Ahhhhh – Mexican Chorizo. It is one of those foods that – when it’s good – can be heavenly, but . . . when it’s bad, it can be a greasy and nasty nightmare. So, I thought, how about making it at home so I could control the ingredients?
Mexican style chorizo is made from ground pork, vinegar and spices. I decided not to bother with trying to put it into casings because I always wind up removing the casings and using it like ground beef in recipes anyway.
First I did some research.
The Homesick Texan posts a fabulous chorizo with pork, vinegar, chiles and spices. Thank goodness HT agrees with me to skip the casings! The Spicie Foodie made a chorizo with less heat. Diane at The Whole Gang adds tequila to her chorizo! Wow! Must try this next time. Menu in Progress makes an Oaxacan style chorizo with five different chile powders.
And, the King of Mexican Cuisine himself, Rick Bayless, adds pork, pork fat, chiles, spices and garlic to his Chorizo Toluqueño in his book Authentic Mexican. He recommends refrigerating for 2 days before using.
Many of the recipes call for using a meat grinder, but, seriously, who has a meat grinder these days? I found that pulsing the pork in my food processor works just as well.
Chorizo is surprisingly easy to make and is very lean, depending on the cut of pork you use. I had to add oil to my pan to cook it because it was so very lean. And, I loved the flavor of my homemade version. So delicious. I have some stashed in my freezer right now for our next leisurely breakfast with chorizo and eggs!
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This recipe combines two fabulous Tex-Mex classic dishes – fajitas and nachos – in the perfect Southwest party creation: Fajita Style Vegetarian Nachos. Perfect for Meatless Mondays – we promise you won’t miss the meat!
It’s simple, if you think about it. Just grill or broil the veggies and then use them to top your nachos.
This recipe is great because it is hardy enough to serve as a main dish, but flavorful and colorful enough to serve as an appetizer at a party. They are pretty enough to impress your boss or your in-laws!
I started with black beans, so delicious and little protein powerhouses. I made a black bean puree to drizzle over the chips. This puree is amazingly flavorful and so easy – just a can of black beans, a can of enchilada sauce and some raw pressed garlic all blended until smooth. Yum. The puree isn’t cooked – just warmed in the microwave. Then you top that with the veggies and then, of course cheese. Lots of it. Whatever kind you like.
These may be are definitely the best nachos I have ever eaten. This easily beats the restaurant versions. Hands down!
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There is no such thing as the “perfect” guacamole recipe. To me, guacamole is one of those dishes that is – and should be – a unique creation every single time. My guacamole depends on my mood, the occasion, who the eaters are, and what is in my fridge and pantry. Avocados are good for you and have such a mild, creamy texture that pairs well with, well, pretty much anything, so the possibilities are endless. (Note to self: try Chocolate Chip Guacamole next . . .)
For Cinco de Mayo I will be making a roasted garlic guacamole with side additions that can be added by my guests. I have used the basic recipe of Rick Bayless, a south-of-the-border anthropologist/chef I admire, featured in this month’s Eating Well magazine. My hat is off to you, Chef Bayless – the addition of roasted garlic is genius! The only thing I changed from Chef Bayess’ recipe is that I used lemon juice instead of lime because I think garlic and lemon is a fabulous flavor combination. Lemon juice also doesn’t take over as much as lime juice does.
Just set this out in bowls and let everyone scoop the guacamole onto chips and then sprinkle with toppings of choice: diced cilantro, diced red bell peppers or jalapeño peppers, sliced green onions, crumbled queso fresco, grated pepper jack, pepitos (toasted pumpkin seeds), etc., etc.
Arriba! Arriba!
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- Grilled Pineapple Mango Salsa
Two surprises greeted me at the produce department recently: Mangoes at 99 cents per pound and pineapples at 88 cents per pound. They were screaming at me as I walked by: “Buy us, please! Make us into Pineapple Mango Salsa!!!”
This is such a delightful and refreshing fruit salsa. Pineapples and mangoes are so delicious that you forget how healthy they are. Pineapple has a positive anti-inflammatory effect and aids in digestion. Mango is an antioxidant powerhouse.
This tropical style salsa is perfect for so many things – Here’s just a few ideas: topping pan seared fish fillets, spooning into soft tacos and stirring into black beans for a side dish. Or, seriously, just serve with chips!
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I saw some great looking sweet potatoes shaped like bananas in the produce section yesterday and thought they were so cute… I bought them. The sweet potatoes really were too cute to puree and didn’t look like they wanted to be baked. They cried out “Tostones! ” instead.
Tostones are a tasty little latin snack food that are traditionally made with fried plantains and topped with anything from chorizo to fruit salsas. Because the tostones are starchy and slightly sweet, they get crispy on the outside but stay very soft and fluffy on the inside. Hmmm… starchy? slightly sweet? It sounds like sweet potatoes will fit right in and make terrific tostones.
You can serve sweet potato tostones as an hors d’ hoeuvre, first course or side dish. They can even be served alone. But, since I love the flavors of cranberries, pecans and feta cheese with my sweet potatoes, I put them together in a salad with baby arugula to top my tostones with. The tart cranberries and acidic vinaigrette are a great match with the crispy, fried sweet potatoes.
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