SUPER EASY FLOUR TORTILLAS

I throw away a lot of tortillas, do you? I use 5 or 6 out of a package and freeze the rest with good intentions of using them later, but I never do. Before long they are covered with ice crystals and hiding in a dark corner in the freezer.

So I recently decided to teach myself how to make flour tortillas.
I was pleased to discover that they are very easy to make in the food processor and very inexpensive as well. They also taste worlds better than the ones from the store, I promise!! It is like the difference between store bread and bread out of the oven.

This recipe makes (8) 8" tortillas

1+3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (see note below)
1/2 cup of hot tap water

In a food processor, place the flour, baking powder, salt and vegetable oil.  Pulse several times until it looks like coarse corn meal.

While the food process is still running, stream in the hot water (it doesn't have to be super hot, just hot right from the sink). When dough starts to form a ball, stop the food processor and dump the mixture out on the counter.

Knead it together with your hands a few times until it makes a  nice smooth ball (only takes a minute or so). Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball (cover them and only roll out and cook one at a time).

Using a rolling pin, roll each ball (I don't use extra flour, but some people do) out into a large circle. Roll it as thin as you can, then roll it even more. My rule of thumb is to roll them thin enough so you can see the color of your counter just a little........well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but not by much (wink) the thinner the better

DO NOT WORRY IF THEY ARE NOT PERFECTLY ROUND,

THAT WILL COME WITH EXPERIENCE

One at a time, cook on hot UNGREASED pan (I use my electric griddle at 375F, for about one minute a side or until bubbles start to appear like this

 

 

 

As the bubbles appear, very gently press them down a little with a spatula. After it has cooked for about a minute (peak under and make sure that there are little golden brown spots on the underside), then flip it over and cook the other side for another minute. Keep them warm inside of a clean dish towel until you get them all cooked.

These tortillas are truly delicious.  Now, if you want to live really dangerously, you can replace the heart healthy canola oil with un-healthy but over-the-top delicious bacon fat.  Talk about WOW!!  I don't recommend this very often, but on a special occasion, you just have to try it with the bacon fat, it is excellent. (Note: on the days I fry bacon, I put the bacon fat into a clean jam jar and keep it in the fridge or freezer).

ENJOY !!

FLOUR TORTILLAS

I've been on a "learning how to make flour tortillas" kick all week; I don't know how many different recipes I've tried, but it has been a lot of fun and even the "least attractive" tortillas were delicious and (very much) worth the effort (they are worlds better than the ones at the store!!)

Most tortilla recipes require the same basic ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, lard or shortening and hot water. Where the recipes differ is in technique and that is something that just takes practice;I found some GREAT tortilla making tutorials on "You Tube", those people have it down to an art!!!

3½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons Crisco or lard (see note)
1+ cup very hot water (see note)

Mix the dry ingredients and cut the Crisco or lard into the flour with a pastry cutter until you get what looks like corn meal (same technique as you would for pie crust).

Make a depression in the middle of the dry ingredients and slowly add the HOT water a little at a time, mixing in the dry ingredients as you go. Stir until everything comes together then knead it by hand (or stand mixer) for 2 minutes.

Cover and let the dough rest for an hour. Shape the dough into ping pong ball size balls, cover again and let rest for 15 minutes. This will make them easier to roll out.

Roll the tortillas out on unfloured counter. It's hard to get them perfectly round at first, so don't worry about that; they taste great no matter what their shape is.

What IS frustrating is how thin you need to roll them; roll them as thin as possible. The tortillas in the photo above were rolled thin enough that I could see the color of my counter through the dough, and yet, when you cook them, they don't stay that thin; keep that in mind.

To cook them, heat a cast iron pan (I like to use my electric skillet) to about 375° to 400° DO NOT USE OIL at this stage. Put the tortilla on the hot surface. As soon as you see little bubbles appearing in the tortilla (it will depend on how thick you rolled them), turn it over. You want the little bubbles to turn light brown, so watch your heat and raise/lower it if necessary; if the tortillas super-puff up, just gently press on them with the flat of your spatula. Don't over-cook them or they will get brittle.

Place cooked tortillas in a clean warm towel. You can use them right away or wrap them well and keep them in the fridge for up to a week; you can also freeze them.

I hope I haven't scared you off because home made tortillas are seriously delicious. Your first batch won't be beautiful, but don't let that discourage you. It really is fun (get the kids to help!!) and each  batch comes out prettier than the last.

