensive. However, if you cannot find them, you can also substitute chipotles in adobo sauce. Unused chipotles in adobo may be stored in the freezer for later use.

Serve with Cilantro Lime Rice

Serving Size= 2 1/2 chicken tenders and 1/2 cup rice
Calories per serving=344

SOURCE:Adapted from Marcela Valladolid, Mexican Made Easy on the Food Network

Dulce de leche

1 quart whole milk
12 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

NOTES:Recipe courtesy Alton Brown from Food Network. You can also cheat and make this the easy way by putting an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in the crock pot(covered in water) for 6-8 hours on low. Let it cool a little bit before you try opening it. This stuff is so good! I used to eat it so much on my mission.

Pastel Frio

1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 pkg. Marias cookies
1 small can pineapple rings

In small mixing bowl, combine evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour just enough into small baking dish (8x8 or similar size)to cover the bottom. Place a layer of Marias cookies on top of the mixture then top with milk mixture. Continue layering milk and cookies until milk mixture is just about gone. Pour an extra layer of milk on top so you can no longer see the cookies. Put pineapple rings on top, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

NOTES:I got this recipe from a Mexican roommate I had in college. When I made it, I used pineapple but I think I will try it with strawberries next time. I think it would compliment the flavors a little better.

Horchata

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 quart warm water
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
Whole cinnamon sticks, optional, for serving

In a blender, combine the rice and warm water. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the rice breaks up but does not form a powder. Let the rice mixture stand in the refrigerator for 6 hours or up to overnight.

Strain the rice mixture into a container through a fine-mesh sieve or several layers of cheesecloth to remove the rice solids.

Pour the rice water into a blender and add the milk, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and sugar. Blend for 1 minute until well combined and smooth. Serve the horchata over ice with cinnamon sticks as stirrers.

NOTES:Recipe curtesy of Ingrid Hoffman from Food Network.

Tomatillo Dressing

This is the dressing that I use whenever I make my big Cafe Rio knock off meal. If you're not from Utah, you'll probably have no idea what I'm talking about, but believe me when I say, it's delicious! The sweet pork burrito and salad are Cafe Rio's most popular entrees. If you haven't checked out my recipes for the Sweet and Spicy Pork and Cilantro Lime Rice, head there too so you can partake of the goodness as well!

This dressing would also be good in almost any salad as well; chicken salad, green salad, you name it. I've even used it in this Chopped Barbecue Chicken Salad and it goes wonderfully.

Tomatillo Dressing
1 packet buttermilk ranch dressing packet
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
2 tomatillos (rinsed and husks removed)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
jalapeno, seeded (you can use half or whole, depending on how much heat you like)

Place in blender and puree until smooth. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork (Cafe Rio copy cat)

Mmm, this is so delicious! I've had other copy cat recipes of Cafe Rio pork and this totally takes the cake if you ask me. I think it's even better than the pork at the restaurant. The secret here is really the El Pato sauce. It adds the perfect amount of spice, while the brown sugar keeps it a little sweet. Make it as a salad or as a burrito, or use it as a base for another recipe. Do not forget the tomatillo dressing though, it rounds out the flavor and is the icing on the cake!

Sweet and Spicy Shredded Pork
3-4 lb. pork roast
1 large can El Pato Sauce (It's the yellow can that says original on the side and Salsa de Chile Fresco across the bottom. Also, if you want it less spicy, use one or two of the smaller cans.)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cola (or rootbeer)

Place cold roast in a cold crockpot. If your roast is boneless, you can cut it into chunks so that it will cook faster. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour about half over the pork, reserving the rest. Cover pork and cook on high for about 4-5 hours; may be a little less if you use the chunks. Roast is done when it easily breaks apart between your fingers. Remove pork and shred. Discard sauce and wipe out crock pot. Put shredded pork back into crock pot and pour remaining sauce over it. Cook on low for another hour or so.

To serve Cafe Rio burrito style: Melt monterey jack cheese on tortilla, top with either Cilantro-lime rice or Spanish Rice, beans, pork and Tomatillo Dressing. Top with guacamole, lettuce, and pico de gallo, if desired.

To serve salad style: Layer rice, beans, pork and other desired toppings on a bed of lettuce and sprinkle with shredded cheese.


Linked to...
This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking

Posole

This is such a delicious soup. It's perfect for cold days because it's warm and brothy. The lightness and brightness of the cilantro and lime also make it perfect for those in between days where it's not too cold but not too warm either. I usually make my Posole in a crockpot, because it's easy to just throw everything in and the wonderful aroma permeates throughout the whole house.

2 14-1/2-oz cans golden hominy, drained
1 4-oz can chopped green chilies, undrained
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces (pork roast works well too, 1 lb)
1 14-1/2 ounce can tomatoes, undrained and cut up
2 14-1/2 ounces cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Toppings:
crushed tortilla chips
snipped fresh cilantro
sour cream
lime wedges
avocado, diced

Crock pot method: Place everything in about a 5 quart crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Garnish each serving with sour cream, cilantro, freshly squeezed lime and avocado.

Stove top method. Drizzle a little canola oil in a Dutch oven and cook chicken (or pork) until no longer pink. Drain fat. Return meat to Dutch oven and add onion. Saute together until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Garnish with toppings.

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking

Fiesta Grilled Chicken Salad

This picture doesn't do this salad justice. You can't see all the delicious layers of goodness! Our family loves this salad and we make it often for family gatherings because it's quick and easy as well as very tasty.  And hey, it's salad!!

lettuce (romaine or leaf lettuce is good), shredded
1-2 cans black beans, heated
Cilantro-Lime Rice
*Grilled chicken, cut into strips
Monterrey jack cheese
pico de gallo (or plain chopped tomatoes)
**Salsa-Ranch dressing
guacamole (optional)

On a large dinner plate, lay down a bed of lettuce. Next place the rice, beans and grilled chicken strips, then the pico de gallo and cheese. Top with the salsa-ranch dressing and guacamole, if desired.



*Grilled Chicken
You can really marinate your chicken in whatever you want, but I love the chipotle seasoning packet from McCormick. I just throw the chicken in a gallon ziploc bag with the seasoning, some olive oil and red or white wine vinegar, mix it around and let it sit for a while. Grill it, then let it rest about 5 minutes before cutting into strips.

**Salsa Ranch dressing
Use your favorite ranch dressing and either fresh or bottled salsa. First pour as much ranch as you want into a food processor or blender. Gradually add the salsa in, blending as you go. Add as much or little to your own taste. (This may also be done in a bowl if you have a hand-held processor.)