It’s the difference between eating at Frontera Grill and Don Pablos.

If you are thinking that that looks like some pretty good nachos – think again. That is one of the diet staples of the Audet household…none other than Tex-Mex Hash. The hardest thing about making this dish  was measuring so I could share it with you.

Basically you can put any meat in hash. It was a dish created to be able to use up leftovers. Traditionally it is corned beef, potatoes, onions, and maybe even beets. Well, that may be how they do it in New York City but in Texas we dance to a different fiddler, so to speak.

You can use left over taco filling if you like, or any other meat you have. I used ground beef in this because I was making it more as a quick dinner than a way to use up leftovers. Anything and everything can be substituted with great results except that you need the Ro*Tel tomatoes and the potatoes.

Tex-Mex Hash

serves 8

• 2 slices of bacon
• 1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
• 8 medium size potatoes- peeled if not organic otherwise just washed and cubed
• 1 bell pepper , chopped
• 1/2 lb mushrooms sliced, optional
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 tbs cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped  fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup beer
• 2 cans Ro*Tel tomatoes with chilis
• 2 cups cheddar or colby or jack cheese
• 6 corn tortillas, cut in small cubes and fried into chips
• 6 corn tortillas cut in wedges and fried into chips for garnish
• Sour cream

Instructions

1. Cut the bacon into squares and begin to fry it in a large saute pan. You want a nice amount of fat in the pan.
2. Add potatoes, onions, and pepper and saute until almost done but still crisp tender.
3. Add the ground beef, mushrooms, and seasonings, and saute until vegetables are done and meat is almost done.
4. Add cilantro, beer, and tomatoes and simmer uncovered until the most of the liquid is absorbed or evaporates.
5. Mix in the chips that were cut in cubes
6. Sprinkle the cheese over top and allow a minute to melt.
7. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream

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Sigh, no matter how many images I take …it still..looks like…ABC food. You know, A-lready B-een  C-hewed? Yeah. So, if you are big enough to NOT judge a book by it’s cover then you will probably be treated to one of your new favorite comfort foods.

King Ranch Chicken is an amazing combination of cooked chicken, corn tortillas, Ro-tel tomatoes, cheese, and cream with a few other things thrown in for good measure. It is the Tex-Mex version of Mac and cheese and DANG! it is good stuff.

You can vary the amount of chicken depending on your budget. I always just poach it and use the leftover  broth for soup.

Easy? I threw this together a couple of days after my surgery. You can make it ahead and refrigerate, make it ahead and freeze, or make it and eat it. You can also cook it in a slow cooker. Awesome stuff.

And there probably won’t be left overs.  If there are? Call me..I will be there in a heartbeat.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

• 2 to 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked
• 1 cup chicken broth, or leftover broth from poaching chicken
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups half and half cream
• 8 oz cream cheese, cut in chunks
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 cup chopped poblano pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 cans Ro-tel tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
• 24 corn tortillas, torn in pieces
• 3 cups shredded Colby- Jack cheese (or cheddar)

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. saute onion and peppers in a little oil until soft
3. Add the broth
4. whisk in the flour and cumin until smooth
5. Add cream cheese and cream and simmer until the cream sauce is thickened, whisking often
6. Adjust seasonings
7. Stir in Ro-tel and cilantro
8. Set cream sauce mixture aside
9. Oil a 13×9 inch casserole. add a layer of tortillas, then a layer of cheese, then a layer of chicken. Repeat layers several times until all the ingredients are used up. Pour Sauce over all and top with a layer of shredded cheese
10. Bake for 35-40 minutes

Serves 8

image:marye audet

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If you are eating that stuff stop it. Stop it now. You will end up glowing in the dark and if we ever get attacked by zombies they will find you first. Reason #106 NOT to eat weird food. Besides, in the same amount of time..or close to it you could be eating this:

These are serious nachos. The real thing. Tex-Mex at its absolute best. And it is an easy nacho recipe. Here’s a secret. ALL nacho recipes are easy! You can either broil or bake nachos. Leave off the chicken and you have a vegetarian nachos recipe.

