Mexican Pulled Pork

MEXICAN PULLED PORK
recipe adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes

4 - 5 pound pork shoulder/butt roast
cumin
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 - 2 tablespoons minced garlic
2-3 tablespoons pureed chipotle peppers (see tip in this post)
2 bay leaves

Combine cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl and rub evenly over pork. Place meat in a 6 quart slow cooker.

Combine broth, minced garlic and chipotle peppers and add to slow cooker. Toss in the bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Place pork on a large cutting board or platter and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Pull apart into shreds.

Remove bay leaves from slow cooker. Remove enough accumulated liquid from slow cooker, leaving just above half cup. Add meat back, stir and cook another 30 minutes.


Note: Unless you are having a party for 10 or 15 people, you will have leftovers that freeze really well in small portions (I used ziploc bags).

As seen in the picture, I used the pork in soft tacos this time, served up with Cuban Black Beans. I have since used some of the pork for regular pulled pork barbecue sandwiches. Just add your favorite sauce and heat in microwave or on the stove.

Cheese & Veggie Enchiladas

This recipe is a combination of my Cheese & Onion Enchiladas and this Cheesy Zucchini Enchilada recipe.

Another way to get more veggies into your life... But, if you want it even healthier, see the second recipe link above.



CHEESE & VEGGIE ENCHILADAS

1 tablespoon oil
1 cup sliced yellow onion
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium yellow squash, grated
1 tablespoon jarred garlic
salt and pepper to taste
6 large flour (8-inch) tortillas
1 (8 ounce) block of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 (10 – 15 ounce) jar or can of enchilada sauce (I used Kroger Chipotle enchilada sauce this time)

Sauté onions for 3 to 4 minutes in oil. Add zucchini, squash, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Meanwhile, pour a small amount of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 11 x 2 inch casserole dish. Set aside.

Spread tortillas out on the counter. Place one sixth of the veggie mixture and a portion of cheese (you decide the amount) on each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in casserole dish. Cover with enchilada sauce, amount as desired. Sprinkle more cheese on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: 6 enchiladas

Chicken Tortilla Stack

This is my version of a Pampered Chef recipe from many years ago. You could easily adjust to use your favorite Mexican flavors.

I used extra large flour tortillas, refried black beans, shredded cooked chicken, sliced black olives, chunky salsa and shredded cheddar cheese. There are three layers, in that order, of all those ingredients. Then I topped it with one last flour tortilla, baked it at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Once it was out of the oven, I added more cheddar cheese, diced tomato, chopped avocado, a few olive slices and some sour cream. Slice it carefully and serve.

Some great options might be to use ground beef, shredded smoked pork.... maybe regular 'pinto' refried beans... enchilada sauce poured over? White cheese sauce with jalapenos?

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

This recipe came from The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife.

I just made two stuffed peppers and baked the rest in a casserole dish to have another night.


SOUTHWEST STUFFED PEPPERS

4-6 green bell peppers
1 pound ground beef
1 (14 ounce) can Ro-tel, undrained
1 1/2 cups water
1 (5.4 ounce) package Knorr Fiesta Sides Mexican Rice (rice & orzo blend)
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Cut tops off of bell peppers; remove seeds. Cut bottom of bell pepper so that it will sit up straight. Put bell peppers in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Heat in microwave for 2 or 3 minutes.

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef until no longer pink; drain well. Return meat to skillet. Add the Ro-tel tomatoes, water and rice mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Spoon meat/rice mixture into bell peppers. Top each with a small portion of cheese. Place in a greased or sprayed baking dish. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with additional cheese and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Mexican Jambalaya

This recipe came from Family Circle Magazine. They called it Mexican Brown Rice Caserole. I've renamed it because it reminds me alot of Jambalaya but with Mexican flavors.

The magazine suggested Aidells chicken sausage with habaneros. I used Bistro Sensations chicken sausage with habaneros and monterey jack cheese.

MEXICAN JAMBALAYA

1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 cup brown rice
11/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1 package (12 ounces) chicken sausage with habaneros, cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons
1 1/2 cups water
chopped cilantro
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese

Stir together onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, rice, chili powder, oregano, jalapeño, sausage and water in slow cooker bowl. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 ½ hours or LOW for 5 hours.

Stir in cilantro; serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Mexican Pizza

We eat at Stevi B's and CiCi's pizza buffets a little too often... But I love the variety! They both have a version of a Taco or Mexican pizza, but I decided to make my own. All my favorite ingredients in one place.

That's a Boboli whole wheat crust this time, topped with canned refried black beans, taco seasoned ground beef, salsa, black olives and Monterey Jack cheese, in that order. (Did not use the entire can of beans and used less than 1/2 pound of meat, froze the rest for another time.)

Bake at this point according to the crust package directions, maybe a little longer.



When baking is complete, top with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, diced avocado and drizzle with sour cream. (I put the sour cream in a ziploc bag and cut off a corner to drizzle this way.)



It was so good!

Fiesta Ravioli Bake

This dish is one of those that puts together really simple ingredients and tastes like something so much more. You will be amazed that it tastes so, so good. It would also be really easy to keep the ingredients on hand for an entertaining emergency.

