Mexican

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hand Pies

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

After a month of quilting posts it’s time for the return of Mexican Monday.

This dinner was the first dinner I made after having my son. My mom was back for two weeks to help out and spend lots of time with her first grandchild, and then we had friends make dinner for us, and I had a couple freezer friendly slow cooker dishes prepared.

It may have been a little ambitious to tackle something this time consuming, but my husband was home and able to help keep our son satisfied. I was able to make the dough and get the sweet potatoes in the oven before needing to feed Wesley. And while he was napping I cooked up the chorizo. Later in the day, after the dough had chilled I started assembling the hand pies. I did have to swap out with Stuart so Wesley could eat – and I am thankful for his help in assembling!

The original recipe suggested using a 5-6″ round cookie cutter and folding the hand pies in half moons. I don’t have a round cookie cutter, so I used a glass – which I do with pierogi. But because there’s more filling in these hand pies than in my pierogi, I wasn’t able to fold them into half moons. So I created full circle hand pies by placing another circle of dough on top of the filling. (Good thing I doubled the recipe!)

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hand Pies 1

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hand Pies

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 C flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided use
  • 2 sticks butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 C cold water
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 lb chorizo
  • 1/2 – 3/4 C shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 1 egg

Steps:

  1. Make the pie crust: In a food processor pulse together the flour and 1 tsp salt. Add in the cubed, cold butter and pulse until it becomes crumbly. Stream in the cold water until the dough comes together around the blade. Remove, wrap in plastic, and chill in fridge at least 2 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  3. Poke holes with a fork in the sweet potatoes. Place in oven and bake 40-50 minutes, until soft. Remove and place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until cool enough to touch. Peel away the skin and mash potatoes. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
  4. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown chorizo. Breaking up with a wooden spoon. When cooked through, drain fat and set aside.
  5. Make egg wash by beating the egg with 1 tsp water.
  6. Roll out dough on a clean, floured surface to 1/8″ thickness. Using a cookie cutter or glass cut out circles. Top dough with sweet potato, chorizo, and shredded cheese. Rub egg wash around the edge of the dough and either fold into half moon or top with another circle of dough. Press hand pie closed with a fork. Cut a slit in the top of the hand pie, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  7. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden.

*This recipe is adapted from Kelley at http://www.mountainmamacooks.com/2014/03/sweet-potato-and-chorizo-hand-pies/*

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hand Pies 2

Hummus Tostadas

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

A couple of weekends ago we went to the Destin Harbor Farmer’s Market. It was a small market with some beautiful selections. I love going to farmer’s markets because my “artistic” camera self comes out. The vibrancy of fresh produce makes me happy and I love taking close ups of the fruits on display.

Destin Harbor Farmer's Market

It was sweat-dripping hot that morning, and one of the venders definitely profited from the weather. Her Swell Pops hit the spot. Stuart got the Vanilla Bean and I enjoyed a Strawberry Balsamic.

Swell Pops

Across the way was The Greek Gourmet selling homemade hummus. Hummus is one of my go-to afternoon snacks, but I’ve never tried making my own. (Yes, I am aware it’s simple to do and it’s on my culinary bucket list.) There were great flavor options and we walked away with two containers! Original, which features a nice kick of garlic, and Spicy Black Bean.

What does all of this have to do with Mexican Monday? I’ll give you a hint. Read the last three words of the above paragraph.

We used this Spicy Black Bean Hummus in place of refried beans in making tostadas. And it worked beautifully. This hummus gets its kick from jalapenos. Because I knew the hummus was spicy I opted for a mellow protein to top our tostadas. I pulled out the crockpot, seasoned chicken with S+P, and dumped in some Rotel and cream cheese. We shredded it and enjoyed our Mexican Monday on Tostada Tuesday (I forget what was happening on Monday that required a postponement of our Mexican dinner.)

I appologize that we don’t have photos of this meal (sometimes hunger wins out), but next time you’re thinking of tostadas, get creative with your toppings! You could even turn them completely Greek and use original hummus with more classic Greek toppings – like olives, feta, and grilled squash.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

One of my favorite ways to incorporate salads into our menu is under the influence of Mexican Monday. Typically salads are just plain boring, but with big flavors in Mexican cuisine, no salad is ever boring. And creamy dressings are my favorite. This dressing gets a kick from the chipotle pepper in adobo, but is mellowed out by the sour cream and cilantro.

This salad makes for a great lunch or quick dinner – and can be assembled even more quickly if you have left over cooked chicken or stop at the store and pick up a rotisserie chicken from the deli. With black beans in the salad, you could even omit the chicken if desired for a Meatless Monday too.

