Monty's Flour Tortillas

Monty's Flour Tortillas
3 Cups Flour
1 Tsp (or so) Salt
1 Tsp (or so) Baking Powder
2 Tbsp (golf ball sized) soft butter
1/4 Cup Oil (I prefer olive but some find the taste too strong)
1 Cup Warm Water

Mix the dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter so that it's thoroughly mixed. Add oil and mix well (flour mixture should be a little clumpy at this point). Add water mix thoroughly into dough. Knead thoroughly and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into golf ball size pieces and roll out as thin as desired. Please note that they'll never be perfectly round. Cook on high heat on a cast iron griddle (crepe or other flat pan will work if necessary). Flip when tortilla begins to bubble (10-20 seconds). Remove soon after flipping. Stack on top of each other and cover with towel to keep moist.

*I stumbled upon this recipe while searching the web for some fresh tortillas, just like at Cafe Rio. It came from this blog and, I must say, these tortillas are to. die. for. And they really aren't hard at all.

I will never eat packaged tortilla shells again.

Chili Verde

Pork (loin, roast, chops, etc), cut raw in chunks

1 can chicken broth

1 14oz can green chili sauce

2 t. New Mexico chili powder

1 t garlic powder

2 t cumin

In crock pot, put raw pork chunks, chicken broth, and seasonings. Cook for several hours until done. Shred.

This is really good when you have a burrito bar: tortillas, black beans, cilantro rice, pico de gallo, guacamole, and cheese.

Santa Fe Veggie Quesadillas

1 (12 inch) flour tortilla
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend
1/2 cup whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup black beans, drained
1 chopped green onion

Directions

Prepare a lightly oiled large skillet over medium heat. Place the tortilla in the skillet and flip it once to ensure an even coating of oil on both sides.
Allow the tortilla to heat on one side for 1 minute. Beginning at the center of the tortilla, evenly spread the cheese blend until the tortilla's entire surface is covered. Top the cheese with corn, red bell pepper, black beans and green onion. When the cheese is completely melted, carefully slide the tortilla from the pan onto a cutting board. Slice into 8 wedges and serve warm.

from allrecipes.com

Guacamole

from Alton Brown

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

1 lime, juiced (1 Tbsp)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions
In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Chili Relleno

*4 Poblano Peppers
*3 eggs
*2 T Flour
*3 oz cheddar (slice or shred)
*3 oz monterey jack (slice or shred)
*Oil for frying
*toothpicks
*latex gloves

Separate whites from eggs. Beat whites to stiff peaks, quickly beat in flour, then fold in yolks. Refrigerate batter while prepping the peppers.
Heat oil in a skillet 1-3 inches deep.
Wash outside of peppers, then dry. Wear the latex gloves (or suffer the way I'm doing now). Slit on side lengthwise. Cut seeds from stem (keeping stem attached to peppers). Fill the peppers with the cheese. Slide the toothpicks across the peppers to close up the opening. You'll need 3-4 toothpicks for each pepper.
Dip the peppers in the batter, making sure they're covered. Slide peppers into oil, cook until golden brown. If the batter slid off the exposed side, and you have extra, carefully spoon some additional onto the peppers. Flip with tongs. Cook the bottom until golden.
Remove from oil and set on paper towels to collect spare oil until ready to serve.

Serve with Quick Cooked Salsa, Frijoles Negro, and rice.

I used the Chevy's Fresh Mex cookbook as my inspiration. But they don't used canned goods and I had to use what I had at hand. Also, Chevy's said to dredge the peppers with flour before dipping in the batter. This didn't work out, it created a dry layer that allowed the batter to slip off of the pepper. I actually had tremendous success with the method described above. It was my intention to mix some salsa into the rice, but I make compromises to feed my toddler, so I just used brown basmati with butter and salt.

To time the cooking, I started the rice, cooked all onions needed for meal. Reserved 1/2 onions for the beans. Made the salsa. Transfered the salsa to a covered dish. Made the beans in the salsa pop without rinsing it out (extra flavor). Then made the Chili Relleno last. The rice was done at the same time as the peppers.

quick cook salsa
frijoles negro

Quick Cooked Salsa

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion diced
1 pinch salt
1 clove garlic minced
3/4 carton cherry tomatoes
1 can diced chili peppers
1 can tomato paste
1 can water
1 t ground pepper
1 T chili powder
1 t ground cumin

Add olive oil to small saucepan. Add onions and salt and cook until soft. Add garlic and tomatoes then cook until tomatoes split open. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook until simmering.

Frijoles Negro

2 cans black beans
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 T olive oil
4 slices turkey bacon diced
1 t black pepper
1 T chilli powder
1 t cumin
1 pinch salt
Additional olive oil or water

Cook onion in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Drain beans. Add remaining ingredients (except extra olive oil/water). Cook until sizzly. Puree with hand blender. Leave it chunky if you like it that way. Thin with olive oil or water to desired consistency.

Slow Cooker Tacos

This is one of the BEST new recipes I have tried in a long time. So FAST and Easy yet full of flavor. My favorite combo!

