Double Baked Potatoes with Taco seasoned Beef

Ingredients :

1. Medium large potatoes - 4
2. Potatoes - 2 boil and peel and mash and keep aside
3. Butter - 4 tbsp
4. cream - 2 tbsp
5. milk - 1/4 cup
6. salt - to taste
7. Ground beef - 250 gms
8. chopped onion - 2 tbsp
9. chopped garlic - 1 tsp
10. chopped green chillies - 1
11. Taco seasoning - 2 tsp ( dry roast and coarse grind 1 tbsp corriander seeds,1/2 tsp fennel seeds , 1/4 tsp cumin ,1/2 tsp black pepper )
12. chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
13. oil - 1 tbsp
14. grated cheese - 2 tbsp
15. corn flour - 1 tsp dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Method:
wash and scrub the potatoes .
Bake or steam the potatoes with the skin until cooked well but not falling apart .
cut into 2 lengthwise and scoop out the flesh leaving a thin layer attached to the skin so that the potato skin acts as a vessel to hold the beef and potato filling.
make a mash with the scooped flesh plus 2 boiled mashed potatoes by adding cream ,milk , cheese and butter with salt and pepper to taste.
Keep the mash aside.
Heat oil in a pan and saute the chopped onion,garlic and chilly.
Add the ground beef and stir .
add in taco seasoning and salt to taste.
stirfry until the beef is cooked.
pour in the cornflour water and cook until thickened and dry.
turn the flame off
Add a layer of beef mixture to the potato shells .
Spoon over mashed potato and shape it with a spoon to a mound covering the beef mixture .
Set your over on microwave to the grill setting and grill for 10 minutes until the top is slightly golden.
Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Crumbled Beef with Rice & Salsa

Ingredients :

for beef

1. Ground beef - 250 gms
2. onion - 2 tbsp chopped
3. garlic - 2 cloves chopped
4. chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
5. whole spices - 1/2 tsp corriander seeds, 1/4 tsp fennel seeds,1/4 tsp black peppercorns,cumin seeds - a pinch.
6. vinegar - 1/2 tsp
7. corn flour - 1 tsp mixed in 1/2 cup water 
8. oil - 1 tbsp

for salsa 

1. ripe tomatoes - 2 chopped into small pieces
2. onion - 1chopped fine
3. cilantro - 1 tbsp chopped
4. lime juice - 1/2 tsp
5. salt - to taste 
6. gereen chilly - 1/2 tsp chopped fine

for rice 

1. sona masuri/shortgrain white rice - 1 cup
2. water - 2 cups
3. lime juice - 1 tsp
4. cilantro - 1 tbsp chopped
5. salt - to taste.

Iceberg lettuce - 1/2 of a head

method
Place all the  whole spices on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 1 minute . you can dry roast on a pan aslo.
Crush it to a coarse powder and keep aside.
heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan and saute the chopped onion and garlic in the beef section.
After a minute add the ground beef and break into small pieces stirring constantly until the beef starts to brown and releases some of its fat.
cook the beef for 5 minutes.
add the dry roasted powders and season to taste with salt and vinegar.
Now add the cornflour water to the pan and sirfry until it has thickened and coated the beef.
turn off the flame and keep aside.

To prepare salsa - mix all ingredients in salsa section and season to taste.

for the rice - cook 1 cup of washed and drained rice in 2 cups of water until the water is absorbed and rice is cooked.
once it cools down slightly , add the lime juice,salt and cilantro and fluff with a fork until mnixed well.

To serve - add a layer of rice
top with a layer of crumbled beef,
sprinkle salsa on top and serve with lettuce .

Whole Wheat Soft Tacos with crumbled meat

An Indo-Mexican version of the Tacobell soft tacos.Verdict - It is pretty good , the ground beef that you get here in India seems to have a lot more flavor, and the whole wheat chappathis that were used instead or corn tortillas were tastier and more healthy.The cheese I got could have been better and I used garlic mayo instead of sour cream , which was ok .

