Crockpot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa

I have to make a confession. I never really got into eating at Chipotle until about a year ago. Fast Mexican food just never appealed to me. Until one day, on a trip home from Vegas, hubby and I decided to make a pit stop at a Burger King in Barstow to pick up some food for our daughter . I know, I know. Being a foodie that I am, what in the world and am I doing feeding my child junk food??? Hey, it was quick and my daughter was hungry. Every now and then, we make an exception. Anyway,  Burger King happened to share the same parking lot with Chipotle. I didn't really want to eat Burger King, so I decided to give Chipotle a shot. The line was almost out the door, so I figured that was a good sign. Or else, they thought they same as I did in that they didn't want Burger King either. So after waiting in line, I decided to order a burrito with shredded beef (aka Barbacoa) and all the fix ins. Man, that burrito was huge. But after that first bite, I was hooked. I know that there was no way that burrito was healthy, but boy was it good. Even hubby was hooked.

Fast forward to a few months ago. Skimming through Pinterest, I came across a few recipes for Chipotle's Barbacoa and thought, hmmmm. Now there's an idea. So I decided to give
this recipe from The Slow Roasted Italian a try. What I loved about this recipe was that it was a slow cooker recipe. It looked pretty easy and it really was. The flavor was spot on with the barbacoa I get at Chipotle. I served it with my recipe for green cilantro rice which tasted exactly like Chipotle's rice. I added a homemade mixture of tomatoes, cilantro and onions as my salsa, topped it with some sour cream and we had an instant Chipotle Burrito. This recipe made a huge batch of shredded beef, so I was able to freeze a few servings to eat on a later day. Can't wait to get into it again.

3-4 lb chuck roast, fat trimmed
2 tsp. salt, divided
2 Tbsp. oil
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
6 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground clove
2-4 chipotle peppers (from a can, packed in adobo sauce depending on how spicy you like it)
1/2-1 Tbsp. adobo sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1) Cut roast into large chunks. Sprinkle all sides with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, reserving the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.

2) In a blender or food processor, combine vinegar, garlic, black pepper, ground clove, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, broth and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

3) Heat a heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and sear beef on all sides. Place beef in slow cooker. Pour sauce over beef and tuck in bay leaves into mixture. Cook for 5-6 hours on high, or 8 hours on low.

4) At the final hour of cooking, shred the beef using 2 forks to pull it apart. Season with salt to taste and stir sauce completely. Cook for another 1 hour. Serve as a burrito, taco, or salad with rice, pico de gallo (salsa), sour cream, guacamole, beans, etc.

Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)

Its summer. Its hot. But what do I do? I make soup! I've had a hankering for some soup lately and I don't really know why. And I've been so eager to try a Mexican beef soup called Caldo de Res that I often see in Mexican menus. So when I recently visited the local Latin market, I came across a packet of ingredients they use for Caldo de Res and decided to try my hand at making this popular Mexican comfort food.

Off I went to research a good recipe online and came across this one from All Recipes and it couldn't be easier. I basically threw everything in the pot and allow to simmer until the meat and all its yummy veggies are tender. The flavor is reminiscent of the Albondigas I used to make (which reminds me, I haven't made Albondigas in a while), so it was quite yummy and comforting. It would definitely be the perfect comfort food to eat on a cold day. Or when you're sick. Or when you're craving it in the summer like me.

2 lbs. beef shank with bones
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (14.5 oz can) diced tomatoes
3 cups beef broth (or chicken broth)
4 cups water
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 medium potato, quartered
2 ears of corn, cut into thirds
2 chayotes, quartered
1 small head of cabbage, cored and cut into wedges

1) Remove some meat from the bones and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, leaving some of the meat on the bones.

2) Heat oil in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat, making sure the bottom of the pan is completely covered with the oil. Season the meat and bones with salt and pepper. Add meat to the pan and cook until meat has thoroughly browned.

3) Add onions and continue cooking until onions begin to brown. Stir in tomatoes and broth. The liquid should cover the bones by about 1/2 an inch. If not, add enough water to compensate. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour with the lid on loosely. If meat is not tender, continue cooking for another 10-20 minutes.

