Mexican Street Corn Dip

We happened to have a bunch of fresh corn and needed a new way to prepare it. This dip did the trick! It was so delicious and paired really well with our Christmas fajita dinner! --Mark

 
Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, to your taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups corn (3-4 raw)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
4 tablespoon salted butter
1/3 cup olive oil mayo or use plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 ear grilled corn, kernels removed from the cob
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Directions

1. Mix the spices. In a bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and a pinch of salt.

2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add the corn, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the spice mix, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the corn is softened, 5 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to low. Mix in the cream cheese until melted and creamy. Stir in the sour cream. Cook until warmed throughout. If desired, thin the dip with milk.

4. In a separate skillet, melt the butter until golden. Mix in 3 teaspoons of the spice mix, plus a pinch of chili flakes and salt. Cook another minute, then remove from the heat.

5. Mix the mayo and lime juice with a pinch of salt.

6. Spoon the dip into a wide serving bowl. Top with grilled corn and drizzle the mayo and spicy butter over the corn. Sprinkle on the cheese and cilantro. Serve with lots of chips for scooping!


Notes

Grilling the ear of corn over the flame on the gas stove worked well.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/street-corn-dip/

Mexican (Spanish) Rice

It may not be quite as strong as my quest for the perfect carnitas recipe, but the quest for a good, fluffy Spanish rice has been pretty tough as well. This is it. It's the closest I've gotten to restaurant style rice. --Mark

Ingredients

2 cups long grain rice

2 T oil

8 oz tomato sauce

6 stems cilantro (optional(

1 tsp salt

1 tsp minced garlic

4 cups water (or broth)

1 cube chicken bouillon (unless using broth)

dash cumin

dash garlic pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large frying pain on medium heat. Add the rice and cook until golden brown.

Add the bouillon cube to the water and heat until dissolved, then add to the rice with the rest of the ingredients.

Stir and cover the pan. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed completely. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

Fluff before serving.

Sweet and Savory Fried Plantains

I've always loved plantains, and recently I discovered that they are not expensive nor are they hard to work with. So, naturally I experiment with them frequently. Here's a nice side dish I found. And to tell you how good they are, Kate hates bananas, but really liked these. --Mark

Ingredients

1 large yellow plantain, peeled

⅛ tsp garlic powder

1 T canola oil 

½ tsp butter

⅛ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp agave nectar

⅓ tsp light brown sugar

1 pinch ground cinnamon, or more to taste

Instructions

Cut plantain into three sections. Quarter each section so you have twelve pieces. Season plantain pieces with garlic powder.

Heat oil and butter together in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook plantains in hot oil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side; season with black pepper and continue to cook until slightly darker in color, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove skillet from heat and drizzle agave syrup over the plantain pieces. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the plantains.

Tortillas

Good recipes for homemade tortillas are hard to fine. Even harder to execute. Here's a decent one. We even bought a tortilla press to make this easier. --Mark

Ingredients

2 tsp salt

4 cups flour

4 T lard

1 1/2 cups hot water

2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

Knead until soft and smooth.

Use about a fist size amount of dough and press into a thickness of 1/8 inch.

Cook on coal (or directly over a gas stove flame) for about 1 minute on each side.

Enjoy.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

So, these are awesome! We love our taquitos around here, but these are better than the storebought ones for sure. They're simple, tasty, and way too easy to eat a million of them. --Mark

Ingredients

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese

1/4 C green salsa

1 T fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 T chopped cilantro

2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken

1 C shredded pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas

kosher salt

cooking spray

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. 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 garlic powder. Stir to combine well and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at at 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.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. 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 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.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

Notes

We use flour tortillas and they turn out well. Just add more than the 2-3 T of mixture in each tortilla, unless they are the small ones.

Tostada That Wants to Be a Memela

The authentic Oaxacan recipe calls for masa dough, but we just use corn tortilla which makes this a tostada. Who really cares in the end since these are SO good. --Mark

Ingredients

Black Beans and Assembly

1 pound dried black beans
1 white onion, peeled, halved
1 head of garlic, cloves separated, smashed
4 sprigs epazote or oregano
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
2 dried avocado leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 white corn tortillas
3 tablespoons rendered pork fat, bacon grease, or lard
3 ounces queso fresco, crumbled, plus more for serving if desired
Toasted Chile de Árbol and Tomatillo Salsa, or store-bought salsa

Rajas Variation

4 poblano chiles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ white onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Chorizo Variation

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 links fresh chorizo (about 8 ounces), casings removed
Kosher salt
4 large eggs

Instructions

Black Beans and Assembly

Place beans, onion, garlic, epazote, and bay leaf in a large pot. Pour in water to cover by 3" and bring to a simmer; cook, uncovered, until beans are very tender, 2–2½ hours.

Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Pluck out epazote and bay leaf and transfer beans to a large bowl. Using a potato masher, crush beans, adding ¾ cup of the cooking liquid a few tablespoons at a time, until a coarse texture forms. There should still be some bits of beans visible. Season with salt. If using avocado leaves, grind in a mortar and pestle or spice mill; mix into beans.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add beans (be careful as oil may bubble and spit at you) and fry, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Stir and fry for another 2 minutes. Repeat process two more times, scraping up any browned bits. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Remove beans from heat.

Toast a tortilla in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until golden brown in spots but not crunchy, about 2 minutes. Turn; toast on other side, another minute or so. Spread a thin layer of fat over one side of tortilla (about 1 tsp.). Spread 2 Tbsp. bean mixture over; sprinkle with one-quarter of 3 oz. queso fresco. Cook until edges of tortilla curl up a bit and beans are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Repeat process with 7 more tortillas.

Top tortillas with rajas or chorizo and eggs and more queso fresco if desired. Serve with salsa.

Rajas Variation

Roast poblanos over an open flame, rotating occasionally, until charred and blistered all over, 10–12 minutes. (Or broil on a rimmed baking sheet 8–10 minutes). Remove stems, skins, and seeds. Slice flesh into ½” strips.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and softened, 10–12 minutes. Mix in chiles and oregano; taste and season with more salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and vegetables are very soft, 5–8 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Chorizo Variation

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook chorizo, using a spoon or heatproof spatula to break up any large pieces, until cooked through and starting to brown, 5–8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle some salt onto the skillet. Crack eggs onto salt and immediately break yolks. Cook until underside is starting to brown, about 1 minute. Turn eggs and cook another 30 seconds (yolk won’t be entirely runny but shouldn’t be cooked through, either).

Note

Canned black beans will obviously work well. If you want to make your own Toasted Chile de Árbol and Tomatillo Salsa check out this recipe: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/toasted-chile-de-arbol-and-tomatillo-salsa

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

So Stacy starts this dinner group for inspiration. "What's For Dinner" it's called. Then she sees this recipe. No inspiration for meals? Mission accomplished. And this recipe is easy and delicious. Muy bueno! --Mark

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breast (about 3-4 chicken breasts)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 pound jalapeño peppers (about 5-6 peppers)
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup crumbled crispy bacon

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375˚F

Lay chicken breasts flat in a casserole dish.  Season them with the garlic powder then spread the cream cheese over them evenly.

Wash the jalapeño peppers and then cut the tops off.  Remove the seeds and stems if you want it milder, or leave some if you want more spice, then cut the peppers into strips and lay them on top of the cream cheese then sprinkle the cheddar cheese over top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, remove from oven 5 minutes before cooking is complete and sprinkle with bacon then return for the remaining cook time.  Chicken is done when cooked through to an internal temperature of 165˚F.

Serve warm with a side of potatoes, veggies, or a baked potato.  Enjoy!

Notes:

We omitted the bacon and topped it with panko bread crumbs. Also, when we made this the first time, the store didn't have enough jalapeño peppers, so we mixed in poblanos. It worked very well.

Enchilada Soup

One day Stacy decided that she wanted some soup, Mexican soup. She didn't want to make one of our other recipes, and being the "Queen of Leftovers" she was able to put together several things we had in the house into a nice broth. Then she wondered what would happen if she added a can of enchilada sauce. Taste it and you'll see what happened. The fact that it is here on the blog tells you all you need to know. --Mark

Ingredients:

olive oil
1 medium onion
garlic to taste (optional)
1 can diced green chilies
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
cooked chicken (or lentils)
1 can enchilada sauce

1 can of hominy
hot sauce (optional)

shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
sour cream
avocado
chips

Instructions:

Heat a small amount of oil in a pot and add the onions and garlic. Saute until soft. Add the green chilies and heat through.

Add stock and heat to a boil.

Add chicken (or lentils) and hominy,  and heat until ready to serve, or until the lentils are cooked.

