Black Bean Salad!!!

To Watch this Video-Recipe click HERE!!

Hi Everyone, today I'm bringing  you a super easy and delicious salad, perfect for the summer or any other time of the year! Really simple and very flavorful. Preparation time is less than 10 minutes. I hope you like it! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz can black beans
• 1 15 oz can yellow corn kernels
• 1 cup diced bell pepper (any color you like)
• 3 tablespoons chopped red onions
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
• 3-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (or parsley if you prefer)
• 1 lime 
• 1 avocado

Dressing:

• red crushed pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon dry oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 lime

To make the salad:
In a large bowl combine the beans, corn kernels, bell peppers, chopped red onions, diced tomatoes and cilantro, mix together and set aside.

To make the dressing:
In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons olive oil plus the juice of 1 lime and 1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, add in 1/2 tablespoon salt,  1/2 tablespoon black pepper,  1/2 tablespoon dry oregano and crushed red pepper to taste. Mix well.

Pour the dressing on the salad and mix together. Garnish with avocado and lime wedges. Top with Tortilla strips.

For the Tortilla strips: you need 3 corn tortillas and enough oil to fry them.  Cut the tortillas in thin strips and fry the tortillas until they are golden brown, drain them on paper towels and sprinkle with some salt and you are done!

Enjoy!

Yakitori Chicken

To watch this Video-Recipe click HERE!!

Hi everyone! As promised on my last post, today I'm taking you all the way to Japan with a super easy and delicious recipe "Yakitori Chicken", It's sticky, kind of sweet and salty at the same time, you will definitely want to lick your fingers and the plate after eating this delicious goodness! I hope you like it!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (use a reduced sodium sauce)
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons Mirin (Japanese rice wine)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian seasoning(I used a sweet ginger and garlic seasoning, you can replace it with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 minced garlic clove and 1/2 tablespoon of fresh minced ginger. Do not use any salt! The Soy Sauce has plenty of that!)
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 3-4 green onions cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1/4 cup Sake (Japanese beer) (optional)
• Wooden Skewers

Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using them, this will prevent them
from catching on fire.

Yakitori Sauce/Marinade

Mix a 1/3 cup of soy sauce , 1/3 cup of water, 3 tablespoons of Mirin, 1/4 of a cup of sugar, 1 tablespoons of rice vinegar, (also add in 1/4 cup of sake if you have any), mix well for 1 minute or until the sugar has dissolved.  Set aside.

Cut the chicken thighs into bite size chunks, (about 2 inches). Place the chicken in a bowl, and season it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Asian seasoning, mix to make sure every piece of chicken is well seasoned.  Pour a 1/4 cup of the soy sauce mixture over the chicken and marinate for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator.


Cook the rest of the soy sauce mixture in a saucepan over medium heat, cook until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat, and in a small container, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce mixture. Mix well until the cornstarch is dissolved, and add this mixture back into pan with the soy sauce. Stir and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes or until it thickens. (Reserve a 1/4 cup of this glaze to garnish the Kebabs. Reserve the rest of the sauce to brush over the kebabs while cooking them).

Build the kebabs: Grab a wooden skewer and alternate the chicken and green onions onto it.

To Grill: Glaze the chicken with the soy sauce mixture and grilled for about 5 minutes on each side, brushing them with the soy sauce glaze every two minutes or so. Cook until the chicken is cooked.

To Bake: Bake for about 5 minutes in a 450ºF oven, after 5 minutes or so, remove from the oven, then brush the kebabs with the Soy Sauce Glaze and put them back into the oven for 5 more minutes.

Remove again from the oven, brush them again with the Soy Sauce Glaze on all sides. Set the oven to BROIL and broil the kebabs for 2 or 3 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked. (if you didn't soak the skewers, they will definitely burn if you broil them!!! Be careful)

Serve with white rice, glaze the kebabs with more of the Soy Sauce glaze, and sprinkle an extra pinch of Asian Seasoning on top.

Enjoy!!

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Made this for dinner tonight and we all loved this meal...it was seriously delicious.

courtesy

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Don't buy another ice cream sandwich again...this one is absolute perfection.  Its absolutely delicious and very easy to make.  After my kids ate these for the first time they said, "this is my new favorite thing to eat" and "these are better than the ones you buy at the store" (note to Blue Bell).  My friend, Amy Foulger, made these for us after Tessa's surgery and I've made three batches since.  So good.

