Gumbo Shooters, powerful sip of Soup.

Did the last time you had something in a shot glass make you feel less than virtuous? 

Try serving up your favorite soup in a shot glass. No virtue promised here but no roaring headache the next day either! I hosted Bunco night here recently & served Gumbo one last time. I wanted to serve Gumbo since our cool nights are long gone here in Texas & won't return for several  months.  I had a New Orleans theme going for my friends & fellow Bunco players.  Normally I serve rice with Gumbo however with tiny servings I didn't think rice was necessary & not one person noticed the absence of said starch.  I prepared the Gumbo ahead of time & kept it warmed in a crock pot during the festivities.  I recommend the 2 oz wide mouth Duralex shot glasses.  They are reasonably priced & have enough space for a good sipping Gumbo!  Les c'est le bon temp rouler!

Duralex 2 oz shot (wide mouth) glasses hold a nice sip of gumbo 

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo Shooters

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. veg. oil

1 c. flour

Make a roux from the butter, veg. oil & flour in deep dutch oven or gumbo pot. Once your roux is deep brown or copper penny color then add & saute:

1 sm. onion, diced

1 med. bell pepper, diced

2 lg. stalks celery, chopped

Once the vegs are cooked add 1 quart chicken stock or warm H2O. 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, *Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning to taste. Add 4 lg. skinless chicken breasts. 1 pkg. (1 link) smoked beef or pork sausage. Simmer till the meat is cooked well. Remove this from, the gumbo & chop up chicken and dice up sausage. Add this back into the gumbo, keep simmering. Add 1 frozen pkg. okra. Add one small bunch of green onion tops, chopped. Once this comes to a low simmer turn it off & serve in small shot glasses.  Use  a small size ladle to make the Gumbo transfer neat & tidy. 
*Tony Chachere's is a popular season salt from Louisiana, even when living in Mexico I could find this spicy seasoning. 

5, 6, 7, 8...What a difference a year can make!

Last year's Cinco de Mayo meal was eaten South of the Border. Back then I made an Asian fusion meal which suited my Cinco tastes of the day. I noted in 2009 that Cinco de Mayo is not a holiday celebrated with such exuberance throughout Mexico as it is in the states. In Mexico the holiday is barely a blip on the party throwing scale unless one is in the state of Puebla Mexico. For a review of the holiday check here. This year I tried a more traditional "state-side" route. Living back in the states now we join in with the rest of the Cinco de Mayo, Margarita swigging fiesta goers.


We served our Tacos for Cinco de Mayo with plenty of Guacamole, Salsa, cold Jarritos & Cervezas. Hope your Cinco de Mayo was wonderful wherever you celebrated it. Buen Provecho, Enjoy!

Guacamole con la Bandera is simply this: Avocado mashed & topped with diced tomato, diced onion & a combination of diced jalapeno (or Serrano pepper)& Cilantro. Guacamole served in this manner throughout Mexico is considered "con la bandera" since it has the colors of the Mexican flag. I serve mine with lime wedges. Let the diners mix in the ingredients they would like.



As I scrambled mid day to place a small pork loin roast in the slow cooker for a few hours I decided to mix it up a bit & cook the pork roast with local favorite, Jardine's 7J Ranch, Campfire Roasted Salsa. It was wonderful over our tacos we made from the pork roast too.



















Salsa Roasted Pork Loin
3 lb Pork Loin Roast
1 small Onion. sliced
1/3 cup of Jardine's Campfire Roasted Salsa
1 Lime, juiced
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped

Season the Pork Loin roast with peppers, garlic & place the Pork loin roast in crock pot. Pour the salsa over the top of the roast, lay sliced onions over the top of the roast, squeeze the lime juice over the top & bake on high for 4 hours & 30 minutes. Cool roast approx. 15 minutes, then slice & roughly chop the slices. Serve in corn tortillas with chopped cilantro, dice onion, baby spinach leaves, diced pineapple & Jardine's Campfire Roasted Salsa. We served this on locally made fresh corn tortillas....many tortillas!!
D.L. Jardines has a great online store where you can order this salsa & many more of their products.

Five Ingredient Salad for Cinco de Mayo
1 Avocado, seeded, pealed & sliced
1 Mango, pealed, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
4 oz. Queso Fresco, crumbled or sliced into 1/2 inch bite sized pieces
1/4 small onion, diced
1/2 head of Red Leaf Lettuce, loosely shredded by hand.
Arrange clean lettuce into the bottom of serving bowl then layer on the rest of the ingredients ending with Avocado. Serve with Green Chili Dressing, recipe found in previous blog entry.

