Tacos de Carne Asada

I think those who know me, know that my favorite food is carne asada. I like the meat to be seasoned with just salt nothing else. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water :) So when my husband suggested we make carne asada for dinner I immediately said yes! I think the pic above really shows how great they can be.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs Chuck Steak, Flank Steak, Chuck Steak or whatever is on sale :)
• 3 tomatoes
• 1/4 of a small head of Cabbage
• 1 Avocado thinly sliced
• 2 Lemons
• Salsa (I'll post salsa recipes later)
• Salt to taste
• Flour or Corn Tortillas. 

Directions:

1. Turn on grill. You want the grill to be nice and hot before  you put the meat. Meanwhile you can add the salt to the meat. Be sure to add salt just before you cook it, otherwise you will let the juices out of the meat and it will become dry.
2. Put meat on the grill. If the meat is thinly sliced then it shouldn't take too long. You want a nice chard color on both sides. Turn meat only once.
3. You can either cut it in small pieces (that is what I do for my kids), or you can put it in a pot in the middle of the table so everyone can grab a piece so they can build their own taco.
4. Heat the tortillas on a griddle or on the grill. 
5. Dice tomatoes, shred the cabbage, slice avocado thinly, and cut lemons into wedges. Today I forgot to buy some scallions, but they go great with carne asada. If you decide to make some. Wash them and cut off a bit from both ends and wrap them in aluminum foil and throw them on the grill. They will become a bit translucent once they are cooked.
6. Now you are ready to build your tacos. The kids love to put some beans on the bottom then the meat, then their favorite vegetables. I like avocado as well as some salsa. 

Hope you enjoy this recipe. Is great for family gatherings, parties, cookouts, well in my opinion any time is good to have carne asada. 

Crepes

Thursday night my oldest son asked me to make him some crepes for breakfast on Friday. I went to the store and forgot to buy fruit. Last night I remembered that he was craving some crepes so I bought some strawberries so we could eat crepes this morning. The kids really like them because they get to put whatever toppings they want and they can have different combinations.


Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Flour
• 3/4 cup of Milk
• 1/2 cup of Water
• 3 tbsp of melted Butter
• 2 lg Eggs
• 2-1/2 tbps of Sugar
• 1 tbsp of Vanilla Extract
• Butter to coat the skillet
• 2 Bananas sliced
• Whipped Cream 
• 1 carton of Strawberries
• Any other berries you would like 
• Lechera or Chocolate Syrup
• Cream Cheese

Directions:

1. Combine flour, eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and water in a bowl. Make sure you whisk the batter completely so there isn't any lumps. Then let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour. If you want you can prepare the batter the night before.
2. Once you let the batter rest is time to cook the crepes. You want to heat your skillet and then add some butter to coat it so the crepe won't stick to the pan. Then add 1/4 cup of batter to skillet and make sure you move it around the pan so you can make a very thin layer of batter. 
3. Depending how high you have the stove, it may take anywhere from 15-45 seconds before you flip the crepe over. You want the batter to dry on the top and that some bubbles are forming. When you do flip it be careful not to rip it. Then let it be cook on the other side approximately the same amount of time. Take it out and place it on a plate.
4. You want to repeat step 2 & 3 until you have used all the batter. 
5. Now have all the toppings on the table for everyone to build their own combination. The ones you see on the pics are one made of cream cheese, lechera, whipped cream, and strawberries. The other is the same thing but banana instead of strawberries. 

This is a simple breakfast meal but has great flavors and I'm sure your family will enjoy it. 

The Classic Hamburger

It's Friday!!! The kids are excited the weekend is finally here. Since they have no school tomorrow they invited a couple of their friends over. So what do you feed a bunch of hungry kids? Today I went for the classic homemade hamburger. As you know I love the idea of build your own (toppings bar), so everyone can have exactly what they want. The hamburgers were a hit with the kids. When you are craving a hamburger, try making your own at home instead of going to a fast food joint. This recipe is also great for those hot summer days when you don't want to heat up the house. 


Ingredients:

• Hamburger Patties
• Hamburger Buns
• Butter
• Cheese
• 1 Tomato
• 2 cups of lettuce
• 1/4 of a small White Onion
• 1/2 Avocado
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Ketchup
• Pickles
• Jalapano  

Directions:

1. Heat the grill for about 5-10 minutes. 
2. Put the patties on the grill once the grill is hot. You want to cook the hamburgers on high heat for about 5 minutes before you flip it. Only flip that patty once. Don't try to flatten it with the spatula. Just let it be, then wait another 4 minutes or so and then take it out. 
3. While you have the patties on the grill you can cut your veggies. Some tomato slices, onions, avocado. Wash your lettuce and place it on a plate so everyone can build their own hamburger.
4. Turn on your flat griddle so you can heat the buns. I like to add some butter to the inside. I seen people use mayo instead of the butter. You want the bread a nice golden brown color.
5. By this time the hamburgers should be ready. Place buns and patties on a platter, then your condiments and let everyone build their own hamburger to their liking. That way you don't have unhappy customers.
6. You can either have some chips with your burgers or you can just heat up a package of frozen fries. I heated the fries on the grill instead of the oven. 

Later I will share a homemade hamburger patty recipe. At the moment I'm too full to think of food. Good night people. Oh... Before I forget keep tuned Sunday I'll be making BBQ Ribs!!

Orange Chicken

Today I woke up feeling much better. Yesterday I didn't feel like blogging since I was feeling sick. I did cook for the family, but just wasn't up for it. Since I was feeling better I decided to make something I know the kids love, Orange Chicken! It does takes a little longer than the other meals that I have posted but I think is worth it. Specially if you have a big family like me. Getting take out can get pretty expensive. So here is my take on orange chicken. I hope you like it. 