Ingredients:

1. Chappathis - 10 (make poori sized chappatis)
2. Ground beef - 1/2 kg
3. Taco seasoning - 2 tbsp
4. Iceberg lettuce - 2 cups chopped
5. Tomato - onion salsa - 5 tbsp
6. grated cheese - 2 tbsp
7. sour cream or mayo - 2 tbsp

To make the taco seasoning you need

1. corn flour - 2 tbsp
2. chilly powder - 1 tbsp
3. black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
4. cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
5. garlic powder - 1 tbsp ( or use finely chopped fresh garlic while cooking)
6. salt - to taste
7. Oregano - 1 tsp
8. coriander powder - 1 tsp

Mix all the seasonings together and you taco seasoning is ready.

To make the tomato onion salsa you need

1. ripe tomatoes - 1 chopped fine
2. onion - 1 medium chopped fine
3. Lime juice - 1 squeeze
4. salt - to taste
5. cilantro - 1 tsp chopped

Mix all the indgedients and the salsa is ready

To make the crumbled meat :
Heat a nonstick frying pan to medium high.
Add in the ground beef and break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon .
Let the meat cook for 5 minutes ,stir well and let it brown slightly.
Add in 1/2 a cup of water and 2 tbsp of the taco seasoning and stir well .
lower the flame and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes until the beef is cooked and the cornflour has thickened.

To assemble the tacos :
Lay one chappathi flat on a plate , add a tbsp of ground meat , lettuce , salsa , cheese and mayo .
Fold and serve.

Home made Crispy Beef Tacos

A taco is a traditional Mexican dish composed of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. Tacos is generally eaten without utensils and is often accompanied by garnishes such as salsa, avocado or guacamole, cilantro, tomatoes, onions and lettuce.
This post seems longer than usual since I have added steps on how to make your own Taco seasoning and Crispy Taco shells at home .If you choose to buy those ingredients from the store , a Taco is something that you can put together in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

1. ground beef - 1 lb
2. fresh salsa - 1/2 cup (finely chopped tomatoes, onions,cilantro,green chilly , vinegar and salt)
3. shredded cheddar cheese - 1 cup
4. shredded lettuce - 1 cup
5. small corn tortillas - 12
6. oil - to fry tortillas
7. Taco seasoning mix - 2 tbsp
8. sour cream - 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:
Heat a frying pan to medium and add the ground beef to the hot pan (You dont need any oil , since the meat has enough fat).
Use a spoon and breakup the ground meat into small bits and continue stirfrying until the meat starts to brown slightly.
Sprinkle enough taco seasoning on the meat and mix well.
Fry for another minute.
Add a cup of water to the meat mixture and bring to a simmer.
The corn starch in the seasoning will thicken the sauce , turn the dlame off when the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
If you are using fresh onion and garlic , add it along with the meat and fry before you add rest of the taco seasoning.

To assemble the Tacos:
Add ground beef mixture into the taco , top off with shreaded lettuce, salsa , cheddar cheese and sour cream.

To make your own taco seasoning mix:

1. onion powder - 4 tbsp
2. garlic powder - 2 tbsp
3. chili powder - 2 tbsp
4. paprika - 2 tsp
5. dried oregano - 1.5 tsp
6. pepper - 1/2 tsp
7. cornstarch - 2 tbsp
8. ground cumin - 1 tsp
9. salt - 1 tbsp

Method:
Mix all the dry ingredients together and store in a clean bottle.Use as needed.
If you do not have onion powder and garlic powder ,you can substitute with finely chopped onions( 4 tbsp) and minced garlic (2 tbsp)

To make your own crispy taco shells at home:
Making crispy taco shells at home is not difficult at all.You can even make the crispy taco bowls at home in a much healthier way that the restaurant version.Taco Bowl is for another post, but here are the steps to make crispy taco shells at home.