For a little crunch in your salad, topped with crushed up tortilla chips or the tortilla strips salad topping from the store (they’re typically next to the packaged croutons).

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Ingredients for dressing:

  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo*
  • 1/3 C packed fresh cilantro
  • 2/3 C sour cream
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • juice of 1 1/2 limes
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

*for a milder dressing remove seeds from pepper, for a spicier dressing include some of the adobo sauce

Ingredients for salad:

  • 1-2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 1 head of lettuce, chopped
  • grape tomatoes, halved
  • red onion, thinly sliced
  • canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • canned corn, drained and rinsed
  • avocado, diced
  • red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Steps:

  1. Season chicken with S+P. In a non-stick skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat in a little bit of olive oil.
  2. Place dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  3. In a large bowl combine salad ingredients with cooked chicken. (Note: I didn’t specify amounts for the salad ingredients, use any or all to create your perfect salad!)
  4. Toss salad with as much dressing as desired.

*This recipe is adapted from David at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chipotle-chicken-taco-salad-10000001215905/*

Chipotle Taco Salad

Beef and Bean Tostadas

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

I was first introduced to tostadas by really good friends of ours. They invited us over one Mexican Monday and I have to say it was nice to not be the one preparing our weekly tradition. They served tostadas. I’d never had them before, in fact I’d never heard of them! I’m sure I’ve seen them on menus at Mexican restaurants before but they clearly didn’t make a lasting impression.

A tostada is essentially a flat taco. So if you’re looking to mix up your Taco Tuesday this is a great alternative. The ingredients are the same, but the vessel is different. I actually think tostadas are easier to eat than crunchy tacos. My beef with crunchy tacos (see what I did there?) is that after the first bite you’re no longer holding a taco, if you’re lucky you’re still holding something. You now have a taco salad on the plate that was hopefully below you, otherwise you have a taco salad on your floor. But with a tostada, everything is “glued down” with refried beans. The vessel is flat, so when it does break apart, you still have at least half a tostada in your hand and what fell is still mostly in tact. The tostada is my solution to crunchy taco night!

An Original Recipe

Beef and Bean Tostadas

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 – 3/4 C water
  • crunchy yellow corn tostada shells
  • 1 can (16oz) refried beans
  • your favorite taco toppings: shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, tomato, scallion, etc

Steps:

  1. In a small bowl combine seasonings. (Alternately, you can use a 1 oz packet of taco seasoning.)
  2. In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat brown the beef. Drain any fat.
  3. Add the seasoning and water to the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook 5 minutes.
  4. Heat the refried beans.
  5. Assemble tostadas by spreading refried beans on a tostada shell, adding the meat, and any toppings you like!

Beef and Bean Tostadas

Blender Salsa

~ lk529 ~ 7 Comments

For Cinco de Mayo, which conveniently falls on a Monday, I wanted to do something traditional. If you’re a returning reader to Sew You Think You Can Cook you know that almost every Monday I feature a Mexican-inspired recipe for Mexican Mondays. How authentic my recipes are is very debatable, and I don’t pretend that they are. Most of what I make spins from the American version of Mexican cuisine. But for Cinco de Mayo I thought I’d pay tribute to the holiday.

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day like most Americans believe. (Fun fact: Mexico’s Independence Day is September 16th) Cinco de Mayo is not a national Mexican holiday or even celebrated throughout the country. Oddly enough, the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration occurs in Los Angeles!

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla when the Mexican army defeated the French in 1862. Puebla is considered the melting pot of Mexico – Spanish, French, and the Oriental flavors were given to native Aztec and Mayan foods. While Puebla is known for it’s Mole Poblano I planned to prepare Chiles en Nogada (stuffed chiles in a walnut cream sauce), even it it’s not typically served until the fall when walnuts and pomegranates are in season.

Note I said planned to prepare?

Life got in the way. Weekends were spent out of town and Stuart was on travel (I wasn’t about to spend so much time and effort on a dish just for me). So my Plan B was to create a sweet traditionally found in Puebla – Jamoncillo Pinion.  The [translated] recipe looked simple enough. And then I was placed on bed rest. My mom generously offered to give it a shot. Somewhere along the way we failed at candy making. Whether something was lost in the translation or we were simply too impatient I’m not sure. But the candy never set – even after putting it in the freezer overnight. (Before I get in trouble, I am in no way blaming her! I’d be posting the same story if I were the one standing at the stove.)

So now what? I can’t NOT have a post on Cinco de Mayo!

With Cinco de Mayo being widely popular in the states and salsa being the number one condiment in America, why not a simple salsa?

