Lou Anne's Tamale Pie Yeild: 8 servings Estimated Cost Per Serving: $0.53 2/9/2009 This is an easy casserole²and very good. The topping is a little surprisi ng. We expected a more cornbread-like topping but with the cheese and all the eggs, this is much richer. Ingredients1 pound lean ground beef1 large onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 cup tomato juice 1 14-ounce can of corn, drained 1 tablespoon chili powder1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 cup cornmeal 2 large eggs 1 cup evaporated milk 1/4 cup butter melted 1 cup grated cheddar or Monterey jack cheese Directions1. Brown the ground be ef. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking until almost done . 2. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice, corn, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Mix and simmer for ten minutes. Pour into an 8 1/2 x 13-inch baking pan. 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 4. Make the cornmeal topping by mixing the cornmeal, eggs, evaporated milk, and melted buttertogether in a bowl. Spread the topping over the hot filli ng. Sprinkle with the grated chee se. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Fish Tacos with Adobo Chipotle Sauce Lou Anne was in Boise an d stopped for lunch. She ordered fish tacos and loved them. So when she go t home, she tried to make h er own. From those efforts, this recipe evolved. We loved it. For the adobo chipotle sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons sauce from a can of adobo sauce (without seeds orpieces) 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon onion powderMix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for at least one-half hour.
Yeild: 8 servingsEstimated Cost Per Serving: $0.532/9/2009
This is an easy casserole²and very good. The topping is a littlesurprising. We expected a more cornbread-like topping but with thecheese and all the eggs, this is much richer.
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef 1 large onion, diced1 clove garlic, minced1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes1 cup tomato juice1 14-ounce can of corn, drained1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cornmeal2 large eggs1 cup evaporated milk1/4 cup butter melted1 cup grated cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
Directions
1. Brown the ground beef. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking until almost done.2. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice, corn, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Mix and simmer for ten
minutes. Pour into an 8 1/2 x 13-inch baking pan.3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.4. Make the cornmeal topping by mixing the cornmeal, eggs, evaporated milk, and melted butter
together in a bowl. Spread the topping over the hot filling. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bakefor 30 to 35 minutes.
Fish Tacos with Adobo Chipotle Sauce
Lou Anne was in Boise and stopped for lunch. She ordered fish tacosand loved them. So when she got home, she tried to make her own.From those efforts, this recipe evolved. We loved it.
For the adobo chipotle sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sauce from a can of adobo sauce (without seeds or pieces)1/2 cup sour cream1/2 cup mayonnaise1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and let rest in therefrigerator for at least one-half hour.
1. Mix the cabbage, cilantro, grated carrot, and green onions together in a medium bowl. Set aside.2. In a shallow dish, mix the cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and flour together. Dredge the fish in
the flour mixture. Fry in a small amount of oil until golden brown.3. While the fish is frying, heat the tortillas, six at a time, wrapped in paper towels in the microwave.
Heat for one to two minutes at high.
To assemble:
Put two tortillas on each plate. Crumble the fish and divide it between the tortillas. Top with the cabbage saladmixture and then the adobo chipotle sauce. Garnish with limes. Serve immediately.
Chicken Taco Salad Recipe
We love taco salads served in either a flour or corn tortilla shell. As withmost other salads, you can change the ingredients for endlessvariations. This one is made with chicken and homemade taco sauce²but add what you will.
This salad serves six as a side salad or two as a main dish salad.
Ingredients
2 cups cooked shredded chicken or chicken breast cut up into smallcubes3/4 cup homemade taco sauce1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded6 small tortillas or two large tortillas1 14-ounce can of cooked black beans, well drained1/2 cup diced red onions3 medium tomatoes, diced1/3 cup sour cream1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese12 pitted black olives1 cup homemade salsa
1. Bake the tortillas in tortilla bakers, the shape of bowls, according to the manufacturer¶sinstructions. Let them cool.
Lay a bed of lettuce in the bottom of each tortilla bowl. Starting with the chicken, layer chicken, beans, red onions,and tomatoes on the lettuce. Top with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese. Slice the olives and scatter them on the salad. Top with homemade salsa.
Fresh Homemade Taco Sauce
This is a great taco sauce. It works not only on tacos but as a dip andgeneral condiment²everything from scrambled eggs in the morning tothat burger you¶re working on.
We liked this sauce a little thicker so thickened it with a slurry made withone tablespoon of cornstarch. Simply mix the cornstarch with a bit of water to make a paste, thin it down till it is the consistency of a thickslurry, and add it to the sauce for the last few minutes of cooking. Besure to stir the sauce well as you add your slurry.
