Authentic Mexican Rice

Recipe from Cooking Classy

Modified

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
• 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 4 cups warm water
• 4 tsp Caldo de Tomate (I use Knorr brand)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder (optional)

Directions

• In a mixing bowl whisk together water, Caldo de Tomate, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and chili powder, set aside. Drizzle oil into a non-stick saucepan and heat over medium high heat. Add rice and cook several minutes, stirring constantly until rice is slightly puffed and golden. Add water mixture to rice then stir and cover pan with lid. Reduce heat to low and allow rice to simmer for 25-30 minutes until water has been absorbed (you'll notice water bubbles stop coming to the surface). Remove from heat, fluff rice with a fork, cover with lid and allow to rest 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Pork Carnitas

Original recipe from Allrecipes

Modified

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into several large pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

 

• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

Directions

1. 
   
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the pork shoulder with salt, then arrange the pork in the Dutch oven. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue to simmer until pork is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours. (Alternatively, you can use a slow cooker for this step.)
3. 
   
4. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Transfer the pork shoulder to a large baking sheet, reserving the cooking liquid. Drizzle with a small amount of the reserved cooking liquid and lightly season with salt.
2. 
   
3. Bake the pork in the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes. Drizzle more of the cooking liquid on the meat every 10 minutes, and use two forks to shred the meat as it browns.

Chicken or Steak Fajitas

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Our Best Bites

 

 

Measurements of meat and vegetables are approximate. Adjust depending on your preference and the number of people you’re serving. This will serve about 4-6.

 
Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or steak

2-3 bell peppers, stem and membranes removed and peppers quartered

1 large onion (any color/variety) sliced into 1/2″ slices

 

Marinade:

1/4 C fresh lime juice

1/3 C water

2 T vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

3 t vinegar

2 t soy sauce

1-2 t liquid smoke

1 t salt

1/2 t chili powder, or chipotle chili powder

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t ground black pepper

1/4 t onion powder

 

Directions

Place meat in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Place vegetables in another. In a medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well. Reserve 3-4 Tablespoons of marinade for later use. With remaining marinade, add a splash to the vegetables (enough for a light coating) and the remaining to the meat. Marinate for 4-6 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat bbq grill, indoor grill pan, or large skillet. If you’re using a grill, place everything on at the same time. If using a skillet, slice peppers and onions first. Cook chicken for a few minutes on each side until cooked through and remove from pan. Cover with foil to keep warm. Add vegetables and cook until crisp tender.

Remove vegetables from cooking surface and slice. Slice meat. Toss with reserved marinade and serve along side any or all of the following:
Tortillas
Black Beans
Tomatoes
Salsa
Rice
Diced Avocado
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Mexican Couscous Salad

Recipe courtesy of e-mealz

Serves 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS
4 ears of fresh corn (or 1 cup of frozen corn)
2 boxes couscous, cooked
¼ c packed chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 med avocados, diced
2 lg tomatoes, chopped
2 - 15 oz cans black beans, warmed (optional)

DRESSING:
2 med jalapeño peppers, seeded
2 scallions
6 T fresh lime juice from 3-4 limes
3 T olive oil
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 t salt

DIRECTIONS
Boil 4 ears of corn, cool and slice corn off cob. (Or warm frozen corn.)

Cook couscous according to package instructions. Combine cooked millet or couscous
in bowl w/corn, cilantro, avocados and tomatoes.

Combine jalapeño peppers, scallions, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour over couscous mixture and stir well.

Tortilla Soup

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of This Week for Dinner


FYI - My soup doesn't look as pretty as the picture, but it still tastes awesome!

INGREDIENTS
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- olive oil
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken (or veggie) broth
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ bag frozen corn
- 1 large chicken breast (optional)
- 1 can black beans**, drained & rinsed
- 1 lime (one extra for garnish)
- 1 handful cilantro, chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- cayenne pepper
- chili powder
- cumin
- salt and pepper
- cheddar or jack cheese, shredded
- sour cream
- tortilla chips

Sautee onion in olive oil until soft, then add garlic, cayenne, chili powder, and cumin. Sautee until fragrant (a minute or two). Add broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Add tomatoes, corn, black beans.

If using, grill up chicken spiced with cayenne, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cut up or shred chicken and add it to the soup.
Try the soup and add more seasonings according to taste, if needed. Add the juice of one lime.

