Turkey Pozole Soup

Here’s a tasty option for that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. This is a spin off a traditional Mexican soup, typically made with pork.

 

4-6 Servings

½ Tbs1p oil

1 large carrot, diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
8 cups of chicken broth
1 red onion, sliced
5 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp dried Oregano
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Bay leaves (remove before serving)
3 15 oz cans of hominy, drained & rinsed (use 2 cans as is; puree one can)
1 cup cooked turkey, cubed or shredded
1 small can of diced fire roasted chiles
Fresh lime juice from 1-2 limes

Topping options:

Romaine lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado
Sliced radishes
Sliced jalapenos
Chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
Crushed tortilla chips
Crumbled queso fresco

In a large pot over med-high heat, add oil with carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add broth and ingredients through Bay leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add hominy, turkey and chiles. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Add lime juice before serving.

Spoon soup into shallow bowls and top with a variety of toppings, or serve toppings on the table and allow everyone to create their own topping combinations.

Enjoyed the soup with warm tortillas or cheese quesadillas.

Poblanos Stuffed with Turkey, Rice & Veggies

My friend who’s from Mexico surprised us with a fancy dinner called Chiles en Nogada, traditional in the south of Mexico.

With my mind and stomach on chiles, and some left over rice pilaf, I decided to make my own stuffed chiles dish, filled with ground meat, rice and veggies. I used this as another opportunity to sneak in as many veggies as possible. My hubby called me the ‘kale ninja’.

 

4 Poblano chiles
1 cup of cooked basmati rice (cooked in chicken broth)
¾ lb ground turkey
2 celery ribs, diced
1 large carrot, diced
½ small onion, diced
1 cup fresh kale, chopped
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
½ can of corn
½ can kidney beans
Salt and pepper, to taste
Few dashes of Tabasco sauce
Grated Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese

Prepare each pepper by cutting across the top near the stem and down the middle of one side. Remove veins and seeds. On the grill over fire, or under a broiler, char all sides of the peppers until blackened and bubbly, turning until all sides are charred. When ready, place in a bag or covered dish and let steam. Then peel skin from the peppers and set aside.

 

In a large sauce pan over med-high heat, cook ground turkey until almost cooked all the way through. Add veggies, herbs, garlic, corn and kidney beans; cook until veggies are tender and turkey is no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco, to taste. Mix rice with turkey and veggies.

Using a large spoon, stuff each chile with the filling. Please stuffed chiles in a casserole dish and top with shredded cheese. Place under a broiler and cook until cheese is melted and starts to bubble and turn brown.

Serve with black beans and sliced avocado.

Swordfish Ceviche

2 lb swordfish

2 Tbsp cilantro, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 ½ Tbsp red onion, diced
1 avocado, cubed
Juice from 6 limes
Salt, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients above. Chill for 2-3 hours.

Serve with tostadas.

Variations: substitute swordfish for scallops, tilapia or shrimp.

Crock Pot Carnitas with Corn Salad

Pork Carnitas:

2 lb pork shoulder
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
¼ cup minced cilantro
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp salt
Broth, enough to cover half way up the pork

Corn Salad (my version of Esquites – Mexican Corn Salad):

Fresh corn for 2 ears of corn (boiled or roasted)
2 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Juice from one lime
2 Tbsp Cotija cheese
Chile con Lime (Chili with Lemon) Seasoning, to taste

Combine pork with seasoning and broth. Add to crock pot and cook for 8+ hours. Drain fat and juices, save about ¾ cup of juice. Shred pork and mix with extra juices. Leave in crock pot to keep warm until ready to eat.

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the corn salad.

 
Serve carnitas in warm flour tortillas and serve with corn salad, guacamole and black beans.

 

Grilled Chicken with Green Olive Salsa Verde

I found another awesome recipe from my favorite cooking blog, Closet Cooking. This would make a great topping for chicken or fish, or just use as salsa for chips.