4) Pour in the 4 cups water and return to a simmer. Add the carrots and cilantro and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in potato, corn and chayote. Simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Push the cabbage wedges into the soup and cook for another 10 minutes.  Serve in large bowls garnished with more cilantro, lime wedge, and chopped onions.

Maniladas with Cheese Sauce and Salsa Verde

Maniladas, a cross between a Manicotta and an Enchilada. A fusion of Mexican and Italian. This is an ingenious creation of Sunny Anderson on the Food Network. I just remembered my mouth watering when I watched her make this dish. It sort of reminds me of the Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas I make so often. But what a great idea to make it into a pasta dish.

The original recipe, I felt, was pretty fattening. It required the use of 2 cups of heavy cream. But I substituted it with low fat milk to make the cheese sauce. I also used a short cut by purchasing a store-bought salsa verde instead of making it from scratch. With all the substitutions, this dish came out so good that hubby absolutely enjoyed it. This is another great pot luck dish that I'm sure would be another hit like the Salsa Verde Enchiladas.

1 (8 oz) package Manicotti shells
2 Tbsp. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 rotisserie chicken (or 3 cooked chicken breasts), shredded
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup prepared salsa verde (or green enchilada sauce)

1) Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Boil manicotti shells for 8 minutes. Drain shells and place on a platter in a single layer.

2) In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Remove from heat and stir in shredded chicken, tomatoes, chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in sour cream until incorporated.

3) Stuff manicotti shells with chicken filling and arrange in a 9 x 12 baking dish. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa verde over the manicotti shells. Set aside.

Cheese sauce
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream or milk, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups shredded cheese (any cheese you prefer)

1) In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream or milk and continue cooking until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add shredded cheese and stir until well incorporated.

2) Reduce temperature of oven to 350 deg F. Pour cheese sauce over prepared manicotti shells and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese sauce becomes bubbly. Serve hot, garnished with more salsa verde and chopped cilantro.

Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Christmas is less than 3 weeks away. So I've been trying to get ideas for our Christmas meal with the families. I was thinking of a Latin themed menu. Mainly because a lot of my Latin dishes can be made ahead of time. There's just too much for me to do that I have to plan and make things ahead. I've thought of some casserole dishes that I can prepare ahead and then bake the day-of. And of course there's the crock pot that I can have on overnight to help save time. What I have left is dessert. I don't think I have the energy this year to bake cupcakes that I have to bake and frost. And then this recipe came to mind from What's Cookin' Chicago? that I've had saved up for a while. Joelen's version is gluten-free. So I decided to use my go-to Chocolate Cake recipe.

I remember having a Chocolate Tres Leches cake a while ago from The Kogi truck and I thought how great of an idea it was. And when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. I love the traditional Tres Leches cake. But having it in a chocolate form just brings this yummy Mexican dessert over-the-top good.

1 recipe Chocolate Cake divided into 2 pans, cooled

Tres Leches

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup heavy cream

whipped cream for topping

1) Combine milks in a medium bowl and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Remove cakes from their pans and place each cake on separate platters. Using a fork, generously poke numerous holes into prepared cakes. Pour milk mixture over both cakes. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with whipped cream on top.

Green Chicken Enchilada Soup

With the fall season in full swing, the weather starts to somewhat cool down. Even here in SoCal. And with cooler weather comes the flu season. My daughter has been trying to shake off a cold for the past 2 1/2 weeks, and is now trying to fight off a low-grade fever. Hubby and I are trying to fight off the onset of a cold ourselves. Our cold isn't full blown, but we feel it starting to creep in. And if we're all sick, its no bueno.

This recipe popped up on my reader recently from What's Cookin' Chicago? that I felt it was fitting to make for this cool weather. It was super easy to make and tasted so good and comforting. When it first came out of the crock pot, I thought it was a little spicy. But after adding all the garnishes such as avocado and sour cream, the flavors and spice balanced so well.

