Category Archives: Mexican

Ground Beef Taco Soup.

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We had our very first snow of the year, actually of all of 2012!  Although it was short-lived, it was fun while it lasted.  It put me in the mood for a nice, hearty soup to soothe my  soul and warm my bones. Every so often, you need a meal like that to make you smile.  To make it even more special, my youngest is home sick with me today and she helped me create this recipe – which makes it all the better.  She is my taco expert!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
2 lbs of lean ground sirloin beef (92% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped (I used one yellow and one green)
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and Pepper
1 small (11 ounce) can corn
1 can of dark red kidney beans (low sodium)
1 tablespoon of diced chilis
10 ounce can of diced tomatoes with chilies or a can of diced tomatoes
20 ounces of chicken stock

Directions:

In a Dutch oven (I use my Le Creuset Dutch oven).  Pour a splash of olive oil in the bottom of the pan and turn the heat source to medium.   Add the beef, onion and peppers.  Break up the meat as you cook it.  This should take about 8-10 minutes.  Then you will add all of the seasonings.  Give it a good stir.  Then add the corn, beans, chills, tomatoes and stock.  Bring it  to a boil and then cover and reduce the temperature to low.  Same the stock about 30 minutes into cooking to adjust the seasonings to your taste.

You can easily substitute the ground sirloin for ground turkey.  Add or omit the spices you like/don’t.  Make this your own :)

 

 

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Crock Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken.

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Tonight, again, I’m out doing a presentation and won’t be home for dinner.  Coincidentally, I’ve also had several requests for more crock pot recipes, so I thought I would feature one of my favorites.  For some reason, I haven’t made this in quite some time but I really do love the combination of cilantro and lime.  I pair this up with some brown rice or quinoa and you have a wonderfully easy, and flavorful dish.

Ingredients:

4-5 chicken breasts, washed and trimmed
14 ounces of chopped tomatoes
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 onion, chopped
1- 14 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder)
Salt and pepper
Dash of cayenne

Directions:

Place everything in the crock pot and give it a good stir to coat everything and mix all of the spices.  Cook on low for 4+ hours.  Serve over brown rice or quinoa.  You can also chop the chicken and use in fajitas or tacos.

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King Arthur’s 00 Italian Pizza Crust.

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Today my friends at King Arthur’s sent me a big box filled with gorgeous flours to try.  It was perfect… my daughter has been begging me to make my Mexican pizza and I thought I would try a taco pizza instead.  I dove right in and this crust is beyond fabulous.

King Arthur’s describes this fabulous flour as the following:

why we love it

American flour is all about its gluten: it’s ready for action, headed for the highest rise. This version of Italian 00 flour, on the other hand, mirrors the warm, laid-back climate of its native land. Its protein is not only lower, but much more mellow. Make pizza or flatbread with this flour; you’ve never worked with such friendly dough! It’s incredibly extensible, practically flowing under your hands as you pat it into shape. And the resulting bread or crust? Light as air, tender, snapping crisp or soft as a cloud.

So here is the old 00 pizza recipe that I had on hand.  Tried and true… oh so good too.  We have NO leftovers remaining.  Positive sign that it was enjoyed by my family.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 quarter teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 + 1/8 teaspoon of granulated sugar
1 cup of warm water (110 degrees is perfect)
2 teaspoons of salt
2 tablespoons of a better quality olive oil
3 cups of King Arthur’s 00 flour

Directions:
In your measuring cup combine the yeast, sugar and warm water.  Let sit on the counter for 10 minutes until frothy.  If it fails to get frothy, throw out and start over with fresh yeast.  If the yeast isn’t active, it won’t froth up for you.

