Tex-Mex Rice

I've heard it called "Spanish" rice, "Mexican" rice, and several other names. Since I'm using Ro-Tel tomatoes, I'm calling it Tex-Mex! This version differs from most in that it is baked (like pilaf) instead of simmered on the stove. This makes it very easy; as no stirring is needed after you put it in the oven, you can concentrate on whatever your main dish is.

Ingredients

• 2 cups medium grain rice (I used California Calrose rice)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium or large onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (as always, homemade is best)
• 2 cans, 14 oz. (or 1 can, 28 ounces) Ro-Tel Tomatoes with Green Chiles (use the mild version if you're spice-averse), pureed in the blender
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (use the reduced-sodium version if you have a choice)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions have softened slightly. Add the rice and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the rice just starts get brown. Add the chili powder and continue to cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato puree and broth, stirring well, and bring to a boil. Cover and place in the oven. Once the rice is tender (about 25 minutes), remove from oven. Stir well with to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed and let sit uncovered for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Super Saturday: Freezer Dinners

My workplace is moving farther away from my house in a few weeks, so I will be getting home from work later. This means I will probably be unable to help make dinner, leaving my wife to do it all herself. Making dinner whilst taking care of 4 boys is a real challenge, so we decided to make a bunch of freezer dinners, making it easier to get dinner on the table when the kids are a challenge!

Notes:

• I like to make beans in a crock pot, but I only have one crock, so I do some of them on the stovetop. If you have two crock pots, you can do the black beans the same way as the red/white beans.
• Brown rice has more fiber and nutrients, but you could use white rice if you prefer.
• Make sure your kitchen, stove, sink, and dishwasher are clean/empty before starting, and clean up messes as soon as you get a chance!

Master Schedule

Preparation (the night before):

Prepare 1 pound of black beans for cooking

• Pick through the beans, looking for bad/broken beans, rocks, etc.
• Rinse the beans
• Soak in salted water overnight

Prep your aromatic vegetables:

• Chop 6 onions and 6 bell peppers
• Mix together and divide in two (large bowls or plastic bags)
• Mince 12 cloves of garlic and divide in two (keep separate from the other veggies)
• Peel an additional 9 cloves of garlic, but do not mince them. Put them in a plastic bag
• Refrigerate everything until needed in the morning

Showtime!

Step 1: Crock Pot Beans

• Prep one pound of dried red beans and one pound of dried white beans as described above, omitting the soak
• Quarter a large onion like you would an apple. Smash 6 of the cloves of garlic (but do not pulverize)
• Put the beans, onion, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 12 cups water in a crock pot on high.Cover and cook for 4-6 hours or until the beans are creamy.

Step 2: Black Beans

• Drain and rinse the brine from the black beans
• Quarter a small onion like you would an apple (or use 2 or 3 quarters of a big one). Smash 3 of the cloves of garlic (but do not pulverize)
• Put the beans, onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 bay leaf, and 6 cups of water in a cooking pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and cook for 60-90 minutes, until the beans are creamy.

Step 3: Brown Rice

• Cook 3 cups of brown rice (enough to make 9 cups cooked) according to the package directions
• Do this whilst the beans are cooking.

Step 4: Spicy Meat Sauce

• Keep an eye on the beans and rice cooking on the stove whilst doing this step. Both the rice and beans benefit from cooking slowly, so keep the burners low to prevent burns.
• Make a triple batch (3x) of this blog's Spicy Mexican Meat Sauce.
• You will use one of the batches of onions/peppers and one of the batches of minced garlic that you prepped last night.
• I did this over two stovetop burners in my turkey roasting pan.
• Instead of using the canned tomatoes and paste as described in the recipe, I bought a Costco-sized can of crushed tomatoes in puree (106 ounces)
• I also used 3 ounces of lime juice from the green squeeze bottle instead of fresh limes
• After cooking, let cool and portion into freezer bags. Freeze!
• This meat sauce is great for sloppy joes, taco salads, tostadas, topping baked potatoes, and baked in the oven with cornbread mix on top!

