Taquitos de Papa (Fried Potato Tacos)

This is a very fast, easy and yummy recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR TACOS:

Corn Tortillas

Mashed potatoes

Cheese, you can use fresh Mexican cheese or Parmesan

Toothpicks

Lettuce, shredded

Salsa (see recipe)

sour cream

oil for frying

Note: I did not specify amounts because it really depends on how much you are making.


Put a little bit of mashed potatoes in center of warm tortilla and roll (if the tortilla is not warm, it will break when you try to roll it), secure with a toothpick and fry.

Top tacos with lettuce, salsa, cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!!

RED SAUCE FOR POTATO TACOS

3-5 roma tomatoes (or use a can of whole tomatoes if you don't have fresh)
2-3 fresh jalapenos
1 garlic clove
oregano
salt

Boil tomatoes and jalapenos and then place in blender along with the rest of the ingredients, remember to add a little bit of water from the boiling tomatoes and jalapenos otherwise your salsa will be super thick. cool

Calabazita con Elote (Zucchini & Corn)

This is a very light meal, but very tasty!

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INGREDIENTS:

5 zucchinis, cut into small bite size pieces

1 small onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

3 fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1 can whole kernel corn, you can use fresh corn if you have some

salt

Shredded Mozzarella or Monterrey Jack cheese, optional

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Place first six ingredients in a skillet and cook without a lid. This dish should be ready in 15-20 minutes just until the zucchini is nice and tender. Top with cheese if you want and cover for a few minutes to help cheese melt fast. Serve and enjoy!!!

Carrot Cake Roll

Cake Roll Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Egg White from one additional egg, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4  tsp ground nutmeg
1 2/3 cups finely shredded carrots
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

6 oz cream cheese, not softened
6 Tbsp butter, softened
2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Green, yellow and red liquid food colors
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

Cake
Heat oven to 350.  Coat bottom and sides of a small cookie sheet (15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch) with nonstick spray.  Line bottom with wax paper, spray paper.

Beat eggs, egg white, granulated sugar, vanilla and spices in a large bowl with mixer on high speed 8 to 10 min until think and tripled in volume.  Fold in Carrots.

In a separate small bowl stir flower, baking powder, and salt until combined.  Holding strainer over the large bowl containing the egg mixture, shake or sift flower mixture over egg mixture.  With a rubber spatula, fold into eggs until just blended.  Spread into prepared pan

Bake 15 minutes, or until a wooded pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 min, or until pan is just cool enough to handle.

Using a clean kitchen towel, spread towel on counter top and dust powdered sugar evenly over it, cover area the size of the cake.  Invert cake on towel, remove pan; carefully peel off paper.  Dust cake with powdered sugar.  Starting at a narrow end, roll up cake and towel.  Place on wire rack; cool completely.

Frosting
Beat Cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer on medium speed until blended and smooth.  On low speed beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until blended; increase speed to medium and beat one minute.  Remove 3 Tbsp to a cup; cover and refrigerate remaining frosting until firm.

For carrot decoration use the 3 Tbsp of reserved frosting.  Split into 2 bowls, add a drop of green to one and a drop of red plus a drop of yellow to the other.  Scrape each color into Ziploc bags.  Seal and refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble
Carefully unroll log.  Spread evenly with 1 1/3 cups frosting.  Roll up from same end as before, using a towel as an aid.  Carefully transfer cake to platter, coat with remaining frosting. and sprinkle with nuts.  Refrigerate 20 min before piping carrots onto nuts.  Snip off corner of each Ziploc bag of colored frosting and pipe carrots and carrot tops randomly on cake.  Refrigerate until serving.  Planning tip: can be made up to 2 days ahead.  Refrigerate loosely covered.

*Notes:  I did not use the nuts because I was making it for someone who has allergies to them.  I used up all the frosting inside my roll before I realized I was supposed to reserve some for the top and had to make additional frosting for the top, which makes my roll thicker in picture.  Also, I made this one day in advance,  allowing the flavors and texture to have time to combine

Funnel Cakes

Back in high school/college my family, friends and I would go quite often to a very popular amusement park...that's were I developed a love for funnel cakes. These are delicious and a very popular treats at amusement parks, fairs, carnivals, etc. This was one of the things I looked forward to when we went to any of these places.

