Category: TEXMEX / CAJUN / CUBAN

CLEANING THE CABINETS TACOS

So our move is a ways off, but I’m making a conscience effort to clean out the cabinets of canned goods and the freezer of meat.  I have a few packages of pork chops in there that I’ve been eating around.  The original package of pork chops was a family pack and the first 2 we ate were quite tough.  I have found though that slow roasting them and shredding them makes them delicious!


So I was poking around in the cabinet and found a can of pineapple, a can of artichoke hearts and had one of those moments where anything sounded possible. It was a great decision!  These are going to be one of our new favorites.

HAWAIIAN TACOS
4 boneless pork chops
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
6 ounce can pineapple juice
1 small onion, finely diced
14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained well

  • Spray baking dish with non-stick spray.
  • Spread onion pieces in baking dish.
  • Salt and pepper pork chops well on both sides and place on top of onions.
  • Combine the artichokes, pineapple juice and pineapple in a small food processor blending until smooth.
  • Pour over top pork chops.
  • Cover with foil.
  • Bake 2 hours.
  • Uncover and bake 20 minutes more.
  • Rest 10 minutes before shredding.
  • Shred pork and toss with pineapple mixture.
  • Serve with cabbage slaw and limes.

CHICKEN TURNOVERS

For those quick week night meals this recipe is perfect!

CHICKEN TURNOVERS
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup guacamole
1 can refrigerator biscuits, grand size
1 cup shredded shredded cheddar cheese

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Combine in large bowl the salsa, guacamole, green onions, chicken and cheese.
  • On a floured board between wax paper layers, roll out each biscuit to about double the original size.
  • Fill each biscuit with chicken mixture and fold over into a moon shape.
  • Press the edges firmly to seal.
  • Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Serve with a side of sour cream and salsa for dipping.

PIQUANT CHICKEN with CHARRED TOMATO SAUCE

Chipotle chiles add a nice smoky heat to the sauce.  Serve this piquant chicken with lime wedges, chopped cilantro and chiles, and sour cream.

PIQUANT CHICKEN with CHARRED TOMATO SAUCE
3 pounds skinless chicken breast
1-1/2 cups oil
2 cans Chipolte Peppers in Adobo Sauce
1 (can) 16 ounce whole tomatoes, chopped
1 cup onions, chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 large bunches green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 large cloves garlic, sliced thin
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon red pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  • Drain peppers, retaining sauce. Finely chop peppers and set aside.
  • In a heavy skillet, add 1/4 oil and heat until hot. 
  • Add 1/2 cup flour and stir mixture until roux is a nice caramel color.  Set aside.
  • In a 4 quart heavy pot add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and adobo sauce. 
  • Cook on low heat until brown in color. 
  • Add onions, celery, garlic and stir until mixture is sauteed. 
  • Add roux, a pepper or two depending on your heat index and whole tomatoes, while continuing to stir to keep mixture from sticking to bottom of pot. 
  • Slowly add chicken broth while stirring to blend all ingredients together. 
  • Add all seasonings, sugar and Worcestershire sauce. 
  • Cook on medium heat for about 1 hour, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. 
  • Turn down heat, and add green onions and parsley. 
  • Heat remaining oil until hot. 
  • Slowly add chicken and pan-fry until slightly brown. Salt and peppering generously.
  • Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. 
  • Slowly add chicken to the sauce and cook for about 45 minutes.

WEEK NIGHT CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

I’ve been making these for years on weeknights and they are a family favorite for a quick meal.

WEEK NIGHT CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
2 cups chopped chicken*
1 can green chiles, chopped and drained well
1 can roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup
tortillas,
grated Mexican blend cheese
PURE
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix the soup and green chiles together.
  • Fold in chicken pieces.
  • Spray baking dish with PURE.
  • Stuff and roll tortillas.
  • Place in baking dish.
  • Top with cheese.
  • Bake 30 minutes.

These can also be prepared the day before so thay are ready for the oven the minute you walk in the door.

RED AND GREEN SHREDDED BEEF ENCHILADAS – These are the greatest enchiladas for leftover pot roast.

I take the leftover pot roast and shred it adding red enchilada sauce. Then I throw it in the freezer until we want enchiladas. Then I spread some sour cream on the tortillas, plop some red meat inside and add a bit of cheese.

Roll them up, top them with green enchilada sauce and a bit more cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes and serve with homemade refried beans.