NOTE: The recipes I found called for lard or shortening (Crisco). I don't have lard in my pantry, but I had great results with butter flavored Crisco. I even made some with real BUTTER and they were great too. Some recipes call for vegetable oil, but I haven't tried that yet.

NOTE: Don't be afraid to add a little extra hot water to get a nice smooth dough. I live in a very dry climate and I had to add almost an extra 1/4 cup of hot water. You want your final dough to feel soft and pliable but not sticky.

NOTE: Recipe makes 8 burrito size tortillas or 12 regular/small size tortillas.

NOTE: I like the idea of making little tortillas for our youngest grandchildren!!

CROCK POT SPICY PORK AND PINTO's

This recipe is a real crowd pleaser. Fork-tender pork tenderloin with pinto beans, spicy gravy and it all cooks together in the crock pot!! The first night, I like to serve this over rice, but it is equally as tasty stuffed into warm flour tortillas, or over a bed of tortilla chips and smothered with cheese; it also has ENDLESS leftover possibilities (which is a very good thing)!!

I like to use a 2 pound pork tenderloin, because it is nice and lean, but any 2-3 pound pork roast will work.  My crock pot is a big one and it tends to run a little hot, so this pork is fall apart tender (for me) in 6 hours ON THE LOW SETTING. Depending on your crock pot, it could take as many as 8 hours on low, but that is unlikely, just start checking for tenderness at 6 hours.

2 pounds (roughly) pork tenderloin
1 1/2 cups DRY PINTO beans (rinse, but DO NOT soak)
(1) 4 ounce can of mild green chilies (I use Ortega)
3 teaspoons chili powder (see note)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup chopped sweet onion
healthy pinch of dry red pepper flakes (optional see note)

Brown the pork well and put it in the crock pot. Saute the onions and garlic in the same pan and then mix them with the DRY beans, spices, canned chilies then pour over the meat. Add just enough water to mostly cover the beans and meat, it should look like this:

Make sure the liquid gets under the meat as well. After cooking on low for a few hours, check the liquid level in the crock pot and add a little more water if necessary, but not TOO much. THIS BROTH MAKES THE BEST-BEST-BEST RED GRAVY!!
 

Take the meat out of the crock pot after 5-6 hours or when it gets fork tender  (remove any fatty pieces and bones) and pull it apart. Thicken the liquid in the crock pot with a cornstarch and water slurry, then put meat back in with the beans and gravy. 
 

 

 

 

VARIATION: The beans in this recipe make OVER THE TOP delicious re-fried beans. Just fish out the beans and put them in the food processor with a little bit of the liquid. You'll never buy canned refried beans again!!

NOTE: A word about the heat or spice in this recipe. My hubby doesn't like very much (hates) "heat" in his food. He likes strong flavors, he just doesn't like "fire" as he calls it. I use a very small pinch of dry red pepper flakes when I make this for him. If you like a little more "fire", just up the dry red pepper flake ingredient.

NOTE: If I'm making this for children, I back off the chili powder to 2 teaspoons and omit the chili flakes.

TACO MEAT LOAF

This meat loaf is a lot of fun and it is a great way to perk up any week night. It has crushed corn chips, salsa and cheese in it and then its topped with refried beans and more cheese.

The "heat" of your salsa will determine how spicy this meatloaf is, so it is easy to adjust for younger kids (and us grandparents). I like to serve it with Spanish rice, refried beans and coleslaw. It is a great change of pace.

1 pound of LEAN ground beef (less than 10% fat)
½ cup of finely crushed corn chips
1 beaten egg
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ cup of (your favorite) thick and chunky salsa
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup of Mexican blend shredded cheese

TOPPING
1 cup of refried beans
¼ cup of your favorite salsa
1 cup of Mexican blend shredded cheese

In a bowl, mix the ground beef, corn chips, egg, chili powder, cumin, salsa, black pepper and ½ cup of shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly and form into an oval on the baking sheet (not in a loaf pan).

 You should have an oval meat loaf like this

In a small bowl, mix the refried beans with ¼ cup of salsa and frost the top of the uncooked meatloaf with it. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. The last few minutes of baking time, sprinkle the top of the meatloaf with one cup of shredded cheese and return to oven.

To serve, gently slide a thin spatula under the meatloaf to loosen it from the baking pan and lift it (all in one piece) to a nice serving dish.

NOTE: I do not add salt to this recipe because there is plenty of salt in the other ingredients.