The author of What's Cookin' Chicago?, Joelen, recently discovered she requires a gluten-free diet. Therefore, this recipe is gluten-free. One of my good friends, Cathy, has been requesting me to start making gluten-free foods for a while now. And honestly, I don't know a thing about being gluten-free. So I'm glad that Joelen's blog features more of this kind of cuisine. So this recipe (and all future gluten-free dishes) is for you, Cathy :)

1 (15 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 oz can) sweet corn, drained

1 (14.5 oz can) Rotel diced tomatoes and jalapenos

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped bell peppers

1 (16 oz bottle) salsa verde or green enchilada sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

salt to taste

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

3 Tbsp. water

Garnishes:

chopped avocado

crushed tortilla chips

chopped cilantro

sour cream

shredded cheese

1) In a crock pot, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, salsa verde/enchilada sauce, chicken broth and milk. Season with salt to taste.

2) Place chicken breast into crock pot and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.

3) Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces. Return shredded chicken in the crock pot. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Stir into soup to thicken slightly. Serve with your favorite garnishes.

Slow Cooker Pozole (Mexican Pork & Hominy Stew)

I remember back in my Spanish classes in high school many years ago (I won't say how many), we would always have a potluck of international foods at the end of the semester. Many of my Latino classmates would bring dishes from their individual culture. One classmate brought banuelos, which were fried tortilla chips dredged in cinnamon sugar. Another brought Tamales. But one dish that stood out was the Pozole, a pork and hominy stew. I was hooked. I haven't had Pozole since then, but I often see it on the menus at Mexican restaurants. I've always wanted to order it, but worry that it wouldn't taste as good as the first time I had it. I was also intimidated to order it.

Pozole is said to be a cure for hangover. Well, I don't drink much. But I can tell you that this is easily a comfort food. Perfect to have on a cold day. I was finally inspired to try to make Pozole myself when I was looking through some blogs one day and found someone who made it. That pozole looked too chunky and didn't look like what I had years ago. So I decided to do a search for Pozole recipes. There were quite a few recipes out there and I couldn't tell which one came closest to that recipe. But I finally settled on this one from allrecipes.com. What made me decide on this one was the fact that its a slow cooker recipe. I've been busy all day today, baking almost 200 mini cupcakes for hubby's pinning ceremony tomorrow. So I wanted to just throw everything in the slow cooker and have it ready for dinner.

This dish was quite good. However, as one of the reviews on this recipe indicated, this was more like a soup than a stew. This wasn't the Pozole that I had back in high school. I'll probably continue my search for that recipe. But I don't mind making this one again.

1 dried chile negro pasilla (or 1 1/2 Tbsp. ground pasilla)

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, cubed

2 cups chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (4 oz can) diced green chiles

2 (15 oz can) hominy

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

1) Puree (or blend together) chile negro pasilla and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Pour in slow cooker pot.

2) Pour remaining chicken broth, beef broth, onion, garlic, green chiles, hominy and pork in slow cooker pot. Season with bay leaf, oregano, cumin and salt. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 6-7 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve topped with chopped cilantro and avocado.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I admit that even though I prefer making dishes from scratch, I'm still one of those who likes to buy quick meals, such as certain frozen foods. That includes frozen taquitos. I happen to still like eating frozen taquitos, so when I saw this recipe for Creamy Chicken Taquitos from Annie's Eats, I was quite intrigued. And since today is Cinco de Mayo, I thought it would be fitting to make this today.

These came out really well and it won hubby over, who only likes taquitos if its made with flour tortilla. He hates corn tortillas. So I had hubby in mind when I made these. You can also freeze the taquitos after assembling them so you can have a make-ahead-meal. I'll definitely be making these when I want to get my taquito fix.

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup salsa

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

1-2 green onions, chopped

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

10-12 6 inch flour tortillas

cooking spray

salt

1) Preheat oven to 425 deg F. Line baking sheet with a silicone pat or parchment/wax paper.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese. Season with salt to taste. Mix thoroughly until well combined.

