MEXICAN LASAGNA

Mexican Lasagna

1 pound lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
1 16-ounce can refried beans
1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano, if you have access to it)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice (plain, no added spices) OR 1 14-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, with juice, chopped
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
8 6-inch corn tortillas
1-1/2 cups your favorite salsa, divided
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cups grated sharp cheddar, longhorn or colby cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and stir-fry for a few minutes. In a large bowl, combine the cooked ground beef and garlic with the refried beans, oregano, chili powder, cumin, tomatoes and chiles.

Line the baking dish with half of the tortillas. Spoon half of the ground beef mixture evenly over the tortillas. Then top with the remaining 5 tortillas. Spread 1 cup of the salsa in an even layer over the tortillas. Then, last, the remaining one-half of the ground beef mixture.

Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven.

Combine the sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup salsa and green onions. Spread evenly over casserole, and top with shredded cheese. Return to the oven and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes 6 to 8 servings, depending upon appetites.



Note: There are all kinds of ways to vary this dish. It can be garnished with an array of fresh ingredients like chopped black olives, chopped cilantro leaves, and chopped plum tomatoes.

MIGAS

Migas

 (pronounced MEE gahs) is a Tex-Mex tangle of eggs, bits of corn tortilla, and a host of savory ingredients, from black beans, chorizo and cheese to salsa, avocado and chiles. A dish that many professed egg-haters relish, it probably can thank its existence to thrifty cooks looking to use left-over tortillas, since tortillas are an integral part of the dish. The word, migas, in fact, is derived from the Spanish word for crumbs. 

4 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon salsa (your favorite, but it should be chunky)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 6-inch corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 tablespoons chopped green chiles
1 medium tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped avocado, sprinkled with a little lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
2/3 cup grated mild cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, or combination of both
crema or sour creamIn a small bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, water and salsa, and set aside.

Warm the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and sauté until softened. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is transparent. Stir in the chopped green chiles.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and "scramble" until eggs are done. Remove the skillet from heat, and sprinkle the chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro and cheese into the eggs, again stirring well.

Serve at once with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with additional salsa and crema or sour cream.

Migas Notes

This recipe makes two servings, but it can easily be doubled or tripled or more for a larger crowd. Migas are a terrific brunch dish.

Chop the onion, green chiles, tomato, avocado and cilantro before you start the migas so they'll be ready when you need them.

In addition to the ingredients called for in this recipe, some additional possibilities for enhancing your migas are:
crisply cooked and crumbled bacon
chopped ham
crumbled chorizo (browned before you add the eggs)
cooked, shredded chicken or turkey
grated or diced potato (sautéed until tender before adding the eggs)
poblano chiles
green bell pepper
green onion
cayenne pepper (a dash or so)
minced garlic

PASTEL de TRES LECHES

Tres Leches Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)

PASTEL de TRES LECHES

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups white sugar (divided)
5 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (divided)
1 cup milk
1/2 of a 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 of a 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1/3 cup Liqueur, Frangelico, Brandy or Chambord, for example (optional)
1-½ cups heavy (whipping) creamPreheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Beat well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

When cake has finished baking, pierce it in 8 or 10 places with a fork or skewer, and let it cool. Combine the whole milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk and liqueur and pour over the top of the cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Whipped Cream Topping: When ready to serve, combine the whipping cream and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 cup of sugar, whipping until thick. Spread over top of cake.

Because of the milk in the cake, it is very important that you keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve chilled.Makes 1 cake.


Tres Leches Cake Variations

Caribbean Tres Leches Cake

Replace the sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup of Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut in the milk mixture. You can also add ¼ cup rum.
Southern Tres Leches Cake

In addition to the three milks, add 1/3 cup peach schnapps. You can add cup of diced, drained peaches to the batter. About cup of pecans can be added to the batter or sprinkled on top of the cake before serving.

