Mexican: Part Three/Four

So I have no pictures.. but we also made fish tacos and enchiladas during our Mexican feasting. They were both really good, but I am done with Mexican for awhile :D Enchiladas making is pretty basic and nothing special- make some burritos, top with enchilada sauce, cheese, and olives and bake. We made our fish tacos with mahi-mahi, I rubbed the fish with olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, and some taco seasoning and baked until flaky. We bought fresh corn tortillas at the farmer's market (my most favorite place ever) and stuffed the tacos with the fish, fresh guacamole, tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, and a cabbage slaw I made. These recipes don't count for the endless leftovers and quesadillas I have been making with the extra ingredients, Good- but bring on the Italian.... or Thai!

Mexican Inspirations Part Two

My experience with making chili rellenos was both good and bad. The good- they were very tasty! The bad- well, the anahiem peppers were MUCH spicier than the last time I used them. Just from cutting the tops off and taking the seeds out then touching my mouth- my lips and tongue were on fire and red, my fingers burned for 2 days after, and worst of all I found out that the oils stick around for a long, long time no matter how many times you wash your hands- therefore putting my contacts in the following morning was the most intense pain ever!

On to the recipe...

I used half anaheim peppers and half poblanos- I would recommend using only poblanos because as I found out the hard way, sometimes anaheim peppers are very, very hot (if you do use these, make sure you wear gloves, honestly these were way hotter than any jalapeno I've worked with, or at least this patch was). I put the peppers on a cookie sheet and roast at 400* until black and blistered on the outside. Remove the peppers and cover tightly with foil to steam for 15 minutes. The pepper skins will remove easily after this, also remove the stem and seeds to prepare for stuffing. For the stuffing: I shred 2-3 chicken breasts, 1/4 or so of chopped cilantro, 3-4 sliced green onions, 3 ears of lightly grilled corn- cut off the cob, 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese, 1/2 cup of queso fresco cheese, 1/2 cup of sour cream to help bind, salt and pepper and mix it all together. I then stuff them into the peppers, lay into a baking dish (I do not bread and fry my peppers), and top with a little more queso fresco. I bake until they are brown and bubbling on top. We topped ours with sour cream and served it with refried black beans... and lava-flow pina coladas (regular on the bottom, add strawberries- mix, and pour on top).

Update/Recipes Part One

Again, I have been neglecting my blog. Since being in our new home for almost two months now, we have had many new adventures. We had David's family over for a visit which was great! Then our friends Wade and Elizabeth came down and we went rafting! While it was very fun, the sun apparently did not get the invite because it was so cold.

Being in my own kitchen once again, I have been cooking... especially a lot Mexican food. I'm not sure why, I just find it fun to create new Mexican inspired meals. I will have to post in sections as I am very behind- and missing pictures for many meals and fun activities...

We had my parents and sister over for dinner a few weeks ago and I made my chicken tortilla soup that I made up awhile ago. We ate, went in the hot tub, and drank pina coladas!

Recipe #1: Chicken Tortilla Soup

In a large stockpot, saute one medium diced yellow onion, one finely chopped jalapeno, 3 diced carrots, 3 stalks of celery chopped, and two cloves of garlic-minced. Add salt and pepper to taste and one packet of taco seasoning. Once onions are soft, add 1/2 chicken stock, 1/2 water to fill the pot 3/4 of the way. Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 3-4 (can be frozen) chicken breasts and mildly boil for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked. Once chicken is cooked, take out and shred. Then add 1/2 bag of frozen corn, 1-2 cans of drained and rinsed black beans, and the shredded chicken. Cook for about 15-20 more minutes. We top our soup with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, fresh lime juice, hot sauce (if you want) and serve it with warm corn tortilla strips. I cut corn tortillas, lightly spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt, and bake until lightly brown. YUM