Tex Mex Rice

This is a recipe that I have been making for years but I never took the time to write it down until now. It is so simple to pull together and a favorite of mine since I was a child. It reminds me so much of the rice served in the Mexican restaurants of Southern California when I was growing up, and then in Texas when I was an adult. The Mexicali version usually included sweet peas and corn, but I discovered an even better way to make it while living in Texas. I love to serve this with my homemade refried beans and tacos, enchiladas, or fajitas.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup of diced onions
• ½ cup of diced sweet peppers
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup of rice
• 1½ tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

• Add the broth, tomato paste, ground cumin, and salt to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil on high, stir once, cover, and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and when hot sauté the onions and peppers just to the point they start to caramelize.
• Add the garlic and stir quickly for about 30-40 seconds.
• Add the dry rice and thoroughly coat the rice in the oil, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic mixture.
• Continue stirring the rice until it is dry and just about to toast. It will start to crackle when it is ready.
• Pour the broth mixture over the rice and bring it to a rapid boil on high. 
• Place a lid on the pan and set the temperature to a low simmer for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid!
• When the 15 minutes simmer is completed, do not remove the lid. Just turn the burner off and let the rice finish cooking with the residual heat for about 18 minutes.
• When the time is up, gently fluff the rice with a fork and fold in the chopped cilantro.
• Just before serving squeeze the fresh lime juice and gently toss.

Enjoy!

Chilero or Hot Sauce

I created this recipe during our episode of "social distancing" when we ran out of chilero, or hot sauce. I would call this a cross between the popular Cholula Hot Sauce and Banquete Chilero. It's easy to make and it's a good substitute when you can't get to your grocery store.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1½ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
• 2 cups of V8 juice
• 1 cup of finely diced carrot
• 4 Dried Chipotle chili peppers (seeds and stems removed)
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

• Blend the cornstarch in the cup of water.
• Add all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Remove from the heat and using an immersion blender to finely grind the carrots and peppers until they almost disappear in the sauce.
• Return the saucepan to the heat and bring it back up to a boil for another 15 minutes.
• Pour into sterile bottles, allow the bottles to cool and store in the refrigerator.
  

Tex Mex Pork Tamales

Every now and then we have a craving for Tex Mex foods and this season it was for Pork Tamales. The tamales are not difficult to make, but there are many steps and it is best to plan to make these over a two day period. Prepare the meat and chili paste on day one, and the remainder of the steps can be completed on day two. This recipe makes about 48 tamales.

Shredded Pork Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 kilos (2¼ pounds) of pork, cut into large cubes. Do not discard fat.
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoons salt
• water (enough to yield enough stock for the masa, chili paste and the shredded pork)

Instructions

• Cover the pork in a large stock pot with water (at least 8 cups) and add garlic, onion, oregano, cumin, salt, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low and cook uncovered until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. While the pork is cooking, prepare the Chili Paste (see below).
• When the meat is tender, remove it from the pork stock and shred it with two forks, removing any pieces of fat or gristle. Reserve the pork stock for the Chili Paste and Masa (see the recipes below).
• Return the shredded pork to the empty stock pot, and stir in one cup of the Chili Paste into the shredded pork, and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt if needed and pepper to taste.

Chili Paste Recipe

Dried Chiles

• 6 Pasilla chilies, seed, stems & veins removed
• 4 Chipotle chilies, seeds, stems & veins removed
• Pot of hot water (to reconstitute chilies)

Prepare Chilies

• Remove stems and seeds from chilies. With a paring knife, make a slit down the side, and open up the chilies. Remove seeds and stems. Submerge in a small pot of hot water. Cover the pot, and allow the chilies to sit for 1 hour

Prepare the Chili Paste

• Reconstituted chilies without any of the liquid
• 4 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons of ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• 1½ cups reserved pork stock
• Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Use a ½ cup of Chili Paste in the masa, and the remainder will be used in the shredded pork.