Serve soup garnished with cheese, green onions, sour cream, tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, diced avocado and a lime wedge.

**If you are not using chicken, use two cans of beans instead of one.

Black Bean & Toasted Corn Tacos

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Vegetarian Times
Modified Slightly

Makes 4 Tacos

INGREDIENTS
1 cup cooked black beans
1/2 cup prepared salsa
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, divided
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
black pepper
cayenne pepper
4 6-inch corn tortillas
baby spinach leaves or chopped lettuce
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 small green onions, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring beans, salsa, garlic, and 1 tsp. cumin to a simmer in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Remove from heat, and mash with fork to crush beans for creamier filling, if desired.

2. Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil cooking spray. Wrap corn in paper towels, and squeeze out excess water. Add corn to skillet in single layer, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tsp. cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy, stirring frequently.

3. Warm tortillas. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup corn, spinach or lettuce leaves, cilantro, and green onions. Serve immediately.

Southwestern Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing

Recipe courtesy of Vegetarian Times

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce or salad mix
1 15oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen/thawed)
1/4 cup green onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
2 ripe avocados
1 1/2 cups salsa (prepared, not chunky)
1/2 - 1 cup low-fat sour cream
6 tablespoons lime juice
4 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
salt
pepper

Corn chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Mix the lettuce, beans, tomatoes, and corn in a clear glass bowl. Sprinkle green onions and cilantro on top. Or, even better, make a salad bar. Mix the lettuce & tomatoes in one bowl, the cilantro & onions in another, and the corn & beans in another and let people choose the amount of each option for themselves.

Mash avocado in a separate bowl, and whisk in salsa, sour cream, and lime juice. To make it smoother and creamier, puree it in a food processor.

Season with hot sauce, if using, and salt and pepper.

Top individual salad portions with dressing, toss well, and top with crushed corn chips if desired.

Crockpot Beans

Recipe Courtesy of Carla and some of the ladies of the Sanger Ward

INGREDIENTS
1 - 2 pounds dried pinto beans
Water
Salt
Onion or garlic (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Rinse and inspect dried beans. Place into large crockpot. Fill crockpot to the top with water and add a good amount of salt. Add a bit of onion or some garlic cloves (optional). Cover and cook on high for 8 - 10 hours. Stir, taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with slotted spoon. Can also be mashed and refried.

Black Bean Wraps

Recipe courtesy of Brittany Ryan

PHOTO CREDIT

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
4 tomatoes, cubed
1 avocado, cubed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
½ red onion, chopped

Mix all ingredients except avocado. Add avocado just before serving. Could also add grilled chicken, sour cream, green salad, and/or rice to the mix.

Dressing:

1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ tsp. cumin
2 T. lemon juice
¼ c. cilantro, chopped

Warm these ingredients on the stove and add to above mix. You may want to double or triple the dressing, depending on your preference.

Spoon into tortillas and enjoy!

Guacamole

Recipe Courtesy of Alton Brown

Photo Credit

Ingredients
3 - 4 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (if you like it spicy; I use less)
1/2 medium onion, diced very small
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions
In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

"Fancy" Mexican Rice

This is not your authentic, restaurant-style Mexican Rice. It is rice that is chock-full of stuff. A fun change every once in a while.

Recipe Courtesy of Alana's Mom from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 cup long grain white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cube chicken bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, halved

DIRECTIONS
In a medium sauce pan, cook rice in oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Stir in onion, green pepper, jalapeno, and diced tomato. Season with bouillon cube, salt and pepper, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.

Note: On occasion, I choose to add the cilantro just before serving, as I love the taste of freshly chopped cilantro.

Elote - Mexican Corn on the Cob

Recipe Courtesy of Sara, OBB

INGREDIENTS

4 ears corn, cooked
3 T mayo
2 T sour cream
1/4-1/2 t lime zest
1/2 t fresh lime juice
1/4 t cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 t chili powder
tiny pinch kosher salt

1 C crumbled Cotija Cheese, grated

(use fresh Parmesan or queso fresco if you can't find Cotija)

DIRECTIONS

Mix the mayo and sour cream in a small bowl. Zest some of the lime zest in and then squeeze in the juice. Add the chili powder, cayenne, and salt.

When your corn is finished cooking and piping hot, use a spoon to spread on some sauce. Then roll it in the grated cheese.