3) Briefly heat tortillas in microwave to make them soft enough to roll easily, about 20-30 seconds. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the middle of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

* To freeze taquitos before baking, place baking sheet to the freezer and chill for 30-60 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. To bake from the freezer, add a few minutes to the original baking time, until filling is warmed through. *

Korean Style Taco with Cabbage Slaw

In search for a Korean taco recipe (preferably a Kogi taco recipe), I came across two versions. One was with a Kogi BBQ sauce. The other was with a Korean style salsa roja from Closet Cooking. The version with the Kogi BBQ sauce had a slight sweetness to it. This one had a kick to it and was more spicy. Both were equally good, depending on how you like your tacos: sweet or spicy. But I feel that this one was a little bit closer in taste to Kogi's tacos. However, this one required a few more steps. The good thing about this is it made a lot of sauce, so I put the remaining sauce in an airtight container to use again later on. I used my Bulgogi Beef in this recipe and then topped it with a Cabbage/Lettuce slaw. You can also top this with cilantro and chopped onions, as well as kimchi. But we opted to keep it as is. Hubby and I really enjoyed these.

Korean Style Salsa Roja

1/4 lb. plum tomatoes

1/4 lb. tomatillos (husked and washed)

1 cup water

20 dried chiles de arbol

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 Tbsp. grated garlic

1 Tbsp. grated ginger

2 Tbsp. Korean fermented hot pepper paste (Gochujang)

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds (toasted and crushed)

1) Roast tomatoes and tomatillos until charred on all sides, about 10-12 minutes.

2) Place tomatoes, tomatillos, water, chiles, and onion in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer until onions are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain and reserve the liquid.

3) Place everything (except the sesame seeds) in a blender or food processor and puree, adding reserved liquid a little at a time to get the desired consistency. Strain liquid. Add prepared sesame seeds.

Cabbage Slaw

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

juice of half a lime

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Korean chili powder (Gochugaru)

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

1 cup shredded cabbages

1) Whisk together sesame oil, lime juice, chili powder, and sesame seeds. Toss with lettuce and cabbage.

To assemble the tacos

1/2 lb. cooked Korean Bulgogi Beef
corn tortillas

cabbage slaw

Korean Style salsa roja

1) Place 2 warm corn tortilla on a plate. Top with cooked beef, 1 teaspoon of sauce, and then cabbage slaw.

Korean Style Tacos with Kogi BBQ Sauce

Many people know that I have a huge love for Korean Tacos. Preferably from the Kogi truck. Unfortunately, the trucks are not readily accessible. So I don't get to eat it as often I would like. I have been craving for some Kogi tacos lately, but they haven't been anywhere near me. I wondered if anyone on the internet had a similar recipe for Korean tacos and to my surprise, I found a couple of recipes that tried to replicate Kogi tacos. I decided to try both recipes for dinner tonight. This recipe is from Steamy Kitchen, which has become a new favorite blog of mine.

The recipe for Kogi BBQ sauce comes from Kogi chef himself, Roy Choi. I couldn't believe that he actually gave out a recipe, but Jaden managed to nudge one of the owners of Kogi to get this recipe from Chef Roy. The sauce was really simple to make. Its adding all the extra toppings that make the tacos pretty complex, but oh so delicious. I used my recipe for Bulgogi Beef and topped the whole thing with a cabbage/lettuce slaw that I found from another Korean Taco recipe from Closet Cooking. You can also top the taco with onions and cilantro, even Kimchi. But we opted to keep this as is. The end product was something any Korean taco lover would love - Hubby and I included.

Kogi BBQ Sauce

2 Tbsp. Korean fermented hot pepper paste (Gochujang)

3 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. rice wine vinegar

2 tsp. sesame oil

1) Whisk all ingredients together until sugar has dissolved and mixture is smooth.

Cabbage Slaw

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

juice of half a lime

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. Korean chili powder (Gochugaru)

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

1 cup shredded cabbages

1) Whisk together sesame oil, lime juice, chili powder, and sesame seeds. Toss with lettuce and cabbage.

