Salsa

Our family uses salsa like others use ketchup. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner or just snacking, you will usually find a big bowl of salsa and tortilla chips on the table. Ninety percent of restaurants in El Paso will have the same offering of chips and salsa where in other cities you will find breadsticks.

The one person in our family whose meal is not complete without a “fresh” bowl of salsa is my brother Mando. Of course, there’s no problem there. He just makes his own. Since I’ve written about my other brother, Jose, I thought I’d give my brother Mando equal time.

My brothers are so special to me. With all of us getting on in years, I feel a need to strengthen our bond. My sadness for Gloria, when she recently lost her beloved brother, made me realize how quickly life can pass us by. We must take the time we have to acknowledge our love and caring for each other. No, we don’t always get along. We each have our own distinct personalities. But that’s what makes us special in each other’s eyes. So folks, here is my other brother, Mando. I think his bald head is so cute!

This is my brother's recipe for his salsa. I believe it was inspired by my mom's recipe, but he's managed to adapt it by adding his own flair.

Mando's Salsa

Armando (my brother), was born and raised in El Paso, in El Segundo Barrio. Graduate of "La Tech." Musician, printer, and computer technician, worked for El Paso Times and Digital Corp. for thirteen years. Now works for the Albuquerque Independent School System in their Multi-integrated Computer systems department. He is married and has ten (!!) kids. "Consejos (advice) came from my grandmother (mi Chita), my mom, and my brother. They are the ones I have to thank for the successes in life. Words of wisdom came from mi Chita; words of courage came from Mom."

Makes approximately 4 cups
2 pounds jalapeños
2 tablespoons oil
Garlic salt, to taste
½ large onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced

Rinse the jalapeños. Remove the stems. Boil in 4 quarts of water with the oil. Add garlic salt to taste. When the water starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours. Periodically check to make sure the water level in the pot remains full. Drain the chiles, reserving some of the juice, and set aside. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, mash the jalapeños with a potato masher or even a pastry cutter. Make sure all the jalapeños are completely broken up. Cool slightly. Add the onion, tomatoes, and cilantro. Add reserved chile juice to achieve desired consistency. Cover bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
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Other salsa recipes.

Tequila Salsa

This salsa can be used as a marinade on chicken and turkey as well.
½ cup olive oil
½ cup lime juice
½ cup tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec
1 can ( 4 ounces ) diced green chiles, undrained

Combine all ingredients. If using as a salsa, serve chilled. Makes 2 cups.

Salsa for a Crowd

3 cans ( 28 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 can ( 15 ounce) tomato sauce
3 medium fresh tomatoes, diced
3 bunches green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon canned, chopped jalapeños
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can ( 7 ounce) chopped green chiles
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix well and store in glass jars in refrigerator for up to a week. Makes 6 cups.

Pico de Gallo 1

4 medium tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, chopped with some of the tops
2 to 3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Blend all ingredients and stir well. Chill before serving. Makes 2 cups.

Pico de Gallo 2

8 long green chiles, roasted, peeled, deveined and chopped
2 small yellow chiles, roasted, peeled and chopped
5 green onions, chopped (including tops)
5 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons salad oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients; chill. Will keep at least 2 weeks in refrigerator. Serve with tostada chips for an appetizer. Makes 2 cups.

Pico de Gallo 3

2 tomatoes, finely chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of ½ lime
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of hot pepper sauce, optional

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and hot pepper sauce. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend together. Makes about 3 cups.

Jalapeño Salsa

4 small fresh jalapeño chiles, chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, minced
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Dash of salt

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. This is delicious served with crackers or as a chile sauce for tacos. Also good with meat. Makes 1 cup.

Pineapple-Orange Salsa

1 orange
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
½ cup orange juice
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Grate 1 tablespoon orange peel; set aside. Peel orange and chop coarsely. Combine grated orange peel, chopped orange and remaining salsa ingredients, except cilantro, in medium bowl. Cover and Refrigerate 24 hours. Before serving, stir cilantro into salsa. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Peach Salsa

2 peaches, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons fresh jalapeños
½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup lime juice
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate several hours. Makes 1 cup.

Mango Salsa

1 mango, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons canned jalapeños, diced
½ cup onion, diced
¼ cup lime juice
1 tablespoon dried cilantro
¼ teaspoon dried cumin

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate several hours. Excellent with fish. Makes 1 cup.

Piña Colada Pie

I'm not going to try and fool you by telling you that I just made this pie for the post. Not the day after Thanksgiving, anyway. I made this a while back and have kept it on the "back burner" so to speak. I just never got around to posting about it. So, since I'm taking a lazy day off, I thought I'd go ahead and share it with you. I don't want you to think I've run away with the turkey. This is a Piña Colada Cheesecake. It's very tasty. Since I'm on Piña Coladas, there's a recipe for the drink as well. Hope everyone is relaxing and enjoying this holiday weekend. Love and hugs to all.

