Conference turris::cooks

    
    How about a Ceviche?  
    
    I'm sure there are recipes in here for it, but if not 
    I'll post one.
    
    dm

	Rep .0

  How about chicken and sour cream enchiladas???


	Take 4 boneless chicken breasts and poach them until done.

	After the chicken has cooled completely shred by hand into
	thin strips. Add to the shredded chicken enough sour cream
	to moisten the mixture <about 1 cup>. I normally add just
	alittle mild chili powder to the mixture but it normally
	contains some cumin so you might want to leave it out.

	Soften flour tortillas by either nuking them or quickly
	frying them in a dry skillet. Take about 3 Tbsp of the
	chicken mixture and use it to fill and roll the tortilla.
	Place the filled enchilda in a shallow baking dish. Repeat
	until the filling is used up <about 10-12>. Spread a can of
	mild enchilda sauce on top and sprinkle with shredded jack
	cheese and chopped black olives. Bake at 350f until the cheese
	melts and the sauce is bubbling. Just before serving sprinkle
	chopped green onions on the top. If you don't want to use the
	enchilda sauce just dot the top with sour cream, cheese, and
	olives before baking. 


	-mike


	

    there's a note on empanada's....I had modified the recipe
    for others who don't like the 'hot' aspect.  It was a long
    time ago but I remember using out spicies like rosemary
    and such when I sauteed the beef and veggies.  Wine can
    be used to, to give it a little umppph!
    
    anna

>     I need help before Saturday! I need a recipe for a Mexican Main dish
>    the does not contain cumin, chile peppers and/or jalapeno peppers.
    
well, as these are the foundations of Mexican cooking, that presents a very
narrow list of options.  It is possible, you know, to have the flavor of
the spices without the heat, however, if your Mother hates these spices,
she really does dislike Most Mexican cuisine.  You might find "Americanized"
recipes without these spices, but not much authentic Mexican food.  Some
options that may be considered:

	lime juice/onion/garlic marinade for chicken breast or beef flank
	steak - this grilled over charcoals produces the filling for fajitas.
	simply place meat in a warmed flour tortilla, add grated cheese,
	diced onion, lettuce, and guacamole to top the meat and eat.  Not
	good, in my opinion, without the salsa, but if no chile peppers
	are allowed, salsa is out.  Serve with mild refried beans.

	try some desserts - flan or sopapillas come to mind.  There is also
	Mexican bread pudding.  Recipes for these are involved enough that
	I'll send you to recipe books.

without a mild red chile sauce, you can forget enchiladas.  without salsa,
I cannot imagine tacos or burritos.  

    I have a chicken enchilada recipe that calls for a cup of sour cream,
    a can of cream of mushroom soup and a cup of chedddar cheese as the
    sauce.  You dab the sauce on the chicken and role up the tortilla
    (either corn or flour), then put the rest of the sauce on the top and
    bake.  You can also add onions and olives.  They are mild and good!

How about a whole red snapper baked in lime juice and chopped cilantro leaves.

Marinate the fish for an hour in 1 cup lime juice mixed with 2 cups chopped
cilantro leaves.  Then bake in the marinade, covered, in a 350 degree oven for
30 minutes or so depending on the size of the snapper.  Serve with a sprinkling
of minced cilantro.  

This recipe comes from Dianne Kennedy's book (I forget the title).

By the way, don't be disappointed if you prove her right.  Chicken crepes with
tomato sauce may resemble an enchilada, but it ain't Mexican.

    I used to live in Mexico and was amazed at how many dishes they had
    that were neither hot or spicey..

    a few I remember - Meat Ball Soup.

    The soup base is simply diced carrot, potato, celery a few tomatoes 
    and seasoning..
    The meatballs are made with plenty of oregano, ground beef, onion etc..
    pretty much like any meatball recipe you would use - only in Mexico
    they use masa instead of breadcrumbs but that matters little.  Place
    all soup base ingredients in a large pot, bring to the boil and reduce
    to a very low simmer.  Add meat balls (raw) and cook on low heat until
    meatballs are cooked through.  The soup is served garnished with fresh
    Cilantro (fresh coriander) and fresh chopped raw onion.  

    Another one was Cheese Soup.

    This is wonderful and was my very favourite food - again a simple base
    of boiled potato, onion and carrot.  The cheese is added at the last
    minute in little hunks (Mexican cheese is very dense and crumbly) a
    good cheese to use that resembles Mexican cheese is feta.  After adding
    the cheese only allow soup to heat through.  This soup is garnished
    with Cilantro and little corn tortillas that have been cut into little
    triangles.  YUM!