Corn Husks

• 6 oz bag dried corn husks (60-70 husks needed)
• A large bucket or pot of warm water (enough to submerge husks) 

Prepare Husks

• Pull husks apart. In a large pot or bucket of warm water, soak the husks, making sure that they are completely submerged. Let them soak for a couple of hours. The longer they soak, the better.
• After they have soaked, trim them down to about 4” wide. Trim 1-2" off the length of any of the extremely long husks
• About 1 hour before use, drain the water and stand husks upright in the pot or a large bowl, allowing them to drain and dry.

Tamale Dough (Masa) Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups of semi-melted lard or vegetable shortening
• 5 cups pork stock, chicken stock, or vegetable broth
• 6 cups masa harina
• ½ cup of Chili Paste (see recipe above)
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons salt 

Instructions

• Mix the baking powder and salt into a bowl with the masa harina, and set aside.
• Place the fat and Chili Paste in a mixing bowl and beat until fluffy.
• Add broth, and masa harina to the mixer, and beat until completely mixed—about 5 to 7 minutes or until the dough is thick yet malleable, about the consistency of Play-Doh. It might be easier to mix by hand.
• You can test for doneness by dropping a small ball of dough into cold water. If it floats it’s ready, but if not, keep beating. Place a moist towel over the dough until ready to use. The masa may be kept in the fridge for several days.

Make Pork & Chili Paste Filling

• In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon of lard over medium heat.
• Add the shredded pork and chili paste, and stir to incorporate ingredients.
• Add the remainder of the reserved pork stock, stir, and allow it to simmer, uncovered for 30-45 minutes.

Assemble Tamales & Steam

• Pat dry softened husks.
  
• When filling each husk, place the smooth side facing up from the palm of your hand.
• Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of masa with a large spatula or knife (leaving approximately 2" at the top). The masa should be evenly spread across the lower ¾ of the husk.
• Place husk horizontal on cutting board. With spoon, place approximately 1 heaping tbsp of pork filling in a line along the center of the masa. Roll the husk with meat inside and fold in the side that has no masa.
• Use thin strips of corn husk to tie the folded end to the tamale.
  
  
• After all the tamales have been rolled and stacked (do not flatten), they can be frozen for later use or cooked immediately.
• To prepare the steamer, place a large mound of aluminum foil in the center steam basket. Line the bottom of the basket loosely with a few of the husk scraps.
• To cook, stack tamales upright, side by side (with the fold at the bottom) around the foil, as if “building a teepee.”  Pile some husk scraps atop the tamales to help lock in the steam and add another layer of flavoring.
• Start with 1½ cups of water to simmer in the steamer’s pot. Place the steamer basket inside, cover, and cook for 1 hour, until the masa is firm and pulls away from the husk. Check the water level and add more as needed. Do not let the tamales sit in water or they will fall apart.

Let tamales cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite sauce or salsa. Once cooled the tamales can be frozen. To reheat, place them in a steamer basket for about 10-15 minutes, or wrap them in a damp towel and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. 

Yield - 48 (4 dozen) tamales.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Tomatillo Salsa Verde is a zesty, tangy alternative to the typical tomato based red salsa. It is delicious served over tamales, enchiladas and tortilla chips. You can use any type of chili pepper you prefer. Personally we love the crisp and fruity taste of the Aji Amarillo peppers from Peru. These peppers are much hotter than the Jalapeño, so use them with caution.

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo (2 pounds) tomatillos, husks removed & washed
• 6 Jalapeño peppers, or 3 Peruvian aji amarillo peppers
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1 medium-large onion
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
•  2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

• Peel the paper husks off the tomatillos and soak them for about 10 minutes in warm water to remove any sticky residue. 
• Chop the onion in half, crush the garlic, and leave the chili peppers and tomatillos whole. 
• Roast on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for about 15 minutes, turning all halfway over through roasting time.
• Peel the garlic.
• Remove the chili pepper stems and seeds, and rough chop them.
• Peel and rough chop the onion.
• Place all the roasted ingredients into a food processor with the cilantro and salt. Pulse until all the ingredients are blended to your desired consistency.

