Category Archives: MEXICAN FOOD RECIPES

INSTANT POT VEGETARIAN REFRIED BEANS

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OK, I thought I was done using my Instant Pot because the last time I tried preparing dried beans this way, the darned things never got soft. Even though I added a bunch of extra time, they were still too hard. I assumed there was simply something wrong with my Instant Pot. Nope. The problem was not the pressure cooker. The problem had to do with the age of the beans I was trying to cook.

If you are anywhere around my age (older than dirt), then you grew up with parents who had either lived during the depression or shortly thereafter. And those of us who then grew up to be the cooks for our own families, remembered the lessons from our youth. Don’t waste food. Keep a stock of your favorite ingredients on hand. (Replacement Shop.) And save money any way possible.

We soon discovered that buying in bulk was a good way to stretch the food dollars. That meant, that buying a 5 pound bag of pinto or navy beans, for example, was much more cost effective than buying 5 – 1 pound packages. Because, dried beans last forever. Right?! Wrong!! 

Fact: Dried beans that are several years old (some say even two years old) may not soften no matter how long you cook them. Who knew? I sure as heck didn’t. I just always figured that because the beans were dried, they could happily sit in my pantry for years with no ill effects. Kind of like Twinkies. But in reality, beans are merely dried to extend their shelf-life. They were never meant to last a lifetime! Or even several years.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Does Patti really expect me to go through my pantry and throw away all those wonderful dried beans I‘ve been hoarding all these years? No, that is not what I’m telling you to do. But I’ve got to be honest with you. That’s what I’m going to do. Because frankly, some of my beans may have moved with us from our Bellevue home 12 years ago. Well maybe not, but darned close! And as much as it’s going to kill me to buy dried beans in small packages or small amounts of bulk beans, and forgo my inherent inclination to sock away masses of dried beans in case there’s a zombie apocalypse or devastating earthquake, that’s my plan from here on out. Because there truly is a difference between a one year old dried bean and a 5 year old dried bean. So on that happy note, I’m going to tell you all about this recipe.

I have been trying all of my adult life to build refried beans that had enough wonderful flavor on their own as not to require any type of embellishment or garnish. No added cheese, raw onion, sour cream, salsa, etc. Nada! And I finally reached my goal the other evening after only 56 years of trying. (Persistence is its own reward.) Anyway, this combination of ingredients really worked for us. And using recently purchased dried pinto beans, adding a wee bit of fat, and a lot of flavorful additives, these beans can be served as is. And proudly take their place alongside any other flavor packed Mexican dish. In other words – they are truly yummy. And creamy. And healthy. And very easy to prepare. Your Instant Pot does all the hard work. You just need to feed it a few ingredients, turn the thing on GO, then walk away and let the pot do its magic. Piece of cake. (And no, I am not naïve enough to believe that all dried beans on my grocery store shelves are not as old as the ones in my pantry. But it’s the best I can do to alleviate the problem of dried beans that will not get soft! Well that and cross my fingers.)

So believe me, I am really glad I gave my Instant Pot another chance. And yes I have apologized to it for any unfair comments I may have issued out of ignorance. And to the Instant Pots credit, I have graciously been forgiven.

As always, be kind, be forgiving, give others the benefit of the doubt, and be that person that everyone considers a good friend. Good friends are like stars. You can’t always see them, but you know they are there. Peace and love to all.  

1 c. dried pinto beans  

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ sm. yellow onion, chopped  

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (4-oz.) diced green chiles (I use mild hatch green chiles)

1/8 tsp. dried jalapeño*

2 c. vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base)

1 c. water

1 sm. bay leaf

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. dried oregano (Mexican oregano is the best)

1 T. unsalted butter

Thoroughly wash and pick over the pinto beans. Place in the instant pot. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour the onion and garlic into the pot. (Or you can use the sauté function on your Instant Pot.) 

Add the diced green chiles, dried jalapeño, broth, water, bay leaf, salt, chili powder, and oregano. Stir to combine.