Now, if you like cherries, blueberries, raspberries or apples, you can add them to this cake much in the same way. Well, what about chocolate? Why not add some chocolate syrup to the three-milk mixture, or temper in some white chocolate. This is another one of those great recipes that allows for culinary adventure. Plus, it is just plain delicious.

CALABACITA CON CARNE DE PUERCO

CALABACITA CON CARNE DE PUERCO

Serves 8-10

• 2 T. vegetable oil
• 2 lbs. pork, cubed
• 2 c. chopped tomatoes (3 medium tomatoes)
• 1 c. diced onion
• 1/2 c. diced bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 ears fresh sweet corn (or 1 c. frozen corn)
• 1 1/2 lbs. Mexican squash (or tatuma squash or zucchini), cubed
• 1 tsp. salt (or salt to taste)

Brown meat in hot oil in a large skillet; drain fat. Stir in tomato, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cumin. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Cut corn from cob. Stir in corn, squash, and salt; cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

MEXICAN MACARONI SALAD

Mexican Macaroni Salad

 Servings: 12

FOR THE SALAD:

1 pound Elbow Macaroni, Cooked To Package Instructions, Drained, And Rinsed With Cold Water

2 ears Fresh Corn, Husks And Silks Removed

1 can (15 Oz. Size) Black Beans (or Kidney Beans), Drained And Rinsed

1/2 cup Chopped Black Olives

6 whole Roma Tomatoes (or 2 Large Tomatoes), Chopped

3 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

1/2 whole Red Onions, Finely Diced

Chopped Cilantro (optional)

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 cup Jarred Salsa (spicy Is Best!)

1 cup Sour Cream

1/4 cup Mayonnaise

1 clove Garlic, Minced Or Pressed

1/2 teaspoon Cumin

Salt And Pepper, to taste

2 Limes, Juiced (optional)

Grill the corn on a grill pan, or just place it in a hot skillet to brown some of the kernels. Remove from pan, allow to cool slightly, then use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cob.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined.

Place the macaroni, corn, beans, olives, tomatoes, green onions, red onion, and cilantro (if using) in a large bowl. Pour 3/4 of the dressing over the top and gently toss until all the ingredients are coated. Add the final 1/4 of the dressing if you think it needs it. Cover and allow salad to chill for 2 hours

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Garnish with cilantro, lime wedge, and any other extra ingredients you have!

MACHO NACHOS

MACHO NACHOS
Guests can customize their own servings.


Across tortilla chips spread thickly on a jelly roll pan, lightly daub taco meat (beef or turkey) or chili and heated black or pinto refried beans. Sprinkle lightly with shredded cheese.


Run under a preheated broiler until cheese is just bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, sliced jalapenos, chopped green chiles, plus sour cream and salsa.

To keep it crunchy: Use a light hand with the protein toppings and work quickly to serve with a large spatula, before the meat, beans and cheese soak in and soften the chips.


Go for extra points: Thin the sour cream a bit with lime juice and serve it in a squirt bottle so guests can drizzle it onto their nachos.

TORTILLA SOUP

TORTILLA SOUP

1 chicken (3 pounds)

5 quarts cold water

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1Tbsp. salt

1 large sliced carrot 

3 sliced celery ribs 

1 large chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse pepper

2 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

Garnish:

Monterey Jack cheese

Lime slices

3 cups fried tortilla strips

1 1/2 cups diced avocado

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot.  Bring toa boil and simmer, covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Remove chicken from broth.  Remove meat from bones and cut chicken into strips.  Strain liquid, discard vegetables. And taste for salt.

When ready to serve, add to hot broth:

3 cups diced fresh tomatoes 

2 cups chopped green onions

1/4 cup fresh cilantro 

Chicken 

FISH TACOS

Easy Fish Tacos

1 pound firm white fish, such as tilapia, snapper, cod, mahi mahi, or catfish

2 medium limes, halved

1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the grill grates

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 small head of green or red cabbage (about 14 ounces), cored and thinly sliced

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

6 to 8 soft (6-inch) corn tortillas

Sliced avocado, for garnish (optional)

Guacamole, for garnish (optional, see above)

Salsa, for garnish (optional, see above)

Sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Hot sauce, for garnish (optional)

Makes: 3 to 4 servings

Fish tacos can be filled with either fried fish (not healthy!) or grilled fish (healthy!). Here’s the healthy version, with a citrus marinade and tangy cabbage slaw.