NOTE: By baking this on a sheet pan (rather than a loaf pan) the grease will run out onto the pan and not "soak" your meatloaf.You shouldn't have much "grease" if you use 90% lean ground beef.

CROCKPOT SHORT RIB TACOS

The next two weeks are very busy "baking" weeks for me, how about you? I've made three different kinds of jam to put in gift baskets, and now I'm starting the fun stuff like cookies, breads and a gingerbread house.

While I'm happy to be in the kitchen, I'm not as happy about cooking real food (like dinner), so my crockpot is getting a workout while I have fun baking cookies.

Today's post came about the other day when I had some BONELESS beef short ribs thawed out and I had no clue what to do with them.  I decided to make boneless short rib tacos and they were SO GOOD, I will definitely be making these again!!

 

Start with 2½ pounds of BONELESS beef short ribs. I'm sure every butcher shop has their version, but the ones I use look like this and they are about 1/2" thick:

 

In a small cup, mix 3 teaspoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin (don't leave that out), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of oregano and 1 tablespoon of dry onion flakes. Mix well and sprinkle both sides of the meat evenly as possible (no need to brown the meat). 

Put the seasoned meat in the crockpot and top with a 4 ounce can of undrained mild green chile's (I use Ortega).

 

Cook on low for 6 hours or until they are fall apart tender (it really depends on how thick the meat is). Don't add any liquid.

 

Remove the meat from the crockpot and cover with foil to keep warm for a few minutes. There will be about a cup of broth in the bottom of the crockpot...thicken it and coat the meat with the "taco gravy". Each boneless short rib makes one awesome taco!!

 

The leftovers (sliced on the bias) made fantastic grilled beef and cheese subs.



BAJA SAUCE (Taco Bell Clone)

Everyone is posting spicy and delicious recipes for Cinco de Mayo, so I thought I would post one of my favorite "go withs".  This cold, creamy and spicy condiment can be used on anything that you would use sour cream on; it is delicious on beef tacos, enchiladas, fish tacos, veggies and much more. Just make sure you let it sit in the fridge overnight before serving it. We call it Baja Sauce at our house.

¼ of a red bell pepper
1 jalapeno sliced (see note below)
2 tablespoons diced onion
Put the above ingredients in a food processor, and chop until very fine.

Mix 6 teaspoons of the above chopped mixture with:
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vinegar
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Mix well and cover. Chill overnight.
NOTE:  I use a very small jalapeno and remove the seeds and ribs  to lessen the heat factor for picky-picky husband, but if you like more "heat", use a larger pepper or leave some of the seeds  in.

NOTE: I've never tried Miracle Whip in this recipe, so I can't comment on that. I used light mayonnaise and light sour cream and it worked very well.

NOTE: This keeps in the fridge for several days.

COLEEN's RED RICE

This recipe is one of my original recipes; it is also one that I could probably "live on" if need be (I like it just that much!!) It is my "go to" recipe when picky-picky husband is grilling some huge slab-o-meat (and I want something a little lighter).

This recipe is also very quick and easy, made with pantry staples and if you double (or triple) it, it would be wonderful for a potluck.

 

1 cup raw white rice (not instant rice)
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
15 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tomato can of water + ½ cup
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 cup red kidney beans

Heat the canola oil, then add the raw rice, onion and spices. Saute this mixture until the onion is transparent and the rice is opaque. Add the red bell pepper, kidney beans, the whole can of diced tomatoes (plus the juice) plus 1 full can of water and another ½ cup of water. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Put a tight fitting lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

NOTE: "Toasting" the spices in the oil/raw rice mixture at the beginning of this recipe really "wakes up" the spices and helps the flavor get deep into the rice.

EASY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

This is a great comfort food classic that I turned into an easy, quick fix casserole. You can easily double or triple the ingredients for a big crowd. The flavors are great and it reheats extremely well.

MEAT FILLING
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dry onion flakes
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup water
4 oz. mild green chilies (I use Ortega brand)

Brown the ground beef and drain. Return to pan and add everything else, stir well and let this simmer for about 10 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
 ENCHILADA SAUCE (1) 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups water

Mix well and simmer for about 15 minutes...set aside

ASSEMBLY

In a greased 9 x 13 pan, place TWO layers of soft corn tortillas; cover with a little of the enchilada sauce. Space large spoons of the meat filling 2" apart on top of the sauce, and sprinkle with a little cheese like this:



  Top with TWO more thickness' of soft corn tortillas that have been cut into diamonds, like this:

Ladle some more sauce over the soft tortilla diamonds, then repeat with the meat and cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for about 35 minutes. You can make this early in the day and then just pop it into the oven at dinner time. If you do that, add about 10 minutes to the total baking time.

