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

Tomato & Yellow Pepper Gazpacho

Serves 6

This is big and bold and full of flavor and deserves to be made.

Ingredients

• 2 yellow peppers, seeded & cut into big chunks
• 4 medium ripe Roma tomatoes, quartered with just the stem end removed
• 2 long English cucumbers, or 1.5 medium ones - cut lengthwise and then into 1 inch chunks
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into big chunks
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, I like Cholula
• 1 large bunch Cilantro or Parsley - no stems
• 3-5 ounces tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix - depending how thick or thin you like it
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil for serving

Directions

1. The key is to blend everything, so if you can fit everything in a processor or blender the first time, go ahead and blend until still a bit chunky
2. If you need to do it in 2 shifts, do that - eventually everything will fit for a final blend, but don't blend it too perfect - keep it a little chunky
3. Put in a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil

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

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

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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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

Crab Enchiladas

Serves 3 - 4

I’m a big fan of crab and find anything made with it to be pretty darn delicious – and this recipe is no exception. With just a few ingredients you’ll be an enchi king or queen in no time.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup chicken broth, or vegetable or even water if you don't have - it's just for softening the tortillas
• 8 flour tortillas
• 8oz cooked crab meat, broken up
• 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup green enchilada sauce
• 2 large handfuls shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat
3. Add red pepper & onion, cook until just softened, about 5 minutes
4. In a large bowl add the cooked onion and pepper, crab meat, Old Bay Seasoning and cheese - mix thoroughly
5. Pour the cream in the bottom of a casserole dish
6. Soak the tortillas in the chicken stock for 30 seconds, shake off excess and put on work surface
7. Add 1/8 of the mixture on to the tortilla, roll up tightly, lay them side by side seam side down on top of the cream
8. Layer a large handful of cheese
9. Drizzle over the enchilada sauce
10. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or golden brown and bubbly
11. Garnish with green onions, and eat.

Chicken Quesadilla

Makes one 8 inch quesadilla

This is unbelievably easy and gets even easier when you use an already roasted chicken from the market. Shred the chicken while still warm. It's simpler.

Ingredients

• 2 flour tortillas, about the 8 inch size
• 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/3 cup shredded mixed jack and cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, the bottom 2 inches thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Sour cream, salsa and chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Mix chicken, cheese, green onion and cumin well
2. Place one tortilla in a non-stick pan and cover with chicken mixture
3. Top with 2nd tortilla and squish down with a spatula
4. Once the bottom starts to get a little bit golden, flip and cook the other side
5. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa and sprinkle with a little cilantro

Chunky Guacamole

Serves 4

There's guacamole, and then there's 'guacamole' if you know what I mean - and chunky is the way to go. There's no magic to this, it's just really good. And it totally beats the f outta that store bought crap, I mean stuff - no...I mean crap.

• 2 ripe avocados

• 1/2 medium tomato, seeded and diced

• 1/4 medium white onion, diced

• Juice from 1 lime

• 1 canned Chipotle, minced (just one, not one can)

• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

• Kosher salt to taste

• Halve avocados lengthwise and remove pit

• Scoop out flesh (what else do you call it?) with a large spoon into a bowl and mash up a bit. I said "a bit" - not into paste

• Add diced tomato, onion, lime juice, minced chipotle and cilantro - blend all into a beautifully chunky mixture

• Season to taste with salt

• Start eating