R is for Recipe...

... I have wanted to start a food/cooking blog for a long time now. Food is one of my great passions. I love cooking it, reading about it, looking at it, and trying new dishes and restaurants. There are some pretty amazing food blogs out there, which I read at least a few times a week. I'm not quite ready to start my own food blog, mostly because I haven't even decided on a name, much less a design, but I thought it might be fun to post a recipe once a week. I usually make a big meal on Sundays, so look for the latest recipe either Sunday or Monday.

Yesterday I was craving Mexican, so I made chicken enchiladas, beans, and Mexican fried rice. It is one of the easiest meals to make.

I grew up on Mexican food. My mom is from Mexico, which, although it doesn't exactly make me full-blooded Mexican, it does mean that I've inherited some great Mexican recipes and traditions. I can always tell if a Mexican restaurant is serving "the real stuff." If any of you live in the area, The Red Iguana Mexican restaurant in Salt Lake City is the best Mexican in the state. Seriously, go there. You won't be disappointed.

Hope you enjoy the meal as much as we did. I usually pair this with a green salad and limeade (another Mexican favorite). Feel free to post any questions in the comment box and I'll try to answer them as soon as possible. Bon Apetit!

Beans:
A staple of the Mexican diet is beans, either black or pinto. I prefer pinto, but I've found that most Americans prefer black. You can make this recipe using either.

• Scoop out as many beans as you'd like and rinse. Two cups usually makes about four cups of beans.
• Put the rinsed beans in a crock pot and fill with water. You can add a quartered onion at this point, or not. It adds a bit of flavor, but it's not necessary.
• Set the crock pot on low and leave to cook for at least 12 hours. I usually leave it overnight and throughout the day until I'm ready to eat them. If you need them faster, you can cut the time in half by setting the crock pot on high. My sister and I always say, the longer you cook them, the better they are. If you're using pinto beans, they will get redder in color the longer they cook.
• Finally, add salt to taste before eating. Just pour it into the crock pot and then mix in. It usually takes more salt than you expect, but add it gradually so as not to over salt. My aunt once said she thought beans tasted like dirt, and I largely expect it's because they weren't salted. So don't skip this step just to cut back on sodium.

Mexican Fried Rice:
I've never liked the fried rice you get at Mexican restaurants that has bits of carrots and peas in it. Carrots and peas go fine Chinese fried rice, but not Mexican. This is the way my mom always makes it with tomatoes and onions.

Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 1/2 cups white rice
Knorr Tomato Chicken Bouillon Base (you can buy this from any grocery store in the hispanic food section. I got mine at Wal-Mart)
Olive Oil
3 c. Water

• Heat olive oil in frying pan on medium heat (a couple swirls around the pan should be plenty)
• Add rice and fry, stirring often, until most of the rice has turned golden in color
• Add onions, stir fry a few minutes longer
• Add tomatoes, stir fry one minute longer
• Add water and bouillion base. I add the base to taste, but I would imagine it's about 1/4 of a cup, give or take a few tablespoons depending on how strong a flavor you like.
• Let rice simmer on low until all water is absorbed and rice is soft, usually about 20 minutes
• Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas:
I'll be the first to tell you that chicken enchiladas, with a sour cream based sauce, are not, and never will be, authentic Mexican food. They are most definitely an American invention. That said, they certainly are good! I make them when I'm not in the mood to go through the long process of making real enchilada sauce (a post for another day!)

Ingredients:
1 can green chile enchilada sauce (I prefer Hatch's brand)
1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
2 cups of monterey jack cheese
8-10 tortillas
4 chicken breasts (1 lb), boiled and shredded
1 packet taco seasoning + water called for on packet
Olive oil

• Mix together enchilada sauce, chiles, sour cream, and cream of chicken soup. Pour 3/4 cup into bottom of 9x13 pan, set the rest aside
  
• Heat olive oil in frying pan on medium heat, then add shredded chicken. Fry chicken until heated through and slightly browned
• Add taco seasoning and water, let simmer until water is gone.
  
• Add 3/4 cup of cheese and mix with chicken until melted. Remove from heat.
• Separate chicken equally and put into tortillas. Roll up each tortilla and set into pan w/ sauce in the bottom
• Pour remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of sauce
• Bake at 35o degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
• Let cool and enjoy!