You need home made corn or flour Tortilla or store brought soft tortilla.
Heat oil in a frying pan (pan should be wide enough to hold the tortilla.There should be an inch of oil in the pan.
Place a tortilla in the oil, after a minute or so, flip it.
Use a fork to hold the bottom half of the shell down in the oil and use another fork to fold the tortilla in half. Hold the top half over the bottom half and allow the shape to set as it cooks.
Turn the shell over in the oil after about 30 to 60 seconds. The half of the shell that was out of the oil is now submerged and the part that was in the oil is now out of it. Continue to use the forks to hold the shape of the shell as well as to hold the bottom half under the oil.
, then take it out. You'll have to experiment to see how crispy you like your shells, the longer you cook them, the crispier they will get. If you make them way ahead of time, don't make them too crispy, then you can warm them in the oven just before you're ready to eat without them getting too hard.
Place your shells on a paper grocery bag or a bunch of paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

Grand Sangria

Ingredients:

1. Red wine - 1 bottle (Use any cheap fruit forward red wine)
2. Chopped up fruits - 1 cup (you can use Plum,apples, Oranges,Cherries,Grapes,strawberries etc)
3. Ginger ale - to taste (OR club soda and sugar)

Method:
Cut the fruits into dices or thin slices and mix it with the wine(and sugar if you plan on serving with club soda, If using ginger ale skip the sugar) and keep refrigerated for several hours or overnight.This will allow the fruit flavors to blend with the wine.
When ready to serve add ice cubes to the glass and fill in 3/4 cup of the wine mixture and top off  with soda/Gingerale.
Serve chilled.

Paella with Shrimp and Chorizo

Ingredients:

1. Medium Shrimp - 20 (about 1 lb)
2. Chorizo sausage - 1 link sliced thick
3. Red,Green and yellow bell pepper - 1/4 cup chopped
4. Onion - 1 small chopped
5. Garlic - 3 cloves chopped fine
6. Tomatoes - 2 medium sized chopped
7. Spring onion - 2 stalks chopped
8. Saffron strands - 1/2 tsp soaked in 1/4 cup hot milk
9. Short grain Spanish rice - 2 cups
10. Water - 3 cups (dissolve the soup cubes in the water or use Chicken stock instead)
11. Chicken Bullion cube - 4 cubes (you can substitute with chicken stock)
12. Lime/Lemon - 1 cut into wedges and save few wedges for garnish.
13. Parsley - 2 tbsp chopped
14. Olive Oil - 4 tbsp
15. Paprika - 1/2 tsp
16. Salt - to taste

Method:
Clean , de-vein, wash and pat the shrimp dry.
Sprinkle the shrimp with paprika, chopped garlic,salt and a tbsp of Lemon juice and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp Olive oil in a wide pan and add in the chorizo slices and fry for 2 minutes - remove from pan and keep aside.
The pan will have the oil flavored with chorizo in it - Add in the shrimp and saute of high heat for 2 minutes, remove from pan and keep aside.
Add remaining oil and the chopped onions, spring onion ,bell pepper and tomatoes and half of the parsley and stir fry until it starts to soften and brown slightly.
Add in the washed and drained rice and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Pour in the chicken stock or the Water and bullion cubes and cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and add in the saffron mixture and stir the rice well.
Add in the chorizo and Shrimp and tuck them into the rice.
Cover and cook again for an additional 15 minutes on medium flame  without stirring until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed.
When the rice is cooked , turn the flame on high for about 30 seconds so that it forms a nice crust at the bottom of the pan.
A traditional Paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.
Garnish with chopped parsley  and lime wedges.

Bare Burrito / Naked Burrito / Burrito Bowl

A burrito is a popular Mexican food. It consists of a flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The usual filings include Mexican rice,meat,grilled vegetables ,beans, lettuce, salsa, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.
The word burrito means "little donkey" in Spanish, coming from burro, which means "donkey". The name burrito possibly derives from the appearance of a rolled up wheat tortilla, which vaguely resembles the ear of its namesake animal, or from bedrolls and packs that donkeys carried.

A burrito bowl is a burrito or fajita served without the tortilla wrap. It is instead placed in a bowl. It gained popularity during the low carb fad in the early 2000's.

















