Mexican Breakfast - THM Style

Hello there friends from all over the world! Today I bring to you a traditional dish from the North East of Mexico... If you think you know Mexican food but you've never lived there then you don't really know it... actually, even many of us, Mexicans born and raised in Mexico still have a lot to learn about our traditional Mexican cuisine... learning about all the dishes could take a lifetime! As every state and even probably every city in Mexico has its very own traditional dishes (or variations).

"Huevos" (eggs) are a staple in any good Mexican breakfast,  and it makes me so happy because they are an amazingly good source of great protein and fat, perfect for an "S" Meal! The only thing is that of course, a Mexican like me... will have to miss the delicious, just made corn tortillas to go with it... but that's ok... I can handle it! The dish by itself is really satisfying and filling.

The Name of the dish is "Guayin" - pronounced (close pronunciation): goo-ah-yeen and I would say it is like a "stuffed Omelette".

There are a few different versions of this dish ... today I will tell you how to make the two most common ones... 1 for a perfect S, the other for an S-helper (or even a healthy and yummy crossover).



Guayin Tamaulipeco   (Stuffed Mexican Omelette)
 (Tamaulipeco means that is from Tamaulipas, the state where I was raised)

Note: Please forgive the picture, I made it in such a hurry and ate it so fast I didn't even take the time to get a better shot, as soon as I get a good one I will change the pic.

Ingredients:

(Yield 1 serving)

• 1 tbsp. butter (grass-fed preferably)
• 3 whole eggs (preferably room temperature, just because this helps the egg cook faster at a lower temperature and it creates a more tender result)
• 1 National Hebrew All Beef Frank
• 2-3 tbsp. of Salsa (No sugar added) ... I use Pace or a "Private Selection" chipotle/habanero salsa (yummy!)
• Shredded cheddar cheese (feel free to add to your taste!)
• Salt to taste
• OPTIONAL - Fat free Refried Beans (I use and love ROSARITA beans, from the Hispanic Aisle) - You would use about 2 tbsp. for S-helper or more if you don't mind going into crossover territory... BEANS are a MUST in any good Mexican guayin but if you want to keep it an S don't include them, it will still be yummy!

Directions:

• Cut your Beef Frank in half length wise (you can completely separate the halves or just "butterfly" it)

• In a hot skillet (slightly greased) cook your frank until it has a beautiful darker (not burnt) color and it should be "bending" (like an arch) from the heat. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

• In two separate bowls microwave (you could also do this on the top stove) your salsa and refried beans (if using) -covered with a paper towel or you'll get a mess in your microwave- so that these ingredients are hot.

• In a glass bowl gently mix your eggs with a fork (don't over mix, this should be gentle to prevent too many air bubbles from forming), season with salt to taste (don't add too much, try adding a pinch only and then once you taste it when it's ready you will know if you need more, remember the frank and cheese will also add salt to it).

•  Heat your pan at medium/high heat, add the butter and once it's melted and hot pour the egg mixture (you are basically making an omelette)... if you've never made an omelette Alton Brown has great directions on how to make one... click here if you need them

• Once you've cooked your egg mixture on both sides (and before folding your omelette) remove the omelette from the heat, spread the refried beans (not all the way to the edges) and place your beef frank in there, add some shredded cheese, fold in half (like a quesadilla), add your salsa on top and sprinkle with more cheddar cheese. You can eat this for breakfast or dinner, with a salad on the side... Sliced avocado sprinkled with salt goes great with it too!

Enjoy!


© Paloma K.

Quinoa Salad! - E or Crossover

Hello friends! Today is the 5 Day of the 30 Day Challenge  I started on Facebook... Hopefully you'll join us! It is a quick routine of exercises to tone some muscles and I am definitely starting to feel it! It is great to have somebody else to do it with me (Thanks Karen) as it is helping me stay accountable!

Now... of course exercises are great but we need to also watch what we eat ... I am making all the right choices and eating until I am satisfied (or a little more, yeah... that's me) and I am starting to see the scale slowly (oh so slowly) go down again! It's been a while since it did that for ME so I am ecstatic (even if it's an ounce... we're headed in the right direction!)

If you already know the Trim Healthy Mama Plan then you know what I talk about when I mention "E meals or Crossovers"... if you're not on the plan you can also enjoy the recipes I share because they're healthy, yummy and nothing like your "typical Diet Food" ...

So... today I am going to share with you an amazingly delicious (and easy to make) Quinoa Salad, which you can eat in an "E" setting or as a crossover if you're at that point where you incorporate healthy crossovers to your menu.

Here it goes:

You can see it with avocado here, it is a yummy crossover!

