WOW - Creamy (non dairy) Jalapeno Green Sauce (Vegan even) - Low Calorie! HMR Compliant!

A.K.A. the Green Stuff.

This is awesome.  I mean really good.  And it takes a fairly typical salsa/sauce at Taco Trucks (the green stuff) and makes it far more nutritious with far fewer calories.

The bottled green sauce you get at taco trucks and Taqueria's is pretty basic - boiled jalapenos and onion, pureed in a blender with vegetable oil and salt.  Sometimes with garlic, sometimes with cilantro.  Some may add avocado, but most don't, even though everyone thinks it's in there.  It is really good.  To cut the heat, you take out the seeds and the membranes before boiling (which is where most of the heat in a pepper is).  Boil them with the seeds and membranes the heat goes up - your choice.

I have made it without the oil, but it is missing something.  Missing more than the 500 calories a 1/4 cup of oil brings.  The oil adds fat, smoothness and tames the heat some.

Today, VICTORY.

The solution for not using oil?  Soft Silken Tofu.  Yes, Tofu.

Tofu gets you that smoothness, the texture that oil brings to the sauce.  It has just enough fat to taste great, not enough to bust your diet.  It has 180 calories for 12 ounces, not 500 calories for 1/4 cup.  Plus 16 grams of protein, some calcium, iron and other nutrients and minerals.

And it tastes great.  On to the show.

Ingredients

One lb fresh jalapenos, seeded and de-ribbed (wear vinyl/nitrile gloves when cutting and don't touch your eyes!
One onion, chopped (nothing special, it is getting boiled and pureed later).  I use white onions as that is more typical in mexican cooking, but whatever.  You could even use green onions, tops and all.
1 Box (12 oz) Soft Silken Tofu
Salt to taste
Garlic if you like
Cilantro if you like

Recipe
Boil jalapenos and onions for 20 minutes in sufficient water to keep covered
If you like, in the last 5 minutes, add peeled garlic to the boiling water.  As much garlic as you like.

Drain and blend all three ingredients for a minute.  Be careful - it will be hot.  I use a blender, you could use a food processor.  I think the blender gets it smoother.

While blending, scoop in the tofu.  Blend for another 30 seconds.

Add salt to taste (as in, add a tsp, taste, add more as you like, or don't)
Add fresh cilantro as desired, or not.

Serve warm, or put in the fridge to cool.  This will keep for at least a week

If you de-ribbed and de-seeded the jalapenos, the sauce will be quite mild, especially if you put it on food such as HRM Turkey Chili, eggs, as a veggie dip, etc.

Calorie count for the entire recipe 355 - 180 for the Tofu, 130 for the Jalapenos, 45 for the onion. So 355 calories for the entire sauce, which will be about 2 cups.  That is about 11 calories a tablespoon, 22 calories for two tbs.  So this is actually OK on the No Decisions HMR diet as a condiment!

Woo Hoo!

The New, The Improved, The Complete Review of All Mexican Restaurants in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Link to Yelp -

Three good places to go in Eau Claire, plus ratings of the rest.

#1 Taqueria Sandova- 1  La Luna Misma -  New Owners, New Name, Same great food.  Located in the back of Eau Claire's largest Mexican Grocery, this is pretty much just what its name is - Tacos, plus Tortas, Burritos and Soups, The environment is low end tables and chairs, but if you're lucky you will be able to watch soccer in Spanish. Not a date place, unless your date loves the best Mexican food in the Chippewa Valley. Always amusing to see employees from other "Mexican" restaurants eating their before their shifts.

#2 Taco's Juanita - close behind is a slightly more upscale place, with a little more atmosphere and a few more fancy meals as well as some of the more traditional Mexican as well as some Amer-Mex fare 

#3 Casa Mexicana - Chippewa Falls contribution to the top three, Casa houses some of the wildest wall fresco's, chairs and tables you will see. The food tends more towards Amer-Mex, but still good enough. Full Bar, so that is something not available at the top 2. The quality starts falling fast after the top 3, although there are plenty of choices. The order is basically which would I go to first (or last, as the case may be)

For all the rest, click on the above Yelp link

Pork in Salsa Verde (Yes, Another Chip Magnet Salsa Recipe)

This is made using Chip Magnets Salsa Verde - and it is a little spicy (ok, kind of a lot), so you might not want to make this if your not into delicious. 

 Their write up goes....

