Crystal's Delicious Guacamole

We had another birthday and a baptism this week and were lucky enough to have my Mom and her husband and my sister and her husband and of course, their adorable baby! We had such a good time and ate lots of great food. My family is really partial to Mexican Food and Sunday my sister made some fabulous guacamole. It comes from her friend Crystal and is one of those recipes that you can tweak until it tastes just how you like it. I made it again at the request of my husband and put what I used just as guidelines.

Crystal's Guacamole

Fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice (we like lemon) (1/2 gently squeezed. I didn't use all the juice, just squeezed until it the juice wasn't coming out as easily)

fresh squeezed orange juice (1/2 an orange. same directions as with lemon)

finely diced tomato - I used one Roma tomato

finely chopped onion- about 1/2 a medium onion

garlic, minced and finely diced- 2 cloves

cilantro- I actually forgot about this and left it out but I'd say about half a handful, depending on how much you like.

salt- about 3/4 a tsp.

Serrano peppers (seeds removed if you don't want it too spicy and diced finely) I didn't have these so left them out.

avocados (mashed until desired consistency. We like ours a little chunky). I used 4 and we had quite a bit left over. We fed 10 people Sunday and had a little leftover using 4 avocados.

Mix all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips.

Baked Taco Roll Ups

Photos: courtesy of A Bountiful Kitchen
      
Found on  a blog I visit regularly, these taco roll ups are the latest and greatest hit at our house.  As is often the case, I had made a double batch of this delicious taco meat and wanted to use it up. But as you well know, the same old thing week after week can get a little boring. These babies were just the ticket. I tweaked them to use up my leftover taco meat and save myself a little time. The reaction they got was shocking.          Similar to a taquito, these taco roll ups were simple and downright tasty. We served ours with traditional taco fillings on the side: lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and gasp....ketchup. (I know it's gross, but my kids love ketchup with Mexican food.) I used medium sized tortillas and ended up with close to 18 roll ups, which I  planned on freezing for another meal. By the next evening, there was only 1 left.   I can't wait to try the original version (found here) next time. 

Baked Taco Roll Ups

Adapted heavily from A Bountiful Kitchen

One recipe ground beef taco meat (this is the ONLY recipe I use anymore)
2 cups shredded Colby-jack  or cheddar cheese (or more to taste)
flour tortillas, small to medium size
Suggested Condiments- lettuce 
choppedtomatoes 
sliced olives
sour cream
salsa
guacamole

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.Prepare taco meat as directed. Spoon  about 3 tablespoons of the taco meat mixture onto a tortilla. Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of cheese. Roll up as you would a taquito, not filling the tortilla too full, but rolling fairly tight, so the tortilla will not come undone easily.  Place filled tortillas in a single layer onto a lightly greased baking sheet, seam side down. (I sprayed mine lightly with cooking spray to add some crunch and prevent over drying). Bake at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. Remove from the oven and serve with optional condiments. Makes about 12-15 medium tacos.-Heat up leftovers wrapped in a paper towel for about 1 minute in microwave.

Chicken Fajitas

I've been meaning to try some of the Blog Chef's recipes and I'm glad I did. This was such a delicious and easy meal. I prepped my vegetables at the same time I did the chicken. When dinner time came around, all I had to do was saute the veggies and chicken and heat up some beans and dinner was served in under 20 minutes. The chicken was flavorful without being too spicy and overpowering everything else. You can also use skirt steak instead of chicken. This is a quick weeknight meal I know I will make again.

Chicken Fajitas

adapted slightly from Blog Chef

Ingredients:

8 small flour tortillas

1.5lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts - I used 3 (or skirt steak)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 ½ teaspoons seasoning salt

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion (sliced)

1 /2 medium green pepper (sliced)

1/2 medium red pepper (sliced)

Optional condiments

Sour cream

Guacamole

Salsa

Tomato

Cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Slice chicken into small strips. In a large bowl mix garlic powder, seasoning salt, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and lemon juice. Add chicken strips and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.Step 2: In a skillet add 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté onions and red & green peppers for 3 minutes or until the vegetables have reached your desired tenderness. Remove from pan and set aside. Step 3: Add more oil to the pan if necessary. Add chicken strips and sauté until no longer pink inside (fully cooked). Add vegetables back to the pan and toss with the chicken. Spoon mixture onto flour tortillas; add optional condiments (if you want) and serve.(Makes 4 servings)