Ingredients
1 small onion, finely diced1 clove garlic, minced1 cup tomato puree1 1/3 cups chicken stock1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin2 teaspoon dried oreganosalt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Sauté the onion. Add the garlic and continue to cook for a few minutes.2. Add the puree and spices and cook, simmering, for 8 to 10 minutes or until reduced. Add the
chicken stock and cook for another ten minutes. Salt and pepper as needed.
Fresh Homemade Salsa
This is another Lou Anne creation. You can tell she loves Mexican food.This was good enough that we took a big bowl of it home to serve withdips in front of the TV. We had salsa from the store but no one reachedfor it.
Ingredients
6 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced1 small onion, finely diced1/2 serranos pepper for mild or 1 for hot, seeded and finely diced1/2 cup cilantro, chopped1/4 cup lime juicesalt to taste
1. Mix all ingredients and salt to taste. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes about two cups.2. Rather than chopping and seeding, this salsa can be made with a victorio strainer.
How to Make Fajitas
Fajitas are typically made with chicken, beef, or shrimpalong with peppers and onions. They are served with flour tortillas accompanied by guacamole, sour cream, andsalsa. You can be creative with the seasoning using achoice of spices or table sauces on the meat along with adrizzle of lime juice.
So your grocery list looks like this:
y beef (we use sirloin but skirt steak or even round will do), chicken breasts, or shrimp
y flour tortillasy sweet onionsy green peppersy southwest seasoning or your favorite table saucey limesy avocadosy sour cream
Step 1: Prepare the vegetables. Cut the peppers into thin strips and onions into thin slices. You can add a poblanoor anaheim pepper if you like; they¶ll add a little more heat. Set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the meat. Fajita lovers argue about whether the meat should be cut before or after cooking. We cutthe meat across the grain into strips before cooking so that we can cook the meat with the vegetables.
You can season the meat with salt and pepper, southwest seasoning, or table sauce. You can cook the meat in asimmer sauce. Seasoning is a matter of preference.
Step 3: Make the guacamole. Making guacamole can be as simple as mashing ripe avocado and mixing it with sour cream. To the mixture, you can add garlic, chilies, lime juice, and/or cilantro. We¶ve included a recipe.
Step 4: Cook the meat and vegetables. Stir fry the meat and vegetables together until done. Squeeze a lime or twoover the meat and vegetables for added flavor.
Step 5: Heat the tortillas. Place the tortillas on paper towels and warm them in the microwave. Warming makes thetortillas more flexible and easier to wrap.
Step 6: Serve the fajitas. Let your guests or family members build their own fajitas. Serve the tortillas in a tortillakeeper and the meat and vegetables on a hot platter. As condiments, serve guacamole, sour cream, and salsa.Your guests will place meat and vegetables on the tortillas and top the filling with condiments and then wrap thetortillas around the fillings.
This recipe is very easy and very good. Season them as you wish. Cooking times will vary with the dish you use andyour microwave.
For seasoning, you can use a spice blend such as Old YellowstoneSeasonings or South of the Border Mexican and Taco Seasoning. Youcan also use table or simmer sauces.
Ingredients
1 boneless chicken breast, cut into strips, approximately 3 inches longand 1/2 inch wide1 green bell pepper, cut in thin slices1 sweet onion, cut in thin slicessalt and pepper 1 limeseasoning of your choice
Directions
1. Place chicken strips, bell pepper, and onion slices into a
shallow microwave-safe baking dish. Toss to combine.2. Add fajita seasoning of your choice and salt and pepper totaste. Stir the chicken mixture to distribute the seasoning evenly.
3. Place the dish in the microwave oven. Cover with a lid or waxed paper and cook the chicken on high for twominutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and stir to redistribute the chicken so it will be evenly cooked;then place the dish in the microwave again for another two minutes. (Chicken should reach a temperature of 170 degrees to be safely cooked.)
4. Cover 2 flour tortillas with a paper towel and heat them for 30 seconds on high in the microwave.5. Place the chicken in the center of the tortilla. Before rolling the tortilla, top with guacamole, salsa, and sour
cream or other condiments.
Beef or Chicken Fajitas
This is a basic recipe that works well. You can vary the amounts of steak or chicken and the vegetables. You¶ll find a choice of seasonings
Ingredients
12 ounces of beef sirloin steak or one large boneless, skinless chickenbreast1 green or red bell pepper, thinly sliced1 medium onion, thinly sliced1 limevegetable oil for fryingseasoning (see notes)salt and pepper as needed
4 to 6 eight-inch flour tortillassalsasour creamguacamole (See recipe below.)
1. Thinly slice the beef or chicken breast across the grain into strips.Place the strips in a bowl and toss them with the seasoning of your choice. Salt and pepper if needed.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy 10-inch skillet at medium-high. Add theonions, bell pepper, and meat strips and stir until the vegetables aretender and meat is cooked.