Cubes of chicken breast are sauteed until golden and then simmered in a chipotle-adobo with cilantro, cumin, onion, and garlic.  While that party is going on corn tortillas are being transformed into slices of fresh, hot, crunchiness… Into the oven for a few minutes and …

Yep. Right there with ya.

Nachos are an inexpensive lunch or quick dinner, and kids will eat them because they are chips. When you fry the chips yourself, and use real cheese…well the difference is amazing. And I will tell you a secret…Lean in now….closer…

Do you see it? Yes it is. Yellow crookneck squash. You could use zucchini as well. Just chop it up a little smaller than the chicken and simmer it with the adobo.

I know, right? Brilliant.

This is very spicy. If your family doesn’t do spicy so well you will want to cut back on the amount of adobo and chipotle, and probably cut the jalapenos out all together.

Spicy Chicken Nachos

• 1/2 lb of corn tortillas cut in wedges
• Peanut oil for deep frying (you can substitute, this is my preference)
• Olive oil for saute pan
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut in cubes
• 3 tablespoons of chipotle in adobo (or less)
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 2 cups cubed yellow squash
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups organic, dark red kidney beans, cooked (you cn use pinto, black beans, or what you like)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, colby or a mixture of your favorites
• Salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado,cilantro etc. as you like.
• Sour cream

1. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer to 370F
2. Saute chicken in a little olive oil until it starts to turn golden. Add onion, squash, peppers, and garlic and saute about three minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth, cumin, and  adobo/chipotle mixture. Chop and mash the chipotles as you go. Add the cilantro.
4. Simmer until the chicken is done and the stock has evaporated. Do not let it go dry.
5. Stir in the beans.
6. Set aside.
7. Fry the tortillas until golden and crisp. Drain and place on cookie sheet in a single layer.
8. Using a slotted spoon, spoon chicken mixture over the tortilla chips as evenly as you can.
9. Sprinkle with cheese
10. Broil on high until cheese melts
11. Serve immediately, topping with tomatoes and other toppings of choice.

Serves 8

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One thing that I get asked over and over again is how much groceries cost us.  The cost more since I have been working because I tend to buy some things I used to make form scratch but for our family of 8 (which includes at least 3 very big eaters) and three cats and a dog we spend about 600.00 a month.

Now, that does not include milk or eggs because we have goats and chickens for that.  The total bill for animal feed, including hay, runs about 60.00 a month.  That gives us 3 1/2 gallons of organic milk a week (at the moment, in the spring it is more and in a month or so the does will be dry until spring), and about 15 organic eggs a day in the summer and 9 eggs a day in the winter months.  I think I save about 80 dollars a month by having the animals.

All in all I think that I am pretty frugal..but I am sure there are lots of people doing better than I am.  Anyway, one thing I have learned to do is to create a meal from something I find on clearance.  For example, I got this piece of beef on sale for 30% off the lowest price..which made it $2.13

Obviously on it’s own it isn’t enough to make a meal for 8 people on.  But with a few additions it is filling, yummy and the whole meal, including green beans and salad as  sides, cost less than 1.00 a person…AND everyone was stuffed.

This is my entry for Presto Pasta Nights.  Ruth (Once Upon a Feast) is hosting this week so be sure and check out the great pasta ideas that everyone came up with. Pasta is a great way to fill up kids and save money, too!

Fajita Casserole 

serves 8 to 10 generously

1 lb bag of pasta, any shape cooked

1/2 to 1 lb of beef, sliced thin as for stir fry.

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tbs or more Fajita seasoning

1 tsp cumin

1 jalapeno, sliced (optional) or 1 tbs chipotle chopped (optional)

1 large can diced tomatoes

1/2  cup shredded cheddar

Sprinkle the beef with fajita seasoning and allow to stand for 30 minutes or up to several hours covered in the fridge.

Saute with the garlic, peppers, and onion in a pan until the meat is cooked but still tender.  Add tomatoes and cumin and pasta and simmer until heated through.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and serve.