SOUTH WESTERN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

SOUTH WESTERN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
3-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups frozen hash brown potates
1 large can Durkee’s french fried onions, divided
1 can Old El Paso green enchilada sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 can white niblets corn, drained
1 cup grated sharp white cheddar, divided
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
PURE

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Spray large casserole dish with PURE.
  • Spread potatoes along the bottom.
  • Top with first half of french fried onions.
  • Top with first half of cheese.
  • Salt and pepper chicken breasts layering them over cheese seasoned side down.
  •  Salt and pepper top sides of chicken.
  • Layer corn and tomatoes over top of the chicken.
  • Melt the butter in heavy saucepan. 
  • Blend in flour and salt. Cook until bubbly. 
  • Remove from heat and gradually stir or whisk in liquid. 
  • Return to heat and cook, constantly stirring until smooth and thickened.
  • Whisk in enchilada sauce.
  • Pour over corn and tomato layer.
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Ring French fried onions around the edge.
  • Bake 30-45 minutes covered.
  • Bake another 15-30 minutes uncovered.
  • Let stand 5-10 minutes.

We had wonderful leftovers below and they tasted better and more full of flavor on day 2 and 3.

LAYERED TORTILLA PIE

I also found that they now make refried BLACK beans – gotta tell you I’m loving these!
LAYERED TORTILLA PIE
1 cup salsa
1 pound ground beef
homemade taco seasoning
1 can refried BLACK beans
1 can traditional refried beans
8 inch flour tortillas
2 cups Mexican shredded cheese
sour cream
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

  • Brown the hamburger and drain off the grease.
  • Add 1/2 cup water and taco seasoning to the hamburger.
  • Cook until liquid is absorbed.
  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • In a medium bowl mash together the refried beans, 1/2 the salsa and 1/2 the garlic.
  • In another medium bowl mash together the refried BLACK beans, 1/2 the salsa and 1/2 the garlic.
  • Spray a shallow pie pan with PURE.
  • Spread a small amount of sour cream on a tortilla and lay in the bottom of the pie pan.
  • Spread with one of the bean mixtures. 
  • Add another tortilla and spread with some meat mixture.  Top with a thin layer of cheese.
  • Repeat layers until you have about 7 or 8 layers.
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Cover lightly with foil.
  • Bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
  • Cut into wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream.

STACKED GREEN CHILE & GRILLED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

I made this for daring cooks and then made it again and altered it for my family.  It turned out really good when paired with my homemade refried beans.
STACKED GREEN CHILE & GRILLED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

1½ pounds Fresh Anaheim chiles roasted, peeled, seeds removed & chopped coarsely.
7-8 ounces Tomatillos (about 4-5 medium) peeled and stems removed
4 cups homemade Chicken broth
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, minced
½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
¼ tsp Black Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening)
Hot sauce, your favorite, optional
3 Boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 10-12 inch flour tortillas
8 ounces grated Cheddar/Monterey Jack
Cilantro for garnish, chopped and sprinkled optional
Roasting the Fresh Chiles
  • Coat each chile with a little vegetable oil. If you are doing only a couple chiles, using the gas stove works. For larger batches (as in this recipe), grilling or broiling is faster.
  • Lay the oiled chiles on the grill or baking sheet (line pan with foil for simpler clean-up). Place the grill or broil close to the element, turning the chiles so they char evenly. They should be black and blistered.
  • As they are completely charred (they will probably not all be done at once), remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic, or close up in a paper bag. Let them rest until they are cool.
  • Pull on the stem and the seed core MAY pop out (it rarely does for me). Open the chile and remove the seeds. Turn the chile skin side up and with a paring knife, scrape away the skin. Sometimes it just pulls right off, sometimes you really have to scrape it.
  • DO NOT RINSE!
Green Chile Sauce 
  • Put a medium saucepan of water on to boil and remove the papery outer skin from the tomatillos. Boil the tomatillos until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. You can also grill the tomatillos until soft. 
  • Drain and puree in a blender or food processor.
  • Return the tomatillos to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, chopped green chiles, minced onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 4-5 cups, another 10-15 minutes.
  • Adjust seasonings and add hot sauce if you want a little more heat.
Assembly
  • Heat a gas grill to medium high or build a medium-hot charcoal Coat the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Grill the chicken until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes a side for boneless chicken breasts. I did them on the stove in a cast iron pan and they were awesome.
  • Cool and then slice into thin strips or shred.
  • In a small skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Dip the edge of a tortilla into the oil to check – it should sizzle immediately.
  • Using tongs, put a tortilla into the pan and cook until soft and lightly brown on each side, about 15-20 seconds per side (at the most).
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Add oil as needed and continue until all 12 tortillas are done.
  • In a baking dish large enough to hold four separate stacks of tortillas, ladle a thin layer of sauce.
  • Lay four tortillas in the dish and ladle another ½ cup (4 ounces/112 grams) of sauce over the tortillas.
  • Divide half the chicken among the first layer of tortillas, top with another ½ cup of sauce and 1/3 of the grated cheese.
  • Stack another four tortillas, top with the rest of the chicken, more sauce and another third of the cheese.
  • Finish with the third tortilla, topped with the remaining sauce and cheese.
  • Bake until the sauce has thickened and the cheese melted, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
  • To serve, transfer each stack to a plate. Spoon any leftover sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with cilantro, if you wish. The stacks may also be cooked in individual gratin dishes.

