When I first saw this recipe for Arroz Verde, I thought the use of milk in the dish sounded a little wierd but let me tell you right now…THIS RECIPE ROCKS! This incredibly flavorful rice dish is easy to make and a great side to any Mexi-themed meal. My 10-year-old son called it (and I quote) “The Best Rice Ever”. ‘Nuf said.

Arroz Verde (Green Rice)
- recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine 

Fresh cilantro and spinach lend all their virtues — bright flavors, aromas, and color — to this Mexican rice pilaf. Milk and chicken broth add a subtle richness. Serves six to eight.

1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro sprigs (about 1/2 oz.)
1 cup tightly packed fresh stemmed spinach leaves (about 1-1/2 oz.)
1-1/4 cups homemade or low-salt chicken broth
1-1/4 cups milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups long-grain rice
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced

Put the cilantro, spinach, and broth in a blender and blend until the vegetables are puréed. Add the milk and salt and blend a bit more until well combined.

In a medium (3-qt.) heavy-based saucepan (with a good lid) over medium heat, heat the olive oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add the rice and sauté, stirring about every 30 seconds, until it just begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the contents of the blender, stir well, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, turn the heat to very low, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir the rice carefully to avoid crushing it, cover, and cook another 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the rice steam in the covered pot for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Tags: arroz verde, cilantro, green rice, Mexican rice, Side Dish, spinach

Need a quick, healthy lunch or light dinner idea? Then try this recipe for Southwestern Tofu Wraps. The fresh cilantro and lime juice add fresh flavor and liven up the tofu (which is normally bland). To bump up the Southwestern flavors, I also added 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder to the tofu mixture. For extra crunch, I substituted shredded cabbage and carrots (plain cole slaw mix) for the sliced lettuce leaves. Garnish with your favorite salsa. Enjoy!

Note: Be sure to drain the tofu really well or the tofu mixture will be watery.

Southwestern Tofu Wraps
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Makes 4 servings 

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces firm tofu, drained, patted dry, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
4 7- to 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
2 cups thinly sliced lettuce leaves
1 cup spicy tomato salsa

Whisk 3 tablespoons lime juice and oil in medium bowl. Add tofu, onion, cilantro and garlic and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let marinate 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap tortillas in foil. Place in oven until heated through, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toss lettuce with 1 tablespoon lime juice in small bowl.

Place 1 tortilla on each of 4 plates. Place layer of lettuce down center of each tortilla. Top with tofu mixture, dividing equally. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons salsa over each. Roll up tortillas. Serve, passing remaining salsa separately.

Tags: Bon Appetit Magazine, cilantro, light dinner, lime, lunch, salsa, Southwestern Tofu Wraps, tofu, tortilla, vegetarian

This salsa rocks! If you’ve never made fresh salsa before, I highly encourage you to make a batch of it. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to whip up and how delicious it is! Of course, starting with top quality ingredients (vine-ripened tomatoes) is key to a good salsa, while dry roasting the veggies in a pan is super simple and only takes a few minutes. Husband thinks I should make this recipe on a regular basis…I couldn’t agree more!

Don’t forget to season the finished salsa with salt (bland salsa just won’t do). Enjoy!

Salsa Quemada (Roasted Tomato Salsa)
-recipe from Epicurious.com | April 2010
Reprinted with permission from Amor y Tacos: Modern Mexican Tacos, Margaritas, and Antojitos by Deborah Schneider

A very useful salsa that is easy to make and keeps well. Firm, fresh Roma tomatoes are dry-roasted until soft and well charred on all sides (quemada literally means “burnt”), then pureed into a smooth salsa with sweet toasted garlic, fresh cilantro, and onion. Salsa quemada clings to the dryer and chunkier taco fillings, adding moisture and great flavor. It is also a classic table salsa, perfect to serve with tostadas and totopos.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

5 large Roma tomatoes, whole, not cored or cut in any way
1 serrano or jalapeño chile
2 cloves garlic, skin on
1/4 cup minced white onion
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 bunch cilantro

Make sure your kitchen is well ventilated. Put a piece of aluminum foil in a heavy sauté pan (preferably cast iron) and set it over medium-high heat. Place the whole tomatoes, chile, and garlic cloves in the pan and dry-roast them on all sides until well charred and soft. The garlic and chiles will be done quickly; the tomatoes may take 10 minutes or longer to cook.

Peel the garlic and stem the chile. Place the tomatoes, garlic, and chile in a food processor with the onion, salt, and cilantro. Pulse until the salsa is smooth and taste for seasoning. The salsa will keep, refrigerated, for several days. Reseason before use.