 Quinoa Salad (E)
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of cooked red quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked)   I use this one
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 medium zucchini (or yellow squash) - cubed-
- 1 medium red tomato
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- the juice of 1/2 a lime 
- about 1 tbsp. of olive oil (you can add this if you keep it to only 1 serving and do not incorporate any other fat in your meal, it would still be an "E")
- 1 clove of garlic (very finely chopped)
- salt to taste
- 1 avocado -cubed- (ONLY FOR CROSSOVER, omit if you want to keep it an "E")
- Add 1/2 a fresh serrano or jalapeño pepper (chopped) if you can handle the heat, (you can seed it if you want to tame the heat down a bit), this will add a bit of a quick and give it more of a "Mexican flare" to it.
 
Directions:

Mix the quinoa, cilantro, zucchini, tomato, onion (and avocado if using it) in a big bowl, separately whisk together the lime, olive oil and garlic, drizzle over the quinoa mixture, season to taste and let it sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors "mingle". Serve at room temperature (or even cold), this salad is a great accompaniment to any meat (keep your meats lean for the "E" setting).

I soooo can see it served in this salad set... I am going to add it to my Christmas List! 


 Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. All the recommendations and suggestions are entirely my opinion.

Trim Healthy Mama - Mexican Style! S, E or FP

When people ask me: "Do you cook Mexican all the time?" I must admit that I don't always know what to say so I usually say "I guess" ... I am a Mexican, born and raised there, so whatever I cook I guess has the "Mexican flare" to it... it doesn't mean that I always cook what American people consider Mexican, it doesn't mean that I am always eating "chimichangas" (which by the way I've never had one) or "burritos" (which, I always considered "American food" growing up), it doesn't mean that I am always making "taco soup" or "taco salad" (I came to know those existed when I moved to the USA... I've never made them, btw, I should try those!) so, I guess that's why I don't know what to respond. I am always cooking rice, chicken, beef, "meatloaf" (pastel de carne), etc. Yes I do make "tostadas and tacos" but I also cook "guisados" (like casserole dishes I guess), pasta, etc... and even when I have indeed introduced other foods that I never ate while growing up in Mexico (like barley, which I LOVE!) and I do use some other seasonings that I never used to before (like Italian seasoning) I guess my food can always be considered "Mexican" because, well... that's what I am.

So... now that I am on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, I've been seeing a lot of dishes and recipes but not many of them entirely "satisfy my Mexican palate", I thought I would cook the "way I know to" just making sure I combine the ingredients the right way, the THM way, to make sure I stay on plan... and I am going to share one of my dishes with you... This one can be easily modified and used as FP, S or E... Here it goes:

Picture taken by Rhonda from the Trim Healthy Mama Team

Note: The picture is NOW great!!! Thank you Rhonda! It is beautiful!

Get your own Mexican style placemat here

Chicken with Zucchini THM dish - Mexican style
Original dish is naturally Gluten Free
Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 big chicken breasts (or 3-4 smaller ones)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 white onion (chopped)
• 1 big clove of garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 green bell pepper (chopped, discard the seeds)
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce (make sure there's no added sugar)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 3 zucchinis (cubed) (I even used 2 zucchinis and 1 yellow squash)
• salt to taste

Directions:

• Place the chicken, water, onion, garlic and salt in a large skillet, cover with a tight lid and let it cook in medium/low heat until the chicken is cooked through (about 30 mins).
• Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet, let them cool a little bit, while they cool add the tomato sauce, cumin and bell pepper to the water (add a bit more liquid if necessary, there should be enough sauce up to 1/2" high in the pan).
• Cover the pan with the lid and let the sauce simmer in low heat while you shred the chicken breasts with two forks (or with your fingers if it's cool enough to handle).
• Return the shredded chicken to the pan and incorporate the zucchini, cover and let it all cook together until the zucchini is cooked through (about 10 more minutes), taste and add a bit more salt to taste if needed. Serve immediately.

FOR FP:

Serve and top with some 0% Greek yogurt next to a big green salad dressed with some balsamic vinegar. You can sprinkle some fresh chopped cilantro on top of your chicken dish.

FOR S:

You can substitute chicken breast for chicken thighs, you can serve with a side of avocado sprinkled with salt or if you're not a purist you can even eat it in 2 low carb (3 net carb) mission flour tortillas topped with sour cream (Don't forget your avocado), iceberg lettuce and cucumbers are a great accompaniment for these flavors! Make a good side salad.

FOR E:

You can serve it with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (don't add any oil to it) and even go for 1/4 cup of refried beans (fat free, Rosarita has great fat free beans) to go with it. Hopefully you'll make a side salad as well.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family enjoys it! As you can see... I guess I do cook Mexican all the time, it's awesome to be able to stay on plan.

ETA 11/1/2014: This recipe will be promoted by the Trim Healthy Mama Team, Jessica Myers (Admin from the THM FB Group ) sent it to Pearl (one of the sisters that created this amazing Plan) and they were so interested in it that they prepared it and took the beautiful picture I am sharing with my recipe... I am honored and thankful!