TACO BELL RED SAUCE CLONE RECIPE

I admit it, there are certain items that I really enjoy at Taco Bell. Yes, I know it's not authentic Mexican food, but when you like something, well, you overlook things like that. One thing I enjoy at TB is a warm condiment called red sauce. It is not the hot sauce that comes in a packet; it is the steaming hot red sauce that is served on their tostados and their Mexican pizza. This recipe is about as close to the original taste as you can get!!!

 1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce
1/3 cup water
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1½ teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons dry onion flakes
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon white sugar
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix everything and simmer (on very low) for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot. The "spice level" is very moderate if you use it right away. It is a little spicier if you let it sit in the fridge overnight.
Serve (as a hot condiment) with any Mexican food.

NOTE: I was surprised to see that there is vinegar in this sauce (you can't taste it in the final product).

NOTE: I don't usually buy garlic salt. I just mix it up with 3 parts salt to 1 part garlic powder, stir well.

HEIDI's MEXICAN PORK CHOPS

Recently, Heidi, from Tried-and-True Cooking With Heidi, posted a recipe for Mexican Pork Chops. I'm always searching for simple pork recipes and this one caught my eye. It was a snap to make and tasted great, thank you Heidi!!

Browned pork chops are baked on top of a taco seasoned rice. The flavor of the pork bakes down into the rice and just before serving, it's all topped with cheese. Oh so good!!.
6 pork chops (I used 3 thick ones)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying)
1½ cups water
¾ cup long grain rice
8 ounce can of tomato sauce
2½ tablespoons taco seasoning
1 medium green bell pepper chopped (I used red)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
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Brown the pork chops well, and set aside. Mix the water, rice, tomato sauce and seasoning and put it into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with browned pork chops and the chopped bell pepper.
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Cover tightly and bake in pre-heated 350F oven for 1 hour. Uncover and top with cheese. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.
NOTE: I seasoned the pork chops with the seasoning mix from my last post, (before I browned them). I used this same "taco seasoning" in the rice.
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NOTE: I used chopped red bell pepper (instead of green pepper) because we like it better. I also mixed it into the rice (instead of putting it on top of the meat and rice). I also added a 15 ounce can of (rinsed and drained) black beans to the rice.
NOTE: Just before I serve this, next time, I'm going to sprinkle it with a little chopped avocado and cherry tomatoes.

TACO SEASONING

Make your own taco seasoning!! It is simple, quick, cheap and useful for almost anything. I use it on steak fajitas, tacos, Spanish rice, chicken and much more. It is so much more convenient (and tasty) than the commercial packets.

 In a bowl, mix together:
12 teaspoons chili powder
8 teaspoons paprika (not the spicy kind)
8 teaspoons ground cumin
6 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder (not salt)
¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 tablespoon beef bullion granules

Mix well and store in a tightly covered jar. Can be used as a dry rub or if you are making taco's, brown the meat and drain well. Add 7 teaspoons of this mix and ½ cup water to a pound of ground beef. Stir well and simmer until liquid evaporates.


NOTE: This is not super spicy, but it is very full flavored. If you like more heat, you can always add more cayenne. Approximately 7 teaspoons of this mixture will season a pound of ground beef.
NOTE: If you don't want to make a whole jar of seasoning...just divide this recipe by 4.

CROCK POT REFRIED BEANS FOR A CROWD

I have been tweaking this recipe for about a year and I finally have it just the way we like it. It is one of those great recipes that you dump everything in the slow cooker and wait for the magic.

Canned refried beans just don't "do it" for us after trying this one. Honestly, I could just eat this with a spoon right out of the slow cooker...forget the toppings.

1 medium sweet onion (cut in half but not chopped)
3 cups of rinsed (and sorted) DRY pinto beans
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
3 tsp. chili powder
6 slices of crisp bacon (crumbled)
1 tsp. ground cumin
(1) 4 ounce can green mild chiles
½ fresh jalapeno (seeded and chopped)
9 cups water

Put everything in the crockpot and cook on high for 8 hours or till tender. Drain but reserve liquid. Put drained bean mixture into the food processor and puree, adding just enough of the reserved bean liquid to make the beans the right consistency. Keep warm in the crock pot.

NOTE: No need to pre-soak the beans

NOTE: Check the beans after 6-7 hours, if it looks like they are losing too much liquid, add another cup of water.