Spicy Blender Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chiles
  • 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 1 small jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1/4 C fresh cilantro
  • juice of 1 lime

Steps:

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until combined. Taste and adjust any seasonings if needed.

*This recipe is adapted from Kelley at http://www.mountainmamacooks.com/2012/01/quick-and-easy-blender-salsa/*

Spicy Blender Salsa

Stuart has now put a ban on all grocery store salsas and demands this be made every time instead.

Chipotle Pulled Pork Tacos

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Hi,

So… I forgot to post on Mexican Monday yesterday…

As a result, you get the more popularly known Taco Tuesday.

Stuart picked out this recipe off of foodgawker to have on one of our Mexican Mondays, but I altered it by taking advantage of my slow cooker and using pork instead as it was on sale and chicken was not.

On this particular Monday we both had a long day at the office (due to the fact that we carpool), so the decision to use the slow cooker was even more clutch! And because we got home late and were very hungry, photos were not taken. I did think enough to snap a photo with the trusty iPhone. Please accept my apologies for the sorry photograph.

Chipotle Pulled Pork Tacos

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb boneless pork roast
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
  • lime

Steps:

  1. Place pork in slow cooker, fat side up. Trim some of the fat if desired.
  2. Top pork with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers.
  3. Cook on LOW 4-5 hours.
  4. Shred the pork and return to the sauce and squeeze with the lime. Keep warm until ready to assemble tacos.

Chipotle Pulled Pork Tacos

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Did you know that for your money, the most nutritious thing you could buy in the grocery store is the sweet potato?

Sweet potatoes are one of Stuart’s favorite foods. If a restaurant offers sweet potato fries as a side option, he’ll be paying the extra $0.99 for them. If mashed sweet potatoes are suggested as a side dish to you-name-the-protein, he’ll pick that entrée. However, unless it’s for Sweet Potato Casserole, I find myself rarely cooking with sweet potatoes.

I spotted a recipe for Loaded Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and thought, that’s a good idea! And while my photograph isn’t as beautiful or as appealing as Brandi’s (I have to admit, I became very frustrated with trying to capture this dish) the stuffing flavors complimented the baked sweet potato beautifully – no extra toppings needed. Additionally stuffed potatoes make for a surprisingly filling dinner.

Because our Publix is still so new, they don’t yet carry Chorizo – although someone from the Meat Department did promise us that they will. I decided to buy ground pork and add chorizo spices while cooking the meat. I also used (half) my recipe for black beans instead of using refried black beans.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • pinch ground cloves
  • pinch ground coriander
  • 1/2 recipe of black beans {click for recipe}
  • 1/2 C shredded Mexican cheese

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry potatoes. Poke with a fork and wrap in foil. Bake 1 hour.
  2. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat brown pork in olive oil. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add remaining seasonings and cook, break up the meat, until cooked through. Drain if needed.
  3. In a bowl combine cooked pork and beans.
  4. When potatoes are cooked through allow them to cool enough to handle. Cut a canoe-shaped cavity and stuff with the pork and beans. Top with shredded cheese.
  5. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake 5-7 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted.

Image

Baby Baked Beef Burritos

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments
Where it all began - this photo taken after graduation, 2010
Where it all began – this photo taken after graduation 2010

Stuart and I met working at Moe’s Southwest Grill in Auburn and whenever we go to a Moe’s we’re always silently critiquing the employee’s burrito rolling skill. On a full size burrito (not the baby ones in this recipe) we would always mix the filling ingredients by “shimmying” the tortilla around the filling. Not only does doing this ensure a perfect bite every time, but it also creates a nice shape to roll a mess-free burrito. Because the “shimmying” method isn’t often used, I don’t particularly like burritos. They’re usually too big for me and my bites have either only meat or only toppings. But when I saw this recipe for baked burritos I thought I’d give it a shot. I liked the idea of a crispy burrito. But when I went to make my grocery list I didn’t examine the tortillas I had on hand well enough – they weren’t burrito sized, they were taco sized. And let me tell you, these baby sized burritos were just perfect for me – every bite had everything!

It was a really long day at work and I was very tempted to forego Mexican Monday for something simpler but I am so glad I made these. Every meal the rest of the week failed to compare.

How to roll a Burrito

Baby Baked Beef Burritos

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 C corn kernels, drained/thawed
  • 1/2 C black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 C vegetable or beef broth
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 6″ flour tortillas
  • 1 C shredded Mexican blend cheese

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute onion and jalapeno in canola oil 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up. Once cooked drain excess fat, if needed.
  3. Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste. Add corn, black beans, and broth. Stir and add cumin, oregano, chili powder, brown sugar, and salt. Simmer until all liquid is absorbed.
  4. Assemble burritos with cheese and beef filling. (See photos above) Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Spray burritos with cooking spray and bake 18-20 minutes.
  5. Serve with salsa, queso, sour cream, or guacamole if desired.

