Tortilla Chorizo Stuffing

We spent Thanksgiving with family in New Orleans and I didn't get to cook or experiment.  I found this recipe in the Thanksgiving issue of Food Network magazine and have been so anxious to try it. 

I am so glad I did!  This stuffing is so unusual and so out of the ordinary!  I'm telling you this was so easy and a huge hit with the A.J. and my picky eater homegirlz.

Don't just tuck this away for Thanksgiving, it's a great side to steaks or any Tex-Mex fiesta you may be hosting.

6 tablespoons butter plus more for the baking dish
10 ounces Chorizo, chopped
2 bunches scallions, chopped
2 Four (4) ounces cans  chopped green chiles, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-3/4 cup chicken broth
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
10 ounces or 3/4 of a 13 ounce bag of Tostitos Restaurant Style tortilla chips with a Hint of Lime, coarsely crushed
4 cups stale white bread cubes
12 ounces crumbled queso fresco cheese

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter a large baking dish.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chorizo, scallions, chiles and cumin.  Cook until the chorizo is slightly brown, about 5 minutes.  Add in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs and cilantro.  Add in the tortilla chips, the bread cubes and crumbled cheese.   Season with salt and pepper to taste. Carefully toss to thoroughly combine.

Slowly pour in the chorizo mixture and toss to combine.

 

Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish.  Dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.  Remove foil and continue baking for another 30 minutes until golden brown.

Another reason not to stuff the turkey, but that's a story for another day.

 

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Chicken Taquitos - Addictive!

When I'm in the mood for Tex-Mex that really rocks, I know who to go to, Guy Fieri.  I adapted this recipe slightly and boy, oh boy, we could not get enough of these taquitos!

The only change I made was I used flour tortillas instead of corn; it's a preference thing.  Corn tortillas break and fall apart when filling them with with moist ingredients.d taste of flour tortillas. 

Since these were so filling, we had quite a few leftover taquitos which I wrapped individually in foil and placed them all in a re-sealable plastic bag and stored them in the freezer.  I recommend re-heating them in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 350 F for about 15 minutes, then open the foil and continue heating them for aother 5 minutes to crisp up the tortilla.  They will taste as wonderful as they did the day you made them.

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 jalapenos, diced and seeded
2 medium red potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips or you can use chicken strips
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
3 ounces your favorite tequila
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
24 flour (corn) tortillas
Wooden toothpicks
Canola Oil

8 ounces of your favorite Salsa
1-1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

Pre-heat the oil over medium-high heat in a medium skillet.  Once the oil is beginning to ripple, add  the onions, red bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, potatoes, garlic and chicken. Saute until chicken is cooked and vegetables are soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the oregano and cumin and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the tequila and the lime juice to the skillet to de-glaze.  Let it simmer until liquid is almost evaporated.

Add the 1/2 inch Canola oil to a large cast iron skillet and heat to 350 degrees F.

Remove the skillet from the heat and shred the chicken using 2 forks.  Allow to cool a bit and then stir in the cilantro.

Wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 1-1/2 minutes to soften up the tortillas a bit. Place about 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture on a tortilla, roll tightly and close.  Secure with a wooden toothpick.

Carefully add the taquitos to the hot oil, seam down. Cook for approximately 2 minutes or until golden brown and turn to other side.

Remove and drain on paper towel lined platter. Remove toothpicks and serve with guacamole or salsa.


Fold the sour cream into salsa to thoroughly combine. Spoon a a little salsa-mole over your piping hot taquitos and garnish with a few crumbles of  queso fresco.

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Nacho Mama's Skillet Nachos

Sometimes you just need something fun and easy for dinner.  These skillet nachos ran the whole gamut for us - fun, easy to prepare, a breeze to clean-up, not to mention the whole family was excited and anxious for dinner to be ready.

I kept this real simple since I have some very picky eaters.  If left to my own devices, I definitely would have added sour cream and homemade guacamole or maybe even a chimichurri sauce.  

1lb. lean ground beef
1 bag restaurant size lime flavored tortilla chips
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
1 jar medium salsa
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons sliced scallions
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
1 tablespoon taco sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

This is best done in a cast-iron skillet.

Brown ground meat over medium heat and drain off excess fat.  Return skillet to burner and sprinkle taco seasoning over meat, add water and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.  Place meat in a bowl and reserve.

Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and line the bottom and sides of the skillet with the tortilla chips.  Spoon the reserved meat into the skillet over the tortilla chips lining the bottom of the pan.  Spread meat out evenly.  Spoon the salsa over the meat and then place a layer of the Monterrey Jack cheese on top.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for approximately 7 minutes, until cheese is almost completely melted.  Sprinkle the scallions and olives over the cheese and then drizzle the taco sauce over the scallions and olives.  Bake for another 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese is completely melted. 

Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Spoon out a serving or just place the skillet on the table and devour.

Huevos Rancheros

We're not normally traditional big breakfast eaters in the morning.  Breakfast food for dinner and we're all over it! 

