Huevos Rancheros

I grew up in the southwest area of America until I was about 16 years old. We loved the trips we took to Mexico as a family and it certainly began a life long passion of travel that I still have today.

One of the dishes I have rediscovered is Huevos Rancheros.. My cousin makes it faithfully every year on New Years morning and we have happily been on the receiving end for 2 years now.
We love breakfast, and so we were delighted to have another yummy, cost friendly idea for brunch. It's fresh flavors are a lovely way to start out your day, but you can also make it for dinner too!

For this recipe I will tell you how to prepare it for one person.
Feel free to email me with any questions or comments! I love to hear from you!
gourmetcookingonadime@gmail.com

 2 tortillas and eggs serve one person

Ingredients

2 corn tortillas

2 Eggs

3 Tbs of refried beans beans...or make your own by simply crushing whole canned beans with some seasoning and butter!! YUMMO!

4 Tbs of shredded cheese

4 slices of avocado

3 Tbs of Salsa

A few sprigs of fresh cilantro/coriander

Frying oil

1 Tbs of sour cream

Prepare
 

* Lightly fry your corn tortillas and place on a paper towel to cool

* Heat up your refried beans in a small pan

* Poach or fry your eggs

* Move your oven rack up to its highest point and turn your oven on broil

* Assemble your Huevos Rancheros by first placing your corn tortillas in the baking dish, add your beans to the top, add your eggs, add your cheese and salsa

*Pop into the oven and allow to brown and the cheese to melt, about 5 minutes

*Dress with slices of avocado, cilantro and sour cream

***I also fry some potatoes like in my recipe under brunch labeled eggs florentine.. minus the tumeric... and fry up some bacon!

Quesadillas- Perfect Lunch Idea!

DO you know what kicked off my desire to cook more than anything else in my life?
My LOVE for food!!
I can remember on a slow easy Saturday while I was little, Mom making quesadillas in her cast iron pan... lots of butter, oozing cheese, green chili's, black olives... yummmmmyyy.
I make them all the time for my kids and hubby.
SO cheap, so easy, almost a guarantee that you have stuff in your pantry to make them!
They charge $9.00 at my local restaurant for them ..ha!!!
I bet you don't spend but $2 per person to make them!

1 Flour Tortilla per person


Ingredients

Flour Tortillas ( or substitute a gluten free option )
1/2 cup of any type really of cheese... I use cheddar though
Butter, enough to coat the bottom of your pan
Black Olives
Cilantro
Avocado
Sour Cream
Salsa

Prepare

* Melt a slab of butter in your pan on medium high heat
* Slice or grate your  cheese
* Place your toppings on half of your tortilla, olives, cheese, salsa...
* Fold your tortilla in half and place it into your pan
* Cook on each side for about 4 minutes or until brown and cheese is melted
* Serve hot with Sour Cream, Salsa, Avocado...

ALSO TRY ADDING LEFT OVER CHICKEN OR SLICES OF LEFT OVER STEAK

Jason's Carnitas

How happy am I that ours is a life filled with friends who love food like we do????!!
Our dear friend Jason was in town last week and he happily shared his Carnitas recipe with me and now (lucky you!)... with you too!
I LOVE Carnitas!
The pork can usually be found at an inexpensive cost and it is tender, juicy and flavorful..
One of the things that makes me most happy is exchanging recipes  with my friends because then we have a lovely memory of them at one of the happiest times in our family life... when we sit down and enjoy a meal together!
I encourage you all to give this next one a try... I love your comments!

Photo by Jason Hagen

Ingredients

4-5-pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5-inch chunks (I didn’t bother to trim the fat) 
3 Tbs Olive Oil

About 3 cups of water
1 Pepsi or Coke
1 cup fresh OJ
Juice from 1 lime

Rind from orange and lime

1 cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves (not garlic ;-)

2 teaspoons various chili powders (Ancho, Anaheim, etc)

2 bay leaves

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 small onion sliced thin

Photo by Jason Hagen

Prepare

*Heat oven to 325 degrees

* Rub the pieces of pork shoulder all over with salt. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to a day.

*Sear the meat in batches with your oil in a large pot or pan. Do not crowd the meat.

* Blot out most of the oil

*Sweat the onions for 30 seconds, salt your pork

*Add garlic and all other spices..Saute for 1 minute, take the pork out of pan and set aside

*Add liquids and deglaze your pan (like making gravy)

*Add meat back to your oven proof pan or pot

*Add enough water so that the meat is almost covered but not completely 
* Stick uncovered in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. (Until the meat is tender and falling apart) 
*After that you can turn to oven way down or stick on the stove top on low low heat, cover and let sit in the braising liquid for a few extra hours if you have the time.

*Increase oven to 450 or even to broil.

* Remove and shred the meat and (throwing any big pieces of fat back into the liquid) reduce the liquid until it is almost syrupy. Strain.  Check the meat for salt.

* Add meat to a roasting pan and spoon over some of the reduced liquid, which will contain a good amount of lard.

*If needed add salt to the meat. Stick meat in oven and watch closely. When the top layer of meat is getting crispy, you are done.