*This recipe is modified from http://karmelowy.pl/chrupiace-burrito-z-wolowinacrispy-beef-burritos/*

Baby Baked Beef Burritos

Updated July 2016: I have made these burritos multiple times, often doubling the recipe to bring to a potluck or for serving to my extended family. The last time I made these, a couple of weeks ago, we had some new friends over for dinner. They were in the process of moving to Alabama. Having just completed a cross country move ourselves I knew they’d appreciate a home cooked meal before they hit the road, so we invited them over the night their belongings were being boxed up. We served them with salsa, guacamole, and taco seasoning spiked Greek yogurt. These mini burritos are definitely one of my favorite recipes here on the blog! They’re easy to do with little ones underfoot, too, as I can make the filling ahead of time, roll them at a separate time, and simply bake them before we’re ready to eat. Bonus: my kids have enjoyed them every time – eating only the filling.

Baby Baked Beef Burritos Sew You Think You Can Cook

 

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Cilantro Lime Chicken

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Today’s edition of Mexican Monday requires prep on Sunday, even though it’s a slow cooker dish! But that’s also what makes it perfect for your Monday, whether you follow my Mexican Monday Menu plan or not. The chicken needs to marinate over night, but in the morning all you have to do is drop it into the slow cooker – no chopping, no measuring!

I found this recipe on a Pinterest post of Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes. Although we don’t follow the Paleo diet trend in this house, I may have some readers who do. Or maybe I’ll get new readers from it! 😉 If you’re looking for new Paleo inspired recipes, check out Jason’s blog, Paleo Pot. 

But because we don’t follow Paleo, I served this chicken with Rice and Beans! 

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 1 5-6 lb whole chicken
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 whole lime
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Steps:

  1. Mix together pepper, salt, cumin, cayenne, and chili powder. 
  2. Dry chicken and rub spice mixture over entire chicken.
  3. Poke holes in the whole lime and rub with spice mixture. Place in chicken cavity.
  4. In a food processor (I actually used the single serve unit for my Ninja blender, a Magic Bullet would work great too!) combine lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and olive oil.
  5. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag with the marinade. Marinate over night.
  6. Put chicken, breast side up, in slow cooker with the marinade. Cook on LOW 5-6 hours.

*This recipe is modified from Jason at http://paleopot.com/2013/01/chili-cilantro-lime-chicken/*

Image

Protein Packed Southwestern Salad

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

I am keeping with my healthy kick of Mexican Monday (previous weeks included Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers and Turkey Lettuce Wraps) with a double duty Mexican Monday & Salad Night.

It’s been way too long since my last salad post – and unfortunately that also indicates it’s been way too long since our last salad night! Stuart has been looking for healthier meals lately, and after eating this Southwestern Salad he was completely satisfied.

The dressing for the salad is made with Greek yogurt. If you’ve paid attention, or know me, you realize that I have a great dislike for Greek yogurt. But I do try and give it another chance every now and then. I was prepared to revert to bottled salad dressing, but I’m happy to state that I loved the creamy cilantro vinaigrette!

I added chicken to the salad so we’re getting 3 sources of protein: the Greek yogurt in the dressing, chicken, and black beans! I promise this is no rabbit food.

Protein Packed Southwestern Salad

Ingredients for the chicken:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken tenders (you can also cut up 1 breast into strips)
  • 3/4 tsp Adobo seasoning
  • 1 tsp Ancho chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, divided use
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce
  • 1/2 C canned corn, drained
  • 1/2 C canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 on-the-vine tomato, chopped and seeds removed
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • crispy tortilla strips, for topping

Ingredients for the dressing:

  • 1/2 C Greek yogurt
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 C fresh cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
  • salt, to taste

Steps:

  1. In a small bowl combine adobo seasoning, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Season both sides of chicken with spice mixture (you will have some left over).
  2. In a medium skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
  3. In a food processor combine all dressing ingredients.
  4. Assemble salad with lettuce, corn, beans, tomato, avocado, and chicken. Toss with as much dressing as you like. Top with tortilla strips.

*This recipe is adapted from Chung-Ah at http://damndelicious.net/2014/01/10/southwestern-chopped-salad-cilantro-lime-dressing/*

Protein Packed Southwestern Salad 1 Protein Packed Southwestern Salad 2 Protein Packed Southwestern Salad 3