 

 

Makes 1 cup

 

½ lb tomatillos, husks removed

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and deveined

¼ cup green olives

½ small onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove

Juice and zest from one lime

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

½ cup cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Place the tomatillos on a baking sheet under broil until skins blacken and bubble. Remove from oven and place in a covered container for 15 minutes; remove skins. Add tomatillos and remaining ingredients in a food processor and puree.

Served over grilled chicken with rice and beans, or enjoy as a dip for chips.

 

Chorizo Stuffed Chile Relleno Casserole

Since we weren’t going to be around for Thanksgiving, I wanted to have an early celebration and throw a big brunch for my friends. I made several egg casserole/frittatas, but this one stood out as the crowd favorite. 

 

If you’re having guests in town for the holidays, I’d recommend this simple and quick dish as a part of your brunch menu.

 

 

1 chorizo sausage link (1 lb)

1 large can of whole roasted chile rellenos (about 10-12 peppers)
6 eggs
¼ cup milk
A dash of Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated pepper Jack cheese

Remove sausage from casing and into frying pan. Over med-high heat, cook sausage through. Using a spoon, carefully stuff chile peppers. Place stuffed peppers onto a greased baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs with milk, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Pour over chiles into dish. Cover with shredded cheese.

Bake on 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the middle is set. Let casserole rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Top with sliced avocado and serve with salsa.

 

Green Chilaquiles with Chicken (Chilaquiles Verdes Con Pollo)

This is my take on a traditional Mexican dish, Chilaquiles. These are like salsa drenched nachos topped with nothing but yummy goodness.

Serves 2-3

Salsa Verde:

1/2 lb tomatillos, husks removed
1 jalapeno, deveined and seeded
2 garlic cloves
Salt
 
Homemade tortilla chips

1 can of black beans
1 cup of shredded chicken
Sour cream
Red onion, minced
Avocado, sliced or roughly chopped
Cotija cheese
Cilantro, chopped

Salsa Verde:

Add tomatillos into a saucepan, cover with water and boil for 5 minutes, until tomatillos have changed color and are soft. Use slotted spoon to remove tomatillos into a blender. Add jalapeno, garlic cloves and a cup of the cooking liquid. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste.

Add salsa to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for a couple minutes. Add tortilla chips to the salsa. Gently turn over chips until they are all well coated. Remove from heat.

To assemble chilaquiles:

To serve chilaquiles, make a bed of black bean on your plate, top with salsa coated chips, chicken, a dollop of sour cream, onion, avocado cheese and sprinkle with cilantro.

Variations:

·         Use red salsa instead of green
·         Serve for breakfast and top with an egg instead of chicken
·         Serve for dinner and top with carne asada instead of chicken

Alfredo Queso

I was rushing through the grocery store to find something quick to make for dinner. I picked up some premade Alfredo Basil sauce and pico de gallo, mixed it together and used it as a pasta sauce. Since I didn’t take a photo of it for the blog, I didn’t post it. Though the next day, I had some of this sauce left over and turned it into a quick queso. I would recommend trying both recipes!

5 oz premade Alfredo sauce

½ cup pico de gallo
¼ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ cup shredded Monterey cheese

In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients over medium heat. Stir until combine. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: To made pasta sauce, omit extra cheese from queso recipe above and just heat and combine 10 oz Alfredo sauce and 1/2 cup of pico de gallo, then toss with your favorite pasta. Top with chicken or shrimp.

Grilled Chicken Quesadilla

3-4 chicken tenders (or a 1-2 chicken breasts)

½ packet of taco seasoning
Juice from one lime
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
½ red bell pepper, sliced
½ green bell pepper, sliced
½ yellow bell pepper, sliced
Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Shredded Monterey cheese
6 large flour tortillas
Margarine or butter
Sliced avocado

In a small bowl, combine taco seasoning, lime juice and EVOO. In a zip lock bag, add chicken, coat with taco seasoning mixture and marinate for 30+ minutes.