Cascarones translates to: Easter Celebration!

The egg cracking, confetti flying traditions of Cascarones have been in the Southwest for a very long time but it has certainly made a come back in recent years. What are Cascarones? Cascarones traditionally were carried from Spain to the Americas over a century ago. Carlotta, the wife of Emperor Maximillian, was so fascinated by the eggs that she brought them to Mexico during her husband’s rule in the mid 1800’s. Originally the eggs were filled with perfumed powders. In Mexico people replaced the perfumed powder with brightly colored confetti. It was that point when Mexicans labeled the egg shells.... Cascarones... the word derives from the Spanish "Cascara" which means shell. In Mexico Cascarones were popular at one time, but the tradition eventually faded. Only in the late 1960s and early 1970s Cascarones regained popularity in South Texas. As a child in San Antonio Texas I can remember learning how to make the Cascarones in school. The Cascarones are a regular cottage industry in San Antonio from Easter to Fiesta time. I have seen very artistic creations which look like animals & popular cartoon characters. They are usually sold by the dozens however the more creative the Cascarones the higher the individual price. To make your own Cascarones prick a hole in one end of the egg & blow the yolk/white out of the egg through a larger hole in the other end. Once the egg is removed from the shell wash & dry the shell fill with confetti & seal the end with tissue paper. It is believed that the Easter Cascarones represent the Resurrection of Jesus & breaking the egg symbolizes Christ rising from the tomb. Also who ever receives a shower of confetti on the head will have good luck & fortune. So be not offended when you are showered with this goodness, someone is just showing you some love & sharing the luck! This year we did not make our own as I bought Cascarones pre-made & so we enjoyed hand dying Easter eggs along with our showers of confetti & Easter goodies!
Our recent meal of Ancho Enchiladas reminded me of a recipe I had years ago I had long since lost for Pork Enchiladas with Ancho sauce. I am still working on recreating that exact recipe but found this Vegetarian version of Ancho Enchiladas very nice, especially with the addition of the crumbled fresh Panela Queso.

For the recipe for those adorable Bunny Cakes check here:

Cottage industry?? Nope, just a little father/daughter egg dying hilarity & artistic creativity!










Ancho Veggie Enchiladas
1 Red Sauce recipe
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
1 yellow Bell Pepper, sliced
2 Zucchini, sliced
1 12 oz. Panela Fresca Queso, crumbled
10 White Corn Tortillas, softened
Saute Bell Peppers & Zucchini slices in 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil till vegetables are slightly tender while still crisp. Ladle 1/4 cup of Red Sauce over bottom of greased 9 X 13 dish. Soften Corn Tortillas & fold veggie strips into the enchiladas, layer Panela crumbles into the Tortillas. Layer the Enchiladas evenly over the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Pour Red Sauce over the enchiladas, top with remaining Panela crumbles. Bake @ 350* for 20-25 min. or till cheese starts to look slightly toasted & sauce is bubbly. Serve immediately.
























Red Chili Sauce
8 oz Dried Ancho Chilis,
1 quart of water
14 oz. can of Roma Tomatoes
1 Chili Chipolte, stem removed + 1 tsp of Adobo liquid*
1 small Yellow Onion, roasted under broiler or on a Comal
5 cloves Garlic, roasted briefly, peeled & finely chopped
1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano (if using fresh only 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. ground Cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
Remove stems & seeds from Adobos (seeds which do not remove easily will fall away once the chilis are cooked in the water.) Dry roast the Chilis Anchos for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not burn. Add to 1 quart of boiling water simmer for 10 minutes. Remove once the chilis are re-hydrated. Cool then remove rest of seeds & set aside. Reserve liquid for blending process. Roughly chop the Chilis Adobos, place in blender or food processor, to this add the Roma Tomatoes, 1 canned Chili Chipolte, 1 tsp. Adobo liquid the chilis are packed in, sugar, cumin, diced onion, garlic, oregano. Blend slowly by pulsing the blender or food processor. To this liquid I add the reserved water I simmered my Anchos in 1 Tbsp at a time. I like my sauce to be the thickness of catsup & not as thin as some of the store bought enchilada sauces. You might want a thinner sauce. It is your choice. This yields aprox 2 3/4 cups of Red Chili Sauce. Any extra sauce I have freezes well to use another day. **As with any of my more spicy recipes, this can be made with less heat, omit the chipolte if needed.

Celebrating Independence Texas Style.

Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. From the Battle of the Alamo to the declaration of independence from Mexico; Texas has always had more in common than differences with the culture & traditions of Mexico. As our friends in Mexico love to remind us Texas & Mexico used to be all the same country...
Never is that commonality less obvious than when I see our love for both the traditional Mexican or Tex-Mex cuisine right here in the Lone Star State.



