Chipotle Adobo Sauce

Chipotles in adobo sauce are smoked and dried jalapeños that have been re-hydrated and cooked in a sweet, tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, onion, citrus juice and other spices. This is a spicy sauce that packs delicious heat with balance and body. It's the perfect addition to any dish needing some rich flavor and spicy heat.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp dried Oregano 
• ½ cup good quality Tomato Ketchup
• 3 Bay Leaves 
• ½ tsp ground Cumin (Comino)
• ¼ tsp ground Cinnamon (Canela)
• ¼ tsp ground Allspice (Jamaica)
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 10-12 Chipotle Peppers  (Stems removed. Remove the seeds if you don't want it too spicy. I prefer spicy, so I leave the seeds.)
• 1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar 
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2-3 cloves of minced Garlic (Ajo)
• 1/4 Cup diced Onion (Cebolla) (red, yellow, or white onion)
• 2 tbsp Orange juice
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice (I use a ¼ cup of Limón Mandarina juice in place of the OJ and Lemon) 
• 3 cups of water

Directions:

• In a deep sauce pan add the dried chipotle pepper and all the ingredients listed above.
• Bring to a boil at a high heat.
• Reduce heat to a medium low simmer for at least an hour, until the liquid is reduced to 1 to 1¼ cups.
• Discard the bay leaves and transfer the remaining contents to a sterile resealable jar. 
• Let it come to room temperature, then refrigerate. 

The flavor will intensify by the next day and it will only get better with time. The Chipotle Adobo Sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.

Chipotle Peppers

Chipotle Peppers are simply Jalapeño Chili Peppers that have been smoked and dried. The unique smokey flavor with the peppery heat is the perfect addition for so many recipes. Add them to soups, chili, sauces, salad dressings, and just about anything you want to kick up a notch.

Ingredients:

• 10-12 ripe Jalapeño peppers
• Sharp knife
• Plastic gloves

Directions:

• Fire up the smoker with your favorite mild wood chips; coffee, pecan, oak, or hickory chips.
• Wash the peppers.
• Put on some gloves and split the peppers in half with a sharp knife.
• Smoke them in the smoker for about 12 hours
• Add more wood chips when needed to keep the smoke billowing.
• Continue smoking for another 24 hours without adding more wood chips.
• Remove the peppers from the smoker and allow them to come to room temperature. If they are not completely dry, place them on a cookie cooling rack in a baking sheet and place them in the oven until they are completely brittle.
• Store chipotles in a cool, dry place. Place the chipotles in warm water for an hour to re-hydrate them. This makes it easy to dice them up to add them to your favorite recipes.
• You can also grind up the dried chipotles in a spice grinder to make chipotle chili powder to season any dish that needs a little smoke and spicy heat.

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers

Ingredients:

• 20 jalapeño peppers
• 6 slices of bacon, diced and fried crispy
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ cup of cream cheese
• 8 ounces shredded cheese (Mexican blend, cheddar, or Colby jack work best)

Directions:

• Mix the bacon, garlic, cumin and cheeses, and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the peppers
• Put on a pair of gloves and cut off the stem end of the peppers.
• Core the peppers by gently scraping our all the seed and ribs. Use a very small spoon to keep from tearing the pepper.
• Stuff the peppers with the cheese mixture to just overflowing and set them in the pepper roasting rack
• Set up the grill for indirect heat. The heat zone needs to be very high heat. The indirect heat zone should have no heat source below it. Let the grill heat for at least 15 minutes. 
• Place the rack of pepper on the grill over the indirect heat zone. If you want some smoke, add your wood chips to the direct heat zone. 
• Close the lid, and grill the peppers for about 20 minutes, just until all the cheese melts and starts to brown on top.

