Carne Asada Tacos

This is an absolute MUST MAKE dish.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro (no stems) finely chopped

• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon each Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 cup neutral oil

• Zest & juice of one lime

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 pounds skirt, flap or flank steak (I like skirt and flap)

• 1 medium tomato, diced small

• 1/2 white or yellow onion, diced small

• Street taco sized flour tortillas

• Avocado Cream

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine cilantro, garlic, cumin, brown sugar, salt & pepper, oil, lime zest & juice and soy

2. Mix well, then put steak and the marinade into a large zippered bag, zip shut and squish around really well to make sure steak is well covered - refrigerate 1-4 hours

3. Combine diced tomato & onion in a small bowl and set aside

4. Heat grill to high and grill steak approximately 3 minutes a side or as necessary until approx 130 degrees

5. Remove from grill, cover with foil and let rest about 10 minutes before cutting across the grain

6. Heat tortillas, add some avocado cream, the chopped carne and finally a little of the tomato/onion mix

7. Serve, eat, devour, whatever - just do it!

Black Eyed Pea Salad

Serves 4

This culinarily ambiguous healthy salad…dip... side dish…or, as the south call it, "Cowboy Caviar" (which was highly recommended to me by my SIL, Danna) is so versatile, it's perfect for any potluck party.

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup green onion, sliced
• 2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 15 oz can black eyed peas, drained
• 11 oz can White Shoepeg Corn (or reg corn), drained
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1/2 cup tomato, de-seeded, diced
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix everything up in a big bowl, eat!

TIP: Make a bunch, keep it in the fridge, it'll be good for 4-5 days. I would serve this with a burger, steak or grilled Tuna. If you don't have BEPeas just use cannellini beans.

WATCH SAM MAKE THIS>>>

Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, so there's a little whipping cream in this - just don't eat the whole thing yourself, ok?

Probably makes 8

3 cups shredded cooked chicken - one of those deli roasted chickens is perfect for this

1 cup Salsa Verde (green salsa)

1-4 ounce can chopped green chilies

1-2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in sauce (more if you like it hotter)

8 - taco size flour tortillas

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups whipping cream

1.5 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Chorizo crema (optional, click here for recipe)

Chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish

• Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl.

• Pour 1/2 the whipping cream in the bottom of a 9x13-baking dish.

• Pour chicken broth in bowl and one by one submerge each flour tortilla.

• Place approximately 1/8 chicken mixture in each wet tortilla and roll up.

• Place all 8 side by side in dish, sprinkle with cheese, and pour remaining whipping cream over top.

• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

• Optional: top with chorizo crema and garnish with green onions or cilantro

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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 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

Carne Asada

Serves 6ish

One of our favorites, and if you make extra you'll have enough for Carne Asada Fries. And if ur making tacos, we suggest this most delicious Avocado Cream

Ingredients

• 1 bunch cilantro (no stems) finely chopped

• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 2 teaspoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon each Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 cup neutral oil

• Zest & juice of one lime

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 pounds skirt, flap or flank steak (I like skirt and flap)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except the steak- mix well

2. Put steak and marinade into a large zippered bag, zip shut and squish around to make sure steak is well covered

3. Refrigerate 1-4 hours

4. Heat grill to high and grill steak approximately 5 minutes a side or as necessary until approx 130 degrees

5. Remove from grill, cover with foil and let rest about 10 minutes before cutting across the grain (very important btw) and serving

Chorizo & Cheese Torta

Makes 3

I had this in Cabo recently and couldn't wait to try to make it myself when I got back. And btw...I nailed it.   

Ingredients

• 10-12 ounces Mexican chorizo - it comes in a tube that varies in size

• 1 big avocado

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• Pinch Kosher salt

• 1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• 3 crusty Mexican sandwich rolls or 3 Ciabatta rolls

Directions

1. Cook chorizo over medium heat in pan until fully cooked - 8-10 minutes

2. While it cooks, put avocado flesh (I hate saying that) in a bowl with lime juice and salt - mix well until it's the consistency of chunky guacamole

3. Preheat broiler

4. Split and lightly toast buns under broiler, remove

5. Put cooked chorizo on bottom of each bun and top with some of the cheese - put back under broiler just until cheese melts

6. Remove, put guacamole on top bun, close up and cut in half

7. Eat - and if you're really thinking you'll bust out a good Mexican beer to go with this...just sayin.

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

Brisket Empanadas

Makes ten 3" empanadas

These little empanada miracles came from Sunday night fridge leftovers. It could be leftover chicken, leftover cheese and chilies... anything leftover in the fridge can make work, well, nearly everything.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• About 3/4 cooked pound brisket
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• Kosher salt & pepper
• 1 package ready made pie crusts (2)
• 1 egg yolk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cook onion in olive oil until soft and add garlic - cook another 2 minutes
3. Put onion/garlic, brisket, Worcestershire and horseradish into processor
4. Season with salt & pepper and pulse until mixed well
5. Cut 3" circles out of pie dough, and add about a tablespoon of brisket
6. Fold pastry in half and seal the edge with a fork
7. Lay evenly on a greased baking sheet
8. Whisk the egg yolk with a splash of water, brush tops of empanadas and pierce the top of each one with 2 little holes to let steam escape
9. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown
10. Serve with gravy for dipping

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.