Once 10 minutes is over, add the mixture to your stand mixer bowl, dough hook attached, and add the salt and olive oil.  Blend for 30 seconds.  Then in 1 cup portions, add the flour.  Blend well after each cup added.  Once everything is in the mixing bowl, turn the speed up to medium and blend.  If the dough is too dry, add a few drops of water.  Too wet, add a tiny bit of flour.  Keep kneading for about 7-8 minutes.  The dough should form a large ball onto the dough hook and clean the sides of your bowl.  Remove and add the dough to a clean and oiled bowl.  Cover with a towel and set in a warm, draft-free location (I usually place it in my microwave).  Let rise for 1 hour.  Preheat your oven at this point at 475 degrees with your pizza stone.  To achieve a nice crusty pizza dough, let it preheat for one hour.

After one hour, remove, divide into 2 (for large pizzas) or 4 (for smaller, personalized size) balls.  Flour your surface well and roll out the dough to the desired shape.  Prick with a fork all over to avoid bubbles from forming.  Place on your pizza stone and pre-cook for 5-7 minutes or just until lightly golden.  Remove, top with your favorite sauce or pesto (I used that here) and other toppings and cheese.  Return to the oven or outside grill (again 475 degrees) until cheese melts.  Remove and slice.  Enjoy!

For my taco pizza, I used my pesto recipe for the sauce (find the recipe here) https://kneadtocook.com/?p=889.  Then I added organic lean beef that was cooked throughout, sliced tomatoes, cheddar cheese, jalapeños and whatever else you enjoy on a taco pizza.  Once cooked, top with cilantro leaves.  

 

 

 

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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas.

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The one and ONLY reason I’m not a vegetarian is because I adore (okay LOVE pork).  I love it even more when I can toss it in my slow cooker and have to do pretty much nothing for a fab dinner.  Tonight my love and I met again and it was oh-so-good!

Ingredients:

1 -3 lb pork shoulder
1 -32 ounce Pacific organic chicken broth
3 tablespoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Into your slow cooker, place the pork shoulder and broth.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Remove the meat about 15 minutes prior to serving and place on a platter.  Strain the fat from the broth and discard.  With two forks proceed to shred the meat.    Season the meat with all of the seasonings.  Let this sit for about 4-5 minutes and then return the meat to the crock pot with the broth.  Keep hot until ready to serve.  Serve with flour or wheat tortilla shells.  Top with your favorite taco toppings.  Enjoy!

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Mexican Crock Pot Chicken.

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We love Mexican-inspired food and this was one sure-fire way for me to get around making tacos for my youngest (who always requests them).  This recipe was super easy, I just threw everything in my crock pot and went about my day, which was filled with me cleaning the house from top to bottom.  I served this over rice and topped it with some low fat cheddar.

Ingredients:

5 chicken breasts (smaller side but I did one per person)
2 cups of salsa
15 oz. can of low sodium black beans
1 cup of fresh or frozen corn
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
16 oz of chicken stock
4 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of cayenne
1 jalapeño, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in your crock pot.  Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.  Remove the chicken prior to serving, shred with two forks.  Return the chicken back to the mixture and let reheat thoroughly.  Serve over noodles, rice etc.  Top with low fat cheddar, non-fat Chobani yogurt or fresh cilantro.

 

 

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Veggie & black bean salad. Vegetarian.

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My vegetarian friend Brooke, made me a salad similar to this years ago and over the years I’ve revamped it and made it my own.  I can honestly down this entire, very large, container in one sitting if I needed to.  I did help myself to 3, yes 3, helpings at dinner.  Consider I only ate watermelon for lunch, that would explain my voracious appetite :)

Ingredients:

1 – 15 oz can of organic black or adzuki beans
2 c of fresh corn or frozen
2 c of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped (color of the pepper may vary)
1/2 c of a red onion, diced
2 jalapeño, chopped finely
1/3 c of fresh lime juice
1/4 c of olive oil
1/4 c cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tsp of salt
3/4 tsp of ground cumin (if you don’t like cumin as much as I do, use 1/4 or 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp of ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to let the flavors mingle.  You can serve this as a side dish, with tortilla chips at a party or just with a big spoon!  YUM!

The aftermath.

 

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Taco pasta.