Pico De Gallo

Picture from Pioneer Woman

My husband loves him some pico. Even though I don't really like tomatoes (don't get me started on the seeds and juicy stuff), I love it too. It does involve some chopping but I think it's therapeutic and the results are delicious! It looks so fresh and is so healthy.  There are so many ways you can use pico. We love it with tortilla chips, mixed with this rice, inside burritos, and mixed with guacamole. The options are endless.

Pico De Gallo
Pioneer Woman

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO:


■5 whole Plum (roma) Tomatoes

■½ whole Large (or 1 Small) Onion

■3 whole Jalapeno Peppers

■Cilantro

■Lime Juice

■Salt To Taste


Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again. Makes about 2 cups.

Posted by: Sallie

Tortilla Soup

Ever since I had tortilla soup at Costa Vida last week I've been on a serious kick to get some more. This recipe is from my friend Robyn. I actually have never made tortilla soup before but this one is delicious. My husband has never tasted tortilla soup and he loved it and had seconds. I changed a few things in the recipe that I will note at the bottom. I think this tasted really close if not better than Costa Vida's soup.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

6-8 chicken breasts

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup of diced carrots or a small bag of shredded carrots

2 cans of diced green chilies

2 bunches of green onions chopped

2 quarts of chicken stock

3-4 diced tomatoes

2 tsp worchestershire sauce

Boil chicken in pot of water until soft enough to shred. Shred the chicken and add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Simmer for at least 1 hour. Serve with fresh garnishing of

tortilla chips

fresh diced tomatoes

avocados

sliced black olives

chopped fresh cilantro

shredded cheese

*Notes- I prefer my chicken cooked in a pan in a little olive oil. I also seasoned it with salt and pepper. Then just shredded it like the recipe said. Also, I halved the recipe but after simmering it for 1 hour I ended up adding more chicken stock because I didn't think it was soupy enough. Also, I add a scoop of guacamole in the soup just like Costa Vida.* Yum. Yum

To make tortilla strips cut up corn or flour tortillas. Toss in a little olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Easy Chicken Chimies

Okay, sorry for another post of the Mexican variety but these were so easy and delicious, I couldn't not post them. This meal is easy, healthy, and delicious. Plus, you probably have most, if not all of the ingredients already in your kitchen. What else could you ask for? These chicken chimies are healthier because you brown in them in only a small amount of oil instead of frying them, add some melted cheese, green onions, and moist shredded chicken and I bet these will become a favorite at your house too.

Chicken Chimies

Favorite Family Recipes Cookbook

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I like to do this in the crock pot. Just throw in a little chicken broth and let them simmer until they are ready to shred)

salt, pepper, & garlic salt to taste

1 Tbsp. butter (I omitted this and it tasted great still)

10 8 inch flour tortillas (I used the uncooked ones from Costco and precooked them)

8 oz. pkg. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

6 green onions, diced (I also cut back as this seemed a little much. I think I used 2 or 3)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

toppings-sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, salsa, lettuce, etc.

After cooking and shredding chicken sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic salt, to taste. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and saute about 3 minutes.

Spoon chicken evenly onto tortillas. Top with cheese and green onions; fold up sides and roll up, burrito-style. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. (Mine was pretty crowded so next time I will divide them into two pans for easier turning). Add rolled-up tortillas and saute until golden. Serve with your choice of toppings and over lettuce leaves, if desired. Serves 6-8.

