Triple Take

When I was a kid, I used to go visit my grandparents in the summer.  I have lots of memories, but one of the most distinct is the impression I got that old people eat dinner early.  My Granny and Papa ate dinner at (I kid you not) 4 PM, every night.  4 PM! 
Well, the Hudson household just got a whole lot older.  At least for the next couple of months.  On Monday nights I have Baking School and I have to be there at 5 sharp.  I don't want Drew to go hungry, so I started cooking dinner at a little after 3 PM.  I think my lunch had just been digested when I started making dinner.  It is too much!  But it is worth it for the valuable instruction I am receiving the rest of the evening!

So what was cooking in my kitchen at 3:30 PM Monday afternoon?  Triple Decker Tortilla Bake.  It is yet another recipe from the CookMag Ultimate Mexican (a must own around these parts).   This is a very simple throw it together kind of meal perfect for those nights when you don't have a lot of time.  Here's the basic concept:

Salsa (I used Fresh and Easy, New Mexico)

Corn Tortilla
Mashed Pinto Beans
Tortilla
Corn
Cheese
Salsa
Corn Tortilla
Mashed Pinto Bean
Corn Tortilla
Salsa

Throw this in the oven at 450 F and bake for about 12 minutes, covered with foil.  Take the foil off and add some more cheese.  Melt the cheese in the oven for a few more minutes. Top with avocado and cilantro (you could probably also do sour cream, but I wouldn't).

There it is.  Simple?  Yes.  Tasty?  Yes.  Sounds good to me!

Taco Tuesday

OK, seriously there is a pattern forming.  What can I say?  We heart Mexican flavors.  So, for your salivation enjoyment, I bring you Pollos Dorados (from the Ultimate Mexican cookmag - like I said before, purchase it - you will not be sorry).

The recipe is fairly straightforward, but I did change it so here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles
1 cup of shredded cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie)
corn tortillas
Oil for deep frying
Choose your own garnishes (suggestions: cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, onions-green)

Procedure:
1. Start heating the oil for deep frying (You want it to get to 375F before dropping in the food)
2. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in saute pan over medium heat.  Saute onions until soft.  Add the Rotel (do not drain).  Cook uncovered until most of the liquid evaporates.  Turn off heat.  Stir in chicken to the tomato mixture. 
3.  Warm the tortillas in the microwave (wrapped in damp paper towels) for 20 seconds (2 at a time).  Place a small amount of chicken mixture on one end of the tortilla, roll up and secure with a toothpick.
4.  Place prepared tacos into the heated oil in batches of 3 or 4.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.  Remove and place on paper towel lined plate. 

These are very good, if somewhat greasy.  It's good to have something junk foodie every once in a while.  And, hey, we southern woman love us some deep-fried food.

Churros Magnificos

I sense a theme lately in my posts.  Must be a Mexican mood!  For dessert for my mom's birthday, I decided to make her favorite Disney dessert.  She calls them Charos (yes, like the singer - I don't think she would taste good deep fried, but it might be a way to get her to be quiet), but the actual name is Churros.  We have been going to Disneyland with her for about 5 years and she still hasn't learned how to say them, but she sure knows how to eat them!  They ARE especially tasty at the end of a fun-filled, junk-foodie day at Mickey's home.
I have tried churros before with very unhappy results.  So, armed with a new recipe and an important innovation from Drew, I was ready to make this dessert.  The results were pretty good!  I got the recipe from Ultimate Mexican.  It is simple to prepare and tastes and smells great!  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
vegetable oil for deep-fat frying
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Procedure:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, brown sugar, and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon.  Cook and stir mixture until it forms a ball and pulls away form the side of the pan.  Remove from heat.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Add vanilla and egg, beating well with a wooden spoon. 
2.  Transfer batter to a pastry bag (or cookie press, see below) fitted with a star tip.  Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.  Pipe 4 inch long logs onto prepared baking sheet. 
3.  In a deep saucepan, heat 3 inches of oil to 375F.  Fry logs, a few at a time, in hot oil about 2 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, turning once.  Drain on paper towels.  Keep warm while you do the remaining batches.
4.  In a medium bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.  Roll warm churros in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Serve warm.

The innovation Drew came up with was using a cookie press to create the traditional churro shape.  I have a Pampered Chef cookie press that has never seen action.  I opened it up and checked out the designs and Drew helped me pick one that would work - it was perfect.  The press also made forming the Churro dough into churro shapes so simple.  If you don't have a cookie press, you can use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.

