Tag Archives: Mexican

Taco Seasoning

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I cannot take credit for this recipe, I got it from allrecipes and adapt it based on who I am serving (spicy or not too much).
Recipe By:BILL ECHOLS
“Depending on how spicy you and your family like your dishes, use as little or as much as you want.”

None the less, it is a base for many of the things I cook on a regular basis

Servings: About 3 Tbsp?
PREP: 1 minute
Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation:
  1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
  2. Mix contents
  3. Store in an airtight container.

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Buddy’s Baja Style Fish Tacos

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After spending over a year looking for a recipe that brought back memories for me of trips to Mexico from Cali, I gave up and decided to write my own.

Slaw can be prepared a day in advance, mashed avocado, fish and batter are best prepared on the day, if preparing slaw the day before, sprinkle on some additional fresh coriander for looks!

Servings: 4-6
PREP: 45 minutes
Marinade: Under an hour
Cooking Time: Roughly and hour

For Slaw

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups Red Cabbage – Shredded
  • 2 Tbsp Red Onion – Minced
  • 1 Lime – Zested and Juiced
  • 1 or 2 Garlic Cloves – Minced
  • 1 or so to taste Serrano, Canned chipotle packed in adobo or jalapeño chili – Minced or chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Coriander (AKA Cilantro) – Chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Honey
  • 1/8 Cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/4 Cup Sour Cream
  • 1 tsp Ground Cumin
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste at end)
  • Optional: 1 Green Bell Pepper – Julienned
Preparation:
  1. Zest and juice the lime (keep separate)
  2. Mince the onion, garlic, lime zest and chilli
  3. Julienne, grate, shred or slice the Cabbage, coriander and Bell Pepper (Optional) and place in a large bowl
  4. Add the minced aromatics, and the rest of the ingredients
  5. Mix well
  6. Season with S&P to taste

Best if allowed to sit for a few hours for the seasonings to blend

For Mashed Avocado:

Ingredients:
  • 2 RIPE Avocados – Halved, Pitted and Peeled
  • 1 Lime – Juiced
  • 2 Tbsp Coriander (AKA Cilantro) – Chopped
  • 1 tsp Salt – To taste
Preparation:
  1. Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork until the avocado reaches the consistency of a chunky salsa.
  2. Season with Salt to taste
  3. Chill before serving

For Fish

Ingredients:
For Marinade
  • 1 or 2 Limes – Juiced (can discard zest and peel
  • 2 Tbsp Buttermilk
  • 2 Tbsp Buddy Taco Seasoning
  • 4 fillets Cod – Sliced into small goujons (think thin chicken nugget)
For Batter
  • 1⅔ cups (400 mL) All-purpose flour – Sieved
  • 1½ cup (375 mL) Cornstarch – Mixed with flour
  • 2 cups (500 mL) Water, sparkling – Added to dry mixture and lightly mixed (slight bumps are ok)
  • 2 Tbsp Buddy Taco Seasoning – Mixed with dry goods
  • Marinated Cod Goujons
Preparation:
Marinating Fish:
  1. Slice the code fillets to the correct size
  2. Place fillets in Tupperware or bag, add marinade ingredients and place in the refrigerator to marinade for at least 30 minutes
Frying Fish
  1. In deep saucepan, pre-heat oil to 350 °F (180 °C)
  2. For the fish batter: In bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, water and seasoning; keep cold until ready to use.
  3. Remove fish from marinade and pat dry with paper towels
  4. Once oil has reached the desired temperature
  5. Dip each piece of fish in batter and fry until golden and crispy, about 6 minutes.

Don’t overfill the frying pan and check it between each batch to ensure the correct temperature

For Tacos

Serve Fish, Mashed Avocado and slaw with warm corn tortillas – Goes great with 1T, 2G & 3R Margaritas!

