Cilantro Lime Rice

I just love experimenting and after eating at a burrito shop down here that served Cilantro Lime Rice, I decided it was time that I try to make my own. I am sure I will make different variations of this recipe but I really liked what I created.....Very simple flavors, and sometimes simple is best.....I must admit I am not good at cooking rice on the stove.....I cook most of my rice in a rice cooker....I love my rice cooker because the rice always comes out perfect....This rice is a great with my Crazy 'K' Chops.....So good.....

Serves 6-8

8 C Hot Cooked Rice

1-2 T Lime flavored Olive Oil, or Plain Olive Oil (or Garlic)

1/3 C Cilantro, chopped

1/4-1/2 C Fresh Lime Juice

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Lime Wedges, Garnish

Once rice is done cooking, fluff and then add in Oil. Stir together, then add in Lime Juice and Cilantro. Toss all ingredients together and season with Salt and Pepper.....Serve with Lime Wedges.

Faux Refried Beans

I can be a simple girl. Sometimes I just want a bean and cheese burrito. Probably one of my favorite simple meals....I use to make them a lot in college, you know can of refried beans, some cheese, onions and hot sauce all wrapped up in a tortilla.....Well, I decided it was high time I try to make refried beans, but once I got looking there was just too much fat in some of the recipes and some just didn't sound good.....so I decided to try something different......These are awesome probably some of the best beans I have tasted.....I had found a similar recipe but it didn't look like it have enough flavor, so I added some other ingredients and stepped it up to something my kids, husband and I would like.....Who knew I would rely on the Crock Pot so much.....its just so easy....I am not sure if I will be buying canned refried beans anymore......I may just have to make these again, some homemade guacamole and homemade salsa to serve with chips for Cinco de Mayo......So good and so easy.....and I even think my mom would like these as they are not spicy! Feel free to spice up if you like!

Serves 12

3 C Dry Pinto Beans, Rinsed

1 Lg Sweet Onion, finely chopped

1 Jalapeno, seeded & chopped

5-6 Cloves of Garlic, minced

2-3 tsp Cumin

1-2 tsp Chile Powder

2-3 tsp Salt

1 1/2-2 tsp Black Pepper

9 C Water (Plus extra if they dry out, mine did not)

Throw all ingredients into a Crock Pot (slow cooker) and cook on High for about 8 hours. Stirring occasionally and re seasoning if necessary. Once the beans have cooked, strain them, reserving the liquid. Mash the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved water as needed to attain desired consistency, I think I added back about 3/4-1 cup of the bean cooking liquid.....You can make them as dry or as wet as you would like.....Serve w/ chips or in a burrito, or as a side dish.....If you plan on keeping them in a crock pot on low after mashing, I recommend keeping some of the cooking liquid in case the dry out a little bit.

Yucatecan Citrus Grilled Pork

I suppose we will never get off of this Mexican Tex-Mex train we are on down here in SA. This recipe originated from the Yucatan and represents a simple side of Mexican cooking....I say make up a batch of Jerry's Famous Margaritas or crack open a good Mexican beer to enjoy while you are getting the charcoal ready....This dish is easy, good, and fresh.......Enjoy!

Serves 4-5

1 Med Sweet Onion, cut in thick slices for grilling
1 1/2 pound thin cut Pork Chops
1/4 C Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1/2 C Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
3 C Cabbage, sliced thin
1/3 C Cilantro, chopped
2-3 Tomatoes, sliced
1-2 Avocados, sliced
Salt & Pepper
1 Lime, sliced for garnish
Hot sauce, to serve on side
Fresh Salsa, to serve on side
Warm Tortillas, to serve on the side

Stir Orange and Lime Juice together. Pour 1/4 C of the juice over the pork and let marinate for 15-20 min. Meanwhile, start charcoal grill. While coals are getting ready, prepare the rest of ingredients. Toss Cabbage and Cilantro with 1/4 C of the Lime/Orange juice, season with salt and pepper. Spread out onto a large serving platter. Decorate with slices of Tomato and Avocado, season those with a little salt/pepper too, set aside (or in the fridge). Once grill is ready, season and grill onion rings until roasted about 6-8 min. Remove, chop and toss with the remaining 1/4 cup of juice, set aside. Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper and grill 3 min per side, or until done. Lay meat on the platter of cabbage and top with grilled onions. Serve with warm tortillas, salsa and hot sauce....

