Horchata

I first tried horchata while working at a family-run Mexican restaurant during high school.  Horchata is a refreshing Mexican beverage made with rice, milk, and cinnamon.  It's the second best accompaniment to a good Mexican dinner, right after a big margarita. Though, for some reason horchata was not a particularly popular menu item.  I think that it was because it was a relatively unknown beverage in this area back then.

In recent years it seems that horchata is gaining some popularity around here.  Now most Mexican restaurants serve it and horchata mix is readily available at grocery stores in northeastern Colorado.  I tried several of the mixes, but they always have a grainy texture and never taste quite right.  So, I was really happy when I just googled "homemade horchata recipe" one day and came across this recipe at Allrecipes.  After some adjustments, this recipe is one of Wade's favorite treats.  It's so easy to whip up in the morning so that the flavors blend in time for dinner.

•2 cups white rice
•3 cinnamon sticks
•3 cups water
•1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
•1/3 (or 1/2 if you like a sweeter drink)
•3 cups milk

Blend the rice, cinnamon sticks, and water together in a blender until it is all sludgy.  Refridgerate several hours, or over night.  Pour through a strainer into a pitcher.  Stir in the vanilla, sugar, and milk.  Serve over ice.

We had the horchata with Chipotle Mayo Chicken and a really, really good cactus casserole from Homesick Texan.  Yum!!

Refried Beans from Scratch

If I had to choose only one type of cuisine to live on for the rest of my life it would have to be Mexican.  I have yet to find a dish that couldn't be improved at least a bit by green chilies.  Soup, eggs, biscuits and gravy, cornbread, you name it.

The most popular side dish to go with Mexican food is refried beans.  Their mild taste and smooth texture pairs perfectly with any spicy entree.  Until a year or so ago I always bought canned refried beans because I didn't realize how easy (and inexpensive) it really is to make your own. After some experimentation I came up with a recipe we both liked.   Now our  freezer always has at least a few containers full of beans.  They are great to pull out for a quick bean burrito or a nice side dish.

•3 cups dry pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
•1 onion, cut into quarters
•4 cloves garlic, left whole
•1-2 strips of bacon, left whole
•1 Tablespoon cumin
•1 Tablespoon chili powder

Place all ingredients in a crock pot.  Cover with water to cover by several inches.  Cook on low 8-10 hours, until the beans are tender.

I use the crockpot all the time to cook dried beans now so that I don't have to babysit a pot on the stove for the whole afternoon.  The only exception to this is red beans, which have to be boiled for 15 minutes before they are placed in the crock pot.  They apparently have some sort of toxin that requires them to be brought to a quick boil.

Don't drain the beans yet.

Next, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat.  When the oil ripples add a small cup of beans.  Stir them around well so that they get fried.  Add another cup of beans and repeat until all of the beans are fried.  Mash with a potato masher or a stick blender.  I like the stick blender method because it is so much quicker, but it will result in a smoother texture than the potato masher.  You may need to add a little bit of the bean cooking liquid depending on the consistency you want.

Add salt, to taste.  I find that refried beans require quite a bit of salt.  Add additional chili powder and cumin to taste, if desired.

This recipe will yield 6-8 cups of refried beans.

Easy Beef Enchiladas for a Long Day

As much as I love cooking, some days I don't want to have to do much of anything in the kitchen.  Tuesday was one of those days.  Wade was off of work, so in addition to getting some work done on my thesis we worked on the yard and started replacing the gutters on the house.  

After working outside in the chilly fall air for several hours we were hungry for something hearty and easy to make.

I have been making beef enchiladas this way since high school.  Come to think of it, this is one of the first dishes I remember making when I became interested in cooking.  It has been a mainstay for cold, lazy nights for years.  

Easy Beef Enchiladas

•package of small corn or flour tortillas

•1 pound ground beef (or turkey if you prefer)

•1 small onion, chopped

•4 oz. can chopped green chilies

•16 oz can red enchilada sauce (I used some that I canned earlier in the summer from this University of Utah Extension Office recipe, but I've also used this recipe from Emeril, or just the plain canned stuff from the store)

•2 cups shredded cheddar, Monterey jack, or pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Brown the ground beef, onions, and chilies in a large skillet till cooked through.  Drain, if there is too much fat in the pan.  Stir in about 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup of cheese.  This will help hold the beef together a bit, making it easier to roll up the enchiladas and keep them from falling apart when serving.  

Spray or brush each tortilla with a small amount of olive oil to soften.  (I use a Misto filled with olive oil),  Microwave until soft and pliable.  You could also heat some oil in a small skillet and soften them that way, but using the microwave is easier.  Perfect for a lazy evening. 

Place a few tablespoons of the beef mixture in each tortilla.  Roll up and place in a lightly greased baking dish.  Continue with the rest of the tortillas and beef mixture.  Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cheese.  Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes.  Serve with rice, beans, and sour cream.

Two New Favorites! In One Night!

Wade and I are planning a road trip to New Mexico in a few months.  We will be going to Roswell to see the UFO museum and all of the other alien-themed things in the area (because we are just dorks like that.)  We'll also go through Santa Fe, which is probably the only other place I'd ever want to live besides Colorado.Looking at all of travel information online made me really, really want some spicy Southwest food.  Right then and there.

This is the best meal that I have made in a long time. I discovered two new favorites.  The Chipotle Mayo Chicken based on the recipe from The Homesick Texan and Roasted Jalapeno Rajas are going to become part of our regular menu rotation.

Chipotle Mayo Chicken, Adapted from The Homesick Texan

•4-6 bone in, skin on chicken thighs (or a package of drumsticks)
•1/2 cup mayonnaise
•1 Tablespoon lime juice
•A handful of chopped cilantro
•2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, finely chopped (freeze the rest individually in ice cube trays.  When you need a few chilies you can just chop up as many as you need, don't bother to thaw them)
•About 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cumin
•About 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•Salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix together the mayo, lime juice, cilantro, chipotles, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat thoroughly.  Place chicken pieces in a baking dish. Top with any leftover mayo mixture. Bake for about one hour, until the chicken juices run clear.

For the Rajas:

•1 Tablespoon olive oil
•1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices

•1/2 cup roasted poblanos, jalapenos, or other pepper of your choice, sliced.
•Salt and pepper to taste
•1/2 cup sour cream

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until they become partially caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.  Add the jalapenos, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Add the sour cream and heat through.  Serve with hot flour or corn tortillas.