Piña Colada Cheesecake
Makes 10 to 12 servings

Crust:
2 cups crushed shortbread cookies (like Lorna Doons, about 20 cookies)
¾ cup crushed roasted pecans
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar

Filling:
3 (8 ounces each) packages of cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup of sugar
5 eggs
1 cup cream of coconut (like Coco Lopez)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup pineapple juice
½ cup rum
½ cup shredded coconut

Topping:
1 (20 ounce) can of pineapple rings
1 (7 ounce) can of whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325°
1. Lightly spray bottom and sides of 10" spring form pan with non-stick spray.Combine crust ingredients and press over bottom and 1-½ inches up the sides of pan. Set aside.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed for approximately 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well.Add next 5 ingredients and beat until well blended. Pour over crust.Bake pie for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until center is jiggly when shaken.
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool on bakers rack. This takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Cover and refrigerate for about 6 hours, or overnight.
6. 1 hour before serving, remove sides of pan and top cheesecake with whipped cream and pineapple rings.

Piña Colada
1 serving

3 ounces light rum
3 tablespoons coconut milk
5 tablespoons crushed pineapple
2 cups ice

Blend at high speed until smooth. Strain into a glass and serve with a straw. Top with a pineapple wedge and a cherry.

You won't see a lot of fuss around our table. Simple food that our small family enjoys, some time watching parades and football games and some time to play a board game or two. Our holiday consists of making the most of the time we have to celebrate just being family, reconnecting with each other. Last year Bob and I had dinner for two since Michael, Jennifer and Lily were celebrating in Dallas. It was easier for Lily to drive to Dallas from San Antonio than to drive all the way to El Paso and then turn right around and drive back to school.

Well, this year we have Lily here with us, but Mike and Jennifer will not be coming to town. I'm sure we'll be on the phone and emailing pictures back and forth just like we did last year. It made us feel like we were all together. Thank God for technology.

Anyway, I wanted to share recipes of our simple "feast" and hope you will enjoy them. May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love and caring and closeness with family and friends. Su amiga siempre, Tere.

Cranberry Chipotle Glazed Turkey Breast

1 bone-in turkey breast, 6 to 7 pounds
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Glaze:
1 (16 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons chipotle sauce (from a can)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
Rinse and pat dry thawed turkey breast. Season with salt and pepper (to taste) on all sides. Place skin side up on rack in roasting pan. Combine half-cup wine and half cup broth and add to bottom of roasting pan. Roast at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine glaze ingredients in medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until well combined. Continue to cook over low heat until reduced to half.After first hour of roasting turkey breast, begin glazing every 15 minutes. Continue roasting for a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until turkey breast registers 180 degrees on meat thermometer.Remove turkey breast from oven and cover with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes to allow juices to reincorporate into breast. Slice and serve.

Smashed Red Potatoes with Shallots and Mexican Blend Cheese

2 pounds small red potatoes, rinsed and quartered
4 to 5 medium cloves of shallots, peeled but left whole
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup half and half
1 cup finely shredded Mexican-Blend Cheese

Cook quartered potatoes and shallots in salted, boiling water until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Using a pastry cutter cut up potatoes with 1/4-cup butter. Add half and half until blended. Mix in 1/2 cup of the cheese blend. Fold in gently. Top with remaining cheese blend right before serving.

Extra Special Green Bean Casserole

4 cups cooked green beans
1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup half and half
1 teaspoon soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 recipe homemade onion rings (recipe follows)

Combine green beans, soup, half and half, soy sauce, and seasonings in a casserole dish. Mix in half the onion rings. Bake 25 minutes in a 350° oven. Sprinkle the remainder of onion rings on top before serving.

Homemade Onion Rings:
2 medium onions sliced thinly into rings
¾ cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups flour
¼ teaspoon chile powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable oil

Heat oil in a heavy bottom, deep fry pan. Heat to 350 °.Whisk flour, chile powder, and seasonings in a bowl. Soak onion rings in buttermilk in a separate bowl. Working in batches, toss rings into flour mixture and then, gently, place them in the hot oil. Turn rings over and cook a total time of 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cooked onion rings to a paper towel lined cookie sheet to soak up the excess oil.



Eggnog Shakes

1-quart vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup eggnog
whipped cream
nutmeg
In blender, mix ice cream and eggnog. Pour into 2 dessert glasses. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve with a cinnamon stick and a gingerbread man cookie.

Piloncillo-Pecan Pound Cakes

2 cups ( 4 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
8 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cream or half and half
1 tablespoon rum or 1 teaspoon rum flavoring
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped piloncillo

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add sugar and beat for 6 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until incorporated after each addition. Add flour, alternating with cream. Add rum or rum flavoring.Fold-in pecans and piloncillo.Grease and flour mini bundt pans. Fill 2/3 full. Heat oven to 325degrees. Bake mini loaves for 40 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream and drizzle with East Rum flavored Caramel Sauce. This sauce is simple. Just mix 1 cup caramel ice cream topping and 1 tablespoon rum. Heat caramel topping in saucepan over low heat.