To assemble the tacos

1/2 lb. cooked Korean Bulgogi Beef
corn tortillas

cabbage slaw

Kogi BBQ sauce

1) Place 2 warm corn tortilla on a plate. Top with cooked beef, 2 teaspoons of sauce, onion/cilantro mix, kimchi and then cabbage slaw.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I had a taste for my Creamy Taco Mac one day, but realized I didn't have the taco seasoning that it called for. So we had hot dogs instead :( Then I found this Taco Seasoning recipe from Annie's Eats. What a great idea! So I decided to make a batch in case I find the need again for some taco seasoning. Because, frankly, I'd hate to make a trip to the grocery store just to buy taco seasoning.

4 Tbsp. chili powder

3 Tbsp. ground cumin

3 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. paprika

1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well incorporated. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

*Two heaping tablespoons replaces a package of taco seasoning

**To make taco meat, cook 1 lb. of meat with taco seasoning and 1 cup of water. Simmer until liquid is almost completely evaporated.

Easy Taco Pizza

We're going out to dinner tonight to celebrate my mom's birthday. Unfortunately, hubby will not be joining us because he has classes. An exam, too, for that matter. But I still have to cook something for him to bring for lunch tomorrow. This recipe popped up on the Yahoo website that I've been saving to use and I thought today would be a good day to make it. I made this for lunch, before my parents picked me and my daughter up in the afternoon. It tastes just like a taco on a pizza crust. And it was super easy to make. I omitted some of the ingredients it originally called for because I didn't have any (like the olives, but I don't really like olives). But I'll probably add it the next time I make it again. I think hubby will like this one.

prepared pizza dough
3/4 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 cup chopped onions
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 (2 1/4 oz) can pitted olives
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a Mexican cheese blend)
shredded lettuce

chopped tomatoes
diced avocados

1) Preheat oven to 425 deg F. Grease pizza pans or baking pans. Roll out dough and transfer to pans. Prick dough generously with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

2) In a large skillet, cook ground meat and onions until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain off the fat. Stir in tomato sauce, olives (if using), and taco seasoning. Heat through.

3) Spread meat mixture over hot crust. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for another 10 minutes, until cheese melts. Serve, topped with tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, and additional shredded cheese. Top with a dollop of sour cream.

Mexican Cornbread Skillet Pie

One of my co-workers, Stacy, was talking about making some kind of a tamale pie she wanted to make because she had bought some Marie Callender's cornbread mix from Costco she wanted to use. I told her I had a lot leftover, too, and thought it was a great idea. I remembered that I had bookmarked this recipe from another favorite blog I frequent, Sing for your Supper.... so I wanted to finally make this.

The dish came out okay, if you like cornbread that much. I don't know if I would make this one again, unless its requested. Maybe if I tweak it a bit, I'll take a liking to it. Though hubby loved it. I'll probably make it again on request.

boxed cornbread mix
small can of green chillies (optional)
corn kernels
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
a dash cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded cheese

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Prepare cornbread mix according to package directions. Add green chillies and corn. Set aside.

2) In a medium pan, saute onions, garlic and bell peppers over medium-high heat until soft. Add ground turkey until cooked through. Drain off grease. Stir in cumin, chili powder, black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper. Remove from heat.

3) Grease bottom of a cast-iron skillet (or any oven-safe skillet or pan) and sprinkle the bottom with a little cornmeal. Evenly spread half of the cornbread mixture and top with the meat mixture. Top with shredded cheese, then spread with the remaining cornbread mixture over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chicken Enchilada Dip Roll-ups

Its the eve of our 7th anniversary. Unfortunately, hubby has to be in class all evening tomorrow. Which means I'll be without him for our anniversary. I plan on waiting up and having a nice dinner set out for him when he gets home. But being at work and school all day, I'm sure he'll be very hungry before coming home. I normally pack him a sandwich on these nights when he's out all day and evening. But it being our anniversary, I wanted to send him off to school with something different.

I've bookmarked this recipe for a while from Sing for your Supper... which I thought hubby would really appreciate. Hubby and I love enchiladas and I think this is an awesome twist to one of our favorite Mexican dishes. This was originally a dip recipe, but it can be used to spread on a tortilla and then rolled-up to make a nice appetizer.