Stay Tuned for the delicious black beans that go with them!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

This was a major hit at my house. Seriously. My son, who was on his way to soccer practice after dinner, made me promise repeatedly that I would save him more taquitos for when he got home and that was the first thing he asked about when he got picked up. My husband, after finishing dinner said, I'm ready to have those again soon! In fact, EVERYONE in my house loved them and that's a winner in my book. The filling is super easy, especially if you use your crockpot to cook the chicken, and is so creamy and flavorful. The taquitos baked up nice and crunchy and the kosher salt was the perfect finishing touch. Plus, another great thing is that these are baked, not fried. They would also make a great appetizer.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

OurBestBites.com

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese

1/4 C green salsa

1T fresh lime juice

1/2 t cumin

1 t chili powder

1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t granulated garlic or garlic powder

3 T chopped cilantro

2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken

1 C grated pepperjack cheese (I used monterey jack)

small corn tortillas

kosher salt

cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can.Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream or guacamole. Makes about 16.

Mexican Fiesta

My sister was in town over Labor Day and we made these recipes for dinner one night.  I had almost forgotten about them until I went over to my sister-in-law's house the other night for dinner and she made them as well (she's the one who gave me the recipes).  I was quickly reminded of how yummy each of these things are!

Homemade Salsa

from Anisa Izzolo

Ingredients:

12 Roma Tomatoes

3 Jalapenos

3 Serrano or Anaheim Chilis

Directions:

Boil tomatoes until skin just starts to peel.  Place in blender or food processor, add whole jalapenos and chilis and blend.  Cool down in fridge before serving.

 

Chicken Flautas

from Anisa Izzolo

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded

3 tbsp. (appx.) homemade salsa (recipe above)

Corn Tortillas

Salt

Toothpicks

Oil for Frying

Directions:

Heal oil for frying.  Mix shredded chicken with salsa.  Microwave tortillas two at a time in between moistened papertowels for 25 seconds.  Place 2 tbsp. chicken in corn tortilla and roll up.  Secure with toothpick.  Fry flauta until golden, remove and place on paper towel lined plate.  Sprinkle with salt and cool down before eating.



Guacamole Dip

from Anisa Izzolo

Ingredients:



4 Large Avocados or 6 Small Avocados
1 Container Whipped Cream Cheese
1 Jar of Sliced Jalapenos

Directions:
In blender or food proecssor, mix juice from jar of jalapenos (not the jalepenos) and add avocados (pitted and skinned).  Add whipped cream cheese.  Blend until smooth.

Posted By:  Julia

Jack Cheese Burgers with Tomato Avocado Salsa on Ciabatta Rolls

Don't let the fancy name scare you. These are just yummy cheese burgers topped with some guacamole salsa. I wanted to do something easy but nicer than just plain old burgers. I spotted this recipe in a book I checked out from the library. These burgers were really good. A hamburger pattie with grated cheese throughout and topped with a tomato avacado salsa. I took the seeds out of the jalepeno and the salsa was very mild. Next time I will leave some in because I like things spicy. I served them on Ciabatta Rolls instead of hamburger buns. I was going to put bacon on them too, but in my rush forgot. The only other thing I would change is to add some garlic powder to the hamburger patties next time.

Jack Cheese Burgers with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

from the Perfect Recipe

Burgers:

1 1/4 lbs. 100 % ground chuck

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

3/4 c. grated Monterey Jack Cheese

Tomato-Avocado Salsa

1 small avocado, peeled and pitted

1 small ripe tomato, cut into very small dice

1 tbsp. minced scallion

1 tsp. finely minced jalepeno pepper (if you don't like it too spicy remove seeds)

1 1/2 tsp. minced cilantro leaves

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Hamburger Buns or Ciabatta Rolls

Directions for hamburgers:

Place ground chuck in large bowl and break up with fingers to increase surface area for seasoning. Sprinkle salt and pepper over meat and toss lightly with hands to distribute seasoning. Divide meat into 4 equal portions (5 oz. each). With cupped hands, toss portion of meat back and forth to form a loose ball. Pat lightly to flatten to a 1 in. thick burger, 3 1/2-4 inches across, using your fingertips to create a pocketed, textured surface. Repeat with remaining meat. Makes 4 patties.

Directions for Tomato-Avocado Salsa:

Mash avocado with a fork until chuncky. Add tomato, scallion, jalepeno, cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Top each hamburger with a portion Add any other garnishes you would like and serve.

