ENCHILADA CASSEROLE ...p74

Despite a massive lunch buffet at the critic's favorite Chinese restaurant,  her insistence she couldn't eat a bit of dinner, and her blessing upon my sister to proxy as critic for this meal, Nana couldn't resist asking for "just a little" after hearing Lee's "oh, this is a Yum for sure!"

The critic then echoed that verdict.

Product of USA

I really enjoyed making this casserole - it was very easy, despite tearing into bite-size pieces 20 tortillas, which I think can be tapered down into halves or quarters without sacrificing texture.  I've noticed many recipes don't clarify the can size to use - if you're authoring a recipe, be sure to include these little details.  I initially thought, "sheesh, that's not much liquid....the tortillas are going to be tough...am I supposed to use the large can of enchilada sauce?"  I opted for the 10 oz. can of sauce and the 4 oz. chilies - in fact, the casserole's consistency was perfect, loaded with lots of cheese!  Top it off with some sour cream, diced avocados and some pico de gallo and you have a fiesta!

Hardy Appetit!

Bean Taco Dip ...p11

CATALINA DRESSING in a bean taco dip?  Hmmm.  Intriguing. 

At first dip, my husband said, "this looks like the sauce needs to be poured off."  We all looked at the bowl and thought, "wow!  maybe he's right - it looks too wet!"  This certainly doesn't interfere with the taste and dipping ability.  The combination's tasty and not the least mushy (though maybe pouring off a little of the liquid or cutting down the Catalina dressing to 1/2 cup might make it look more "dippable?").  Of the three dips I brought to our Steelers' play-off party, this went the fastest - that must say something.... 

Like the critic when she said, "I really like this!"

Hardy Appetit!

Seven Layer Dip ...p9

The richness of cream cheese in this dip caught my eye - usually seven layer dip is made with sour cream, and not cooked.  If you're looking for an alternative, or if you don't have sour cream but you do cream cheese, don't hesitate to make this recipe.  It's a winner.

One point of confusion for me, however, was "picante sauce."  By that, did the contributor mean something like Tapatio?  Because that is what I was about to layer on top of the guacamole, when my husband came along and asked, "are you sure they meant that and not salsa?"  Well, I wasn't.  I googled the term, but came away still unclear. 

For all you hispanics out there, or Mexican food lovers anywhere, what is the texture of picante?  How does it differ from salsa?  For Kimber-lala (and you know who you are), which do you use?  It's okay to name brands for us! 

I ended up using Pace salsa with a little bit of Tapatio mixed in. 

Great dip choice!  and the critic loved it. 

Hardy Appetit!

Armadillo Eggs ...p18

While reading the recipe instructions, I couldn't help wonder where in the world they came up with the name "armadillo eggs."  An armadillo may look like a reptile hiding beneath armored plates (it certainly doesn't look like a chicken!) wallowing to lay an egg somewhere, but we all know that it's not, so I certainly couldn't imagine how stuffed jalapenos could be compared to armadillo eggs.

That is, until I wrapped the jalapeno halves, looking pokey with sausage-laden cream cheese, with a whole piece of bacon.  After cooking, (and I do wish I had my pictures!) they looked like they had the armor of an armadillo! 

AMAZING!

And delicious!  I could make a meal out of these.  I cooked mine for a little less than an hour - their size must determine their degree of heat, as stated in the recipe, because these were not very spicy,  though I purposefully left a bit of the vein in these jalapenos, fearing they wouldn't be very hot.  They weren't.  Next time I'm going to choose smaller for more heat.

The critic says, "YUM" to armadillo eggs!

Hardy Appetit!

Easy Enchiladas ...p44

An excellent accompaniment to Easy Enchiladas is another Cooking Up Family History recipe:  Pico de Gallo, found on page 14.  Some recipes the family and the critic just don't agree on.  The men devoured these enchiladas, while the critic proclaimed them "just alright... kind of tasteless." 

Of course, the pico de gallo livened up the dish which we all felt made for a great combination. 

Spice it Up!  Serve with the Pico and some spicy carrots!

Without the pico, however, I don't think I'd recommend these enchiladas either.  I'd add more beef or diced onions and jalapenos to the beef to add more flavor...or just load the sour cream and pico on top as we did tonight. 

Hardy Appetit!

