Beef Tostadas

BEEF TOSTADAS

4 tostadas shells *
½ lb ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion

Toppings
1 can black beans (drained, and reheated)
1 small can corn (or I prefer FROZEN!)
1 small avocado diced
1 tomato diced
3 green onions diced
1 cup grated cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
Sour cream for garnish

Sauté onions until translucent. Turn stove top to HIGH Heat and brown the ground beef. Season with salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper.

Cover Tostadas with ground beef then top with your favorite toppings.

Suggestions…add the Buttermilk Cilantro Ranch Dressing, buttermilk ranch, chopped cilantro, lime zest and lime juice. And if you like it spicy add on dash of tabasco sauce

This also works well with left over pot roast!

***(you can purchase, or you can fry your own corn tortillas, or just use corn chips)

Steak Burritos

Beef Steak Burritos

2 favorite beef steaks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and Pepper to season
1 recipe Spanish rice (click here for mine)
1 can black beans (optional), drained and reheated
4 tortillas

Cut steaks into think long strips and marinade them over night or at least for 30 minutes, with the olive oil, lime zest, chili powder, salt and pepper. (Don't throw the lime away you will use it for the burritos later.)

Sear the strips in a really hot pan so they get brown and golden. This should take no more than 3 minutes.

To make burritos:
Heat tortilla up on stove or in the microwave. Layer about 3 tablespoons of rice on the bottom, followed by the beans and beef strips. Top with sour cream and roll into a burrito. Serve with salsa and guacamole.

NO FUSS Chicken Tacos

NO FUSS Chicken Tacos

This is the easiest meal ever. It is a staple at our house if it is going to be busy night!

4 frozen chicken breasts
1 small can favorite salsa (any heat ok)
1 small container store bought fresh mango salsa (optional)
8 tortillas

Place chicken in crock pot cover with salsas and let cook on low for 5-7 hours. Serve with your favorite rice and black beans. SO YUMMY.

Try my cilantro rice recipe.

Chicken Nachos

Chicken Nachos

1 can black beans
½ red onion diced
1 cup diced cooked chicken
3 cups shredded cheese
1 green pepper chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 small avocado cubed
Sour cream, if desired
Favorite corn tortilla chip

Drain the beans and heat in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Spread out chips on a cooling rack set inside a cookie sheet, this will keep them crisp. Layer with Chicken, onions, peppers, and beans. Then top layer of cheese. (Sometimes I put a small layer on the bottom so everything sticks together.) Place them in your broiler for 30 seconds to a minute. DO NOT WALK AWAY TO ANSWER THE PHONE, you must sit and watch them to know when they are done! You could do them in the microwave, but you run the risk of them going soggy. When they come out top them with tomatoes, or salsa, avocado and sour cream!

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas

10 tortillas
1 lb chicken tender strips, sliced, seasoned with salt, pepper & Chili Powder
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced

Serve with Pico de Gallo and sour cream.

Sauté chicken in a skillet until brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and cover. In same pan sauté onions until they sweat. When the onions are starting to caramelize sauté the pepper with them. After five minutes add the chicken back in and warm up. Serve with tortillas and your favorite Pico de Gallo (click here for recipe)

Grandma Nixon's Enchiladas

Grandma Nixon's Enchiladas

25- 30 corn tortillas, yellow or white
1.5 lb ground beef, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 small onion finely minced
1.5 lbs grated cheese (about)
2 cans enchilada sauce ( I prefer mild…but if you want heat go for it!)

Topping:
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Avocados
Sour Cream (A MUST)


While prepare you tortillas, see directions below, brown your ground beef in a skillet, season properly with salt and pepper. When browned drain fat off in a colander, and allow to cool. I always set up a station that allows me to roll/make the enchiladas fast. I pour the enchilada sauce in a pie dish, and have the beef, onions and cheese ready in front of me. Most people will roll their enchiladas, if you prefer this method, completely fine.

First place your tortilla in the enchilada sauce and coat on both sides. Then move to your cooking dish and place 2 tablespoons (about) of beef in the center of the tortilla, add 1 teaspoon (about) minced onion, and 2 tablespoons cheese on top of that, then roll. When you have enough rolled, and your dish is full, just continue onto the next dish. When the dish is full, cover with any remaining enchilada sauce, and a handful of cheese. Bank in the oven at 350˚, until cheese is melted and they are heated through.

**Now, my grandma grew up in Mexico, and she traditionally DOES NOT roll her Enchiladas, she STACKS THEM, as viewed in the picture above. It is the same process, just stacked, cover tortilla with sauce, spread beef out, add onions and cheese then stack another tortilla on top and repeat the process. I only stack them three high! I can get three stacks on a cookie sheet. Cover each stack with a small additional amount of sauce, and then back as direct above.

When done, top with your favorite toppings! ENJOY!


To prepare tortillas…

Grandma's Way: Deep fry the tortillas for 6 seconds on each side in hot oil, then drain off on a napkin, cover with another napkin, and layer the tortillas this way to drain. This makes them soft and moist. You can fry them in a shallow pan with just an inch of oil if you prefer.

Tash's NO FRY version! I spray a cookie sheet with olive oil spray, or "pam" would work. Layer 7 tortillas over the pan, and spray the tops of the tortillas with oil, LIGHTLY! Then place in a 400˚ oven for 5 minutes, or until they start to get soft and moist, take out, stack together and cover with foil. Continue this process until all of your tortillas are done.

Mexican Chicken Chili

Submitted by Angela Hirst
** Free of Dairy, egg or nut products.
The Soup Nazi's®Mexican Chicken Chili

1 pound chicken breast fillets (4 fillets)
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 potato, peeled & chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 cup frozen yellow corn
1/2 carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, plus liquid
1/4 cup diced canned pimento
1 jalapeno, diced
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper
dash basil
dash oregano

On the side
Sour cream
Pinch chopped Italian parsley

1. Sauté the chicken breasts in the olive oil in a large pot over medium/high heat. Cook the chicken on both side until done -- about 7-10 minutes per side. Cool the chicken until it can be handled. Do not rinse the pot.
2. Shred the chicken by hand into bite-sizes pieces and place the pieces back into the pot.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and turn heat to high. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 hours. Stir mixture often so that many of the chicken pieces shred into much smaller bits. Chili should reduce substantially to thicken and darken (less orange, more brown) when done.
4. Combine some chopped Italian parsley with sour cream and serve it on the side for topping the chili, if desired. (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com) Makes 4-6 servings.