None of us can eat as soon as we get up.  During the week with work and school or now that it's summertime, the girls have soccer conditioning very early every morning, we don't eat a traditional breakfast.  On the weekends from time to time, I decide I want to make a big breakfast and EVERYONE better eat it!

When A.J. and I were on our honeymoon, he ordered Huevos Rancheros every morning for breakfast.  Being the Stepford wife that I am (NOT), I wanted to try my hand at Huevos Rancheros.  I looked over several recipes online and kind of tailored one I wanted to try. 

I have to be honest, this was a pretty labor intensive undertaking and totally worth the work.  We all loved it!  The portions I served were way more than our appetites could handle.  Cut the serving size in half because this is way too delicious to waste.  

1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro plus 1 tablespoon, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded)
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 ounces Mexican chorizo, casings removed
Canola or Vegetable oil
4 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas (2 tortillas per person)
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
4 eggs
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
3/4 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons light sour cream

Open the can of re-fried beans and place in a small pot.  Heat over low heat, partially covered, until heated through.

In a food processor, puree the tomatoes and juice, onion, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place mixture in a medium skillet and heat to a simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.  Talk about smell good!

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, break up and cook the chorizo until browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove the Chorizo to the skillet with the tomato mixture and keep covered.  Leave the Chorizo fat in the large skillet, this is major flavor!

Add 1 tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil to the Chorizo fat in the large skillet, reduce heat to medium. Using tongs, place a tortilla in the skillet and cook until light golden but not crisp, about 30 seconds. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer to plates, two tortillas per plate. As you are cooking the remaining tortillas, add a little bit more oil to the skillet because the tortillas will absorb the oil.

Since all that's left to cook is the eggs, and they will cook quickly, you will need to begin assembling.  Spread the re-fried beans on the tortillas.

Begin cooking the eggs by adding another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Working in batches, crack the eggs into the skillet. Cook until the bottoms are set and the edges golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until set, about 1 minute more. Place one egg on each tortilla and ladle the tomato mixture over the eggs garnish with the diced avocado, shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.  Top with the additional  cilantro.
So if you have the time and inclination this weekend and the daddy in your house enjoys this type of cuisine, surprise him!  He will appreciate the pampering.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

Steak Fajitas with Chimichurri

These were some of the best fajitas I've made. They were a bit more labor intensive and were worth the wait. This was my first attempt at a chimichurri sauce and it was so fresh tasting and smelling; I will definitely begin to incorporate this into more meals.

Steak Fajitas with Chimichurri Sauce -

In the bowl of a food processor combine one bunch of fresh parsley.

One bunch of cilantro, just throw the whole thing in there.

2 cloves of garlic. It's really two cloves, I just got a little, umm overzealous when I smashed the second clove.

One-half of a red onion sliced.

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt.

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper.

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

2 tablespoons lemon juice.

And finally, 1/2 cup olive oil.

Pulse in the food processor until you get a nice thick and smooth chimichurri sauce. You will get weak at the wonderful aroma you have produced!

I really don't know how large this London Broil is, I would guess about 2 lbs. Pierce both sides of the beef with a fork over the surface of the beef on both sides. Place in a resealable plastic bag.

Pour half of the chimichurri sauce into the bag. Seal the bag and massage the sauce into the London Broil to thoroughly coat the beef. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cover and place the remaining sauce in the fridge for later.

Preheat the grill and remove the steak from the bag, sear the meat on high heat for about 5 minutes per side then move to indirect heat until desired doneness. Move London Broil to a platter and tent with foil.

Ok, we're almost done! Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 1 de-seeded, thinly sliced jalapeno pepper, the other half of the red onion, sliced, and one large red bell pepper thinly sliced. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are softened and caramelized around the edges.

Ok now for the fun part! Add 1/4 cup of a lager beer and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. I felt the lager beer would add a little more flavor than a regular beer or a light beer.

Warm the tortillas on the grill. Our gas grill ran out of propane at this point so I heated the tortillas in a 425 degree oven for about 3 minutes per side. I wouldn't use the boiler!

Thinly slice the steak on the bias; divide among the tortillas along with the peppers and onions. Thin the reserved chimichurri sauce with a tablespoon lemon juice; drizzle over the fajitas. Sprinkle a little grated manchego cheese and you've just made an over the top steak fajita!

Mexican Lasagna

A couple of weeks ago I was in the kitchen preparing dinner and watching Rachel Ray on the Food Network. Rachel was making Mexican Lasagna. I was totally captivated. I walked from the kitchen to the family room, sat down and for the next 25 minutes she has my undivided attention. I couldn't wait to make this!


Mexican Lasagna is one of the most complete comfort foods in the Tex Mex category. One of the best attributes is it is filling, but not heavy. In other words you don't retire from the table to the recliner and unbutton your pants. You'll see by the list of ingredients that this lasagna is packed full of flavor.