Pecan Pie Cookies

Crust:
2/3 cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups flour

Filling:
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans

Semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottom and sides of 13 x 9 in baking pan. In a large bowl mix sugar, butter, and vanilla. Stir in flour and mix well. Press dough on bottom and up sides (about ½ inch) of baking pan. Bake 15 minutes till edges are light brown. Beat brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and eggs with a wooden spoon. Fold in pecans. Pour over baked crust and bake 25 to 27 minutes. Loosen edges from sides of pan while still warm. Cool completely. Cut into squares. If desired, melt chocolate chips and coat edges of squares by dipping into melted chocolate.
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Wedding Comparisons Between Mexicans and Others

Others: Send out invitations.
Mexicans: Send out maps.
Others: Receive their invitations 3 months in advance.
Mexicans: Find out about the wedding 3 days before the wedding.
Others: Have seven Brides Maids..
Mexicans: Have forty seven Padrinos.
Others: RSVP their invitation.
Mexicans: Show up with three car loads, and are waiting for the rest of their
family that got stuck at the train.
Others: Go to the wedding AND the reception.
Mexicans: Just go to the reception and the house party after.
Others: Have elegant food.
Mexicans: Have arroz, frijoles and brisket
Others: Order the cake from a bakery.
Mexicans: Have their cake done by la señora down the street.
Others: Eat the food and cake.
Mexicans: Eat the food and cake...AND take some home para la familia that
couldn't make it.
Others: At the reception, they drink wine
Mexicans: At the reception, they drink Coors, Budweiser. Bud Light
Bud Ice, Corona , Tecate, Casadores, Patron, Presidente, Jose
Cuervo whatever else could fit in the cooler they bought at HEB
Others: Relatives get drunk and pass out.
Mexicans: Get drunk, shed a few tears and start singing to Vicente
Fernandez songs, tell you they love you sooooo much, fight..... then pass out.
Others: Dance at the party....................YEAH RIGHT!!!
Mexicans: Dance at the party to Norteño¬ Rancheras, Reggaeton,Rap,Old school,
Oldies, House,etc.
Others: Party ends at midnight.
Mexicans: Party ends when the COPS show up. lol
Others: Wake up the next morning NOT WANTING another beer.
Mexicans: Wake up the next morning still holding a beer.
Now, you know you were laughing - cuz you've done at least 6 of
these.

My Prize Candle and Awards

Look at the wonderful candle I won from Michele at Life, Lightly Salted. It's Almond Biscotti scented and the aroma is divine. In my chocolate blog I told you about the wonderful soaps I purchased from Nazarina. Well, I got my candle the same day. The candle was a prize in the Things That Make Scents contest. It is a soy wax candle that is very earth friendly.

Yeah, Bob thought I'd lost it as I sat there sniffing in the glorious aromas that surrounded me. Thank you so much Michele. I send you a big, big hug.


Reeni, from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice gave me the Superior Scribbler Award. Thank you Reeni. You are one of the sweetest ladies I know. You are always writng beautiful comments to all the blogs you view and are a very generous and caring foodie friend. On top of this, you have a magnificent blog yourself. You blog from the heart, Reeni. So, my heart goes out to you dear friend.

I pass on this award to Megan, from Megan's Cookin. Megan is a lovely lady. She's a blogger after my own heart. She's thoughtful, caring, organized and she showed me the Mr. Happy Spoon which I fell in love with.

I also pass this award onto Ivy from Kopiaste.. to Greek Hospitality. Not only is Ivy an incredible blogger and foodie, but she is involved with Blogger Aid, an organization of Bloggers Uniting to Aid in the Alleviation of Hunger. Kudos to you my dear Ivy. Your heart and caring will be rewarded.
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Next comes Ramya from Memory Archieved, A Passion for Cooking. Boy, let me tell you, she really got me to let it all hang out!
She presented me with the Kreativ Blogger Award. But with this award comes the completion of you getting to know me a bit better.

I will listing seven answers per category and then (watch out now) I'll be passing it on to seven unsuspecting bloggers.

Number 1
Seven things that I say more often:
1. Oh, good Lord!
2. No kidding?
3. I love you
4. Good grief!
5. Who took my chocolate?
6. Cool!
7. Honey (Bob) Angel (Lily) Hi Mijo (Mikey)

Number 2
Seven things I did before
1. Sketched in pencil and charcoal
2. Wore business suits and heels (ugh!)
3. Ate too much fast food
4. Waited to have someone help me with computer stuff (no more, I look it up and learn what I need)
5. Was anal about keeping the house clean
6. Did cross stitch
7. Did not envision dreams and goals

Number 3
Seven things I do now
1. Write with pleasure
2. Cook and experiment in the kitchen
3. Search for Vampire stories
4. Blog to my hearts content
6. Crotchet, little bits at a time (arthritis)
7. Clean the house when it needs cleaning (instead of because that’s what I think should be done)

Number 4
Seven things I want to do
1. Publish 2 (or 3) more books this coming year
2. Educate my self on the fine art of computer science
3. Become a professional chocolatier
4. Have a complete makeover
5. Start sewing again
6. Help my daughter accomplish her dreams
7. Renew my romantic relationship with my beloved now that he’s semi-retired

Number 5
Seven things that attract me about the opposite sex
1. A loving, caring, respectful nature
2. A gentle smile
3. Honesty
4. A sense of humor
5. Be romantic
6. Be adventuresome
7. Be comfortable with who he is

Number 6
Seven favorite foods
1. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocoate
2. Mexican food – all kinds
3. Pasta
4. Chicken prepared in many different ways
5. Veggies! I love veggies.
6. Buttered bread
7. Coffee, tequila, Kahlua and water

Now for the 7 bloggers whom I would like to pass this on to:

Megan at http://megansmunchies.blogspot.com/
Esi at http://dishingupdelights.blogspot.com/
Valley Writer at http://pioneervalleyma.blogspot.com/
Nikki at http://niksnacks.blogspot.com/
Nazarina at http://giddygastronome.blogspot.com/
Christy at http://christyskitchencreations.blogspot.com/
Vanessa at http://3rsvan.wordpress.com/

Have fun with this. If you can and want to do it great. If for some reason you are not inclined to, no worries. I still love you. Remember that these "exercises" are simply for pleasure and meant to be stress relievers. Having gotten lost for the past couple of hours doing this blog kept my mind from wondering too far. It helped bring back a smile and some peace into this day. I hope it does the same for you. Big hugs to all.

