mexican

a favorite – authentic carne con chile colorado.

July 12, 2020 by Becky Spoon

When I first met Allen he wanted me to make Carne Con Chile Colorado which is meat with red chile. I didn’t really know what it was and I’d search for recipes to learn how. We didn’t have the tools then to search the Internet, I’d ask him what it was, I’d look at it and taste it at Mexican restaurants trying to figure out the ingredients. I tried to make it many times, not reaching the desired results.

Years later, I’ve finally learned how to make it. Little did I know how easy it really is. Simple. I’m sure making it many more times will improve it and I’m sure my friends in Mexico can teach me more things in cooking this dish, but I’m proud of my accomplishments and feel they will love my dish.

a favorite – authentic carne con chile colorado.

I used pork butt but I’ve seen this dish also with beef. So for the red sauce I used New Mexico red chile and ancho chile. I can find New Mexico chile in my store, but if you can’t you can order on line or you can use a California red chile.Dried chiles should be pliable and smell slightly fruity.

There are instructions in the recipe portion, but what you do to make the sauce is remove the seeds and stems from the dried chile. Then you add them to boiling or hot water and allow them to sit for about 30 minutes. After that add them to a blender along with cumin, Mexican oregano and onion, and a mixture of garlic and salt. Process until very smooth , then strain discarding any remaining skin or seeds. You can use a blender or food processor, but I really like to use my Nutribullet. It really pulverizes the chile making the straining so much easier. Here’s a link:https://amzn.to/3ek1C1G. Great for smoothies too!

One of the steps is to grind garlic and salt together in a Molcajete adding a little water to form a slurry to add to the chile puree that you can also do in the processor or Nutribullet. Here’s a link for the Molcajete. https://amzn.to/3fmnU4a.

a favorite – authentic carne con chile colorado.

I served this with refried beans and Mexican rice, along with flour tortillas. Here’s a link for those recipes: https://the2spoons.com/pinto-beans-for-refried-beans/.

and the rice https://the2spoons.com/essential-mexican-rice/

Here’s the recipe for this dish. Enjoy!

Carne con Chile Colorado

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Course Breakfast, dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

3 lbs pork cubed
10 New Mexico red Chile or California red chile, stems and seeds removed, or other red chile
2 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
1/4 cup water for the pork
1 tsp salt for the pork
2 tsp flour for the pork
2 cups water for the pork
boiling water for preparing the chile
1 tsp salt for the red chile puree
4 cloves garlic for the red chile puree
1 1/4 tsp Mexican oregano for the red chile puree
1 1/2 cups water for making the chile puree

Instructions

Remove the stems and seeds from the chile. Bring a pot of enough water to a boil just to cover the chile. Turn the water off and allow to sit for about 30 minutes. Strain pressing through with the back of your spoon, discarding any skin left behind.
Meanwhile, add the cubed pork to a heavy pot with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook on low heat checking about every 10 minutes and stirring until all the pink has gone.
While the pork is cooking make the chile puree. In a molcajeta or food processor, add salt and the garlic and make a paste. Add the oregano and crush, then 1/4 cup water to the mixture.
Remove the chile from the water and place in a food processor, blender or I use the Nutribullet. Add the garlic, salt and oregano mixture, along with the 1 1/2 cups water. Process until smooth. Strain, pressing with the back of a spoon until just some of the skin remains. Discard the remaining skin.
Then, remove the lid for your pork and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the water has evaporated and the pork starts to brown.
Add 2 teaspoons flour to the pork mixture, stirring to combine. Cook for a minute or so.
Add the red chile and Stir. Add 2 cups water and cook on medium until the pork is tender.
I add a potato or two diced, because Allen likes it with potatoes.
Serve with refried beans, Mexican rice and flour tortillas. Pasar Bien! Enjoy!

Keyword carne, carne con chile colorado, New Mexico Red Chile, pork, pork with red chile, red chile pork

easy mexican grilled chicken cobb salad.

March 31, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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Wow! This mexican grilled chicken cobb salad is crazy good! Just look at it! Lettuce, tomato, grilled chicken, avocado, lettuce, beans, olives, cheese, eggs??? I’m sure I’m missing something because there’s so many ingredients! I actually had grilled corn I was going to add and I forgot it! Do you all do that?

The chicken is coated with a mixture of olive oil and taco seasoning mix. I used Taco Bell taco seasoning that I buy at my grocery store. Here’s a link for the taco bell seasoning: https://amzn.to/2vXl9F4

easy mexican grilled chicken cobb salad.