Let’s recap…

meat-2.13

tomatoes 1.29

cheese .50 maybe

vegetables and spices 1.00

That works out to just over 61 cents per person…

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

While many of you may not think of cheese flautas as being basic they are a fantastic easier-than-you-think addition to your cooking repertoire.

They go together in minutes, nearly everyone loves them, and the filling variations are endless; cheese, cheese and chile, cheese and chicken, chicken and chile, left over beef, taco..the list is endless and can end up with such interesting variations as brie, chipotle, and pecan…or mushroom and parmesan…

You can have your own Mexican Restaurant at home.

If you aren’t hooked yet, then consider that they can be everything from an appetizer, to a snack…main course to dessert (can you imagine pecan praline flautas with cinnamon ice cream?)  There ya go..now you’re getting it!

The hardest thing about flautas is holding them together while they are frying.  There are a few ways to do it.  You can secure the rolls with toothpicks or you can hold them partially in the hot oil and wait for the heat to glue them together.  I use the latter method but I would suggest the toothpick method to use at first.

Some people use a layer of oil in the frying pan.  I prefer using the deep fryer, I think you get more consistent results.

So, here is the basic recipe. Use any variation that appeals to you.  If you have 15 minutes you have time to make these for dinner.

Cheese Flautas

8 ozs grated cheese

4 tbs canned chiles (or chipotle, or…)

12 corn tortillas

Deep fryer heated to 375F

Warm the tortillas in a microwave until they are pliable.  Keep them covered so they stay warm.  Place 1 tbs cheese and a sprinkle of the chiles down the center of the tortilla.  FOld in the ends and then roll so that the cheese is sealed inside.  Secure with toothpicks.

Repeat

*Tip: lower the basket slowly into the oil to keep them form unwrapping!

Fry a few at a time until crispy and golden.  Allow to drain, turn out on absorbent toweling and serve hot with salsa, queso, or ranch dip.

Need a bigger meal?

For a more substantial meal add Chicken Tortilla Soup , a salad, and finish with Sopapillas!

Is that all? You bet! That is it.  You can use any type of tortillas you like.  Breakfast, lunch or dinner…Slow food that is FAST!

image:marye audet

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On the Border restaurant in De Soto seems to finally have gotten it together.

I have been in there four or five times in the past couple of years…usually driven by a strong craving for Tex-mex food. Generally, I have been disappointed. Wait…generally I have been disappointed; often I have been really irritated and swore never to return.  Music too loud..bad service..so so food…

Today Marc and I had to go downtown Dallas, and I hate driving down there.  Since Marc can’t drive anymore I have been challenged in many areas, the driving being one.  Anyway, on the way home I thought maybe we we go for lunch..poor guy! He had been working outside when we left home and was in dirty, torn jeans and an old sweatshirt…We must have looked like street people! LOL! 

Anyway, we headed in and it was pretty empty…2:30…past the lunch rush…no one at the hostess station…Not a problem, she saw us and headed right over.

Not sure if she was tired, bored, or having a bad day, but she had that “I am so bored “look the whole time she was dealing with us, and  barely talked.  I don’t think she met either of our eyes.  You know, I think people need to realize how important it is to look people in the eye and smile. You rarely find that anymore.

She seated us in a corner booth, out of the way…perfect for us because it gave Marc a place to put his crutches..but it occured to me later that she may have thought we were street people. Yeah…we looked that bad…I can imagine.

Our waiter was Israel.  If you get over to the On the Border on I-35 in De Soto ask for him.  He is that much a treasure.  No I am not related to him, nor did he slip me a free dessert…He did not know who I was, and probably still doesn’t have a clue “who” I am other than some old lady with a blog.

Anyway, his face was lit up, he was friendly…and he looked into Marc’s eyes when talking to him.  I notice that many people do not talk to people with disabilities…as if the fact that their legs don’t work means their brains don’t either.  He looked me in the eyes as well, by the way, something I do appreciate.

