Ingredient: corn tortillas

Breakfast Turkey Taquitos

Breakfast taquitos are like the smaller cousin to breakfast burritos. They use smaller corn tortillas and have a filling rolled into center of each tortilla. Taquitos are a great way to get some vegetables into your morning meal, and if you need, you can even take them on the go with you once they’re done. What’s more, they’re easily adaptable to your needs. So, if you prefer different veggies or have some leftover ones to use up, you love breakfast sausage or prefer them meatless, there’s a way to make breakfast taquitos work for you.

What’s more, these taquitos are baked, not fried, so they’re a little less guilt-inducing than you might think. Customize the recipe to your liking, swapping out what you dislike and putting in what you do. Serve breakfast taquitos with some fresh fruit, salsa verde, guacamole or sour cream and green onions.

These tasty taquitos are everything you want in a brunch item. They are hearty, savory, and easy to make. Another bonus is that you can prepare and bake the taquitos. Allow to cool completely and then place in a freezer Ziploc bag. When ready to eat, microwave them until warm. Could breakfast food get more convenient than that?!

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 Breakfast Turkey Taquitos
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword breakfast turkey taquitos
Servings
Ingredients
Course Brunch
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword breakfast turkey taquitos
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Filling
  1. Heat a large non-stick skillet on high. Add olive oil, onion, and garlic & cook until soft, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato, cook until the tomato starts to break apart and dissolve into the mixture, approximately 3 minutes.
  2. Add the turkey, cumin, smoked paprika & chili powder; cook until the turkey is cooked through, using a wooden spoon to break the turkey into small pieces. This will take approximately 5 minutes.
  3. Add the cilantro & beaten eggs to the mixture & cook until the eggs are cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. Heat tortillas for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave before working with them. While the tortillas are warm, divide the filling between them topping with diced avocado & 100 grams of the shredded cheese. Roll the tortillas & place in the baking pan seam side down.
  5. Top taquitos with salsa & remaining 50 grams shredded cheese.
Assembly
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with oil.
  2. Heat tortillas for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave before working with them. While the tortillas are warm, divide the filling between them topping with diced avocado & 100 grams of the shredded cheese. Roll the tortillas & place in the baking pan seam side down. Top taquitos with salsa & remaining 50 grams shredded cheese.
  3. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy. Serve immediately.

‘Leftover’ Turkey & Rice Enchiladas

Most families have a roundup of classic holiday dishes that they make every year. Those dishes provide plenty of leftovers for days (maybe even weeks) after the holiday has passed. It follows that during the holiday season, the meals start to look the same. We love leftovers, we really do, but every meal enjoyed after Christmas Day starts to seem identical. That is, until you plan a boxing day feast with a spicy twist? These tasty enchiladas are a saucy, cheesy way to use up any leftover turkey from your Christmas dinner.

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 Turkey & Rice Enchiladas
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword turkey & rice enchiladas
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword turkey & rice enchiladas
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Cook rice. Allow to cool slightly. Stir together rice, half the cheese, stuffing, turkey, green onions, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread 1/2 cup of gravy on the bottom of prepared pan.
  3. Divide filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla up tightly and place seam-side down in baking dish. Top with the remaining gravy and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  4. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tortillas are lightly browned and the filling is heated through.
  5. Top with cranberry sauce and sprinkle with parsley.

Pulled Pork w/ Roasted Rhubarb Sauce

Slow cooked meat is definitely not a new thing. Truly authentic pulled pork is actually a barbecue dish, cooked for hours over a charcoal pit until it falls apart, ready to be easily shredded or ‘pulled’ apart to serve.

I’m sure most of us have attended a classic Hawaiian Luau at one time or another in our lives. The main course of this Hawaiian feast is always the ‘kalua’ roast pork. Kalua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method that utilizes an ‘Imu’, a type of underground steam oven.