Step 5: Lime Refried Beans and Rice

• By now, the black beans and the rice should both be be cooked. Drain them.
• Pull the onion and garlic chunks from your beans when draining them!
• Make a triple batch (3x) of Lime Refried Beans and Rice
• We used the reserved tomato juice from the canned tomatoes instead of broth as described in the recipe
• The recipe says to sprinkle half of the beans with cheese. This is because half of my kids can't eat cheese. I didn't notice this until after posting the recipe card on the blog. You can just put cheese over all of it.
• We bought 6 5-inch by 7-inch disposable aluminum baking pans and portioned the recipe into them. Don't bake them today, just freeze them. (Bake them when you want to eat them).
• You can use this whenever you would eat beans and rice: in burritos, with grilled chicken or fajitas, or with the meat sauce above!

You're almost done!

Step 6: Ham and Barbecue Bean Skillet

• By now your crock pot beans should be complete. Drain them.
• Make a triple batch (3x) of Ham and Barbecue Bean Skillet.
• You will use the remaining onions/peppers and garlic from last night.
• I used the widest cooking pot I had for this.
• Be gentle when mixing in the beans so you don't mash them up too much.
• After cooking, let cool and portion into freezer bags. Freeze!

All done :) Congratulations!

Super Simple Enchilada Sauce

So last time, I gave a quick and easy recipe for enchiladas. But what if you don't have enchilada sauce? Well here you go!

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14 ounces) plain tomato sauce
• 1 jar (16 ounces) salsa or picante sauce (thinner varieties are better here)
• 3-5 canned chipotle chilis with adobo sauce (1/3 to 1/2 a can). Warning - these are hot! Go easy if your palette is tender.

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you roasted/stewed any meat for your enchiladas and there is drippings or juices left behind, add them as well!

Quick and Easy Enchiladas

Enchiladas are quick, easy, and tasty. Half of the ingredients are staples that you probably already have: cheese and tortillas. The remaining ingredients are common enough as well: meat, beans, and enchilada sauce. And you only really need the sauce!

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounces) enchilada sauce, divided.
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 8 oz. cooked beef or pork (ground, chopped, or shredded)
• 8 oz cooked black or red beans
• 8 medium (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Nonstick spray

Note: if you don't have meat or beans, you could double up on the ingredient that you do have. The exact content of the filling doesn't really matter, and if you wanted to you could just make cheese enchiladas!

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium saucepan, mix the meat, beans, and 1/4 cup of the sauce over low heat, until just warmed through. Spray a medium-sized baking dish (8 or 9 inches on a side) with nonstick spray. Spread 2 ounces of the filling over 1/3 of a tortilla, near the edge. Cover with 2 tablespoons cheese and roll up tightly. Place in the baking dish and repeat with remaining tortillas, filling the baking dish as tightly as possible. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and evenly spread the remaining sauce over it. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce and cheese start to bubble.

Chicken Enchiladas

I hope everybody had a great holiday season! I am not much of a "Holiday" cook, so I took some time off from blogging :) Now that the holidays are over, I feel good posting a recipe in my favorite style: Mexican! This recipe can be made from what are normal pantry staples along with a few fresh ingredients, making it a great weeknight meal - unlike some "traditional" Mexican dishes, which require a visit to a Latino grocery store and two hours of prep work!

Ingredients

For the Enchilada Sauce

• 1 can (14 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (14 ounces) plain tomato sauce
• 1 can (7 ounces) diced green chiles (mild or hot, your choice)
• 1 small onion, cut into quarters
• 1 fresh jalepeno chile (remove the ribs and seeds for a milder flavor)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 canned chipotle chiles (optional - they give the sauce a subtle, smokey heat)
• 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, thick and leafless stems trimmed off

Other Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon each cumin and coriander seeds, toasted, cooled, and crushed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 lemon, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (or just Cheddar and/or Monterrey Jack cheeses)
• 12 medium (or "enchilada size) flour tortillas
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken breasts in a large saucepan with the cumin, coriander, salt, and lemon. Add enough water to cover everything. Bring to a boil and gently simmer over low heat, covered, for 8-12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Meanwhile (while the chicken is cooking), put all the Enchilada sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse 10-15 times until smooth. When the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat, remove the chicken from the liquid and shred into bite-sized pieces with forks. Discard the cooking liquid, or strain and use as you would chicken broth (although it might be a little too salty, depending on how much water you added). In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded chicken, half of the sauce and half the cheese. Stir to combine.

