Cinco de Mayo Recipe Round-Up

This has been a great week of great Mexican food!  Links to all five recipes are below in case you missed anything.

Links to the recipes above:
St Germain Margarita
Black Bean Dip
Chicken Enchiladas
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Easy Smoky Guacamole 

Follow me on Instagram as I will be posting pictures Sunday of our Mexican feast featuring even more delicious food and drinks.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

    This week has been all about sharing with you some of my favorite Mexican recipes.  But wait, there's more!  Today I'm making homemade corn tortillas.  

    I understand that these can easily be purchased from the store, but I think items like this show the difference between someone who cooks and someone who likes to cook.  This recipe is not complicated.  It's straight off of the bag of Maseca Corn Flour that I purchased.  Not only will making my own tortillas save me money (a $2.99 bag will yield oodles of these delicious patties), but they also smell amazing cooking up, taste good, and don't contain any fillers.  I can't ask for much more.

    First, I purchased a tortilla press.  It's not 100% necessary but it was $12 and made the process go really fast.  It's also super lightweight and small which is pretty much a requirement in my ever-expanding collection of kitchen appliances and paraphernalia.    

    I made two batches of tortillas: one with water, one with beer.  I mixed up the dough in two separate bowls and got to work.  Here is sort of the play-by-play of how this is done with the tortilla press.

Maseca Corn Flour's Homemade Tortilla Recipe
2 cups Masa Flour
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Combine flour, salt, and water.  Mix thoroughly for about two minutes until dough is combined and soft.  If dough feels dry add more water 1 tablespoon at a time (I had to add 3 extra tablespoons to get a good texture).  Divide dough into 16 equal dough balls.  Line a tortilla press with wax paper or plastic wrap.  Place each ball between plates of press and squeeze until tortillas measures 5-6 inches in diameter.  

Preheat an ungreased griddle or skillet to medium-high heat.  Cook each tortilla, about one minute per side.  Serve warm.

I have yet to see if the beer (Dos Equis to be exact) tortillas taste significantly different from the water ones.  They seem to be slightly thicker and darker.  The real taste test will come Sunday when we try these babies out for some carnitas tacos.  I plan to keep these wrapped in plastic in the fridge and throw them back on a hot skillet until toasty just before serving.  I will be sure to report back the results.  Happy Friday everyone!

*Update: I am shocked to report that I liked the water tortillas better than the beer ones.  Sometimes simple is better. Kevin said he couldn't really tell the difference.  Also storing them and warming them prior to serving was a breeze!

Black Bean Dip

    I make black beans alot.  They are full of protein, low on fat, and all around good for you.  I do, however, always make them with bacon.  Always.  Perhaps it counteracts the good for you part, but I choose to ignore that fact.  We usually eat them as a side or inside a burrito, but this time I decided to make them as a dip.  It's sort of refried bean inspired.

{Dislaimer: your dip will look different. I was a dummy a took my first photos with no memory card in my camera, so this picture is after refrigeration.  The end result should be less stiff}


Black Bean Dip Recipe
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small onion, minced or grated
2 slices thick sliced bacon, diced into small pieces
1/2 - 1 cup beef stock
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a small saucepan to medium heat and cook bacon until almost crisp.  Drain bacon fat, reserving 1 tablespoonful in the pan.  Return to heat and add onions.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add beans and seasonings, stirring occasionally until heated through.  Use potato masher or fork to mash beans until almost smooth.  Add beef stock 1/4 cup at a time until beans no longer thicken up when stirred and are creamy in texture rather than stiff.  Serve warm.  Top with cilantro and/or cotija cheese.

Chicken Enchiladas

        Today's recipe is the perfect example of why I love Mexican food.  The bulk of this recipe is made in just one pan, and with over 700 five-star reviews on Food Network's website, this Tyler Florence recipe is clearly no secret.  But it's one that I go back to over and over because it's so easy and adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand.  

Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from Tyler Florence's Chicken Enchilada Recipe via Food Network

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup canned black beans, drained
1 can green chiles
2 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 tortillas (corn or flour)
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, or sliced avocado

Directions

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, about 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin and garlic powder before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Shred chicken breasts using two forks. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.
 
Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish as desired.

Easy Guacamole

    Nothing feels fresher to me than making homemade guacamole.  You truly control the quality of each ingredient and it's so easy to put together.  Below is the recipe for my take on the classic guacamole.  It has a touch of smokiness.  Keep in mind I like my guacamole a little spicy. 

Easy Smoky Guacamole Recipe

3 avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced (seeded if mild guacamole preferred)
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced 

Juice of 1 lime, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Combine juice of 1/2 lime and avocado.  Mash lightly with a fork to desired texture.  Add remaining ingredients and fold to combine.  Top with juice of remaining 1/2 lime, immediately cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Let sit for 1 hour.  Restir before serving to incorporate lime juice. 

     The key to this recipe is the division of the lime juice.  Letting your guacamole rest is an essential part of the process.  It lets the flavors combine to make your guacamole even that more delicious!  However, when entertaining, most people feel like they have to make it up right before the crowd arrives so that it won't turn brown.  The trick is to add the second half of the lime juice to the top of guacamole just before wrapping it in plastic wrap and sticking it in the fridge.  This slows the browning process and keeps your guacamole fresh and green.

    A couple of other methods for keeping your guacamole from browning:

- Place the pit of one avocado in the bowl 

- When wrapping in plastic wrap, allow plastic to touch surface of the guacamole to reduce air exposure

    When it comes down to it, you probably won't need to keep it green for days because it will probably be gone!  With that said, I've had it keep for at least 48 hours with the lime method alone.  Enjoy!

St Germain Margarita

    This week I'll be featuring five of my favorite Mexican recipes.  Call it Cinco Recipes for Cinco de Mayo if you will.  First up, a twist on the standard margarita.  Lately I've been into St Germain Elderflower liqueur.  Maybe somehow I'm preparing myself for our trip to Paris in the fall or maybe the stuff is just crazy delicious.  Or maybe both.  While St Germain usually finds its way into complicated artsy cocktails, it works just as well in the classic margarita.

St Germain Margarita Recipe

1 ounce blanco tequila
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 ounce St Germain

Moisten the rim of glass with lime juice or water and dip into coarse salt 

  Tip: I love a salted rim but if your limes are particularly tart, a sugared rim would work well in this recipe
Place ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and add the rest of the ingredients and shake
Pour into glass and garnish with a lime  

    This margarita would also be delicious on the rocks but I think the subtlety of the St Germain would be drowned out in a frozen one.  Just my opinion.  Check back for tomorrow's Cinco de Mayo preview recipe!