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Brazilian Grilled Pineapple

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When hunting for an idea for dessert with Mexican food, I came across this recipe, I am going to serve it with Mango Sorbet…

Recipe by: SoccerNut

Original recipe yields 6 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Ready In: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

 

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 pineapple – peeled, cored, and cut into 6 wedges
Directions:

 

  1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
  2. Whisk brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Pour sugar mixture into a large resealable plastic bag. Place pineapple wedges in bag and shake to coat each wedge.
  3. Grill pineapple wedges on the preheated grill until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

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Buddy’s Fajitas

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fajitas (pronounced fah-hee-tas) aren’t truly Mexican, they are more closely associated to Tex-Mex which would make them American? In any case, they are typically made with grilled strips of skirt steak, chicken, shrimp and can even be served for vegetarians as it also includes tasty onions and bell peppers, it is served sizzling hot with fresh tortillas, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa at a minimum and is normally accompanied by Refried Beans (with shredded melted cheese on top) and Mexican Rice (this has NOTHING to do with Mexican food – but goes well with it).

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook time: 4
Ingredients:

 

  • vegetable oil
  • 1 lb of flank steak, skirt steak, carne asada, boneless skinless chicken breasts or Shrimp (Prawns) or a mix of them (Surf and turf?)
  • 1 large onion, peeled and sliced with the grain, not against the grain as one would normally slice an onion. Slice first in half, and then slice off sections a half inch wide at widest point.
  • 2-3 bell peppers of various colors, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed, sliced lengthwise into strips
  • 1 Ripe Avocado
  • 8oz Sour Cream
  • Tortillas
  • Salt

Marinade:

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro stems and leaves
  • 1/4 cup lime juice, about 2 limes
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 fresh Jalapeño pepper
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Directions:
  1. Put the cilantro, lime juice, broth, scallions, garlic, jalapeno, honey, and salt in a blender, puree until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons; do not wash out the blender.
  2. Put chicken breasts or steak in a medium bowl and the peppers and onions in another. Divide the cilantro puree evenly between the meat and the vegetables. Toss well to coat the meat and vegetables and let stand, at room temperature, and let it sit at room temperature for an hour, or longer in the fridge.
  3. Set a large cast iron pan or griddle over high heat and let this heat up for 1-2 minutes. Add the tablespoon of oil to the pan and let this heat up for 1 minute. Add the meat, frying on each side for 3 minutes, or to desired doneness. 3 minutes per side will yield approximately medium rare doneness for an average cut of flank steak / 4 minutes per side for a chicken breast. Carne asada and skirt steak will need less time. If the pan starts to smoke too much, reduce the heat to medium-high. You want the meat browned, not burned. Remove from pan and let sit, tented with foil, for 5 minutes.
  4. Cook the vegetables while the meat is resting. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary, then add the onions and bell peppers. Let these sear for 1 minute before stirring, then stir every 90 seconds or so as the veggies sear. Cook for 5-6 minutes total.
  5. Slice the meat against the grain into thin slices. If you slice the meat at an angle, you will be able to get your slices pretty thin. These cuts of steak are flavorful but can be a little tough, so thin slices will really help make it easier to eat.
  6. Serve immediately with:
    • Shredded cheese
    • Salsa
    • Shredded iceberg lettuce
    • Chopped tomatoes
    • Chopped onions
    • Sour cream
    • Guacamole
    • Warm flour tortillas. (Hint for warming tortillas – put in microwave over a paper towel for 20 seconds on high heat.)

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Buddy’s Salsa and Guacamole

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Whether it is Tacos, Burritos, Fajitas, Nachos or super simple tortilla chips, they just aren’t complete without Salsa and Guacamole. But if you buy the store bought stuff, I can forgive you if you skip it on occasion. These recipes will change that!

I started making salsa after my best friend in Colorado would make salsa for us to eat with chips as an after school snack, while I have strayed from that original recipe quite a bit, all salsa is basically made from at least 4 ingredients and as his recipe had those 4 ingredients, I will say that this is an evolution of his, thanks Jason/Bob!