Serve with corn tortillas, onion, cilantro, lime and slices of avocado.

Sweet and Spicy Fish or Chicken Tortilla Lasagna

My friend Denise made this dish the other night. I loved the flavors and that it was another way to get fish into our diets, so I am sharing it with you all.
If your feeding kids, then don't make it too spicy and adjust the jalapenos accordingly...
also note worthy, jalapenos need to be handled with care!! The oil will stick onto your hands and then subsequently onto other things like eyes so use gloves, or be really careful if and when handling the seeds which are the part to AVOID TOUCHING! Enjoy!

This was made with Fish

Serves 4 to 6

 Ingredients

12 or so corn tortillas (or substitute small flour tortillas- like for fajitas-  if you can't get corn tortillas fresh)
1 Jalapeno pepper (or two if you like it spicy)
3 Mangoes diced
5 vine ripe tomatoes diced
I medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
Big bunch of cilantro diced up medium fine
3 avocados peeled and diced ( squeeze a bit of lemon or lime on the avocado so it doesn't go brown)
1 tsp brown sugar
4 to 5  Cups of colby jack cheese or any mild white cheese shredded
Two cod fillets ( if frozen thaw and pat dry) or tilapia ( if so use 3 to four fillets.. they are a smaller fish) or 4 Cups of cooked and shredded Chicken ( Rotissere whole chicken is PERFECT for this)
Sea salt
White pepper
1 lime


Prepare

 Fresh Mango Salsa
*First dice up mangoes,  3 tomatoes, 1 onion and mix in bowl
*Add minced jalapeno and a handful of chopped cilantro and mix into the salsa mixture..
*Add a pinch of  course sea salt
*Next is a teaspoon of brown sugar and 1 tsp of fresh lime juice..stir it up.. cover and let sit while you prepare the rest (Also you can buy some very nice mango salsas at the grocery store and simple doll it up by adding your hot peppers as desired)


Homemade Guacamole
*3 Avocados peeled and diced
*Remainder of your cilantro diced up medium fine
*Pinch of sea salt
*Pinch of white pepper
*4 Minced cloves of garlic
*1 minced onion
*2 whole diced tomatoes with seeds and juice
*1  lime juiced
* Mash everything up with a potato masher or Morter and Pestle until you get the consistency you like
* Cover and Chill


Lasagna
*Get fillets and pat with a paper towel.. cut into 5 inch pieces
*Take salsa and layer a bit in bottom of your  large baking dish
*Place a layer of tortilla on bottom... then place pieces of fish... then cheese and salsa
continue this pattern until you have at least 4 layers... five is great too ! Your top layer should be tortilla
*Layer top with lots of cheese and pop in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes... you want the top to be nice and gold and a bit crisp.
*Take lasagna out of oven and let sit for about ten minutes

                   Add side of guacamole, a simple spinach salad!! ENJOY!

Nachos

 Maybe not a gourmet dish, but while eating out we have seriously paid $12.00 for 10 tortilla chips with little 'nacho like' cheese and beans and sometimes chicken on them !!!!  Like a joke!

My mother in law made Nachos lots when we lived in Brooklyn, NY  so of course we made them in England when we were missing everyone, but then also because it was a lovely weekend noshy thing. Sometimes they are simple with only beans, cheese and hamburger or chicken and sometimes they get fancier...in any case always around a budget and easy to add things on that you like.. be creative! And please remember dear friends with less people in their household that ANY recipe can very easily be modified to smaller numbers!!! And like wise doubled! Also very easily a lovely dish without meat for my vegetarian friends!!

 

Feeds 4 adults



Ingredients

Plain salted tortilla chips
4 cups of shredded cheese ( cheddar is nice!)
1 pound hamburger meat or 4 cups of shredded chicken
1 jar of salsa
1 small can of olives drained
1/2 can of corn drained
1 can of red kidney beans drained, or 2 1/2 cups of pre- made beans ( see bean burritos for recipe)
1/4 cup of pickeled jalapeneos drained
1 small pint of sour cream
1 handful of cilantro
2 diced avacodos
cumin
garlic salt
black pepper
1 lime (if using chicken)


Prepare
* Pre- Heat oven to 375 degrees
* Get a large backing dish and layer the bottom with tortilla chips
* In a pan, cook the hamburger or chicken adding cumin, garlic salt and pepper to taste, at the end beans to the mixture to heat them up a bit and absorb the flavors
* If cooking with chicken ( I tend to use a whole chicken that is already roasted or left over and shred it and re heat it), when it is cooked turn the heat off and squeeze the lime over it mixing it up
* Add the cheese to the tortilla chips and mix it in with your hands a bit to distribute it
* Add the meat and beans
* Add the corn
* Add olives
* Add jalapenoes
* Add salsa
* Put in the oven until cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes or so..
* Add the cilantro, avacado and sour cream on to your plated up nachos!!!!!

*I eat them with a knife and fork because they are so messy

Wine Suggestion- California Zinfindel

Chicken Taco's

This could be the single most eaten meal in our home.
At least once a month, sometimes twice, we have chicken or beef tacos. And the newest addition  since being back in the U.S.. fish tacos!
Today I am going to give you the makings for chicken tacos, and what is really nice is that if you have surprise guests you can stretch them out and feed more people than you realize!