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links

Happy Dia de Reyes!

© Paloma K.

Rosca de Reyes - Mexican Kings Cake

Hello everybody! Well... it's almost time for our next celebration, at least in Mexico, we celebrate "Dia de Reyes" (Three Kings Day) ... If you want to know more about this tradition, well go to my post about it just click here... I'll just quote a little something from that post here...

- "In many cities in Mexico "Santa" is not the one who brings the presents but "The Three Kings". Early on January 6th morning many children received their toys! And as they play and enjoy what their gifts the adults get ready to have a "merienda" (an early evening dinner) where they will have the "ROSCA DE REYES" (Three Kings Cake) and hot chocolate or coffee!" -

So... this year I will be making my own... and I actually JUST made one to share the recipe and pictures with all of you... There are many versions of this bread... but this is one of the easiest you'll find and also way more delicious than store bought! I hope you enjoy it!

 

Rosca de Reyes

For the bread:

• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm milk
• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 4 eggs
• 10 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• the zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp. vanilla

For the "crumb/sugar topping"

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 stick of softened butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Additional toppings:

• 1 egg for "varnishing"
• Candied cherries and assorted candied fruits, like lemon/orange/lime candied peel and/or fruit cake mix
• Colored sugar (yellow/green/red are traditional colors)
• Granulated sugar to sprinkle

Directions:
Mix (with a plastic spoon and in a clean glass or plastic container) the dry yeast, warm milk and one tablespoon of sugar. Cover and let it rest in a warm dark place (it could be inside your oven) for 10 minutes
In a a mixing bowl add 1 cup of flour and the "yeast mixture" using the hook attachment mix for 1 minute, slowly add another cup of flour, salt,  butter, eggs, sugar and continue mixing, incorporate remaining flour and add orange zest/vanilla and mix for about 4 minutes.

Transfer your dough to a floured surface and knead with your hands adding more flour until your dough is no longer sticky. Return dough to mixing bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 2 hours inside your oven (it's better if it's a little warm but not hot), the secret with this bread is to be patient, you just have to "forget about your dough" for those 2 hours and not be uncovering it, it needs to rest like that to be able to rise and let the yeast do the work.

After the dough has doubled in size, kind of "punch it" with your knuckles (again on a slightly floured surface) to get the air out of the dough (punch it about 4 times only) then roll it out to form an oval and it should be about 1/2 inch thick.

I couldn't take pictures at this point but this is how you should roll your dough.

Then starting from the further side from you start rolling your dough (not too tight but not loose either) towards you to form like a "taco"

(As you are rolling this would be the time to insert a couple of little plastic dolls that the traditional bread calls for, I left those out)

Then grab your "roll", transfer to a slightly greased jelly roll pan and shape it into an oval, handling the dough to join the ends as much as you can with your fingers and then just kind of press the oval shaped roll down to flatten a little.

Cover with a damp cloth and transfer your oval shaped roll back to a warm/dark place and let it rest for another hour.

When the hour has passed now just "varnish" your dough using 1 slightly beaten egg and a pastry brush

It's time to make the crumb topping:

Just incorporate all the crumb topping ingredients (egg yolk, powdered sugar, salt, flour and vanilla) and don't over mix, roll it out and cut "stripes" that you will place on top of your "rosca" as you wish, it's a delicious topping, next time I will use more of it... but here's what I did:

Now just decorate with the fruit and the colored sugars and then sprinkle additional granulated sugar all over it!

Bake in preheated oven at 350F until a beautiful dark golden color shows (for about 20 up to 30 minutes, time might vary depending on the oven)

ENJOY!

© Paloma K.

Last post of the year.... Thanks and MORE!

Hello everybody! December has been hectic with good activities here "en Mi casa" which is "Tu Casa" too! I've had visits from Mexico, friends and family! I also had lots of baking to do and cooking, I sold tons of Christmas Cookies and Chocoflan Cake so I got a new camera with part of the money I made from alll the baking (I was soooo needing it for better pictures) and I've also been enjoying hubby being home! He's been off of of work for about a week now, he'll go back to work on Wednesday (I wish I was rich to keep him always to ourselves! LOL!) So... it's been impossible to post more often or reply but once things go back to normal I am sure everything will be better here!

I just want to take the opportunity to thank you all for being with me in 2012! This year has been the "come back" of  "The Coffee Shop" and I've been very blessed to get to know more people through this blog! Thank you all for being here! For sharing, for commenting, for being so supportive! And for encouraging me with my projects! Thank you for trying my recipes!

I hope 2013 will be filled with new blessings that we can all share together!

Do you have any goals/resolutions for this year? Would you like to share? Whether they are personal or blogging goals... feel free to share

I lost 40 pounds in 2012 and I'm going for the rest this year! I hope I'll do a better job with homeschooling and finally have a serious calendar/schedule that I'll adhere too... and in the blogging area ... well... I hope our Coffee Friday Party just "takes off" !