Shortly after I met my now husband he surprised me with a home-made dinner (made by him) for my birthday. He knew that I loved funnel cakes so he found out how to make them so that we could have that for dessert (so sweet).

Anyway, these are really easy/fast to make and an awesome treat every so often. You'll fall in love, hehehe.

INGREDIENTS FOR BATTER:

2 c Milk

2 eggs

2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

(you will need oil for frying)

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TOPPINGS:

Fresh strawberries, cut in small pieces

Strawberry syrup

Powdered sugar (I ran out, so I skipped it this time)

Whipped cream

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In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients then add the eggs and milk. Mix well, pour batter into a pastry bag or Ziploc bag and cut a small tip. When the oil is ready for frying, begin dropping the batter on the oil, move your arm around as you create your funnel cake (you do not want to drop all the batter in one spot). Once your funnel cake is the size you want it, put the pastry bag aside and allow the funnel cake to cook on one side and then flip to the other. The funnel cake will be golden when ready. When ready, pull out cake and place over paper towels.

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To serve, place funnel cake on plate and sprinkle with a little bit of powdered sugar. Then add strawberries, strawberry syrup and finish of with whipped cream. Enjoy!!

Nachos

These are not the typical nachos with the melted cheese and jalapeno slices. This is my version of nachos, try it...you'll like them.

INGREDIENTS:

Tortilla Chips

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

salt

Refried Beans (beans take a while to cook, so do this in advance)

Fresh salsa (Get recipe here)

Guacamole (Get recipe here)

Sour cream

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To cook the meat: In a pan, begin cooking the meat, add salt. When meat is almost done, add the chopped onions and jalapenos, finish cooking and set aside.

To cook beans: All you need is dry beans, water and salt. Wash beans and place them in a pot with enough water (water evaporates pretty fast so make sure you add enough from the start), add salt. It will take about two hours to cook the beans unless you are using a pressure cooker (if you do, the process is much faster). When the beans are soft, you are ready to mash them. You can add a little bit of olive oil to the pan where you'll mash the beans but you don't have to. Begin scooping out the beans from the pot and put them in the pan. Make sure you add enough juice from the beans so that the refried beans don't turn out dry.

Once you have all the food ready, you can begin serving your nachos. I personally like to dish up mine like in the picture above: chips, beans, meat and then salsa, guacamole, and sour cream on top. My husband on the other hand likes to dish everything on his plate but the chips because he likes the chips really crunchy. Enjoy!!

Guacamole

INGREDIENTS:

5 avocados

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 roma tomatoes, finely diced

fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 limes, juiced

2-3 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

salt

***

Cut the avocados in half and remove the seeds (place the seeds in the bowl you'll use). Using a knife cut the inside of the avocados in squares and then scoop out using a spoon and place in bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Perfect side for many Mexican dishes or serve with chips as an appetizer. Enjoy!

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Note: My mom always taught me to keep the seeds from the avocados in the guacamole because along with the lime juice, it will help it from going brown too quick. Also, it really is up to you how much onion, tomato, cilantro, and jalapeno you want to use. Make it to your liking.

Beer Butt Chicken

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Whole Chicken

Kosher Salt

Fresh Pepper

Can of Beer

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Place a half full beer can on a cooking sheet covered with foil. Set chicken on can, inserting can into the cavity of the chicken. The chicken should be standing on its legs supported by the beer can inserted into the cavity, hence the name beer butt chicken. Lightly Oil, using enough to make the entire surface of the meat glisten but not so much that you leave a puddle.

Season the chicken well. Kosher Salt and Pepper is all you need but I also added a red Goya spice packet just for fun.

Place baking sheet with beer and chicken in the pre-heated oven. The chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. For a 4-5 pound bird expect 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. Use a thermometer to be sure you don't under cook, or even worse overcook!

Once the chicken is done, let it rest 10-15 min. to allow the juices to settle in the meat. Remove the chicken from the beer can using oven mitts and tongs. (Careful - this is very hot! Two sets of hands are the best)

The chicken will be very juicy and flavorful, and so tender it is almost falling off the bones.