Tamales - Part 3

This is the final installment of the how-to on making tamales, like I need to tell you fine foodies how-to anything. I've learned so much more from you than I could ever show you. So let's just call it sharing. Foodies are good at sharing. (Unless it's CHOCOLATE, then I get a little stingy!)

Masa Preparation (Hot)
1 1/3 cups lard, whipped until fluffy
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 cups masa flour (corn tortilla flour, not cornmeal)
2 teaspoons salt
2 2/3 cups broth saved after cooking meat

Mix masa, baking powder and salt. Add broth to masa mixture a little at a time to make moist dough. Add masa dough to lard. Beat until it has a spongy texture. Taste-test just a smidgen of the masa for salt content. (A quick test to make sure masa is ready is to drop a small round ball of the masa, about the size of a pea, into a glass of water. If it floats to the top, masa is ready.) This is enough masa for 2 dozen medium to 1 ½ dozen large tamales, or 4 to 5 dozen cocktail (small) tamales. To add a little kick to your tamales, try adding some of the red or green sauce into the masa mixture. This will add flavor if you are looking for something a little spicier.

On the previous post, I suggested a method of preparing “Sweet” Tamales. But check out the link I have listed blow for other exciting recipes.

Tamales Cooking Instructions

Prepare ChileSauce
Prepare Filling
Prepare Husks
Prepare Masa

After patting cornhusks dry, spread 2 tablespoons of masa down center of husk to form a rectangle, 1 inch from the top and 3 inches from the bottom. This should be spread to about 1/8-inch thick*. A cornhusk is usually triangle shape. The top is the straight edge; the bottom is the pointy edge.


Spoon 2 rounded tablespoons filling in center of masa.








To enclose filling, fold husk so that masa edges meet. Wrap plain side of husk around outside of tamale and fold tip. Place seam side down on tray and cover with damp paper towels until all tamales are prepared.

To steam, use a 12 to 14 quart steamer or place a rack inside a 12 to 14 quart pot. Add 1 inch of water to bottom of pot**. Stack tamales loosely in steamer, overlapping edges.

Lay them in a circular fashion leaving an opening (a well) down the center so that steam can circulate and so that you can add more water during the steaming process if needed.




Stack tamales in circular fashion. Stack only enough tamales to leave a 2-inch clearance from the top. Place some spare husks over the prepared tamales and cover the pot with lid. This will keep steam from escaping and will assure adequate circulation.



Heat water to boil; adjust heat to keep water at a steady low boil. Continue to cook, adding boiling water to maintain water level in pot at 1 inch. Cook until masa is firm and does not stick to husk. Open 1 tamal from center of pan to test. Be sure to use tongs to pick up the tamales, they will be extremely hot. Cooking time is approximately 1 hour.

*HINT: If you look closely at the cornhusks, you will see (or feel) that one side of the husk is smoother than the other side, which has ridges. Spread the masa on the smooth side. Tamales will separate much more easily from the husk when cooked.

**HINT: Place a coin at the bottom of pot before stacking tamales. As the water boils, you will hear the coin rattling around. When you stop hearing the coin, it's time to add more boiling water down the "well" or center of the tamal stack to keep the steam going until the tamales are cooked thoroughly.


Rule of Thumb
One pound of masa plus one pound of filling equals one dozen tamales.









If your level of excitement isn’t quite at the boil over stage, check out this one site I found on my quest for the perfect tamal. http://www.recipegoldmine.com/swtamale/swtamale.html

This site is filled with various fillings and preparation methods that will have your head spinning. I love that it stimulates your imagination in creating the perfect TAMAL for your family.

[Notice I didn’t spell tamales with an e at the end for a single one. That’s because it doesn’t have one. In Spanish, for one of these delicious delicacies, it is spelled Tamal. For more than one, it is spelled Tamales. That’s where you add the e. Ah, grammar. I need to be careful, Meryl and Arlene are watching and I don’t want to be kept after school!!!]

Love you guys.

Mexican Word of the day: TEXAS
My ruca always Texas (texts) me when I’m not home wondering where I’m at.

Tamales - Part 2

Part 2

Fillings:

Tamales can be filled with a variety of meats such as pork, beef, or chicken. Other foodstuffs such as chiles, cheese or even beans are used. Nuevo Latino Cuisine has even featured tamales stuffed with mushrooms, seafood or a variety of vegetable fillings.

Shredded chicken, beef, or pork are traditional items, but I have known people to fill their tamales with chile strips topped with cheese such as Asadero or vegetables mixed with chile. Then of course there are the sweet tamales. These don't have a filling but the masa is prepared with cinnamon, anise, raisins and pecans. You could probably even add some chopped Mexican chocolate to these as well.