By the way... join us this Friday ... we will have a featured blogger!

Pic: New Year's Eve 2007 ... I was the photographer -sigh-

... Anything else? Well... I just wish you all a Happy and successful 2013!


© Paloma K.

Quotes and Soup for your Soul!

First of all... Remember to mention "coffee" on any of your posts this week so you can link up on Friday... even if you ask your readers if they already had their cup of coffee, anything... just "say the word"

Now let me tell you I am working hard trying to stop by your blogs... I've been blessed with many friends and great fellow bloggers so it takes me a bit to catch up with everybody! My Google Reader has always over 200 unread items... and I can't keep up! How do others do it? give me your tips... I guess there are many others don't try to reply or comment back that much! LOL!  But at least for sure I try to pay the visits back!

Well, for this post I've prepared a delicious Mexican "Sopa de Coditos" (Elbow Noodle Soup) which is really good and perfect for fall (although you can eat it any time of the year!) it makes you feel warm inside and loved as well! It's one of those soups that screams "La hizo mi mamá" (My mom made this)

But First I have some quotes... Quotes about Soup! Why not?

Only the pure in heart can make a good soup. Ludwig Van Beethoven

A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting. - Abraham Maslow

I live on good soup, not on fine words. - Moliere

I always think if you have to cook once, it should feed you twice. If you're going to make a big chicken and vegetable soup for lunch on Monday, you stick it in the refrigerator and it's also for Wednesday's dinner. - Curtis Stone

And now to our recipe:

Sopa de Coditos - Elbows Mexican Soup (with corn)

Ingredients: 

1. 1 tbsp. olive oil
2. 1 1/2 cups of dry small elbow macaroni pasta
3. 1/4 chopped white onion
4. 3 cups of hot water
5. 1 tbsp. chicken bouillion granules
6. 1/2 cup tomato sauce
7. 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
8. 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
9. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (must be fresh)
10. queso panela or queso fresco for garnish (optional)

Directions:

• In a saucepan (med-big) warm up the olive oil at medium heat, once it's hot add the elbow pasta and chopped onions and stir frequently with a wooden spoon until the elbows start turning a light golden brown.
• Add the hot water, chicken boullion, tomato sauce, garlic powder and corn and bring to a boil.
• Once it's boiling reduce heat to low and cover with a lid (just leaving a small crack open) let it simmer for about 8 minutes.
• Add chopped cilantro, remove from heat, cover tightly and let it rest for about 2 more minutes before serving.
• Serve in bowls and garnish with the queso (cheese) if desired. 

Enjoy!

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Should look like this

 

 

Fry until light golden

Do not use parsley instead of cilantro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deliciousness!

This is the cheese you need

 

 

© Paloma K.

Polvorones

So... Saturday I didn't know what to bake... I was feeling like baking something but wasn't sure what, I knew I wanted something simple and with not that many ingredients....

Well... I found the perfect thing thanks to Leslie from La cocina de Leslie , she posted a great recipe to make "Polvorones" (it's a Mexican kind of shortbread cookie), she got the recipe from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless and it's a great one!

This is a very friendly recipe for the kids... and it's a lot of fun! You can let them do the dough you just pretty much have to roll it out and bake... but they can have fun decorating the cookies with the colorful sprinkles!  I loved making these on Saturday because they were also a great "decoration" in the center of my table, very inviting! And hubby just loved them! They were all done pretty quickly so he sent me a text message yesterday before he came from work saying "Quiero Galletas" (I want cookies) ... wow! It seems these Mexican "Polvorones" can even make you speak Spanish! LOL! It was a great thing to have in the house... I almost felt like I was in Mexico again!

Polvorones
Yield: 24 cookies(recipe from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• Rainbow sprinkles 

Directions:

- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.  Using a dough mixer, fork or potato masher, combine the butter into the flour mixture until no big pieces of butter are visible.  Continue to work the dough with your hands just until the dough forms a ball.  Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 - Preheat oven to 325F. Place the ball of dough between two big sheets of plastic wrap, using your hands, flatten the dough to form a thick disk.  Roll out the dough, (between the two sheets of plastic), to 1/4-inch thickness.

- Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap and cut out cookies with a 3-inch cookie cutter.  (You can use any cookie cutter shape you want but if you want them to look more like the authentic "Mexican Polvorones" it should be a round cookie cutter.)  Gently press down on the sprinkles so that they stick to the cookie.

 - Carefully transfer the cookies to an ungreased baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1 to 2-inches apart.  Bake at 350F for 12 to 15 minutes (or until lightly golden). Let the cookies cool for about 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

 Enjoy with milk or coffee.... Hey... and speaking about coffee... have you added some "coffee" to any of your posts this week? Remember that if you just mention "coffee" somewhere in your post you can link up with us on our Coffee Friday! We have a very special guest for the week!

