Steak Fajitas : remodel dinner #29

I went a little crazy at the grocery store. In addition to the whole chicken I bought for the rotisserie, I also bought a skirt steak and boneless chicken breast. My original thought was beef and chicken fajitas, but I realized that would be way too much food, so we saved the chicken for another night and just had steak fajitas. My sweetie made a simple marinade with achiote paste, orange juice and cayenne pepper (and probably a few other things, I wasn't watching closely).

Chili Verde : remodel dinner #2

Chili Verde : simplified and in the electric skillet

Since I had purchased tortillas for the quesadillas, I wanted to prepare something to use them up. Thus this simplified chili verde. It turned out surprisingly good, albeit a bit too salty. And it's about as simple as it gets

I cut one pork tenderloin into cubes (maybe 1/2 inch), sprinkled it with garlic and onion powders and salt, then browned it in the electric skillet. Once it was browned, I poured in a jar of salsa verde and a little bit (1/2 cup maybe) of chicken broth. Then I "simmered" it for what ended up being about 90 minutes, but it was probably ready to go after 45. I put the "simmered" in quotes because I discovered the electric skillet stays on for about 15 seconds, then goes off for about 45 seconds. So it's not the most even of heats, but I just turned it as low as it would go and all was yummy!

Fideos in the rice cooker : remodel dinner #1

Well, last night was the first night without the kitchen. I made fideos using the electric frying pan and the rice cooker. Rather than puree the tomatoes, etc, I simply added about 1/3 cup of salsa and some onion and garlic powders to the noodles and broth (this dish is vegan if you use veggie broth) in the rice cooker (after browning the noodles in the electric frying pan) and pressed the button. The noodles were a little dry initially, so I added some more broth and cooked them for just a little longer.





I also made mushroom and onion quesadillas in the electric frying pan. Cut up and sauteed some onions and mushrooms. Then made quesadillas with the veg and some pre-shredded cheese and flour tortillas.

Far from gourmet, but definitely servicable.

Tortilla Soup

I got this recipe from the Eating Well website, and it is one of the easiest soups I have ever made. It comes together amazingly quick and is yummy and healthy to boot. What more could you ask for?







Tortilla Soup

8 Corn Tortillas
2 tsp Canola Oil
3 Anaheim or Poblano Peppers (To Yield 1 1/2 Cups Diced)
1 Medium Onion, Diced
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 Pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, Cut Into 1-Inch Pieces
4 Cups Chicken Broth
1 14-Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese (Cheddar, Jack, Pepper Jack or a Mexican Blend)
1/4 Cup Cilantro, Chopped

Preheat the oven to 400

Slice the tortillas into thin strips and arrange on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake until lightly browned and crispy, 12-15 minutes.

Heat the canola oil in your soup pot over medium heat. Add the peppers and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, 6-8 minutes. Add the cumin, and cook, stirring for one minute. Add the chicken pieces and brown for about 5 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes with their juice, and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the tortilla strips, cheese and cilantro. !Buen Probecho!

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here.

Cole Slaw with a Mexican Twist

I got this recipe while perusing recipes on line a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I saw it, so sadly I can't give due credit. But this is another easy and tasty recipe!

Mexican-Inspired Cole Slaw

1/2 Head Green Cabbage, Thinly Sliced
2 Slice Green Onions
1/4 Chopped Fresh Cilantro
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1/2 tsp (or more to taste) Tapatio or Comparable Hot Sauce
2 tsp Fresh Lime Juice (More or less to taste)


Combine the cabbage, green onions, and cilantro in a salad bowl. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust with more juice or hot sauce as desired.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Fideos or Sopa Seca

This one is quick and easy. It would make a great first course for a big Mexican meal. It also works great as a main for a quick weekday dinner.

Fideos

1 14-Ounce Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 Small Onion, Cut in Chunks
2 Cups Broth (Chicken or Veggie)
8-10 Ounces Angel Hair Pasta or Vermicelli
1 Canned Chipotle in Adobo Sauce
2 tsp Canola Oil

Garnishes:

Fresh Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Avocado
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Sliced Green Onions

Combine the tomatoes with their juice, the onion, garlic and chipotle in a food processor. Process until smooth.

Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Break the angel hair pasta in about thirds and add to the hot oil. (If using vermicelli nests, add them directly to the hot oil.) Cook, stirring as needed until well browned. Add the tomato puree and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir. Continue cooking as needed, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Spoon into bowls and garnish as desired.

!Buen Probecho!

Chipotle Enchilada Casserole with Chicken or Turkey

How do I love Mexican food? I'm not going to even bother to count the ways. I love enchiladas, but I am too lazy to make them. The solution? Enchilada Casserole. Tonight I used leftover turkey (even though I told you there wouldn't be any more turkey recipes : psych!) But I normally make this recipe with chicken.

Chipotle Enchilada Casserole

for the sauce:

2 tsp Canola Oil
1/2 Onion, finely diced
1 Clove Garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp Chipotle in Adobo, seeded and minced
1 tsp Mexican Oregano
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
3 Tbsp Flour
2 14 oz Cans Chicken Broth
3 tsp Corn Starch (if needed)

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chipotle, oregano, cumin and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the flour and stir to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly whisk in the first can of broth. Add the second can and stir well. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. If your sauce seems to runny (like mine did) whisk 3 tsp cornstarch with equal parts water or broth. Stir into the sauce and simmer another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

for the Enchiladas

Preheat Oven to 375

2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, diced
4 oz. Shredded Cheese (Cheddar, Jack, whatever you have that sounds good)
3 Tbsp Minced Onion
8 Corn Tortillas, cut in half

Sliced Green Onions for Garnish

Spoon about 1/4 cup sauce in the bottom of an 8 inch square baking dish. Cover with 2 tortillas. Cover the tortillas with sauce, then sprinkle half of the turkey, cheese and minced onion. Cover with sauce and repeat the layers. End with a layer of tortillas covered with sauce and cheese. Bake until bubbly and the cheese has browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with sliced green onions. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.