If you're anything like me, you probably have tons of leftovers when you make taco salad. I always end up making endless burritos with it at best and throwing it away at worst. I ended up thinking, since Will's in Argentina, why not cook something utilizing everything that went into the taco salad and put it on a pizza? It will help extend the amount of time between grocery store trips and save me from wastage.
First, make or buy your favorite pizza dough and roll it out onto a stone. Spread any refried beans onto the raw dough; if you don't have any refried beans left over, use some leftover taco sauce or salsa instead. Next, top the pizza with the leftovers from your pizza; I used leftover ground beef, fresh tomatoes, dried chipotle flakes, and grated sharp Cheddar cheese, but I'm sure anything from avocado to shredded chicken will taste great on this.
Next, put the stone with the pizza on it into a heated 350 degree oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve with a salad.
It was pretty good, but I think I added too many chipotle flakes. Next time, I think I'll add some queso fresco or cotija in addition to the Cheddar to help amp up the flavor profile.
Showing posts with label Mexican fusion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexican fusion. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Friday, November 9, 2012
Green Chili Casserole With Calabacitas: My Biggest Success Yet
Whenever I make enchiladas, I always get more than I need. This way if I wind up with leftovers or stale reject tortillas, I can use them to make green chili casserole, a staple among my family. My grandmother has made it for years, my mother started making it and added her own little twists, and now it's my turn to add my own flair to it.
First I cook one chopped onion with paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and a touch of cayenne pepper until the onion is clear and fragrant. While my onions cook, I start to arrange my casserole itself. I tear up as many corn tortillas as will cover the bottom of my casserole dish, add one can each of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups, half a container of low fat sour cream, two small cans of diced green chilies, and mix this together; if you use condensed soup, add half a can of milk to the casserole. Once the onions are ready, I add those too and again mix it together. Top with cheddar and cotija cheeses and bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.
While that is baking, work on the calabacitas. Chop up some zucchini or Mexican grey squash and stick it in the same pan you cooked your onions in for the casserole. Add about a third of a large package of frozen corn, some plain all fat Greek yogurt, and some low fat milk; stir this together and cook until the squash is crisp-tender. Add a can of well drained roasted green chilies, oregano, and cheddar and cotija cheeses; use more cotija than cheddar and cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Once both dishes are done, let the casserole sit and least five minutes before serving.
Will raved that the casserole was my best attempt and that my calabacitas were better than his mother's. I will say I did a few things different; for one, I used a non-condensed tetra pack of cream of mushroom soup; I believe it was Pacific Foods brand. I also used half canned green chilies half jarred El Pinto brand and added cotija cheese to the topping.
My mother adds canned chicken to this, but I personally prefer the meatless version that my grandmother uses. The things I don't agree with either my mother or grandmother, however, are the onions, spices, and chilies; I don't like raw onions so I cook mine, the traditional spices are just salt and pepper so I added more spice to it, and neither my mother nor grandmother like spicy food so I add more chilies to it than they do.
First I cook one chopped onion with paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and a touch of cayenne pepper until the onion is clear and fragrant. While my onions cook, I start to arrange my casserole itself. I tear up as many corn tortillas as will cover the bottom of my casserole dish, add one can each of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups, half a container of low fat sour cream, two small cans of diced green chilies, and mix this together; if you use condensed soup, add half a can of milk to the casserole. Once the onions are ready, I add those too and again mix it together. Top with cheddar and cotija cheeses and bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.
While that is baking, work on the calabacitas. Chop up some zucchini or Mexican grey squash and stick it in the same pan you cooked your onions in for the casserole. Add about a third of a large package of frozen corn, some plain all fat Greek yogurt, and some low fat milk; stir this together and cook until the squash is crisp-tender. Add a can of well drained roasted green chilies, oregano, and cheddar and cotija cheeses; use more cotija than cheddar and cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Once both dishes are done, let the casserole sit and least five minutes before serving.
Will raved that the casserole was my best attempt and that my calabacitas were better than his mother's. I will say I did a few things different; for one, I used a non-condensed tetra pack of cream of mushroom soup; I believe it was Pacific Foods brand. I also used half canned green chilies half jarred El Pinto brand and added cotija cheese to the topping.
My mother adds canned chicken to this, but I personally prefer the meatless version that my grandmother uses. The things I don't agree with either my mother or grandmother, however, are the onions, spices, and chilies; I don't like raw onions so I cook mine, the traditional spices are just salt and pepper so I added more spice to it, and neither my mother nor grandmother like spicy food so I add more chilies to it than they do.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Enchilada Soup: Easy, Fast, and Fun
I had some leftover chicken from making enchiladas (don't worry; they wound up getting frozen) and I decided to make some enchilada soup. This is pretty easy to make and a solid staple in my house.