Feeds at least 6 (but up to 12 if you only have 2 or 3 each)


Ingredients

32 fresh corn tortillas to have 5 or 6 each for 6 people
Like 20 oz frying oil
1 pre- roasted chicken ( the store sells them already done for like $4 or feel free to roast it yourself!)
1/2 head of lettuce-shredded
4 cups grated cheese ( even though I would rather shred my own if cheese is on sale, I do on occasion buy the pre shredded if it is on sale)
1 large can of black olives broken up
1 bunch of cilantro, washed and chopped
2 fresh limes
2 diced avacado's ( put some lime or lemon on them to help keep them from going brown)
red and green salsa( the best salsa's have the LEAST amount of ingredients and they should be the fresh kind of ingredients!)
1 pint of sour cream
2 Tbs garlic salt
1 Tbs cumin
3 tsp white pepper


Prepare

* Pull your chicken off the bones and place into a pan that has a little splash of olive oil on the bottom, try to get it all, and then bag the carcass and freeze for soup!
* Squeeze a lime over the shredded chicken and add your garlic salt, cumin and white pepper and heat until warm, cover and set aside
* Prepare all of your toppings and put in bowls for serving (we use a lazy susan server)
* Get a platter or cookie sheet and line with paper towels and have a generous piece of aluminum foil to cover shells as you fry them and some tongs
* In a cast iron pan put about 2 inches of oil and heat oil up on high until the tortilla dances around
* Fry each shell for 30 to 45 seconds on each side, bring to platter and dab oil on each side and fold in half ( like wise for a lighter version just heat up the shells in a  non stick pan!)
* As you go along cover the shells with the tin foil to keep warm
* After shells are done, stuff them with the chicken (I use a fork)
* Let everyone add their own toppings and watch them go!

Bean Burritos

As a child I grew up in  Arizona and California. Mexico was our families most frequented family holiday and we even spent a summer in Guadalajara while my dad learned Spanish.  One of the most exciting things for me about moving back to Arizona after so many years is coming back into the rich Mexican American culture!
Beans are a staple in our house, they are cheap and very nutritious. I keep all kinds on hand at all times, dry and canned, so the end of a pay cycle when things are super tight, I can always fall back on beans!!!! In this recipe you can use canned beans if you don't have time or remember to do the dried. Do give dried a go though, they are so easy to do and can be flavored all ways!!!
I love to serve this for friends who are vegetarian at a  casual dinner party as well as for the family!
You know what they say! Beans Beans the magical fruit!!!...

Serves 6


Ingredients

3 to 4  cups of dried beans- red kidney, pinto or black beans (or 3 cans)
Left over chicken from the Weekend Roast if you have any (good if you have a child who doesn't like beans.. we have one!) I usually can get about 2 cups at least!
1 tsp olive oil
*All spices aren't meant to be exact, but to YOUR taste!! Hence the broad amounts...PLAY!
3 to 5 tsp of cumin
3 to 5 tsp of sea salt
3 to 5 tsp of fresh black pepper
1/2  to 1 1/2 tsp of chili pepper
3 onion cut in half
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 beer
2 to 3 cups of shredded cheese (we like cheddar and monterey jack, but any mild hard cheese will do in a pinch)
1/2 head of lettuce shredded
1 can black olives
2 Avacado's diced
1 handful of fresh Cilantro (Coriander) chopped
Salsa- green and red
1 small sour cream tub
2 large flour tortillas for kiddies and 3 for Adults


Prepare

*The night before you want to eat the burritos, put the dried beans in a large pan and rinse them really well, and look for small stones that may be in the bag, take out any bits that float up or stones.
* Add fresh water, enough to double over the beans, and let the beans soak over night.
* In the morning, rinse them again and again add enough water to be 2 inches over the beans if the beans are 2 inches... make sense?
*Add the onion and garlic to the water and bring the beans to a boil
*After beans boil, bring the heat down on the stove to a simmer and leave the beans to cook for about 3 hours, keep checking the water level!!! Add water as needed and give it a stir here and there.
*Add the other seasoning
* Add the beer and more water if needed, taste and if you think you need more seasoning, don't be afraid!!! ADD IT!!!!
* Check the beans to make sure they are tender and if they are turn the mixture off and leave it

* If using canned beans, add the beans to a pot, and add some of the spices to them while they heat up using a low heat

* Shred whatever chicken you can get off the 3 chickens into a sautee pan ( if you want chicken and don't want a vegetarian meal)
*Add a splash of olive oil to the pan
*Add a 1 shake of cumin, sea salt, and black pepper to season the chicken
* Cook on low till heated

* Add all the prepared vegetables, salsa, sour cream and cheese to bowls and place on the table... everyone builds their own!

* Heat up the flour tortillas in a cast iron pan for a few seconds on each side

*Place the tortilla's in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and beans  and chicken in covered serving dishes if desired and let everyone at them!
* Use a slotted spoon for the beans, because the sauce will make the tortillas fall apart if there is too much
Careful, they get full fast!!!!!