Feliz Cumpleanos

Tonight we had a birthday dinner for my mom.  Because she loves seafood and Mexican cuisine, I decided to make some Seafood Enchiladas from the Ultimate Mexican cookmag I told you about a few weeks ago.  This was a good idea indeed!  I am not usually one to order seafood enchiladas.  I usually like the basic cheese and onions enchiladas I grew up with, so this was a departure. 

The procedure for this recipe is very easy, but takes some time throughout the day.  You have to re-hydrate some dried chiles earlier in the day (this affords you time to take the requisite Sunday afternoon nap).  Once that is done, the hard part is basically over.  The rest is just mixing and rolling.  The entire process takes less than a couple hours. 
The recipe calls for either shrimp or crab.  We decided to do a mixture of both.  I mean, we are celebrating!  Once the chiles are ready (re-hydrated and cut in pieces), you add the seafood mixture and some shredded Monterrey jack cheese.  Roll this mixture up into some warm tortillas and it starts to look like enchiladas.  The interesting thing about this recipe (which I would change should I do this again) is the sauce.  It is basically a gravy (I am not kidding).  This is a little discomfiting to my Tex-Mex loving heart.  If I were to do it again, I would definitely add a lot of spice and change up the structure of the sauce (it has a LOT of flour in it). 
The result:  Very, very mild enchiladas.  Not necessarily bad, but not enough flavor and spice for me.  I would kick it up about 3 notches in the flavor department.  But, mom loved them (so I guess these are a success!).

For an appetizer, I made a new guacamole recipe (I can't get enough of avocado based dips!).  I really liked it but I think I will add cumin next time.  These are the ingredients: green onion, cilantro, serrano pepper (seeded), avocado, lime juice, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper. Mmm!  Oh and we tried out some new chips from Food Should Taste Good.  If you haven't tried these yet, check them out.  They are multigrain (read: healthy) chips that really do taste good.  If you go to their website, you can get a coupon!

Overall, Mom was happy.  And you know that old saying, "if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  Well, I think the converse is true as well.

Enchiladas Especial

If you get anything out of this post, please get this: Get thee to a book/magazine seller and buy this publication from Better Homes and Gardens: Ultimate Mexican. 
Drew and I picked it up at our local SuperTarget a couple weeks ago and immediately were inspired to cook almost every recipe in it.  We will work our way slowly through this one! 
Last night we started with 3 recipes - each of them perfect in their own right.

On the menu:
Avocado Salsa
Enchiladas Suizas
Sangrita (for tequila tastings reviewed on Drew's blog)

To start the evening off right, I made this salsa that is a definite keeper.  I have always been intimidated by tomatillos. The reason for my phobia? The only thing I can think of is the skins.  There is something about them being wrapped up that makes me nervous, I guess.  So, last night I got over the fear and took the plunge, using two cooking applications on the tomatillos.  Tomatillos, consider yourselves conquered.  No longer will I shrink back at the "difficulty" of your green, papery skin.  Honestly, they could not be easier to prep and they taste great.  This particular salsa includes avocado, boiled tomatillos, green onions, sour cream, cilantro, salt and pepper.  The flavors need a little time to meld in the fridge and the wait is well worth it.  Oh, boy this was good and it got rave reviews!

For the entree, I made Enchiladas Suizas.  This one is too easy, if you already have some chicken on hand.  Thankfully, my father-in-law spent most of Saturday slaving over a hot smoker to prepare some smoked chicken for our enchiladas.  I am sure a rotisserie chicken (what the recipe calls for) would work; but if you happen to have a special person in your life, who just happens to know how to use a smoker, it may be time to butter them up.  The smoked chicken was perfect with the sauce I prepped.  The sauce consisted of the tomatillos (roasted this time), garlic, red onions, jalapenos, cilantro, fire-roasted tomatoes, cilantro, and creme fraiche.  The prep for these enchiladas is so easy and pretty much idiot-proof.  A good thing for my somewhat off-headed evening (Drew slipped me a decongestant).  And the result:  OH MY GOODNESS!!!  These. Were. Wonderful.  Definitely a do again.  I can't wait to try all the other enchilada recipes in this book.  The recipe makes a generous 12 enchiladas, so it easy could serve 6 with the addition of side dishes. 

For side dishes we did Taco Rice (not that memorable) and fresh corn-on-the-cob (thanks to my friend, Tara's farmer connection). 

Be sure to check out Drew's post about the tequila tastings we did last night to accompany dinner.  When I say "we," I mean they (I HATE tequila).  I am sure he will have great things to say about the process.