WHITE-ISH MEXICAN CHEESE SAUCE

This is amazing poured over a Mexican Eggs Benny, or Nachos, soooo good.

INGREDIENTS
  

• 2 teaspoons Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 4oz small can Green Chiles
• 1 can Roasted Green Chili Chopped tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chili
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8oz Jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 8oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup whole milk  
• 1 pinch Kosher Salt

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium pot, on medium/low heat, sautée onion until soft, about 5 minutes
2. On low heat, add garlic, cook 1 minute
3. Add chili and cumin, stir well
4. Add all the cheese and milk, keep stiring for 3 minutes, until all melty and loose.

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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Make this and make it often, I'm in love.

Makes about 2 cups

1 pound tomatillos, 5 or 6

3 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno pepper

1 Serrano pepper

1 small white onion, cut in half

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Kosher salt

1. Heat broiler to high

2. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well to get off the sticky stuff

3. Put tomatillos, garlic, peppers and 1/2 the onion on a baking sheet, drizzle lightly with oil and broil about 6 inches away from heat coils until beginning to start to blacken a bit - about 3 minutes

4. Flip over and repeat, let cool slightly

5. Put in a processor and whiz until nicely chunky, put in a bowl and add salt to taste, the other half of the onion finely diced and cilantro

6. Stir and serve

Sammy-Boys Margarita

Makes 1 - go on, be selfish

The Margarita may have been born in Mexico in the 40's, but it came of age in my kitchen in the late 80's. Don't change it, just make it. And please use a decent tequila. I have this theory - crappy tequila makes a crappy Margarita. Oh, and be a little careful, they're kinda strong.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces reposado tequila

• 2 ounces Sweet & Sour - not Margarita mix

• ½ ounce Grand Marnier, plus extra for serving

• 1 splash Roses Lime Juice

• 2 lime wedges

• 2 orange wedges

Directions

1. Add ice to shaker and put in tequila, sweet & sour, Grand Marnier, Roses limejuice and juice from one lime & orange wedge

2. Place lid on shaker and shake well - you want it icy

3. Add fresh ice to a glass and pour in contents from shaker

4. Squeeze a new wedge each of lime and orange on top and drop wedges into glass

5. Then float a little more Grand Marnier over the top and voila - life is good.

WATCH ME MAKE THIS... PLUS, A BUNCH MORE RECIPES

Tequila Shrimp

This one is so quick and fun to make. Once the flames burn down you can added greek yogurt and chipotle to add even more flavor to the dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound large shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat
2. Add shrimp saute quickly until almost done - then add garlic
3. Saute for another minute, then remove completely from heat and add tequila
4. Allow alcohol to burn off briefly and carefully return to heat (there's a good chance here will be flames - just be careful)
5. Add cilantro, salt & pepper - stir briefly and serve (you can add greek yogurt and chipotle to add even more flavor to the dish).

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Fresh Mango and Lime Ice

Serves 6

The perfect dessert after a big dinner. The recipe calls for rum and you can use whatever you like - but the coconut in Malibu Rum gives it a amazing tropicalness - is that a word?

Ingredients

• 3 mangos, peeled and roughly chopped - save 4 mango wedges for garnish.
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Juice from 3 limes
• 3 tablespoons Malibu Rum (trust me)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to blender, and blend until smooth
2. Pour into 9x13 baking pan Freeze until solid - 3 to 4 hours.
3. Scrape across the top with a big spoon to make a 'shave-ice' like snow, and put into serving glasses - martini glasses work well.
4. Garnish with lime zest and a mango wedge
5. The other option is to cut the water in half, add more rum and call it a drink with a name like an Island Breeze. But then you'll need one of those little umbrellas...

Sangrita

Makes about 20 ounces

Drink this along side your really good tequila. Its awesome....try it!

Ingredients

• 10 oz tomato juice
• 10 oz orange juice
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1/4 cup onion (preferably white), diced extra fine
• 1 tablespoon Cholula Hot Sauce
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• A pinch of salt

Directions

1. Mix ingredients together
2. Refrigerate
3. Serve in a small glass along side an equal amount of good tequila

Mashed Potato Tacos

Makes 4

You know those left-over mashed potatoes you don't know what to do with? Well here's the answer...