Cook on High or Beans for 50 minutes. When the 50 minutes are over, let the pressure release naturally for 40 minutes. Carefully open the lid.  

Discard the bay leaf. Drain the beans reserving about a cup of water. (You probably won’t use that much additional liquid, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.) Using your immersion blender or potato masher, mush the beans until they reach your desired consistency, adding reserved liquid as needed. Stir in the butter, taste, and adjust seasoning. (You will probably need a bit more kosher salt at this point.) Serve warm as a side dish or as a glorious bean dip.

Can be prepared ahead of time and re-heated just before serving.

*I use dried powdered jalapeño quite a bit because I rarely have a fresh jalapeño on hand. The brand I use is Badia ground jalapeño. (You can purchase it through Amazon.)  

CREAMY CHICKEN CHILI

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I don’t know what the weather is like in your part of the world right now, but here on Camano Island its misty moisty and fluctuating around 65 degrees. Not offshore misty, but rather rainy misty. And not really cold, but not warm either. So to my thinking, it’s still soup and chili weather. So I thought about it for a while yesterday morning and decided to serve chili last evening for dinner.

Now just because I wanted chili for dinner, didn’t mean that I wouldn’t appreciate a new take on an old favorite. And one type of chili I had never made before was a chili containing chicken rather than beef or pork. I like chicken. I’ve got chicken in the freezer. So chicken chili it is! Only one problem. I don’t quite know where to begin. So to the internet I proceeded.

And based on the white chicken chili recipe I found on the cookingclassy.com site (with my own adaptations of course), I prepared this really delicious and comforting dish for supper last evening. It was easy to prepare, contained ingredients I had on hand, and was basically a one dish meal. I like one dish meals. But I decided to fancy up the meal a bit, so I made a small plate of nachos to go with the chili. Simple really. Just a layer of tortilla chips, a bit of both sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and a smattering of pickled jalapeño. Bake for 4-5 minutes in a 400 degree oven, and Bob’s your uncle! (And no, I don’t usually use mozzarella cheese in either chili or on nachos. But I didn’t have any Monterey Jack, so I used what I had on hand.)

So if you too would like to serve chili for dinner some evening, but a chili that’s a bit different, give this recipe a try. Want more heat? Add some fresh jalapeño. Don’t have any cannellini beans on hand, use canned chili beans in a sauce like I did last evening. Don’t like beans, leave them out. Don’t like chicken, leave it out too. Wouldn’t matter. The chili would still be delicious.

In any event, stay happy, stay healthy, and keep trying new recipes. I think one of the reasons I am weathering this coronavirus pandemic with all of its ramifications as well as I am, is because I get to try out new recipes, write about my triumphs, and share them with you. You simply don’t know how much it means to me to be able to include you in my life in this very simple way. Peace and love to all.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

¾-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized chunks

seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ c. diced onion

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 c. chicken broth

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies

¾ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. ground coriander

pinch cayenne pepper

1 c. cooked cannellini beans or 1 can beans of choice  

1 c. corn (frozen, canned, or fresh)

2 oz. (¼ pkg.) cream cheese

1 c. grated mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or other melty white cheese

2-3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tsp. fresh lime juice, or more to taste

tortilla chips

sliced avocado

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the chicken. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper. Cook the chicken just until it’s done. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic; cook for one minute.

Add the chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Bring mixture just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes.

Add the beans, corn, and cooked chicken. Bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, green onions, and lime juice. Adjust seasoning.

Serve in soup bowls with tortilla chips and avocado passed at table.

Note: If you have leftover chicken, by all means use it in this dish. Add it along with the beans and corn as instructed in the recipe.   

   

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND CANNELLINI BEAN CHILI

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It all started with me wanting to try out a recipe for sourdough cornbread. (And I know, sourdough and I appear to be joined at the hip these days. But I love everything sourdough, so why not a sourdough cornbread? After all, many cornbread recipes include buttermilk. Which is also sour. So logic dictates that sourdough cornbread should be delicious. And BTW – it is! Recipe to follow in the next couple of days.)

