Bean Chip Dip

Just in time for New Years! This is a variation of a seven layer bean dip. I don't care for guacamole so I leave that out. And the dip is WAY better with the taco seasoning in it.

Ingredients:
2 cans refried beans
1 16 oz. tub sour cream
1 taco seasoning package
shredded mexican blend cheese
1 small can cut olives
1 tomato
green onions

Notes / Directions
Spread refried beans out onto a large pizza pan. Mix sour cream with taco seasoning and spread on top of beans. Spread cheese over the top and sprinkle on olives, tomato, and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.

Taco Grande Pizza

Ingredients
1 yeast package for pizza crust
1/2 can refried beans
salsa
taco beef
tomatoes
green onions
black olives
cheddar cheese
mozzerala cheese

Notes / Directions
Make pizza crust according to package.  Spread dough out in a cast iron skillet or baking sheet.  Spread refried beans evenly over crust.  Layer on salsa, taco beef and cheeses.  Top with tomatoes, green onions, and black olives.  Bake according to yeast package.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Burrito

Adapted from Topsy Turvy

For the Pork:
pork loin roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper
1 can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
 
Slow cook with Dr. Pepper chipotle chilies (for less spicy meat use diced green chiles), brown sugar, and molasses in oven at 250 degrees or in crockpot for 7-8 hours, should shred beautifully. The trick is sealing the meat. So use some tin foil and put it over the top of whatever you are cooking the meat in then put your lid on. Don’t check it again until your time is up.
 
For the Sauce: 
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green peppers, cut into slices
1 jalapeno, seeded
3/4 lbs (about 7) tomatillos, husked and halved
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 C chicken broth
1 Tbsp sugar

In a large sauce pan saute onions in the olive oil until translucent.  While cooking the onions, put green pepper, jalapeno, tomatillos, cilantro, and chicken broth in a blender.  Blend till smooth.  It will become a little frothy but that's ok.  Blend it for about a minute.  Once onions are ready, add garlic and saute another minute.  Pour contents in blender into the sauce pan.  Add seasonings and bring to a simmer.  Simmer at least 15 minutes.  If you want it thicker, simmer for up to an hour. 

For the Rice:
1/4 cup onion, diced 
2 cups water
1 chicken bullion cube
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lime 
1 cup rice  
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
 
Sauté onions in 2 Tbls oil.  Add water and chicken bullion cube and bring to a boil.  Add sugar, rice, and the juice of 1 lime.  Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.  When done cooking, add cilantro and stir it in.

For the Beans:
2 cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup diced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon chicken bullion
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lime
 
Saute onions in the olive oil until they are caramelized.  Add garlic and saute for another minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, reserving the lime, and bring to a boil.  Turn to a low simmer and cook for another 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Towards the end, gently press down on beans with a spatula.  Just enough that they barely erupt.  When done cooking squeeze lime juice on top of beans.
  
Serving:
Layer rice, beans, pork, and cheese on a tortilla.  Fold up and then smother with sauce.

What you need to buy:
Just to make things a little easier, this is a list of everything you're going to need to buy.  Minus rice, sugars, bullion, oil, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper.
  
pork loin roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper
1 can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce or 1 can diced green chilies
2 cans Black Beans
molasses  
3 small onions
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro 
6 cloves garlic
1 green pepper
1 jalapeno
3/4 lbs (about 7) tomatillos
3 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups water and 3 chicken bullion cubes)
tortillas
cheese

Green Enchilada Sauce

Adapted from Topsy Turvy

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green peppers, cut into slices
1 jalapeno, seeded
3/4 lbs (about 7) tomatillos, husked and halved
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 C chicken broth
1 Tbsp sugar

Notes / Directions
In a large sauce pan saute onions in the olive oil until translucent.  While cooking the onions, put green pepper, jalapeno, tomatillos, cilantro, and chicken broth in a blender.  Blend till smooth.  It will become a little frothy but that's ok.  Blend it for about a minute.  Once onions are ready, addd garlic and saute another minute.  Pour contents in blender into the sauce pan.  Add seasonings and bring to a simmer.  Simmer at least 15 minutes.  If you want it thicker, simmer for up to an hour.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

For the Pork:
pork loin roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper
1 can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
 
Slow cook with Dr. Pepper, chipotle chilies (for less spicy meat use diced green chiles), brown sugar, and molasses in oven at 250 degrees or in crockpot for 7-8 hours, should shred beautifully. The trick is sealing the meat…. So use some tin foil and put it over the top of whatever you are cooking the meat in, then put your lid on. Don’t check it again until your time is up.
 
For the Rice:
1/4 cup onion, diced 
2 cups water
1 chicken bullion cube
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lime 
1 cup rice
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
 
Sauté onions in 2 Tbls oil.  Add water and chicken bullion cube and bring to a boil.  Add sugar, rice, and the juice of 1 lime.  Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.  When done cooking, add cilantro and stir it in.

For the Beans:
2 cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup diced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon chicken bullion
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lime
 
Saute onions in the olive oil until they are caramelized.  Add garlic and saute for another minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, reserving the lime, and bring to a boil.  Turn to a low simmer and cook for another 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Towards the end, gently press down on beans with a spatula.  Just enough that they barely erupt.  When done cooking squeeze lime juice on top of beans.
  
For the Dressing:
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tomatillos, cut in half
ranch dressing dry packet (with buttermilk)  
sour cream (however much for dressing packet)
green tabasco sauce
 
Mix dressing per instructions on packet in blender. Add tomatillos, cilantro, and a couple good dashes of tabasco sauce. Blend well.

Serving:
tortilla strips
pico de gaillo
tortillas
shredded cheese, mexican blend
romaine lettuce
 
Lay a tortilla on a plate.  Top with rice, black beans, and meat.  Place lettuce on top and pour on dressing, cheese, pico de gaillo, and tortilla strips

What you need to buy:
Just to make things easier, this is a list of everything you're going to need to buy.  Minus rice, sugars,bullion, oil, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper

pork loin roast
1 liter Dr. Pepper
1 can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce or 1 can diced green chiliesgreen tabasco sauce 
2 cans Black Beans
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 cup water and 1 bullion cube)
ranch dressing dry packet (with buttermilk)
molasses  
2 small onions
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro 
2-3 cloves garlic 
2 tomatillos 
romaine lettuce 
sour cream (however much for dressing packet)
tortilla strips
pico de gaillo
tortillas
shredded cheese, mexican blend

Taco Soup

I love this soup.  I always have the ingredients on hand so if I'm in need of a dinner, this is what I make :)

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef, sauteed
1 onion, sauteed
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can corn, undrained
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can green chile peppers, drained
1 package taco seasoning
Fritos
Cheddar cheese
sour cream

Notes / Directions
Put everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Serve with Fritos, cheese, and sour cream.

Fajitas

Ingredients
 
For the Marinade
1 orange, juiced
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 package fajita seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 pounds steak, trimmed of fat cut into thirds or 8-inch pieces
 
For the Fajitas
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup rice, cooked
cheddar cheese
6 tortillas

Notes / Directions
Purée the marinade ingredients and pour over stead in a Ziploc bag.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.  Drain meat, leaving just a little sauce, and pour meat and the little bit of left-over sauce in a heated and oiled skillet.  Add onion and peppers.  Saute till meat is cooked through.  Finish by adding a little extra lime juice.  Serve by laying tortilla out and layering rice, veggies, meat, and cheese.  Can also top with sour cream.