Tex-Mex

Mole Chili con Carne

May 20, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

Since I enjoyed the pork mole negro I made a while ago I thought I would try it in a chili. Originally I started with a basic recipe for meat chili and it eventually evolved into both a mole and a chili recipe. I’ve always thought the flavors in mole would go well in a chili and it turns out I was right because this was very tasty! The flavors of the chili were multi-layered and complex (probably because of the 20+ ingredients in it). This recipe is ideal for a large slow cooker but a sauce pot on low heat would work fine too.

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Salsa Verde Carnitas

February 16, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

I had a 3 lb. pork butt roast in the freezer and thought it would be put to good use as Carnitas. Carnitas, or “Little Meat,” is a kind of roasted pork used in Mexican food as a filling for burritos, tacos, and tamales. A great dish is all about the contrasting flavors and textures and I was very happy with how this recipe turned out. The pork was tender, yet crispy since it roasted in the oven. The sour salsa and the savory pork was a great contrast of flavors too. I filled the tacos with a little monterey jack cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Luckily, I have a lot of leftovers so I look forward to having this again!

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Salsa Verde

February 16, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

I picked up some tomatillos for a mole sauce a few days ago and since I had a bunch left over I decided to make a salsa verde. This salsa tastes great with meat, especially pork, because of its sour and spicy flavor. It has a really bold taste so throwing it in some tacos was a great way to use this salsa. This recipe is pretty spicy so feel free to take out a few of the peppers for a milder sauce. The sauce can be easily frozen and stored too.

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Pork with Mole Negro Sauce

February 11, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

Making a mole sauce is a bit time consuming and some ingredients are difficult to find. I knew it would be a fun challenge so I decided to give it a shot. The mole turned out well and I liked the nutty, spicy chocolate flavor of the sauce. The pork was excellent with those flavors. A lot of mole recipes are super complex and involved so I’ll try to make this one a little easier to follow.

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Chicken Quesadilla with Caramelized Onions

December 24, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

I had two leftover chicken thighs from the roasted Cajun chicken so I thought I would use them for chicken quesadillas. I once ordered a quesadilla at this great restaurant that used Manchego cheese and caramelized onions. It was really good so I thought I would try to recreate it. Although I only had cheddar cheese the quesadilla turned out pretty well. I would like to try this recipe out with some of the more tasty Mexican cheeses instead of just plain cheddar.

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Chipotle Corn Chowder

November 21, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

This is not the typical creamy corn chowder but a spicier, smokier corn stew. Unfortunately the season for good, fresh ears of corn has passed so I settled with store-bought bags of sweet corn. This recipe is perfect for sweet corn season and makes a great summer/fall soup. A fresh jalapeno is a good flavor addition to the smokey chipotle chili powder. I had some green bell peppers so I added those in for some extra veggies. I balanced the spiciness by adding sour cream and cilantro for garnish.

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Chicken Fajitas

November 13, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

What can be said about chicken fajitas besides the fact they are so good? Well, apparently the name ‘chicken fajita’ makes no sense. I learned today that the word ‘fajita’ actually refers to a cut of beef called a skirt steak. So, what else can be said about chicken steaks? Well, they are versatile and a bit different than burritos, which usually do not have the grilled peppers and onions. To me that is what makes a fajita, not what kind of meat is in it (said the gringo). I usually grill the chicken but this time I decided to broil it and I was pretty happy with the results. The chicken was extra tender since I only broiled it for maybe 7 minutes. Next time I will try this out with the more linguistically correct grilled skirt steak.

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Cilantro and Lime Broiled Chicken

November 13, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

I was originally going to make this post as a part of the chicken fajita recipe, but decided it really should be a post of it’s own. I love this marinade because it makes the chicken so tender and flavorful. It goes great on the grill too.

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Pico de Gallo

November 13, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

Pico de Gallo, or salsa fresca, is a great condiment for burritos or for dipping. It’s drier than salsa and tastes a lot fresher. It goes great with the chicken fajitas I like to make. With pico it’s all about the quality of the tomatoes so I like to buy them from the farmer’s market or vine-ripened from the grocery.

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Guacamole

November 13, 2010 by The Partial Ingredients

Guacamole is one of my favorite dips! This recipe uses the freshest ingredients and tastes so much better than any kind of store bought guac. I used to make guacamole with store-bought salsa (which is fine) but using fresh ingredients instead improves the flavor so much. I picked up a couple yellow limes from the farmer’s market on friday and they are the best limes to mix in with guacamole. You can use lemons or green limes but these are by far the most flavorful. Most people don’t realize it but green limes are picked when they are not ripe (makes sense right?) Yellow limes, however, are ripe and look a whole lot like lemons on the outside. They are also super great in a gin & tonic. If you see yellow limes at the grocery or farmer’s market, be sure to pick them up. I like guacamole a little chunkier so I chop the onions and tomatoes on the bigger side. For storage, I like to squeeze a little lime on the layer exposed to air, then cover it airtight in saran to prevent browning.

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