Frijoles de Olla is the classic bean dish which is brought to the table in a Cazuela or Olla (the traditional earthenware pottery found throughout Mexico) after the main course has been eaten. I made a brief trip last week to the Mercado Zaragosa, in Pedras Negras, Coahuila. The Mercado Zaragosa is where my father bought me my first Olla many years ago. I continue to use that same Olla to this day when I want to make traditional Frijoles de Olla. I was relieved to see that the small market place in the heart of old Piedras Negras was still as quiet & tranquil as I remembered it. The recent troubles along the border regions in Northern Mexico have missed the sleepy burg of Piedras for now. I saw rows of traditional pottery (including several Ollas) on the familiar sidewalk in front of the Mercado. I made my way inside to purchase bottles of La Vencedora vanilla & honey. Those flavors are but just a few of the items I enjoy searching for each time I travel to Mexico.















In our quest to remove some of our meat from our weekly diet I decided to make our Frijoles de Olla without any meat or animal fats. The delicious Frijoles both North & South of the Border often have Lard in the recipe. While the taste might be more in keeping with tradition, this recipe has enough flavor the meat & lard is hardly a passing thought. I also prepared this dish with a soy chorizo sausage rather than traditional chorizo. There are several varieties of Soy Chorizo available here in the states however I suggest buying it to cook before you use it in the beans. Not all Soy Chorizos are created equal, ha,ha! (Trust me on this.) You do not have to cook these beans in anything other than a large pot or dutch oven. I served the Frijoles with Veggie Tacos. I have posted this recipe before on my blog & here is the link. Whether you are avoiding meat for Lent, dietary or life choice give these a try.

















Frijoles de Olla
2 cups dried *Pinto beans, sorted & washed, soaked overnight and drained
1 medium White Onion, peeled & chopped
2 large Garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
4 Roma Tomatoes, roasted, peeled & diced
1 12 oz. Soy-rizo link, removed from casing
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/4 cup Cilantro
4 quarts water
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place the beans in a large Olla - clay pot - or stockpot with the onion, garlic, the 4 roasted tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil & then lower to slow simmer for the next 3 hours. Do not add salt until the beans have finished cooking. Cover and cook for 3 hours or until tender. During the first hour of cooking saute the Soy-rizo, Soy Chorizo. (real chorizo or sausage may be used.)

When the beans are done, remove about 1 cup of them and mash or puree them with some of their liquid. Add the mashed beans back to the pot, and continue cooking a few more minutes, until the mashed beans have thickened the bean broth a bit. Add salt & black pepper to taste.

Serve the beans in the clay pot or an attractive, heat-proof bowl. Pass a platter of garnishes - chopped onions, crumbled cheese, chopped cilantro - so that they can be individually added to taste.
*In Southern Mexico black beans may be used but in much of Mexico as well as the Southwest Pinto beans or a small red bean are used more often than not.



Veggie Tacos are fast becoming a favorite at our home while I am scaling back the meat consumption for a bit of a healthier Texas to Mexico dining experience. I have made these tacos or a version of them many times before. You can be creative & use a never ending variety of vegetables or spices to make them as simple or as spicy as you handle. For some extra heat you might try adding finely diced jalapenos along side of your garnishes.
My Veggie Tacos recipes can be found here on a previous blog. I garnished the tacos this week with sliced radish, alfalfa sprouts & avocados.

Of Saints & Sinners....

The phrase, "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints..." keeps running through my head on this day. No, I am not drawing lines calling anyone a Sinner here. We all know the literal version of what that statement means however I am thinking of the New Orleans Saints today & Drew Brees our Texas born quarterback....

When I was living in Louisiana during college I initially noticed the die hard rabid fan base of the New Orleans Saints were not that different from our beloved Dallas Cowboys fans. There was one big difference in Louisiana. In Louisiana the fierce love of the game, the sport & the team left little room for the outsiders. It is an all or nothing Saints fan base. The State of Louisiana was behind the Saints & cared not who else was in on the gig! Seriously, all Texans want people to like our football teams. We do think we perfected or invented the sport!! They are a tough group of fans too, even when they sat in the stands some years ago with paper bags over their heads watching the Saints loosing game after game. Saints fans held onto the hope that their day would come. Well that day has arrived & the Saints have marched through much more than most Football franchises could imagine in the past 5 years. The "Who Dat" nation is now set in stone in Louisiana & the fans are beyond proud. If anyone doubts that there will be partying in the Big Easy tonight regardless of what happens in Miami they do not know the resilience of the people of Louisiana. My money is on the New Orleans Saints. The Colts may have an incredible quarterback but the Saints have all that & more! The Colts may be out to bring home another trophy but Saints are searching for a triumph & the sweet fragrance which should follow Victors who have come through more than just a game.



