This recipe, Creamy Breakfast Chimichangas,  came about when I did a “wedding day breakfast” for a friend.  I wanted something simple, yet not the norm.  Since she loved Tex-Mex food as much as I always have, the breakfast had a non-traditional Mexican flair to it, with this being one of the fun things served.

In a previous post, I shared the Fresh Fruit Salsa recipe that would be absolutely perfect here.  However, this week, when I made the recipe, I ended up using a non-sugar added cherry pie filling as the topping, and cherry preserves in the filling.  My son was overly thrilled, as he absolutely loves cherries.

Creamy Breakfast Chimichangas

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
6 to 8 inch flour tortillas, about 8 or so
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons jam
Fruit Salsa (See recipe)

Mix the cheeses, sugar and orange zest together well.  Drop about 1/4 cup of this mixture onto the center of each tortilla.  Place 1 tablespoon of your favorite jam over the mixture.  Then fold the tortilla.  Fold one end of the tortilla about 1 inch or so over the mix, then fold in the right and left sides over the folded end. Fold the last side to overlap the others.  You’ll get this the first time you do it, I promise!!!

To Deep Fry:

Heat vegetable oil to 370F in a heavy deep pot.  One at a time, lower the chimichanga into the hot oil.  Wait 2-3 minutes, and then turn over, depending on how hot your oil is.  You want these golden  brown on both sides.

If you are having a hard time keeping these closed when they in the oil, use a toothpick to keep the seams closed, deep fry with the toothpick in, and then remove the toothpick once they come out of the hot oil.

To Bake:

Brush the edges of the chimichanga with the egg to seal.  Place seam side down on a baking sheet, and then brush the tops with the melted butter.

In a 475F degree oven, bake the chimichangas until they begin to brown — about 8-10 minutes or so.

Serve with Fresh Fruit Salsa or other fruit topping

One of my brothers, who also lives out of Nebraska, and far enough away that he can’t get food like this, loves Mexican Food as much as I do.  I recall one time, when we were both back in town, he and I ate lunch and dinner at different Mexican restaurants almost every single day we were there.. about a week.  We just couldn’t get enough, knowing that we wouldn’t be able to get later.

The recipe I am writing about today is  fried tacos.  It isn’t something you find everywhere, and, as far as I can recall, I’ve never seen them on a menu outside of the interior mid-western states, though I’m sure they must be, and I’ve just overlooked it. Fried tacos are usually cooked quickly and to order  – filled with the mixture, and then either toothpicks are inserted to hold the taco closed (as I do below), or the taco is held together with a special “clothes pin” type pin, and deep fried.  What I grew up eating is very similar to the recipe below, except that my recipe has a spicier flavor than I remember.

This is one of those recipes I make very rarely, as it’s quite a bit of prep work for just the two of us, and neither of us really need the extra calories, but about once every 3 or 4 months, we get all the ingredients together, and have taco night.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we always do.

Mexican Fried Tacos

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-3 jalapeno’s, chopped (remove seeds if you don’t want this to be too spicy)
1 pound ground beef
ground cayenne pepper
Chili Powder
Chipolte Powder
1 can or 1 1/2 cups of refried beans
6 8 inch flour tortillas
Hot Salsa or Hot Taco Sauce
Vegetable oil – enough for deep frying.

Optional Ingredients:

Lettuce
tomato
onion
cheddar cheese
sour cream
black olives

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan.  Add in the chopped onions, and saute until translucent.  Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.  Add in the jalapeno, and cook for 30 seconds more. Add in the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the pieces until tiny. Sprinkle the hamburger with the chili, cayenne, and chipolte seasonings to taste – about 1 teaspoon each – I use more than is called for, because I like it quite spicy – but season it lightly at first, tasting it, and adding more until the flavor is what you want.  Add in 1/2 cup of hot salsa and the beans.  Mix well, and then turn the heat down load and allow to simmer lightly while the flavors meld. Stir occasionally so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, prep the remaining ingredients

• Lettuce – chop into small pieces
• Tomatoes, seed, and dice
• Onion, chop into small pieces
• Shred the cheddar cheese.  I actually like a mix of cheese – cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
• Slice or chop the black olives.
• Soften the tortillas lightly, if they are not already, by warming them a bit in the microwave, or in a clean, dry pan on medium heat for about 20 seconds per side.

Using about 2 spoonfuls of the hamburger/bean mix, fill the center of the tortilla with the mix.  Fold ever the tortilla, and, using 3 toothpicks, lock the sides together, as is shown here:

Prepare all the tacos in a similar fashion.  Don’t overfill the tortillas, or they will burst open when you eat them.