Ingredients:
2-3 FROZEN chicken breasts
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 jar salsa of choice

Put all in slow cooker and set on LOW for 8 hours. When done, shred chicken in separate bowl using two forks. Return to mix and stir well to combine flavor. Heat tortillas in the meantime. Use filling for tacos or taco salad. Garnish with sour cream, guacamole, cheese, etc. Serve with soup and tortilla chips, etc.

DELICIOUS! Sorry I don't have a photo

Cowboy Caviar

This is a yummy dip that is easy to make. I half it when it's just Beau and I eating it just because if I make the whole recipe I will eat the whole thing myself!

Cowboy Caviar

• 2- 11oz cans white corn (or frozen corn whichever you have)
• 2- 15oz black beans
• 4 ripe avacados
• 2 large tomatoes seeded and diced
• 2 bunches of green onions
• 1/4 cup olive oil (I always use 1/8 of a cup but it's up to you really)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 Tbls salt
• 1/2 Tbls Tbls pepper
• 1 Tbls cumin

Mix all ingredients together and serve with corn chips. Keep in the refrigerator.

Lentil Tacos

Ingredients:

1 cup onions, diced

1/4 cup celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup brown lentils, dry

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup water or vegetable broth

3 tablespoons dried black currants or raisins, minced

1 cup salsa, plus additional for topping

8 6-inch corn tortillas

shredded lettuce

chopped tomatoes

shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

In a large frying pan over medium heat, sauted onions, celery, and garlic in the olive oil for five minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in the lentils, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for one minute. Add the broth and raisins. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender (add more water or broth as needed). Remove the lid and cook an additional 10 minutes (until lentils are thick), stirring often. Fold in the salsa. Wrap the tortillas in a damp white cotton towel and microwave on high for one minute. Spoon the lentil mixture among the tortillas. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

Serves four.

Per Serving:

Calories: 390

Fat: 6 g

Carbs: 69 g

Protein: 18 g

Source: Runner's World

Why-the-Chicken-Crossed-the-Road Santa Fe-Tastic Tortilla Soup

Why-the-Chicken-Crossed-the-Road Santa Fe-Tastic Tortilla Soup
From Rachael Ray's recipes posted on Food Network.

This soup has quite the name, but it delivers fantastically. We found ourselves going back for seconds and the boys couldn't get enough of it, so it's definitely a keeper. It makes quite a bit, but not to worry the leftovers are just as delicious, I hope you enjoy. I think next time to speed the recipe up a little bit, we will just use chicken leftover from a whole chicken that we have a night before. I hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Ingredients

Vegetable or corn oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons -- 2 turns of the pot in a slow stream (We just used olive oil)
3 ears corn on the cob or 2 ears fresh-frozen cobs, defrosted
1 red bell pepper, split and seeded
1 pound chicken breast tenders-We used about 2 chicken breasts, sliced thin to cook faster)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
1 teaspoon cumin, 1/3 palm full
Salt and pepper
1 small to medium zucchini, small dice
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 2 chipotle in adobo peppers (medium to hot heat level), chopped -- available in small cans in Mexican and Spanish food section of market(I used green chilies, because that's what we had on hand)
1 can stewed tomatoes, 28 ounces
1 can tomato sauce, 8 ounces
3 cups chicken stock (Unfortunately we only had chicken broth next time I'll try the stock)
4 cups blue corn tortilla chips, broken up into large pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (I omitted this)

Optional garnishes:
1/4 red raw onion, chopped (We used green onions-scallions)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley leaves
1 ripe avocado, diced and dressed with the juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions
Heat a grill pan to high and a soup pot to medium high. Drizzle oil on corn and place on grill. Add red pepper to grill with corn. Char vegetables 10 minutes, total, turning occasionally. Remove to cool, 5 minutes. Remove charred skin from the pepper.
While vegetables cook, dice chicken. Add 2 tablespoons oil to hot soup pot. Add chicken to pot. Season with poultry seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper. Lightly brown chicken on each side. Add zucchini, onions and garlic and chipotle peppers. Cook vegetables with chicken 5 to 7 minutes to soften. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock. Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat to medium low.
Scrape corn off cob and add to soup. Chop grilled red pepper and stir into soup. Add chips to soup in handfuls and fold in. Serve soup immediately with scatter of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Top with any or all of the suggested garnishes.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Mexican Casserole

1 10-oz can enchilada sauce (I like green, but you can use red, too.)
2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cut in bite-size pieces.
1 8-oz container of sour cream
1/2 c. sliced green onions
1 T taco seasoning mix
8 corn tortillas cut in half
2 c. shredded colby-monterey jack cheese
1 c. tortilla chips
1 c. chopped tomato
2 T ripe olives, sliced

1) Heat oven to 375. Spray 13x9 baking dish. Set aside 1/4 cup enchilada sauce.
2) In a large bowl, mix the remaining enchilada sauce, sour cream, 1/4 cup of the green onions, taco seasoning mix, and chicken.
3) Spoon the reserved cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 8 of the corn tortilla halves over the the sauce. Spoon 1/2 of the chicken mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle with 2/3 c. cheese. Repeat layers and cover with foil.
4) Bake 30-35 minutes. Uncover, layer tortilla chips, tomatoes, olives, and remaining 1/4 cup onions and the rest of the cheese over the top. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes.