Add hot sauce if desired.

Top with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, avocado, chips, or anything else that you would like.

Enjoy!

Notes:

You can add water if needed to dilute the flavor or increase the amount of soup desired.

Southwestern Roasted Corn Salad

We made this to take to a friend's house for a summer cook-out. This was a HUGE hit. It's fresh, flavorful, and so light you feel like you can eat it forever. It beats plain corn, that's for sure. --Mark

Ingredients:

8 ears fresh corn in husks
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 limes, juiced
1 tsp white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 T hot sauce

Instructions:

Place the corn in a large pot with enough water to cover, and soak at least 15 minutes.

Preheat grill for high heat. Remove silks from corn, but leave the husks.

Place corn on the preheated grill. Cook, turning occasionally, 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and discard husks.

Cut the corn kernels from the cob, and place in a medium bowl. Mix in the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and red onion.

In a blender or food processor, mix the cilantro, olive oil, garlic, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Blend until smooth, and stir into the corn salad.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Southwestern-Roasted-Corn-Salad/Detail.aspx

Mexican Rice

We have been on a quest to make the perfect Mexican rice, but for some reason ours always came out mushy. It wasn't light like the rice you get in a Mexican restaurant. Say good-bye to mushy Mexican rice. Turns out the trick is to fry the rice first. Who knew? --Mark

Ingredients:

3 T vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.

Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mexican-Rice-II/Detail.aspx

Won Ton Tacos

In the spirit of fusion cuisine, we found these and tried them for dinner. They are so good. Plus, ask Stacy how she feels about "fun" food. An instant classic. You can modify them so many ways, too. --Mark

Ingredients:

24 wonton wrappers
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1.12 ounce) package Pace® Dry Taco Seasoning Mix
2 T Pace® Picante Sauce
1/2 cup Pace® Chunky Salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Press wonton wrappers into mini-muffin cups.

Cook beef in skillet until browned. Drain off fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix and picante sauce.
Spoon beef mixture into wonton cups. Top with salsa and cheese.

Bake about 8 minutes or until wontons are golden brown.

Serve immediately with additional salsa. Garnish with sour cream and sliced ripe olives if desired. Makes 24 appetizers.

Notes:

You can experiment, but we actually bake ours at around 350 degrees and they turn out well. Recently we did them with beans for a vegetarian appetizer. Once for our bookclub I made them with capicola ham and artichoke hearts, topped with mozarella cheese. Also, yum.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mini-Tacos/Detail.aspx

Chimichurri Sauce

I may have filed this under Mexican, but we don't have any other Argentinian dishes so why don't we just consider Mexican and "so delicious" to be the same thing. This sauce is great over the whole roasted chicken recipe we have, and it is also good over other grilled meats. Just short of drinking it straight it should be universally useful. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh parsley
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 T red wine vinegar
2 T dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 T minced garlic
1/2 T pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)

Instructions:

Place the parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, cumin, salt, garlic and hot pepper sauce into the container of a blender or food processor. Blend for about 10 seconds on medium speed, or until ingredients are evenly blended.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chimichurri-Sauce/Detail.aspx

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

We love standard quesadillas, but these are definitely a step up. I would consider them restaurant quality and they are not that hard to make. Enjoy! --Mark

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil
3 T finely chopped onion
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 T brown sugar
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T butter, divided
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and corn, then add sugar, salsa, and pepper flakes; mix well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle evenly with cheese, then top with some of the bean mixture. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cook on the other side. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Bean-and-Corn-Quesadillas/Detail.aspx

Authentic Enchiladas Verdes

We are HUGE Mexican food fans, and I mean HUGE! We love a good enchilada, and a great enchilada verde is a special treat. We love tomatillos. This recipe is a little bit of work, but so worth it. --Mark

Ingredients:

2 bone-in chicken breast halves
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 white onion
1 clove garlic
2 tsp salt
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed
5 serrano peppers
1/4 white onion
1 clove garlic
1 pinch salt
12 corn tortillas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine chicken breast with chicken broth, one quarter onion, a clove of garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, and then boil for 20 minutes. Reserve broth, set chicken aside to cool, and discard onion and garlic. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken with your hands.

Place tomatillos and serrano chiles in a pot with water, enough to cover them. Bring to boil, and continue boiling until tomatillos turn a different shade of green (from bright green to a dull, army green). Strain tomatillos and chiles, and place in a blender with another quarter piece of onion, 1 clove garlic, and a pinch of salt.

