Tacos
Beef Tacos II
Sweet Potato Tacos
Enchiladas Verdes
Chili Rellenos
Black Bean Quesadillas
Chicken Quesadillas
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito
TACOS – Meat, Vegetarian, Fish
I have visited Mexico on two long trips. The taco stand is ubiquitous. They would serve them on corn tortillas, spicy meat, thin piquant guacamole, salsa fresca and possibly some crema or lettuce.
I make 3 kinds: meat, vegetarian and fish.
Meat: sauté 1 lb hamburger or chicken with refried beans, break up all the chunks, 1 finely chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic minced. Add 1 package Old El Pas Taco Sauce and mix.
Vegetarian: Sauté in olive oil: ½ c onion ch, 2 clove garlic, add 1 can refried beans or 2 cans drained black beans/mashed, 2 tsp cumin, ¼ c diced red pepper, green Tabasco or black pepper. Heat thoroughly.
Fish #1: Fillet of fish of your choice (rinse, pat dry, salt and pepper), cut in thin strips 3-4” long. Beat 1 egg and mix with ¾ cup buttermilk. Soak fish in buttermilk for 30 minutes. Bread in: ¾ c white cornmeal seasoned with 1tsp salt, 1tsp pepper, 1tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper. Saute crispy on all sides. Serve with cucumber, guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream.
Fish #2: Prepare fish as above. Chipotle Crema: whisk together 1 c sour cream, 4 tsp half-and-half cream and 1 tsp adobo sauce (the sauce from canned chipotle peppers). Orange Avocado Salsa: Combine 3 oranges peeled diced and drained, 2 tbsp cilantro chopped, 2 tbsp jalapeno peppers seeded and finely diced, 2 tbsp red onion finely diced, 2 medium avocados diced into 1/2″ cubes and 3/4 tsp salt and mix gently and set aside. Assembly with flour tortillas fish, crema, salsa and red cabbage very thinly shaved.
Assembly: Flour tortilla, protein source, thinly sliced English cucumber, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream or crema, lettuce.
1. FRIJOLES
2 c dried pinto beans covered in water by 2″ and soak overnight. Rinse and drain, return to pot, add 1 onion halved and sliced, 1 clove garlic minced, 8 oz bacon diced, 1 guajillo chile toasted, stemmed and seeded + 1 chile de arbol stemmed and seeded. Add water to cover by 1″. Boil then simmer 2-3 hours till beans tender and most liquid evaporated. Salt. Sprinkle grated cheese.
2. REFRIED BEANS
Melt 2 tbsp bacon drippings. Add 4 c frijoles, few at time mashing. Add 2-4 tsp cumin. Cook low until thick ~1 hour, stirring and adding water. Top with grated cheese and 1 tbsp chopped green onion.
3. GUACAMOLE
Mash 2 medium ripe avocados. Add 1 small tomato finely chopped, 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper minced, ¼ cup finely diced onion, 2 tsp fresh cilantro, ¼ tsp salt, juice of 2 limes. Mix.
4. SALSA FRESCA or PICO DE GALL0
They are virtually identical but Pico de Gallo is roughly chopped while Sausa Fresca is finely chopped.
Pico de Gallo is always raw diced white onion, tomatoes, chile —usually jalapenos or serranos, and cilantro. Season with salt and lemon or lime juice to taste. Pico de Gallo translates literally to rooster beak but means: to coarse chop like using a beak to do the job (instead of a knife)
Salsa Fresca is always minced raw chile, usually chili guerrito (yellow) or another mild to medium chilli, green onion, cilantro and cooled boiled water. Any other raw ingredients are to the cook’s fancy, such as tomato, white onion, multiple chili peppers, avocado, mango, bell pepper, etc. Season with salt to taste. Salsa Fresca translates and means fresh sauce (not cooked).
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced white or yellow onion
1-3 minced Serrano or jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons cilantro, plus extra for garnish
Salt and pepper
BEEF TACOS II
In Mexico, the meat can be shredded pork but saucy beef (carne deshebrada) is more common even.
What meat? Options include chuck roast (5 h to tenderize, not as beefy), flank steak and skirt steak (not much marbling so tends to be dry). The best was beef short ribs (meaty and rich, cooked half the time, fatty so need to trim meat well initially and skim liquid). Cut into 2” cubes. The meat will brown if not submerged in liquid. Raise on thick onion rounds to avoid the fuss of searing the meat.
Cooking liquid? Swapped liquid with beer and cider vinegar. Blend the cooking liquid briefly.
Chilis? If pureeing the sauce, can use dried chiles. Use a wide variety. Choices include moderately hot guajillos, mild New Mexican red, smoky anchos or earthy pasillas.
