Terrific Taco Salad

This is a great dish not only for a summer supper, but for a winter meal when you really need a reminder of those lovely summer days.

You can use refried beans in a can (Rosarita is a good brand) and purchased guacamole and salsa, and if you want roasted chilis, canned ones from Ortega are excellent (drain well before using). You can even make it vegetarian by omitting the meat, doubling the portion of beans, and then frying them with the ingredients specified for the meat.

An excellent choice for a pot luck, buffet, or to feed a horde of hungry kids, it’s quick, easy, cheap and tasty!

Taco Salad
Ingredients:
1 lb (500g) very lean chopped or ground meat of your choice (ground chicken or turkey are recommended)
1 onion finely minced
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
1 bullet chilli or small jalapeño, seeded and finely minced (optional)
2 (or more) roasted Anaheim or green Pimiento chillies, chopped (optional)
½ tsp chili powder (optional)
Salt to taste
1 bag corn tortilla chips, plain or your favourite flavour
1 head of iceberg lettuce, coarsely chopped
1 cup guacamole
½ cup sour cream
2 cups refried beans
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup mild red taco sauce
1 small tin sliced black olives, drained (optional)
2 cups Salsa Fresca
OR
1 cup chopped and seeded tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
1 onion, minced
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
Small bullet chili, seeded and minced (optional)
¼ cup lemon or lime juice

Preparation:
Sauté the first 8 ingredients together until meat is browned and crumbly. Drain well to remove fat and allow to cool. When meat has cooled, toss with cheese, taco sauce, black olives, and Salsa Fresca.

Line a large salad bowl with corn chips. Add refried beans…you can use the beans like paste to get the tortilla chips to stick to the sides of the bowl. Add the lettuce, then a layer of tortilla chips. Add the meat mixture. Top with cheese, guacamole and sour cream, in that order. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, sliced or whole jalapeños, sprinkles of chopped cilantro, and/or a few slices of olive.

Serving:
Set out salad bowls or plates with tortilla chips on them and serve the salad onto the chips. Set taco sauce or hot sauce out for condiments.


Taco salad photo by EditorB, Flickr

Enchiladas in three varieties: cheese, beef, chicken

I like enchiladas almost as much as I like burritos. I say “almost” because with burritos, I just put out bowls of ingredients and the family rolls their own…with enchiladas the work is all mine.

I first tried making enchiladas when I was looking for something original to do with the leftover Christmas turkey. We were turkey sandwiched to death and I just wanted something different from the banal turkey vegetable soup. I started hunting around for chicken recipes and found one for chicken enchiladas. This is not that recipe…I didn’t like the looks of that one…but the idea for turkey enchiladas had been planted in my head and I soon added this little gem to my repertoire.

Try making more than one kind of enchilada at a time: maybe two meat, two chicken, and two cheese (which are vegetarian). Cook them all in the same dish at the same time, providing a variety of tastes at the table.

Caveat! This is not an authentic Mexican recipe, it is my interpretation of the enchilada. So if doesn’t look like it will make the enchiladas you love from Tia Maria or Pepe’s Restaurant and Panaderia, that is to be expected. But it tastes fabulous, just the same!

Enchiladas Fabuloso
(Makes 12)

Ingredients:
12 flour tortillas, warmed until they are flexible
2 lb (1 kg) ground meat or chopped chicken (optional)
2 medium onions, minced fine
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
2 cans (410g) La Victoria Enchilada Sauce
2 cans (410g) Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
1 lb mild cheddar, grated
1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
6 roasted Anaheim chilies (canned Ortega chilies are OK) (Optional)
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Set oven for 350°F. Line a 13” x 9” x 3” baking dish with foil or spray well with cooking spray.

Cook meat, one onion, garlic, bell pepper and seasonings until fully browned and broken up and crumbly. If using left over meats that are already cooked, sauté the onion, garlic, pepper and seasonings in a small amount of oil until onion is translucent and add meat and sauté just until warmed.

