Let's Do This !


AyCacula Dip

AyCacula is a dip I love.  My husband and I had this wonderful delight at a restaurant named AyCacula in El Paso, Texas many years ago.  We honor the dip by giving it the Restaurant’s name.  This dip is refreshing and can be enjoyed all year.  Favorite at my parties!


Here is what you will need:  make sure you get fresh crispy jalapenos and ripe tomatoes.

  • 6 medium avocados, cut length wise and pitted
  • 3 to 4 medium jalapenos depending on your heat sensor, diced *
  • 3 medium size tomatoes diced
  • 2 to 3 limes
  • salt **

 

Take your avocados, dice them in the shell and scoop into a large bowl.  Add your diced jalapenos, tomatoes and squeeze the limes in with the avocados.  Salt to taste and enjoy with some tostadas.  I personally like thin tostadas with this but everyone is different.

 

 

*if you want less heat for your jalapenos, take the seeds out / if you want more heat, rub your jalapenos before chopping them up.  (a trick my Ita taught me)

**salt is optional and can be substituted

 

This dip is not only for "dipping", it is great on hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, fajitas, tacos, burritos...you name it...it will bump up any favorite of yours!  

 

"LET'S DO THIS!"  ENJOY!!  =O)


Simply Jalapeno Salsa

My Ita and mom always told me: “sometimes when you put too much into a good thing, it turns out not so good.”  Meaning: “less is better” in their lingo.  This is why they taught me to make the easiest and most simple “hot” sauce for everyone to enjoy.  Four generations later it is still a family favorite.  =o)


You will need the following two (ooohhh), main ingredients:  make sure you get fresh crispy jalapenos and ripe tomatoes  

 

  • 9 medium jalapenos: Wash and remove stem from the jalapenos
  • 3 medium tomatoes: Wash and remove the stems from the tomatoes
  • Salt*

 

 

Put jalapenos into a medium size pan and put water in covering jalapenos completely.  Let them boil for 7 to ten minutes. (until they turn a whiteish color).

Add the tomatoes and boil with the jalapenos until the skin cracks on the tomatoes.  Put jalapenos and tomatoes into a blender adding about ¼ cup of the water they boiled in.  Salt to taste. 

 

 

*if you want less heat for your jalapenos, take the seeds out / if you want more heat, rub your jalapenos before chopping them up.  (a trick my Ita taught me)

**salt is optional and can be substituted

 

This salsa is great for any dish you want to add a little or a lot of spice to.  You can also add lemon or lime juice for a twist:  ENJOY WITH TOSTADAS!!!

 

"LET'S DO THIS!"  ENJOY!!  =O)


Mi Aroz:  My Rice

I call this dish Mi Aroz, translating to My Rice.  I am not sure where I first came to enjoy such a delicious rice as it changed from family member, friends and other methods of cooking the same dish.  Truly I am not able to pin point where the recipe originated.   It is a mix of all the people I have had the privilege to cook and learn from:  My loved ones.  Be prepared to fall in love with it too.  =o)


I like to have all the ingredients ready to rock and roll when making this dish as it is heat and time sensitive. (and I like to sing while I cook..haha)  
Here's what you will need....drum roll please!!!

  • 1 cup white rice
  • 1 8oz. can of tomato sauce
  • ½ diced white onion
  • 2 cups of water
  • Knorr tomato bouillon with chicken broth *
  • oil **

In a medium size pan, add enough oil to lightly cover the bottom and heat on medium heat.  When your oil is “hot”, add the cup of rice and stir in, making sure it does not stick until rice begins to turn a transparent color.  Add your diced onion and stir with rice until the onion is clear of color and the rice golden brown.  Add the tomato sauce pouring it around the rice and stir in letting it fuse flavor into the rice for about 1 minute.  Add water and stir well, bring your concoction to a boil and add the Knorr.  Reduce heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. (make your rice al dente)

Be mindful of your heat and stir often.  Do not add too much Knorr, it is salt based and WILL ruin a good batch of rice.  Adding too much Oil will hinder the rices' cooking, it should be firm yet fluffy...make sense?....hope so ;)  I can almost taste it now....just take a look at that pic!  


This rice is good with any one of your favorite Mexican…or non-Mexican dishes.  Put some peas, corn or garlic in it to change it up a bit.  My Ita and mom would put a garlic clove and tell the person who got it on their plate: "Eres El De La Suerte"..."You are The Lucky One". (BTW: in case you did not know the difference:  The whole garlic is called a "head" or "knob" and an individual piece is a "clove".  I love “Spicy” so I am not afraid to try crazy combos and in my food travels I tried this.....(I almost forgot one of my favorite: "let's eat the rest of the rice" moments), add some of the Simply Jalapeno Salsa and lime to Mi Aroz....Holeeeee Guacomoleeee!  YUM!