The burrito bowl is found in some form at all the major national Mexican chains , and they call it by some pretty amusing and creative names.
At Baja Fresh you would ask for the Bare Burrito or Naked Burrito.
Chipotle refers to it as the "Burrito bol",
Qdoba informs customers to: "ask for it naked"
Moe's menu states: "be a streaker! Lose the tortilla!
Panchero's menu states to order "just the insides."


Ingredients:

1. Mexican rice - 1 cup (I used Basmati rice)
2. Water - 2 cups
3. Lime - 1
4. Black beans or Pinto beans - 1/2 cup
5. Lettuce - 1 cup shreaded
6. Tomato - 1 chopped
7. Onion - 4 tbsp
8. Green chillies - 2 chopped
9. Steak or Chicken or Shrimp or Fish - about 2 cups
10. Bell peppers - 1 cup cut in strips(green,red,yellow, orange any you have)
11. Onion - 1 cut into thick wedges
12. avacado - 1/2 of one
13. Cilantro - 3 tbsp chopped
14. Pineapple - 1 cup chopped (optional)
15. chopped garlic - 1/2 tsp
16. dried Oregano/thyme - 1/4 tsp
17. crushed cumin - 1/4 tsp
18. Salt - to taste
19. McCormick steak seasoning - 1/2 tsp (optional) you can use ground pepper instead.
20. Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparing the cilantro lime rice.
Cook 1 cup rice in 2 cups water and salt to taste.
Once the rice is cooked add 1/2 tsp of fresh lime juice and tbsp of chopped corriander leaves and mix well.

Preparing the Tomato salsa
Mix together the chopped tomato , 2 tbsp of chopped onion , 1 chopped green chilly , 1/2 tbsp of chopped cilantro, salt to taste and a squeeze of lime juice.

Preparing the Pineapple salsa
Mix together the chopped pineapple , 2 tbsp of chopped onion , 1 chopped green chilly , 1/2 tbsp of chopped cilantro, salt to taste and a squeeze of lime juice.

Preparing the steak.
Slice the beef into thin strips and marinate with crushed cumin,steak seasoning(which contains salt,pepper,corriander seeds,crushed red pepper),Oregano/thyme mixture and a squeeze of lime juice.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in an iron skillet(on high) add in the beef and stirfry on high flame for 5 minutes until it is cooked and keep aside.

Preparing the grilled veggies
Add 1 tbsp oil and sliced bell peppers and onions into the same skittel you used to cook the beef in and stirfry on high until the veggies get a char on the outside but still retain a crunch (3 minutes).Season to taste with salt.

Preparing the beans
Pressure cook the black or pinto beans with enough water until it is cooked soft - add salt to taste and lightly mash some of them with the back of a spoon.

Assembling the bowl
Take a bowl, add a layer of cilantro lime rice then add the beans,Tomato salsa, Pineapple salsa, roasted vegetables,lettuce , Steak ,sliced avacado and more chopped cilantro on top.Garnish with sour cream and grated cheese if desired.
 

Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients:

1. Pineapple - 2 cups chopped
2. Onion - 1 medium size chopped
3. Green chillies - 2 chopped fine
4. Red bell pepper - 1 tbsp chopped (optional)
5. Cilantro - 2 tsp chopped
6. Salt - to taste
7. Lime juice - 1 squeeze

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and serve as part of a salad or as  salsa with chips, in a burrito or just eat it as a snack.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

1. Ripe tomatoes - 1 pound(I used larger variety of cherry tomatoes)
2. Onion - 1
3. Green chilly/Jalapeno - 1
4. Cilantro - 2 tbsp chopped
5. salt - to taste
6. sugar - 1 pinch
7. Olive oil - 1 tsp
8. garlic - 1 clove minced

Method:
Cut half of the tomatoes into halves and chop half of the onion into small pieces .
Add the minced garlic , salt to taste, the cut tomatoes and onions into a baking pan and drizzle with oil.
Broil this in high until it cooks and caramelizes a little.
There should be very little juice remaining when done.
Peel the skin off the cooked tomatoes and mash this mixture with the back of a spoon.
Dice the remaining tomatoes,onions,jalapeno and cilantro and add to the roasted mixture and mix well.
Add salt and a pinch of sugar to taste .
Serve with tortilla chips.
You can use the left over salsa to bake fish or add in any stir fry or curry.