3. While the meat is cooking, cover the tortillas with a paper towel and
place them in the microwave. Heat them on high for 30 seconds or until just warm.4. Remove the meat and vegetables from the heat. Drizzle the juice
from the lime over the meat and stir to distribute.5. Fill the warm tortillas with the meat and vegetable mixture. Top with the salsa, sour cream, or guacamole, if
you desire. Roll up the tortillas and serve.
N otes
About the seasoning: You can use dry seasonings or a sauce. Taco seasoning works well. Our South of theBorder Mexican and Taco Seasoning is a great choice. We like a lot of seasoning on our meat for fajitas and useabout a tablespoon. You can also use the fajita seasoning recipe below.
y Our Old Yellowstone Seasonings are great for fajitas.
You can also make great fajitas with a table or pan sauce. We¶ve been making fajitas with our new simmer pansauces and loving them. We¶ve cooked the chicken or beef in the sauce but mostly, haven¶t bothered. We¶ve justused the sauce as table sauce, pouring some on the filling before wrapping the tortilla.
These sauces are excellent with fajitas:
y Jalapeno Lime Chimichurri Saucey Cuban Mojito Saucey Rojo Loco Mexican Sauce
Both the Mojito sauce and chimi sauce have lime juice and really flavor the meat. Mexican sauce is a red saucemore like a taco sauce and is medium-mild in heat.
About the meat: Instead of cooking the meat in strips, you can cook the steak or chicken breast in one piece andcut the meat into strips after cooking. This is preferable if you are coking the meat on the grill.
This recipe calls for cooking the vegetables and the meat together. The result is steak that is well done depending onhow thickly you slice the meat. If you prefer your meat less cooked than this, either cut the strips thicker or partiallycook the vegetables before adding the steak. Chicken should always be well cooked.
2 medium avocados, well-mashed with a fork1/3 cup sour cream2 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon lime juiceSalt and pepper to taste
Combine all the ingredients. Place the guacamole in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Quick Lime Twist Fajitas
We¶ll show you how to make Quick Lime Twist Fajitas. You can alter theingredients to fit your tastes or substitute chicken strips for the steak.
Ingredients
3/4 pound top sirloin steak strips1 small green bell pepper, diced or sliced
1 small red bell pepper, diced or sliced1 small onion, diced1/4 cup Italian dressing2 tablespoons lime juice4 to 6 medium flour tortillas, warmed1/2 cup prepared salsa (optional)sour cream (optional)guacamole (optional)
Directions
1. Brown the sirloin strips in a heavy frying pan. Add the peppers andonions. Stir fry for a couple minutes. Add the dressing and lime juice andsimmer until the meat is cooked and the liquid is reduced.
2. Spoon the filling into the warm tortillas. Add the optional salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Serve hot.
Baker¶s note: The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Wedoubled that and it was just right for us.
You can make this Spanish rice in a heavy frying pan so it¶s a one pandish.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil1/2 large onion, diced1 clove garlic, sliced1 cup white rice2 cups chicken broth2 cans diced tomatoes1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
Directions
1. In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic.Brown the rice by stirring it in the hot pan until it just starts to brown.2. Immediately add the chicken broth, tomatoes, and taco seasoning.Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutesor until the rice is cooked. Serve hot.
O ld-Fashioned Limeade
There is not much that is more refreshing than fresh limeade. It¶s asimple mixture of limes, sugar, and water.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup hot water 1 1/2 cups lime juice, with or without pulp according to taste (10 to 12limes)Zest from one lime4 to 5 cups of cold water, to taste
Directions
In a large pitcher, dissolve the sugar in the hot water. Add the lime juiceand zest. Stir in the cold water. Add ice to chill before serving.
N ote: Kay in our test kitchen had some leftover blueberry juice. Sheadded it to some limeade for a blueberry limeade. It was outstanding
An empanada is simply a flour tortilla wrapped around a filling and thendeep fried. This filling is easy since you can use a can of apple pie filling.The empanada is wonderful.
Ingredients
1 can apple pie filling1/2 cup walnut pieces cinnamon vanilla sugar or a cinnamon sugar mixtureeight flour tortillas
Directions
1. Mix the apple pie filling and nuts together. Pile several spoons full of filling on to the center of a tortilla. Fold the sides over, then the bottom upand tuck it under the filling. Turn the tortilla over from top to bottom sothat the bottom is now on the side. Brush a little water on the top flap tohold it in place and fold it down.2. Heat the oil to about 375 degrees. Deep fry the empanadas until justbrowned. Drain on paper towels and then roll in the cinnamon mix. Servehot.