My experience, was that it was definitely pull-apart tender but far too greasy for my liking. It has taken a lot of years for me to want to make even a North American version of this pulled pork idea. To my surprise, it didn’t turn out greasy and was pretty tasty.

The idea that it has to be roasted in an outdoor pit is really not true. It can be made easily in a standard domestic oven. Of course the seasonings, temperatures and serving methods are all open to debate.

Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes, either bone-in or boneless. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, ‘melty‘ meat, but its essential to cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly. Using a dry rub will also help create tenderness and flavor.

There are numerous ways you can serve pulled pork such as on some fresh brioche buns, with cornbread or in tacos. We are going to have ours in corn tortillas with some kohlrabi coleslaw and roasted rhubarb sauce.

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 Pulled Pork w/ Roasted Rhubarb Sauce
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Cuban, European
Keyword pulled pork w/ roasted rhubarb sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Dry Rub for Pork Shoulder
Roasted Rhubarb Sauce
Kohlrabi Coleslaw
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Cuban, European
Keyword pulled pork w/ roasted rhubarb sauce
Servings
Ingredients
Dry Rub for Pork Shoulder
Roasted Rhubarb Sauce
Kohlrabi Coleslaw
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Pork Shoulder
  1. Drizzle pork with 2 Tbsp of oil; sprinkle with spices & orange zest & rub into meat. Place in a plastic zip-lock bag & refrigerate overnight (about 24 hours).
  2. Bring meat to room temperature. Preheat oven to 275 F. Place meat in a roasting pan & bake until thickest part registers 170 F. on a meat thermometer. Basically, roast until it's falling apart. Remove roast from oven & transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks & 'pull' the meat to form shreds. Keep warm until ready to assemble tortillas.
Roasted Rhubarb Sauce
  1. Prepare sauce on the day you START to marinate meat.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with foil & spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. Place chopped rhubarb & garlic cloves on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until rhubarb is soft.
  4. Transfer the rhubarb & garlic to a food processor or blender. Puree with one cup of water until smooth.
  5. Pour the puree into a medium saucepan. Add remaining ingredients & mix well. Add additional water, as needed, until sauce is desired consistency.
  6. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Cool before pouring into a small glass pitcher. Refrigerate any leftovers when meal is finished.
Kohlrabi Coleslaw
  1. Prepare dressing in a screw-top jar; combine vinegar, oil, sugar, salt & pepper. Cover & shake well. In a bowl, combine kohlrabi & carrots; drizzle with dressing.
Assembly
  1. During the roasting time of the meat, prepare kohlrabi coleslaw. When everything is ready, lay out warm tortillas, top with coleslaw & pulled pork shreds. Drizzle with prepared rhubarb sauce. Fold or roll tortilla & enjoy!
Recipe Notes
  • Instead of drizzling the rhubarb sauce, you can put your shredded pork in a bowl with some rhubarb sauce & combine. I find that distributes the sauce more evenly ... just a personal preference.

Spiced Pulled Pork Tortillas w/ Orange Guava Sauce

This pairing of pork, corn tortillas and guava brings me back to some of the flavors we tasted on our adventures in both Cuba and Mexico.

Pulled pork sounds like a lot of work but it simply comes down to a gentle, slow cooking process so it can be literally ‘pulled apart’ when finished. Pork shoulder is the most commonly used joint. The long cooking could dry out some cuts but shoulder is quite a fatty joint, therefore providing a natural baste. During the cooking period, most of the fat will dissolve but most importantly its this long cooking process that breaks down the tough fibrous connective tissue called collagen that tenderizes the meat making it so easy to pull apart. Although smokers are very often used, slow cookers or even traditional ovens will do the job nicely.

When the pork is finally done, it needs to rest for 10 minutes and then it should be ready for pulling apart. Use two forks to shred the meat and you’ve got it! This meal not only has great eye appeal, but the taste is wonderful!

