Mexican | Rantings of an Amateur Chef

Layering the Menu

May 5, 2013

The Ranting Chef Cheese, Chicken, Mexican, Recipes cheese, chicken, cooking, dinner, food, Gourmet, mexican, postaday, recipe, recipes 4 Comments

My menu tends to have some unconscious themes. Some of the choices are truly seasonal: grilling more in the summer and hot soups in the winter. Others seem to come and go. Last fall, I found that I was making quite a few casseroles. Now, I’m stuck in the layered dish.

The quintessential layered meal is lasagna. Over the last two months I’ve made three different types of lasagna (regular, enchilada and breakfast). I’ve even made layered desserts (parfait, trifle).

When I had left over tortillas and pork chimichanga meat, I concocted a Mexican layered meal. That was an attempt to recreate the dish below.

We’ve made this dish for quite a few years now. It is easy, filling and the kids like it.

Delicious!

This number of ingredients make it look much more complex then it is.

Fry up the chicken.

Add the onion.

And spices and juices.

Layer.

Bake.

Oh yeah!

Yum!

Chicken Tortilla Pie

Prep Time: 45 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins | Makes: 4 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, finely chopped or ground chicken
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chillies
1 cup chicken broth
1 small piece bay leaf
3/4 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 (8 inch) low carb tortillas, cut into quarters
3 tbsp sour cream

Directions:

1) spray an 8″ square baking dish with cooking spray. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

2) Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add onion and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Reduce heat to medium low, add chili powder and oregano, and cook, stirring frequently, until meat is coated and spices are aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes.

3) Add tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

4) Heat oven to 350°

5) Mix cheeses together. Spread 1 1/3 cups chicken mixture in the baking dish and top with 8 tortilla quarters. Add another 1 1/3 cups chicken mixture, topped with half of the cheese mixture. Top with remaining 8 tortilla quarters and cover evenly with remaining chicken. Dot with sour cream, and cover with remaining cheese. Bake until cheeses are melted and sauce is bubbly, about 30 minutes.

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The Ranting Chef’s World

April 26, 2013

The Ranting Chef Fried, Kosher, Mexican, Recipes, Seafood, Vegetable cooking, dinner, fish, food, frying, Gourmet, Kosher, mexican, postaday, recipe, recipes, seafood, tacos, vegetable 10 Comments

As I have mentioned in a number of posts, I am amazed at how well the blog has been received. This is true not only here in my native US, but around the world. There are very loyal readers in 12-15 different countries and the blog has been accessed from countries around the globe. In fact, as I write this there have been visitors from 169 different countries! While I marvel at the number, it has motivated me to see if I can get them all.

My first step was to identify how WordPress (my blog engine here) identifies countries. This is done through an Internet Country Code. With a quick Google search, I was able to get a list of the codes and the number of IP addresses assigned to each code. The US, as with many resources, is a hog; 1.5 billion IP addresses have been allocated here. Many very small countries have under 5000.

I then ran a compare between my list of visitors and the country code list and have found my “hit list” of countries that I want to see here on the blog. Currently there are 60 countries with assigned IP addresses that have not visited here. Come on countries, get with the program!

If you have family or friends in any of these, I’d love it if you asked them to swing by. I realize that a number on the list restrict their citizens from accessing outside sites and therefore I may never get them. I also believe that access from military stationed overseas shows the home IP country code unless they use a local cafe. If you get someone to visit, post a comment extolling your success! Here are the countries that have so far missed out on The Rantings of an Amateur Chef:

Afghanistan, Aland Islands, Anguilla, Belize, Benin, British Indian Ocean Territory, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Faroe Islands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, The Gambia, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Holy See, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, North Korea, Kosovo, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Mali, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Montserrat, Nauru, Niue, Norfolk Island, Reunion, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Swaziland, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Yemen

This recipe is named after an area in the world, Baja Mexico. This is the third fish taco recipe I’ve made for the blog. The first was beer battered. The second was without batter. This is like the three bears, right in the middle. It was perfect.

It looks like a lot of ingredients but much is for the sauce and slaw.

Making the slaw.

Getting the fish coated. It thought this was easiest. I was right.

Into the fryer. You could use a large pan with oil.

Ready for the tortilla.

All put together.

They go quick, so grab one!

Yum!