**A typical Mexican Artesania showing an image of a Saint resisting the temptations of the ultimate "Sinner".
















Our Superbowl Appetizers are full of typical Texas to Mexico kick. For the first time in several years we will watch the Superbowl without Spanish broadcasting voice over (yipee) & we will not miss those great Superbowl commercials. It is odd what bits of Americana one misses when living abroad!
Chorizo stuffed Jalapenos
3 tbsp. olive oil
12 jalapeno peppers, seeded, halved & membranes removed
10-12 Crimini mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup of diced onion
8 oz. Mexican Chorizo
1/4 cup black Spanish olives, seeds removed & roughly chopped.
1 cup whole grain breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 large egg, beaten
3 tbsp. chopped green onion tops
1/2 cup of Monterrey Jack Cheese, reserve extra for top of peppers

Saute the Chorizo over medium heat in a large skillet until the pieces begin to crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Drain Chorizo well & set aside. *I drain mine onto a paper towel to remove grease. Into skillet add onion & mushrooms, saute 5 minutes. Remove to medium mixing bowl, add Chorizo, chopped olives & green onions. Next add in breadcrumbs & cheese. Add beaten egg, melted butter & blend till the stuffing is moist & clumping.

Stuff each peppers the stuffing, rounding it on top of the pepper halves. Once they’re all stuffed, top with small amount of cheese, place into an oven safe dish & bake @ 375 for 20 minutes or until tops of stuffed pepper are slightly browned & cheese is melted. Serve immediately.




















Spicy Artichoke & Crab Queso Dip
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt to taste
3 Roasted green chilis, seeded, cleaned & diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded, & finely diced
1 plum tomato, diced
4 oz. Artichoke frozen hearts, thawed, diced
1/4 cup diced yellow Spanish onion
4 oz *Crab claw meat, drained
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground, Chipolte Chili

In a medium saucepan, add butter & onion, allow to melt over low heat. Add flour and stir until it is well blended with butter and mixture is free of lumps. Color will be nice & golden after 1 minute or so.
Add cream and stir to combine, allowing to heat up until thickened, about five minutes. Stir frequently with spoon and do not allow cream to boil. Add cheese, and whisk vigorously until completely creamy and fluid when stirring.
Taste for salt and add accordingly. Add chilis, artichoke hearts, tomato, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne, and stir to combine. Finally add crab meat. Do not over heat or stir vigorously enough to break up the crab meat. Nice lumps of crab within the dip are best.
Serve warm with your favorite tortilla or pita chips. Makes approx . 1 quart dip.
*I used Crab claw Meat since it is in sturdy lumps & will not break up as easily in this dip.

Fiestas, Friends & Frijoles

Last week we had a fabulous Fiesta at our home to celebrate our time here South of the Border & spend an evening with our friends as life in Mexico winds to a close. Celebrations in Mexico are always great fun & the people here love a good party. We took a trip earlier in the week to the large Mercado down on Cuauhtémoc in Monterrey to find the perfect Pinata for the party. The selection, color & size of the Pinatas was nothing short of staggering. We did however make a selection & I rode next to a 3 X 4 foot Fuzzy Butterfly Pinata on the way back home. There were several kilos of candies & little tiny plastic Puerquito toys stuffed inside the Giant Pinata. Nothing says "let's Party" like hitting a swinging paper mache' Pinata & being blindfolded. Even those novices who were new to the Pinata experience got into the fun when our Pinata was strung up from the balcony. We had far more food & beverage than could possibly be consumed by the crowd & it seemed like everyone had a Mexican dish they specialized in. Of course the cuisine in Mexico seems take center stage at any celebration. I made Frijoles Borracho which I learned to make years ago from a friend of ours who is from Mexico. I used my traditional Mexican Olla to cook the beans in. A well seasoned Olla makes the flavor even better for these tasty legumes.





Frijoles Borrachos, Drunken Beans

1 pound dried pinto beans
1 14 oz. can of Diced tomatoes, or 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 med. white onion, diced
4 slices of bacon, cut into small 1 inch pieces
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded, finely diced
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
12 ounces Sol beer
2 quarts water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the beans thoroughly in cold water, sort beans discarding any stones or odd beans. Place the beans in a Dutch oven or well seasoned Mexican Clay Olla, and cover with water. Soak overnight. Next day, cook for 30 minutes & add the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, garlic, bacon, oregano, and beer. Cook until the beans are tender, about another 2 hrs over low heat. With a potato or bean masher, crush the beans, to thicken the bean liquid. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls. We serve this topped with extra diced tomato, onion & cilantro.