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 Spiced Pulled Pork Tortillas w/ Orange Guava Sauce
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Cuban, Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Dry Rub for Pork Shoulder
Orange Guava Sauce
To Assemble
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Cuban, Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Dry Rub for Pork Shoulder
Orange Guava Sauce
To Assemble
Votes: 2
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Dry Rub for Pork Shoulder
  1. Drizzle pork with 2 Tbsp of oil; sprinkle with spices & orange zest & rub into meat. Season with salt & pepper. Place in a plastic bag & refrigerate overnight (about 24 hours).
  2. Bring meat to room temperature. Preheat oven to 275 F. Place meat in a roasting pan & bake until thickest part registers 170 F. on a meat thermometer. Basically, roast until it's falling apart. Remove roast from oven & transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks & 'pull' the meat to form shreds. Keep warm until ready to assemble tortillas.
Orange Guava Sauce
  1. In a saucepan, saute onion in 1 Tbsp olive oil until tender. Add water (or wine), frozen orange juice concentrate, soy sauce, spices & cubed guava paste. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat slightly & continue to boil gently until mixture reduces slightly. In a cup, combine cornstarch & water & add to sauce continuing to cook about 2-3 minutes more. Taste to see if any spice adjustments are needed.
To Assemble
  1. During the roasting time of the meat, prepare avocados, red onion, cilantro leaves, lime wedges. Drain canned black beans (if using) so they are ready to warm at serving time.
  2. When everything is ready, lay out warm tortillas, top with pulled pork, avocado slices, black beans, red onion, cilantro & drizzle with warm orange guava sauce. Fold or roll tortilla & enjoy!
Recipe Notes
  • If you would rather not have the corn tortillas, cook some rice to serve with pulled pork. Spoon sauce over the meat & serve it with the sliced avocados, red onion & black beans.

Tortilla Crepe Stacks

To some of us, Mexican food terms get a little confusing. I mean there is the taco, burrito, quesadilla, enchilada and taquito just to name a few. Before anything, one needs to know what a tortilla is. Simply put, it is wheat or corn plain bread that is used as a wrapping material around different types of filling ingredients to make the various Mexican dishes. 

Masa Harina is a traditional flour used to make corn tortillas and tamales as well as other Mexican meals. To make masa harina, field corn (or maize) is dried and then treated in a solution of lime and water called slaked lime (or wood-ash lye). This loosens the hulls from the kernels and softens the corn. In addition, the lime reacts with the corn so that the nutrient niacin can be assimilated by the digestive tract.

The soaked maize is then washed, and the wet corn is ground into a dough called masa. It is this fresh masa, when dried and powdered, that becomes masa harina. Water is added again to make dough for the corn tortillas or tamales.

Cornmeal and masa harina are very different preparations of corn. Do not try to substitute cornmeal or regular wheat flour in recipes calling for masa harina as they will not produce the same results.

Today, I want to make some tortilla crepe stacks. Crepes as we all know, have always been a hallmark of French cuisine. So the question is, ‘how did they come to be in Mexican cuisine’? In the 1860’s, French forces invaded Mexico. They came, they conquered, they cooked and then they got kicked out. Cinco de Mayo commemorates that victory for Mexico from 1862. However, it took another five years before the French left Mexico for good. During their stay, the French left their mark on the country’s cuisine.

One of the reasons I have always loved crepes, is that they are so easy to make and taste so good. You can either roll the filling inside or just stack them with their fillings and make a ‘cake’.

These tortilla crepes are made with half masa harina and half white flour. Next, I made a mushroom rice & barley pilaf and some guacamole. You can pick and choose when it comes to the extra filling add-ons. I guess it did get a bit more involved but worth it —.


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Tortilla Crepe Stacks

Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Course Brunch, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Ecuador, Mexican, Spanish

Servings


Ingredients
Tortilla Crepes

Rice & Barley Pilaf

Guacamole

Crepe Stack Fillings (for 2 people)

Course Brunch, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Ecuador, Mexican, Spanish

Servings


Ingredients
Tortilla Crepes

Rice & Barley Pilaf

Guacamole

Crepe Stack Fillings (for 2 people)

Votes: 2
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!


