Category — Mexican

*Warning:
With any dish that has any level of heat, just remember that you can always add heat, but you can’t take it away. Use peppers conservatively in the beginning.

2 (32 ounce) boxes low sodium chicken broth
1 -2 tablespoon Knorr “Caldo de Tomate” (by the bouillon cubes)
1 regular sized can fire roasted diced tomatoes, lightly pulse in food processor
1 regular sized can hominy, rinsed
1 regular sized can black beans, rinsed
1- 2 tablespoons diced chipolte peppers in adobe sauce
4 gloves garlic, minced
½ cup onion
1 medium Idaho potato, cut into bite sized pieces
2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
Juice of ½ lime
1-2 cups cooked shredded chicken (optional)
Cilantro, as a garnish (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Broken up Tortilla Chips

Heat up chicken broth with Caldo de Tomate. Add in onions and garlic once boiling, add in chipolte peppers (more can be added if you are looking for a spicier soup). Add in tomatoes and hominy and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Then add beans, potato and lime juice and season with more Caldo de Tomate if needed. Let simmer for an additional 20 to 30 minutes. The beans will start to split and the potatoes will start to fall apart. Add in tomato paste, turn off heat, let sit for 10 minutes and garnish with the above options.

Having company over?  In the mood for a Mojito, or maybe a Margarita?  Or maybe a Perfect Martini?  Whatever it is you are looking for, The Bar has it.  Check out this super chic website.  I thought it was really cool!

1 pound tomatillos, husked, cleaned and chopped roughly

2 Serrano chilies, vein included (or 3 jalapenos if you can’t handle the heat)

1 bunch fresh cilantro, leafy part only

1-teaspoon sugar

1-teaspoon salt

Put all ingredients into a food processor and puree.   Serve with tortilla chips. 

Mmm…  tastes like summer!

1 Medium to large onion (yellow or white), diced very fine
4-6 Cloves of garlic, minced fine
1 Green pepper, small dice
1 Poblano pepper, small dice
1 Serrano pepper, small dice
1 Jalapeno pepper, small dice
2-3 Tablespoons chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1-teaspoon cumin
½ to 1-teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ to 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 large cans of fire roasted tomatoes, whole (if you can find fire roasted get regular, not seasoned canned tomatoes)
1 can tomato sauce or juice
Juice of 1 lime
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound of ground turkey

Don’t be afraid to use a food processor/ mini chopper for the onions, garlic and peppers.

So this chili is all about texture. Start this off like any normal chili, on medium to high heat throw the ground turkey into a large enough pot. You must stir the meat constantly. You want the meat to be all broken up. Gradually stir in the fresh garlic, onions, all the peppers, the chili powder, onion and garlic powder, the cumin, salt and pepper, cilantro and the limejuice. Cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, then add 1 cup of chicken stock/broth. You want the texture of the tomatoes to be sort of torn up, so what I do is squish them into the pot with my hands. Do that, then cook for about 5 minutes covered, then add the other cup of the chicken stock/broth. Cook for another 5 minutes, and then add the tomato sauce/ juice. Finally, put in the beans; turn down to a simmer and let cook for at least 1 hour. You may need to add more salt or heat (you can add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce). Do this to taste, then finally…. ENJOY with some crusty bread, or a tamale, or my favorite, elbow macaroni! A sharp cheddar pairs well as far as a choice of cheese! Never put sour cream on this chili.

So last night for dinner, I only had about 30 minutes to get it ready before Ryan got home from work.  I also knew the fridge was barren and I only had about $20.00 in my purse.  So I was thinking about what I could make on a cheap budget with only 30 minutes.  I GOT IT!  Chicken Enchiladas!  So I went into the grocery store, got one of those already cooked chickens, some corn tortillas, a small low-fat sour cream, a can of black organic beans, a bag of shredded cheese (the Mexican blend), a can of the lowest sodium enchilada sauce and finally a bottle of margarita mix without the alcohol in it, because I knew I had tequila at home.

At home I shredded half of the already cooked chicken, put two dollops of sour cream in it, a quarter cup of the shredded cheese and about a 1/4 teaspoon of Mexican seasoning I had at home.  I mixed it all together and rolled the mixture in about 6 tortillas.  I then separated them into two batches, but kept them on one pan, smothered them with some cheese and the enchilada sauce and cooked them for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.  In the mean time, I rinsed and drained the can of organic bean, put them in a pot with a little dash of paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and a tab of butter.  I let those simmer for about 10 minutes and then served them over white rice.  (which I always have at home)

And there it is, a quick, easy, inexpensive dinner that most men love!