Inauguration Menu Remix & Ex Pats throwing a party!

No A-list celebrities here in Mexico but the Ex Patriot community partied & celebrated as the United States had the 44th President sworn into office. Anytime, in any country there is a peaceful transition of power it should be cause for celebration & joy. Politics & cultural differences aside there were 5 nations represented at the fun event hosted at Tresa Arami's home. The food, beverages & company was truly outstanding. I took a Lemon Dried Cherry Cake as well as some Star Sugar Cookies decorated with blue royal frosting & blue sugar crystals. **late night cookie decorating is horrible on Mexican tiled floors, those sugar crystals seem to have multiplied!

The official Inaugural menu was published this week & the 2009 Presidential Inauguration Luncheon Menu included a recipe for Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing. To see the menu, china & related items go here~http://inaugural.senate.gov/While most of us don't have Pheasant close at hand chicken breast is a suitable substitute. Not wanting to stuff the breast with the pulverized tenderloin mixture (on the official menu)I made an adjustment in that area. The size of a Pheasant breast would warrant a modest addition of protein but chicken breast is much more substantial & held very well with the rice mixture minus the extra tenderloin. I'll admit my version is more of an "average Joe" recipe. I've also included the cake recipe I baked in the "American Star" Bundt cake pan. Buen Provecho!

I leave you with these words from Inauguration Day poet, Elizabeth Alexander. "I need to see what's on the other side; I know there's something better down the road."
Tomorrow morning in Washington D.C. the real work begins~




















Herb Roasted Chicken with Wild Rice Stuffing (*No pheasant here)
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients
5 Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut small pocket in side of breast for stuffing
½ cup Olive oil with chopped rosemary, thyme and sage *1 round Tbsp each herb
1 cup Wild rice, long grain mixture
2 cups Chicken stock or canned chicken broth
2 Carrots, diced
½ Onion, diced
½ cup Dried apricot, small diced
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 Tablespoon Salt and pepper mix
2 Tablespoons Garlic, roasted
Directions
1. Boil the rice with the chicken stock, cook until soft and most of the liquid is gone.
2. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and apricot. Cook until the vegetables are soft and all liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate rice mixture until cool.
3. When rice is cool, add bread crumbs & 1 egg to the rice until well mixed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return to refrigerator until ready to stuff.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Make 5 small football shaped patties of the rice mix, stuff inside the chicken breast, being careful not to over stuff. Rub herb/oil mixture on top & season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and then in a preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes. (test chicken to make certain juices run clear & chicken is done) Remove from oven and cover with lid or foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Lemon Dried Cherry Cake
3 sticks butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice*
3/4 cup chopped, dried cherries

heat oven 325* Grease & flour bundt cake pan, set aside. In lg. bowl beat eggs & sugar until light & fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder & salt. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning & ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla & lemon juice, fold in cherries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325* for 1 hour 10 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pan. Remove from pan & cool, glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar. *In Mexico real lemon juice is hard to locate so I used lime juice. This was still very nice. This recipe came with the Nordic Ware American Star Bundt Pan.

After all these years...

Still Dancin'


A wise man once said: “Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.” that man was Mark Twain. I can say this many years after Mr. Texas to Mexico & I tied the knot, we are still dancing! I can't imagine anyone else I would have gone through the ups & downs in life with & certainly don't imagine I would have followed anyone else to Mexico! In less than a week we will call it 27 years!! (Am I that old already, or was I that young back when???) At any rate, it has been a few since a proposal at Mardi Gras in the Big Easy all those years ago. I wouldn't change any of it!

He still keeps that air of mystery & nope doesn't want to mug for the camera all that much but for another 27 years, I say: Amen!



















And...after all these years he still brings me flowers~Happy Anniversary, Baby~ Mister Texas to Mexico!

Wedding in Torreon, Coahuila

John & I attended the wedding of Luis & Marcella Compean Friday night in Torreon. It was a beautiful service in the Campestre with a very grand reception following at the Montebello Country Club. We arrived back at our hotel by 1 am but were by no means the last to leave. Out at Montebello celebrations were still going strong till the wee hours, I'm certain. *I did find out that almost all evening weddings in Mexico are very formal affairs. I was one of 3 women out of approx. 400 guest not wearing a floor length gown. I felt fine wearing my dress but will keep that note in my head for next time. I'm still living & learning, somewhere South of the Border.