Instructions
Tortilla Crepes
  1. In a blender, beat eggs with milk & oil. Gradually add masa harina, white flour & salt, beat until smooth. Allow to stand for 1 hour or longer. Heat an electric griddle to 350 F. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter onto griddle. With bottom of 1/4 cup, make circles in the batter, gradually enlarge to size of tortilla you wish to make. I made 3 for each crepe stack. Cook each crepe for a few minutes on each side then remove to a wire cooling rack.

Rice & Barley Pilaf
  1. In a saucepan, saute onion, garlic & mushrooms until tender crisp. Add chicken broth & bring to a boil. Add all remaining pilaf ingredients & reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until barley & rice are cooked & liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; place in a dish & set aside to cool.

Guacamole
  1. Mince onion & sun-dried tomatoes & mash avocados. In a small bowl, combine avocados, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, & remaining guacamole ingredients. Blend well, cover & refrigerate.

Crepe Stack Fillings
  1. Cook chicken & shred, Grate cheese & prepare all filling ingredients.

Assembly
  1. Spread 4 tortillas with guacamole, reserving a bit for 'decorating' the top of each stack. Over the guacamole, put a layer of rice/barley pilaf. Top each of them with chicken, green peppers, olives, corn, red onion, fresh tomatoes, zucchini, black beans & a sprinkling of cheese. On 2 serving plates, place one filled tortilla topped by a second one. Complete each stack with another corn tortilla. 'Decorate' each with remaining guacamole, salsa, sour cream & remaining cheese. Heat each crepe stack for a few minutes in the microwave before serving.

Baked Avocado Fries with Strawberry-Rhubarb Salsa

Taking vegetables and turning them into ‘fries’ isn’t a new concept. Through the years we have definitely  become more knowledgeable about nutrition and healthier eating. It seems we are always looking for a way to have that deep fried flavor without consuming so much of the grease.

Trends come and go, but you have to admit, avocados are still high on most of our priority lists. There seems to be endless ways beyond guacamole to unleash their true potential. Baked avocado fries are amazing. Crisp and crunchy on the outside while being smooth and creamy on the inside.

Nothing says ‘summer’ like strawberries and rhubarb. Usually the combo appears in pies, crumbles and the like. But, I think the avocado fries are beckoning me to make a savory salsa out of them. This salsa is a great balance of sweet, tart and spicy — summer eating at its best!

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 Baked Avocado Fries with Strawberry-Rhubarb Salsa
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Brunch, Lunch
Cuisine American, Ecuador, Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Avocado Fries
Salsa
Course Brunch, Lunch
Cuisine American, Ecuador, Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Avocado Fries
Salsa
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Salsa
  1. In a small saucepan with boiling water, cook sliced rhubarb for about 1 minute or until tender crisp but not mushy. Drain. In a bowl, combine rhubarb, onion & strawberries. In a blender, pulse oil, apple cider vinegar & honey; combine dressing with chopped cilantro & rhubarb mixture. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
Avocado Fries
  1. Prepare avocado slices. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with foil & place a wire rack on the sheet. Set aside.
  2. In a small dish, measure seasoning & combine. In 3 separate dishes place beaten eggs, flour & panko crumbs. Divide seasoning between them. Coat each avocado slice in the flour, then the eggs & finally the panko. Place on the wire rack & spray lightly with cooking spray.
  3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until panko is lightly browned Cool about 10 minutes & serve with strawberry-rhubarb salsa.
Recipe Notes
  • Salsa also tastes great on a fresh summer salad or fish tacos.
  • Avocado fries can be served in warm tortillas topped with strawberry-rhubarb salsa or just as is with your favorite dip or sprinkled with Parmesan.