Anyway, I wanted to try out my recipe for sourdough cornbread yesterday so that I could serve it last evening. So I got to thinking about what to serve with the cornbread? Mr. C. and I love chili. We also love Italian food. So why not a chili that smacks of Italy, with a bit of Southwestern flavor thrown in for good measure. (And authenticity.)

So yesterday, I went on line looking for a chili recipe containing Italian sausage and cannellini beans. And there it was on the reneeskitchenadventures.com site. Of course I messed with the recipe, but I am pleased to give credit to Renee for the bones of this delightful dish.

Now, who knew Italian and Southwestern flavors would mix so well? But OMG, this was one of the best pots of chili I have ever produced, much less tasted. And ever so easy to prepare. But Italian seasoning and diced green chilies in the same recipe? Radical to say the least. But isn’t that fun! And what cooking should be all about! Coaxing the best out of every single ingredient you use. Sometimes it feels like magic to me. How a smattering of this and a dash of that can make such a difference to the final product. Of course there is one combination of ingredients I know I will never prepare. But none the less, it’s fun to imagine. For your reading pleasure: The well-known incantation of the Three Witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg, and howlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

As always dear friends and far-flung readers – stay safe, stay inspired, stay positive, and keep smiling. (Even if no one can tell you’re smiling under your mask!) Oh – and make this chili. It’s really great!

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 lb. bulk Italian pork sausage (I use sweet Italian sausage from our IGA on Camano Island)

1 med. onion, chopped

1½ c. diced bell pepper (red, orange, yellow, green – or a combination)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. fennel seeds

1 tsp. dried oregano (preferably Mexican)

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, opt.

freshly ground black pepper

14 oz. can diced tomatoes (preferably Italian)

4 oz. can diced green chilies

2½ c. vegetable stock  

2 c. cooked cannellini beans*

Heat the olive oil in a large, covered Dutch oven. Add the meat, breaking it into small pieces as it browns. Remove the cooked sausage and set aside.  

Add the onion and peppers to the Dutch oven. Cook until the onion begin to soften. Add the garlic; cook for one minute.

Stir in the cumin, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, oregano, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper.    

Add the canned tomatoes with juices, green chilies, and vegetable stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for a good hour.

Just before ready to serve, add the reserved meat and the cooked cannellini beans and bring back to a boil. Adjust seasoning.

Serve in soup bowls. Pass the extra virgin olive oil. A small drizzle on top of the soup tastes mighty fine. And corn bread is perfect on the side.

Note: And while I know you are wondering why I don’t just leave the cooked Italian sausage in the pot the whole time, I believe my reasoning not to do so is sound. Unlike ground beef, which is inherently fairly uninspired tasting, Italian sausage is replete with flavor. (The spices bring a lot of the flavor to the mix.) If you leave the cooked sausage in the broth for too long, all that yummy concentrated flavor will be leached away. Yes the flavor will still be in the saucy part. But it’s really nice to bite into a piece of Italian sausage that still tastes like Italian sausage!    

*You can use canned cannellini beans, but I prefer to cook the beans myself. And no, you don’t have to soak the beans overnight or cook them in an instant pot. When I’m in a hurry, I simply wash the dried beans, place them in a covered pot, add lots of water, bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let the beans gently simmer until they are tender. I check the pot every 30 minutes or so. When the beans are getting close to being done, I add salt to the water.

When the beans are finished cooking, I take the pot off heat and just let the beans sit in the water until I’m ready to add them to the chili.

(I realize my way of cooking beans goes against convention. Soak the beans the night before, etc. But most of the time, I am not efficient enough to know the day before what I am going to serve for dinner the next evening. That takes planning. I just happen to take a much more relaxed approach to the whole undertaking.)  

LEFTOVER TURKEY POZOLE WITH GREEN CHILIES AND AVOCADO CHUNKS

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Happy belated Cinco de Mayo. We celebrated last evening with Mr. C’s fabulous Margaritas and this delicious pozole. Since I am sure some of you are wondering “what the heck is pozole”, I’m going to provide you with a quick and fascinating explanation of its origin, etc.