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground pork
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can hominy
1 large red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, de-seeded and chopped
12 large tomatillos, peeled and quartered
A handful cilantro or parsley leaves
3 avocados
2 limes
2 tablespoons honey
1 package large flour tortillas
1 pound pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Sour cream, to pass at table


Place rack in oven in middle of oven and heat broiler.

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and ground beef and crumble it up as it browns. While the meat is browning, season it with cumin, coriander and salt and pepper. Once browned evenly, stir in drained hominy and reduce heat to simmer.

While meat is cooking heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pot, add onions, garlic and peppers, season with salt and pepper and saute until softened 5 to 6 minutes.

Place tomatillos and cilantro or parsley in food processor and process until almost smooth. Pour into onion and garlic mixture and simmer to mellow, 5 to 6 minutes more.

Replace the processor bowl. Pit and scoop the avocado flesh into the processor, add 1 teaspoon of lime zest and lime juice from the 2 limes. Add the honey, puree until smooth and season with a little salt. Stir the avocado mixture into the green sauce and remove from heat.

Char all of the tortillas over an open flame, in dry hot skillet or grill pan.







In a 9 x 13 baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray layer sauce, tortilla, meat, cheese, tortilla, sauce, meat, cheese. you'll probably only have room for 2 layers.



Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes until bubbly and cheese is brown. Pass sour cream at the table.






Get in touch with your inner Mexican grandmother and make this today!

Tex Mex Chicken Bake

This is simple, tasty, kid (and mama) pleasing meal with a little bit of a Tex-Mex flair. A perfect mid-week meal, especially when you don't feel like cooking or are asking yourself, "What in the world am I going to do with that chicken tonight".

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 9-inch square baking dish.

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips and seasoned with salt and pepper to heated skillet.

Brown chicken and remove from skillet and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the skillet, and lower the heat to medium, then add 1 medium sized chopped onion to the skillet, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 bay leaf, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 to 1-1/2 cups of fire roasted tomatoes (regular tomatoes can be used too) and crush the tomatoes over the pot with your hand and add them to the pot along with their juices. Add 1 to 2 minced chipotles in adobo sauce, raise the the heat to high, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in 1-1/2 cups of chicken broth and 1 lb. of uncooked orzo. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently, uncovered for about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved chicken. Remove the bay leaf.

Transfer the contents of the skillet to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated Manchego cheese and 1/2 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese over the top.

Cover loosely with foil. Bake until the cheese melts and the casserole is hot all the way through, about 20 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro. I bet you're not bored with chicken tonight!

Beef Fajitas and an Award

Who loves fajitas raise your hand! Forget about a written story to go with this, the pictures say it all!

In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the juice of one orange and two limes, 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic,

3 chipolte peppers, 1 big handful of roughly chopped cilantro, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Pour all of the above ingredients into a blender or you can use an immersion blender and puree the ingredients until smooth. This will become your marinade for your meat.

I used a 1 lb. flat iron steak because it was economical, lean, great flavor and tender. You can also use a flank or skirt steak for this.

Place the meat in a re-sealable plastic bag and add pour in the marinade. Seal and shake to coat. Refrigerate the beef for 2 to 4 hours to flavor the beef.

While the beef is marinading, let's make some guacamole!

Half and pit 2 ripe avocados. Using a spoon, scoop the avocado into a bowl and mash the avocados with the back of a fork, leaving them a little bit chunky.

Add the juice of 2 limes, 1/2 small onion chopped, 1 clove of garlic minced, one jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped, 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Mix all ingredients together and place sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate for least one hour.

Preheat a grill pan on medium-high heat. Drain the marinade from the beef and reserve marinade. Lightly oil the grill pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the steak over medium-high heat.

Cook for 4 minutes on each side.

Transfer beef to a cutting board to rest.

Once the beef is off the grill pan and resting, add the 1 sliced red bell pepper thinly sliced and 1 medium onion thinly sliced. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 of a lime over the vegetables and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and tossed to coat the peppers and onions evenly with the olive oil and lime juice.

Grill the vegetables for about 7 to 8 minutes until they are just barely limp.

While the peppers and onions are cooking, heat up the tortillas. I used a pannini press coated with non-stick cooking spray but you can use any free burners on a medium low flame for about 30 seconds per side if you have a gas stove. Once heated remove the tortilla to a plate lined with a damp paper towel and wrap to keep warm. You can also heat your tortillas in a microwave, lightly dampen a tea towel with some water, wrap the tortillas in the damp towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal. Add to the grill pan with the peppers and onions and add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved marinade and toss.

To serve, spread some guacamole on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers and onions, and salsa. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling. Add some sour cream and shredded cheese too!

Lynette from Netts Nook gave me this award. I am very honored to receive this award from Lynette. She has a wonderful blog that I enjoy very much. Please stop by Netts Nook for a visit and leave her a comment!

Ole'!