NOTE: I put the cooked onion (from the crockpot) in the food processor with the beans. A few pulses and it disappears.

NOTE: It's up to you how finely you puree the beans. If you like your refried beans a little chunky, just pulse them a few times.
NOTE: I use a medium size sweet onion, like a Vidalia
NOTE: Leave out the bacon if you are going vegetarian.

GREEN CHILE PORK LOIN ROAST

We love this recipe, not only because it is easy and tasty, but because of it's excellent leftover possibilities. Green chile roast leftovers make great cold sandwiches or it can be torn apart and tucked (hot) into warm tortillas (with a little bit of the chile gravy & some pepperjack cheese) for a great leftover transformation (it is one of those recipes that tastes even better on day two).


4 pound boneless pork loin roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 ounce can of Ortega fire roasted green chiles
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon dry red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 Reynolds roasting bag + 1 tablespoon flour
Place the tablespoon of flour in the roasting bag and shake it around (per roasting bag instructions). Place the bag in a roasting pan (set aside).

Mix all of the dry ingredients and rub it all onto the surface of the pork roast. Brown the roast in the vegetable oil (both sides). Place the browned roast into the roasting bag and put half of the green chiles on top of the roast and the other half under the roast.

Seal the bag tightly and make a few small holes in the top of the bag to let steam escape. Bake in preheated 325F oven for 2 hours (see note). Thicken juices and serve over pork slices.

NOTE: I have not tried it, but I see no reason why you could not use a roasting pan that has a tight lid instead of the plastic roasting bag.

NOTE: Most recipes tell you took cook a boneless pork roast like this for 20 minutes per pound, however, we like our pork cooked longer than that. Thirty minutes per pound will give you very tender pork but still slice-able (not quite to pulled pork tenderness). If you don't care for pork done this way, figure 20 minutes per pound.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

This was my first attempt at homemade flour tortillas and I was "stunned and amazed" at how easy they were!! Since there is just two of us at home these days, I have wasted a ton of money on commercial tortillas that never get used. I buy a package of 12...use three or four and put the rest in the freezer. I don't know how many partial bags of ice crusted tortillas I've thrown away over the years, but not any more!! Fresh tortillas are so much tastier than commercial ones.

While this recipe makes about eight 8" tortillas, it is also a wonderful convenience not to be stuck with "one size fits all" tortillas. For example, you could make half full size tortillas and half "toddler size" tortillas. I think the little ones would get a kick out of that.

This recipe produces a dough that is very easy to work (feels almost like Play Doh) and it fries up in either a dry pan (if you are watching calories) or in vegetable oil if you are looking for a nice and flaky tortilla. Hubby gave the flaky style both thumbs up!!

 4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons cold shortening (or bacon grease)
1½ cups hot water

Put first 4 ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well mixed. Add hot water while machine is running. Turn machine off when dough comes together. Remove dough and knead about half a dozen times or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, turn dough out onto lightly floured counter and roll into balls about the size of a small golf ball. Roll out tortillas (starting in center and rolling outwards, turning often).
To cook the tortillas, the recipe says to use a cast iron skillet, but I found it hard to regulate the temperature (it got too hot) so I used an electric skillet instead. I'm sure with practice, the cast iron skillet would be the way to go. I fried the ones I wanted to eat in a dry skillet, but to get the big flaky bubbles, fry them in a little vegetable oil. Keep the tortillas warm in a kitchen towel while you cook the others.
NOTE: I made a half recipe for just hubby and myself and it gave me five nice big tortillas. It is such a great dough, I'm sure you could double the ingredients as well if you are cooking for a crowd.

GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE

I have always cooked with canned Ortega mild fire-roasted chilies (if hubby doesn't know they are in a recipe, he magically does not get heartburn lol). However, I have put off the urge to cook with fresh Anaheim chilies because I think he would seriously panic if he saw them. Well, recently, the opportunity to cook with fresh Anaheim's presented itself (hubby wouldn't he home for dinner) so I went for it. They were delicious!!
 

 GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE

 

3 fresh Anaheim chilies
1 to 2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 to 3 teaspoons mild chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour

Wash and dry the chilies and put them under the broiler for 5-10 minutes (my broiler took about 8 minutes) turning the chilies about once a minute. You want the skins of the chilies to blacken on at least 60% of their surface. Remove them from the broiler and place them in a Tupperware container with a tight lid (this will help steam the chilies) for about 15 minutes. Next step is to peel off their skins, cut open and remove seeds and dice flesh; you should have about one cup of diced chilies (set aside).