BLACK BEAN CHICKEN BURRITOS

BLACK BEAN CHICKEN BURRITOS
corn tortillas
black beans, drained well
KNORR creamy rice mix
4 ounce green chiles, drained well
2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
15 ounce can HATCH green enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cojack cheese
sour cream

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a large baking dish.
  • Prepare KNORR rice mix as directed.
  • In a large bowl combine chicken pieces, black beans, green chiles, rice and 1/3 of the cheese.
  • Spread sour cream on each tortilla.
  • Add a scoop of the chicken mixture.
  • Layer in baking dish seam side down.
  • When baking dish is full, evenly pour the enchilada sauce over the enchilads.
  • Sprinkle cheese evenly over all enchiladas.
  • Bake 30 minutes.
  • Enjoy.

CARNITAS – GREEN CHILE STYLE

The recipe I was given years ago lacked in flavor so I modified it and we’re extremely happy with the outcome. I’ve been making them this way for years. Originally the roasting was done on a rack with water underneath and just a simple salt and pepper.
Now I use a large onion diced as my natural rack to protect the pork. The onions bake together and become an essential flavor to the dish. I place the pork roast on top of the onion pieces and surround it with a can of diced green chiles and 4-5 cloves of minced garlic. Then I pour a can of salsa verde enchilada sauce** on top of the green chiles and onions.  Cover it with foil and bake for 2 hours at 350°.
Then uncover it and bake another hour or until fork tender.  Remove the roast to a cutting board and shred it into bite sized pieces. 

Add the pork pieces back into the onion mixture and coat well.

Serve with your favorite salsa, grated cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

**TO MAKE YOUR OWN SAUCE:
3 jalapenos
1/2 pound tomatillos
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
3cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

  • Grill jalapenos until lightly charred.
  • Halve the tomatillos and simmer until soft. Allow to cool and drain off water.
  • Blend the peppers, tomatillos, garlic and salt until smooth.
  • Stir in cilantro.

HOMEMADE REFRIED BEANS

REFRIED BEANS
2 1/2 cups pinto beans
1 small onion, chopped fine
4 tablespoons bacon grease
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar/ Monterey Jack grated cheese
Cotija cheese, optional
Jalapenos, optional

  • Rinse beans and pick out any bad ones.
  • In a small stock pot cover the beans with about 3 inches of water. If there are still any bad beans in there they will float to the top.
  • Bring them to a boil, lower heat and simmer 2 hours or until skins break.
  • Drain.
  • In a heavy skillet (cast iron works best), melt the bacon grease and butter.
  • Saute’ onion until translucent.
  • Add beans and stir well.
  • Smash beans continuously until desired texture is reached.
  • Transfer beans into a large mixing bowl.
  • Use hand mixer and beat smooth.
  • Add sour cream, salt, pepper and red pepper.
  • Beat smooth again.
  • Transfer into a 9×9 casserole and top with cheese, if desired.
  • Bake 20 minutes at 350°.
  • Garnish with Cotija cheese and jalapenos if desired.

ENCHILADAS RANCHERAS LASAGNA

So do you know what the first step is in making Enchiladas Rancheras is?  To make a pot roast one day and pork carnitas the next of course.  I’ve made these enchiladas for years but always find the best flavor comes from using leftover pot roast & leftover pork carnitas in tandem along with fresh made tortillas and tomato sauce.  I’d like to say I made these tortillas, but I ran out of time with company coming and purchased  them from a local market who makes them fresh in the store.  I just love watching those girls work!
ENCHILADAS RANCHERAS LASAGNA
Shredded beef
4 large tomatoes,sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 large can can chopped green chiles
2 cups shredded cheese (I like a combo of jalapeno cheddar and Monterey jack)
tortillas
PURE
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray baking dish with PURE.
  • Roast tomatoes until crushable.
  • Add green chiles and garlic until well blended.
  • Stir in salt and pepper.
  • Puree’.
  • Split sauce in half.
  • Soak shredded meat for at least an hour in the sauce (though I prefer over night).
  • Spread your tortilla lightly with some of the tomato sauce.  
  • Fill with meat and sprinkle with cheese.
  • Roll up and place in baking dish.
  • When full, pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas.**
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Serve with GARDEN TOMATO SALSA and Fresh Guacamole.
**This time I was trying to feed a full house and was running out of refrigerator space so I tried something new and made 2 layers in the same pan and made a casserole out of it – worked like a dream.  We just called it Lasagna cut it into squares and everyone was happy.