    Another favourite is corn tortillas that have cheese and onion
    sandwiched in the middle.  You "toast" these.  I do the following:

    place cheese and raw onion between two corn tortillas - heat a cast
    iron griddle or large frying pan until it almost smokes with NO OIL or
    FAT.  Place the filled tortilla in the pan and weight with another
    smaller pan or the tea kettle.  Let cook for a few minutes and turn
    over - again weight it and let it toast.  This comes out crisp and
    toasted with a lovely melted cheese filling.

    A real show stopper would be to make tamales with a sweet filling of
    raisins and brown sugar - tamale making though is a time consuming job
    and it is very important you get the right ingredients.. if someone
    really wanted to tackle them I'd take the time to type in the recipe.

    gailann

    
    I haven't tried this reecipe, but it sounds delicious!
    
    
    Pescado al Mojo de Ajo	
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~		from:
    (Quick-Fried Fish with 		_Authentic_Mexican_ 
    Toasted Garlic)			by Rick & Deann Bayless
    
    
    Four 6-8 oz. fish fillets (1/2" thick)
    Freshly sqeezed lime juice & a little salt
    3 Tablespoon unsalted butter
    3 Tablespoon vegetable oil
    10 large cloves of garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
    1/2 cup flour
    1 scant teaspoon salt (plus more to season pan sauce if neccessary)
    1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
    2 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (plus a few sprigs for garnish)
    
    1. Rinse the fish; sprinkle lightly on all sides with lime juice and
    salt.  Place in a noncorrosive dish, cover with plastic wrap and
    refrigerate about 1 hour.
    
    2. Heat the butter and oil in a large (12") skillet over medium-low
    heat; add the garlic and cook very slowly, stirring frequently, until
    the garlic turns golden (3-4 minutes).  Scrape into a small strainer
    set over a bowl and let the fat drain through.  Return the fat to the
    pan, and set the garlic aside.
    
     NOTE:  If the garlic darkens past golden, it will be bitter!
    
    3.  Spread the flow on a plate and mix in the salt.  Rinse the fish and
    pat dry with paper towels.  Return the skillet to medium heat, and when
    hot dredge the fish in the flower, shake off the excess, and lay in
    the pan.  Fry until golden and done, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove
    the cooked fish to a serving platter and keep warm in a low oven.
    
    4. With the skillet off the fire, add the reserved garlic, lime juice
    and chopped parsley.  Return the pan to medium heat and stir constantly
    for about 1 minute, until the lime juice has mostly evaporated and the
    parsley has wilted.  Taste for salt.  Spoon the sauce over the fish and
    serve, garnished with parsley.
    
    
         			[Serves 4]
    

    TURKEY ENCHILADAS CON QUESO
    
    1 Cup Chopped Cooked Turkey
    1 8 oz. pkg Cream Cheese, softened
    1/4 c. chopped green onion
    8 corn tortillas
    Oil
    3/4 lb. Velveeta (for spicey palettes out these, use the Mexican type)
       cubed
    1 cup chopped tomato
    1/4 c. milk
    
    Mix turkey, cream cheese, onions until well blended.  Brush tortillas
    lightly with oil.  Stack 4 tortillas on plate.  Micro on High 30
    seconds or until soft; repeat with remaining tortillas.  Fill each with
    1/4 cup turkey mixture.  Roll up and place seam side down in 12 x 8"
    baking dish.   Microwave the cheese cubes, 1/2 c tomato and milk on
    High 2-4 minutes or until melted, stirring after each minute.  Pour
    sauce over tortillas, top with remaining tomatoes.   Micro on High 12
    to 14 minutes or until thoroughly heated, turning dish after 6 minutes. 
    Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.  4 servings.
    Prep time is 15 min., cooking time is 20 min.

     Thanks for your help... I ended up checking out my cooksbooks and
    calling some friends who have spent considerable time in Mexico. Found
    a recipe for a beef/green peppers/onion/rice in a tomato/wine sauce. A
    cross between a main dish and a stew... I was very good and not spicy
    at all. 
    
     But even still, Mom refused to budge. It was a Mexican dish and she
    was not going to eat it! Regardless! (There are times when you don't
    argue with Mom! ;^) ...) So I ended up making a chicken Fettuchine
    Alfredo to bring too. And of course, the chicken was the first dish to
    go! (I guess mom wasn't alone...) 
    
     All told, we had fun. Thanks for all your help and recipes. I'll try a
    few myself!
    
     Deb.
    

    Deb, how about posting that recipe? 

    Don't confuse Tex-Mex (tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, etc.) with Mexican. 
    There are many differences as you'll soon find out if you can get your
    hands on a Mexican cookbook.
    