Serve and enjoy some cheesy peppery goodness.

Note: If you don't have a pepper grilling rack, no problem. Just leave the stem on the pepper, slice it lenghtwise, core it by removing  the seeds and rips, and stuff the halves with the cheese mixture. Depending on the size of your peppers and grill bars, you may not be able to place them directly on grill surface without them fallling through. A small baker's cooling rack works great.

Taco Seasoning de la Casa

This is my go to recipe whenever I need Taco Seasoning mix

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground smoked Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 tablespoon Chili Powder de la Casa (click on link for recipe)

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients and store in an air tight jar for up to 6 months.

One tablespoon of this mix is the equivalent of a package of store bought Taco Seasoning.

Tico Taco Soup

Lately we have been craving some of the Taco Soup I used to make in Texas. Almost all of the ingredients were prepackaged and it was simple to pull together. Today, I decided it was time to check out the local supermarket and see just what is available in prepackaged foods for substitutions. I found workable replacements, but I had to come up with my own "Taco Seasoning Mix." I used our house chili powder as the base, since this is the recipe that won the People Choice Award in a Chili Cook-Off just a few days ago.

Ingredients:
½ kilo, or 1 pound of ground beef
1 medium onion diced
1 medium sweet pepper diced
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground smoked Spanish paprika
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Chili Powder de la Casa (click on link for recipe)
1 - 15.5 ounce can of white beans
1 - 20 ounce can of black beans
1 - 20 ounce can of red beans
1 - 20 ounce can of chick peas (garbanzo beans)
1 - 15.5 ounce can of corn kernels
1 - 15.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Yield ~ 8 servings

Directions:
Brown meat with onions and peppers in a fry pan and drain grease. Add all of the spices and mix well. Transfer the seasoned meat to a stock pot. Add all the canned beans, corn and tomatoes. Stir until well blended. Heat over medium/low temperature until thoroughly heated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and grated cheddar cheese. This is also great with a little "Pico de Gallo" and chopped cilantro. Try making some Corny Jalapeño Skillet Corn Bread to serve on the side.

Flour and Corn Tortillas ~ The best of both types of tortillas!

This past month we spent a week in Texas visiting friends and family. The friends we stayed with offered us some of the new Flour & Corn Tortillas that are now being sold at our favorite grocery store chain, H.E.B. Wow, this blends the best of the soft flour tortillas with the great corn taste found in a corn masa tortilla!

One of my kitchen challenges in Costa Rica has been to make decent Enchiladas without breaking the corn tortillas sold here. This would be the ultimate solution, a tortilla that tastes just like corn tortilla, yet it is moist and soft enough to roll without breaking. Thus began my quest to develop the perfect recipe for my own Flour & Corn Tortillas.

I began reviewing the basic recipe for corn tortillas and decided it probably needed a mixture of 1½ cups of white flour and 2 cups of the corn masa harina (corn flour) to start. After just a few tweaks , I now have a recipe to share with you.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose white flour
2 cups corn flour (masa harina, maseca)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ¾ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable shortening melted (manteca vegetal in Costa Rica, not oil, think Crisco)
1 ½ cups lukewarm water approximately

Directions:
Combine the flours and salt in a medium sized bowl. I use a fork to thoroughly mix the flours. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until the masa is well blended and resembles damp sand. Now, gradually add the water, starting with about a half a cup. Stir it with a spoon or fork, and keep adding a little more water. At this point you will need to start kneading the masa by hand. Keep adding small amounts of water and kneading until the masa is pliable, about the consistency of Play-Doh clay, but not too wet.
Cover the bowl of masa with a damp towel and let it rest for about 20 minutes. After the masa has rested, sprinkle a little flour over the surface and knead the masa for a minute or so. Now, divide the masa into 16 small ball of dough, about an 1¼ in diameter. The easy way is to divide the large ball of masa in half, then divide each of these into 2 more balls, then divide the 4 balls into 8, and finally divide the 8 in half to give you 16.