 

"LET'S DO THIS!"  ENJOY!!  =O)


Rosemary Chicken Tenders

I learned this recipe from my husband’s cousin from Alabama.  I remember her most not only because of the GREAT chicken recipe I learned but because she named her daughter Georgie after my oldest son.  =o)   For years I tried to find the best way to fry chicken and not have the bread coating fall off.  =o(   This is the best way to fry up some good chicken, bone in or boneless.  YUMMY!  My children love these on the lake on a hot summer day.  Hits the spot every bite!  =o)

I am sure you know to be very careful when cooking chicken.  Always make sure you keep your area nice and clean during and afterwards. (the motherly side of me coming through....like my Ita and mom...hahaha, great story about my mom...I will tell one day, when asked)  Anyhow, you will be cooking with hot oil so be careful please.  Here's what is needed to make the BEST Southern/Mexican chicken tenders EVER!

  • 3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts: slice in ½ inch striped pieces – butterfly thicker pieces if necessary
  • Buttermilk
  • All-purpose flour
  • Vegetable oil
  • Fresh Rosemary
  • Salt, Pepper and/or any other spices appealing to your taste

 

Clean and cut your chicken breasts into medium size strips. (‘bout ½ inch wide.)  Generously cover chicken strips with buttermilk and let sit for 2 to 3 hours.  Mix the flour, Rosemary and desired spices.  In large pan, heat up your oil, it should be hot before you start to fry your tenders.

While oil heats up, you can coat your buttermilk soaked chicken strips with your flour and spices mix.  When oil is hot, place strips without crowding them too much…”just saying”….everyone needs their space. =o)

Fry until the strips are golden brown, remove and place in strainer over a bowl  or a paper plate covered with paper towels to catch excessive oil.  Let cool and enjoy!  For those who like a little spice in their life, use your favorite hot sauce with these.

The trick here is not to crowd the tenders too much and keep a watchful eye on them so they do not get too dark. (each batch should take about 7 to 10 minutes, turning the tenders 1/2 way through the frying process)   You may want to cut through one of the tenders in the first batch to make sure they are cooking all the way through.  I like to put them into a strainer over a bowl to let the excess oil drip off and it keeps them crispier.  ;)

Try the tenders with any hot sauce you like, as a sandwich or in a salad.  There are so many ways to eat these wonderful tenders and they will always quiet any crying child or adult when hungry and grumpy...hahaha!

 

"LET'S DO THIS!"  ENJOY!!  =O)


Picadillo

Here is a dish I did not have an appreciation for until one of our hardest times and yet one of the most life changing moments in our lives.  It was the Christmas before my husband and I decided to make a life changing move to San Antonio.  We were 17 in one small house and minimal money to spare, concerned about every cent.  With these ingredients, we made one of the best dinners everyone enjoyed…and we had left overs.  My sister-in-law and little brother, Lisa and Chris were absolutely heaven sent…THANK YOU ETERNALLY!   

Here are the heavenly ingredients for this ever-loving dish.  Be sure to share and give thanks for all our blessings!!!!!

  • 2 pounds ground beef (lean or not…the less expensive will just need to be strained)
  • 1 large diced white onion
  • 1 can 8 ounces of pinto beans
  • 1 cup frozen hash browns or fresh diced potatoes
  • ½ bundle of cilantro well chopped
  • 1 can 8 ounces of tomato sauce
  • 4 tablespoons of Knorr
  • Jalapenos….optional
  • Salt & pepper

 

Brown your ground beef on medium heat until the meat is almost cooked.  Remove some of the excess fat, add your diced onions and cook until onions are transparent.  Begin adding your hash browns, tomato sauce, pinto beans, Knorr, salt, pepper and jalapenos, saving the cilantro.  

Reduce your heat to low and continue cooking stirring frequently until for 15 minutes or until your hash browns are cooked.  Add the cilantro and continue to simmer for five more minutes. 

 

You can eat Picadillo rolled in a tortilla for a tasteful burrito.  Eat it in a taco shell for an awesome change of pace.  Or just eat this wonderful delight all by itself, just because you can.  LOL! 

 

"LET'S DO THIS!"  ENJOY!!  =O)