First, put your stock in a saucepan and add your chicken; season this mixture to taste. Because I made enchiladas verdes, I only used cumin, garlic powder, and a touch of chili powder. Once that starts to heat up, add some green chilies; we like our Mexican food hot, so I use a lot of it. Once your soup is boiling, add some chopped tomatoes; usually I add canned, but since I didn't have any, I used fresh. Once the tomatoes are wilted and the soup is seasoned to taste, serve it. I personally garnish my soup with a dollop of sour cream and some grated cheeses, but Will goes more for tortilla chips; get creative with this part.
Will loved the smell that filled our house and liked the flavor of the soup even more.
First, put your stock in a saucepan and add your chicken; season this mixture to taste. Because I made enchiladas verdes, I only used cumin, garlic powder, and a touch of chili powder. Once that starts to heat up, add some green chilies; we like our Mexican food hot, so I use a lot of it. Once your soup is boiling, add some chopped tomatoes; usually I add canned, but since I didn't have any, I used fresh. Once the tomatoes are wilted and the soup is seasoned to taste, serve it. I personally garnish my soup with a dollop of sour cream and some grated cheeses, but Will goes more for tortilla chips; get creative with this part.
Will loved the smell that filled our house and liked the flavor of the soup even more.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Lettuce Wraps: Quick and Fun
I was going to make pork chops and then pull the meat to make lettuce wrap, but since I burned one side of the chops while grilling them, I decided to just pull them and make the wraps instead.
First, pull your pork using two forks to pull it apart. Then add a can of rinsed and drained black beans, salsa, a diced tomato, a can of diced green chilies, cumin, salt, lime juice, and garlic powder; mix it all together and refrigerate while you prepare your lettuce. Rinse your Romaine lettuce leaves and tear off the really fibrous ends; discard them because they are useless due to the fact that they are so fibrous. Once your lettuce is rinsed and patted dry, put a scoop of the pork mixture into the center, put a little sour cream or Greek yogurt on top, and fold the leafy end of the lettuce over.
Will was really funny because when he first looked at it, he complained that this meal was a little too experimental for his tastes. Then he bit into and learned that you can't judge a meal by its appearance. I enjoyed it, but I think next time I will add in some cheese just to add some extra flavor. This is really easy to make vegetarian or vegan simply because all you have to do is take out the meat, maybe add a few extra vegetables, and voila! You have an amazing meal at your fingertips.
First, pull your pork using two forks to pull it apart. Then add a can of rinsed and drained black beans, salsa, a diced tomato, a can of diced green chilies, cumin, salt, lime juice, and garlic powder; mix it all together and refrigerate while you prepare your lettuce. Rinse your Romaine lettuce leaves and tear off the really fibrous ends; discard them because they are useless due to the fact that they are so fibrous. Once your lettuce is rinsed and patted dry, put a scoop of the pork mixture into the center, put a little sour cream or Greek yogurt on top, and fold the leafy end of the lettuce over.
Will was really funny because when he first looked at it, he complained that this meal was a little too experimental for his tastes. Then he bit into and learned that you can't judge a meal by its appearance. I enjoyed it, but I think next time I will add in some cheese just to add some extra flavor. This is really easy to make vegetarian or vegan simply because all you have to do is take out the meat, maybe add a few extra vegetables, and voila! You have an amazing meal at your fingertips.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Taco Salad: Experimented With Some Success
We haven't had taco salad in a couple months, so I decided to make it. This time, I added a few extra bits to try and make it a bit more special. Parts of it worked, while I would change a few things the next time I make this. I know most people will tell you that taco salad is the worst thing to order on the menu at a Mexican restaurant, but just bear with me and you'll see that in this case, homemade is the better route in this case.
First of all, ditch the chalupa (this is the fried tortilla bowl most taco salads come in; it's deep fried, which means excess fat that will kill a diet in its tracks if you're not careful). Your waistline will thank you. Second, most restaurants use iceberg lettuce in their taco salads. Not only is it very low in fiber, the only nutritional value that you can derive from it is water, so you're much better off going with a dark, leafy green like Romaine lettuce. Finally, use a lot of vegetables. Tomatoes are pretty standard, as are avocados, and some members of my family will even use canned peas.
One of the two biggest changes I made in comparison to last time was I added canned jalapeno slices to my ground beef this time. It added a nice zing to the meat; the problem was it was too spicy for my liking, which is a rarity. The other big change was we made our own refried beans, which is to say, we pureed some canned pinto beans and fried them in grapeseed oil with spices and cheese. There were a couple smaller changes, like the fact that I added cotija cheese to the cheese mix and used low fat Greek yogurt as a topping on the salad itself to help cut the heat.
Will and I both agreed that the beans were great, but the beef needed fewer jalapenos. Now I know for future reference and am glad I took the risk and tried something new.
