Avacado Bean Dip (Megs)

3 med. avacados
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 can corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 med. red bell pepper
6 green onions
2 Tbsp dired cilantro
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1/2 c. olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cut up vegetables and add all ingredients. Let chill for 2 hours

Mexican Rice (Ang)

Ingredients:
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 small onion
¾ C uncooked long-grain rice
¾ tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp chili powder
14 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 green pepper
2 C water (or chicken broth for more flavor)
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and sauté until translucent.
2. Pour the rice into the pan and stir to coat grains with oil. Mix in cumin, chili powder, tomatoes, salt and water. Cover, bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Cook at a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir occasionally.

Stacy's Taco Salad

Lime Cilantro Rice

2 tbsp. oil
4 c. long grain rice (6 c. water)
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
juice of 3-4 limes
2 tsp. crushed garlic
garlic salt to taste

Heat oil in large skillet. Add rice, cilantro, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water and lime juice and bring to boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice (about 20 minutes). You can also use a rice cooker if you have one.

Café Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing

1 pkg. dry hidden valley ranch dressing
1 c. mayo
1 c. chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic
3 tomatillos (remove paper)
1/3 c. buttermilk
¼ t. cayenne pepper (less if you don't like spicy)

put all ingredients in a blender—blend until smooth

Ground Turkey Meat

1 lb. ground turkey meat
garlic salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup taco seasoning
3/4 cup water

Brown turkey meat with garlic, salt & pepper (turkey has less flavor, so you need more seasonings). Drain fat. Stir in seasoning mix & water Simmer for 5 minutes.


Taco Salad
Build taco salad with the following:
tortilla chips
meat or pork
cheese
black beans
cilantro lime rice
chopped romaine lettuce
avacados
salsa
tomatoes
corn
black beans
sour cream
cilantro

Shredded Pork

adapted from sisterscafe.blogspot.com

roughly 3 pounds pork roast--any cut, I used loin and removed any excess fat
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 4oz can diced green chilis
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis (Rotel)
2 tsp. chicken base or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp pepper

Heat 1-2 tsp. oil in a large pot on the stove and put the roast in for a few minutes until browned on both sides.  Add chopped onion, garlic and saute until onion is translucent.  Place the meat & juices in crockpot. Add the  rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until pork is tender enough to be shredded with a fork. 1 hour before serving, pour all of the juices from the crockpot into a pan on the stove.  (Leave the pork in the crockpot to stay warm). On medium heat, let the juices boil and reduce until you have roughly half the liquid you started with. This concentrates the flavors of the juices and thickens the sauce so that your tacos won't be runny, yet still flavored well by the sauce. Mix the thickened sauce into the shredded meat and serve. Serve with warm tortillas and all your favorite Mexican garnishes. Use for meat in enchiladas, with veggies for fajitas, on nachos....enjoy!

Tex-Mex

This is what I would have brought, had I been able to make it this month:

Tex-Mex

Take 4-5 chicken breasts and put in a crock pot with enough water to cover chicken. Add a few chicken bullion cubes and cook until done. (about 4 hrs on high, 6-8 on low.) Take chicken out and shred, drain water, return chicken to crock pot and add:

1 T paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or less, depending on your heat tolerance)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 T salt
1 T garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
2 c chopped onion
1 c chopped cilantro
4 c tomatoes, chopped
2 c tomato juice
2 c water
jalapenos ( 1 tsp canned or fresh to taste)

Cook 1-2 more hours until heated through. Serve with lime slices, jack cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips, or roll into a tortilla burrito style

Michele's Shredded Chicken (Enchilada's, tacos, nachos, salad, or burritos)

6 lbs of boneless chicken
40 ounces of chicken stock
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 bay leaves (optional, but all real cooks should have these in their kitchen)
Decorate bottom of pan with Olive Oil (2 tbsps ??)
1 can (15 ounce) red enchilada sauce

This recipe is large enough for 5 8x13 pans of enchilada's. I like to make a big batch and freeze. So if you make this size freeze in 4 separate portions for easy thaw. To thaw set in refrigerator 24 hours before next use, then heat and use for what ever you are making.

1. Cube chicken (not required, but I don't like shredding my chicken later and I like it fine), chop onion, mince garlic.

2. In an 8 quart (or big pot) pot saute olive oil, onion, and garlic for about 2 minutes.

3. Add cubed chicken, chicken stock, and bay leaves bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cook covered for 3 hours.

4. Drain chicken and reserve 16 ounces of the stock. I am anal at this point and strain mine through a cheese cloth to get rid of all little fat pieces, not required and could be avoided by browning chicken before starting recipe. I think this is easier than browning 6 lbs of chicken.

5. Return chicken to pot and pour the reserved stock over it. Gently mash the chicken with a potato masher to shred. Add can of enchilada sauce and boil on medium for about an hour until the fluid is reduced. Continue to gently mash chicken as necessary to get to desired size shreds.

6. Use in you favorite Mexican dishes.

Enchilada's
10 Medium size tortilla's
2 cups shredded cheese
2 cans (15 ounce) enchilada sauce

1. Coat bottom of 5x13 pan with half a can of sauce.
2. Fill tortilla with cheese and chicken, roll and put in pan seam side down, repeat until pan is full.
3. Cover with remaining sauce and cheese, bake at 350 degrees covered for 20 minutes, remove foil bake additional 5 minutes. (This may take longer if you are starting with cold chicken) Internal temperature should read 160 degrees.

Chili Rellenos Casserole (Michele)

3 (7 ounce) cans whole green chile peppers, drained
10 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese, Shredded
8 ounces Mexican mix cheese, or cheddar, shredded
3 eggs, beaten
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 (15 ounce) can green enchilada sauce

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray

2. Lay half the chilies evenly in bottom of dish (I like to break open my chilies so every inch of pan is covered, but this is optional). Sprinkle with half of the Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and cover with remaining chilies.

3. In a bowl, mex together the eggs, milk, and flour, and pour over the chilies.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, pour enchilada sauce evenly over the top, and continue baking another 15 minutes.

5. Sprinkle with the remaining Jack and Cheddar cheese and serve.

You can play around with the recipe the eggs and milk determine consistency so the batter can be thinned out with less egg and flour. Or thicken with a whole can of evaporated milk and eliminate the regular milk. I love the chilies so I use 3 cans you can cut it back to 2 cans or use fresh (you just have to roast and peel).

Mexican Cornbread (Alix)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn
1/2 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in cream corn, chiles, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.

Add Jiffy mix to corn mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of the pan comes out clean.