Tags: Amor y Tacos, cilantro, Deborah Schneider, garlic, homemade salsa, jalepeno, Mexican, roasted tomato salsa, salsa, salsa quemada, serrano, tomatoes

Homemade salsa is super easy to make and waaaaay better than most you’ll buy at the grocery store. Plus, you can make it exactly how you like it (spicier, milder, more lime, etc.). Whip up a batch of this salsa, buy the best tortilla chips you can find and invite some friend over! Homemade salsa is definitely a party pleaser!!!

If you can’t find serrano chiles, jalepenos will do just fine. Enjoy!

Note: I like Juanita’s Tortilla Chips…available in the Portland area

Pico de Gallo
-recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid, Food Network

In Mexico, pico de gallo is used to describe a wide variety of regional salsas, which are always made with fresh cubed fruit and/or vegetables. The most common version is made with any red tomato, onion and green chiles and is sometimes called “salsa mexicana” or “salsa bandera,” because the colors in the salsa represent the Mexican flag. Makes 3 cups

1 1/2 pounds yellow or red tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 serrano chiles*, seeded and minced
Pinch kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl, and toss to combine. Cover and chill until ready to serve. This salsa can be made 4 hours ahead.

*The serrano chile is a fresh, small, green chile. Traditionally used in salsas it is slightly hotter than a jalapeno chile and can be found at most supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or online.

Tags: cilantro, homemade salsa, lime juice, Marcela Valladolid, onion, pico de gallo, salsa, serrano chile, tomatoes

This recipe, inspired by south-of-the-border flavors,  is a delicious twist on classic chicken salad. It’s got kick from the pickled jalapeños, crunch from the chopped veggies, and flavor from the cilantro and fresh lime. Serve the jalapeño chicken salad in the easy-to-make tortilla bowls or use it as a filling for wraps. The tortilla bowl isn’t as crisp and crunchy as the fried kind you get in a restaurant. It’s edible, of course, but it’s main purpose in this recipe is for presentation. Enjoy!

Jalapeño Chicken Salad
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

Chicken salad is a great use for chicken left over from the night before or the rotisserie chickens sold by many chain restaurants and supermarkets. Any meat can be used–dark meat tends to be moister. Pickled jalapeños can be found in the international aisle at the supermarket, near the taco fixings. They add a bright, spicy flavor and crunchy texture to the salad. Cilantro stems have just as much flavor as the leaves, so you don’t have to be too thorough when picking and chopping the herb for the salad.

Makes about 5 cups.

2/3 cup mayonnaise  
1 tablespoon lime juice  
3 cups shredded cooked chicken  
1/2 medium rib celery, chopped fine 
1/2 small red onion, chopped fine 
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves   
1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños, chopped fine 

Mix mayonnaise and lime juice in small bowl until combined. Toss chicken, celery, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeños in large bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Note: To make a tortilla bowl, spray both sides of large flour tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Toast tortilla in nonstick skillet over medium heat until spotty brown on both sides but still soft, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, drape tortilla over small overturned bowl. Place second overturned bowl over tortilla and cool completely.

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Tags: celery, cilantro, Jalapeño Chicken Salad, jalapeno chiles, lime, lunch, red onion, red pepper, sandwich, wrap

Guacamole…so simple yet so incredibly delicious. The first time I had really great guacamole was at a resort in Tuscon, Arizona. The waiter made it at our table so, of course, we were impressed with the presentation: mashing the perfect avocado right before our very eyes in a molcajete, the traditional Mexican version of a mortar and pestle, then adding fresh tomato, chopped onion, a little garlic, cilantro, fresh lime and salt. It was amazing! 

A good batch of guacamole is hard to stop eating, especially when you serve it with fresh, locally-made tortilla chips. If you live in the Portland area, try Juanita’s brand tortilla chips. They’re made in Hood River and are the best grocery store tortilla chips I’ve ever had (available at many local markets). Some Mexican restaurants even sell freshly-made tortilla chips.

This recipe for guacamole is from Rick Bayless, the king of authentic Mexican cuisine. I prefer the luxurious version of this guac…it rocks!  As long as you start with good avocados, you pretty much can’t go wrong. For more on avocados, click here.