The following is a simple shredded pork recipe that is most commonly used in making tamales.

Tamales with Shredded Pork and Red Chile

4 to 5 pounds of pork roast (if boneless, 3 pounds)
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons salt

Brown pork roast in large Dutch oven in oil. Add enough water to cover the roast. Add onions, garlic, cumin, and salt. Boil till fork tender, about 2 to 3 hours. When meat is done, remove from stove and let cool.

Discard fat and bones (if any). Drain broth from meat and shred with the use of 2 forks, or by hand, when meat is cool enough. Reserve broth for use in masa preparation.

Shred meat into small strands using 2 forks. Mix meat with 2 cups of chile sauce and simmer for 20 minutes (add broth if needed).
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This filling is one I made to use up some leftover brisket I had in the fridge. I included some sliced, roasted peppers and onions to the filling also.

Tamales with BBQ-Red Chile Brisket Filling

1 10-12 pound brisket
2 cups BBQ Sauce, your favorite
1 cup beef broth
1 batch red chile sauce

Optional
Slices of red, green and yellow peppers, roasted
slices of yellow onion, roasted

Rub salt, pepper, garlic salt on brisket.Wrap tightly with aluminum foil.Place in a large roaster pan, add 2 inches of water. Cook brisket in 225 degree oven for 10 to 12 hours. Check and make sure the water level remains at 2 inches. When done, allow to cool enough to handle. Shred brisket and set aside.

Prepare 1 batch red chile sauce. Mix with 2 cups barbecue sauce and 1 cup beef broth. In large Dutch oven, combine shredded brisket with BBQ-Chile sauce and cook through. Follow Tamale making instructions using the brisket filling in place of the pork or chicken filling for a real Southwestern flavor. Filling should be enough for approximately 8 to 10 dozen tamales, depending on how much you fill each tamale.
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Sweet

1-pound masa flour
½ pound lard, whipped until fluffy
1-teaspoon baking powder
1-tablespoon salt
1-cup broth
1-cup brown sugar
1-cup raisins
1-teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
½ cup pecans
½ cup chopped Mexican chocolate, optional

Mix masa, lard, and baking powder together until a small portion (the size of a pea) floats in a glass of cold water. Fold in the rest of ingredients to dough and combine thoroughly. Place 2 tablespoons dough in middle of cornhusk, spreading towards top end and fold over bottom end. Steam tamales same as you would the hot tamales.
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I’m sure with a little imagination, you can up with a variety of fillings of your own. Next post we’ll do Masa Preparation and the Steaming of the tamales.

I meant to have this up yesterday, but Bob’s gout reappeared and we ended up going to see the doctor and getting meds and whatnot. Things are a little calmer today. Murphy’s Law! Life goes on. Hugs to all.

Tamales

Tamales is one of those foods that I couldn't possibly live without. A lot of people have experienced the deliciousness of this regional delicacy, but some have not. Boy are they missing out! Also, some people have made them at home and a lot have not.

Here in El Paso, as in other Southwestern or Hispanic communities, we hold what is called a "Tamalada." This is where you invite family, friends and neighbors to come over and help make dozens and dozens of Tamales, some of which will be going home with them. Though Tamales are not really difficult to make, they are time consuming, especially if you're trying to make them by yourself. They're worth it though.

Because the instructions I have on making Tamales are extensive and way too long for a single post, I'm going to break it down and give you the various steps to making your very own tamales at home over the next few posts. It's traditional in the Southwest and its' popularity has spread far and wide. The cost of purchased tamales last year had risen to $21.00 a dozen. This is for "good" tamales. Sure you can buy them cheaper, but you get what you pay for. You can save yourself money and know exactly what's going into the tamales when you make them at home. So, start your own tradition and have a "Tamalada" starting this year. You'll have fun and make memories along the way.

Today, we'll go through HUSK preparation and making the CHILE SAUCE for your tamales.









Husk Preparation

Cornhusks are usually sold in 8-ounce packages, approximately 50 husks per package. They can be purchased at any supermarket that sells Latin American groceries or go to a Hispanic or Latin market to buy.

Sort through husks, removing extraneous silk strings and any other materials you may find. (Though messy, silks can be removed a lot easier when husks are wet. If you try to remove silks embedded in the husks when they are dry, you will end up tearing the husks.)

Place husks in a large pot or pan and cover with warm water to soften. Weigh the husks down with a heavy object. You'll notice I used a botle of wine. :) Leave husks in water anywhere from a couple of hours to overnight. Separate husks and rinse once or twice more. Remove any remaining silk strings at this time.

Stand the husks in a large pot or basket (I found that a clean dish drainer works the best) and allow the husks to drain. Pat husks dry when actually ready to spread with masa.












Chile Sauce Preparation

Red Chile Purée

9- (about 3 ounces) dried New Mexico or California red chiles, hot or mild or a combination of both
2- cups water, or more, to cover chiles completely with water in pan
1- small onion, chopped
2- cloves garlic, chopped

Roast chiles on a large baking pan for approximately 4 minutes. Let cool slightly and then remove seeds and stems. IMPORTANT! Wear rubber gloves when handling chiles. If you accidentally rub your eyes when handling chiles without gloves, it will really sting. In a 4-quart pan, combine chiles, water, onion, and garlic. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) until chiles are soft (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat and cool slightly.