Pico de Gallo ...p14

Pico de Gallo, also known as "salsa fresca," plays a symphony on my tongue....the combination of fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice shouts out refreshment, which, in my opinion, is the reason it is so suitably named "Rooster's Beak!" A twist on this recipe from other Pico de Gallo recipes was the addition of tomatillos which adds an extra tang. 

Quoting from Wikipedia,

One of the sources for the name “rooster’s beak” could be the beak-like shape and the red color of the chilis used to make it.  According to food writer Sharon Tyler Herbst, it is so called because originally it was eaten with the thumb and forefinger, and retrieving and eating the condiment resembled the actions of a pecking rooster.

Another suggested etymology is that pico is derived from the verb picar, which has two meanings:  1) to mince or chop, and 2) to bite, sting or peck.  The rooster, gallo, in Spanish, is a common metaphor for the hyper-masculine (“macho”) male in Mexican culture.  One example of such machismo is taking pride in withstanding the spicy burn of chilis. 

Well, I don't know about machismo and the heat, but I do know that when I took that first bite of this fresh pico de gallo, I puffed out my chest and crowed like a rooster!   As for the critic, she as well, crowed about it!

Hardy Appetit!

Chicken & Bean Burritos with Pineapple Salsa ...p59

The burrito expert in our family would be my 18 yr. old son who one might think taste tests the local burrito trailers for a living....  He proclaimed these chicken & bean burritos "delicious."

I, on the other hand, thought they were too wet.  Maybe I didn't let the tomato mixture cook down enough, or kept too much broth, but my taste preferences are drier.  Having said that, the corn/black bean filling and the pineapple salsa tasted great!  Since the critic doesn't care a whole lot for burritos, unless they're made a la cheese enchilada, I served the components separately to her on a bed of rice.  When I asked her what she thought of it, she said, "you don't see anything left on my plate, do you?"  I take that to mean wrapped up in a burrito, you all might be left with an even cleaner plate!

Pre-Cholula

Post-Cholula (decorates every burrito in our home!)

edible wrapping paper!

Hardy Appetit!

Poblano Corn Pudding ...p68

I made this to accompany Ashton's Cornbread Dinner.  Both are delicious (in my opinion), but too much breadstuff when combined.  In fact, we all decided that the Poblano Corn Pudding would be an excellent layer (minus the panko bread crumbs) in Ashton's Cornbread Dinner.  I love peanut butter dipped in chocolate eureka moments!  So let us know if you're brave enough to try it.

Adding poblanos to corn pudding sounded like a great idea and it was.  I think the recipe intends for you to roast and steam the peppers in order to peel the waxy skin off prior to dicing up.  Am I right, Lis?  I don't have a gas stove, regrettably, but if you do, you can lay the peppers into a high flame until black and blistered also (gives more char to the flavor), then steam and peel.  I usually just pop the roasted peppers into a ziplock bag to steam them.

Did you know that when dried, a poblano pepper is an ancho chile?   And that, when gone to seed, cilantro is the spice coriander? 

If you're into poblanos, click on this link for more good recipes.

Mango and jicama placed on a romaine leaf added a nice bit of refreshment to the meal.  I'm beginning to like the idea of Bob's Yum-Yukka meter - while Nana gave both of these a smile, only one side of her mouth was up.  Oh well.

Hardy Appetit!
 

ANYONE ABLE TO MAKE ME A FLASH NANA METER?

Ashton's Cornbread Dinner ...p45

Admittedly, I have been suckered by "boxed" dinners occasionally and, in reading this recipe, it reminded me of one of my favorites from many plenty years ago.  My mother-in-law used to make it - boxed Taco Casserole; she would fancify it (is that a word?) by using her self-made chunky Mexican-style clay rectangular dish that was a favorite of all of ours.  Our taste buds were just awakening to flavors across the border, but this was a first adapted into American convenience foods....Topped with avocado chunks, salsa and sour cream, we were transported to the Long Bar in days of old....

But back to cornbread dinner.  No chips included in this recipe, but cornbread does a nice job of serving as the foundation.  Perhaps this is more Tex-Mex, esp. since it calls for picante sauce instead of salsa.  What defines Tex-Mex?  Let me know!  I do know that I cooked it a bit too long and it was dryer than I would have liked.  But overall, the family loved this quick and easy meal. 

The casserole in the foreground is Ashton's Cornbread Dinner, the middle is Poblano Corn Pudding - check out my next blog for Nana's reaction to that one!

Hardy Appetit!