From the benitosmexican.com site – “Pozole (pronounced po-so-le) means “hominy” and it is basically a cross between soup and stew. It is a popular and beloved dish throughout Mexico and is commonly enjoyed for events and special occasions, such as weddings, Independence Day, and Christmas. It is described as Mexican comfort food, because it warms you from the inside out.

Similar to many Mexican dishes, the name Pozole originates from Nahuatl and has a significant history. The main ingredient in Pozole is hominy, which is made from corn. Due to the belief that humans were made by the corn gods, in Mexican Aztec history corn was considered a sacred plant. Therefore, the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples cooked Pozole only on special occasions.

Originally, Pozole was made from the human meat of prisoners whose hearts had been ripped out in ritual sacrifice. Thankfully, after the Spanish conquest in the 1500’s, cannibalism was banned and the meat in this dish was replaced with pork. While this little piece of dark history may be shocking, don’t let it scare you off!”

Well, there you go. Aren’t you glad you were interested enough to read about the history behind pozole. Moving on, let’s get to the real “meat” of what makes pozole a dish you might enjoy serving to your family.

Basically, it’s delicious. And it’s fairly easy to prepare. And it’s a one dish meal. (And yes, you can spell pozole with an “s” (posole) or a “z” (pozole). Either way is correct and universally accepted.)

Now I am aware that not everyone has dried hominy (pozole) just lying around. I sure didn’t until I discovered this delicious stew/soup/whatever! a few years ago. (For two other posole recipes on this site, see my Red (Rojo) Posole with Pork, and Posole (Hominy) Side Dish with Pork and Green Chile.

But next time you visit your local grocery store, with your mask and gloves firmly in place of course, pick up a bag. (I buy Los Chileros de Nuevo Mexico White Corn Posole at QFC.) Or go on line and place an order. Pozole is truly worth the effort.

So as promised, you now have another recipe for what to do with leftover turkey. And for all of you who might be concerned that this dish might be too spicy for you, not to worry. It is really pretty tame. And if you don’t have any leftover turkey lurking in your refrigerator or freezer, by all means cook up a bit of chicken and call it good!

To all – stay safe, stay sane, and keep cooking new and interesting food. If nothing else, preparing different recipes can help keep your boredom at bay. And what fun for your family to look forward to whatever adventure you have planned for them at the dinner table. Today a visit to Mexico, tomorrow perhaps Hungarian cuisine or East Indian. There is simply no end to the enticing choices available. Be creative, but above all – Have Fun! Salud  

½ c. dried white corn posole (hominy) or 2 (15-oz.) cans drained and rinsed hominy*

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ med. sized yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 T. Ancho chili powder

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled

small bay leaf

freshly ground black pepper

1 (7 oz.) can diced green chiles

1 (4 oz.) can Hatch diced green chiles

2 T. tomato paste

1 qt. chicken broth (low sodium if possible)

1 c. water

2 c. bite sized pieces of cooked turkey or chicken

2 T. roughly chopped parsley or cilantro

¼ c. thinly sliced green onions

chunks of avocado

sour cream (Mexican style is best)

Place dried hominy in a non-reactive container and cover with water; soak overnight. Next day, boil posole in salted water for approximately 2-2½ hours or until tender. Drain. 

Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed covered pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and slowly cook until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the cumin, Ancho chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, bay leaf, black pepper, diced green chiles, Hatch chiles, tomato paste, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. 

Reduce heat and let the soup simmer, partially covered, for one hour. Add the hominy, cooked turkey pieces, and parsley. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve with chopped parsley, green onions, avocado chunks, and sour cream as a topping.

*Use canned hominy if in a hurry, but taste and texture are just not as good as when you start with dried posole.

