Taco Time is anytime.
Blergh! I think I watched too many documentaries in the last week, not since my “Issues in Globalization” course in college have I felt so powerless, but kind of empowered at the same time. Some folks say that ignorance is bliss, and for some situations Continue reading “Crock pot carne guisada (Mexican chuck Roast) tacos”
Labor day chicken enchiladas
I am very sad to report our chicken “Tupac” was attacked by a racoon on Saturday and sucummed to injuries. I take death so hard, she was a great chicken and I admit it,I got attached. I probably should’ve tried to cook her but I couldn’t do it, so she is buried with a monument in the back yard. I think I would be a terrible farmer….i’d like to think i’m self reliant, but if I had to kill my own meat, I wouldn’t eat meat. Now if someone else does that stuff and I just get de-feathered and ready to cook i’m all in. Continue reading “Labor day chicken enchiladas”
Simple 7 ingredient Pico de gallo
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For the last week and a half I have been in my hometown of Ogden, UT. The visit wasn’t planned and was a result of a family emergency. The worst of it has now passed and with a ton of support of family and friends we made it through and are hoping for a full recovery for my Dad. When I was here last summer I posted a recipe for tacos made by my nephew’s girlfriend Felisha. We decided to make them again for dinner and realized I never blogged her outstanding, but simple pico recipe, which is quite essential for the full experience. I went to my favorite Mexican market Rancho Market in Ogden, and as usual the produce was the best around, the roma tomatoes especially ripe and beautiful considering its February and more then a few months out of peak tomato season, the beef is ground fresh to order and the experience is one that shouldn’t be missed if you enjoy a friendly small town shopping experience, if you live in O-town and you haven’t gone there you are to say the least missing out on a rare gem in our tiny ski town.
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We made enough for a crowd, so I am blogging that amount, if you want to half everything to make less you can, but it does stay quite nicely in a sealed container in the fridge for a week or more.
Ingredients:
2 lbs Roma tomatoes, stems removed and diced small
1 medium red onion, diced small
3 Jalapenos, diced small, with seeds, now the amount you like depends on how spicy you like it, ours was spicy but not hell fire by any means, choose your own adventure
juice from 3 juicy limes, think ceviche level, in fact you could add fish and make this into an easy ceviche!
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or smashed, Felisha says a teaspoon of garlic powder works fine if you don’t have fresh
one bunch cilantro, stems and all chopped
1/2 Tablespoon salt
Method:
Combine in a bowl! Put on everything and anything!
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This is one of those recipes that won’t require a recipe and you will find that you will no longer need to buy any jarred salsa ever! I must say the better the produce the better the product will be, find your own ethnic market in your town and talk to your grocer, butcher, and check out person get to know them and show interest in what they do and tell them you appreciate them…they will let you know about all the best stuff!
For me cooking is a way to show love, and when times get rough sometimes the best you can do is make something to share with your loved ones and to have a meal together. Tell your family and friends you love them and be available when others are experiencing hard times…bumps in the road are essential to living life and with every trial that comes my way I learn from and become a bit more understanding of others….you never know what someone is going through till you walk a mile in their shoes.
Sexy Tex-Mexi Tacos
While I was visiting my fam in the Utah, my nephew’s girlfriend Felisha treated us to some lovely tacos. She made them with ground beef, made her own pico, served them with some onions and cilantro, and gave the corn tortillas a quick dip in some hot oil so they were almost like puffy tacos, a famous style of Texas taco that is neither soft nor crisp…just delicious. I felt inspired, and my family loves tacos, so I decided to make my own version…and ya know what? They were fiesta inspiring! I also did some sneaky “Mom” stuff like added some veggies to meat mixture and topped them with a healthy dose of romaine and radish. This worked great for a fast, Friday dinner that pleases everyone.
Beef filling
1 lb 85/15 ground beef
2 carrots grated
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
In a skillet over medium high heat, brown the beef with the onion and carrot, till golden, drain fat. Add tomato paste and seasonings and 3 Tbsp water….let simmer while you prep your toppins and fix your tortillas.
In a shallow skillet, add about an inch of canola (or other high smoke point oil of choice) heat to medium high. Add tortillas one by one until they bubble and puff, this will take about thirty seconds if your oil is the right temp. I used some locally made corn tortillas, they only have three ingredients, corn, lime, water. The shelf stable variety tend to have too many hard to pronounce chemicals for my taste. Drain tortillas on paper towels.
Assembly
I shredded half a head of organic romaine (lettuce is a good one to buy organic as it is highly susceptible to chemicals.
1 cup grated cheese, I used cheddar
A few thinly sliced radishes
1 bunch cilantro (I added the stems to my meat mixture)
Salsa verde
Salsa roja
I didn’t make my own salsa today due to time issues, my son just turned two and is especially mischievous right now, and I have great access to local salsas. But if you have the time I say make your own, especially if you are growing tomatoes!!! These were fast and easy and fit into my budget. I make a lot of tacos but these ones were in honor of Felisha’s version. Gracias Felisha!