Chicken Gorditas Tex-Mex Style

Ok, my love affair with Mexican and Tex Mex has caused me to love to eat and make Gorditas....My favorite place to get them is down in Historic Market Square from one of the street vendors.....Pretty hard to pass up a $3.00 meal!.....Goes perfectly with the beer you can drink while shopping there.....they keep it simple downtown, meat or beans, cheese, lettuce and Guacamole.....and of course hot sauce on the side......Well it inspired me to surf through some of my Mexican Cookbooks to find a traditional gordita recipe.....The filling I made up on my own and still may need some tweaking.....but for a first run at it.....it turned out pretty good....I am posting it so I won't forget what I did.....We have had these twice now and I just love them.....the corn taste is so good....I Love "Little Fat Ones".....

Chicken Filling: Makes enough for a few meals

2 lbs of Boneless Chicken Meat (I used a combo of Thighs and Breasts)

1 14.5 oz can of Diced Tomatoes w/Zesty Jalapenos

1 Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped

1 Jalapeno, Finely Chopped

2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
Juice of 1 Lime

1-2 tsp Cumin

1-2 tsp Chile Powder

1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Paprika

Salt & Pepper

Put all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Chicken is ready when it easily shreds and falls apart. Once ready shred meat in crock pot. It will be juicy, so use tongs to serve in gorditas, tacos, enchiladas or burritos.

GORDITAS: Makes 10 small/med pockets

1 3/4 C Masa Harina (Instant Corn Masa Flour)

1 C + 2 T Warm Water

1/3 C All Purpose Flour

1 scant teaspoon Baking Powder

3/4 tsp Salt

Garnishes

Cheese

Cilantro, chopped

Lettuce/Cabbage, mixed or your favorite

Guacamole

Hot Sauce or Salsa

Lime Wedges

Making the Dough

Mix masa with the warm water. Knead the masa to make it soft cookie dough consistency, adding more water if needed. (I usually add 1-2 tablespoons more) Knead in flour, baking powder, and salt. Divide dough into 10 portions and roll into balls. Cover with plastic to keep moist and to keep from drying out.

Heat a non stick oil rubbed griddle or pan over medium heat.

The next step is flattening out. If you have a tortilla press (I do not) it works best because it gives the most even disks, be sure to line with plastic on both sides. Gently Press a ball of dough to 4 inch diameter and it should be about 1/4 inch thick. If you do not have a tortilla press here is another easy way to do it. Place a piece of plastic (plastic wrap or plastic cut from a plastic storage bad) on the counter. Wrap a flat bottom dinner plate with plastic, place 1 ball of dough on the plastic wrap and place wrapped dinner plate on top of dough ball. Gently and evenly press ball flat to about 4 inch diameter and 1/4 inch thick. My dinner plates actually have a 1/4 inch lip and 5 inch diameter on the bottom so it works perfectly. Place flattened gordita on griddle and cook for 1 1/2 min and then flip and cook another 1 1/2 min. The gordita will be lightly browned but still uncooked. Remove to a plate and continue pressing and griddle cooking the remaining gorditas. Finished product should look like this:

Finishing the Gorditas

In a deep heavy skillet or saucepan, heat 1/2 inch oil over medium to medium high heat until oil is hot enough to make the edge of a gordita sizzle sharply (about 350 degrees). One by one fry gorditas turning them after 15 seconds nicely crisp but not hard. The total fry time should not be longer then 45 seconds. When they are ready most will have puffed up a little like pita bread. Drain on paper towels.

Once they are all fried use a small knife to cut a slit in the edge of each one about halfway around its circumference, making a pocket. Fill with about 1/4 cup of chicken and garnish with your favorites.

Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup

I am always trying to come up with new, simple and fresh soups for a quick meal night. This one is really easy and what makes it fresh are all the garnishes....I love just fresh ingredients....this soup is a good way to use up some leftover roasted chicken or if you don't have any chicken, I didn't....you can always roast or poach some seasoned chicken breasts, shred and add....this soup was a hit last night......