On a grill over medium high heat, grill chicken for about 3 minutes per side, or until cooked all the way through. Remove from heat, set aside and let rest for a few minutes before slicing.

In a medium skillet over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and sauté peppers until tender. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Butter one side of each tortilla. In a large skillet over medium heat, place one tortilla butter side down. Add Cheddar cheese, peppers, sliced chicken, Monterey cheese and then top with second tortilla, butter side up. Once cheese is melted and tortilla is crispy and golden, flip quesadilla. Cook for 2-3 minutes more and transfer to a cutting board. Let quesadilla rest for a few minutes before cutting into wedges. Repeat for additional quesadillas.

Serve with sliced avocado, salsa and/or sour cream.

 

(P.S. My hubby thinks it's funny that he's shinning his shoes on the same counter where I'm making dinner, but it's not. It's gross.)

Fiesta Flatbread

This Mexican style flatbread is a fiesta in your mouth. Cheesy, I know….literally.

¾ lb Chicken tenders

½ packet of taco seasoning
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Ready to cook pizza dough
Enchilada or Red Chili Sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Sliced yellow bell pepper
Sliced green bell pepper
Jarred jalapeno pepper slices
Chopped or sliced olives
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado

In a zip lock bag, marinate chicken in taco seasoning, drizzle with EVOO and coat well. Refrigerate for 30+ minutes.

Over high heat, grill chicken for about 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside. Let rest before roughly chopping into pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare dough according to desired thickness. For the flatbread, I made a thin crust in a rectangle shape. Spoon and spread sauce over dough. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and top with veggies. Bake for about 13 minutes. Remove from oven, add tomatoes and chicken; bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until dough is cooked through.

Let pizza rest for a couple minutes before cutting. Top with avocado and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

NOTE: I made the chicken the night before for tacos and then used the leftovers the next day for this pizza topping. Yum!

Grilled Cilantro Chicken with Tomato & Avocado Salsa over Mexican Rice

 This colorful recipe is full of fresh citrus and vegetable flavors.

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Juice from one lime

2 tsp freshly minced cilantro

1 tsp salt

Freshly cracked pepper

In a small bowl, whisk EVOO, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper together. Marinate chicken in a bowl or bag for 30 minutes up to overnight. Grill chicken over medium heat until cooked all the way through; about 6-8 minutes per side depending on thickness. 

Avocado and Tomato Salsa:

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

1 ripe avocado, seeded and diced

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp freshly minced cilantro

Salt and freshly cracked pepper

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until ready to plate and top chicken.

Mexican Rice:

1 small onion, sliced

1 small bell pepper, sliced

½ can diced tomatoes with jalapenos, undrained

1 large garlic clove

1 cup rice

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 tsp salt

EVOO

In a small sauté pan over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and sauté onion and bell peppers for about 4 minutes. Add  veggies to blender with canned tomatoes and garlic. Blend until smooth. Add mixture with rice, chicken broth, salt and a drizzle of EVOO to a rice cooker. Cook until rice is tender.

To serve, create a bed of rice, top with grilled chicken and spoon over salsa. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Queso Blanco with Homemade Tortilla Chips

I hope you enjoy this spicy Mexican white cheese dip with homemade tortilla chips.

Easy and cheesy!

Queso

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup jarred jalapeno juice (more or less depending on what you like)

1 ½ Tbsp butter

1 ½ Tbsp flour

½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

½ cup shredded Monterey cheese

1 large jalapeno, seeded, deveined, minced

1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced

In a medium sauce pan, bring cream to a boil; mix in sour cream and jalapeno juice. While cream is heating up, create a roux by melting butter over med-high heat and whisk in flour to create a paste. Whisk roux into gently boiling cream mixture. Whisk constantly for a couple minutes until it thickens.

Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses, jalapeno and tomato. Save a little jalapeno and tomato to use as garnish by sprinkling over queso. Serve warm.