Open the cans of enchilada sauce and mix them together in a shallow dish (I use a pie dish). Ladle a small amount of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and coat the bottom.

Reserve back ¾ cup enchilada sauce and ½ cup of each cheese.

Cheese enchilada: Warm a tortilla, dip it in the enchilada sauce, and lay on a plate. Spoon some of each cheese onto tortilla in a line to the side of the centre. Sprinkle with chopped onion and sliced olives. Add strips of roasted chili, if desired. Starting near the filling, roll the tortilla to enclose the filling in a “tube.” Lay the rolled tortilla, flap side down, crossways in the baking dish. Repeat until baking dish is full.

Meat or chicken enchilada: Warm a tortilla, dip it in the enchilada sauce, and lay on a plate. Spoon some meat onto tortilla in a line to the side of the centre. Cover with some of each cheese and sprinkle with chopped onion. Starting near the filling, roll the tortilla to enclose the filling in a “tube.” Lay the rolled tortilla, flap side down, crossways in the baking dish. Repeat until baking dish is full.

When baking dish is full, pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas, then top with remaining cheese, onions and olives.

Cover with foil and seal foil to baking dish. Bake until cheese is melted, about 45 minutes.

Serve with refried beans as a side dish.

Variations:
Use chopped leftover turkey in place of chicken
Shred leftover beef and use it in place of ground meat
Add some roasted Anaheim chili to a cheese enchilada before rolling up
Experiment with new kinds of cheeses
Use corn tortillas (heat first to make them flexible)
Add vegetables, like corn kernels, to the filling


Photo by wordridden, flickr

Burritos: the original “wrap”

I had to laugh the first time I saw a “wrap” on a restaurant menu. C’mon…is the word “burrito” too humble? Not chic enough? Because the first wrap I saw was just an unassuming burrito with a trendy new name.

The great thing about burritos is that you can put just about anything in them. And wrapped to enclose both ends, a burrito travels well, making a terrific lunch that, depending on the ingredients, can be eaten cold or after a short turn in the microwave.

My favourite burrito is Chile Verde, but you can use anything you have handy. Vegetarian burritos are a snap, and a simple bean burrito makes a great snack. Like tacos, burritos can be served as a tasty “assemble it yourself” meal…just put out the tortillas and a variety of fillings and allow your family to build their own
.
The original, basic burrito is presented below, along with instructions for rolling, and variations follow. See the end of the recipe for links to recipes for tortillas, beans, Chile Verde, taco meat, salsa and guacamole..

Burritos
(makes 1)

Ingredients:
1 flour tortilla, warmed and flexible (2 if the burrito is going to be stuffed full of goodies!)
⅓ cup refried or cooked beans, hot
¼ cup grated Monterey Jack (or white Mexican) cheese
Chili sauce to taste

Preparation:
Lay tortilla out flat. Place beans to one side of centre and smear up and down the length of the tortilla.

Top with cheese and sprinkle with chili sauce.

Fold according to illustration.

Eat like a hot dog…hold it in your hands and bite at the top end.

Variations: Before folding, add on top of the beans any of the following hot fillings:
– Chile Verde
– Taco filling
– Shredded beef
– cooked rice (for a vegetarian burrito)
– shredded chicken
– shredded ham
– chopped tongue

Top the filling with as many of the following as desired:
Cilantro
Avocado slices
Salsa Fresca
Guacamole
Sour cream
Shredded cheese

Or use your imagination!

Useful links:
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/frijoles-refritos-delicioso-refried.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/heart-warming-stick-to-your-ribs-bean.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/chili-verde.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/tacos-in-three-varieties-hard-soft-and.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/guacamole-and-salsa-fresca.html
http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/homemade-flour-tortillas.html

Frijoles Refritos Delicioso (Refried Beans)

The mainstay of the traditional Mexican diet is tortillas and beans. And not just any beans…pinto beans. A common question among English speakers is why they are called “refried” beans, since they are made from beans that have not yet been fried. The answer is in a mistranslation of the Spanish word “refritos,” which actually mean “very” or “well” fried, not fried again!