MEXICAN RICE PILAF

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I really hate it when I have to eat my words. (I enjoy eating almost everything else, but eating my own words causes me anxiety and hives.) But sometimes there is just nothing for it except to get it over with and start chewing. So – in full disclosure, in a previous post for Mexican rice, I stated that “with the exception of a particularly delicious paella I once enjoyed in Spain and a fine recipe I have for cabbage rolls, I don’t like rice and tomatoes cooked together”.

But when researching recipes for a recent Mexican food themed meal I found this recipe from Once Upon a Chef. And since I love and trust this site, I bit the bullet. I did make a couple very minor changes, but I don’t mess with the bones of a Jenn Segal recipe, because she is a remarkable chef. So I left in the tomato paste.

And of course, you know what I have to say next. The rice was wonderful, and one of the main reasons was because the (damn) tomato paste was one of the ingredients! Gurrr!

Now this is important so pay attention. Sometimes, actually quite often, I am wrong about food combinations. It’s all a matter of taste anyway. So as I have previously stated, any recipe for something like this rice dish, is simply a guide. If you wanted to add peas (as Jenn originally included), add peas. Or you like a more pronounced garlic influence, up the number of garlic cloves. Or you feel chopped celery would add a nice base flavor, chop away. Or if you are like me, and still on the fence about cilantro, decrease the amount in any given recipe and add a bit of fresh parsley. That’s the joy of cooking. You make it your own by simply being creative and adding your own special touch.

So make this wonderful rice. It turned out that one of the enchilada dishes I served was quite runny. So what my guests did was top their rice with the enchilada. It was great! So don’t hesitate to use this as a base for other Mexican dishes. Have fun in the kitchen. That’s what this is all about.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 c. finely chopped yellow onion

1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely minced (or more or less to taste)

2 lg. cloves garlic, finely minced

1½ c. long grain white rice

2 T. tomato paste (preferably Italian tomato paste)

3 c. vegetable broth

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. ground cumin

2 T. finely chopped cilantro

2 T. finely chopped parsley

4 tsp. fresh lime juice, or more to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large covered pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and jalapeño and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and rice; cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, broth, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin; turn up the heat and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir periodically. When done, remove from heat.

Add the cilantro, parsley, and lime juice; fluff the rice with a fork to mix. Let the rice sit for a few moments for the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning, add additional lime juice if desired.

To make ahead, do not add the cilantro, parsley, and lime until you have re-heated the rice and just before you plan to serve. To reheat the rice, heat in a covered container in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the rice is good and warm. Stir in the cilantro, parsley, and lime. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

OVERNIGHT MEXICAN COLESLAW

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I know I’ve said it before, ad nauseam in fact, but I love dishes I can prepare ahead for special dinners with family and/or friends. There is just something about waking up on the day of the planned event having at least part of the meal happily residing in my refrigerator or on a counter. OK, I still feel a bit of panic, but it is soon offset by remembering that I have at least one if not some of the preparation already completed. (And at my age, every little bit helps.)

So recently when I was planning to serve Mexican food to 38 people, I realized most of the dishes I wanted to serve would have to be fixed ahead. And I knew I wanted to serve a coleslaw, both for color and crunch.

Now most of my coleslaw recipes you can cut the veggies ahead, and you can prepare the dressing ahead, but you shouldn’t combine the two parts until just before you plan to serve. But I wanted a coleslaw that could be made ahead, in fact, one that would profit by spending some quality time in cold storage. So I went online. (Of course I did!) And found a recipe on The Kitchen Magpie site. As usual, I changed the ingredients a bit, but not in any radical manner.

So all I can say now is that if you like coleslaw, this is a recipe which should be given special attention. It is crazy delicious and very simple to assemble. And you can make it the day before you want to serve it! (I keep coming back to that salient feature, but I’m old, so cut me some slack.)

Anyway – just make this salad. It’s yum!

1/3 c. fresh lime juice

½ tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. honey

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ c. extra virgin olive oil

½ head green cabbage, very thinly sliced

½ head red cabbage, very thinly sliced  

1½ c. grated carrot

4-5 very thinly sliced green onions

¼ c. chopped cilantro

1 T. chopped Italian parsley

Shake the lime juice, cumin, honey, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil together in a small covered jar. 