2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 tsp. minced garlic or garlic powder

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

cayenne pepper to taste

salt taste

3 boneless, skinless chicken, chopped or shredded

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

10 oz can diced tomato with green chilies

1) Mix cheeses together until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2) Spread dip on a flour tortilla and roll. Cut into 1-2 inch thickness. Serve.

Cilantro Pepita dressing (Mexican Caesar Salad dressing)

After making my Tequila Lime Chicken and adding it to a salad, we used a store-bought Thousand Island dressing, which was all we had in the fridge. It tasted okay. But I thought to myself that a creamy cilantro dressing would go great with this salad. So after searching online for a cilantro dressing, I found this awesome recipe on CDKitchen. It turns out, this was also the recipe for El Torito's Mexican Caesar Salad dressing, which I had when we last visited there with my office. SCORE! That visit to El Torito left me with a very lasting impression. From there, I was inspired to learn how to make my Chile Verde. Now I learned to make their salad dressing.

I had to go to 2 different stores to buy all the ingredients for this dressing. They don't normally sell Pepita (or shelled Pumpkin seeds) at the grocery store, so I went to a local Mediterranean market to buy some. Going to the Mediterranean market is always an adventure for me because I find a lot of unique ingredients not normally found at the regular grocery store.

Anyway, this dressing was delicious! Very flavorful. My next conquest from the El Torito menu will probably be their sweet corn cake. We'll see how that goes. Hubby loved this one and said it was restaurant quality. So this will definitely make it on my regular rotation.

2 medium Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded

1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup oil (olive or vegetable)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

5 Tbsp. Cotija cheese

2 small bunches of cilantro, stemmed

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup water

1) In a blender or food processor, place all the ingredients except cilantro, mayonnaise and water. Blend for 10-15 seconds. Add cilantro a little at a time until blended smooth. Set aside.

2) In a stainless steel bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and water until smooth. Add the cilantro mixture into mayonnaise mixture and mix until well incorporated. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Dressing will keep for about 3 days. Serve with chopped romaine lettuce, tomatoes, corn, avocado, crushed tortilla chips and crumbled cotija cheese.

Tequila Lime Chicken

I decided that today was the day I'd break my Thai food streak and try something new. I had printed this recipe off the internet and had been saving this for quite some time and decided to do some grilling for dinner tonight.

Man oh man was this good. It reminds me of the chicken I would order at Baja Fresh or something. You can make this with chicken wings for a nice appetizer or boneless skinless chicken that you can cut up to use in a salad (which is what I made for hubby's lunch for tomorrow as pictured below) or in tacos/fajitas. Either way you make it, it'll definitely be delicious and flavorful.

4-5 lbs. chicken (boneless/skinless or chicken wings)

1/4 cup tequila

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup honey

1 jalapeno pepper (more if you like it spicy)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1 tsp. salt

1) Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in a large ziploc freezer bag. Shake to fully incorporate. Add chicken and shake together, making sure to distribute the marinade over the chicken. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

2) Preheat grill to medium heat. While grill heats up, let chicken stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Grease the grill with cooking spray or oil to prevent from sticking. Place chicken on grill and cook on each side for 5-7 minutes. (note: if chicken is sticking to grill when you turn it the first time, it probably isn't ready, so give another minute or so). Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas

My daughter and I are house/dog sitting for my parents for the next 4 days because they're in Hawaii with my siblings. Hubby drops us off at their house in the morning before he goes to work, and then comes back for us after work. We have dinner, then we head home. Although I used to live in this house, its just feels weird cooking outside of my own kitchen. I don't know where everything is kept anymore.

Today's dinner was planned last night. Meaning I packed my own ingredients to make at my parents house. I found this recipe from another blog I visit, Sing for your supper. This dish was really yummy. Hubby says its restaurant quality. It was pretty easy to make. I used store-bought rotisserie chicken to eliminate the cooking process of the chicken. I also omitted the Jalapeno that it calls for because I didn't want it to be too spicy for my daughter. This is another great make-ahead-meal.