Guacamole Three Ways: Simple, Herby or Luxurious
Guacamole Tres Estilos
-recipe from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

“I gave up looking for “the one best guacamole” years ago. Because “the best” is only the best for a particular moment, a particular set of ingredients, a particular group of people and the role it plays in their eating or snacking. Which is why I’ve written this recipe in stages. I want you to have an easy-to-follow guide for making the perfect guacamole for a multitude of uses, a variety of occasions. So it starts with the simplest perfect mash of avocado, garlic and salt (I know many cooks in Mexico who think that adding anything to avocados but those two ingredients is a start on the road to ruin). This simple guacamole is a delicious condiment to spread on sandwiches or grilled meat tacos that are served with salsa. Adding cilantro and lime to the basic, garlicky guacamole gives it the pizzazz to stand alone—as a topping for crispy tacos or tostadas, even as a dip. Green chile, white onion and red tomato—do I need to point out that those are the colors of Mexico’s flag?—create a chest-thumping, look-at-me guacamole that’s perfect with a bowl of chips at a party where the music’s turned up and there are lots of laughs.” -Rick Bayless

Makes 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups

2 medium ripe avocados
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press
Salt
To make it herby, add:
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
About 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
To make it luxurious, also add:
Fresh hot green chile to taste (I like 1 serrano or ½ to 1 jalapeño), finely chopped
¼ small white onion, finely chopped
½ medium tomato, chopped into ¼-inch dice

Cut the avocados in half, running your knife around the pit from stem to blossom end and back up again. Twist the halves in opposite directions to free the pits and pull the halves apart. Dislodge the pits, then scoop out the avocado flesh into a medium bowl.

Mash the avocado with a large fork or potato masher. Stir in the garlic and about ½ teaspoon salt, plus any other sets of ingredients you’ve chosen. If your list includes the white onion, rinse it first under cold water, then shake well to rid it of excess moisture, before adding to the avocado. (This reduces the risk of having onion flavor overwhelm the guacamole.) Taste and season with additional salt if appropriate. If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate—preferably not more than a few hours.

A Riff on “Stage Two” Guacamole: Replace the lime juice with (or, for extra-tangy guacamole, add along with the lime juice) about ½ cup homemade or bottled tomatillo salsa—perfect as a topping or a dip, especially when you need to make the guacamole ahead (the additional acid in the tomatillos helps keep the guacamole greener for longer).

Avocado Sauce: For a tangy sauce to drizzle over raw (or blanched) vegetables or on tacos, tostadas and the like, follow the above variation, increasing the tomatillo salsa to 1 cup; puree everything in a blender. If the sauce is too thick to drizzle, thin with additional tomatillo salsa. A little heavy cream, sour cream or crème fraiche can be added for wonderful richness.

Tags: avocado, cilantro, guacamole, Juanita's tortilla chips, lime, Mexican Everyday Cookbook, molcajete, onion, Rick Bayless, tomato

I ran across this recipe for Chinese Noodle and Chicken Salad the other day and thought it would be a great pasta salad dish to make for the weekend: tender noodles, crunchy snow peas and a creamy, peanutty Asian-inspired dressing. Yumm! Husband loved it, too. 

You’ll notice that this recipe serves 20 people, which is great for a potluck or when feeding a crowd. I didn’t need to serve that many so I made half a recipe. Heck, you could even make a 1/4 recipe if you wanted to (you’re on your own with the math).

For the salad, feel free to roast your own chicken or buy one at the grocery store (I used a Costco roasted chicken). Also,  I wanted to bump up the veggie content of the salad so I added about a half bag of shredded cole slaw mix (cabbage and carrots). If you can’t find snow peas or they’re expensive, you could substitute a whole bag of shredded coleslaw mix (for a half recipe of the noodle salad) and some thinly sliced red bell pepper.

For the dressing, I added a tablespoon or so of chopped fresh ginger to the other ingredients and processed until smooth. I liked the extra flavor and zing that the nobby root added. 

Chinese Noodle and Chicken or Turkey Salad
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Leftover roasted chicken or turkey makes this rendition of a popular salad a snap to prepare. It’s made spicy by combining chilies with linguine, green onions, snow peas, cilantro and a peanut dressing.

Yield: Serves 20

Salad
2 pounds linguine
1/4 cup oriental sesame oil
2 2 1/2-pound roasted chickens, skinned, boned, shredded or 12 cups cooked turkey
4 bunches green onions, sliced
2 bunches fresh cilantro, chopped
4 jalapeño chilies, seeded, deveined, minced
1 1/4 pounds snow peas, stringed, thinly sliced lengthwise

Dressing
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned style or freshly ground)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup oriental sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

Napa cabbage leaves

For salad:
Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add sesame oil; toss to blend. Mix in chicken or turkey, onions, cilantro and chilies.

Cook snow peas in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well. Mix into salad.

For dressing:
Combine soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and ginger in processor; blend until smooth.