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until they are tender and mellow, then put them in a food processor along with 1 cup of prepared chilies, and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of flour; process until smooth. Transfer to a sauce pan and add the chili powder, cumin, salt and the remaining 1&1/2 cups of chicken broth. Cook until thick and bubbling; lower heat and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes. Use immediately.

While this enchilada sauce can be used on beef enchiladas, it does better with chicken or seafood. The enchiladas pictured here were made with surimi (fake crab). I just chopped the surimi into smaller pieces, mixed it with Monterey Jack cheese and a little of the green enchilada sauce and rolled the filling in tortillas, poured the sauce over them and topped with more cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until everything is hot and bubbly. They were light and tasty.

NOTE: I only used 1 teaspoon of mild chili powder. If you like more kick, add more.

TACO BURGERS

It has been hot for at least two weeks, so we have done a lot of grilling, crock potting and microwaving (anything that keeps the kitchen cooler). We cooked this taco burger on the "GF Grilling Machine " but it would be even better on an outdoor grill.

2 pounds of extra lean ground beef (I use 93%)
1/2 cup of crushed corn chips
1/4 cup favorite taco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
sliced pepper Jack cheese
lettuce, tomato, avocado & onion
Mix the ground beef with the crushed corn chips, taco sauce and salt and pepper.
Shape into patties and grill over medium heat. Just before it is finished, top each burger with a slice of pepper Jack cheese and let it melt. Serve burgers on bun with fresh veggies.

TURKEY and BLACK BEAN CHILI

This is my favorite way to eat chili...a bed of greens, a thin layer of Frito corn chips, a cup of slow simmered chili (nice and thick), a little cheddar, sliced grape tomatoes (they are the sweetest), cubed avocado, green onions and a little low fat sour cream...oh yum!

TURKEY & BLACK BEAN CHILI
1 & 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small sweet onion diced & 1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon salt
(2) 15 ounce cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)
12 ounce can of tomato paste
4 cups water
4 ounce can of Ortega mild green chilies
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon white sugar

In a pan, large enough to cook the chili, saute onions until transparent; add the turkey and cook (chop it up with your spatula) until you see little brown bits on the meat. Drain the meat well and return to the pan; add everything else, stir well and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for two hours (it will get nice and thick).

NOTE: We do not like spicy food, so this chili is very mild. If you like heat, just add some diced jalapeno peppers to the meat.

NOTE: After you bring the chili to the initial boil, you can transfer it to a crock-pot and let it cook all afternoon (just leave the lid open a tiny bit so the chili will thicken up).

CHIPOTLE COLESLAW

This is a quick side dish for today’s Cinco de Mayo dinner. It has traditional coleslaw veggies with just a slight twist on the dressing.

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon limejuice
2 teaspoons honey
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
3 cups shredded green cabbage
½ cup chopped red cabbage
1/3 cup chopped red onion
¾ cup chopped red (or yellow) bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)

Stir together mayonnaise, juice, honey, cumin and ground chipotle pepper (set aside). Combine remaining ingredients, pour chipotle dressing over, and toss to mix. Serve immediately (or chill up to 24 hours).

 

TACO FILLING

I often look at the packets of dry seasoning and gravy mixes, at the grocery store, and wonder what is in them besides the main ingredient which seems to be salt. I see young cooks buying packets of taco seasoning mix and I have to resist the urge to tell them “save your money…you probably have the necessary ingredients at home already!”

This is a good, basic, kid friendly recipe for beef taco filling because it is more flavorful than spicy; I’ve used this recipe for many years. If you like more “heat”, just add some (seeded and diced) jalapeño peppers. Personally, I like more heat than my husband (who thinks black pepper is too spicy LOL), so instead of bumping up the seasoning in the whole recipe, I just add some pepperjack cheese to MY taco.

1 pound lean ground beef
2/3 cup chopped sweet onion
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon regular paprika (not the hot kind)
pinch garlic powder
pinch of dried red pepper flakes (or to taste)
½ cup water
(1) 4 ounce can of Ortega chopped mild green chiles

Brown the ground beef and onions, then drain well. Return meat to pan and add everything else. Simmer for about 15 minutes, using your spatula to chop the burger into fine pieces as it cooks. The water will help disperse the seasonings and then it will cook away. Turn heat down and keep warm until ready to use.

NOTE: If have an unexpected guest or two, just add some refried beans to the meat and mix well.