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Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Amy Foulger via Martha Stewart

1 stick unsalted butter, melted (plus more for pan)

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp. fine salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 pints ice cream, softened (mint oreo is our favorite)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 10X15 pan (or double recipe and use a regular cookie sheet instead) and line with parchment paper so there is an overhang on the short sides.  Butter paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together butter and sugar, then whisk in eggs and salt.  Add flour and cocoa and mix until just smooth.  Spread in pan.  Bake until brownie is dry to the touch and edges start to pull away from the pan, 10-12 minutes (mine took more like 20 min.).  Let cool 5 minutes.  Using paper overhang, transfer brownies to a wire rack and let cool completely.  

Transfer brownie to a work surface and cut in half crosswise.  Place both halves on plastic wrap.  Slice and spread ice cream onto one of the halves.  Once evenly spread, invert the other brownie half on top and wrap with plastic wrap.  Freeze for two hours, or overnight.  Enjoy!

Assorted Flautas (Chicken, Beans and Chorizo, Cheesy Potatoes, Chessy Poblano Strips

To Watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!!

Hi Everyone!
Today's recipe is another Mexican Recipe! Sorry I seem to be craving a lot of Mexican food lately, I hope you don't mind, I promise, with my next recipe,  I will take you all the way to Japan, so please stay tuned!  For now, I will be leaving you with one of my favorite "Antojito Mexicano" Flautas!

They are basically a Taco, there is two main differences between a Taco and a Flauta, the first one is the tortillas.  Tortillas for flautas are usually longer and thinner, however,  I wasn't able to get those tortillas where I live, so I ended up using regular tortillas. The second difference is that Flautas are rolled into a cylindrical-shape to  resemble a Flute.

Tacos are just folded in half, and after you cook them you can still add some filling inside them... with a Flute or a Flauta, what you cook is what you get... you cannot add any other fillings, but hey, don't be sad,  you can still dip your flautas in all kinds of delicious sauces.

So Today I will be making Assorted Flautas, just the way Mama does, after 1 or 2 flautas you get tired of the same filling, so I decided to go all the way out and make 4 fillings! All very simple to make and very budget friendly... You will be able to feed at least 10 people with less than $20 dollars! You can't beat that!

Preparation time: 30-35 mins. Cooking time if frying: 5-10 minutes. Cooking time if baking: 8-10 minutes.

Ingredients for the Flautas:

• Corn Tortillas (it will be nice if you could get Flauta Tortillas, if not, regular tortillas will work just fine)
• Vegetable Oil for Frying (2 cups) or Cooking spray for Baking
• Toothpicks to keep the flautas closed when frying

Chicken Filling:  (Makes 12-15)

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 bay leave
• salt to taste

Beans and Chorizo Filling: (Makes 8-10)

• 1 14oz can pinto beans
• 4-5 tablespoons of Chorizo (get a good quality Chorizo)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt to taste
• Splash of vegetable oil 

Poblano pepper Filling (Rajas con Queso) (Makes 10-12)

• 2 poblano peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1 teaspoon  chicken bouillon seasoning
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Cheesy Potato Filling: (Makes 15+)

• 2 cups of water
• 1 113g bag  mashed potatoes mix
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese

Preparation: (if you are baking the flautas preheat the oven to 400ºF)

Poblano Pepper Strips:
In a very hot pan or griddle, toast the bell peppers on all sides, for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until the skin starts to blister. Once they are done, place them in a plastic bag. Close the bag, and let the peppers steam inside the bag for about 10-15 minutes, to soften the skin.

After 10 minutes or so, peel them off.  Remove the stems, veins and seeds and cut the peppers into thin strips.

In a skillet, on medium heat add 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil, also add in the onions and chopped tomatoes, cook for 2 minutes or until the onion becomes transparent. Add in the poblano strips, season with 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon seasoning and a pinch of black pepper, stir, taste the flavor and add any salt if needed. Cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat and add in the shredded cheese.  Set aside until ready to use.

Chicken filling:
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add some salt, a garlic clove,  and a bay leave, cook the chicken for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Drain the chicken, let it cool and shred it. Set aside until ready to use.

Beans and Chorizo Filling:
Drain and rinse the beans.

On a small skillet, on medium heat add a splash of vegetable oil and cook the chorizo for about 3 minute. Once the chorizo is cooked, add in the beans and season with 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin, taste the flavor and add any salt if needed. Cook for 3 minutes to heat up the beans and then mash them with a spoon or fork.  Set them aside until ready to use. (Mashing the beans will help them to stay put in place when frying the flautas)

Cheesy Potato Filling:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turf off the heat and add in the mashed potato mix. Stir well for about 1 minute or until the mixture becomes thick. Add in the cheese, give it one last stir, cover with a lid and let it stand for 5 minutes before using it.