You actually can use red or black beans for this dish, but the traditional frijoles refritos (and the ones prepared at my house) are made from pinto beans. Sugar beans can be substituted with no significant difference in the outcome.

Beans, whether boiled (see Bean Soup) or fried, are an essential part of the delicious burrito, and a healthy addition to your diet.

Frijoles Refritos

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked pinto or sugar beans
1 cup liquid from the bean pot
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 roasted Anaheim chili, cut into small pieces
1 small jalapeño, minced and seeded (optional)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder (optional)
2 tbsp lard or oil
Salt to taste

Grated Monterey Jack or other mild white cheese

Preparation:
Mash beans into a paste with potato masher or fork. If too dry, add liquid, a few tablespoons at a time, until a creamy paste is achieved.

Heat lard (oil) in bottom of heavy skillet. Sauté onions, garlic, chili, cumin and chili powder until onion is translucent. Add bean paste and cook until beans are warm through. Salt if necessary,

Serving:
Top with a spoonful of cheese and serve as a side dish or as part of a burrito or other Mexican dish.

Tacos in three varieties: hard, soft, and rolled

Who doesn’t like tacos? If the crunchy ones are too messy or the hard shells hurt your mouth, there are soft ones, and if even those are too messy, there are the much tidier rolled tacos. With a variety of fillings and toppings, no two tacos have to be alike…truly something for every taste!

Tacos
(makes 8)

Filling ingredients:
2 lbs (1 kilo) chopped or ground meat of your choice
2 onions finely minced
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 bullet chilli or small jalapeño, seeded and finely minced (optional)
2 (or more) roasted Anaheim or green Pimiento chillies, chopped (optional)
½ tsp chili powder (optional)
Salt to taste

Other ingredients:
8 flour (for soft or rolled tacos) or corn tortillas (for crispy tacos)
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 cup shredded cheese (mild cheddar or Monterey Jack)
1 cup chopped and seeded tomatoes
1 cup guacamole
1 cup salsa fresca
1 cup fresh minced onion
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
½ cup sliced black olives (optional)
½ cup sour cream
Taco or hot sauce of choice

Preparation:
Sauté filling ingredients until ground meat crumbles finely. Drain off fat and remove to a warmed, covered bowl.

For soft or rolled tacos: warm flour tortillas and stack in a warmed towel-covered plate.

For crisp taco shells: buy ready-made taco shells and warm them in the microwave
. OR
Heat 2” of oil in a pot wide enough to float a corn tortilla

When oil is boiling, drop in a corn tortilla

When hot, the tortilla will be flexible enough to fold without breaking: use tongs to fold tortilla in half with it reaches this point.

Continue to fry until tortilla becomes stiff. Remove carefully and drain on paper towelling.

Place on paper towel-covered plate and cover with a cloth towel to keep warm

Serving:
Place meat, tortillas and other ingredients on table, assembly line fashion: first the tortillas, then the meat, then the various other ingredients. Allow diners to assemble their own.

Assembly:
Crispy: fill shell half full with meat, then top with diner’s choice of other ingredients
Soft: cover one side of flour tortilla with meat, then top with diner’s choice of other ingredients; fold over the other side of the tortilla and eat.
Rolled: place meat to one side of flour tortilla, top with cheese, then a sparing amount of other ingredients. Starting at the side with the meat, roll the taco into a tube. Frequently eaten by dipping the end of the tube into guacamole and/or sour cream.

Photo of tacos by jspatchwork, flickr

Chili Verde

Verde means “green” in Spanish and Chili Verde (sometimes spelled Chile Verde) takes its name from the roasted mild green chilies that are its primary flavourant. This delicious Mexican dish can be served in a variety of ways: as a stew, as filling for burritos, or ladled over rice. It is a filling, comfort-food kind of dish that will warm the kitchen as it cooks and fill the hungriest family with satisfaction.