In blender, whirl chile mixture till smooth. Run through sieve (strainer) to discard residue and any unprocessed chile skins. Purée can be refrigerated (covered) up to 1 week. Makes 2 cups.

* If you want a hotter tasting chile sauce, try adding 1 or 2 "chile de arbol", stemmed and seeded, to the chile in the water simmering step.

Green Chile Sauce

1/3 cup salad oil
2 medium sized onions, chopped
1 can ( 7 ounces ) diced green chiles, or use roasted fresh green chiles
2 cans ( 13 ounces each ) tomatillos, drained
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon cumin

Cook onion in oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in green chiles, tomatillos, broth, lime juice, oregano, and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whirl in blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt.

The recipe and instructions on Tamale making are found in the "Aprovecho A Mexican American Border Cookbook". For a peak at the book go here:

Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook (Hippocrene Cookbook Library)

Next post we'll go over Filling Preparation and discover all the various types of delicious fillings that can used in making tamales. From Savory to Sweet, you'll decide what kind of tamales to serve at your next holiday party or family dinner. Hasta luego mis amigos.

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GIVE CHOCOLATE FOR CHRISTMAS

Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes

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MATACHINES

Photos by: Carlos Marentes

I've watched the Matachines dance in front of our neighborhood church since I was very little (a long time now!), but not until I started researching matachines did I understand the significance of the individual dancers.

As with the mariachis, the origins of the matachines are a little fuzzy. Even though they dance and host celebrations throughout the year, their most important performing season is Advent, mostly because the day of Our Lady of Guadalupe falls in that season on December 12th and she is celebrated starting in December and ending about one week before Christmas Eve. The dancers are known for a set drama based on the history of Montezuma. Even though the dances are based on this story, people who join the Matachines do it for a deeper religious purpose, since most of them join to venerate either Mother Mary (Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, Immaculate conception, etc.), a saint, or simply to worship Christ or God the Holy Trinity.

The dance itself is a portrayal of good versus evil, Christianity versus paganism. There is the leader called El Monarca. In Pueblo communities and tribes, the Monarca is said to have been Montezuma himself. There is La Malinche, this character represents innocence and is usually danced by a young girl dressed in a pastel colored dress or white First Communion dress. To balance out goodness, innocence and virginity, we have El Toro, the bull, portraying evil. To round off the atmosphere of the dance, you have El Abuelo, (the Grandfather) who used to scare young children into behaving and La Perejundia a man dressed as an old woman. In more recent times, El Abuelo and La Perejundia act more like comic figures than dancers to offset the solemness of the dance. The Abuelo, while joking around, keeps order and directs the different dances. The Perejundia, or La Vieja (old woman), plays around with the Abuelo and attempts to kill El Toro who represents evil.

Costumes vary from town to town and region to region. In El Segundo Barrio where I'm from, the matachines main color scheme is red with a picture of La Virgen de Guadalupe on the shirtfront or back. The dancers themselves make most costumes. Some dancers start at a very early age. I've seen four and five year old kids out there. With their youth, patience is required as the elders instruct them in the art of creating their costumes. This is an extraordinarily beautiful piece of work.

In the Segundo Barrio group of matachines, a drummer keeps the beat during lengthy dances. In other communities, a violinist and a guitarist accompany the dancers. Each dancer carries a guaje (rattle) in one hand and a three-pronged trident in the other.

Whatever traditions, beliefs, or customs have shaped the individual group of Matachine dancers in your own community, it is important to note that we each take pride in another aspect of our cultural heritage through the wonderful danza de los matachines (dance of the matachines).

If you would like to see an actual dance by the Matachines, check out this You Tube video. This particular group is from my home town - El Paso, Texas. I'm very proud of these dancers. They portray the essence of the beliefs we grew up with in the barrio and in all Chicano communities. Enjoy.
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GIVE CHOCOLATE FOR CHRISTMAS

Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes

Buy Now, Click Here




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Mexican Word of the day..."CHALK"
"When she told me she was pregnant, I was in CHALK!"

Chili Cook Off Entry

Here's my entry into Gloria's Chili Cook Off Challange. It's the one I used to the Halloween Spread. It's easy and delicious and has some chocolate in it too.

Chile Chili
(makes 4 generous helpings)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans
2 tablespoons chile powder
1 tablespoon grated Mexican chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper
1 tablespoon hot sauce
sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, minced onion, chopped jalapeños, optional

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic. Drain and discard fat. Add tomatoes, chili beans, chile powder, and chocolate. Cook on medium low heat for 1 hour. Serve warm.

Tina's Banana Bread and a Meme

Ophelia's Easy Banana Bread

Last month, Tina from Mommy's Kitchen shared this wonderful, tasty and easy to prepare recipe with us. I immediately liked it because of how simple the recipe was to prepare. I really like Tina's blog. She prepares the style of food that I consider "comfort" food and my family enjoys. We're not fussy eaters. No architecturally designed food dishes for us. And, we love Banana Bread.

My Mom made the best banana bread ever. No recipe, no instructions. Butter, flour, vanilla, sugar, eggs, bananas, milk, and some baking soda. If you wanted to learn her recipe, you stood watch and took notes.