For the dressing I used a Chipotle Ranch Dressing that I made from adding a chipotle pepper and the adobo sauce to ranch dressing that I had made from the Hidden Valley spice mix. You can buy the Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce in cans. Here’s the link for the brand I had this time, but I’ve bought different brands. https://amzn.to/39teWhO

Before I work on the recipe, here’s another great salad I have on the blog: https://the2spoons.com/the-best-beautiful-chicken-taco-salad/

This is a great salad using ground chicken and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!

Here’s the recipe for this new chicken Cobb salad. I think you will love it!

Mexican Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

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Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Tortilla strips

4-6 corn tortillas
oil for frying
salt to sprinkle after cooking

For the Chipotle Ranch Dressing

1-1 1/2 cups ranch dressing bottled or homemade
1-2 chipotle peppers from canned chipotle in adobo sauce
1-2 tbsp adobo sauce

For the Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 packet Taco Bell taco seasoning mix or taco seasoning mix of your choice
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the remaining salad ingredients

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup cooked black beans rinsed and drained or pinto beans rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh grilled corn on the cob kernels
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 can ripe olives
2 avocados, sliced and divided
1 cup Monterrey jack or cheddar cheese, grated
sliced limes for serving
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Tortilla strips

Cut the tortillas in half, then stack them on top each of other and cut into about 1/4 inch strips. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the tortilla strips, a few at a time and cook until golden brown. Repeat the process until all have been cooked. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

For the Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Either use a bottled ranch dressing or use a homemade dressing. I used the Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing with the packet of ranch dressing mix with milk and mayonnaise. To that, add one or two chopped chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce to the desired heat that you like.

For the Grilled Chicken

In a gallon zip lock add the Taco Bell seasoning mix or the taco seasoning mix of your choice and the olive oil. Add the chicken breast and coat them on all sides. After your grill is ready, cook the chicken breast, turning until done. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of about 160, then allowed to rest for at least 5 minutes that the temperature will rise to 165 degrees.

To assemble the salad

In a large bowl combine the lettuce, cheese, beans, corn, olives and tomatoes in a bowl. Toss well to combine. Divide the mix among 4 plates. Slice each chicken breast and top each of the salad plates. Top each with the divided deviled eggs and the divided avocado, Top with the dressing and serve with limes if you like.

Keyword chicken, chipotle ranch dressing, cobb salad, Grilled Chicken, mexican

Delicious Entomatadas for Breakfast or Anytime

January 13, 2020 by Becky Spoon

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Entomatadas are a typical Mexican dish made of a folded corn tortilla which has first been fried in oil and then bathed in a tomato sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, onion, oregano, chile serrano and salt. The recipes for the tomato sauce vary by cook.Wikipedia

Love the sauce on these Entomatadas! Unlike most Mexican sauces whether, authentic from Mexico, Tex Mex or New Mexico style that are made from dried chile or chile powder, this sauce is made from fresh tomatoes and it is so quick and easy but so good!

I love them for breakfast with a sunny side up egg topping them; however, most of the time they are served with rice and beans just like you would enchiladas! Other things you can stuff them with are:

Chicken
Ground Beef or shredded Beef (Brisket would work too)
Refried Beans https://the2spoons.com/pinto-beans-for-refried-beans/
Cooked diced potatoes
Cooked carrots and peas
Spinach
Cheddar instead of Mexican cheese
Roasted corn

With avocado like these:

Delicious Entomatadas for Breakfast or Anytime

I used a Queso Fresco cheese https://amzn.to/2QOGtnN that I crumbled and added chopped onion to for stuffing into the tomato soaked tortillas and to top them. You can use Queso Cotija but it is a little saltier.

The sauce was made from Roma tomatoes and Serrano Chile. It is so good. Other than the chile, which I tamed down the heat by removing the seeds, this is really a light sauce with so few ingredients. Just looking at my photos makes me want to go make some!

I have many Breakfast Mexican dishes on my blog. Here’s a couple you definitely should definitely try: My Fried Egg Quesedillas https://the2spoons.com/best-10-minute-breakfast-fried-egg-quesadilla/

and my Breakfast Tostados https://the2spoons.com/yummy-breakfast-tostadas/.

Delicious Entomatadas for Breakfast or Anytime

Let me know what you think of this recipe!

