Category Archives: mexican

Lighter Enchiladas Recipe, everday food

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– Coarse salt and ground pepper
– 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each) use beans and veggies instead
– 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon ground cumin
– 1 tablespoons minced canned chipotles in adobo (or 2 T)
– 1 can reduced-sodium veggie broth (14 oz)
– 8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
– 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour, cumin, and chipotles in adobo; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 cup sauce to bowl with beans and veggies toss to combine.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 1/4 cup sauce into bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Stack tortillas, and wrap in a double layer of damp paper towels; microwave until hot, about 1 minute. Fill each tortilla with bean and veggie mixture; roll up tightly, and arrange, seam side down, in baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce, and top with cheese. Bake until hot and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Notes: Recipe By: MarthaStewart.com
Serving Size: 4

Double the recipe to have one for the freezer. Freeze enchiladas and sauce separately so enchiladas don’t get soggy. Any leftover meat could be used.

Clinton Kelly’s Spicy Queso Dip

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1 tablespoon Oil
1 small White Onion (very finely diced)
1 Red Bell Pepper (finely minced)
2 to 3 Jalapenos (minced)
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 pound Yellow American Cheese (shredded)
8 ounces Pepperjack Cheese (shredded)
1 bunch Cilantro leaves (chopped)
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Tortilla Chips to serve

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and a generous pinch of salt, cooking until very soft. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese, stirring continuously, until it has all melted, and season to taste.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with tortilla chips. If entertaining, serve in an oven safe bowl or crock that has been warmed in the oven.

Helpful Tips:
1. Salt the onions and peppers to draw out moisture.
2. Try leftover queso dip as a spread for sandwiches or a hearty burger.

fish tacos by bobby flay

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bobby_flay_fish_taco
Fish
3 8-ounce fillets red snapper or mahi mahi
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup basil vinaigrette (from above)
Eight 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
Cilantro leaves

1. Preheat the grill to high or grill pan over high heat. Brush the fish with oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and drizzle the fish with the basil vinaigrette, let cool slightly and flake into large pieces using a fork.
2. Grill the tortillas for about 5 seconds per side until slightly charred and just warmed through. Place the tortillas on a flat surface fill the center of each with some of the fish, red slaw, salsa, hot sauce and cilantro leaves…fold and eat.

Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.
Garnish:
Shredded white cabbage
Hot sauce
Crema or sour cream
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced green onion
Chopped cilantro leaves

Red Cabbage Slaw
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons clover honey
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup canola oil
2 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage
2 cups finely shredded red cabbage
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned

1. Put the lemon juice, orange juice, mustard, honey, basil and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, add oil until emulsified. Reserve ¼ cup of the dressing for the fish.
2. Combine the cabbage and carrot in a large bowl; add half of the dressing and toss to coat, season with salt and pepper. Add more dressing if needed.


Tomatillo-Avocado Relish
2 large tomatillo, husked and rinsed and diced
1 ripe Hass avocado, halved, pitted and diced
1or 2 jalapeno or serrano, finely diced (depending on how spicy you like it)
Juice of 2 fresh limes
Extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the tomatillo, avocado and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Smoked Tomato Salsa Crema
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo puree
3 plum tomatoes, grilled or roasted until blackened, halved, seeded and diced
¼ cup finely diced red onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped Mexican oregano
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream or crème fraiche

1. Put the vinegar and chipotle puree in a food process and pulse a few times to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until slightly smooth, season with salt and pepper.
2. Put the sour cream in a medium bowl, add the salsa and stir to combine.