Makes: 4 Servings

2 T Olive Oil (I used a little bit of Garlic Oil & Lime Oil, cause I had them)
1 1/2-2 Sweet Onions, finely diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 Serrano chili, seeded and minced
1 14.5 oz can of Petite diced Mexican Tomatoes (Green Chiles, Jalapenos, Cilantro, Lime)
1 1/2-2 C Shredded Chicken
1 Quart Chicken Stock or Broth
Salt & Pepper
Canola Oil, for pan frying
8 Corn Tortillas, cut into strips about 1/8-1/4 in thick

Garnishes:
1/4 head of Cabbage, shredded
1-2 Avocados, diced
Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
Cilantro, chopped
Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
Green Onions, chopped
Tapatio Hot Sauce
1 Lime, cut into wedges for squirting into soup
Tortilla Strips (ones you just made or if you dont feel like making you can use store bought)

Place a stock pot over medium heat and coat with the olive oil. Add in the onions, garlic, jalapenos and serrano chili, cook until softened about 10 min. Add in can of tomatoes and cook for another 5-10 min. Add in chicken and season with salt and pepper. Add in chicken stock, check seasoning and then simmer for 20 min.

Meanwhile, heat 1 inch of canola oil over medium high heat. When oil begins to smoke add some of the tortilla strips and fry in batches until they are crisp on all sides. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt while they are still hot.

To Serve....If you like cabbage, I recommend putting it first in the bottom of the bowl. Then ladle soup and top with your favorite garnishes, fresh lime juice and hot sauce....

Pork Tomo Tacos

So Sindy introduced me to this dish. Green Pork tacos made with tomatillos. You know me I love anything that I can stuff into a corn tortilla. This recipe is pretty easy since you throw it all into a crock pot and let it go for the day. Good food for a crowd or game day. Love it....

Serves: 8-12

1-2 Large Sweet Onions, chopped

1 28oz can Tomatillos, drained

1/2-3/4 C Pickled Jalapenos w/juice, chopped

4-5 Cloves Garlic, chopped

4-5 lbs of Pork Carnita Meat or Pork Shoulder

Salt & Pepper

Corn Tortillas

My Favorite Garnishes:

1 box Zataran's Dirty Rice Mix (Cooked according to box minus the meat)

Pepper Jack/Cheddar Cheese

Cilantro

Fresh Salsa

Green Onions

Tapatio' Hot Sauce

Throw all ingredients into a crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours until meat is tender and shreds when you fork it. When done skim some of the fat/grease off the top and then shred meat in the crock pot with a fork and all the juice. If you don't like it too juicy feel free to skim more of the juice out. Just remember the pork will continue to absorb the juice as it sits. Server with heated corn tortillas and your favorite garnishes...

Carne Asada Tacos

We have been feeling Mexican over here as you can see......Here is a recipe I made up after having Carne Asada at my friend Melissa's house. I basically threw together a marinate and it came out pretty good....I love anything that can go into a flour or corn tortilla......my husband likes it when we make spanish or mexican rice with this meal, one more thing for him to stuff into his tortilla.

Serves 4-6

Marinate:

1/4 Canola/Veg Oil

1 T Vinegar (Red or White)

2 T Pickled Jalapenos, Chopped

1 T Pickled Jalapeno Juice

1 Lime, Juiced

4-5 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

2 T Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

1/3 C Roasted Chipotle Salsa

1 tsp Cumin

Kosher Salt & Pepper

2-3 Dashes of Tapatio (Hot Sauce)

1.5 lbs Carne Asada Meat (Thin Sliced Beef Round)

Toppings:

Tortillas, warmed (Flour or Corn)

2 Bell Peppers, sliced (any combo of Red, Green, Orange or Yellow)

1 Sweet Onion, sliced

Mexican Cheese Mix (I use Cheddar and Pepper Jack)

Salsa

Sour Cream

Green Onions, optional garnish

Mix up all ingredients for the marinate and marinate the meat for 6-8 hours. Since the meat is sliced thin it doesn't need too long to marinate. Heat a pan over med/med high heat add a little bit of olive oil and then the peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper. Fry to your liking, I don't like my veggies too soft, I probably fry them for 5 or so minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a grill on High Heat. Grill meat 2-3 min per side. Cook it longer if you like really done meat. Remove from grill and let rest a few min. Then slice up and serve with toppings in warm tortillas.