Pour dressing over salad and mix with hands to blend well. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Line large platter with Napa cabbage leaves. Mound salad over and serve.

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Tags: Chinese Noodle and Chicken or Turkey Salad, cilantro, feeding a crowd, green onions peanut butter, jalapeno chilies, Pasta, potluck, rice vinegar, sesame oil, snow peas, soy sauce

Beef stew is always a favorite at my house. Sometimes I like to change it up by making Ranchero Beef Stew, a Spanish-inspired dish that features beef simmered with carrots, green chilies, tomatoes and green olives. It’s hearty, filling and and a nice change from traditional beef stew!

The recipe states that the stew only needs to simmer for 1 hour but I’m not sure in what universe they were cooking it in. I’ve never had stew meat get tender in an hour. Since I wanted the meat super tender (not chewy), I let the stew simmer for almost 3 hours. I served the stew over garlic mashed potatoes. YUMM! It was a perfect meal for a cool Autumn evening!
Optional: a teaspoon of cumin added to the simmering stew adds nice flavor to the final dish. 

Ranchero Beef Stew
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Traditional beef stew with Spanish overtones. It’s delicious over rice or pasta. Serves 4. 

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, cubed
2 medium carrots, cubed
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15-to 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes
1 cup canned beef broth
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed green olives (about 2 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Add to Dutch oven; sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth chilies, olives and oregano. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until beef is tender, about 1 hour (I simmered my stew for about 3 hours). Uncover; simmer until juices thicken, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro.

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Tags: beef broth, beef stew, carrots, cilantro, green chilies, green olives, onion, Spanish, tomatoes

My mom has me hooked on the combination of scrambled eggs with green chilies! Sometimes I crave it, which is what led me to this recipe for Tortillas with Eggs. It’s a great breakfast or brunch dish and can easily be doubled or tripled to feed more people. You can also get creative and add other ingredients to the scramble: diced tomatoes, cooked chorizo, cheese, etc. Yumm!  

Tortillas with Eggs
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

This dish is a twist on chilaquiles, a tortilla-based hash. It’s great served with salsa for breakfast. Serves 2.

1 tablespoon corn oil
3 5- to 6-inch tortillas, halved, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
4 eggs, beaten to blend
1/4 cup canned diced green chilies
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Heat oil in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tortillas and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Add eggs, chilies, and cilantro. Stir until eggs are softly set, about 3 minutes. Season with hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper.

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Tags: Breakfast, brunch, cilantro, corn tortillas, diced green chilies, Eggs, hash, scramble

This Mexi-inspired recipe will please most tastes (sans vegetarians). The lightly seasoned pork has good flavor without being dominated by the rub, which is a combo of paprika, brown sugar, chile powder and allspice. After I put the rub on the pork, I put it back in the fridge for a few hours while I took the kids swimming. When we got back from the pool, I proceeded with the recipe and made the tomato sauce and grilled the pork. The sauce, which is basically a salsa, is a delicious compliment to the perfectly cooked, super-tender pork tenderloins.

The jalepeno pepper that I used for the fire-roasted sauce was on the tame side so I also added a little chopped chipotle chile to the simmering sauce. This added the kick that I was looking for and provided a bit more smoky flavor, too. Leftover sauce is great as a dip with chips!

Menu idea: Dry Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce, Two-Bean & Corn Salad, Green Salad with Southwestern Vinaigrette, and Blueberry-Lemon Cornmeal Cake.

Dry-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce
-recipe from Weber’s Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance

Makes 4 servings.

Sauce
8 ripe, plum tomatoes, stems removed
1 jalapeño chile pepper, stem and seeds removed
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup roughly chopped red onion
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

Rub
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin
Extra-virgin olive oil

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the tomatoes and jalapeño over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until blackened and blistered in spots, turning as needed. The tomatoes will take 4 to 6 minutes and the jalapeño will take 2 to 3 minutes. Put the tomatoes and jalapeño in a food processor along with the remaining sauce ingredients, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, mix the rub ingredients.

Trim any excess fat and sliver skin from the tenderloins. Lightly brush the tenderloins on all sides with oil and season evenly with the rub, pressing the spices into the meat.  Allow the tenderloins to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling. Reduce the temperature of the grill to medium heat (350° to 450°F).

Grill the tenderloins over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the pork is barely pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with the sauce.

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Tags: allspice, basil, brown sugar, chile powder, cilantro, dry rub, fire-roasted tomato sauce, garlic, Grilling/BBQ, jalapeno, lime, onion, paprika, pork tenderloin, tomatoes