Topping choices included salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole and cheese
Curtido – a crunchy, tart, spicy slaw of cabbage and carrot
• 1½ c beer (Dos Equis)
• ½ c cider vinegar
• 4 dried ancho chilis, stemmed, seeded and torn into ½” pieces
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tsp gr cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp gr cloves
• ½ tsp gr cinnamon
• 1 large onion, slice ½” rounds
• 3 lbs boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and cut 2” cubes
Oven low middle rack 325°. Combine beer, vinegar, anchos, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, cloves and cinnamon in a Dutch oven. Arrange onion on the bottom of the pot and place beef on top. Cover and cook until beef is well-browned and tender 2½-3 hrs.
Cabbage-Carrot Slaw
Whisk 1 c cider vinegar, ½ c water, 1 tbsp sugar, 1½ tsp salt, 1 tsp dried oregano in bowl. Add 6 c green cabbage cored and sliced thin, 1 onion thin slice, 1 large carrot peeled and shredded, 1 jalapeno minced. Combine. Cover and refrigerate 1-24 hours. Drain and stir in 1 c cilantro ch.
Finish. Transfer beef to bowl, tent foil. Strain liquid, discard onion and bay leaves. Blend remaining solids. Settle liquid 5’ the skim, then add water to make 1 cup. Add to blender then transfer to empty pot.
Using 2 forks, shred beef, simmer sauce, stir in beef, season.
Spoon beef onto a warm tortilla and serve with slaw, queso fresco (feta) and lime wedges.
SWEET POTATO TACOS Makes 6-8
2 lbs ground turkey or beef, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 c finely ch onion, 1/2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp gr cumin, 2 tsp gr coriander, 16 ounces tomato sauce, 1 jalapeño ch, 1/3 cup water, 2 cups chopped fresh spinach, 2 – 15oz cans beans (black, pinto, white), rinsed and drained, 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped small (1/2-inch pieces)
Garnishes: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados or guacamole, salsa, olives, cilantro
Preheat oven to 425. Saute medium ground meat, salt, pepper, and onion. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces. Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, tomato sauce and jalapeño. Cook medium for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add water, spinach and beans and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Lightly grease centre 6-8 foil pieces, each about 12 inches long. Place about 1 cup of sweet potato chunks in the centre of each piece of foil arranging them into somewhat of a single layer; sprinkle with salt and pepper (don’t skip this step!). Add a heaping 1/2 cup or so of the meat mixture on top. Bring the long sides of foil together over the filling and fold tightly down. Fold and crimp each edge until tightly sealed and a little packet is formed. Repeat. Place on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Carefully open the foil packets and serve with taco toppings and garnishes of your choice.
ENCHILADAS VERDES
Green sauces have the brighter taste of fresh green chiles and tangy tomatillos, moist tender chicken pieces, soft corn tortillas and melted cheese on top. Cooks relatively quickly compared to red sauces.
Vegetables. Poblanos have mild to moderate heat and a deep, complex, herbal flavour. Charing reduces the tartness of the tomatillos and brings a new sweet richness to the poblanos. The easiest way to char tomatillos and chiles is with a broiler: toss with oil; tomatillos done whole, peppers halved. Char on tomatillos has good taste but chili skins taste bitter and need to be removed.
Chop coarsely with a few pulses in a food processor. If need to thin, use chicken broth. Add some sugar and a little raw garlic.
Chicken. White meat is much preferred as complements the sauce’s flavour. Cook by poaching in chicken broth with some sautéed onion, garlic, and cumin added.
Cheese. Pepper jack (mild and spicy) is best. Add a handful of cilantro.
Corn tortillas. Traditionally dip in hot oil to make them pliable and to keep from breaking when rolled. Quicker and less messy to spray with vegetable oil and bake for a few minutes. Can also use normal tortillas. Six.
Recipe:
Oven rack 6” from boiler, heat broiler.
Sauté in 4 tsp vegetable oil, medium heat: 1 onion ch, 5-7 min. Stir in ½ tsp cumin and 2 garlic cloves minced, cook 30 sec. Reduce heat to low. Add 1½ c chicken broth. Add 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed, cover and simmer till chicken 160°, 15-20 minutes. Flip the chicken halfway. Refrigerate 20 minutes till completely cool. Set aside ¼ c poaching fluid.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Toss tomatillos and poblanos with 2 tsp oil. Broil till vegetables blackened and start to soften about 5-10 minutes, rotate half way through. Let cool, remove skins from poblanos. Reduce oven temp to 350°.