4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or use store-bought rotisserie chicken)

2 Tbsp. butter

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 Jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups sour cream

16 oz jar Medium Salsa Verde

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. white pepper (I used black pepper, its all I have)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

10-12 flour tortillas, small fajita size

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1) Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute onions (and Jalapenos if using) until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour and let cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth until smooth and let cook until bubbly.

2) Stir in sour cream, salsa, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cilantro until sauce is smooth. Remove from heat.

3) Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Add 1 cup of sauce to the bottom of the pan. Place chicken and cheese on center of each tortilla and roll, placing seam-side down in the dish. Pour sauce over the enchiladas. Top with leftover cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until top is brown and bubbling.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

I was sifting through my crockpot cookbook and found this recipe the other day. Its super yummy. A whole meal in itself. Having the creamy avocado on top makes it even more special. The original recipe didn't call for corn, but I bought a lot of fresh corn the other day from the supermarket so I decided to add some in the soup. Besides, I love corn in anything. I also added more broth than the original recipe because I wanted it more soupy.

This particular crockpot recipe doesn't require a whole day to cook. So I wouldn't use this recipe if I plan on being out all day like my other crockpot recipes. But here is my modified recipe:

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cups chicken broth

1 can (4 ounces) chopped mild green chiles, drained

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

For garnish:

crushed tortilla chips

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 avocado, peeled, diced and tossed with lime juice to prevent from browning

1) Place chicken in crockpot. Combine tomatoes with juice, 1/2 cup chicken broth, chiles, onion, garlic and cumin in a medium bowl. Pour mixture over chicken. Cook on high for 3 hours.

2) Remove chicken from crockpot. Shred with 2 forks. Return chicken to liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining chicken broth and cook for another 30 minutes.

3) Divide soup in bowls. Top with crushed tortilla chips, cheese, avocado and cilantro.

Chillaquiles

Okay, so I've never had Chillaquiles, but its apparently a very popular Mexican breakfast dish. I learned of this dish from, of all places, Facebook. My cousin had posted a video of her hubby making this. It looked really easy and really tasty. And I knew this was something hubby would really like so I wanted to replicate it. I decided to make this for dinner tonight because, frankly, I couldn't think of anything to cook. After the marathon cooking I did for Thanksgiving, I haven't been really motivated to try anything new until now. Anyway, it turned out really good. Hubby really liked it, but he said it seemed like it was missing some kind of meat. I think next time I'll try to add some chorizo or something.

2 Tbsp. oil

Tortilla chips (I used flour tortillas cut into pieces then fried)

4 eggs, scrambled

1/2 cup of your favorite salsa

1/4 cup chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

1) In a large skillet, heat oil. Add tortilla chips and heat through. Move chips to the sides and pour the eggs in the center to cook. Add salsa and scramble together with the eggs and chips until eggs are fully cooked.

2) Stir in onions, cilantro, cheese. Place on a serving platter and top with more onions, cilantro and cheese.

Crockpot Chile Verde

I went out to lunch with my entire office one day at a Mexican restaurant. I chose to eat their buffet lunch, while others chose their food from the menu. I ate, what I later found out to be, Chile Verde and I was hooked. I told one of my co-workers that I was going to attempt to make the dish. There were different recipes that I found, but this was the only one that seemed to be popular for fans who liked using their crockpot. So I gave it a shot. This recipe was adapted from allrecipes.com. This recipe was a little bit more like a tomato-based stew. It was pretty good, but not as good as what I had at the restaurant.

3 Tbsp. oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 lbs. cubed pork.

7 ounces green salsa

4 ounces diced jalapeno peppers

14.5 ounces diced tomatoes

2 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. cumin

1) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add cubed pork, and cook until browned on the outside. Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Stir in green salsa, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, salt and cumin.

2) Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Reduce the setting to low and cook for 4 more hours. Serve with tortillas and Mexican rice.

Mexican Rice

I've had this recipe for a while and I always make it whenever I make a Mexican dish. Its really simple to make.

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1) Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.

2) Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.