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Mexico meets Italy in this fun dish!  Great way to use up you taco or noodle leftovers.  My husband requested pasta and my sweet young daughter requested tacos.  I morphed the two requests into this dish to make everyone happy :)

Ingredients:

1 tbl olive oil
1 lb of lean ground turkey
1 tbl chili powder
2 tbl ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 scallions, diced
1 can (14-15 oz) of low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
Cilantro (for garnish- optional)
Jalapeño, sliced (for garnish- optional)
Cheese of your choice (optional)
In a large skillet over medium flame,  heat up the olive oil.  Add the meat and cook until no longer pink.  Add all of the spices and turn the heat to low.

In a separate stock pot, cook the pasta (I used orecchiette) according to package directions.  Drain and then toss with the meat mixture.  Stir to combine and then serve.

Top with cilantro leaves, cheese (I used a spicy jalapeño jack cheese), onions, olives etc.

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Mexican Chicken Soup.

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With lots of taco leftovers from last night & chicken for tonight’s dinner… I thought why not!  I was really in a soup kind of mood with it raining cats and dogs all day long (not complaining it could be snow).  I threw it all together and it worked quite nicely.

Ingredients:

1.5 chicken (I did have it marinating in an Adobo sauce but you can plain chicken)
42 oz of chicken stock or broth
3 ribs of celery, sliced into pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can of black beans, washed and drained
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeño, minced
2 tbl cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large Dutch Oven, I add the broth and chicken.  Over medium heat, cook this for about 45 minutes.  Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove and shred with two forks.  I also run a strainer through the broth to collect any residue that the chicken marinade may have left behind.  Add the meat back to the liquid.  Then add all of the other ingredients.  Cover and turn the flame down to low.  Adjust the seasonings per your taste.  I cook this for several hours (3-5) and serve.  I garnish with guacamole, sliced avocados, jalapeños, pepper jack cheese or whatever my crew wishes to have on it :)

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Chicken tortilla topped with fresh guac.

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Okay I admit it… I cannot keep up with these National food days!  I just found out tomorrow is National Tortilla Day.  Oh well… finally I’m a day early for something ;)

This recipe is very forgiving and super easy.  It was our last night of swim practice for my youngest, my oldest was babysitting, hubby was running late so I prepared this and everyone built their meal when they got home.  If this sounds familiar, then this is the recipe for you!

First, I started out by making the guac.  Toss the following into a bowl:

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeño, finely diced
1 can of low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c of chopped cilantro
1/3 c of corn kernels
3-4 avocados, pitted and chopped
2 tbl of fresh lime juice
2 tsp of ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix well and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350.  Spray your cookie sheet with olive oil and place two whole wheat tortillas on it.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until toasted.  Remove and place on a plate.  This is the base layer for your dinner.

Grill your chicken either on a gas or coal grill or on your stove top.  Slice into bite-sized pieces.  Top each tortilla on your plate with several pieces of chicken. Then top with the guac.  Serve and enjoy!

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Todd English’s Prime Rib Chili.

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My sweet friend purchased a signed copy of Todd English’s latest cookbook for me for my 40th birthday.  I saw this recipe and needed to try it!  Decadent prime rib puts an unusual twist to a basic chili recipe.  I have no leftovers to speak of.  Everyone loved this recipe!  Definitely a keeper :)

Ingredients
  • 2 lb.prime rib steak, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
  • 1⁄4 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1⁄8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1⁄4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large finely diced red onion
  • 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
  • 2 seeded and diced Anaheim chiles
  • 2 to 4 tbsp. Mexican Spice Blend (2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp of chili powder, 1.5 tsp of coriander)
  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 cups drained and rinsed assorted canned beans
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese,
Preparation

Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Cook, in batches, in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl, reserving drippings in Dutch oven.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to hot drippings, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chiles and Mexican Spice Blend, and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Return steak to Dutch oven. Add broth and tomatoes.

Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Stir in beans, and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice. Serve with cheese.

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