So, when Tina posted this recipe, I knew I had to try it. Oh my, it was good. Delicious and moist. I think if you try the recipe you'll see for yourself. Way to go Tina. Thank you neighbor!


Ophelia's Banana Bread

1 Package Yellow Cake Mix (Any Brand)
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Bananas, Mashed
2 Eggs Beaten
½ Cup Milk
½ Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

Add dry cake mix to a large bowl. Add eggs, oil and milk. Blend on low with mixer then add bananas. Pour into a greased large loaf pan or two small loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Let cool and slice. If the banana bread starts too brown to fast just tent with foil and continue baking.
And that's it. How simple is that? I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as we did.
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Gloria over at Cookbook Cuisine sent me a "six random things about me" -meme that I wasn't really sure I wanted to take part in. You see, I'm normally a shy and private person. So telling things about myself is really difficult. But, what the heck. If you can't open up to family, like my foodie buddies, who can you open up with?

Rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

So six random things about me are:
1. I'm short, my hair is thinning and I'm overweight by 10 pounds.
2. I love experimenting in the kitchen, but, I always get back to basics: CHOCOLATE.
3. Celebrating my first Valentine's Day with Bob after we got married, my gift to him was a collection of poetry that I wrote especially for him that is rated XXX. He still has the book. It's hidden in his underwear drawer (20 years later).
4. I love Vampire stories. I was devastated when Anne Rice stopped the Vampire Chronicles.
5. I believe in UFO's. I've seen them. Cross my heart. I almost totaled my car following one.
6. Having become part of the foodie blogroll and meeting so many fine people has brought a great joy to my life and filled a void only another writer can understand.

And there you go. That's who I am. Love you guys. I will now target the next 6 unsuspecting foodies. They are:
1. Ben from What's Cooking
2. Prudence, Glass Slipper Cakery
3. Happy Cook, My KitchenTreasures
4. Lori, The Recipe Girl
5. Tina, Mommy's Kitchen
6. Reeni, Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
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Check out my chocolate blog, Mexican Chocolate Lore and More for a fabulous FREE chocolate offer!
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Joke for today:
A grade school teacher asked her students to use the word "Fascinate" in a sentence. Maria put up her hand and said "My family went to my abuelitos farm and we all saw his pet cabrito. "It was fascinating."
The teacher said "That was good but i wanted you to use the word "Fascinate not Fascinating."
Enriqueta shyly raised her hand and said "My family went to the zoo and we all saw Lions. "I was fascinated."
The teacher said "Well, that was good Enriqueta but I wanted you to use the word "Fascinate."
Pepito raised his hand.The teacher hesitated because she had been burned by Pepito before. She finally decided there was no way Pepito could damage the word "Fascinate" so she called on him.
Pepito said "My sister has a sweater with ten buttons,but her chichis are so big she can only fasten eight! ;)

From Website to Cookbook to Blog

...celebrating our culture through generations.

This was the logo on the website I maintained for several years. I closed it down January 1st, of this year. A lot of hard work and a lot of fun went into this site.


Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook (Hippocrene Cookbook Library)
Click on the link above to go directly to the Amazon.com site to get a quick look inside

From this site, Bob and I created the manuscript for our cookbook, Aprovecho, A Mexican-American Border Cookook. This cookbook was done with the intention of having it passed on from generation to generation. As our world is constantly changing, it is getting harder and harder to pass on cultural traditions. This cookbook encompasses both sides of the border with stories and legends that are unique to the Southwestern region of the country. It also contains Dichos (Proverbs), a chile glossary and 250 delicious, simple and easy to follow recipes.

Food and all the aspects of food: preparation, development, the tablesetting, gatherings, family, celebrations, all these things are exciting for me. Now, with my blogs and viewing my foodie friends blogs and sharing in their creations simply elates me. My passion for all things FOOD brings a joy to my writing and cooking. I have friends online with whom I can share that joy. Of course I still need to make a living. This is why I am imposing on your generous nature and decided to spotlight my own cookbook. I hope you won't hold that against me. Oh, and did I mention that the book makes a wonderful Holiday gift for the Foodie in your life?

Now, though, I want to share with you some of the recipes that are contained in this cookbook. Over the last couple of months I've written about some of the legends and traditions that are contained in the book. I've posted some of the recipes as well. But it's now the Holiday season and in keeping with the idea of passing on cultural traditions, most of which are centered around the dining table, I thought posting some of our Holiday recipes would be in order.


The first one is Picadillo Navideño, or Christmas Picadillo.
This delicious dish is made with ground beef, beets, onions, carrots, potatoes, raisins and pecans. It's a savory yet slightly sweet dish traditionally served during the holidays.


This one is called Montezuma Casserole. This dish is made with pork roast and green poblano chile.





This third recipe is my grandmother's (Mi Chita's)Polvorones. These delightful little biscochos are coated in cinnamon sugar and are served at every holiday meal (as well as weddings, birthdays and all fiestas).

I hope I've piqued your interest in checking out the Aprovecho Cookbook. Not only is cooking, developing recipes and writing about them my passion, it is also my career.

Over the weeks to come, I will post more holiday recipes and traditions that encompass my part of the world, the desert Southwest, the Mexican-American Border. Enjoy these recipes. They come from the heart.