Ingredients:

• 3.5 lb    Chicken Tenders or Boneless Chicken Breast 
• 1 lg       Egg
• 1/2 cup    Corn Starch
• 1/2 cup   All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup    Water                   
• 3 cups    Oil
• 1-1/2 cup    Panda Express Orange Chicken Sauce
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Cut chicken in 1 inch cubes.
2. Beat Egg in a bowl, then add corn starch, flour, water, salt and pepper and beat well. You want a nice smooth batter.
3. Put all chicken in the batter and stir it to make sure is coated evenly. 
4. Heat up oil in sauce pan. Test how hot oil is by putting a bit of the batter in the oil. Is ready when you drop batter and you see lots of bubbles and comes right to the surface. 
5. Once oil is ready, put a few pieces of chicken at a time. Chicken piece should get a nice golden brown color. Once it does take it out and place it on paper towels to drain excess oil. 
6. Repeat step 5 until you are done with all chicken.
7. On a skillet add the Panda Express Orange Chicken Sauce and once it starts boiling add chicken. Stir well so the sauce coats the chicken evenly. 
8. Serve with Rice.

Fried Whole Tilapia

I guess I had a fishy feeling today cause we ate fish both for lunch and for dinner. But let me tell you, both were delicious. I think there is something wonderful about a whole fish being fried that you don't need to add to much flavors. So I just used a simple seasoning and to the oil bath they went. My family really enjoyed the meal and it gave us time to just sit and talk about the day. So when you have 30 minutes to cook and the fish is on sale, I would recommend you try this recipe. Is great for dinner or a Sunday meal. 


Ingredients:
Whole Tilapia Fish
1 cup of Rice
2 cups of Water
3 tbsp of butter
1/2 head of Lettuce
3 Roma Tomatoes
1/2 White Onion
2 Avocados
4 Lemons
1/4 cup Cilantro
Salt to taste
Don Sazon Fish Seasoning
3-4 cups of Vegetable Oil


Directions:
1. In a sauce pan add rice and 2 cups of water and put in on the stove over medium heat. Cover once it starts to boil and reduce heat. Once rice is almost done remove from heat and let it sit with the cover. Add butter and salt once you are ready to serve.


2. Shred Lettuce and set to the side. Cut lemons. 


3. Dice tomatoes, onions, and avocados and put on a bowl. Then mince cilantro and add to bowl. If you want your raw salsa spicy you can add either a fresh jalapeno or a serrano pepper. 


4. Wash the fish thoroughly. Then make 1 inch insertions or slashes along the side of the fish. This would help the fish cook faster and the season to be absorbed better. Then season it with Don Sazon Fish Seasoning. If you don't have that you can mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley and sprinkle some on both sides of the fish and on the inside as well. 


5. Heat up oil and once it starts shimmering you can add the fish. you will cook it approximately about 3-4 minutes on each side. Once ready take them out and place on paper towel so the excess oil will drain. 


6. Now enjoy your fish. Serve with rice, shredded lettuce, raw salsa, and lemon. You can also serve it with corn tortillas and make fish tacos. Enjoy :) 

Tuna Sandwich

One of my favorite foods I have to say are sandwiches. I love that you can create different things with whatever you have on your fridge or even left overs. Today I made a simple Tuna Sandwich and I decided that to start practicing recording what I cook. So I hope the video helps. Please comment any recommendations and please be gentle, is my first time. Btw, when i finished editing I was laughing because of the song I chosed. Enjoy and happy cooking :)

Ingredients:

1/2         Bell Pepper
5 oz        Light Tuna in Water
1/2         Roma Tomato
1/4         White Onion
2 Tbsp    Mayo
1 Tbsp    Mustard
4 slices   Sandwich Bread

Directions:
Dice tomatoes, onions, and bell pepper and place in a small bowl. Then drain tuna completely and add to veggies. Add mayo and mustard and mix well. If you like to spice it up you can add jalapeno or put it on the side. Then just assemble your sandwich. It makes 2 sandwiches.

Easy Cheese Enchiladas

Dinner time came and I wasn't sure what I wanted so I asked my husband what he felt like eating. He didn't know either. So I kept throwing name of different dishes until cheese enchiladas came up and his face light up. So I went to the local store and bought some cheese and the enchilada sauce (I was feeling a little lazy to make my own). So I hope you find this recipe easy to make. The few ingredients makes this a perfect recipe for when you are on a budget. I spent $8 total for all ingredients, maybe even less!

Ingredients:
1 lb Fresh Cheese
1/2 medium White Onion
6 cups Shredded Lettuce
16 Corn Tortillas
Oil
1-28 oz Enchilada Sauce Can
Sour Cream

Directions:
Grate fresh cheese and set aside. Finely chop the white onion and also set aside. Shred lettuce and rinse and leave it on colander to make sure all the water is drained. On a sauce pan drain the enchilada sauce and put it to boil while you get the tortillas ready. I used Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce mild. On a pan add some oil so you can fry them for maybe 10 seconds on each side once the oil is hot. If the oil is too hot reduce the time. Now you have everything ready to assemble the enchiladas. Dip tortilla in the enchilada sauce, then put on a plate. Add about 1 once of cheese then about a tbsp of onion to the tortilla. Roll it up and set on a plate. Repeat that until you are done rolling all 16 tortillas. Then top it off with lettuce, cheese, onions, and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy :)

Serves 4 people, 4 enchiladas each.