Baja Fish Tacos

Prep Time: 0 hours 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 hours 10 minutes | Makes: 4 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, for frying
1/4red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
2tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1/2cup mayonnaise
Kosher salt
12corn tortillas
3/4cup all-purpose flour
1/2teaspoon chili powder
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/4pounds skinless halibut fillet, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch pieces
1Hass avocado
1/2cup fresh salsa

Directions:

Heat about 3 inches vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, toss the cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, honey and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season the slaw with salt.Warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat or wrap in a damp cloth and microwave 25 seconds. Wrap in a towel to keep warm.Mix the flour, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, then fry in batches until golden and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt.Halve, pit and slice the avocado. Fill the tortillas with the fish, avocado, slaw and salsa. Serve with lime wedges.Per serving: Calories 777; Fat 45 g (Saturated 7 g); Cholesterol 103 mg; Sodium 529 mg; Carbohydrate 66 g; Fiber 9g; Protein 31 gPhotograph by Antonis Achilleos

Source: http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/recipe/462973

Call Me Abuela

March 28, 2013

The Ranting Chef Kosher, Lunch, Mexican, Pork, Recipes, Side Dish, Snack Appetizer, cooking, dinner, food, Gourmet, Kosher, lunch, mexican, pork, postaday, recipe, recipes, side dish, Snack, spices 9 Comments

Many of the dishes I made during the week are not very involved. It may be 30 minutes of active cooking and prep work and total time of an hour. It is on the weekends that I get to make those dishes that are more involved and take the proper time to develop. As a result, I find that I am spending most of my Sunday in the kitchen. I think of all the old Italian grandmothers who spent many hours every day in the kitchen and think I am starting to morph into one of them.

This time there was a distinct Mexican theme, so call me Abuela….

This was the first time I made tamales. They were pretty darn good.

I found the corn husks in the “ethnic” aisle of the grocery store. I didn’t have California chile pods, so at first (and in the picture) I was going to use some Arbol chilies. Ultimately I had some sweet and hot red-hot peppers that I used.

I sliced the pork loin in half to fit into the dutch oven.

After two hours cooking, shredding and mixing with the pepper sauce.

I halved the recipe that you see below. It says it makes enough for 16 tamales (8 for half) but those must be tiny. Mine made a solid 4.

This part was much easier than I thought.

Put the pork inside.

Roll, fold, roll.

Each tamale has two husks. I did not have a steamer, so I built one. I used my big metal roasting pan that I use for Thanksgiving turkeys, a small rack (to elevate off the bottom), a grill rack and some foil for the top. I put water in the bottom and put it on the stove over medium-low heat.

Poke a few holes in the foil to let excess steam escape. I had to add water several times.

These were pretty good. The Ranting Wife said she normally doesn’t like tamales, but liked these.

Real Homemade Tamales

Prep Time: 35 m | Cook Time: 3 h 35 m | Makes: 16 tamales

Ingredients:

Tamale Filling:

1 1/4 pounds pork loin
1 large onion, halved
1 clove garlic
4 dried California chile pods
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Tamale Dough:

2 cups masa harina
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup lard
1 (8 ounce) package dried corn husks
1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Place pork into a Dutch oven with onion and garlic, and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 2 hours.

Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from the chile pods. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, then remove from heat to cool. Transfer the chiles and water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture, stir in salt, and set aside. Shred the cooked meat and mix in one cup of the chile sauce.

Soak the corn husks in a bowl of warm water. In a large bowl, beat the lard with a tablespoon of the broth until fluffy. Combine the masa harina, baking powder and salt; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as necessary to form a spongy dough.

Spread the dough out over the corn husks to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Place one tablespoon of the meat filling into the center. Fold the sides of the husks in toward the center and place in a steamer. Steam for 1 hour.

Remove tamales from husks and drizzle remaining chile sauce over. Top with sour cream. For a creamy sauce, mix sour cream into the chile sauce.