Toss the green cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, green onions, cilantro, and parsley together in a salad bowl.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss together until the veggies are completely covered in dressing. If time allows, cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight for best results. Toss again just before serving. 

CHUNKY SHRIMP, AVOCADO, AND TOMATO DIP

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This lovely seafood/guacamole/salsa like appetizer is simply delicious. The recipe comes from one of my favorite recipe sites – Natasha’s Kitchen. I changed a couple of amounts here and there, but this gem can only be attributed to Natasha’s culinary genius.

It’s like guacamole on steroids. Every bite beckons you to take another bite. So in that way, this is a dish where you could conceivably make a pig of yourself in front of your friends and family. So maybe the first time you prepare this before meal nibble, you should do so all by yourself in the privacy of your own kitchen. Just sayin’. It’s just that good. Or, you could always make a double batch and eat as much as you want, leaving the lions share for your family and friends. (Sounds like I speak from experience, right?!?!) Actually not.

I made this last Sunday for a Mexican food themed pre-concert meal for our 101st JazzVox concert in our home. But I barely got a taste of it before our guests heartily enjoyed their way through the whole bowl. But the bite I did get made me certain that it would not be too long before I made some just for Mr. C. and me.

So if you are ever in the mood for a special appetizer, give this delightful recipe a try. I would also advise you to visit Natasha’s site. She has a wonderful flair for food and her recipes are mostly easy to follow and include, again mostly, readily available ingredients. Happy eating!

Oh, and sorry I haven’t posted recipes for a while. We were enjoying another adventure out in this amazing world of ours. If you would like to follow us on our recent trailer trip, klick on September 2019 Trailer Trip.

1 lb. lg. raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 med. limes, juiced, or more to taste

couple dashes of hot sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot), opt.

½ English cucumber, semi peeled, seeded, and finely diced

4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced

3 avocados, diced  

½ c. finely diced red onion   

1/3 c. chopped cilantro

yellow and blue tortilla chips, for dipping

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a fry pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp and sauté just until cooked through. Remove from pan. Allow to cool, then coarsely chop and place in a large mixing bowl.

Pour the lime juice over the shrimp, and let sit for a few minutes before gently stirring in the hot sauce, cucumber, tomatoes, avocados, onion, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with tortilla chips.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA SUIZAS CASSEROLE

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So, depending on whether or not you are trying to eat healthier, you are in for a treat with this recipe (slightly modified by yours truly) from the Joyful Healthy Eats site. And in case you have never enjoyed an enchilada suizas, you probably don’t know that most of the time the key ingredients are a various combination of butter, sour cream, heavy cream, crème fraiche, half & half, and cheese. Lots of cheese. (I mean really, what’s not to like?) But in this recipe, there is nary a mention of butter, sour cream, heavy cream, crème fraiche, or half & half. There is of course cheese in this recipe, but then how could it not contain cheese, since the very definition of suizas means Swiss and alludes to its copious use of cheese and other dairy products.

But, using only non-fat Greek yogurt along with both Mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese, the total fat content in this recipe is far lower than in typical recipes for this amazing dish.

Also, layering the tortillas rather than rolling them up, reduces the amount of time it takes to prepare these enchiladas. And any time I can save time as well as calories, I say hurray to that!

So what you are left with is a delicious casserole filled with tender chicken pieces, tortillas and cheese that simply melt into the lovely green chili sauce. If it sounds delightful, you would not be wrong. This casserole is really, really amazing. And the best part. You don’t have to feel guilty eating it! Of course, it still has calories. But about half as many as most enchiladas suiza. And it’s gluten free. And isn’t that always special!

So do yourself a favor. Next time you want Mexican food, make it at home. Paired with my recent post for Mexican Black Beans, you have a healthy, nutritious, and delectable meal you can serve your family and friends that is every bit as good, if not considerably better than you can find in most Mexican restaurants.