Linking up with Serenity Now: Weekend Bloggy Reading

© Paloma K.

Divergent Trilogy and a Mexican Recipe!

 Hello friends, ready with your cup of coffee? I hope you've been enjoying your week so far! It's been very busy here and I haven't had much time to be on the computer! Just have had my days filled (which is great) and I re-started homeschooling my 3 yr. old. It's been so much fun! She loves it and I do too!

I've also been baking a lot and having friends over! Today I am going to help do something at church (I am not even sure what, but I jumped right in when a friend told me she'd be there to help lol!) then I'll be going to Chick-Fil-A for lunch (my girls love it, and even when I love it too I don't get too excited about going there at noon because it's always packed!)... anyway... I said Divergent Trilogy, right?

Well... about probably 2 weeks ago I bought (what I thought was) the 1st. book of the Divergent Trilogy...

It was weird because the name of the Book was "Insurgent" and I thought the name of the 1st. book would be "Divergent" ... I saw the Divergent Book, opened it and I could swear I saw something that said "the 2nd. book of the Divergent Trilogy" inside of it... then I went ahead and opened the "Insurgent" book in my hands and I could also swear it said "the first book of the divergent trilogy" ... what went wrong? I don't know! I was sooo unsure that was the first book so I thought I really checked twice before buying it but... I did.. and even when I started reading it something was off! Things didn't make sense... I had the feeling I was supposed to know what was going on ... but I didn't ... so I convinced myself it's probably just the style of the author... and maybe things would get clear later... things did get easier later ... and I got the personality of the characters and understood that a lot had happened before but I thought the author explained it all throughout the book... I was sure I was reading the 1st. book of the Trilogy!!! (ugh!) ... I wasn't!!!

Then... when I finished the book... I was eager to read the 2nd. one... so I went to the bookstore THAT NIGHT and got it... guess what... when I start reading... I realize... I was wrong! The whole time! And here I am ... reading the 1st. book with such disappointment because I now knew what was going to happen... I tried to convince myself this would be like watching "Batman" and then "Batman -The Beginning-" or something like that ... it hasn't been bad at all though... I thought I wouldn't be able to get into it since I know so much of what's going to happen! But it's been really great and I finally get details about the personalities and "lives" of the characters that I might have to read the second book again! LOL! ...

Anyway... I recommend this book! There are some things I haven't liked but overall it's a good read, I've liked it better than "The Hunger Games"  ... I am almost done with the first book (2nd. one for me... LOL!) of the Trilogy... and I can't wait for Fall 2013 to read the last book!

And now... A recipe!

I am going to just start sharing here some of the recipes of my "Mexican cooking Blog" since I haven't been around there for a while... for a long time actually! So... for all my followers here I'll just start bringing those recipes over! I hope you enjoy them! All AUTHENTIC!

I know the fact that these albondigas are stuffed with hard-boiled egg might make some people nervous, but trust me... my husband (who is a gringo) loved them! :) He was skeptic at first but they are delicious!

Albondigas rellenas de huevo / Meatballs stuffed hard-boiled egg

Yields: 8 Meatballs (4 servings)

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb. ground beef
2. 1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce) -it HAS TO BE chipotle, any other "chili pepper or powder wouldn't give this dish the wonderful smokey flavor -
3. 2 cloves of garlic
4. 1/4 white onion
5. 6 roma tomatoes (or about 4 of the whole red tomatoes) - cut in quarters or big chunks -
6. 3 hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters (you will probably only need 2 because we are making about 8 meatballs but cook 3 eggs just in case)
7. 1/4 cup of white rice
8. 1 cube of chicken bouillion
9. salt and pepper to taste (about 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. of black pepper... adjust to your taste)
10. about 1.5 tbsp. vegetable oil (or a little more if necessary)

Directions:
- In a middle sauce pan pour some water (fill it about half-way) and when the water starts boiling throw the 1/4 cup of white rice and let it boil for only 5 minutes, remove from the heat, drain the rice immediately and set aside (let it cool for about 5 minutes)

- Mix the ground beef with the rice, season with some salt and black pepper and mix it all well with your hands.
- With the meat start making "patties" (like hamburger patties) and wrapping the egg quarters with those patties (one quarter per each of the patties) Making sure the egg is completely wrapped by the mix of meat/rice. Do this with all the meat/rice mixture. You should have about 8 meatballs. Set aside.

- Put your tomatoes, garlic, chipotle pepper and about 1 cup of water in the blender. Blend it all until it makes a sauce (as smooth as possible)
- In an extended non-stick pan using medium-low heat add the oil and fry your 1/4 onion there (you can slice the onion if you want, it doesn't matter much but the onion will be removed) While the onion is frying and the oil is hot add your meatballs carefully so they don't open or fall apart, if you use medium or medium-high heat it might cause them to break so just be patient and seal your meatballs on all sides.

