The Best Mexican Rice

Cooking oil to cover pan
1 cup white rice
1 onion & green pepper
peas (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
dash of pepper
14 oz Chicken broth
1/4 cup & 2 Tbsp tomato sauce
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder

In large pan place oil and rice. Cook on medium heat until rice is golden brown then add chopped onion, peppers and peas to your liking. Combine all other ingredients, bring to a boil then let simmer 20 minutes keep rice covered and stir occasionally. This is my Grandma's recipe and it is to die for, so enjoy!

Cafe Rio Pork

I got this recipe from a friend and still haven't tried it....but am meaning to. Cinco de Mayo sounds like a good time to tackle it.

Cafe Rio Pork
(I used two small pork roasts)
1 ½ cans coca-cola classic (generic varieties or diet is not as good)
1 c. sugar (I used white sugar, but I think brown sugar is what they use)
1 (7 oz.) can Chipotle in ADOBO sauce (since you use the sauce, not the chiles, it is important that you get the chiles in adobo sauce)
1 heaping tsp. dry ground mustard
1 heaping tsp. dry ground cumin
1 tsp. minced garlic
Remove the chiles from the can of adobo sauce. (Leaving the chiles in will make it so potent that you’ll cry just smelling it.)
Add all ingredients (except pork) in a blender. (I put some coke in a bowl with the chiles and sauce and rinsed the can with coke to get all the sauce out.
Blend until well mixed. (You can skip this step, but it’s nice a creamy when you do this.)
Place pork in crock pot and pour sauce over it.
Cook on low for 7-9 hours or until the pork pulls apart with a fork.

I added 2 options for the dressing- you can try either and let me know how it turns out.

Café Rio Dressing
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet – make as per recipe
2 tomatillos (tomatoe-like vegetable with a husk around it)
½ bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno or a few drops of tobasco for a more mild flavor
Use a food processor or blender to blend all ingredients together. Refrigerate.


CAFE RIO CREAMY TOMATILLO DRESSING
(copycat recipe)

3 large tomatillos
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing mix
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Remove husks from tomatillos, wash, quarter and broil until soft--about 7 minutes.

Combine everything in blender until smooth. Chill for at least one hour for flavors to blend.

You can do a Pork salad, tacos or burritos---your choice.

Layer Enchilada Bake

This is so YuMmY, I love it...and it's soooo EaSy! Enjoy




• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
• 2 Tbsp. TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
• 1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese
• PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add salsa, beans, dressing and seasoning mix; mix well.
• ARRANGE 3 of the tortillas in single layer on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat all layers. Cover with foil.
• BAKE, covered, 30 min. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Aztec Chicken

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can corn
1 can black beans
2 cups salsa
8 oz. cream cheese

Mix all ingredients together and cook 3-4 hours in crock pot on low. Mix in cream cheese half-hour before serving. Serve with chips or over rice.

*This recipe is actually from Holli Smith that she made for an Enrichment Night. I use 2 cans of the canned chicken breast from Costco instead of cooking chicken. And I use Costco frozen corn instead of canned because it is so much sweeter. Also, I cut up the cream cheese into small cubes, it seems to be easier to mix in that way.

If you substitute low-fat cream cheese, it is a super healthy meal. And if not, it's still not too bad. My kids totally love this and it is perfect to put together right before church and eat when you get home!

Mexican Street Corn

I'm also making this corn tonight. I've been intrigued with the idea ever since I saw Nacho Libre. The corn serves three purposes: One, to eat. (Nacho calls out, "Hey, gimme somma that corn!") Two, to distract. While he is calling out for some corn, his partner gets pummeled in the wrestling ring. Three, as a weapon. Nacho's partner throws a stick of corn into a thug's eye. Ouch!

Mexican Street Corn
(From The Best Recipe: International Version)

6 ears corn, shucked
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. mayo
2 T. cilantro, minced
1 T. lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t. chili powder
Salt and pepper
1/4 c. queso fresco (my favorite Mexican crumbly cheese)

Heat the broiler (rack needs to be fairly close to it). Brush the corn on all sides with the olive oil and broil (on a foil-lined baking sheet) for 10 minutes on each side (broil until well-browned). Combine mayo, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, 1/4 t. salt, and cheese. Remove corn from the oven and brush the corn on all sides with the mayonaise mixture. Broil for about 1 minute more, until mixture is warm. Season with salt and pepper.

Tortilla Soup

Here's what I'm making tonight for dinner. Rachel, expect FLAN on Wednesday night!

Tortilla Soup
(from The Best Recipe: International Version)

4 chicken breasts
8 c. chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves
8-10 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
8 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips*
2 T. vegetable oil
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 medium jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs removed
1 T. mild green chilies (from can)

Toppings:
Lime wedges
Avocado, diced
1 c. queso fresco (delicious crumbly Mexican cheese) or Monterey jack cheese
Sour cream

* This recipe has you make tortilla strips; however, you can just buy tortilla chips and put them on the bottom of the bowl before pouring soup on top.

Bring the chicken, broth, onions (reserve half for later), and two garlic cloves (mince these), and cilantro and 1/2 t. salt to boil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Simmer on low until chicken is cooked (about 20 minutes). Remove chicken and shred.

Puree the tomatoes, remaining onions, 2 remaining garlic cloves, jalapeno, green chilies, and 1/8 t. salt in a food processor until smooth. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large pot and add pureed mixture and cook, stirring freqently, until the mixture has darkened in color, about 10 minutes. Add broth and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes longer.

Place tortilla strips or chips in the bottom of bowls and ladle soup on top, then add toppings.

*If you want to make homemade tortilla strips, cut them into 1/2 inch wide strips. Toss them with 1 T of oil and spread them out over a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, about 14 minutes at 425 degrees. Season with salt and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.

Chicken and Cheese Tamales

I know this seems like a lot of work, but believe me, the results are well worth it!!!

Dried corn husks (soften in a pot of hot water so they are pliable)
1 1/2 c. frozen corn (thawed and food processed so it is in little tiny pieces)
2 c. masa*
1/2 c. softened butter (can use less if you want)
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder

Filling:
1 c. shredded chicken
1 c. shredded monterrey jack cheese
2 T. chopped jalapeño (can be fresh or canned)
1/2 c. queso fresco (optional, but I LOVE this Mexican cheese)
1/2 c. finely chopped onion

*To make masa, combine 2/3 cup quick grits (not instant) and 3/4 cup masa harina (get this corn flour at the Latino section of any grocery store). Then, pulverize grits in a spice grinder (in batches) or blender, then transfer them to a medium-size bowl. Whisk in 1 1/4 cups boiling water (don’t worry if grits lump a bit; mixture is eventually pureed in food processor); let stand 10 minutes. Stir in masa harina; cover and cool to room temperature.

Measure about 1 inch of water in a large saucepan. Set a vegetable steamer (or even a collander) into saucepan. Line steamer and pan sides with corn husks. Follow illustrations below to fill and form tamales. As the tamales are made, stand them in prepared steamer. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and steam, checking water level frequently and replenishing with boiling water as needed, until tamales easily come free from husks, about 1 - 1 1/4 hour.

Combine the masa with the thawed and processed corn. Then add the butter, sugar, salt, and baking soda and stir well. In a separate bowl, combine all the filling ingredients.

With the tapering end of the husk facing you, place a scant one-quarter cup of dough onto the husk, leaving at least a one and one-half-inch border of husk at the tapered end. Fold the two long sides of the corn husk in over the corn mixture. Fold the tapered end up, leaving the top open. Meanwhile, line a steamer with husks. Stand the tamales up in a row around the edge of the steamer.