We’re getting a head start on this celebration. Believe me, we don’t need an excuse to celebrate with these recipes! Mexican cuisine has always been an important part of our family’s food history. I hope you enjoy viewing some of our favs and give them a try. Search our Mexican Food for more!
Taquitos
Wedding Cakes
Shredded Beef
Enchiladas
Tortilla Soup
Chicken & Chile
Plain Beans
Albondigas Soup
Enmoladas
Tres Leches Cake
Salsa
Chorizo & Eggs
Soup that pairs nicely with Portuguese Sweet Bread, Portuguese Meat Bread or Rustic Cornbread. Or no bread at all! If you’re concerned about the bitterness of turnip greens in this soup it’s pretty much without need. With the little bit of meat, olive oil and vinegar the greens are pretty tame. Let’s not totally take away the characteristic of this vegetable. Piquant can be a good thing.
Backyard chickens are busy this time of year. With the extra eggs I opted to bake this delicious Portuguese Meat Bread, a meal in itself with a little side of greens or green salad. My choice as a side today with my Portuguese Turnip Green Soup … coming up next!
This bread is rich in eggs & butter! What this means to bakers? This recipe requires extra time to rise … about 2 hours. Plus, it’s a little sticky during kneading.
It’s a forgiving recipe and certainly worth the effort because the outcome is amazing.
But did I say pricey! Save this for a special occasion because a tenderloin roast can cost. This one was $22 a pound and weighed just a little over 3 pounds. Enough to serve 6 generously. A delicious cut of meat you don’t want to ruin. So, if your guests are into medium well or well cooked meat you may want to skip this.
This was served with a blue cheese and mushroom sauce. So delicious.
A salad and potato dish complete the meal. Yes, the slices are a bit thin … about 1 inch. Can you imagine this roast is for 6? 3 pounds! We might be carnivores … This was even too much beef per serving for us. Keep your guests’ appetite size in mind when purchasing this cut. Leftovers are good but not ideal here.
It absolutely works! The little terra-cotta pizza oven I bought at Cost Plus World Market is worth it. Now 40% off too. Start the fire, let it burn for 15 minutes to reach a peak temperature, bake pizza in two minutes. Amazing!
Choose your favorite pizza toppings and add them to this amazingly quick and easy pizza dough. In fact, I would say this is a no fail pizza dough recipe. Yep, while at World Market I picked up this great pizza recipe book, Patio Pizzeria by Karen Adler & Judith Fertig. Lots of good and delicious ideas. I decided to try their simple “Classic Pizza Dough” with slight variations. It was pretty near perfect. They did suggest ’00’ flour for wood burning ovens … providing a thinner crust. But I used bread flour as the original recipe suggested and it worked well. In fact, the recipe was to make four 6 inch size pizzas. I found it made four 8-9 inch pizzas instead … It was easy to stretch out with semolina flour dusted on the working surface.
It was fun using this method of cooking. Just have the right wood for your oven, small enough and safe to use with food. I like the idea of a pizza stone and I didn’t have any trouble removing the pizza when done. When transferring onto the heated stone the pizza dough should be resting on a cornmeal covered surface. This helps tremendously. I had the pizza resting on a large wooden paddle covered with cornmeal and lifted/slid the pizza onto the heated stone with a 6 inch round spatula. Worked perfectly.
Here’s the second chicken from my discounted double pack. Truth is the second one had a bit of an off smell when I removed it from the package, and although it was not over the draw date given I decided to take it back to the market for a replacement. This is the replacement. Chicken and fish are the two food products I go the extra mile to attain the very freshest.
This recipe is especially for those on the fence about chicken. Often chicken, especially breast meat, is overcooked with dry tasteless results. The richness of this dish will please even the most ardent beef eater.
We’re having chicken noodle soup tonight with these amazing leftovers.
Precooked garlic chicken at your grocer’s can be expensive when you can make it easily yourself at half the price! I know, I know, sometimes the convenience is worth the store bought but just in case you can buy two large roasting hens for less than $10 like I did here you might give this a try.
Still into Pineapple! Here is a very simple stir fry with a 15 minute prep. That side of rice may take longer … Especially if you’re using brown rice. Enjoy this quick chicken recipe in no time. It’s so delicious and so easy!
One of the original Chile Relleno Recipes out of the early 70’s!
It’s just not making it today. Well, with a little salsa or guacamole anything tastes good … doesn’t it? But I’d like to have this dish stand alone in deliciousness. One change makes all the difference.
Now a family favorite!
Thanks Virgie, a family friend for 40 years, for this easy recipe! Quick and easy! Delicious skillet meal in minutes. Serve over the traditional rice or egg noodles for a comfort food experience.
For a surprise twist to Stroganoff try this recipe too, here.
Thank you again Virginia Botkin Stanley. Besides the good food we enjoyed the dips in your pool too.