He was attentive and helpful..and he thought things through. I asked for cream for my coffee but when he went to the kitchen to get it they were out.  He brought me milk instead and asked if that would be o.k. In other words he took care of it in such a way that my coffee didn’t get cold while I waited. He also did not flinch when I ordered ice water, with mostly ice, and a little water,  coffee and a glass of ice on the side.  The coffee cups were kept full, and he was attentive to our needs but not so much so that we were not able to have a deep conversation.

Marc was having a rough day and was getting teary eyed…and some of what we were talking about would have been difficult to finish if we were interrupted at the wrong time.  So…Great job, Israel, thank you.

Food. Yes we did have it.  Marc had the enchiladas (he said they were very good) but I could not decide so I had the On the Border Classic Five.

The plate was huge, probably enough for two or three people (unless one of them is one of my sons).  I can’t remember what all was on it…taco, chicken enchilada?…empanada…anyway…it was fantastic.  Served hot, well cooked, and well seasoned.  I recommend this dish in particular because it gives you some of everything.

The pico de gallo was slightly off…not spoiled but it was more than likely on the last day of it’s holding period.  The tomatoes had that “you should have thrown me away yesterday” flavor.

The salsa was perfect.

I looked longingly at some chocolate caramel turtle empanadas pictured on the menu but could not find a place in my stomach to put them. Ah, the angst!

While we were eating Marc’s crutch fell.  We just left it since it was not in anyone’s way.  One of the bus boys came by and gently placed it back up against the wall, smiling at Marc adn I as he did so.  Again, I was impressed.

The dining room was clean, the music was at a tolerable level, and everything was lovely.  I was pleasantly surprised.

I don’t know what changed in the past six months since I was there last but something did.  If you are in this area and have been disappointed in the past try it again.  I hope it wasn’t just because there wasn’t a rush.

One a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best I give it the following:

Overall….********8

Hostess….*****5

Waitstaff….********** 10

Food…********8

I will definitly go back as long as the quality is this good.

I wish that restaurants would go back to cloth napkins.  I have a touch sensitivity that does not allow me to touch certain textures, paper napkins being one of those textures. So Marc had to unwrap my silverware, get rid of the napkin, and I used my jeans for wiping my fingers…..if I was smart I would start carrying my own cloth napkins around.

I forgot to bring my camera, since this was sort of a spur of the moment thing…I took the images when I got home…sorry. LOL!

image: marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Sopapillas are wonderful, there is just no other way to say it…Hollow squares of fried dough, dusted with sugar, and served with honey to pour in the hollow middle part.  Every bite is sweet, and sticky, messy and incredible.

You have to serve them hot.  And you HAVE to eat all of them at that meal. You can’t save any for later.  Why? Because cold sopapillas are as disgusting as the fresh ones are good. Just. Don’t. Go. There.

Here in Texas they are often served as the dessert at the small Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants.  They are perfect because they are simple, inexpensive, and actually quite filling.  Did I mention delicious? Did I mention my addiction to them?

When you drop them in the fryer be sure not to crowd them and only do about 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size.  As soon as the float to the top start spooning the hot oil over them to make them puff even more.  Turn them once and take them out of the oil when they are golden.

Sopapillas

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and shortening until it is crumbly. Stir in water and  mix until the dough is smooth.

Cover and let stand for 20 minutes for the gluten to relax.  Meanwhile heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.

Roll out on floured board 1/8  thick. Cut into large-ish squares. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar or granulated sugar and serve hot with honey to pour in the hollow centers.

Image:Marye Audet

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One of the best things about summer is the grill…and one of the best things about the grill is….GRILLED CHICKEN!

These sandwiches go quickly once the marinating is done. Serve them with freshly fried tortilla chips, some homemade salsa, and plenty of sweet tea.

You can use this as part of your Once A Month Cooking menu if you like. Just toss the chicken breasts and marinade into the freezer. They will be ready when you are. Just submerge the frozen bag in hot water until you can separate the chicken breasts and put them on the grill frozen. The will cook quickly because they are thin.

Southwestern Style Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1 lime, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chipotle, optional
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 2 tablespooons good olive oil
• 2 (4 ounce) cans whole green chilies, drained and sliced lengthwise
• 8 slices Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese
• Lettuce
• Purple onion
• Ranch dressing
• 8 Homemade hamburger buns

Pound chicken to flatten; place in a ziploc.