Pati Jinich’s Tortilla Soup

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For the Tortilla Soup:
3 Guajillo Chiles (stemmed; seeded and toasted)
1 pound ripe Tomatoes
1 Garlic clove
1/2 cup Onion (roughly chopped)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
6 cups Chicken Broth use veggie broth
1 sprig fresh Parsley
1/2 cup Mexican Crema (creme fraiche or sour cream)
8 ounces Queso Fresco (diced)
1 ripe Avocado (diced)

For the Tortilla Crisps:
Vegetable Oil (for frying) try baking
6 5-6 inch Corn Tortillas (cut into wedges)
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Guajillo chiles (stemmed; seeded and broken into pieces)

For the Tortilla Soup: In a medium sauce pan, place the toasted Guajillo chiles, tomatoes, and garlic. Add enough water just to cover ingredients. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until tomatoes are fully cooked and mushy and the Guajillos have re-hydrated and plumped up.

Place the Guajillos, tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender along with 1 cup of the simmering liquid and salt. Puree until completely smooth.

In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Once hot but not smoking, pour in the tomato puree. It will sizzle and make noise and smoke. Let the puree cook and thicken, changing from a bright red to a darker red and thicker consistency, for about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken broth and the parsley sprig and return to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and season, cooking another 10 minutes. Remove parsley sprig before serving.

Serve into soup bowls, adding a handful of tortilla crisps, a few chile crisps, and crema, cheese and avocado to taste. Alternatively you can place all the garnishes on the soup plates, and pour the hot soup into the bowls at the table. You may add other more hefty garnishes, such as cooked shredded chicken on top.

For the Tortilla Crisps: To fry: in a deep 12-inch skillet, heat 1⁄2 inch of oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking—a tortilla piece dipped in the oil should bubble around the edges. Add the tortilla pieces in small batches and fry, turning once, until they are a rich golden brown and nicely crisped. For crisps and chips, cook for 20 to 30 seconds per side; cook tostadas one at a time for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle immediately with salt so it will stick to the surface.

To prepare Chile Crisps, flash fry the chile pieces in the vegetable oil for 2 seconds, then quickly remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

To bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place the tortilla pieces (or whole tortillas) on the baking sheet. Gently brush the tops with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring and flipping them occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Let cool.

Helpful Tips:
1. Guajillo chilis aren’t as spicy as other peppers, so it’s a crowd pleasing base. You could also use ancho or Serrano chilis. It’s important to rehydrate the ancho chili so it creates a paste.

2. To cut fat out of your diet, you can bake the tortillas into chips instead of frying them.

3. Save tortillas crisps in a plastic bag and use them at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For breakfast: If you scramble eggs with cooked onions, jalapeno and tomato, just when the eggs are starting to fluff and firm up, you add the tortilla crisps and makes them like “migas” (a traditional Spanish dish with eggs using leftover bread). For lunch: use them as a garnish for a salad. For dinner: top any soup, stew, chili with crumbled tortilla. You can also add them to any cooked beans for a delicious side!

4. How to store soft tortillas: If homemade, store wrapped in a cloth and inside of a sealed plastic bag. If store bought, keep in the refrigerator

salsa

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6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
seeded and minced jalapenos amount determined by how hot you want it
1/4 red bell pepper, fine dice
1/8 red onion, fine chopped
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lime, juiced
Chili powder, salt, and pepper, to taste
Fresh scallions, cilantro or parsley, to taste

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Place in refrigerator for up to 12 hours for flavor infusion.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Chipotle-Rubbed Salmon Tacos

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sal taco
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pound skinless wild Alaskan salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 corn tortillas
Salt
1 Hass avocado, mashed
1 cup finely shredded cabbage

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the lime juice. In another small bowl, combine the chipotle powder with the orange zest and sugar. Rub each piece of salmon with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and then with the chipotle–orange zest mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  • Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake for about 8 minutes, until they are softened and heated through.
  • Meanwhile, heat a grill pan. Season the salmon with salt and grill over high heat until nicely browned and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
  • Gently break each piece of salmon in half. Spread the mashed avocado on the warm tortillas and top with the salmon, Apple-Cucumber Salsa and the cabbage. Drizzle each taco with the lime mayonnaise and serve right away.