Spray a large baking dish with nonstick spray. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Place about a 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture in a line across the middle of a tortilla and roll it up. Put the enchilada seam-side down in the baking dish and repeat with remaining tortillas, packing them in as snugly as possible (you may have to experiment with the exact layout depending on the size of your tortillas and the dimensions of your baking dish). Spread the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is bubbly. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Spicy Mexican Meat Sauce

So you might be asking yourself, isn't a spicy tomato meat sauce just chili? I say that it most certainly is not. In my opinion, chili is an entirely different kind of stew made with cubed chuck shoulder and thickened with corn masa (or chips). This is a much simpler sauce, designed to be quick and easy. You could serve it on a hot dog or hamburger with cheese, or if you're feeling adventurous, put it over spaghetti (Cincinnati style).

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground dried chipotle chiles (freshly ground or from a jar)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced green chiles
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato paste
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Cook the beef over medium heat in a stew pot or dutch oven until it loses the raw red color. Add the onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, chipotle chile powder, and oregano. Continue to cook until the onions have softened and the bell pepper is crisp-tender. Add the garlic and green chiles and cook for one more minute. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, lime juice and cilantro. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the flavors are well blended. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve on a hot dog in a toasted bun with shredded cheddar cheese.

Mexican Lasagna

I love enchiladas. The one problem is that they are messy and hard to make. Why go through all the trouble of rolling up tortillas with cheese, meat, and sauce if it's just going to ooze all over the place when you eat it. Why not forgo the filling and rolling and just layer it - like lasagna! (Why should the Italians have all the fun?) I know this is really just "enchilada casserole," but "Mexican Lasagna" sounds so much more exotic!

Taco Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (freshly toasted and ground would be nice)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  

Mexican Lasagna

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• salt and pepper
  
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  
• 1 (4 ounce) can hot green chilies
• 1 recipe taco seasoning, see above (or cheat and use a packet of prepared taco seasoning - but it won't be as good!)
  
• 15 corn tortillas
• 14 oz farmers cheese, chopped/crumbled (or use 15 ounces of cottage cheese, queso fresco, or any soft and mild flavored cheese)
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 (14 ounce) can of black beans
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (more if you like it)
  

Directions

Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink; drain (a stainless steel colander works well for this). Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine farmer's cheese and egg; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Put down a layer of 5 slightly overlapping tortillas (you may need to tear a couple in half to get them to fit and cover evenly). Evenly spread a third of the beef mixture into the dish, half of the cheese/egg mixture, and half of the beans. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, meat, cheese, and beans. Add one more layer of tortillas, the remaining meat sauce, and all of the shredded Mexican cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

Tuna Quesadillas

A nice way to use up leftover cabbage, since most people I know always have a can of tuna around for emergencies.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for tortillas
  
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 can diced green chiles
• juice of 1 lime
  
• 1 can tuna
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup crumbled queso blanco (Mexican white cheese)
• 8 large flour tortillas
  

Directions

Saute the cabbage in olive oil in a large nonstick pan set over medium-high heat until the cabbage starts to brown. Add the chiles, tuna, and lime juice and reduce heat to medium. Cook until almost dry and transfer to a medium bowl.

Wipe out the pan with paper towels that have been dipped in a little bit of oil. Heat the pan over medium heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with oil. Put in the pan oil side down and brush a little water on the other side. Put 1/4 the cabbage mixture on the tortilla along with 1/4 of the cheese. Brush one side of another tortilla with water. Make a sandwich with the other tortilla, water side down. Brush a little oil on the top side. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the bottom tortilla is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes, again until golden brown. Keep warm while repeating with the remaining tortillas and filling. Makes 4 full-size quesadillas. Serve with sour cream, diced green onions, and hot sauce.

Fish Tacos

It's Cinco de Mayo week. Two bits, four bits, six bits, a peso. All for tacos, Stand up and say so!

Sauce

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (freshly ground from toasted whole seeds would be best)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 lime's worth of lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper

Tacos

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into 2-ounce strips
• 12 corn tortillas
• olive oil
• 1/2 onion, sliced thin
  
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 3 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw
• 1 cup mexican blend shredded cheese
  
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, including salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the fridge while preparing the rest of the dish.

Mix together flour, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a pie pan or small square casserole. Dredge the fish strips in the flour, shaking off any excess so only a light dusting remains. Place floured fish strips on a wire rack until they are all floured.

Heat oven on its lowest setting. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Carefully lay as many fish strips as will fit in the pan without crowding it. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Put the cooked fish in the warm oven (on a sheet of aluminum foil or a sheet pan) as you cook each batch.