You’ll need to make Guacamole and Salsa before you begin.

Place the fish in a baking dish and squeeze a lime half over it. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with salt and pepper and turn the fish in the marinade until evenly coated. Refrigerate and let marinate at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the slaw and warm the tortillas.

Combine the cabbage, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl and squeeze a lime half over it. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary; set aside.

Warm the tortillas by heating a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tortilla at a time, flipping to warm both sides, about 5 minutes total. Wrap the warm tortillas in a clean dishcloth and set aside while you prepare the fish.

Brush the grates of a grill pan or outdoor grill with oil and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Remove the fish from the marinade and place on the grill.

Cook without moving until the underside of the fish has grill marks and is white and opaque on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and grill the other side until white and opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes more. (It’s OK if it breaks apart while you’re flipping.) Transfer the fish to a plate.

Taste the slaw again and season as needed with more lime juice. Slice the remaining lime halves into wedges and serve with the tacos. To construct a taco, break up some of the cooked fish, place it in a warm tortilla, and top it with slaw and any optional garnishes.

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POSOLE

Posole
One of the world’s great soup meals. 

1 Boston Butt roast (bone in or boneless, doesn’t really matter)
Water to cover by an inch
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic. 
Don’t salt and pepper it until it until it’s in the bowl and you’re ready to eat it, then season to taste.
　
On the stovetop just simmer your pork butt for about 4 hours. In a crock pot, cook it about 6 on high-when it is falling apart tender it’s done. You can refrigerate it (it’s as soup so there is no need to remove the pork from the broth) overnight to remove all the fat that will accumulate on top, or just skim it carefully instead.

Those of you who attended the cooking classes will know that you can flatten paper towels on the surface of the broth, remove them and they will have soaked up the grease without disturbing the broth. Repeat as needed.

"Pull" the pork. That means remove the meat from the bone and all the fat from the meat. Return the meat to the broth. Throw away the bone and fat.

Now add:
2 29-oz cans hominy and the juice of one lime.
Simple Chilie Sauce to stir into the posole pot:
1 cellophane package of chiles Colorado (the big dried red ones they make ristras from).
1 small onion
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tsp. Oregano-mexican oregano is best and no it is not the same as the "normal" oregano-it’s an entirely different herb.
1 cup of the broth from the soup pot
1 Tsp. Ground cumin
hot sauce to taste

I toast my peppers in a dry pan but it’s not really necessary.

Put the cup of broth and all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until the peppers, are re-hydrated and soft. Buzz up in your processor and add to the soup. That’s it. Now all you need to do is fix your toppings and everyone can add what they like.
Some people put in finely shredded cabbage and serve with warm tortillas or corn chips.

Other Toppings:
3 limes, cut in wedges
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 fresh avocado, cut in chunks

If you’re not serving tortillas a bag of tortilla chips is most welcome, guests can crumble them into their soup or eat them out of hand.

To serve, heat the broth with the meat. Everyone gets a bowl of the soup and helps themselves to the toppings.

OAXACA LIME SOUP

Oaxaca Lime Soup
6-8 servings

2 quarts rich chicken stock
1 cup fresh spinach, cut in small strips
1 cup radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup avocado, chopped
1 cup boiled chicken, diced
1 cup lime juice
toasted tortilla strips for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish
chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat or make the stock, it must be strong so have a gallon and reduce it down to half a gallon. Put about 1 Tbsp of each ingredient in the bottom of each bowl. Pour in the boiling chicken stock. Sprinkle in some tortilla chips, cilantro, and place a bowl of lime wedge on the side for each guest to squeeze into their soup as they like.