Man,
There is a lot of Authentic Mexican Dishes to look through. Plus to say it bluntly, American, Tex Mex is a totally different flavor than the authentic Mexican we are going to chat about this month. My goals, if you are just joining us, are simple...... learn about authentic food from a country and do it in a healthy way. Happy Cooking My friends
First let us start with some appetizers.
Appetizers:
Home made (not from a bag or jar) Chips and Salsa
Option A - The "Fresh Chucky Salsa "
This is an amazing Fresh and awesome recipe that I serve at a lot of my parties. The website attached is the simple recipe I could find. When I make it, I also add some diced peppers. It depends which is at the store, but I usually do Green Bell, Poblano or banana peppers. I also like to add extra spices, such as cumin.
Option B - The "Restaurant Style Salsa"
Does it have to be organic? Not necessarily unless that is your thing. And I do not see a need for sugar, but it might help with the flavor. My advice would be to experiment.
Finally A Must
DO IT! It is not that hard and you will never turn back.
Main Course:
Soup is on with Shrimp Pozole
It is winter people. We all need a little soup in our lives and this one is killer. It was the first time I experimented with hominy (similar to corn kernels). If you cannot find it or this seems gross to you or whatever your reasoning, try either corn kernels in a can (no salt added) or white beans in the can ( no salt added). No salt added is important for many a reasons, but this recipe, the Shrimp Bouillon has so much sodium in it, I am not sure you need much more.
Soup not your thing, I got you still. Here are a couple of easy and great recipes that i have used over and over again.
Family Approved Sunday Mexican Casserole
This my friends is the old college "dump and cook" dinner. It is so easy and flavorful and all in one beautiful casserole dish. This is not very authentic, but the flavors are there annnnnnd its easy for us busy people when we might not have the time to cook.
This is a staple recipe at our house, at least 1 - 2 times a month. Super easy and not a lot of time. I do use other tomatoes (usually no salt added diced or roma tomatoes that i dice myself (look for hard tomatoes, not squishy)). You don't like shrimp, try another protein like chicken instead, but use all the ingredients listed to spice the shrimp.
Finally:
My Original Recipe
Chicken & Black Bean Burritos
I give this recipe out to my lunch prep demo group all the time. It is a lot of fun to make and easy to follow.
Yield: 8
Ingredients
2 servings cooked (NOT RAW) Instant brown rice
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 can (15 oz) no salt added black beans; drained, rinsed
8 whole wheat tortillas (8-inch)
1 cup mild salsa
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
Preparation
PRE PREP - Shredded Chicken.
If you have a crock pot, place 4 chicken breast into a crockpot with ¼ teaspoon of each salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Turn crockpot on high and cook for 3 -4 hrs. You know the chicken is done when you can take a fork to it and it “shreds” apart
No crockpot? Take out a pan, turn heat on medium (4-5 on stove setting) and add ½ tablespoon of oil. Season the same chicken with the same spices. The oil is ready when you can add a drop of water to the pan and it sizzles. Place chicken smooth side down first and cook for about 6-7 minutes (until it is lightly brown) and turn over and cook the same amount of time. You can cut the chicken in the pan to see if it is still pink, if it is, let the chicken cook for a little longer. When it is all done, take it off, let it cook on a cutting board for about 5 minutes and then cut it into thin slices.
Cook rice as directed on package for two servings, using 1/8 teaspoon salt, but omitting butter if called for. I also use low sodium or no sodium chicken broth instead of water to give it some extra flavor
Meanwhile, take black beans, drain and wash them in a strainer. Put into a medium bowl with the salsa and chili powder. Use the back of the spoon and squish them. You can also use a food processor/blender and mix the beans with the salsa till it is almost a paste.
Place cooked rice in large bowl; stir in cilantro and lime juice until well blended.
Heat tortillas, about 10-15 seconds in microwave. Spoon 8th of the bean mixture into a tortilla, down the middle. Add about 1/4 cup chicken mixture on top. Top with about 8th of the rice mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold sides of tortilla toward center; fold ends over. Serve with additional salsa, if desired.