Flan / Caramel Custard Pudding

Flan is a traditional Mexican dessert.It is a very popular dessert in Kerala also where we call it the Caramel Custard pudding.

You can use Milk alone or milk and condensed milk for a richer version.The pudding can be baked in a water bath in an oven or steamed in a pressure cooker without the weight.You could make individual puddings in small containers or do a big one.

Ingredients:

1. Whole Milk - 2 cups
2. Eggs - 2 whole
3. Egg yolks - 2
4. Sugar - 1/2 cup
5. Vanilla essence - 1.5 tsp
6. Sugar for caramel - 1/2 cup

Method:
If you are using the oven - Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
To prepare the caramel - take a heavy bottomed saucepan and add in 1/2 cup sugar and spread it evenly .Pour in 1 tbsp of water and turn the flame on medium heat .Let the sugar melt without stirring around.Once it starts turning yellowish stir it around , you need to watch it carefully since it turns from caramel to burnt in an instant .Turn the flame off as soon s it gets a dark brown colour.

I burnt my first batch and had to throw it away - I was too careful with the second batch and took it off before it got really brown , hence the light colour.

Pour this caramel into the dish you plan to bake the custard in and swirl it around so that the caramel coat the bottom of the dish.It is important to do this transfer quickly, as the change in temperature causes the caramel to solidify rapidly. Set this aside.

In a bowl, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar and whisk until foamy. Pour in the milk whisk until well blended.Add in the vanilla essence and mix well. Strain and Pour the mixture into the caramel coated dish.

If using the pressure cooker- pour some water into the pressure cooker and place a stand in it .Cover the pudding dish with aluminum foil and keep it on the stand inside the cooker- the base should hardly touch the water. Cover and steam on high for 35 - 45 minutes.

If using the oven - In a large, deep baking pan or roasting pan pour in some boiling water, it should come up to an inch. Place the pudding dish in the water bath and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until set when tested with a thin-bladed knife in the center.

Cool in the refrigerator - before serving invert the flan into a plate and serve with the caramel sauce

Guacamole

The avocado, also known as butter pear or alligator pear, is a tree native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South America and Central America.

Guacamole is a Mexican dip made from ripe avocados.If the Avocados are perfectly ripe (not too mushy and not too hard) ,then you have the basis for the best Guacamole . You can check for the ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. It should give in very slightly.


Some Facts about Avocados
Avocados contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help to lower cholesterol.
Avocados are a good source of vitamin K, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate and copper. Avocados are also a good source of potassium.
Avocados have the highest fat content of any of the fruits, a medium sized avocado contains 30gr fat, however 20 grams of this fat are health promoting monounsaturated fats.
One cup of avocado has 23% of the Daily Value for folate, important for heart health.
They have the highest fiber content of any fruit - including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber.
An avocado has more than twice as much potassium as a banana.
Carotenoid and tocopherols contained in avocado have been studied and found to inhibit the growth of some forms of prostate cancer cells.

Ingredients:

1. Avocado - 1 ripe
2. Red onion - 2 tbsp chopped fine
3. Ripe tomato - 1/2 chopped fine
4. Cilantro - 1 tbsp chopped
5. Green chilly - 1 chopped fine
6. Salt - to taste
7. fresh lime juice - to taste

Method:
Cut the avocado into small cubes and sprinkle some lime juice on it (else it will turn grey)
Using a fork, slightly mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion,tomatoes,cilantro, lime juice , salt and chilly and mix well.
OR
for a quick simple version slightly mash 1 ripe avocado with 2 tbsp of your favorite Salsa.
Serve with tortilla chips , as a topping for a salad , as a spread on your burger, or as part of the filling for your Burrito Or eat it straight out of the bowl as I do :)