Now, if you are the kind of person who doesn’t feel a Mexican meal is complete without rice, I have a great recipe for you to try that’s already on this site. And if you guessed that the recipe would be entitled Mexican Rice, give yourself a gold star. Just be for-warned. There are no tomatoes in my recipe. (Just throwing that out there so you won’t be surprised when you read the ingredient list.) I just don’t happen to like most tomato flavored rice recipes. So my recipe is completely different. (Pretty darn delicious too.) So give all three of these recipes a try. Throw a Mexican dinner for your family and friends. Just don’t forget the Guacamole and Margaritas. (And yes, I have recipes for them too. So make that – five new recipes to try.) But wait, there’s one more recipe you need to make for your family and friends – Tres Leche (Three Milks) Cake. (Actually there are even more Mexican recipes if you search under Mexican Food Recipes.) OK, I’m done now. You may be excused. Buen provecho.

Chicken:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly grated black pepper

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

¼ tsp. paprika

Place chicken breasts in an 8×8-inch baking pan. Pour on the olive oil. Using your hands, best tool in the kitchen BTW, massage the oil all over the chicken. Wash your hands and mix together the seasoned salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and paprika. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken.

Bake in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.  If you use an instant read thermometer to measure the temperature at the thickest part of the breast, it should read about 170 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before dicing into small cubes. (Save the juices that have accumulated in the bottom of the pan as the chicken cools. You are going to add them to the sauce.)

Green Chili Sauce:

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 c. chopped yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 c. (1 qt.) chicken stock

7-8 oz. canned diced green chilies

2 T. water

2 T. cornstarch

2/3 c. plain non-fat greek yogurt

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion. Sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the chicken stock and green chilies. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken stock has reduced a bit.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Add to the skillet along with the juices from baking the chicken, and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Building the Casserole:

15 small white corn tortillas or 10 regular sized

1½ c. shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

avocado chunks, opt.

diced fresh tomatoes, opt.

Spread a very small amount of the sauce on the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Add a layer of tortillas (feel free to cut them to fit the pan), then 1/3rd of the remaining sauce, cooked chicken, and cheeses. Repeat 2 more times. Finish with the last of the shredded cheese on top. (If it looks like a little more cheese on top would be nice, you know where your grater lives!)

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese on top is starting to brown and is nice and melted, and the sauce around the edges of the pan is bubbly. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serve garnished with freshly diced avocado and tomatoes.

 

MEXICAN BLACK BEANS

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OK, so I recently told you that I was on yet another of my healthy kicks, so here goes a new recipe using dried beans. Now before you close down this post or jump out of your bedroom window, I want you to know that these are the best black beans I have ever tasted. And I have been on this strange planet for quite a number of decades now. And, I have made more recipes using dried beans than I can count. And I am good with numbers!

This recipe is straight out of the little recipe book that came with my Cosori Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker. (Thanks again Paula and Mark.)

I am truly not exaggerating when I say these beans could not be more delicious. Or nutritious! They are tender, savory, and juicy. (You need to serve them in a bowl.) But OMG (oh-my-goodness), they make for a very happy mouth. And if I’m not mistaken, my digestive track is probably giving me a “high-five” for providing it with the total and soluble fiber it so richly deserves. Not to mention the important micronutrients like potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc that come with the whole package.

So if you are trying to eat healthier and still enjoy food that tastes like it’s been prepared by a world class chef, give these beans a try. And if you can find a restaurant that serves beans that are this delicious, please let me know. If they can turn out beans like this, imagine what their chiles rellenos would taste like. The mind boggles at just the thought of a chiles rellenos that good.

Anyway, make some of these beans. And not just because they’re good for you. But out of the sheer pleasure of tasting something so delicious it will almost make you weep. Thank you Cosori for this wonderful recipe. And good health to you all.