-Once they are browned on all sides (about 9-10 minutes) remove the oil and the oil excess. Add your sauce and chicken bouillion (you can add some salt at this point if necessary but wait until the sauce has been simmering for about 5 minutes to taste and adjust) once you add the sauce you can also add chopped potatoes if you want just to add something else, but I left it like that. Bring it all to a boil, cover, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 35 minutes and serve. (side of rice, mashed potatoes or salad)

I hope you like this recipe! If you do please let me know! Comments are always a great encouragement to keep cooking/sharing.

© Paloma K.

Chicken Pozole Recipe! A very Mexican Dish!

 Being a Mexican in the United States is hard when it comes to finding real, authentic Mexican food... I still have found only one place that was the closest to what Real Mexican food was like and even that was way short of the mark!

I must say I actually get a little "offended" (not really, but I can't find the right word) when people eat greasy, spicy food (with lots of cumin, lots of melted yellow cheese and soooo much oil!) and think they are eating Mexican! Mexican cuisine is amazing! And the variety in flavors, colors and aroma is sooo huge that not many people can say "I've tried it all" even... Mexicans like me... that were raised in Mexico, can say they've only tried "some" of the dishes... because each city/state has so much tooo offer when it comes to recipes and traditional Mexican dishes!

Let me tell you that Mexican cuisine doesn't travel! I will do my best to share with you things so you can replicate and get some of the taste of Mexico but to eat the "real stuff" you'd pretty much need to go to a home in Mexico or to places that you'd probably consider "a hole in the earth" but that's exactly where you'd find the most authentic flavors!

Anyway... So... what's this pozole all about? Well... interestingly enough... and trying to incorporate more Mexican in my kitchen (so my girls grow up knowing what Mexican food really tastes like) I decided to give this pozole a try... Pozole is an amazing dish usually made with pork in Mexico, Americans would call it a "soup", it has spice, a little heat, so much flavor and the raw vegetables that garnish it give it amazing freshness and crunch! Making it extra special... chunks of avocado go great with it adding creaminess!

This pozole recipe... (is going to sound very weird) but ... it's a recipe that I actually found from Martha Stewart Recipes... and it didn't disappoint me (I did make some adjustments)... it's not the most authentic pozole but it's the closest recipe I could find that would do a good job displaying the colors and flavors of the dish while still being friendly to the "American Palate"

I hope you enjoy it!

Chicken Pozole

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
•  1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cans (15 ounces each) white hominy, drained
• 6 3/4 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey meat (2 pounds)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Assorted garnishes, such as diced avocado, thinly sliced radishes, thinly sliced cabbage and "tostaditas (tortilla chips)  
• Fresh squeezed lime juice.

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, and oregano; cook, stirring constantly, until evenly distributed.
2. Add 4 cups water, broth, and hominy. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until fragrant, about 30 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until heated through. (When freezing, cool completely before transferring to airtight containers.)
4. To serve, divide among bowls, and garnish with the raw vegetables/avocado and add some drops of fresh squeezed lime juice.

Enjoy!

Linking up with: Simple Lives Thursday

and  

© Paloma King

Happy Monday, Sippy Cups and Chicken Tacos!

 As I do every Monday... Here I am sharing about how HAPPY I AM IT IS MONDAY! ... Yes... I guess I could complain about it and lose focus on the blessings that Mondays represent and I could say:


"ugh! Hubby has to go to work" it's hard to find something else I don't like about Monday actually... but I guess we all have our reasons to dislike it... a little...

But ... Instead I choose to love Mondays and start them with a good attitude because

1. It's a brand new day God's given me and my family.
2. His mercies are new each day .... even on Mondays! ;)
3. Hey! Hubby has a job to go to!!! WOOHOOO!!! Praise God... He provides!
4. Mondays feel like a clean slate to me! New opportunities... New challenges!

We should focus on what we have... Is it fair to complain about dishes to wash instead of being thankful for the fact that we had FOOD that made those dishes possible?
  

Yesterday... I was washing my girls' sippy cups... and all of a sudden I felt overwhelmed with gratefulness! What a wonderful, blessed moment! I am the mom of two great girls! They have a blessed life, their little mouths drink clean water from those cups! I must say "being a mom" was never in my plans before I had them... I wasn't completely "against being a mommy" but I didn't think I really cared much if I had children or not... I didn't know!!!! It's been such an amazing blessing and the sippy cups reminded me of it!

Are there times... when little things remind you to be thankful? Would you share with us?

And now... More reasons to be thankful!