I have a cast iron griddle that stretches across two burners on my stove, so I can fry 2 tortillas at once. Set your temperature to medium/high heat (if you don’t have cast iron, use a skillet that can take the high heat with NO oil.)

Take a large plastic food storage bag and cut off the top section with the zipper/closer, and discard it. Slit it along both sides, leaving the fold at the bottom intact. The plastic will need to measure about 7” inches from the fold to the top and the width need to be at least the same, or greater.

Add a heaping tablespoon of flour to a small bowl for dusting each ball of masa.

If you have a tortilla press, place the folded edge of the plastic next to the hinge when you are ready to press. Now lightly dust a ball of masa in the flour and place it between the plastic, about an inch from the hinge, close the tortilla press, and push down on the handle until you have a nice thin rounded tortilla.

Gently peel the tortilla off the plastic and fry it on the hot griddle, or hot skillet, for 35-45 seconds on each side. As you are frying one tortilla, you can dust the next ball of masa and press it. Stack the finished tortillas onto a platter, or covered tortilla dish, to keep them warm.

Note: If you don’t have a tortilla press you can still press out the balls of masa between the plastic by hand, or by using a rolling pin. It will be a little harder to keep them round, but it is a technique Latin women have mastered for generations.

Servings: 16 tortillas

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Chicken Enchiladas

Today we had a craving for some good old Tex-Mex, so I found some of my homemade enchilada sauce and whipped up some Chicken Enchilada for lunch.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts cut into thick strips
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green, red or yellow sweet pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded &  minced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup of canned/frozen corn kernels, drained
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
¾ cup grated mild white cheese
12 8 inch flour tortillas
1½ cups enchilada sauce (store bought, or go to this link for my homemade red enchilada sauce)
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. This part can be done ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator a few day in advance of assembling the enchiladas. Season the chicken with the salt pepper and cumin.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and add the chicken to the hot oil. Sauté the chicken until thoroughly cooked and nicely browned. Set the chicken aside until it cools.  When the chicken is cool, shred it into thin strips.
2. Prepare the filling. Sauté the onion and sweet peppers over medium heat in the remaining olive oil until translucent.  Add the garlic and jalapeño pepper and stir for another minute.  Add the diced tomatoes and the corn. 
3. Lightly grease a large 15-inch x 10-inch x 2-inch rectangular baking/casserole dish.  Pour about ½ cup of enchilada sauce in the dish.  Dip each of the tortillas in the sauce and stack them on a dinner plate.
4. Assemble the enchiladas.  Place about 2 tablespoons of shredded chicken in a tortilla and top it with a heaping tablespoons of the onions, peppers, tomato & corn mixture.  Add a little of the cheeses and roll the tortilla so that it is about an inch in diameter.  Place it in the baking dish with the open seam to the bottom.  Continue with the remaining tortillas.  You should be able to get 10 enchiladas vertically, with 2 at the top horizontally.
5. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining filling, enchilada sauce and cheese.
6. Bake for 30 minutes until all the cheese is melted.  

Serving suggestions:  Top with a dollop of sour cream and fresh cilantro.

Chili Powder de la Casa

This is my chili powder recipe that we used in the 2015 Atenas Chili Cook-Off. Out of 22 teams, we won the Peoples Choice Award!


Ingredients:

• 2 Whole Chipotle Chili Peppers with stems removed, minced, and ground to a powder (Chipotle Chili is a smoked Jalapeño Chili Pepper used primarily in Mexican and TexMex cooking.)
• 1 tablespoon crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 3 tablespoons fresh finely minced oregano
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice 
• 4 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons smoked Spanish paprika powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground clove
• ¼ teaspoon of smoked Carolina Reaper powder, or 1 tablespoon Chili de Árbol powder (Tree chili is a small Mexican Chili with a woody stem that is sometimes called Bird’s Beak chili.)