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    Poblano Posole

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    2 large or 3 medium peppers
    2 earscorn on the cob (optional seasonal ingredient)
    Natural cooking spray
    8 to 10 medium tomatillos, peeled and halved
    2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
    1 red onion, cut into wedges
    4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
    1/2 teaspoons cumin, half a palmful
    1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
    5 cups vegetable or chicken stock, divided

    A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

    1 28- to 32-ounce can ominy, drained

    juice of 1 lime
    To serve: thinly sliced radishes, diced 
    avocado dressed with lime, thinly sliced 
    scallions – whites and greens cut on bias

    Preheat broiler to high.

    Char peppers all over until skins are blackened. Spray corn, if using, with cooking spray and broil until charred evenly.

    Place peppers in a bowl and cover until cool. Skin and seed the poblanos, and coarsely chop. Cut corn from cob.

    Turn oven temp to 450°F.

    Dress the tomatillos with a tablespoon of EVOO and arrange cut-side down on a baking sheet. Arrange onions and garlic on a second sheet, toss with remaining EVOO and season with cumin and coriander. Roast the tomatillos for 15 minutes on an upper rack in the oven, or until charred at edges and lightly browned. Place the baking sheet on a lower rack and leave the onions and garlic in oven to cook for an additional 10 more minutes.

    Purée the tomatillos, onions, garlic and poblanos with 1 cup of stock, a small handful of cilantro and the lime juice. Transfer to a large pot along with the remaining stock and hominy; bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes to combine the flavors.

    Serve Posole topped with the radishes, avocados, scallions and a little more lime juice.

    Lentil Enchiladas

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    2 1/4 cups lentils, cooked (I used Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils)
    1 tsp. olive oil
    1/4 cup onion, diced
    1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
    4 oz can fire roasted green chilis
    1/2 cup lite shredded Mexican cheese, divided
    8 8″whole wheat flour tortilla taco shells

    ***Enchilada Sauce***
    1 15oz can (1 3/4 cup) tomato sauce
    1 tbsp chili powder
    1 tsp cumin powder
    1/2 tsp garlic powder
    1/2 tsp. salt

    Preheat oven to 350F
    To make enchilada sauce: In a medium bowl, add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Mix until combined; set a side.
    In a skillet add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add green chilis and lentils, cook until warmed. Add 1/4 cup of cheese and mix until cheese is mostly melted.
    Spoon a little bit of the sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Evenly distribute lentil mixture to tortilla (about 1/4 cup), place tortilla seem side down onto baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
    Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until cheese has melted

    Optional: Top with tomatoes, jalapenos and greek yogurt

    from peanut butter and peppers blog

    Elote Con Crema (Fresh Corn With Cream, Chiles, and Cheese – The Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy

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    1/4 c Butter
    4 c Corn 
    1/2 md Onion; finely chopped
    1/4 lb Mild Cheddar cheese; in
    1 Clove garlic; peeled and
    1 ts Salt
    5 Chilies Poblanos; roasted and
    Thick sour cream see recipe

    There are so many variations of corn-chile-cream dishes that is is hard to know just which recipe to choose. For a change, the chiles could be left whole, stuffed with corn and cheese, and cooked in cream. But this combination is delicious any way. This is a very rich dish, and is very good served as a separate course with hot tortillas. It is best eaten right after its cooked, as the cheese gets tough when reheated.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

    Melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic, without browning, until they are soft.

    Cut the chiles into rajas (strips), add them to the pan, and cook them, covered, 8 minutes.

    Add the corn, cheese, and salt to the chile mixture. Cover tightly with foil or a lid and cook for 10- 20 minutes, until corn is tender. Add the cheese after the first 10 minutes of cooking time.

