Mexican – Jo McVey Photography

Spicy Mexican Rice

If you read my last post for Tequila Lime Chicken, you saw that I promised the recipe for the Mexican Rice that I served along side of it. Well, you will not be disappointed! This rice was very tasty!! This recipe can also be found in the Pioneer Woman’s cookbook and here on her blog.

I halved her recipe since I was just making it for my hubby and me, but there was still enough for 4 people! I’ll list the ingredients that she includes, and you can tweak it from there. Just know that this quantity will probably serve 6-8 people.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups long-grain rice
One 10 oz. can Rotel Diced Tomatoes w/ Green Chiles
One 14 oz. can whole tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes because we don’t like big chunks of tomato)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (a little goes a long way with this!)
1 tsp salt
2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Chop onion (the smaller the dice the better, in my opinion)

and garlic

and add to the hot canola oil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions are nice and translucent.

Reduce your heat to low and add the rice.

Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly so the rice doesn’t burn.

Add Rotel,

canned tomatoes,

yummy cumin,

salt and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth,

and bring to a boil. Once your rice is boiling, turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Once all the liquid is absorbed, give the rice a little taste to see if you need to add more liquid. Once rice is cooked thoroughly, you can add the chopped cilantro for garnish.

Doesn’t that look tasty?! Well, it was! I hope you enjoy!

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Tequila Lime Chicken

I’m always looking for new ways to make chicken, so when I saw this recipe in the Pioneer Woman’s new cookbook, I knew I just had to try it out! As with most of my recipes, I made enough just for my husband and me, so if you are making this for more than 2 people, you’ll want to adjust the quantities.

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 limes
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeño, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
5 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup tequila
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

This marinade quantity can be used for up to 6 chicken breasts. Since I only had two, I poured what I needed and saved the rest for next time.

Start by slicing your limes in half. Squeeze the juice of all the limes into a food processor or blender.

Add the peeled garlic.

Slice your jalepeño, with the seeds and membranes intact,

and add it to the blender.

Next add cilantro and olive oil. I forgot to take a picture of the cilantro. Oops!

Now it’s time for the tequila!!!!! It’s amazing how much flavor this adds.

Blend until thoroughly pureed.

Add chicken to a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it. Seal and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

When your chicken is done marinating, grill over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on each side. I’m a big fan of only flipping your meat once, so make sure you cook it long enough on the first side before you flip it.

Look at those beautiful grill marks! And you can still see some of the green marinade in the cracks!

Once your chicken is done cooking, remove it from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it into strips.

Serve along side some Mexican rice (recipe to follow), refried beans, and some warmed flour tortillas. I added some freshly grated cheddar cheese on the side as well. You could also include some pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream. Hope you enjoy!!

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Beef Enchiladas

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I’m a big fan of The Pioneer Woman, and I love trying new recipes from her blog and cookbook.

Last night I decided to try my hand at making her enchiladas. I was a little surprised when I realized that I had never made enchiladas before. Of course, my mom made them a few times when I was growing up, and I’ve had them at restaurants before, but I had never made them myself. This recipe looks complicated, but it’s really pretty easy.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 tbsp canola oil (plus more for frying)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 can (28oz) of enchilada or Mexican red sauce
2 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper
2 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion
2 cans (4 oz) diced green chilies
corn tortillas
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 can of re-fried beans (optional)

Start with a tablespoon of canola oil in a sauce pan, along with 2 tablespoons of flour over medium-high heat. Don’t make the mistake I did and use a sauce pan that is too small. You’re going to need one that is big enough to hold a 28 oz can of enchilada sauce, plus 2 cups of chicken broth, so plan accordingly.

Whisk oil and flour together and let bubble for one minute.

This was the enchilada sauce I used….because it was the only enchilada sauce I could find in my grocery store. If you have another brand you like, go for it!

Pour sauce into flour and oil mixture and stir. After I poured this in and looked over at the 2 cups of chicken stock waiting for me, I realized I needed a bigger pot.

So I transferred the sauce in to a much more appropriate pot, and proceeded to add the chicken stock (or broth if that’s what you have).

Season with salt and pepper and give it a stir. Bring the sauce up to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer while you prepare the rest of the food.

Chop up some onion and add it, along with the ground beef, to a large skillet, and cook until browned.

When your meat is browned, drain the fat, then add the green chilies. The recipe calls for 2 cans, but I only used one since I didn’t know how we would like it. Give the chilies and meat a stir until it’s well combined. Then, turn off the heat and set aside.

Here’s what the can looked like in case you’ve never bought green chilies before. I hadn’t.

Here comes the fun part, frying the tortillas! Coat the bottom of your pan with canola oil. I fill it so that it’s about a centimeter high. Enough so that your tortilla can be thoroughly submerged.

You’ll know your oil is hot enough for frying when you stick the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and little bubbles form around it.

Fry your tortillas just long enough so that they are soft and bendable. You don’t want them to be crispy like you’re making tacos.

When you’re done frying a tortilla, lay it on a paper towel-lined plate, and put another paper towel in between each tortilla.

Pour some sauce in your baking dish, enough to cover the bottom.

Dunk each tortilla in the sauce, then lay on a cookie sheet.

Fill tortillas with meat and cheese. You can also add re-fried beans (like I did), olives, or green onions. Whatever floats your boat. Just don’t fill them too much or you won’t be able to close them.

Fold the tortilla closed, leaving the ends open.

Place seam side down into your baking dish. It’s ok if they fall apart a little. It’s going to be covered in sauce and cheese so no one will know! It’ll be our little secret.