FIESTA RAVIOLI BAKE

1 (25 ounce) package frozen beef ravioli
1 (12 ounce) jar chunky salsa
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce (La Preferida)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
crushed tortilla chips
sour cream
chopped cilantro

Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, combine salsa, enchilada sauce, beans and corn. Mix together with ravioli and pour into a 13 x 9 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes until casserole is bubbly and cheese is melted.

Top each serving with crushed chips, sour cream and cilantro.

Yield: 6 servings

Eddie chose to serve his like this. Looks like Fiesta Ravioli Nachos!!

I found this recipe at Cassie Craves.

Fish Tacos

I didn't realize when I started posting recipes this week that it was going to be Mexican week. So, I guess this is third in the series. I actually made the last two recipes and this one over about two weeks time.

FISH TACOS

1 box (6 pieces) crunchy breaded fish fillets (don't use battered fish, crunchy breaded is best)

6 small flour tortillas (fajita size)
Chipotle Ranch dressing (recipe below)
Tropical Slaw (recipe below)
pico de gallo

Cook fish according to package directions.

(I used Gorton's Southern Fried country style crunchy breaded fish fillets this time.)

Spread dressing on each of the six flour tortillas. Add one piece of fish to each tortilla. Top with tropical slaw and pico de gallo. Fold or wrap tortillas.

Chipotle Ranch Dressing:

1/2 cup bottled Ranch dressing mix
1 canned chipotle chile, seeds removed, finely chopped
small amount adobo sauce from canned chipotles

Mix all ingredients well.

(Naturally, you can substitute this with Newman's Own Southwest dressing or Hidden Valley Ranch spicy ranch.)

Tropical Slaw:

2 cups shredded cole slaw mix
1/2 cup chopped mandarin oranges
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients. Use just enough mayonnaise to barely coat the slaw.

Instead of pico de gallo, I just mixed diced tomatoes, onions and chopped cilantro.

Yield: 6 tacos

Taco Salad

Not much of a recipe here today, more like a list of ingredients I like to use in my Taco Salad.



TACO SALAD

one can of black beans, drained and rinsed
one pound ground beef
taco seasoning packet
torn lettuce
chopped tomato
diced onion
sliced black olives
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped avocado
salsa
sour cream
lightly crushed tortilla chips

Cook the ground beef, drain, add black beans and taco seasoning and a little water. Cook a little more until water is absorbed and beans are warm.

Mix ingredients in portions and proportions as desired.

The ground beef/black bean mixture should make at least 4 servings.

Variation: Instead of salsa and sour cream, use Hidden Valley Ranch Spicy Ranch salad dressing or Newman's Own Southwest dressing or Salsa Ranch (can't remember the brand I found) or Chipotle Ranch (one of those refrigerated brands).

Black Bean and Rice Burritos

This is an easy weeknight kind of thing.

No meat, but very filling.

BLACK BEAN AND RICE BURRITOS

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup salsa
1 bag “boil-in-bag” rice or small package yellow rice
4 large flour tortillas
sour cream
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
salsa or chopped tomatoes

In a saucepan, combine black beans, cumin and salsa. Heat thoroughly. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions. Mix cooked rice and black bean mixture. Spread sour cream on each tortilla. Spread rice and bean mixture on each tortilla. Roll up tortillas on microwave safe plates. Cover with chopped tomatoes or salsa and then cheese. Microwave individually for about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Yield: 5 or 6 servings (depends on how fat you like your burritos)

That's how I like to configure my burritos and I just roll them up with open ends. I eat them with knife and fork. Eddie prefers to put everything inside, then attempts to roll them up, including folding in the ends. They fall apart as he eats them by hand. Whatever works for you!

I really like Newman's Own pineapple salsa for this!

Cheese and Onion Enchiladas

Don't let the neon orange enchilada sauce scare you! It tastes really good!

Good thing Eddie likes to take leftovers for lunch...



Check out the oozing cheese... Mmmmm...

CHEESE & ONION ENCHILADAS

1 tablespoon oil
2 cups thickly sliced onion
6 large flour (8-inch) tortillas
1 (8 ounce) block of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 (10 ounce) can La Preferida Red Chile mild enchilada sauce

Sauté onions in oil until tender. Pour a small amount of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 12 x 2 inch casserole dish. Place one sixth of the cheese and one sixth of the onions on each tortilla. Roll up and place in casserole dish. Cover with remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle extra grated cheese on top if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: 6 enchiladas

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (2.25 ounce) cans sliced ripe olives
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1 (10 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 flour tortillas
1/4 cup milk

In medium saucepan melt butter. Sauté onion and garlic until tender. Stir in 1 1/2 cans of the ripe olives, the green chiles, sour cream and soup, mix well. Reserve 3/4 cup sauce, set aside. Fold in chicken and 1 cup of the cheese to remaining sauce. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in greased/sprayed 12 x 9 baking dish. In small bowl, combine reserved sauce and milk. Spoon over tortillas.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly. Before serving, sprinkle with remaining cheese and olives.

Yield: 4 large servings

Okay, so I only made 7 enchiladas, instead of 8. It just looked like 8 would be such a tight squeeze. But, a little less filling in each one and roll them real tight and I'm sure that 8 will fit.

Tip: Spread all the tortillas out on a clean countertop and divide filling evenly amongst them. Then roll up and place in dish.