Ingredients

• 4 corn tortillas

• 2 tablespoons sour cream

• 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes

• Hot sauce - I like Cholula, about 4 teaspoons

• 1/3 cup green onions, chopped fine

• 4 handfuls of potato chips - preferably the extra crispy kettle kind

Directions

1. Heat the tortillas in a non-stick skillet until just beginning to get a little color in spots

2. Heat potatoes in a small pot of in the microwave

3. Spread some sour cream onto each tortilla

4. Add about 1/4 cup mashed potato to each tortilla

5. Drizzle with the hot sauce and then sprinkle with the green onions

6. Take a handful of the potato chips and crunch them over the top of each taco

7. Fold in half and eat

WATCH ME MAKE THIS, AND A BUNCH MORE

Chilaquiles

Serves 2 or 4, or maybe even just 1

I like to make it in a Pyrex pie plate and add a couple fried eggs on top. it's the perfect 'late-night-after-being-out-partying' food, and also the perfect 'morning-after-with-a-hangover' food. talk about versatile...

Ingredients

• 1 cup green enchilada sauce
• Tortilla chips
• 1 cup salsa verde (green salsa)
• 1.5 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 4 eggs, optional

Directions

1. Cover the bottom of a pie plate with 1/2 the enchilada sauce
2. Cover the sauce completely with tortilla chips
3. Pour 1/2 the salsa over chips and top that with about half the cheese
4. Top with more chips, more enchilada sauce and rest of the salsa
5. Finish with remaining cheese
6. Microwave 5 minutes
7. If you're going to, this is the time to serve it topped with fried eggs

Mexican Meatloaf

Serves 8

Way way good...and if you don't save some to make a Grilled Meatloaf Sandwich the next day - I'll come find you and hurt you.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 pound ground pork

• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (Japanese Panko crumbs work really well)

• 1 package fajita seasoning

• 4 ounces diced green chilies

• 2 eggs, beaten

• GLAZE:

• 1 1/2 cup ketchup

• 1/3 cup apricot jam

• 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle peppers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix all meat loaf ingredients together and put into a greased loaf pan or shape into a loaf and place on a greased baking sheet

3. Mix the glaze ingredients together in a bowl and spread about 3/4 of it over the meatloaf

4. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until 155-160 degrees inside

5. Allow to cool slightly, slice into 1 inch thick pieces and glaze with extra sauce before serving

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WATCH ME MAKE IT...

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Mexican Street Corn

Serves 4

Stupid good.

Ingredients

• 4 ears of corn, husks & silk removed
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 2 pairs wooden chopsticks
• 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup crumbled Queso Fresco or grated Parmesan cheese - on put on a plate
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tbs Chili Powder

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium high
2. Rub olive oil on each ear and grill until they soften and get grill marks - about 15 minutes
3. Remove from grill, insert a single chopstick into the end of each ear as a handle
4. Brush with mayonnaise, roll in cheese, then sprinkle with a little chili powder & finish with a squeeze of lime juice

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Makes 12

Just like at your favorite taco shop, but you bake them instead of deep frying. And you can make and eat them at home in your jammies. Nice huh?

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (a deli-roasted chicken is perfect)
• 1/3 cup green salsa
• 1-2 tablespoons chipotle peppers, finely minced
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 12 small flour tortillas
• Oil - I like a spray for this
• For serving: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, queso fresco, limes etc

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Combine chicken, salsa, chipotles and cheese in a large bowl - mix well
3. Warm tortillas in a non-stick pan until softened and pliable - about 30 seconds a side
4. Add some chicken to each tortilla, roll up tight and place seam-side down on a greased baking
5. Brush or spray with oil and bake about 25 minutes or until beginning to brown at the edges
6. Serve with sour cream, guac etc

Mexican Caesar

Serves 3 – maybe 4, but probably 3. Yeah 3 seems right.

This is at least a once a week item in our house (that means we like it)

Ingredients

• 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or about a tablespoon of anchovy paste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
• 6 cups romaine lettuce, cut into small bites
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked until crispy and then crumbled
• One 15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained and sauteed in a little oil until just starting to brown

Directions

1. Combine yogurt (or sour cream), garlic, fish sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire, milk and cilantro, mix until smooth -  season to taste with salt
2. Put romaine in a large bowl and add bacon, corn and dressing - toss well, add pepper and serve

Tamale Hash Baked Eggs

Serves 2-3

If you don't count the salt, pepper & oil - there are only 4 ingredients, and it's soooo damn good.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 beef tamales
• 3 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Heat oven proof skillet on medium/high, add oil and cook onion until softened
3. Cut tamales into 1/2 inch size pieces and add to onions in pan
4. Mix together until heated through
5. Make 3 shallow indentations into the hash and crack an egg into each
6. Season the top of each egg with salt and pepper, then lightly scatter grated mozzarella over everything
7. Put the skillet and bake until whites are firm but the yolk still runny - about 10ish minutes max