Entomatadas

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, brunch, dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

1 1/1 lbs roma tomatoes
1 serrano or jalapeno (seeded if you like)
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup white onion finely chopped
salt to taste
12 corn tortillas
8 oz Queso Fresco, Queso Cotija or farmers cheese crumbled ( Queso Cotija is saltier)
3 tbsp vegetable oil to fry tortillas

Instructions

Place tomatoes, the serrano or jalapeno pepper, and garlic cloves in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium heat for about 15- 20 minutes until soft.
Mix the 1/4 cup of the onion with the crumbled cheese and set aside.
Once tomatoes and pepper are cooked, place in a blender and process until you have a very smooth sauce.
Heat 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over a medium high heat. Add the rest of the onion and cook until transparent and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, season with salt, and then turn the heat to low and simmer for about 6-8 minutes.
In a separate skillet, heat the rest of the oil over medium heat and briefly fry the tortillas one by one and place on a plate with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Once you fried all the tortillas, dip them one by one into the warm tomato sauce. Make sure to flip the tortilla to cover both sides with the tomato sauce.
Place tortilla on a plate and spoon some cheese and onion mix. Fold the tortilla and proceed with the rest of the tortillas. Once you have all your entomatadas ready, spoon some of the leftover sauce over them and top with more cheese and onion mix.

Keyword cotija cheese, entomatadas, fresh tomato sauce, mexican, mexican food, tomato sauce, tortillas

Amazing Dish! Scallops in Aguachile

August 16, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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This dish of Scallops in Aguachile (chile water) is amazing. If you love sashimi or ceviche, you will love this dish.

Here is an excerpt from Andrew Zimmerman’s website explaining what this dish is and where it originated.

“In the Pacific states of Sinaloa and Nayarit, aguachile de callo de hacha (scallops in chile water) is the Rolls Royce of ceviche dishes, in which the luxurious scallop is bathed in a fiery solution of lime and fresh green chile. Traditionally, only two vegetables—cucumber and purple onion—serve as a garnish, so the dish shines with just a finish of sea salt and pepper. Not surprisingly, the elegantly simple aguachile has become a favorite of modern Mexican chefs like Carlos Salgado, who is slowly evolving the flavors in his versions.

Two notes: Poached shrimp, sliced in half down the middle, will substitute beautifully for the scallops if you prefer that. And if you can’t find anise hyssop leaves (they are uncommon), fresh mint makes a delicious variation.”

Amazing dish! Scallops in Aguachile

This dish was inspired by a dish my friend made on my last trip to Cabo San Lucas. He layered thinly sliced fresh scallops from the ocean, very thinly sliced onion and added lime juice. He marinated the scallops and onions in the lime juice for about 15 minutes which cooked the scallops. Then he added avocado and cucumber and served this delicious dish with tortilla chips. I’d say it was between sashimi and ceviche. When I returned from Cabo, I did a little research, ran across the original recipe with an aguachile and decided I’d take his recipe a step farther.

Such a delicious and refreshing dish for the summer! You can substitute shrimp as stated before, but you want to make sure either the shrimp or scallops are very fresh!

I served this on fried Wontons. Oh, my goodness! So good. I added a little wasabi and I honestly can’t tell you how delicious this dish was.

Serving this on a wonton idea came from one of my favorite restaurants in Cabo, Tazuma. Tazuma is at Pueblo Bonito Resort at Sunset Beach so you would have to call ahead for reservations and to make arrangements to enter the resort. Here’s a link if you ever have the opportunity to try: https://www.pueblobonito.com/resorts/sunset-beach.

Here is my ceviche dish I think you will love too: https://the2spoons.com/this-shrimp-ceviche-is-easy-so-delicious/

Amazing Dish! Scallops in Aguachile

I hope you don’t let the idea of the lime cooking the scallops keep you from trying this dish. This is a crazy good dish, perfect for an evening meal or lunch, just a snack along with appetizers for your next party or before the main course.

Scallops in Aguachile

Print Recipe

Course Appetizer, dinner, Lunch, Main Course, mexican, Snack

Cuisine Japanese, Mexican

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

6 sea scallops
3 limes, juiced
1-2 avocado diced
1/2 English cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and thinly sliced, seasoned with salt
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
6-8 Fried crispy wonton wrappers

For the Aguachile Broth

3 limes, juiced
1/2 cucumber, peeled
1 jalapeno, sliced and seeded
About a handful each of cilantro and parsley
1 tbsp tarragon, optional
mint leaves, optional
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp water
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Using a sharp knife slice the scallops finely and add them to lime juice.
To prepare the Aguachile Broth, blitz the ingredients in a blender or food processor and strain through a fine mesh.
Arrange the scallops evenly on 2 plates and top with red onion, avocado & cucumber. Pour over the aguachile broth. Serve with fried wontons or tortilla chips!

Want more seafood dishes? Try these BBQ shrimp! https://the2spoons.com/love-this-easy-barbecue-shrimp/