As for the guacamole… lazy…

I knew the ingredients were roughly the same as salsa, why fight it. Word of caution, while you can add Pace or some other store bought salsa to start this off, you will taste the difference, it isn’t as good. Also, rather than blend the guacamole, if you are making a small batch, squish the avocado by hand, it gives you a much better judgement of the consistency you are looking for and a sense of destruction 🙂

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Salsa:

Ingredients:

 

  • 1 onion (minced)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 can jalapeños or MUCH BETTER – 2 fresh angered jalapeños**
  • 2x fresh tomatoes (halved) – Angered if you have time**
  • Cilantro (Coriander)
  • Lime (quartered)
  • 2 tsp olive oil (extra virgin)
Directions:
  1. Heat oil in sauce pan then “anger” the tomatoes by lightly scorching them to the point of almost black.
  2. Dice tomatoes
  3. Dice cilantro, jalapeños, onion and garlic.
  4. Mix tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeños, onion and garlic in a bowl.
  5. Squeeze in lime, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Guacamole:

Ingredients:

 

  • Homemade Salsa
  • 2 or more Ripe Haas Avocados*
  • Lime
  • Cilantro (Coriander)
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Directions:
  1. Add a mixture of roughly (I do it by eye) 1 part salsa to 3 parts mashed fresh haas avocados.
  2. add lime, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:

**Angered chilis and tomatoes
A couple of friends of mine from Mexico suggested that I “anger” the chilis and tomatoes by either dry frying them or placing them directly over open flame to char the skin and soften the meaty pulp – it does enhance the flavour of the salsa and depending time and who I am cooking for (will they notice the difference) I will anger the chillies and tomatoes.
* Ripe Haas Avocados
While I call California home, I have lived in Europe for close to 20 years and the UK for over 3/4 of that time. The European’s know a lot about food but they are appallingly ignorant to how to eat avocados! When they become ripe, most people think that they have gone off. Unfortunately, that includes the stores who throw them away and then aren’t available in the shop…

You have to either be quick or more likely follow the suggestions in the link provided. I personally, buy them when they are close to ripe, leave them on my kitchen window sill until they are ripe and if we aren’t eating them within days, we keep them in the fridge to significantly slow the ripening process.

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Refried Beans

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Tonight I am going to cheat and use doctored Old El Paso canned refried beans as a side with dinner. When I have time however, or wanna go for the WOW factor, I make this in the pressure cooker…

There is no doubt however, that while this recipe calls for a white onion, Zoey DEFINITELY prefers it with a red onion (bit more subdued)

Ingredients Pressure Cooked Beans:

 

  • 1 pound dried pinto or black beans
  • Water
  • 4 sprigs fresh epazote (see note above) or oregano
  • 1 white onion, 1/2 minced (about 1/2 cup), 1/2 left whole
  • 4 medium cloves garlic
  • Bay Leaf
  • 6 Tbsp tablespoons lard, bacon drippings, vegetable oil, or butter
  • salt
Ingredients Refried Beans:

 

  • 1 Red onion (diced)
  • 2 tablespoons lard, bacon drippings, vegetable oil, or butter
  • Chopped Coriander
Pressure Cooker Directions:
  1. Presoak the Beans: 6 to 8 hours before you cook the beans, dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt into 6 cups of water. Add the beans (you may want to rinse them first to remove any residual dust and dirt) and cover with a plate or a towel.
  2. Drain the Beans: When the beans are done soaking, drain them in a colander or sieve. Place the pressure cooker on the stove and add the drained beans.
  3. Add the Aromatics: Add 8 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, onion, garlic, bay leaf, oregano and oil to the pot.
  4. Cook the Beans: Secure the lid according to instruction manual and turn the flame up to high. Keep an eye on the pot and when it reaches high pressure, reduce the flame to medium/medium low and start timing the beans. (15-20 minutes)
  5. Natural Release: When the time is up, turn off the heat. Allow the pot to cool down and release pressure naturally. Follow your instruction manual to determine how you will know when the pot is ready to be opened.
  6. Remove the Lid: Unlock and remove the lid, tilting the lid away from you and allowing any condensation to drip back into the pot. Using a slotted spoon, fish out and discard the onion, garlic and bay leaf.
  7. Reserve Bean liquid for refried and can be frozen for soups
  8. Use or Store: Your beans are now ready to use. If you want to store them, measure out 1 1/2 cups of beans into 2-cup storage containers. Add liquid to cover, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Seal and store in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to one year. Be sure to label the jars with date and contents.
Refried Beans Directions:
  1. In a large skillet, heat lard, bacon drippings, or oil until shimmering, or butter until foaming, over medium-high heat.
  2. Add minced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and lightly golden, about 7 minutes.
  3. Stir in beans and cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Add 1 cup of reserved bean-cooking liquid.
  5. Using bean masher, potato masher, or back of a wooden spoon, smash the beans to form a chunky purée; alternatively, use a stick blender to make a smoother purée.
  6. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until desired consistency is reached; if refried beans are too dry, add more bean-cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. Season with salt