Process vegetables and juices. Add 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 clove garlic, ¼ c reserved poaching liquid and pulse till chunky (8 pulses?). Season with salt, pepper and extra sugar to taste.
Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add 1½ c shredded pepper jack and cilantro and mix. Season with salt.
Assembly. Spread ¾ c sauce over a 13×9 baking dish. Arrange tortillas in a single layer on 2 baking sheets and spray both sides with oil spray. Bake till soft and pliable about 2-4 minutes. Increase oven temp to 450°.
Spread ⅓ c chicken filling on each warm tortilla. Roll each tightly and place seam side down. Pour sauce evenly and sprinkle with ½ c cheese.
Bake on a lower rack for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with onions. Pass with radishes and sour cream separately.
Note – needs much more sauce (I used 2 poblanos and 8 tomatillos), more liquid inside.
VEGY ENCHILADAS
Black beans, roasted corn, sweet chili, yams, bell peppers, greens, mozza.
Sauce: tomato sauce, chipotle sour cream, rice.
CHILI RELLENOS
4 poblano peppers: char, cool, remove char, remove seeds. Fill from top.
Saute 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 c onions, 2 cloves garlic till soft, 5 minutes. Add 2 c corn kernels cooked, ½ tsp oregano, salt and pepper or taco sauce. Heat stirring for 2 minutes. Remove and cool.
Add ¼ c sour cream, and 2 c Monterey Jack cheese grated. Stuff chilis with cheese mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
In bowl, beat 3 egg yolks with 2 tbsp flour, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp baking powder. In a large bowl, whip the 3 egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold whites into yolks and whisk together.
In heavy skillet, heat oil depth of 1” to 375° (cube bread browns in 60 seconds). Dip chilis in batter. Fry till golden on one side. Turn over and do the other side. Drain and serve with green chili or ranchero sauce.
Other fillings:
1. white Chihuahua cheese and onions
2. picadillo: ground meat cooked in tomatoes, onions, garlic, sour cream and jack cheese.
3. shredded chicken with tomato sauce, dried chilis, cilantro, parsley, sour cream, jack cheese?
4. hamburger, onion, cheddar, garlic, green chilis, green chilli sauce, taco sauce mix, jack cheese?
BLACK BEAN QUESEDILLAS
Combine in bowl: 1-14 oz can black beans rinsed, 1 tomato ch, 1 roasted red pepper ch, 1 jalopeno pepper minced, 2 cloves garlic minced, ½ c cilantro, 2 green onion ch.
Assembly: spread layer on half a 10” wheat tortilla. Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese (1½ c) and crumbled feta (½ c). Fold over.
Cook medium barbeque directly on grate or fry pan with small amount of olive oil – 2-3 minutes per side.
CHICKEN QUESADILLAS
Pumpkin Mole Sauce
Bake 1/2 c unsalted pumpkin seeds and 1/2 c unsalted peanuts at 350 until toasted and golden about 10 minutes, cool slightly. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and saute until softened 1 medium onion diced and 2 cloves garlic minced. Food process with seeds and pulse till combined. Add one 127ml can of green chilis drained and seeded, 1 tbsp canned chipotle in adobo sauce, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp chile powder, 2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar, 1 tsp cocoa powder and 1/2 c low sodium chicken or vegetable stock. Process till smooth, scraping down the bowl once. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, cool and refrigerate. 1/2 c cream optional.
Chicken Quesadillas
ten – 7-inch flour tortillas
3 cups mozzarella
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (about 3 breasts)
1 cup cooked corn
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
juice of 1/2 lime
1 lime halved
Assemble the quesadilla by putting some cheese, chicken, corn, cilantro and about 2 tbsp of mole sauce on half of a tortilla. Fold over and press firmly on seam. Assemble all of the tortillas, stack, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.
Heat grill to medium and brush with oil. Grill till cheese melted and you have golden grill marks.
Mix the sour cream and lime juice. Grill the lime halves and squeeze them on top of the quesadillas as you serve. Garnish cilantro and lime/sour cream.
SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN BURRITO
Cook 5 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes in salted water until tender ~10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Saute 2 tsp olive oil, cook medium low 3 ½ c diced onion, 4 large cloves garlic minced, 1 tbsp minced green chilli tender ~7 minutes. Add 4 tsp cumin, 4 tsp coriander. Cook 3-4 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
In food processor, combine 3 – 15 oz cans drained black beans, ⅔ c lightly packed cilantro, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, and cooked sweet potato. Puree till smooth. Mix with onions and spices.
Preheat oven 350°. Oil large baking dish. Spoon ⅔-¾ c filling into 8” tortilla, roll and place seam side down in baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 min. Serve with salsa.