Fast Chicken Tacos 
(Adapted from Martha Stewart Recipes)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets (about 8) (to reduce time you can use leftover rotisserie chicken, you will need about 1 pound. For my recipe to make rotisserie style chicken click here and skip the steps of cooking the chicken cutlets)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower (only 1 tbsp. if you use rotisserie chicken)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (not needed if using rotisserie style chicken)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
• 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 8 flour tortillas (6-inch) - You can use whole wheat if desired.
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream, for serving
• Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Heat broiler on high (with rack about 4" from heat) Arrange chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, rub with 1tbsp. oil. Season with chili powder, salt and pepper. Broil without turning until chicken is opaque throughout (about 6 mins) Remove from oven. Set aside.
2. On another baking sheet (preferably a rimmed baking sheet) lined with foil, toss peppers, onion, garlic, and remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and slightly charred, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, thinly slice chicken crosswise. Heat up a griddle (or a big flat pan on the topstove)   at medium heat, once the pan is hot set the tortillas (as many as you can fit without overlapping much), let tortillas warm up on one side for about 45 seconds, flip and let them warm up for about 1 more minute, flip again and warm up for about 40 more seconds (try to press the tortillas down with a fork if your hands aren't that used to the heat) flip again if necessary, tortillas should start making "hot air bubbles" inside, this means they are warming all the way through. (you can use your microwave or oven to warm up your tortillas, but as a Mexican and expert tortilla warmer -lol- I just shared with you the best way to warm up a tortilla) 
4. Transfer chicken and pepper mixture to a platter, and serve with tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Enjoy!

© Paloma King

Perfect after fast food! - Meatball Soup

Thanks for the "get well comments" I am still surrounded by "Kleenex" and coughing but I DO feel better ;) Thank you very much! It is very encouraging to see your comments! You have no idea. Ok... now to my post...

Unfortunately for some reason I couldn't cook lunch for hubby the other day... You know? I always prepare it ahead of time and then just leave it ready for him in containers so he can take it to work and enjoy his food at lunch... he loves it! And hates having to eat "fast food" (although he loves having a Bic Mac once in a while by choice not because he "has to" ... BTW I hate Bic Macs) - ok moving on to my topic -... so... He had to eat fast food  and came home still feeling "yucky" from eating that... I knew he would! So... to make it up to him I cooked something I knew screams "I am homemade and the person who made it LOVES YOU!" is one of those "Mexican Meals" that you just love because is something "a mommy" would cook to make you feel better or special" ... Hubby loves the "Mexican Meatballs" I usually make with chipotle... for my recipe click here but this time I wanted to make something different and without chipotle so it would be tender to his stomach.... So I decided to try Leslie's "Caldo de Albondigas" (Mexican Meatball Soup) from La Cocina De Leslie just making some variations of my own and my amazing Red Rice (Recipe will be posted tomorrow) and he was in heaven! He kept making "I love this" noises while eating it! and I felt very happy!

So here it is:

 

Now the recipe...

Caldo de Albondigas
Adapted from La Cocina de Leslie

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup  long-grain rice (uncooked)
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano (crushed)
• 4 medium potatoes (cut in large chunks)
• 4 carrots (peeled and sliced in large chunks)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cubes chicken bouillion (I use Knorr)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, bread crumbs, tomato, onion, egg and oregano.  Season with salt and pepper (about 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper).  Mix until well combined.

Using a 1/8-cup measuring cup as a reference to get the "size" of the meatballs, shape the meat mixture into balls.  Place in a 4-quart stockpot with 8 cups of water.  Add the vegetables and season soup with chicken bouillion and garlic. Cover stockpot and cook over medium heat until vegetable are tender (about 35 mins). Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Join us tomorrow for the recipe to make Red Rice.

Enjoy!

© Paloma K.

One Burrito Short of a Combo???

Good morning everybody! So .... My friend Duane Scott suggested "One burrito Short of a Combo" to be the name for my new blog

What do you think?

These are some of the other options I have right now:

Taste of Mexico
Burritos, Nachos and other myths
Tacos, Mole and Beyond

I don't know... what do you think? Any other ideas are welcome!

I want to have a "glossary" section in my new blog, with Mexican terms, culinary expressions and translations of our "Basic Mexican kitchenware"

I also want to break many of the "myths" of Mexican food.... at least in USA

What do you think? Would you help me name it?

Thanks!

Paloma.

Time traveling... to the past!

Last night we had a very nice surprise... A friend from Mexico called and asked if him and his wife could stop over just to say hi.... I think I was probably 19 when I last saw him (I am 31 now) and he now lives about 35 mins. away from where I live! Isn't that amazing? How smaller can the world get? We come to find each other 1,700 miles away from where we used to be.... It is just incredible! It brought really nice memories... Like when we used to be part of "plays" in church... we shared funny anecdotes, some updates of the people we used to know and talked about the authentic Mexican food we miss so much and you can NEVER find anywhere in the USA... no matter how "authentic" they claim to be..... We miss the tacos on the street and laughed at the mere idea of "taco salad, taco casserole and taco soup... and even worse.... TACO MIX" (sorry) ....it was all fun... Almost like we never stopped seeing each other... Like just re-starting a "pending" conversation... I felt 19 and in Mexico again.... LOL! We had coffee and a cheesecake kringle, I met his wife and his 5 yr. old... He met my hubby and unfortunately my girl was sleeping already.... It was cool! and it was nice to talk to someone in Spanish!