1. Combine the soy sauce, lime juice, lime, chipotle, brown sugar, honey, liquid smoke and olive oil and pour over chicken breasts. Seal and refrigerate several hours or over night.t.
2. Drain and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn and grill 3 minutes longer or until juices run clear. Place a slice of chile and a slice of cheese over the top of each and continue to grill until the cheese is melted. Place the buns on the grill cut side down for the last few minutes of grilling.
   

Serve with onion and lettuce on rolls that have been brushed with some ranch dressing.

Image:Marye Audet

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Cool picture, huh?

In Texas we don’t really eat much Mexican food. Everything is sort of a Tex-Mex blend. But there are just times that I really need to eat tex-mex. Comfort food. Cheap, quick, easy, yummy. Enchiladas are exactly that.

In Mostly Martha, Martha says that it takes a great chef to make a simple food (By the way, if you haven’t seen that move, and subtitles don’t bother you, get it immediately. Sigh. We loved it. ). This is simple food. You can make it with homemade Texas style chili, or a couple of cans of Wolf Brand. I know, I know..I am almost embarrassed to write that…but yeah…we like it with the canned chili.

I feel like I should be on one of those shows where the guest tells all their dirty secrets.

Tex-Mex Chili Cheese Enchiladas

12 corn tortillas

2 cans of chili with no beans, or 4 cups of homemade chili

1 1/2 cups grated colby, cheddar, or monterey jack cheese, or a blend

1 onion sliced and sauteed

Preheat the oven to 375F

Spread a thin coating of chili on the bottom of a 13x 9″ casserole.

Warm the tortillas so they are flexible. Warm the chili up. Dip the tortilla in the chili and scrape off the excess. Lick your fingers. Look to see if anyone is watching, then continue.

Spoon a couple of tablespoons of chili down the center of the tortilla. Roll up and lay in pan, seam side down. Repeat until you have made all the enchiladas you want or the chili is gone. Sprinkle with the cheese, then lay the onions on top. I do it this way so the kids can pick off the onions but if you don’t have that problem you can actually put the onions inside with the chili. Bake for 15 minutes, or until it is warmed through and the cheese is melted.

Serves 6

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Well Marc came home and talked sternly to the computer and of course it is up and running again.

I thought perhaps I had better post some savory foods since I have been on such a dessert kick lately.  This recipe is a big comfort food for me. It is very versatile, inexpensive and filling. Best of all it just tastes good. The hard thing was actually writing hte recipe for it because I just put in what I have and don’t bother to measure much.  This freezes well, stores for a week in the fridge if you need it to (AS IF) and you can adjust the ingredients as you like. This recipe makes a 13″ x 9″ casserole dish, 8-10 servings at our house, probably 12-16 at someone else’s house.  If you don’t need that much you can even freeze it in single serving freezer containers for a quick  meal for one, or if you do once a month cooking this does freeze well.

Tamale Pie

6 cups cooked pinto beans

1 16 oz package frozen corn kernels

1 onion chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

1 clove garlic chopped fine

1 jalapeno chopped fine

oil for saute-ing

1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped

1 large can diced tomatoes.

1 tsp cumin

1 tbs chili powder

salt to taste

2 c grated colby jack cheese

For the topping:

1 1/2 white corn meal

1/4  c flour

1  tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 c buttermilk

2 tbs oil or  melted butter

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375.

Saute bell pepper, onion, garlic, and jalapeno until tender.  Remove from heat and add corn kernels, pinto beans, chopped cilantro,canned tomatoes and seasoning. If mixture seems very dry add a little tomato juice or water. Spread in 13×9 pan. Top with cheese.

Mix cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Stir together beaten egg,  melted butter, and butter milk.  You can also add 1 can of chiles at this point if you like. Stir the cornmeal mixture into the egg mixture, beating until smooth.  Pour over top of cheese layer and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cornbread tests done and  bean mixture is heated through.

You can add other vegetables to this. It is always fantastic.

Post from: Baking Delights