Meanwhile, heat a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the middle and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the cooked side is light brown, speckled with dark brown. Flip and sprinkle salt on the cooked side. Toast the second side for about half as long, until it just starts to color. Remove the tortilla and quickly (and gently) fold in half to make a taco shell, with the salted/browned side out. Hold it folded for about 30 seconds while it cools (you may wish to use tongs or paper towels to avoid burning your fingers). When it cools slightly, it should hold it's folded shape. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Note: If you are not an experienced kitchen juggler, you may wish to make the tortilla shells first, then cook the fish. As you become more familiar with the timing, you may want to save time by cooking both at the same time.

To serve: place a fish strip in a taco shell. Top with onion, tomato, cabbage, cheese, and sauce.

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Muffins

I love recipes that start with something simple and mediocre and turn it into something that is still fairly simple but tastes a lot better. Take corn muffin mix: this mix (I use the Jiffy brand) makes completely average muffins, with ones made from scratch being a lot better. However, add jalapenos and cheese and they get a whole lot tastier. I love these muffins, so I always double the recipe as a single box of mix doesn't make very much.

Ingredients (for 9 muffins)

• 1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely diced (remove the ribs and seeds for mild flavor, or use 1 entire diced chile for extra heat)
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup milk (whole milk is best)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Liberally spray a muffin pan with no-stick spray.

Mix muffin mix, jalapeno, and cheese in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, beat together egg, milk, and hot sauce until well integrated.

Pour milk mixture onto the muffin mix mixture and stir until all the mixture is moistened.

Using a large disher, evenly distribute the batter into 9 of the muffin pan spots (they should be about 2/3 full).

Bake 18-20 minutes or until a wooden skewer poked into a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. They are best served warm with butter but will keep for 2 days in a sealed plastic bag (cool completely before bagging). They are great served with a western omlette or huevos rancheros.

Burritos

So Monday's post will make a lot of meat and beans. So many, you'll want to count on it for two meals (if you have a small family). These burritos require very little work and taste really good!

Ingredients

• 2 cups leftover Pork Chili Verde from Monday (1/5/09)
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave
• Mexican blend shredded cheese
• Sour Cream
• Shredded Lettuce

Directions

Mix together rice, lime, oil, and salt in a bowl. On each tortilla, place rice, meat/beans, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. Roll into burritos.

Chile Verde with Beans

The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be used with almost any kind of pork you have around. Shoulder and rib cuts work very well, but you could probably use loin or sirloin cuts or chops. Bones and other connective tissue in the meat will add moisture, body and flavor.

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds country style pork ribs (see note above about using other cuts)
• 1 pound dried beans (great northern, pinto, or black all work well), soaked overnight and drained (check for bad beans or rocks first!)
• 6-8 cups water
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) diced green chiles
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons oregano

Directions

Place all ingredients except pork and water in a slow cooker. Stir to evenly distrubute spices. Add pork, keeping the pieces evenly distributed and surrounded by beans (as much as possible - this might be difficult in a smaller slow-cooker). Add enough water to cover everything by an inch or two. Put on lid and cook on high for 8-10 hours. Check every couple of hours to ensure the food stays covered with water, adding hot water as needed to keep everything submerged.

Taco Salad

Today, begin this week's theme of stuff you can make with our super-duper all-purpose meat sauce (see Saturday's post). We start out with a great Mexican-American favorite: Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 5 cups (about half a batch) of Saturday's (12/20/08) meat sauce, thawed (or freshly made!)
• 1 packet (1 ounce) taco seasoning mix
  
• 6 tortillas (flour or corn), 8-1o inches across (or whatever tortillas you have lying around!)
• 1 head shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
• Toppings (any or all of the following, as you like them)
  
  • diced onion
  • fresh tomato, chopped
    
  • sliced jalapenos
  • sliced olives
  • corn
  • crumbled corn chips
    
  • beans, regular or refried
    
  • shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
  • sour cream, ranch dressing, or queso dip

Directions
Mix sauce and seasoning in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly toast each tortilla over medium-high heat in a dry skillet or saute pan until they just start to become brown and crispy. Put each tortilla in a wide, shallow bowl or dinner plate. Add lettuce, seasoned sauce, and whatever toppings you like.