Mexican

MexicanMy favorite type of food is Mexican. I love the flavors and the spices! As far as I'm concerned, there are 3 types of Mexican out there: (a) Fast Food/Taco Bell: the cheap Mexican, and not close to true Mexican, but definitely my favorite fast food and junk food; (b) Tex-Mex: What you find at most restaurants. This is what you usually hear about when someone says they love Mexican. (c) Authentic: the real thing is definitely the best. Luckily, I have a friend whose mother cooks it very well, and that is how I discovered what real Mexican is. Mmmm.....

One thing that I love is salsa. You can practically eat it every day. I like scrambled eggs, but I wanted to add something to them for something different. So, naturally, I added salsa. It is a favorite of mine to this day.

Huevos Salsa

2-3 eggs
2 Tablespoons milk (or more if necessary)
1 slice American cheddar cheese
1 slice American Swiss cheese (Monterey Jack is better if you can find it)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup salsa

Whisk eggs to a good consistency and add milk while whisking. Tear all cheese into small pieces and add to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk. Pour eggs on frying pan and scramble on medium heat. Once eggs are ready add salsa. Mix, heat through, and serve.

I know that one of the favorite dishes out there is nachos or cheese dips. One of the best is melting velveeta and adding salsa or Rotel tomatoes. Another favorite of mine is Chili Con Queso.

Chili Con Queso

1 1b. Velveeta
1 can chili without beans
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chili peppers
4 green onions, chopped

Mix all ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.

Here are two other favorite dips of mine!

3-layer Mexican Dip

1 can Refried beans
1 1/2 cups Guacamole (recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives
2 green onions, chopped

Prepare the refried beans. I find the best way to be spraying Pam coating on a saucepan and heating the beans after the pan has warmed up. Almost like frying the refried beans. After the beans are warm, spread them over the bottom of a 10-inch round glass baking dish, a round cake pan works as well. Cover the beans with guacamole. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix well and spread on top of guacamole. Sprinkle the top with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, olives and green onions. Serve chilled with taco chips or on tortillas.

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 large tomato, diced
1 Tbsp. chopped red onion
salt and pepper to taste
dash of Tabasco or hot pepper sauce

Scoop the avocado into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, and mash the avocados coarsely. With a fork, mix in the tomato, onion, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Serve or keep cool until ready to eat.

Now we get to Mexican main dishes. I won't call my dishes authentic, but they have the spicy flavor associated with Mexican. Enjoy the following!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 cup frozen corn
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon
2 cloves minced garlic
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 4-oz. can diced chile peppers, drained
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cup. cooked, shredded chicken
8 6-in. corn tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 Tbsp. parsley or cilantro

For the filling, in a saucepan, stir together corn, water, onion, bouillon, garlic and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes until the onion is tender. In a small bowl stir the sour cream, milk and flour together. Add the sour cream mix to the onion mix. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in chicken. Set aside.
In another bowl, stir tomato sauce, chile peppers and coriander. Set aside.
Place 1/2 of the tortillas in a baking dish and top with the chicken filling. Place remaining tortillas on top. Top with the tomato sauce mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and cilantro, and serve.