    You don't need a good red chile sauce for enchiladas either.  There are
    some fantastic enchilada sauces that use tomatillos, sour cream, green
    chile, etc.

    Anyone have a recipe for Carnitas?
    
    It isn't really a spicy dish and seems to be made with a pork shoulder, 
    lime juice, garlic, onions, green bell peppers and is crockpotted to
    forktender chunks.  Since we are looking for more crockable recipes
    right now, I was hoping this might be around.  No luck in my tex-mex
    cookbooks, which figures, and I haven't been able to get up to Mom's to
    search her books.
    
    meg

From http://soar.Berkeley.EDU/recipes/ethnic/mexican/pork-carnitas1.rec


James	:-)


                     *  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                              PORK CARNITAS

Recipe By     :
Serving Size  : 4    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Mexican                          Meats
                Vegetables

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        Southwest Guacamole -- *
   4                    Poblano Chiles -- **
   1                    Onion; Medium -- Cut in halves
   1      pound         Center Loin Roast -- ***
   1                    Clove Garlic -- Finely Chopped
   2      tablespoons   Vegetable Oil
   2      tablespoons   Tomato Paste
   1      tablespoon    Red Wine Vinegar
     1/4  teaspoon      Salt
   1 1/3  cups          Italian Plum Tomatoes -- ****
                        Flour Or Corn Tortillas
                        Dairy Sour Cream

*      See Sowest 3 for recipe. ** Chiles should be roasted and peeled (See
Sowest 1 for directions) *** Roast should be boneless and cut into 2 X 1/4-inch
strips. **** Use 1/2 lb of fresh Italian Plum Tomatoes, finely chopped. Prepare
Southwest Guacamole; set aside. Cut chiles and onion halves lengthwise into
1/4-inch strips. Cook pork, chiles, onion and garlic in oil in a 10-inch skillet
over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pork is no longer pink, about 12
minutes.  Stir in tomato paste, vinegar, salt and tomatoes; cook until hot.
Serve with tortillas, Southwest Guacamole and sour cream.

                   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Meg,
    
    the recipe at this site sounds a little strange (cooking with coca
    cola?  Although I have used his other ingredient, beer, in crock pot
    cooking), but it may help you come up with one of your own by combining
    other ingredients.  The part about roasting in the oven afterwards is
    kind of interesting.  He does shredded beef in a similar manner.
    
    http://www.music.sjsu.edu/Comp/taqueria.html#carnitas

    Coke is definitely not on my diet list.  Too much sugar.
    
    Frank is fudging what he thinks should be in this by adding a couple
    shots of tequila, some lime juice and some peppers, onions and garlic.  
    
    I'll report back on how it came out.
    
    meg

AVOCADO AND SMOKED PORK CARNITAS 

Carnitas is a traditional Mexican dish of fried pork. In this version, the meat 
is braised with vegetables and spices. For best results, use large, meaty 
ham hocks.



3 pounds smoked ham hocks
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 bay leaf


1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons minced jalape�o chilies with seeds


1 head red leaf lettuce
4 large avocados, peeled, halved
Fresh cilantro sprigs
Lime wedges


Place first 5 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Add enough water just to 
cover ham hocks. Season with pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until ham is 
very tender, turning occasionally, about 3 hours. Remove ham from bone 
and shred. Discard bones and fat. Transfer 4 cups ham to large bowl 
(reserve any remainder for another use).

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, chopped cilantro and cumin in medium 
bowl. Add celery, carrots, green onions, chilies and 3/4 cup sour cream 
dressing to ham and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be 
made 1 day ahead. Cover ham mixture and remaining dressing separately 
and chill.)

Place 2 large lettuce leaves on each plate. Thinly slice remaining lettuce. 
Sprinkle sliced lettuce atop whole leaves in center of plate. Mound ham 
filling in avocado halves. Place atop bed of lettuce. Spoon enough remaining 
dressing over to cover filling completely. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and 
lime.

8 servings

    what Frank did with the shoulder:
    
    1.  1/4 C tequila
    
    2.  1/4 C lime juice
    
    3.  Garlic stabbed into the meat
    
    4.  Two red bell peppers
    
    5.  Oregano
    
    Before crocking the shoulder, he browned it after rolling it in ground
    red chili, then dumped the rest together in the crock pot.  He peeled
    off as much fat as he could at the 5 hour mark and then skimmed for the
    rest of the cooking time.  
    
    It came out great.  Next time, though he won't roll the meat in the
    chili before browing and will probably add a big jim or a poblano for
    flavor and mild heat.  
    
    meg