First of all, ditch the chalupa (this is the fried tortilla bowl most taco salads come in; it's deep fried, which means excess fat that will kill a diet in its tracks if you're not careful). Your waistline will thank you. Second, most restaurants use iceberg lettuce in their taco salads. Not only is it very low in fiber, the only nutritional value that you can derive from it is water, so you're much better off going with a dark, leafy green like Romaine lettuce. Finally, use a lot of vegetables. Tomatoes are pretty standard, as are avocados, and some members of my family will even use canned peas.
One of the two biggest changes I made in comparison to last time was I added canned jalapeno slices to my ground beef this time. It added a nice zing to the meat; the problem was it was too spicy for my liking, which is a rarity. The other big change was we made our own refried beans, which is to say, we pureed some canned pinto beans and fried them in grapeseed oil with spices and cheese. There were a couple smaller changes, like the fact that I added cotija cheese to the cheese mix and used low fat Greek yogurt as a topping on the salad itself to help cut the heat.
Will and I both agreed that the beans were great, but the beef needed fewer jalapenos. Now I know for future reference and am glad I took the risk and tried something new.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tomatillo Chicken: Pure Deliciousness
I must admit that I've never worked with tomatillos before, but after this experience, I will definitely work with them again.
First, start your broiler. Put your chicken breasts into a broiler or roasting pan. Once your broiler is good and hot, stick your chicken breasts in the oven about four inches from the broiler. Meanwhile, cook a chopped onion in oil until it's tender. Add six husked and chopped tomatillos and six chopped pickled jalapeno slices. By this time, you should need to turn over your chicken. Add a clove of minced garlic to the pan with your onions and stir. Add some cumin, salt, and pepper, and turn the heat to low. Meanwhile, slice some provolone cheese to put on the chicken breasts once they are cooked through. Once that happens, put the provolone slices on the breasts and cook until melted. To serve, put your tomatillo mixture over some piping hot cooked rice, and serve the chicken breast next to or on top of that. Serve with vegetables of your choice.
This was a pretty simple recipe that turned out fabulous. Will was afraid of it being too spicy for his liking, but he wound up loving it.
First, start your broiler. Put your chicken breasts into a broiler or roasting pan. Once your broiler is good and hot, stick your chicken breasts in the oven about four inches from the broiler. Meanwhile, cook a chopped onion in oil until it's tender. Add six husked and chopped tomatillos and six chopped pickled jalapeno slices. By this time, you should need to turn over your chicken. Add a clove of minced garlic to the pan with your onions and stir. Add some cumin, salt, and pepper, and turn the heat to low. Meanwhile, slice some provolone cheese to put on the chicken breasts once they are cooked through. Once that happens, put the provolone slices on the breasts and cook until melted. To serve, put your tomatillo mixture over some piping hot cooked rice, and serve the chicken breast next to or on top of that. Serve with vegetables of your choice.
This was a pretty simple recipe that turned out fabulous. Will was afraid of it being too spicy for his liking, but he wound up loving it.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Fish Tacos: Tasty and Fun
Normally I don't eat fish because I live in a landlocked state, but tilapia was one sale and is a sustainable fish, so I went for it. Sadly it was preseasoned, so I can't take credit for the wonderful flavors that enveloped this dish.
First, take your fish out of the packaging and season it. Again, the fish I used was preseasoned because it was the only frozen sustainable fish I could find that wasn't breaded and deep fried. It had lime zest, cilantro, and salt, so it was seasoned pretty simply, which works well with tacos. Anyway, you then take the filets and cook them any way you like. I pan cooked them without any oil because that's just the way I prefer it. If you want to bread and bake them, that would work, and grilling would make some amazingly flavored fish. While your fish is cooking, cut up some lettuce and tomatoes. If you want to do Baja style fish tacos, use cabbage instead of lettuce; the reason I did is because cabbage is out of season right now, which means I'd have to go with cabbage from Chile or New Zealand, and that's just not eco friendly. Finally, warm up your tortillas. Once the fish flakes when pierced with a fork, it's ready.
Will loved it and now has leftovers for when he goes to work on Tuesday. I enjoyed it and will be playing further with this recipe.
First, take your fish out of the packaging and season it. Again, the fish I used was preseasoned because it was the only frozen sustainable fish I could find that wasn't breaded and deep fried. It had lime zest, cilantro, and salt, so it was seasoned pretty simply, which works well with tacos. Anyway, you then take the filets and cook them any way you like. I pan cooked them without any oil because that's just the way I prefer it. If you want to bread and bake them, that would work, and grilling would make some amazingly flavored fish. While your fish is cooking, cut up some lettuce and tomatoes. If you want to do Baja style fish tacos, use cabbage instead of lettuce; the reason I did is because cabbage is out of season right now, which means I'd have to go with cabbage from Chile or New Zealand, and that's just not eco friendly. Finally, warm up your tortillas. Once the fish flakes when pierced with a fork, it's ready.
Will loved it and now has leftovers for when he goes to work on Tuesday. I enjoyed it and will be playing further with this recipe.
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