2 c. dry black beans, rinsed 

1 onion, chopped 

4 garlic cloves, chopped 

1 T. chili powder 

1 tsp. paprika 

½ tsp. ground cumin 

2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil 

3½ c. water 

juice of 1 lime, or more to taste

Place the beans, onion, garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, olive oil, and water in your Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Secure the lid, making sure the pressure release valve is in the locked position.

Select Beans/Chili then add additional time to read 45 minutes.

Press start.

Allow the cooker to naturally release for 15-20 minutes when done cooking. Add the lime juice and adjust seasoning.

 

INSTANT POT MEXICAN SHREDDED BEEF ENCHILADAS

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I want you to know just how brave I have become. I have actually used my Instant Pot 3 times in the last few weeks. Amazing right? And I must say in all honesty – what in the heck was I worried about? My Instant Pot is so easy to use, and so far the results have been terrific. OK, I still don’t sauté in my Instant Pot because I like to control that step on my stove top. But cook dried beans, or in this case meat that would normally have to simmer for hours, well I am now so on board the Instant Pot train! And the pot is even easy to clean! Better and better.

So the other day I got a wild hair to make a shredded beef enchilada. I love Mexican food, and already had a great recipe for Cheese Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce (the best red sauce you could ever hope to create at home BTW), but my mouth was craving shredded beef. So I went on line and glommed together this recipe. And I must say it filled my expectations and then some. And easy? Oh yah!

So if you too have been the least bit hesitant to use your Instant Pot, get over your fears and give this recipe a try. I topped the enchiladas with homemade Pico de Gallo (on site) and sour cream. And served Mexican Cabbage Salad (see recipe below) and Instant Pot refried pinto beans on the side. (Beans recipe to be posted in the next few days.)

And if you love shredded beef enchiladas as much as I do, make this recipe at your earliest convenience. It is just plain yummy. And if you have extra meat, don’t hesitate to freeze it for the next time you experience an enchilada craving.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 lb. boneless chuck roast, all visible fat and gristle removed, and cut into 3-inch pieces

1 c. beef broth

juice of 1 lime

1 sm. can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

2 tsp. ground cumin  

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. ground cloves

freshly cracked black pepper

1 can (lg. or sm.) chopped green chilies

1 sm. yellow onion, rough chopped

4 cloves garlic, rough chopped

2 bay leaves

flour tortillas, warmed on a dry griddle

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Brown all the pieces of meat and place them in your Instant Pot. Add more olive oil if necessary. (The beef chunks should be very well browned on all sides.) Don’t wash the fry pan. Pour off any fat, but leave the brown bits for later.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the broth, lime juice, tomato sauce, chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, ground cloves, and black pepper together. Stir in the canned green chilies, chopped onion, chopped garlic, and bay leaves.

Pour over the meat and give the whole mess a good stir.

Place the lid on the instant pot and lock.  Steam release knob should be set on “sealing”.  Cook on manual setting (high pressure) for 60 minutes.  Allow pressure to release naturally.

Remove beef from pressure cooker and shred with 2 forks, discarding any fat. 

Pour the remaining liquid from the Instant Pot into the fry pan. Discard the bay leaves. Heat and stir up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. If the sauce is not thick enough, make a simple water and cornstarch slurry (1 to 1 water and cornstarch mixture) and add to the meat juices. Bring to a boil, and whisk until smooth and sauce reaches desired consistency. Add shredded beef to pan. Adjust seasoning. Cook until warm.

Fill warmed tortillas with meat, roll, and top with Pico de Gallo and sour cream. Or whatever your heart desires. Meat can also be used as a filling for tacos or on a taco salad. Let your imagination be your guide.

Note: I have not tried making this shredded beef the more traditional way. That is on either my cook top or in the oven, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t turn out just fine. Just check it every hour or so to make sure the beef is not getting too dry. Add water or beef broth as required.

MEXICAN CABBAGE SALAD  

½ small head cabbage, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

½ small red onion, minced

1 carrot, shredded  

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

juice of 1 lime

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, mix together the cabbage, jalapeno pepper, red onion, carrot, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

This salad would also make a great accompaniment to fish tacos. Just sayin’!