Cheesy Rice and Bean Burritos

Maybe it was all the Taco Bell dinners amidst our travels but when my youngest daughter requested bean burritos for her birthday dinner I was less than thrilled. Thank goodness it was Martha to the rescue. I remembered some delicious burritos I'd made awhile back and they turned out just as great the second time around.

Not your ordinary bean burrito, these start with a saute of onions and delicious Mexican spices like cumin and jalapeno. Add in some healthy veggies like corn and scallions and finish them off with beans, rice and Monterey Jack Cheese.

They are not too spicy and can be served with a variety of toppings like sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. For a different twist you can add in cooked ground beef or turkey or any type of shredded meat like pork, chicken or beef.

Another bonus, they freeze beautifully. I just wrapped them individually in plastic wrap and then put them in a freezer bag. Great for lunches or those nights that cooking dinner is not an option.

Serves 8
3/4 -1 cup rice (brown or white)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water

2-3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed *The first time I used 3 cans, which the recipe call for, and thought there were too many beans so I only use 2 cans*
1 bag frozen corn kernels, (10 ounces)
6 scallions, thinly sliced
8-16 burrito-size flour tortillas, 10 inches each
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Salsa and sour cream, optional

Note: I think they make quite large burritos so I usually divide them into 16 portions.

Directions

Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add beans and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.
Heat tortillas according to package instructions; fill with rice, bean mixture, and cheese.

Assemble: Mound 1/4 cup rice, 3/4 cup bean mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.
Serve immediately, with salsa and sour cream, if using, or wrap individually in plastic and freeze up to 3 months.

*Helpful Hint*

To reheat from frozen: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate; microwave on high for 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet; bake at 450 degrees until crispy, about 10 minutes. If only using a microwave, remove from plastic wrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate, covered with a microwave safe bowl. Defrost at high power for 3 to 4 minutes; uncover, and microwave on high 3 to 4 minutes longer. If only using oven, remove burritos from plastic wrap; rewrap individually in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 450 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil, and bake to crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. (To reheat defrosted burritos, remove any wrapping and bake for 10 minutes).

posted by: Sallie

Mom's Red Enchiladas

My Mom is a winner in the enchilada department! I still make both her recipes for beef (they actually come from someone my Mom babysat when she was younger. That's how long I've been eating these things!)and chicken enchiladas. Usually we have chicken because they are one of my husbands favorite meals but Sunday we had beef and I remembered how good they were. My favorite part is the filling with ground beef, melty cheese, and diced green chilies. I love it with corn tortillas but if you prefer flour tortillas you can use them with great results. One word of caution, the red sauce is a little inconsistent. I blame it on the El Pato sauce. Sometimes it's really hot and other times more mild. I recommend tasting the sauce and if it's too hot add a little more tomato sauce, too mild just add some more hot sauce. Great served with a dollop of sour cream. For a delicious meal serve chips and guacamole , beans and rice, and finish off with this delicious fried ice cream dessert! Yum!

Mom's Red Enchiladas

Filling:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 can diced green chilies

chopped onions

1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese

about 18 corn tortillas depending on how big you make your enchiladas

Sauce:

1 8 oz. can El Pato Sauce (A Mexican sauce almost like enchilada sauce in a yellow can. I have found it at most any grocery store in the Mexican food section.)

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp cornstarch

16 oz. can tomato sauce

2 tbsp. vinegar

sliced black olives (optional, we always use them)

Brown hamburger with onions; add green chilies and cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Soften tortillas in hot oil or in microwave. Put about 1-2 tbsp. filling down center of tortillas and roll up. Place seam side down in 9 x 13 greased baking dish.

Make Sauce: in a medium sauce pan stir together El Pato and tomato sauces. Taste to check spice level. Add butter. In a measuring cup or small bowl dissolve cornstarch in vinegar and add to sauce mixture in pan. Stir constantly over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

Cover enchiladas with sauce and more cheese. Add black olives if desired. Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes or until hot and cheese is bubbly. Makes approx 15-18 small enchiladas. I usually use one 9 x 13 pan and another 8x8 pan.

Posted by: Sallie and Julia