Chili Verde

Ingredients:
4 Anaheim or green Pimiento chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut into large pieces (you can use canned chilies)
4 medium potatoes, cut into 8 pieces each
4 to 6 green tomatillos (optional), roasted, peeled, and coarsely cut into bite-sized chunks
1 jalapeño pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped small (more if desired)
4 lean boneless pork loin chops, ¾ in. thick, cut into 1” cubes
(boneless, skinless chicken breasts may be substituted)
2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 heaped tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cooking oil
½ tsp chili powder (more if desired)
1 cup dry white wine
Water
Salt to taste
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro (coriander, dhania)

Preparation:
Remove husks from tomatillos and wash thoroughly to remove sticky residue. Roast per directions for Roasted Peppers and Chilies ( http://svcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/fire-roasted-peppers-and-chilies.html ). Cut into bite-sized chunks.

Saute onion, garlic, jalapeño, seasonings, and pork in hot oil, stirring constantly to brown the meat on all sides. Add remaining ingredients (except cilantro) and enough water to completely cover the meat and vegetables.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover pan. Cook slowly until meat, potatoes and tomatillos are fork tender. More water can be added if necessary to keep the meat and veg covered. When cooking is complete, add cilantro.

Thicken broth if desired. Serve over rice or with tortillas.

Topped with grated Monterey Jack cheese and sliced avocado, this makes excellent burritos!

Quesadillas: Value, Variety, and Very, Very Good!

The word “quesadilla” is actually a portmanteau of “queso,” the Spanish word for cheese, and tortilla…and this very accurately describes exactly what it is: a cheese-filled tortilla.

But quesadillas are so much more than that. While the simple cheese-and-tortilla can make a satisfying nibble, there are so many delicious variations that you can create meals with them. These are great for hot snacks for a party, quick lunches for kids, even as a way to use up leftovers. Once you’ve mastered the basic quesadilla, let your imagination run wild!

Basic Quesadilla (V)

(makes 6)

Ingredients:

6 flour tortillas, warmed

1 ½ cups cheese, grated (recommend a combination of Monterey Jack and mild cheddar)

1 ½ cups salsa fresca (drained)

Sour cream (optional)

Guacamole (optional)

Preparation:

Lay a warmed tortilla out on a plate. Place ¼ cup grated cheese on half of the tortilla…spread out to cover half. Sprinkle ¼ cup salsa over the cheese. Fold empty side of tortilla over the cheese and salsa. Repeat with all tortillas.

Cooking:

Heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet until water skitters and jumps when flicked onto it. Place quesadilla on hot cooking surface until cheese melts. Flip quesadilla to warm other side of tortilla. Remove to serving plate. Put next quesadilla in pan and while it cooks, cut the hot quesadilla into three wedges for serving.

Serving:

Serve hot with guacamole, sour cream, and more salsa.

Leftovers:

I have never seen a leftover quesadilla. But if, perchance, you do end up with one, refrigerate in a plastic food bag and warm in microwave or on the griddle before serving. They would make a nice lunch...but I have never seen a leftover one, so I can only speculate!

Variations:

Extra ingredients are added with the cheese and the salsa may be omitted. This is a good way to use up leftover meats (chop them before adding), or vegetables. Use your imagination!

Make breakfast quesadillas by scrambling an egg and adding it with the cheese and salsa.

White cheeses and seafood, especially cooked, chopped shrimp pieces and salsa, are a particularly good combination.

Photo by jspatchwork, flickr

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Pronounced “tor-TEE-yah,” the tortilla is the mainstay of Mexican cuisine. Not only eaten as a bread, tortillas are an integral part of Mexican cooking, the basis for such delicious fare as burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and fajitas.