Chips

Corn tortillas, cut into chip sized pieces

Vegetable oil

Sea salt

In a large frying pan, heat about ¾ inch of oil over med-high heat. Once oil starts to sizzle, add one layer of tortillas. When they start to bubble, turn them over and cook for about one more minute, or until they are dark to your liking. Remove chips from pan and to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil. Sprinkle with freshly cracked sea salt while the chips are drying. Repeat with all the tortillas.

Shrimp Enchiladas in Jalapeno Cream Sauce

Sauce:

2 cup whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp chicken base
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cup jarred jalapenos juice
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a sauce pan over high heat, whisk cream to a boil then stir in sour cream. When sour cream dissolves, reduce heat to med-low. Stir in minced jalapeno, chicken base and jalapeno juice; simmer.

While cream is simmering, make a roux by warming butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until it turns into a paste.

Turn cream to high again and just before cream mixture is about to boil, whisk in roux until it is incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in minced jalapeno and shredded cheese. Set aside.

Enchiladas:

1 small red bell pepper, sliced

1 small red onion, sliced

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut in thirds

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
About 10 corn tortillas
Shredded Monterrey jack cheese

In a medium sauce pan over high heat, drizzle EVOO and sauté peppers and onion for about 3-4 minutes. Remove veggies from pan and set aside. In the same pan, add shrimp and garlic; sauté until shrimp turns pink and remove from pan immediately.

Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for one minute to soften. Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Fill tortillas with shrimp and veggie mixture; roll up and place seam side down in dish. Spoon cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes, then broil for last 2-3 minute until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Serve and garnish enchiladas with minced peppers.

NOTE: Enjoy the Jalapeno Cream Sauce as a dip for chips too!

Chicken in Green Almond Sauce

This dish is a spin on a traditional Mexican dish. It has citrusy fresh and nutty flavors.

Serves 4

4 thin chicken breast filets
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 lb fresh tomatillos, husked and washed
1 cup almonds
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 packed cup of fresh baby spinach
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste

In a frying pan over high heat, drizzle EVOO and sear both sides of chicken breasts to brown. Turn heat to low and continue to cook through. Meanwhile, cook tomatillos.

In a pot of boiling water, blanch tomatillos for about 5 minutes until soft. Drain and set aside.

Add almonds to food processor and grind. Add tomatillos, onion, peppers, garlic, broth, cilantro, spinach and lemon juice; puree until smooth. Pour mixture over chicken and heat through. Heat until chicken is cooked all the way through. Season with salt, to taste.

Serve over white rice and garnish with avocado wedges.

Fresh tomatillos with husks.

Empanadas

These aren’t traditional Empanadas, but I couldn’t think of what else to call them. They are kind of a mix of Empanadas, Egg Rolls and Samosas. I used the leftovers from my Picadillo dish for the filling in my Empanadas and it turned out tasty!

Picadillo recipe for filling
Egg Roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil

In a large frying pan over med-high, heat about ½” of oil. Test the readiness by dropping a little piece of food, if it sizzles, the oil is ready for frying.

Prepare empanadas by filling half of one egg roll wrapper and leaving ½” of space around the edge. With your finger, rub a little egg around the edges then press together to make a triangle. Fry each side for about 3-4 minutes, until crispy and brown. If it’s cooking too fast and burning, turn down the heat. Place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Serve with a green or chopped vegetable salad.

Crispy Rolled Tacos (Chicken Taquitos)

2 large chicken breasts

1 can of diced tomatoes with onion and peppers

1 tsp salt
10 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying

In a medium pot, add chicken breasts, tomatoes and salt. Cook covered over med-low heat for 1 ½ - 2 hours, or until chicken is easily shredded. Using two forks, shred chicken and mix to coat with tomato juices; set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan over med-high heat.

Take 10 tortillas, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 45 seconds, just to soften them. One at a time, place a line of chicken in the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll each taquito and secure it with a tooth pick. Place taquitos in hot oil and cook until crispy and brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Set taquitos on paper towel lined plate, to soak up excess oil.