Heat the hot oil in a deep pot.  I use a shallow saucier for frying these, filling only about 1/2 of the pan – however, if you are doing a lot of these (more than 4, say), this is really not the best option.  And, if you have children around this is REALLY not a good idea.  The best suggestion is to use a deep (6-8 inch deep, wide pot, with 2-3 inches of oil is the safest way to go.  Add more oil, re-heating to bring up to temp, if necessary.  Whatever way you do this, be careful of the hot oil.

One at a time, fry the tacos, turning once to evenly brown both sides.  Remove from the oil when each side is golden brown.

Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.  To keep warm, while the remaining tacos are cooking, heat the oven to 250F, and place the cooked tacos on a plate in the oven, until ready to serve, though this really isn’t necessary, unless you are making more than 8, as these cook very quickly, and stay hot and crispy for quite a while.

To serve, remove and discard the toothpicks, and fill with what ever you like.. cheese, onions, tomatoes, black olives, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, taco sauce.

These can be reheated the next day in a 375 degree oven.

Note:

For those of you that like to use the “taco seasoning” packets sold at the market, with the pre-packaged Taco Meal things, below is a recipe that I’m told is the same, but without the extra fillers:

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. each ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powdered oregano and sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Makes 3 tablespoons of seasoning mix, which is equal in strength to a 1/4 ounce package of commercial seasoning mix.

I was back home a few years ago, when I stopped to see an old friend of mine, who was just about to make dinner.  And making Mexican Rice, to boot.  She is an older woman, raised in Mexico, and taught by her grandmothers, mother, and aunts how to cook.

The secret to Mexican rice, I’ve found, is to use salsa – aka Pica de Gallo.  I recall the conversation pretty well..

“The secret to making rice is simple.  What goes into the rice?  Nice fresh crisp tomatoes, tomatillos, spicy peppers, some onion, a bit of cilantro, a touch of garlic and some lime, if you have it.  Same things that go into the rice, right?  Every couple of days, I make pica de gallo. So, why not use the  salsa?”

She made the rice in a similar fashion to making Risotto.  She melted some shortening, and then added the rice in, and stirred it well, until the rice was evenly coated.  Then she dumped in a bunch of salsa, and again stirred it.  She added some water, and a bit of beer, and continued to stir it, adding more water as needed, until the rice is done.

I experimented with the recipe as soon as I could.  I dropped the shortening in favor of vegetable oil, but the rest of the recipe is the same.

The “heat” of the rice is purely dependent upon the type of salsa you use.   The hotter, the better, in my opinion.  You can make your own, of course.  That is always fun to do.  But this recipe, for me, uses a jar of salsa.

There are a lot of salsas on the market, but by far, my favorite one is Green Mountain Gringo Salsa – Hot.  It tastes like the salsa my friend made – fresh, crisp,  and without the chemicals.  It literally has no preservatives.   But whatever salsa you end up choosing, make it one one that you like the flavor of with tortilla chips or by itself.  If the salsa is bland to you with the chips, it’ll be bland in the rice.  Find one that you really enjoy and then use that.

Enjoy!

Simple and Easy Mexican Rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups rice
2 cups salsa (or a 16 ounce or 454grams) Salsa
4-6 Cups of water (depends on the amount of liquid in your Salsa)
Beer
Cilantro, chiffonade

In a pot, heat the water – no need for boiling, but just simmering.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan with deep sides, to a medium-high temp.

Add in the rice, and stir to coat. Cook for about 30 seconds.

Add in the salsa, and stir well.

Once the rice has absorbed most of the liquid in the salsa (don’t let it get dried out), add in, by ladlefuls, the water.  Stir until the water has been almost all absorbed, and add in more.  Repeat this until the rice is done.

At some point, towards the end, add in some beer.  This is not really necessary, but gives a nice flavor.  Use about 1/2 cup or so.

Serve, topped with the cilantro.

Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

1 Small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound of chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 can (12 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups salsa, prepared
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
6 8-inch tortillas
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour Cream
Cilantro, chopped
Black Olives, chopped

In a frying pan, saute onion & garlic in the oil over medium-high heat, until the onions are translucent.  Add in the chicken and cook until no longer pink inside — about 4-5 minutes.  Mix in the beans, salsa and chili powder.  Cook about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas.  Easy way to do that is to layer the tortillas on a plate, with a damp paper towel between them, and microwave for about 30 seconds.

Lay a tortilla out flat, and the spoon 1/2 cup of filling into the tortilla, top with cheese.  Fold the bottom 1/4 of the tortilla up over the chicken, and then roll the tortilla to form a burrito.

Top with more cheese, and bake in the oven at 450, for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.  Top with sour cream, cilantro, and black olives.