(I use 1 c. chicken and a can of black beans, rinsed and drained.)

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

1 tbs. olive oil
1 medium green pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cans Mexican style tomatoes (undrained)
1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed
1 can of corn drained
2 1/2 cups of water
1 cup uncooked rice
2 tbs. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin

Heat oil in saucepan, add green pepper, onion and garlic cook until tender. Add rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes.

I used diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers for some extra spice. I also used quick cook brown rice. Top with cheddar cheese or sour cream. Enjoy!

(You can also substitute quinoa for the rice.)

Black Bean Tortilla Pie

serves 6
prep time: 25 minutes
total time: 1 hour

4 flour tortillas
1 T. canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove ribs and seeds for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. ground cumin
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer or 1 1/2 c. water (I used water)
10 oz. frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese (I used colby jack)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim the tortillas, if necessary, to fit into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the beans and beer or water to the skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in the corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Fit a tortilla in the bottom of the springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 c. cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 c. cheese on the top layer. Bake until hot and the cheese is melted, 20-25 minutes. Unmold the pie; sprinkle with scallions if desired. Slice into wedges, and serve immediately with salsa and sour cream.

Quick, easy, and delicious!

Source: Everyday Food Great Food Fast

Guacamole Salad

1 pint grape tomatoes halved
1 diced yellow bell pepper
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 jalapeno peppers diced
juice of 2 limes
1/4 olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 ripe avocados diced


Place vegetables in large bowl (except avocado) mix lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne pepper and pour over vegetables.
Just before serving fold in avocado and enjoy!

courtesy of Barefoot Contessa

Mango Salsa with Red Pepper

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 mango, diced small
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced small
1/4 cup diced red onion, diced small
2-3 T finely chopped cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. green Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce
pinch sea salt

Chop mango, red pepper, and red onion into pieces about 3/8 inch square, and combine in bowl. Mix lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, green Tabasco and salt in small bowl, wisk together, and mix into salsa. Add chopped cilantro and stir until combined

Grilled Lime and Chile Chicken

Makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- trimmed and scored
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 tsp chile powder (Ancho Chile powder from Penzeys)
1 tsp. garlic puree (also called ground garlic)
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 T Worcestershire sauce

Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts. If desired, cut small slits crosswise down the length of each breast. Put chicken in single layer inside Ziploc bag. Mix marinade ingredients and pour into bag. Let chicken marinate in refrigerator 4-8 hours, turning occasionally if possible.

Spray grill grate with non-stick spray or wipe with paper towel dipped in olive oil. Preheat gas or charcoal barbecue to medium high. (You can only hold your hand there for 2-3 seconds at that heat.) Put chicken on grill top side down. To get nice grill marks, cook about 4-5 minutes, then rotate 45 degrees and cook 4-5 minutes more on same side. Turn chicken over and cook until it feels firm, but not hard to the touch when you press it with your finger, about 15-20 minutes total cooking time, depending on the exact temperature of your grill.

This chicken could also be cooked in a stove-top grill pan with ridges or a George Foreman Grill with good results.

Serve hot, with Mango Salsa with Red Bell Peppers

Source: Kalyn's Kitchen

White Chili

3 15- to 15-1/2 oz cans Great Northern, pinto, or white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 1/2 cups chopped red, green, and/or yellow sweet pepper (2 medium)
2 fresh jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and chopped (or I use 1 small can of green chilies)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
Broken Tortilla chips (optional)

1. in a 3 1/2- or 4 qt-crockpot combine drained beans, chicken, onion, sweet pepper, jalapeno peppers, garlic, cumin, salt, and oregano. Stir in chicken broth.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Ladle soup into bowls. If desired, top each serving with some of the cheese and tortilla chips.


(If I don't want to use the crockpot, I usually can make this soup in an hour. I just saute the garlic, onions, and sweet peppers in a little olive oil, then add everything else. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the beans are soft. This is a family favorite!)

Jicama Salad

3 T. cider vinegar
2 t. dijon mustard
1 t. cumin
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. lemon zest
1/8 t. garlic powder
3 T. olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 c. jicama, chopped
1/4 c. red onion, minced
1/2 c. red pepper, chopped
1/2 c. corn
2 T. cilantro
2 T. green chilies (opt)

1. Combine all ingredients from vinegar to olive oil to make dressing.
2. In a bowl, add beans, jicama, onion, pepper, corn. Stir with dressing to mix well.
3. Top with cilantro to serve.

A great side for any Mexican dish, serve with enchiladas, salad, nachos, quesadillas, tortilla soup, etc.

Pico de Gallo

4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 T lime juice
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix. Stir. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips, tacos, burritos, fajitas, anything you can imagine!


I always double this recipe, so that (a) I can use a whole jalapeno pepper and (b) one batch gets gobbled up way to fast!!
In this photo, I have added two avocados--just for some extra yumminess. It helps me get my avocado fix w/o eating a whole bowl of guacamole.
Also, I like to use Roma tomatoes because they are more meaty and less juicy, but any tomato will work.