PREP 35 mins

COOK 3 hrs

READY IN 3 hrs 35 mins

Nutritional Info:

Calories 236 kcal 12% Carbohydrates 12.6 g 4% Cholesterol 37 mg 12% Fat 16.6 g 26% Fiber 2.1 g 8% Protein 9.1 g 18% Sodium 401 mg 16%

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/real-homemade-tamales/

These are NOT Bananas

February 21, 2013

The Ranting Chef Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Fried, Fruit, Kosher, Lunch, Mexican, Recipes, Side Dish, Snack, Vegan, Vegetarian cooking, dinner, food, fruit, frying, Gourmet, Kosher, lunch, mexican, postaday, recipe, recipes, side dish, Vegan, vegetarian 24 Comments

For many years I would stop and pick up a bunch of bananas, gaze over at the plantains and move on. Sometimes they were green ones, sometimes yellow. Once in a while the yellow ones would be so spotted that they were more black than yellow. I would offer a mental “tsk…tsk…tsk” to the produce workers for letting an obviously over-ripe fruit stay on the stand for way too long. I figured they were just like bananas.

I decided to cook with plantains for the first time a couple of years ago. Figuring all plantains to be the same, I grabbed the first bunch that were yellow with as few black spots as possible (just like bananas, right?). I took them home, fried them up and found they were almost inedible. I quickly wrote them off as not for my palate.

But as the months went by, I kept seeing them. Not one to give up on a food that easily, I decided to try them again. This time, I did my research. What did I find? Go for the black spotted ones. The flavor improves and are much better to eat as the spots appear. So I put two in my cart and went to the checkout line. After getting home I looked at my receipt and found the checker had rung up two….bananas.

I found that I really liked these.

I tried them with garlic salt and parmesan. The savory combination worked great but I could see cinnamon sugar going just as well.

All sliced up and ready for the oil.

I know that different foods are best at various oil temperatures. I went with my old standby of 350.

Sizzilin’!

Beautiful and tasty.

Fried Plantains

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Makes: 8

Ingredients:

1 quart oil for frying
2 plantains

Directions:

1. Preheat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat.

2. Peel the plantains and cut them in half. Slice the halves lengthwise into thin pieces.

3. Fry the pieces until browned and tender. Drain excess oil on paper towels.

Nutritional Info:

Nutrition Amount Per Serving (8 total) Calories 152 cal 8% Fat 11.2 g 17% Carbs 14.3 g 5% Protein 0.6 g 1% Cholesterol 0 mg 0% Sodium 2 mg < 1% See More Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Source: http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/22308/fried-plantains

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If you have an interest in participating in DICED! A Ranting Chef competition, the deadline is midnight on February 28, 2013. For full details about the competition, see the original post by clicking here.

Enchilada Lasagna

February 9, 2013

The Ranting Chef Baking, Cheese, Chicken, Mexican, Recipes cheese, chicken, cooking, dinner, food, Gourmet, mexican, postaday, recipe, recipes, spices, tomato 14 Comments

What’s a man to do who lives in an area with great Italian influences but misses the southwestern cuisine of his youth? Fusion!

This was a great riff on traditional lasagna.

There is quite a bit here and it takes some time to prepare. I didn’t have any dried chipotle, so I used some dried arbol chilies I had.

Making the sauce.

The chicken and onions.

Making the layers. Sauce first.

Then tortillas.

Chicken.

and Cheese. I add a little red sauce too. Repeat the layers.

Out of the oven.

YUM!!!

Enchilada Lasagna

Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min | Makes: 6 to 8 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

For sauce:

2 dried chipotle chiles, stems and seeds removed, diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted cumin seeds, freshly ground
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
1 1/2 cups diced onion
Pinch kosher salt
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
3 cups shredded queso fresco or Monterey Jack
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

Combine the chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chiles are soft. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken until cooked through, approximately 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a medium bowl. Add the onions to the same pan along with a generous pinch of salt, decrease the heat to medium-low and sweat for 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until the onions are tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the chicken back to the pan and remove from the heat.

Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Place 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the dish. Dip 4 tortillas into the remaining sauce and lay them into the bottom of the dish. Cut 1 of the tortillas in half to evenly cover the bottom of the dish. Top this with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup of the cheese. Starting with 4 more tortillas, repeat the layers, ending with the last 4 tortillas on top. Pour remaining sauce over the dish and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbly.

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Chicken Tortilla Pie

Ingredients:

Directions:

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Baja Fish Tacos

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Directions:

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Real Homemade Tamales

Ingredients:

Tamale Filling:

Tamale Dough:

Directions:

Nutritional Info:

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Fried Plantains

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Directions:

Nutritional Info:

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Enchilada Lasagna

Ingredients:

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Directions:

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/enchilada-lasagna-recipe/index.html

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