To make the Flautas:
Heat up the tortillas in the microwave for about 45 seconds. If you use cold tortillas, they will probably break as you roll them, so please do heat them up a little bit before using them!

Grab a warm tortilla, add about 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite filling right in the middle and roll it into a flute as tight as you can.

Grab another tortilla, add your favorite filling and roll it into a flute again. Now grab a toothpick and  bring both Flautas together, this will make the frying process easier, the toothpick will prevent the flautas from rolling open.

Keep on making the flautas until you are done.

Fry the Flautas, a couple at a time, in hot oil for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain them on paper towels before serving them!

Or if you prefer, you can bake them at 400ºF for about 8-10 minutes or until nice and golden brown. (Before you bake them, don't forget to spray them with cooking spray!)

That's it.. enjoy...
I like serving my flautas with a very simple salad of shredded lettuce, red onions and cherry tomatoes, drizzled with lime juice and seasoned with salt and ground black pepper.  Don't forget to add your favorite salsa to dip the flautas in, and enjoy!!

I will add my favorite salsa to dip the flautas in it.. and that's about it

enjoy!

Busy Night Marinara

I made this last night for dinner and it was delish!  It tasted so fresh and natural and perfect on a bed of angel hair pasta.  My kids ate seconds and the adults ate thirds... a good sign.  You can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand, although I find that cherry tomatoes are the best.

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Busy Night Marinara

Adapated from Mmm....is for Mommy

2 Tbs. Olive oil

1 small onion, diced small

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint (or any fresh tomato you have in the fridge)

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes (or omit the fresh tomatoes and use 2 cans total)

1 tsp. honey

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup chopped (not packed) fresh basil leaves, or a good handful

Warm oil in pan over medium heat.  Add onions and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute together for another minute or two.   Add the tomatoes to the pan.  Once they heat through and begin to soften, mash the tomatoes in the pan with a potato masher.  Add the honey and s&p to the pan, stir and let simmer on low heat for 30 minutes (most of the juices will evaporate and the sauce will thicken).  Remove from heat and add basil.  Stir together to combine.  Serve over pasta.

Tacos de Discada

To watch this Video-Recipe, please click HERE!!

Hi everyone! Today I will be sharing with you, one  of my Hometown's favorite dishes! It's called Discada, and its a Meat Lover's dream! This dish is very popular in the North of Mexico specially in Monterrey and Coahuila, which is my hometown.

This comes in a second place, next to Carne Asada, it's usually made for a gathering with friends or family.  It's not only delicious but also very budget friendly! So it's the perfect dish for any celebration, and it is so easy to make, you will want to make it every other day! I hope you give this dish a try,  so you can have a little taste of my hometown!  You wont regret it!

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground meat (Discada is usually made with a combination of pork and beef)
• 2 cups chopped ham
• 2 cups chopped hotdog links
• 5 ounces of Chorizo (Mexican Spicy Pork Sausage)
• 1 onion, cut into thin slices
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers (optional, any color)
• 2 minced jalapeno peppers. (optional)
• 1/2 cup tomato pure
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon seasoning
• ½ or 1 tablespoon  vegetable oil
• salt and black pepper to taste

To serve:

• Corn Tortillas 3-4 per person
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 chopped cilantro
• lime wedges
• Your favorite Salsa

In a large Skillet, heat up ½ or 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, add the ground meat, break it down with the spoon to avoid any big chunks, and season with ½ tablespoon of chicken flavor bouillon, cook on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until the meat is cooked.

When the meat is done, add in the Chorizo, and break it down with the spoon. Cook for about 3 minutes. Then add in the onions, bell peppers and jalapeno peppers, cook for 3 more minutes or until the onions become transparent.

After the onions are cooked add in the ham and hotdog links, cook for 3-4 more minutes or until the ham and links are heated through.

Add in the tomato puree, give it a stir, add ½ tablespoon of chicken flavor bouillon or any salt and ground black pepper if needed.  Give it a quick stir, cover with a lid and continue to cook on medium heat for 3-5 more minutes or until the puree is well heated through and well incorporated with the rest of the ingredients.

Warm up the tortillas, in the microwave or a griddle.

Serve the Discada in the middle of the tortilla, like a taco, and garnish with chopped onion and chopped cilantro.  And just before you eat, squeeze a little bit of lime juice over your tacos, the juice will bring all the flavors together, so don't skip the lime juice! Top with your favorite salsa and that's it!

Enjoy!