Picadillo Navideño

1/2 pound medium beets, chopped
3 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, chopped
3 to 4 small potatoes, cubed


1 cup rasins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cumin
salt and pepper

Cook beets in water until tender reserving the liquid. Heat oil in a skillet and saute the meat, onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Once the meat is no longer pink, add the carrots and potatoes and cook until semi done then add the beets, raisins, pecans, cinnamon and cumin. Cook for 10 more minutes. Add some of the reserved liquid if you see the dish getting too dry. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Montezuma's Casserole

1 1/2 pounds pork roast
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped
8 green poblano chiles, roasted pealed and cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 corn tortillas
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 ounces asadero cheese, grated
Lettuce and radishes for garnish (optional)

Season the pork roast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the roast on all sides. Add enough water to cover the roast and cook until done. Shred the pork once it is cooked and cool enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onion, tomatoes, chiles and garlic. Add this mixture to the shredded pork with a little water. Fry the tortillas in oil and dip in the beaten eggs. Place these tortillass in the prepared greased baking pan. Add the meat mixture and top with the grated asadero cheese. Bake until browned and thoroughly cooked, about 25 minutes. Serve with lettuce and radish slices if desired.

Mi Chita's Polvorones
(Biscochos)

2 pounds of flour
1 pound of lard
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup warm milk
Cinnamon-sugar mixture for coating

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well. Add lard. Cut lard into flour mixture with a pastry blender (or do it the way my grandmother taught me; with your two clean hands, scoop up flour and lard and gently rub between the palms of your hands). Continue this until flour-lard mixture converts to pea-size pieces. Add warm milk. Combine until well blended. Do not knead dough for too long, as it tends to toughen the pastry - just like with pie pastry. Roll out small sections of the dough between two pieces of waxed paper. Remove top layer of waxed paper and cut dough with cookie cutters dipped in powdered sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 - 12 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Allow to cool for 6 to 8 minutes. Coat with cinnamon sugar mixture. Makes approximately 5-6 dozen small polvorones.

This is my grandmother's recipe for polvorones (biscochos). She never wrote it down, but rather taught me (show and tell) how to make them when I was 12 or 13. I in turn have taught my daughter how to make this wonderful recipe. She learned very well.

I hope you enjoy these recipes. Until next time, Aprovecho.

A Southwestern Breakfast

How about some Jalapeño Pancakes to either start or end your day? This recipe is great for a Texas style brunch or a late night dinner. Nothing fancy, just different. After all that candy and dessert you and I had for Halloween, maybe we should go savory for a change. Since Bob needs to lay off the meats for a while, I just prepared him an extra helping of pancakes with a big pot of Mexican Mocha Coffee. He didn't miss the bacon.
Here's another breakfast I prepared for him some time ago. This one is sweet, just the way I like it. It's Amaretto French Toast. Served with a side of luscious strawberries and orange slices, you'll be smiling all day long.

Don't forget the coffee. This one is a little different from regular Mexican Coffee because I added some, you guessed it, CHOCOLATE. I really like it, I hope you do too. Have a great start to the Fall season. I know everyone is going to be a little nuts getting ready for Thanksgiving Day. But that's OK. It's exciting. Be sure and involve your children and family in the planning. It takes the pressure off of you and makes them feel pretty special.



Corn Jalapeño Pancakes
14 to 16 mini cakes

2 cups "complete" pancake mix
1 (8 3/4 ounce) can sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup minced green onion
1/4 cup minced jalapeño, fresh or cooked, your choice
sour cream, optional
salsa, optional

Heat non-stick griddle over medium high heat. In large mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients and let rest while griddle heats. Cook pancakes on griddle using a quarter cup measure of batter for each mini-cake. As you remove pancakes from griddle, place them on an oven-proof plate to keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest of batter.Serve with sour cream and salsa if you like. This dish not only makes a great "El Paso-type" breakfast, but also a fantastic addition to a brunch buffet.

Amaretto French Toast
serves 4

4 (1 inch) slices of egg bread, brioche or Hallah
2 cups half and half
4 eggs
1/4 cup Amaretto (or, 1 teaspoon pure almond flavoring)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup crushed shortbread cookies (about 6 cookies)
1/2 cup crushed almonds

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.In a large mixing bowl, combine the half and half, eggs, Amaretto, and allspice. Whisk until fully combined. Place your bread slices in the Amaretto mixture. Turn slices over and leave for 5 minutes so that the bread can absorb the egg mixture.In a separate, wide, open plate mix the cookie crumbs and crushed almonds. Heat buttered skillet on medium. Coat each bread slice with the cookie mix and cook in skillet for 2 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet and bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes to ensure that all the egg mixture is cooked thoroughly.Serve immediately with warmed maple syrup.

Mex-Mocha Coffee
makes 8 cups

4 heaping tablespoons dark roasted coffee
8 cups water
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped Mexican chocolate, like Ibarra or Abuelita
1 cup half and half (or milk if you prefer)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the cinnamon and nutmeg to the coffee grounds before brewing. Add water to your coffee maker and brew coffee. Meanwhile, over low heat in a saucepan, combine half and half, brown sugar, and the chocolate. Stir constantly to melt chocolate and prevent it from burning. Stir in brewed coffee and add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Serve while still hot.
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MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: GARDEN
I wanted to sneak my ruka out for some party, pero, her popi was GARDEN the front porch.