I am sure God sent him... I was very nostalgic and feeling home sick yesterday.... and there you go... an old friend from Mexico knocking at my door!

Coffee Friday: Special Moments

Good morning everyone! I think the morning is perfect for a good hot cup of coffee! and Today's Coffee picture is a courtesy of someone who has proven to be a real coffee lover.... "Armero" He has a very interesting space of pictures and he's been sharing great coffee pictures in the group I administer on "Fotolog"... If you want to know more of his pictures... Just visit: Armero's fotolog

So, here is the picture:

 

 "Momentos de Café en San Miguel de Allende...Sencillamente Fascinantes!!! Saludos" 

"Coffee Moments in San Miguel de Allende (MX)... Simply fascinating!!! Greetings" 

I hope you enjoyed your cup of coffee with us! These type of moments should be enjoyed slowly... 

Have a great weekend!

Caldo de Pollo and Cinnamon tea!

Poor hubby, he was very sick yesterday, he woke up at 1 in the morning feeling trapped and unable to breath, really congested, coughing and very uncomfortable, he tried to sleep the rest of the "night" in the couch of the living room, I checked on him at 6 in the morning to see if he was planning on going to work, and he wasn't, he was even worse so he called his boss and people from his job to let them know he was going to stay home. Hubby hates sleeping, even at night he tries to go to bed as late as possible, but I knew he was definitely sick 'cause he slept and slept, I made "caldo de pollo" for him, which is a Mexican "chicken soup with vegetables", It has the whole thighs and big pieces of vegetables, it is really good and everybody knows is the best thing when you are sick, so my soup had chicken thighs, cilantro, onion, garlic, cabbage, carrots, zucchini, potatoes and corn (seasoned with salt) and then once you serve it you add some lime juice to it.... It is delicious and very, very good for you! I also made the "traditional" cinnamon tea we drink in Mexico, we drink it because we love it (specially in winter) but we also drink it when we are sick, to make it you just need to boil a big cinnamon stick in about 2 cups of water, let it simmer for a little bit and serve it hot, when you are sick it is great to add some fresh lime juice and about a tbsp. (or even more) of honey... so that's what I gave him, he was very thankful and I stayed busy trying to keep our girl from wanting to play with "dada"  I succeeded for the most part, there was just one moment when I wasn't looking and I just heard like a "grunt" and then I realized the grunt was more a word saying "heeeelp", when I looked hubby had a big plastic container (where she puts her toys) on his head and she started hitting the container with her hands... poor hubby but it was actually quite funny....

He is now all better, still a little bit congested but he doesn't look half as bad as he did yesterday, he went to work and as he was leaving he said "Thanks princesa (that's how he calls me), your Mexican cooking really helped!" ... we know it was the prayers and God's answer that made him feel better... but my Mexican caldo and cinnamon tea did help too!

Chicken Tostadas (Tostadas de Pollo)

Hello dear Coffee Lovers! Ready for another easy, delicious and affordable recipe? I hope so... This recipe is Mexican but I do not know why for some reason in Mexico they are called "Siberian style tostadas" anyway, we will not get in the trouble of finding out why right now... what matters is that they are delicious and I know you will love them!

You will need:

Ingredients: (Makes 8 tostadas)
- 4 cooked and shredded chicken thighs or 2 big chicken breasts (boiled in water with some salt)
- 2 hass avocados - the bigger the better- (ripe, not mushy, not green, to know how to pick avocados click here
- 2 red tomatoes (or roma tomatoes) chopped in cubes
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup of "Mexican style cream" - crema Mexicana you can find it in your grocery store, ask for it, if you do not find it then use sour cream instead, it will be good but not the same.
- 8  corn tostadas (corn tostadas, you will also find them in your grocery store probably in the hispanic food section and probably in packages of 10 or 12)
- pickled jalapeno peppers (in slices) - optional (but trust me ... it gives a really nice delicious touch!


1. "Puree" the avocados in a container and mix the tomatoes in it once it is all "guacamole texture" add the 1/2 tsp. of salt
2. Spread the mixture of the avocados and tomatoes over the tostadas
3. Add the shredded chicken on top of the tostadas with the mixture.
4. Top each tostada with the "crema Mexicana" (and add more salt to taste if needed)
5. (optional) add 1 or 2 slices of jalapeno peppers per tostada (or finely chop the jalapeno slices and add some on top)

Enjoy!