Serve with Spanish Rice.  (recipe to follow tomorrow)

Notes:

• - You can use dried beans – just soak over night, then rinse, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.
• - I usually use Goya Black Beans – these, imo, are the best
• - If you cannot get Black Beans, Pinto beans will work just fine, or, even, left over refried beans.
• - You can serve these right away, without having to bake these for 2 minutes.  Just make sure the tortillas have been pre-warmed.

Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

1 Small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound of chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 can (12 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups salsa, prepared
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
6 8-inch tortillas
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour Cream
Cilantro, chopped
Black Olives, chopped

In a frying pan, saute onion & garlic in the oil over medium-high heat, until the onions are translucent.  Add in the chicken and cook until no longer pink inside — about 4-5 minutes.  Mix in the beans, salsa and chili powder.  Cook about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas.  Easy way to do that is to layer the tortillas on a plate, with a damp paper towel between them, and microwave for about 30 seconds.

Lay a tortilla out flat, and the spoon 1/2 cup of filling into the tortilla, top with cheese.  Fold the bottom 1/4 of the tortilla up over the chicken, and then roll the tortilla to form a burrito.

Top with more cheese, and bake in the oven at 450, for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.  Top with sour cream, cilantro, and black olives.

Serve with Spanish Rice.  (recipe to follow tomorrow)

Notes:

• - You can use dried beans – just soak over night, then rinse, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.
• - I usually use Goya Black Beans – these, imo, are the best
• - If you cannot get Black Beans, Pinto beans will work just fine, or, even, left over refried beans.
• - You can serve these right away, without having to bake these for 2 minutes.  Just make sure the tortillas have been pre-warmed.

If you are a ChiliHead, you’ll probably flame or faint. You are going to read about my Chili recipe.

Yes.. it’s a sacrilegious version. Yes, it contains tomatoes AND beans. And yes, I am sharing the recipe!!

I grew up eating a version of chili similar to the recipe below – it contains tomatoes, it contains beans. Get over it. To me, chili just doesn’t taste the right way without beans. I’ve tried chili with pinto, black, red, and every other color bean. My favorite is still red kidney beans, though black beans are a very second.

Oh. And I don’t like it so spicy hot that I can’t breathe, either. I like to taste it! So, if you are looking for a chili recipe that cuts your taste buds off, this ain’t it. What this recipe lacks in heat, it makes up for with balanced flavors that make your palate delighted that you can read a recipe, and follow directions.

Chili recipes are subjective. They are argued over and debated. The recipes are kept so secret even just asking “What makes this taste so divine?” can get you banned from a booth at a contest. I met a gentleman a few years ago at a chili contest in upstate New York, who told me his recipe was his great- great- grandfathers recipe. Only the men in the family knew the recipe, and only on their deathbeds, or in a will, actually gave the recipe to another person. Held secret, and close, nobody in the family knew how to make it, except the oldest male. It was handed down this way for generations. He received the recipe on a very yellowed and thin paper that almost crumbled in his hand. The recipe had been lightly written in pencil, the ingredients almost unreadable.

He had done things a bit differently than his father and grandfathers, though. After he had the actual recipe, he had the paper restored, and protected. He then stashed this precious recipe in a safe deposit box at a bank. Upon his death, the key goes to his son, and the recipe handed down another generation. This secret recipe had won many a contest, and was a hotly demanded favorite at family functions, as well as by the home community of this gentleman.

There are contests all over the world, from the annual Chili-Cook-Off in Antarctica, to the cook-offs in Australia. Canada, Finland, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Iceland and more. There are hundreds in the US alone. If you get the chance to go to a Chili Cook-off, do it. Besides the chili, you’ll usually find some amazing cooking going on – smoked ribs that are simply divine, pulled pork that you just cannot get enough of and beer – everything from the very basic “Budweis”? to micro-breweries serving local-made beers.

According to the International Chili Society, there were 211 Chili Cook Off Contests in the US in the year 2006. And they don’t list /all/ the contests and fairs. I’m pretty sure you can add at least 300 more small contests to that list and still be way off.

Although the recipe below won?t win any Chili Cook-Off contests, I hope you try it, and enjoy it. Change it, too, and make it your own.

Old Fashioned Chili

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Medium Onion, chopped
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground beef
28 ounce can tomatos, chopped
1 14 ounce can tomato sauce
3 cups water
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp rubbed thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
28 oz can kidney beans, rinsed
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1 small onion*, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Saute garlic and onion in oil until tender. Stir in ground beef and cook until no pink remains. Drain.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, fresh tomatoes, green pepper, kidney beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.

After first hour, add seasonings. Continue to simmer another 1 1/2-2 hours.

Serve with fresh onions and cheese.

The small onion is for garnish/serving.