Directions:

1. Use a spice grinder to grind the chipotle, red pepper flakes, oregano, coriander seeds, and allspice into a fine powder
2. Mix the freshly ground spices with the remaining ingredients until well blended. 
3. Store in an airtight jar for up to 6 months, or in the freezer for up to a year.

Yield ~ 1¼ - 1½ cups

King Ranch Chicken

King Ranch Chicken is usually made with creamy canned soups and several cups of cheese. This is a recipe I found in the "Eating Well" magazine, that I modified to reduce the amount of fat and sodium. This version still brings all the spicy Tex-Mex flavor goodness we crave. Try experimenting with add additional fresh chopped vegetables like, spinach, squash, corn stripped from the cob, celery, and mushrooms. Don't be surprised if you have everyone coming back for seconds.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup 2% or non-fat milk

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup non-fat plain yogurt or light cream cheese
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 4 ounce can of diced green chilies, drained

(You could substitute the diced tomatoes and chilies above for Ro~tel diced tomatoes and chilies, but you'll need 1½ cans, since Ro~tel only comes in a 10 ounce size)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley

1 ½ teaspoon chili powder, or more, according to taste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 ½  teaspoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

10 corn tortillas, cut in quarters

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium sauce pan, heat broth until simmering.  Add milk and flour to a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Gradually add the milk and flour to the broth and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes, until thickened and smooth.  Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the yogurt (or cream cheese), rotel tomatoes & chiles, cilantro (or parsley), chili powder, oregano and cumin.  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.

Line the bottom of a shallow 3-quart baking dish with half the tortilla quarters. Top with half the chicken and half the onion mixture. Spoon half of the sauce evenly over the top. Repeat layers with remaining tortillas, chicken, onion mixture and sauce. Top with the Cheddar cheese, Bake until bubbly, and the cheese starts to brown, about to 30 to 40 minutes.

Serves 8

Red Enchilada Sauce

Every now and then I miss some of the great Tex-Mex food we enjoyed in Houston.  Finding canned enchilada sauce here in Costa Rica has presented a challenge.  I started researching online recipes and nothing came close to what I wanted, so I decided to invent my own red enchilada sauce recipe.  

This recipe is very fast and easy to make.  We think it is the best we've ever tasted.  Give it a try and post a comment telling us what you think.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup chili powder

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

3 cups salt-free chicken stock

6 ounces tomato paste

14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes and chili (Ro-Tel)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon hot paprika

½ teaspoon cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½  teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon until paste begins to bubble, about  1 minute.  Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds.  Add garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, cocoa and cinnamon.   Stir to combine.  Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes with chili, chicken stock and salt. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cooks. Adjust the seasonings, if needed.  Allow to cool and remove any grease that may rise to the top .Serve atop your favorite beef, chicken, or cheese enchiladas.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

The was originally a recipe from Eating Well which I modified for my family's taste.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 cans Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (10.5 oz)
1/4 cup cilantro, freshly chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large sweet pepper, seeded and diced (red, yellow or green)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chicken breast meat, diced
12 corn tortillas, cut in quarters
1 cup fat free cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Whisk together milk and flour in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. Add to the broth and cook over medium, whisking constantly, until thickened and smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in yogurt, Ro-Tel Tomatoes & Chilies, cilantro (or parsley), chili powder, oregano and cumin. Season to taste with
salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, sweet pepper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, about 3-5 minutes.

Spray a 3-qt shallow baking dish with Pam and line the bottom with half the tortillas. Top with half of the chicken and half of the onion mixture. Spoon half of the sauce evenly over the top. Repeat layers with remaining tortillas, chicken, onion mixture and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serves 8

Nutritional Information: Per Serving: 274 Calories; 4.8g Fat (15.6% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 32.8g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 43mg Cholesterol; 679mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat.


Originally posted 7/15/09