Most American cooks have all-purpose flour in their kitchens, so this recipe is for flour tortillas. Corn tortillas are actually made from masa harina, not cornmeal or corn flour, a product that may not be readily available outside of California and the Southwest. If you can get masa harina, by all means try corn tortillas…there should be a recipe on the side of the package.

Flour tortillas don’t require much work and they are delicious. Leftovers can be easily reheated on a hot, dry skillet, but not in the microwave, as they will get crisp and hard as soon as they begin to cool. When using as a wrap, whether in Mexican cuisine like a burrito or in something trendy, warm the tortilla first to make it flexible enough to roll without cracking or breaking.

Flour Tortillas

(makes 12)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup warm water

¼ cup lard (shortening can be substituted)

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Prepare dough:

Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. (You can shake it through a sieve if you don’t have a flour sifter.)

Add lard and cut into flour. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use two table knives, one in each hand, in a scissors-motion. Continue cutting lard into flour until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal. Lumps of lard should be no larger than a small pea.

Slowly add ¾ cup of water while mixing it in with a fork. Grease your hands with lard to keep the dough from sticking, and gather the dough up into a ball. If it is too dry to stick together, add more water, a little at a time, until dough holds together but is not sticky to the touch.

Knead the dough about 20 times on a floured board. With a sharp knife, cut dough in half. Cut each half into thirds, then cut each third in half. You will have 12 pieces of dough. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Cover the dough and allow to rest for about 20 minutes. Dough can be refrigerated for later use at this point.

While the dough is resting:

Prepare a place for the cooked tortillas to rest: a plate with a lint-free towel placed on it, a second lint-free towel nearby to cover the hot tortillas as they come off the grill. This will keep them hot and flexible.

Roll the dough:

Take a ball and flatten in between your hands. Place on a floured board and roll with a floured rolling pin (if you don’t have a rolling pin, a straight-sided bottle filled with water and capped will work). Roll to a thickness of no more than ⅛ inch.

Cook on dry hot griddle or skillet (see below). Roll and cook only one tortilla at a time: if you stack uncooked tortillas, they will stick together.

Cook the tortillas:

Use a griddle or heavy skillet. Do not use any oil. Heat pan until a drop of water bounces and skitters when flicked onto the cooking surface.

Place a tortilla on the cooking surface and watch closely. When the surface begins to bubble and the bubbles inflate, turn the tortilla. Cook until they are not doughy, but remove from heat before they begin to burn. Brown spots on the tortilla are normal.

Place the cooked tortilla on a towel-covered plate and cover with another towel. When second tortilla is done, place it atop the first and cover with the towel.

Serve hot.

To reheat:

Heat a dry griddle or heavy skillet until a drop of water bounces and skitters when flicked onto the cooking surface. Place cold tortilla on cooking surface, turning several times until heated through. Place hot tortilla on a towel-covered plate and cover with another towel.

Guacamole and Salsa Fresca

The best guacamole starts with sinfully ripe Haas avocados and a sensational fresh salsa. Here’s how to make both. Olé and enjoy!

Salsa Fresca

Ingredients:

2 large ripe tomatoes

1 medium onion

1 bullet chili or ½ jalapeno pepper (more if you like it spicy)

½ cup finely chopped cilantro leaves (coriander, dhania)

2 tbsp lemon juice

Sea salt to taste

Preparation:

Mince the tomatoes and onion. Grate the chili/pepper (easiest if frozen).

Combine in non-metal bowl and add remaining ingredients. Toss well, store in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving

Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 ripe Haas avocados

¾ cup Salsa Fresca

1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation:

Halve avocados and remove pits. Scoop flesh out of shell into a straight-sided bowl.

Mash avos against side of bowl with fork. It should be slightly lumpy when finished. Stir in lemon juice.

Add salsa and stir together until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve with corn tortilla chips as a snack or as a condiment for tacos, fajitas, or other Mexican dishes.