Serve with fresh guacamole, sour cream and salsa. Top with crumbled Cotija cheese.

NOTE: Test oil to make sure it’s hot enough for frying by dropping a little piece of food in it. If it starts to sizzle and bubble, it’s ready for frying.

Picadillo

I came across this Latin American dish called Picadillo when I was searching for a recipe to make with the ground beef I had. There are several different versions with a variety of different spices and ingredients depending on the region it’s made. After reviewing several recipes, I decided to make a combination of the Costa Rican and Mexican Picadillo.

1 lb of beef or pork

EVOO

1 small onion, diced

1 russet potato, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 large garlic cloves, minced
Juice from one lime

1 cup of thick & chunky salsa

1 small can of tomato paste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp crushed thyme

2 Tbsp freshly minced cilantro, same some to sprinkle as a garnish

½ green bell pepper, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

10 large green olives, pitted

Salt and pepper to taste

*If the mixture seems too thick, add ½ - 1 cup of broth or water

Heat a few drizzles of EVOO in a skillet over med-high heat. Start to brown meat. Add onion, potato, carrot, garlic, lime juice, salsa, tomato paste and spices. Cover, lower heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peppers and olives, cover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. If the mixture seems too thick and the potatoes aren’t cooking, add broth or water. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve Picadillo over rice, sprinkle with cilantro and enjoy!

NOTE: This recipe serves 4. Or you can serve 2 and use the rest for taco or tamales filling. I’m going to try to make Papas Rellenas, so stay tuned!

Mexican Casserole

I couldn’t decide if I should call this a Mexican Lasagna or a Mexican Casserole...you decide!

1 can of enchilada sauce
About 10 small corn tortillas, sliced into pieces
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 can of corn, drained
Cheddar cheese, shredded
9x9 casserole dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Layer the casserole dish with enchilada sauce, tortillas, chicken, peppers, onion, corn, cheddar cheese and repeat layers, ending with the cheese.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 more minutes. Broil for last 2 minutes to get a crunchy top. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Top with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with avocado slices. Serve with rice and beans or a side salad.

Spicy Pork over Mexican Rice

This is my tasty version of Mexican rice, which is the star of this dish. 

1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
EVOO
1 ½ cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 garlic cloves
1 cup basmati rice
Thin, boneless pork chops
Cajun seasoning
Handful of halved cherry tomatoes
Salt

In a frying pan over med-high heat, sauté bell pepper and onion in a couple drizzles of EVOO until fork tender. Transfer peppers and onion with broth, tomato paste and garlic cloves to a blender; puree.

In a rice cooker, combine rice with mixture from blender; cook until ready.

In a frying pan over med-high heat, sauté seasoned pork for a few minutes on each side, until no longer pink in the middle. Be careful not to overcook otherwise pork will become tough. After you flip the pork once, add tomato halves and sauté together. Salt to taste.

Serve pork over a plate of rice and top with cherry tomatoes.

Breakfast Tostadas

A yummy way to start your weekend!

4 corn tortillas
Non-stick cooking spray
4 eggs
Salt and pepper
½ red bell pepper, diced
4 slices of Canadian bacon, or ham, diced
2 green onion sprigs, or regular yellow onion, diced
Freshly grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray one side of the tortillas with non-stick cooking spray, place on a baking sheet and cook for 7 minutes. Turn tortillas over, spray with more cooking spray and cook for another 7 minutes, until crispy. While tortillas are baking make eggs.

In a frying pan, spray with cooking spray, add peppers, ham and onions; sauté for a few minutes. Add eggs and scramble together. Season with salt and pepper. Don’t overcook the eggs since they will go in the oven for a few minutes and cook more.

Top each tostada with scramble eggs mixture, top with cheese and bake for a couple minutes until cheese is melted.

Top breakfast tostadas with sliced avocado, salsa and fresh minced cilantro. Serve with a fruit salad.