Chili Verde

Chili verde is one of those dishes that seems so mysterious and dark when encountered on a taqueria menu. You know what I'm talking about: you go into Tequila's thinking you'll get a taco or something, and for one second, your eye strays over to The Dark Side of the Menu, where all the scary dishes go.

That's where you'll find shrimp cocktails, chile relleno, even cabeza or something crazier. And for one second, you consider what it would be like to be so fearless, so daring, to order something from The Dark Side of the Menu. Then you wuss out and order a bean-and-cheese burrito with extra sour cream.

But don't fear, because this is California, and mexican cuisine is everywhere. Take this recipe, for example: I never, in a million years, would order this at a taqueria. And that's wrong of me, because this is a spicy, tasty, easy dish. You serve it with with some fresh pico de gallo, or even some guacamole with cumin in it, and you got yourself a feast worthy of any fiesta. (DW)

This is probably one of the easiest recipes to make, it only requires two ingredients, and it is so good. You can serve it on corn tortillas or over rice. I prefer the latter, but my husband likes the corn tortillas.

1.5 lb pork, cut into 2" pieces
2- 7oz can Herdez salsa verde (or any brand of salsa verde you like)

Put pork and salsa verde in a 3-quart Crock-Pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours. Once cooked, remove pork from the Crock-Pot, shred the pork with a fork, and return shredded pork back to the Crock-Pot.

Serve with corn tortillas or rice. (AW)

Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Fellow Food Nerds! To paraphrase my favorite Salt-n-Pepa song, Let's Talk About Salad.

Salads are always exciting for me, because I feel like if I'm ever going to be healthy, salad is the Magical Gateway thru which it will happen. Then I eat too much of it and feel sick.

Amy thought this up with her amazing Food Brain. She seriously blows my mind with her imagination. This is a nice diversion from the typical taco salad one would serve when in the mood for something mexican and light. (DW)

2 chicken breasts
Fajita seasoning (I use Wildtree Fajita Seasoning)
Green bell pepper
Onion
Mushrooms
Lettuce, torn into pieces
Carrots, chopped or shredded
Cucumber, chopped
Avocado (We didn't put avocado on our salad, instead we made guacamole out of it, but I think avocado would be good on the salad)
Ranch Dressing (I mixed in a teaspoon of fajita mix with the ranch, to give it a little extra flavor)

Marinate chicken breast with the fajita seasoning for at least 1 hour. Grill chicken breast, bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms until cooked. Cut cooked chicken, bell pepper, and onion into slices. Serve chicken and vegetables over a bed of lettuce, carrots, cucumber, and avocado. Top with ranch dressing before serving. (AW)

Baked Chimichangas

I don't think I've ever been one for authentic, honest-to-God Mexican food. You see, I like it fake. I like burritos and taquitos and enchiladas. When people try and get me to eat authentic, I like it, but i always find my ADHD-infected mind wandering to thoughts of Taco Bell. (This may be a sickness, yes; but, it's MY sickness.)

So, Amy put this before me - not the most authentic dish, but one I hadn't ever paid much mind to. One that used cabbage, of all things - an ingredient I've never been wild about, but one that played a starring role in a tasty, thoughtful dish. And you know what? It felt authentic to me.

This meal, for me, is all about texture. Let these little wonders bake an extra minute or two in the oven - you want that crispy crunch, trust me. These chimichangas were hearty, above all else - after eating two, I felt like I could wrestle a bull, or something like that.

For added effects, we listened to Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis while we ate. OK, we didn't, but now I kind of wish we would've. They were that good. (DW)

2 cups shredded cabbage
1 can pinto or black beans
1 cup salsa
2 chicken breast, cooked and cubed or shredded
Olives
Green onions
Monterey Jack cheese
Flour tortillas

Mix all ingredients (except tortillas) together in a bowl. Wrap filling in tortillas so all ends are closed. Place in a 13X9" glass pan. Bake for 15 -20 minutes in oven @ 350 degrees.

Serve with sour cream and salsa over the top.

This recipe is courtesy of my Aunt Rhonda and my cousin Crystal. (AW)

Fresh Homemade Salsa

I know what you’re asking. “Why in the world would you guys make your own salsa? Isn’t just as easy, if not easier, to buy your own? Do you have to make everything, you dumb hippies?”

Well, let me tell you, if canned/jarred salsa came out as vibrant and delicious as this fresh salsa recipe, I would buy it in a heart beat. But it doesn’t.