Pour in reserved chicken broth, so that liquid just covers the veggies in the blender by about an inch. Blend all ingredients until they are completely pureed. Pour salsa in a medium saucepan, and bring to a low boil.

Pour oil in a frying pan, and allow to get very hot. Slightly fry tortillas one by one in hot oil, setting each on a paper towel afterwards to soak some of the oil. Finally, dip slightly fried tortillas in low-boiling green salsa, until tortillas become soft again. Place on plates, 3 per person.

Fill or top tortillas with shredded chicken, then extra green sauce. Top with crumbled cheese, chopped onion, and chopped cilantro.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Authentic-Enchiladas-Verdes/Detail.aspx

Chicken Enchiladas

These are a staple at our house. In fact, we'll whip these up at a moment's notice since we love them so much. Always have a can of enchilada sauce on hand to make them. Seriously. Do. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 package of cream cheese

2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded

1 can enchilada sauce

flour tortillas

grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Mix chicken and cream cheese. Pour enough enchilada sauce into a baking pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Place a small amount of chicken in a tortilla and roll. Repeat until you have used up all the chicken. Top with sauce and grated cheese. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Top with your favorite toppings.

Note:

We don't usually season the chicken since the flavor of the sauce is good enough, but you can add seasonings if you like. You should get 12 standard enchiladas, but it changes from time to time.

Taco Salad

Tim's taco salad is a great and easy meal to make. It also works well as an appetizer or serious snacking temptation sitting in your refrigerator. --Mark

Ingredients:

refried beans

1 pint sour cream

1 packet taco seasoning

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

shredded cheese

diced onions

chopped green onions

sliced olives

salsa

guacamole

tortilla chips

Instructions:

Spread beans on a large platter. Mix taco seasoning and sour cream. Layer over the beans. Spread guacamole on next layer. Cover with lettuce. Sprinkle tomatoes, olives, and onions. Cover with shredded cheese. Place spoonfuls of salsa around the salad. Serve with chips.

Notes:

Play with different ingredients until you find the exact right amount of everything.

Tortillas

This is a pretty simple recipe for tortillas. There are a billion out there that are all fairly similar. --Mark

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

4 T shortening

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups water

2 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

Combine the dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Make a well and add water gradually. Knead until smooth. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Form into egg-sized balls and roll out into 6" rounds. Fry for 1 minute on each side on med-high heat.

Chicken Casserole Mexican Style

Here is an easy casserole from our early married life. It's simple enough to whip up on a whim and pretty good if you're looking for a creamy casserole with Mexican flare. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 4-oz can of chopped green chilies

1 cup salsa

cooked chicken chunks

corn tortillas, cut in 1-inch strips

grated cheese

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients except for tortillas and cheese. Layer with the tortillas in a baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Pedro's Casserole

I'm not sure where the "Pedro" came from, but he can make a pretty tasty dish. This is a favorite from my childhood. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can tomato sauce

1 lb can kidney beans with liquid

1/4 tsp oregano

2 T chili powder

1 bag corn chips

shredded cheese

Instructions:

Brown the meat, onion, and garlic. Stir in tomato sauce, 1/3 can of water, oregano, and chili powder. In a casserole dish layer meat, beans, and chips, ending with chips on top. Top with cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 10 minutes.

Top with lettuce, onions, or whatever other Mexican toppings you'd like.

El Torito Sweet Corn Cake

This was one of Stacy's favorite things on the plate whenever she went to El Torito for sour cream and chicken enchiladas. I honestly didn't notice the corn cake when I was stuffing my face with chimichangas in an El Torito 3,000 miles away. Either way, these are great. --Mark

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
2 T shortening
1/2 cup masa harina
3 T cold water
10 oz. frozen corn
3 T cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 T whipping cream
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions:

Whip butter and shortening in a mixing bowl until fluffy and creamy. Add masa harina gradually and mix thoroughly. Add water gradually, mixing well. Blend corn until coarsely chopped. Stir into masa mixture.

Mix cornmeal, sugar, whipping cream, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter-masa mixture; mix until blended. Pour into a greased 8" baking pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees until corn cake is firm, 40-50 minutes. allow to stand at room temperature 15 minutes before cutting into squares. You can also use an ice cream scoop to serve.