This taco seasoning mix is quick and easy and is far superior to the grocery store packet version.
- 3 tbls chili powder
- 1 tbls cumin
- 1 tbls finely crushed Mexican Oregano
- 1 tbls black pepper
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp Ancho Pepper (optional)
- 1 tsp Mexican cinnamon
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbls honey (for chicken and pork)
Add this mixture to each pound of beef, pork, or chicken. You can also increase the Cayenne Pepper for a more spicy mix or the Ancho pepper for an earthier flavor.
If Mexican Oregano and Cinnamon are not easily available in your area than you can substitute the regular “grocery” store versions, however, it’s worth seeking out the Mexican versions for this recipe. You can usually find both at any descent Mexican grocery store or can order them from Penzeys Spice.
If you find that you have many leftover chili peppers after a recipe, here is a quick and easy way to store them.
Wash the chili peppers and either wipe them dry or let sit and dry completely. Place them in a freeze safe bag and freeze.
For most applications you can remove a chili, cut it up while still frozen, and add it directly to a recipe. If you need to deseed the chili then let it sit in room temperature water until soft, usually about 5 minutes, and then deseed and use.
This is one of my favorite scrambled egg recipes. While not too much of a diversion from a traditional recipe, the cream cheese gives the eggs a light, creamy texture and the flavors of the hot sauce and tarragon mix perfectly to complement the light texture of the eggs.
Ingredients:
- 4 Eggs
- 2oz. Cream Cheese
- 1 Leek finely diced
- 2 tbls fresh Tarragon finely diced
- 1 tsp Sriracha, Tabasco, Frank’s Red Hot, or any other hot sauce you like
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tbls butter
Directions
- Clean and finely dice the white part of the leek
- melt the butter in a stick-free pan on Medium/Medium High
- Add leeks and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes
- While leeks are sautéing heat cream cheese until soft
- Whisk in eggs, tarragon, and hot sauce into the cream cheese until frothy (I think Sriracha gives the perfect flavor to these eggs, but any hot sauce will work, however, the goal is to give a hint of the sauce and not to overpower the other delicate flavors so if you are using a stronger hot sauce then you may want to decrease the amount), salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt since it can be added after cooking to taste.
- Once leeks are translucent add the eggs to the pan and stir for 20 – 30 seconds until eggs begin to set
- step away from the pan and let it cook until eggs begin to firm (1-2 minutes), but not until eggs are cooked through
- Once eggs begin to set, stir mixture every 30 seconds, cutting into bit size pieces, until eggs are done to your liking (1-2 more minutes). The cream cheese will cause the eggs to cook somewhat slower than normal so cook until the consistency you desire.
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Serve immediately.
Refried black beans are one of my favorite dishes, but the traditional recipe includes a lot of fat, so after some trial and error I finally found a version that has no added fat that I really like.
Ingredients
- Large can of black beans with half of juice drained
- ½ white or yellow onion finely diced
- Chicken stalk or for a vegetarian variation vegetable stalk
- 2 tbls cumin
- 1.5 tsp Cayenne, Jalapeno, or Chipotle pepper powder
- 1 tbls dried or 2 tbls fresh minced epazote (optional)
- 1 tbls coriander
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Heat pan on medium high heat for 3 – 4 minutes or until hot enough that drops of water evaporates on impact
- Add chicken stalk to cover bottom of pan
- Add diced onion and cook until translucent, approximately 5 – 7 minutes, stirring frequently
- Add beans and juice and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring once every minute
- Add cumin, pepper powder, epazote, and coriander and stir until well mixed
- Mash beans until about half of the beans are mashed. A hand potato masher works great for this.
- Cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally
- Mash beans a second until desired ratio of beans to paste reached
- Lower hear to medium and cook until liquid evaporates or desired consistency is reached, stirring frequently so the bottom of the bean paste does not burn. Use small amounts of stalk to control consistency as needed.
- Salt and Pepper to taste
This is a traditional technique to cook bacon in the oven for a less greasy result that few people seem to know about. I originally heard this technique on Alton Brown’s show Good Eats, but after some research, discovered that is a very traditional method of preparation that is often used in professional kitchens, since it doesn’t require the level of supervision that pan fried bacon does. I find the taste using this method is superior to pan frying and everyone I have served it to has asked me how I made it. I decided to share it here since few people seem to know about it and bacon is an ingredient in many recipes.
- Place a single layer of bacon on a roasting sheet or on a rack above a sheet pan
- Place in a cold oven
- Heat oven to 400 degrees
- Once oven reaches 400 degrees let cook for 8 minutes
- Turn bacon and continue at 400 degrees until desired crispness. 8 minutes gives a perfectly cooked chewy bacon, longer for crisp bacon.