Our dear friend Nancy Johnson had the idea for this salsa, after eating the delicious salsa they serve at Casa Orozco and deciding she wanted to create the same thing at home. I would venture my opinion that this salsa is some of the best stuff I’ve ever tasted. Make a bunch of it today and see if you disagree. (DW)

I make two different types of salsa, one with canned tomatoes and one with fresh tomatoes. This is the recipe that I make using canned tomatoes. I usually make this salsa in the winter months, when we don’t have fresh tomatoes or jalapenos from our garden. Once summertime arrives, I will post my recipe for fresh tomato salsa, which is more like a pico de gallo.

1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with most of the liquid drained
1 handful of fresh parsley (about ¼ cup)
¼ yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
½ lime, juiced

Add the tomatoes, parsley and onion to food processor. Using the pulse button, quickly pulse the ingredients 5-7 times to blend all ingredients. (Try not to pulse too many times, otherwise you will end up with tomato soup instead of salsa!) Pour salsa out of food processor into a bowl.

Add the salt, Tabasco sauce, and lime juice to the salsa. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Refrigerate until cooled (at least 4 hours) to let all of the flavors develop. After the salsa has cooled, see if you need to add more salt (for flavor) or Tabasco sauce (for heat).

*This recipe was inspired by one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in town, and created by our good friend Nancy. (AW)

Taco Salad with Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

Salad can take five minutes to make, and a lifetime to master. This is not an overstatement.

So many things contribute to what makes a good salad - lettuce-to-fixings ratio, quality of dressing, quantity of dressing, protein, crunch factor, and whether or not some weirdo puts baby corn on it.

Seriously. When weirdos put baby corn on salads, that makes me so mad.

Taco salad, while a variation on traditional salad, can still be tricky. The most important thing to do, in my opinion, is to demonstrate restraint; you need to resist the urge to turn it into a plate of nachos with some lettuce at the bottom.

This is why this recipe is so fabulous. The dressing is superb; seriously, this tangy wonder can be an all-purpose sauce/dressing for any number of Mexican-themed dishes. The ground turkey offers substance. Add some tomatoes, cilantro, red onions, and crumbled-up tortilla chips, and you have a sophisticated-but-tasty salad that’s light but substantial.

So, it’s with this, that I announce that the Walkers have mastered the Art of Salad. Boo-yah, suckas! (DW)

1 lb ground turkey meat
Taco seasoning
Romaine lettuce
Red onion
Tomatoes
Cilantro
Mexican blend shredded cheese
Lime vinaigrette dressing (see recipe below)

Brown ground turkey meat. Add your favorite taco seasoning to the ground turkey and cook according to the directions on the package. Set the turkey meat aside to cool. In the mean time, cut the romaine lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, cilantro for the salad. Serve salad with ground seasoned ground turkey meat, shredded cheese, and lime vinaigrette dressing.

Lime vinaigrette dressing:

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt (you can use fat-free yogurt)
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon olive oil

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate until chilled to let flavors marinate together.

This salad can be made prepared the night before and then assembled the next day for a quick and easy dinner. (AW)

Chipotle Beef with Potatoes

Let me tell you about Crock-Pots, all right? Crock-Pots are BOSS. They make your house smell amazing, and they’re really not a lot of work, both pre- and post-meal. If I hear anyone ever talk bad about it, I’m going to fight them. In front of everyone.

This is one of those meals that if Amy tells me is on the docket, I get excited and kind of giddy. Crock-Pot meals have been a staple of our Saturday nights. You see, I work most Saturday nights, and Amy is often with me as well (I’m an airline pilot; she’s a stewardess), and there is, seriously, nothing better than putting my key in the front door, stepping into my house after a long night of forgetting lyrics, and immediately smelling something like this recipe.

The things that makes this dish so phenomenal isn’t just the combination beef and potatoes; although that alone will rock your face off. It’s the plethora of things you can have it, which, when I think about it, is what I love about most Mexican or Mexican-themed dishes. You got cheese, you got sour cream, you got avocado, maybe some green onions. You can improve, too – like throw in some lettuce or cilantro on top. I don’t care what you do – it’s your dinner.

This dish is messy, too, but it just doesn’t matter. Go nuts, people. I would get some good tortilla chips to go with this, because that’s what’s going to make it a party. (DW)

3-4 lbs. chuck roast, fat trimmed
1 lb. baby red potatoes
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (4 oz) mild green chilies
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons The Art of Chipotle Gourmet Paste*
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder

Cut chuck roast into 1 inch cubes. Mix all ingredients in a 5-quart Crock-Pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.



Serve with flour tortillas, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream.








*The only store in the Livermore area that I have found the Art of Chipotle Gourmet Paste at is Nob Hill/Raleys. (AW)