Jerry's Famous Margaritas

My two favorite hard alcohols are Vodka and Tequila. This is my favorite margarita! So convenient for me that it is made by my father in law. I am a margarita on the rocks kind of gal and this is that kind of recipe. Man do they go down fast.

1 Drink

1 Part Tequila, we use Sauza Hornitos

1 Part Orange Liquor, we use Cointreau

1/2 Lime, Juiced

1-2 Parts Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix

Ice

Lime slices, garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker 3/4 way full with ice. Add in Tequila, Orange Liquor and Lime juice. Top off with 1-2 parts Margarita Mix. Shake for 30 seconds. Pour w/ice and serve with a lime slice.

Fresh Salsa

Ok....So I love Tortilla Chips and Salsa! I have enjoyed making salsa from scratch for a few years and I learned how buy reading the ingredients of one of my favorite fresh salsas. So here is a base recipe and no I don't have exact amounts because I believe that salsa making lies in the taste of the maker.......Nana Anna, Sindy and I made this particular recipe today and boy was it tasty......Roasted Corn would be a good addition to this base....Like I always say get creative as I know we all have different tastes....

Assorted Tomatoes, Diced and slightly drained (I usually use a combo of regular vine ripened, roma's, romanitas, cherry, grape, pear....so use your favorites)

Assorted Peppers, Finely Diced and ranging in heat (Jalapenos, Anaheim, Banana, and so many more, we get them at the Farmers Market and there are at least 30 or so varieties, have fun!)

Walla Walla Sweet Onion, Finely Diced

Cilantro, Finely Chopped

Fresh Lime Juice, to taste

Apple Cider Vinegar, small amount to taste

Cumin, to taste

Tomato Paste, to taste and slightly thicken

Hot Sauce, to taste (I use Tapatio)

Chipotle Tabasco, to taste

Salt & Pepper

Mix Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, and Cilantro in a bowl. Season to taste with Lime Juice, Vinegar, Cumin, Tomato Paste , Salt & Pepper, taste by using a tortilla chip....for us its usually not hot enough and that is when we add the Tapatio Hot Sauce and Chipotle Tabasco....Mix and taste, re season until you get your salsa to your liking.....Serve with Chips or use in your Mexican Recipes.....

Sweet Sixteen Bean Dip

This dip came about watching March Madness last year....as you can see we love College Sports in our house. We were watching the Cougs play Vandy last March and we were hoping the Cougs would make it to the Sweet Sixteen.....but we all know the outcome....Anyway I threw together a bunch on ingredients that I had in the pantry and fridge and it turned out pretty good.......I feel its always good to have a few chip and bean dip recipes....

1 16oz Can Refried Beans

1 8 0z Package Cream Cheese, room temp

1 14.5 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes, drained

1/4-1/2 C Nacho Style Jalapenos (depends on how spicy you want it)

1 Packet of Taco Seasoning

Hot Sauce to taste, I use Tapatio

2 C Mexican Cheese (Blend of Cheddar and Pepper jack)

Mix all ingredients except 1 Cup of the shredded cheese in a bowl and then pour into an 8x8 baking dish or a similar size. Top with the remaining cup of cheese...more if you like. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min, until cheese is melted and dip is hot all the way through. Serve with Tortilla Chips.

Chile Con Queso

One of my family's favorite party time dips. We love to enjoy this one during College Football Season and after watching College Football Live last night on ESPN I was inspired to blog about a few snack/appetizer recipes. This one is super easy.....and can be easily altered to accommodate tastes and heat.

3 15oz Cans Chile w/No Beans
1 7oz Can Diced Green Chilies (or Jalapenos if you like it spicy)
1 Bunch of Green Onions, Chopped

16 oz of Velveeta Cheese, Cubed

3+ Dashes of Tabasco (or your favorite hot sauce)

Combine all ingredients into a crock pot put the lid on. Turn on high and let cook until cheese it totally melted and dip is hot and bubbly, stirring occasionally. It usually take about and 1 and 1/2 hours or so. You can serve it two ways......pour over a pile of tortilla chips or serve in a bowl along side a bag of tortilla chips. If you don't have a crock pot you can do this on the stove as well on a med to med-low heat.