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Buddy’s Mexican Shredded Chicken

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This is an idea from me in preparation for a visit from some close friends of ours Jose and Marcia.

I don’t make it often as it takes oodles of time but, wow, what amazing results. Works great for chimichangas, burritos, tacos, salads, etc…

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 30 Minutes to an Hour
Cooking time: 3-4 Hours
Ingredients:

 

  • 2 pounds chicken boneless breasts or thighs (cut into large bite size)
  • 1 Lime (halved)
  • 4 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
  • Jalapeño pepper or 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper (optional for more heat)
  • Onion (finely chopped)
  • Cilantro (roughly chopped)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 4 oz. can green chilies
  • 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
  • package cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Hot sauce or Habanero sauce to taste
  • 1 shot Tequila
  • 1/2 cup medium salsa
  • 1tsp Paprika
  • 1tsp Onion powder
  • 1tsp Garlic powder
  • 1/2tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 2tsp Cumin
  • 1Tbsp Chili Powder
  • 1/2tsp dry oregano
  • 1 1/2tsp salt
  • 1/2tsp pepper
  • 3Tbsp brown sugar
Directions:
    1. Chop jalapeño peppers, garlic and onion
    2. Anger the tomatoes in a large frying pan
    3. Lightly brown garlic, Jalapeño pepper, and onion in large frying pan while chopping tomatoes
    4. Rub chicken with oil and place in the bottom of your slow cooker.
    5. Add all of the remaining ingredients (squeeze lime in and include the 2 halves) except for the hot sauce and 1 lime.
    6. Cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken is tender enough to shred.
    7. Remove chicken to a cutting board, discard lime halves, and let rest 5 minutes before shredding (there will be liquid remaining).
    8. Return shredded chicken, squeeze in juice of remaining lime and let cook on low for an additional 20 minutes to absorb some of the liquid/juices.
      • Let it cook for even longer for great results.
      • If you are saving the chicken for later, place it in a ziplock with the excess broth from the pan.

 

  2. Drain all excess liquid (great added to Mexican rice).
  3. Add chopped cilantro/coriander and habanero sauce to taste.

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Mexican Rice

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I modified a recipe from food.com to work with our rice cooker and some additional adjustments based on ways I made this in the past.

Servings: 8-10
Ingredients:

 

  • 12 ounces canned tomatoes
  • 1 medium white onion
  • 2 medium jalapeños
  • 2 cups long grain white rice
  • 4 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
  • 1⁄2 cup fresh cilantro/coriander, minced
  • 1 lime
Directions:
  1. Make 2 Cups of chicken bullion
  2. Process tomato, bullion, garlic, jalapeño and onion in processor or blender until pureed and thoroughly smooth.
  3. Place rice in rice cooker, add puree to water limit or supplement with more water as necessary
  4. Turn on rice cooker as normal
  5. While cooking, chop cilantro/coriander
  6. Once complete stir in cilantro/coriander and serve with lime wedges.

Comment: Leftovers are just as delicious the next day so this is a perfect dish to make ahead time for potlucks. This rice also freezes well. For Freezing Ahead: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag. To reheat from frozen: Place in a pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through.

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