MONDAY RECIPE POST - TWO RECIPES TODAY: SALSA CON QUESO BEEF ENCHILADAS AND MEXICAN RICE

Nice and crusty after I had gotten past the taking out of the oven stage.  The timer was going off in the kitchen, but I was focused doing something in the other room and didn't hear it.  I accidentally added another 15 minutes to the cooking time.  The cheese got a might crispy on the edges, and had the taste of a raclette, but the enchiladas were delicious, and it was a happy happenstance as that burnt cheese on the edges was also delicious!  Next time though, I will probably set the time on my phone and put it right next to my ear!

A bit of a longer ramble today but I went down memory lane on this one, so please feel free to skip to the recipe part.  I do these rambles for our son as I started blogging because of him, to give him an idea of what his parents used to do back in the day, so to continue...

At one time I wasn't a big fan of Mexican Cuisine.  Only because in truth, where I grew up, we were a very plain-cooking family.  Mum was the best cook and those meals she made were outstanding.  She was also a wonderful baker.  I think she was more adventurous in trying new foods, as I learned later when she visited us here in the States.  Dad was the one she catered for, however, and he was more of a meat and potato man, bless his cotton socks, and there certainly is nothing wrong with that.

There was one Chinese Restaurant and one Indian Restaurant in the nearby town.  Things have probably changed but in those days, it seemed that most people only went out for special occasions, like birthdays in our case.  Mum and Dad went once to the Chinese restaurant with me, and I went once to the Indian restaurant with friends. Both occasions the food was enjoyed very much, maybe not by my meat and potato loving Dad, but he was always a good sport.  No, we didn't go out to eat a lot, unless it was for a cup of tea and a slice of cake, or a crumpet, on a shopping trip.  

The one time I had Mexican food in the UK, was when I traveled to London, going up on the train and staying the weekend visiting with friends. I was 20-ish, if that, and they took me to a lovely restaurant in Soho. I knew nothing of ambiance back in those days, but this place was like I had stepped into Mexico, and was a posher restaurant than I had ever been to in my 20 years.  It was an adventure!  I can only remember that I had a dish, chicken I think, with chocolate sauce on the top, my friends' recommendation.  My parents on my return, looked at me a little strangely when I told them about it.  “And it wasn’t a dessert?”  I am not sure they believed me, but years later I realized it was a mole sauce which you can read about here. They decided I needed a good cup of tea and a crumpet, which there was a never ending supply of in Mum’s pantry.  As I told my parents about my weekend in London, I said to Mum, there's nothing quite like a good cup of tea and a crumpet.  My mother was reassured.  And in her eyes, tea fixes everything.  

The next time I had this cuisine was when I came to America in 1975, but it was a few years later when I ate my first Mexican meal.  We were traveling through New Mexico on a road trip and had heard about a place that was quite famous and had a great reputation, also recommended by friends.  A lovely restaurant, but nothing fancy.  It had lots of atmosphere, however, and great food.  I said to my dear other half, that I wasn't going to leave the state before I tried an authentic Mexican meal, and our route took us near the restaurant thankfully.  

It was another fun experience.  Plus, it was hot and spicy, and Gregg pointed out halfway through, that I had a single tear falling down my cheek I hadn't noticed.  I was too busy with the feeling of my mouth being on fire and, unusually, I didn't feel as though that was a big deal.  He thought it was a hoot and I loved that meal and its heat. We still talk about it occasionally, and laugh at the memory. 

Days later, we found ourselves in another Mexican restaurant, in another town, in another state, as we drove further west, where the staff were friendly and good natured, and our waiter had us laughing all through our meal.  One comment I actually guffawed.  I told him how much I liked the artwork.  (There were also large, antique framed mirrors all over the same wall.)  Our waiter quipped, “Ah yes, but the most beautiful art is reflected in the mirrors”. I automatically turned and stared into the one eye level with our table and saw myself.  And yes, I guffawed loudly.  He feigned a look of surprise but also had a twinkle in his eyes.  My dear other half told him “Oh you’re goooood!”  We both had a fun time at that place.   Great people, great atmosphere and great food!

