cilantro
Mexican Independence Day Fajitas
Today is Mexican Independence Day, the fiesta-filled holiday when Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain in 1810. This is a day of national pride, mariachi music and lots of great food. You can bet that Fajitas will be a favorite on the menu at restaurants and at home celebrations. Fajitas refer to grilled meat or chicken served with tortillas alongside grilled peppers and onions. Fajitas are so simple to make at home. A delicious fajita starts with a great marinade. For this recipe, I’ve chosen a simple combination of ingredients, but if you prefer more heat, you can always add some red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne. For the chicken, I prefer skinless boneless chicken thighs, but chicken breasts work well too. For the meat, you’ll want something with a little bit of fat like a skirt or flank steak. With colorful peppers always available, a combination of green, red, yellow and orange bell peppers make a beautiful presentation along with a large, sweet yellow onion. To give the fajitas a real authentic flavor, you can toss your flour tortilla into a hot dry skillet or griddle for just a few seconds to give it the char marks and delicious flavor. Of course, you’ll want to top off your fajitas with all of your favorite fixings’ like avocado, pico de gallo, cilantro, shredded cheese and sour cream. Plan ahead so the protein can marinate for several hours, then fire up the skillet or grill and get cookin’ south of the border style for your Mexican Independence Day feast!
Watch my How To Video for Fajitas here!
Chicken Enchilada Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings
Chicken Enchilada Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings
Here in the Southwest we love or Hatch Chile season! We’re right in the middle of the harvesting these flavorful versatile chiles that are known for their perfect balance of sweet and heat. Besides elevating the taste of enchiladas and rellenos, we also love hatch chiles in stews, soups, sauces and even smothered on burgers. In my opinion, there is no better hatch chile then when roasted or charred. It’s easy to do on an outdoor grill, in the oven, or with a grate over your gas cooktop! Just keep turning the chiles until they blister, place them in a Ziploc back while still warm and let them sweat. he charred skin will come right off and then you can scrape the seeds out and dice! While you can used canned chiles for this Chicken Enchilada Soup, the hatch chiles takes the freshness and flavor to a whole new level! Oh! And those cornmeal dumplings? The perfect topper to a this hearty Southwestern favorite!
Guava Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Cuban Salsa
Pork Tenderloin is always a favorite. There are many ways to prepare this affordable and easy to find cut of meat. You can really dress it up for a gourmet meal, or simply add a few spices and grill it up for a fast supper. I think the secret to getting your pork tenderloin off to the best start is by giving it a good sear. A really, really good sear. That alone makes the magic. But when you braise it in a something as simple yet exotic tasting like guava nectar, then you really have something! The moment I tasted this sweet and savory recipe for Guava Glazed Pork Tenderloin, it was love at first bite and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the recipe and serve this ultra-flavorful dish to friends and family. No need to fire up the grill for this delicious dish. Just grab a grill pan or cast iron skillet and go hog wild!
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with a Zesty Cream Sauce
The Story
It’s like a south-of-the-border summer vacation of a platter. Plump, fresh shrimp seasoned in a spicy, citrusy marinade, char-grilled, and then tucked into a soft tortilla with a drizzle of zesty cream sauce on top. It says, “summer.” It screams, “more, please!” This was a recipe that was served at a pool party that I attended a few years ago. The tortillas were flour and street-taco sized. The tacos were served on a giant warm griddle with plenty of lime wedges, and the cream sauce was offered in plastic squirt bottles chilling in a tray of ice. I left that party purring contentedly with the recipe in my purse.
The marinade, my host had mentioned, was an adaptation from a spicy shrimp recipe in the iconic Silver Palate Cookbook. She had replaced the chopped dill with cilantro for a more southwestern flavor. The kicked-up marinade and zesty finishing sauce makes this dish perfect party fare or a satisfying supper anytime, especially during grilling season. Just remember to make it fresh, and don’t skimp on the shrimp!