    Serve the vegetables hot, with the sour cream

    Enfrijoladas (corn tortillas with black bean sauce) Salon.com (food section)

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    Published in: Salon.com (food section)
    Publish Date: June, 2010
    Ingredients
    15 1/2  ounce   black beans — canned (unseasoned if possible)
    1   clove   garlic — crushed
    1/8 cup white onion — roughly chopped
    1/2 teaspoon    dried epazote — crumbled (Epazote is a Mexican
    herb that is almost inseparable from black beans in Oaxacan cooking,
    and well worth procuring)
    8       or 9 corn tortillas
    1/8 cup neutral oil — such as canola
    Salt to taste
    Instructions
    For garnishes: thinly sliced white onion, crumbled or shredded white
    Mexican cheese (such as cotija or quesillo), chopped cilantro, avocado
    slices (optional)
    Heat the beans, garlic, onion, and epazote together in a saucepan over
    medium heat until the garlic and onion are soft, about fifteen minutes.
    Transfer bean mixture to a blender or food processor, blend until
    smooth.
    Return bean mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, adding enough
    water or broth to form a thick but pourable sauce. (It should have the
    consistency of a thickish bean soup, but not be gloppy.) Taste and add
    salt if needed. Transfer the sauce to a wide skillet and keep it warm
    while you prep the tortillas.
    Now it’s time to assemble the enfrijoladas: Heat the oil in a saute pan
    over medium-high heat. Fry each tortilla for a couple of seconds on
    each side to soften it. As each tortilla becomes soft and pliable,
    remove it from the oil, allow all excess oil to drip off, then dip the
    tortilla in the bean sauce and fold it in half. The tortilla should be
    completely coated in sauce. (In Oaxaca, where the tortillas are
    ginormous, they are folded into quarters, like crepes.)
    You can either arrange the dipped tortillas decoratively on individual
    serving plates (allowing three or four per serving as a main course) or
    put them all in a common serving dish. Either way, nap them with any
    extra sauce, top with any of the garnishes listed above, and serve
    immediately.

    DSCF1573

    15 1/2 ounce  black beans — canned (unseasoned if possible)

    1  clove  garlic — crushed

    1/8 cup white onion — roughly chopped

    1/2 teaspoon dried epazote — crumbled (Epazote is a Mexican herb that is almost inseparable from black beans in Oaxacan cooking, and well worth procuring)

    8 or 9 corn tortillas

    1/8 cup neutral oil — such as canola

    Salt to taste

    For garnishes: thinly sliced white onion, crumbled or shredded white Mexican cheese (such as cotija or quesillo), Feta cheese, chopped cilantro, avocado slices

    Heat the beans, garlic, onion, and epazote together in a saucepan over  medium heat until the garlic and onion are soft, about fifteen minutes.

    Transfer bean mixture to a blender or food processor, blend until smooth.

    Return bean mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, adding enough water or broth to form a thick but pourable sauce. (It should have the consistency of a thickish bean soup, but not be gloppy.) Taste and add salt if needed. Transfer the sauce to a wide skillet and keep it warm while you prep the tortillas.

    Now it’s time to assemble the enfrijoladas: Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry each tortilla for a couple of seconds on each side to soften it. As each tortilla becomes soft and pliable, remove it from the oil, allow all excess oil to drip off, then dip the tortilla in the bean sauce and fold it in half. The tortilla should be completely coated in sauce. (In Oaxaca, where the tortillas are ginormous, they are folded into quarters, like crepes.) serving plates (allowing three or four per serving as a main course) or put them all in a common serving dish. Either way, nap them with any extra sauce, top with any of the garnishes listed above, and serve immediately.

    You can either arrange the dipped tortillas decoratively on individual serving plates (allowing three or four per serving as a main course) or put them all in a common serving dish. Either way, nap them with any extra sauce, top with any of the garnishes listed above, and serve immediately.th any of the garnishes listed above, and serve immediately.

    NOTES:  I toasted the tortillas, made the sauce thick like refried beans.  In the future I will add some cumin and oregano to the beans.