But, getting around to today's recipes, we don't eat this cuisine very often, but I asked Gregg if he would like a Mexican meal for a change.  (He and our son get together for some father/son time and they go to son’s favorite taco place on occasion).  

I found these recipes a few days ago and they sounded so good.

Plain Chicken was the food blog where the enchiladas came from. The Mexican Rice came from The Kitchn.  If you click on their names, the links will take you right to the original recipes. I always recommend checking them out to see the tips that are given in the making, and also the photos, and other recipes.  

Neither of these meals are very hot or spicy.  One of the blogs said they couldn't say whether it was authentic, but I wouldn't have known.  Both were excellent!

Salsa Con Queso Beef Enchiladas - serves 6

1½ cups salsa

2 lbs. ground beef

1 (1-oz) package taco seasoning 

⅔ cup water

1 (15-oz) jar salsa con queso cheese dip

8 (7-8 inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray. Pour salsa into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring until crumbled; drain fat and return to skillet. 

Add taco seasoning and water to the skillet. Simmer for 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.

Stir salsa con queso cheese dip into the taco meat. Remove skillet from heat.

Spread the meat mixture down the center of each tortilla. 

Roll up tortillas, place, seam side down, into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle tortillas with shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until warm and the cheese has melted.

Notes given were:

Ground turkey or ground pork can be substituted for the beef. 

You can add veggies to the beef mixture. Onion, bell pepper, corn, black beans or black olives.

For an extra kick, add a can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles to the taco meat.

A recipe link for Homemade Taco Seasoning was given, made with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper.  

https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/

Used was a jar of Tostitos Salsa con Queso, which the host found in the chip aisle.

Also used was La Banderita Low-Carb flour tortillas for the enchiladas. You can use any tortilla that you prefer. Flour or corn tortillas both work fine.

The host's favorite store-bought salsas are Mateo’s, Kyliot’s, Chi-Chi’s, and Trader Joe’s.

Can beef enchiladas be made in advance? Yes. Assemble the enchiladas and cover the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

Can beef enchiladas be frozen? Yes. Assemble the enchiladas and cool completely. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and foil. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months.  When ready to bake, thaw and bake as directed.

Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice - serves 6 to 8

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/3 cup neutral cooking oil, such as canola or safflower (or rendered lard)

2 cups long-grain white rice

1 to 2 medium jalapeño or serrano chile peppers, seeded and minced

4 to 5 cloves 

garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 2 medium limes, plus more wedges for serving

 

Place the tomatoes and their juices and onion in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. 

Transfer 2 cups of the tomato mixture to a medium saucepan. (Reserve any excess tomato mixture for another use, such as Tomato Sauce.) 

Stir in the chicken broth, salt, and cumin and bring to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, toast the rice.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. 

Add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted and golden, about 5 minutes. 

Add the jalapeños and cook until softened, about 2 minutes, lowering the heat as needed. 

Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.

Pour the boiling tomato mixture over the rice and stir to combine. 

Reduce the heat to low. 

Cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and gently fluff the rice with the fork. 

Cover again and set aside to steam for 10 minutes. 

Add the cilantro and lime juice and fluff again to combine. 

Taste and season with more salt as needed. Serve with lime wedges.

The following are the addresses for the above recipes.  At the bottom is a homemade version of their taco seasoning in case you would like to make your own.

https://www.plainchicken.com/salsa-con-queso-beef-enchiladas/

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-mexican-rice-recipes-from-the-kitchn-198867

https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/

Two great recipes and one great meal.  Also a mixed salad is a nice addition.

I would get as much preparation done ahead of time and refrigerate where necessary, pre-chopping veggies and measuring the amounts needed.  The rice dish could be made the previous day for instance and refrigerated.  This seems the type of dish where the flavors would develop even more with the extra time.

I added a spoonful of sour cream.

I wouldn't change anything else, for us it was perfect.