Tomatillos are the not-so-secret ingredient to a delicious salsa verde. We keep it going green with a helping of freshly-chopped cilantro. Then we heat things up just enough with the help of some serrano chilis. 

Ingredients

3 lbs pork butt or shoulder, diced into 1 inch chunks (or slightly larger)
1 jar Chip Magnet Salsa Verde
7 oz can of diced green chili’s
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 chopped cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
1 cup chicken stock
Salt to taste

Recipe

Brown Pork in Pan.  Use cooking spray if your looking to save some calories, oil or lard if not
Remove pork, saute garlic and onions in the same pan
Deglaze the pan with the stock

Pour Pork, garlic, onions, Salsa Verde, diced green chiles, cumin, chicken stock into...

Ok, here you can run two ways with this recipe - pressure cooker or crock pot

If pressure cooker, toss it all in, bring to pressure, cook 20 minutes.  That's it, serve with rice, pinto beans, potatoes, tortillas, whatever.  

Or...

Toss it all into the crock pot, stir up the ingredients, cook on low for 8 hours.  And that's it - serve with rice, pinto beans, potatoes, tortillas, whatever.  

If you like, avocado, diced onion and tomatoes, etc. for the side or on top

Eggplant and Mushroom Taco's

Never been a fan of eggplant.  Mushy tasteless congealing mass of blech.

Yet one does what one has to do.  Aldi's started stocking eggplants - $1.49 each, which is cheap for November.  So, off to the interwebs I went

Started with this recipe from We Should Be Fat.

Actually looked pretty good, and simple.  So off we go.

First, gather all the ingredients

1 small eggplant, cut into pinky sized strips
8 oz mushrooms, quartered
1 tbs Chicken Taco Seasoning
1 tbs Adobo Seasoning
2 tbs oil

Mix it all up and put on a pan (foil lined)
Roast for 30 minutes at 350 - flip half way through

While that's going on, put together the rest of the fixings.

Cheese
Sour Cream
Avocado
Tomatoes
Onions
Diced Jalapenos
Chorizo (what can I say - I like it)
whatever

Serve on tortillas

Plate it up and serve.  Makes 4 good size tacos

So I added Chorizo.  Shoot me

Huevos con Chorizo for Breakfast (or anytime)!

Eggs with Sausage - what a classic. Made around the world - whats not to love?

The Mexican, or Tex-Mex, or Amer-Mex way is Huevos con Chorizo - a.k.a. Eggs with Chorizo.  Often served with beans (refried or not) on the side, with corn tortillas.  It is simple, hearty, filling, and delicious.

Ingredients are simple - eggs, chorizo, beans, tortillas, cheese.  Fry the chorizo, add the eggs, serve with the beans (which you heated along the way) and cheese and tortillas.  But there are a few secrets....

Ingredients
For my breakfast this am, it included:

3 eggs from our chickens in the back yard
1/2 cup of refried beans (homemade, leftovers)
1/2/ cup fried onions and peppers (leftovers)
3/4 cup chorizo
Cheese and Tortilla Chips

Secrets

This is a great use of leftovers - the onions/peppers, refried beans and chorizo were all leftovers - it makes breakfast a 5 minute meal, most of which is waiting for the frying pan to get hot.

Find a local mexican grocery that makes it's own chorizo - shop around - homemade sausage is all different and there are definitely regional differences.  Consider it an adventure.  I got mine (this time) from  La Nortena.  Many stores sell chorizo (walmart, for example) but I find it meh at best.

Buy Mexican Chorizo, not Spanish Chorizo!  Definitely different sausages.

Chorizo is not often hot - spicy yes, but hot, no.  The hot stuff is usually called Longaniza.

Don't be pedantic with this recipe- use what you have.  You can make it with tortillas, or like me, tortilla chips (El Milagro, of course)

Chorizo is fatty - live with it

Recipe

For me, dirt simple

Re-heat chorizo in pan
Nuke Beans
Add eggs to hot chorizo
Cook till just done (no, don't you dare overcook them)
Serve

Pork Tinga - sorta like Rick Bayless (but not)

At Casa Mexicana, Tinga is one of my favorite dishes there.

Fortunately, it is easy and cheap to make at home.  Basically think of it as a Mexican Pork Stew.  Easy to make in a crock pot or to braise on a stove top or in the oven.

Dad's Version of Tinga

I started with this recipe from Rick Bayless - but his version is considerably spicier than mine.  Good if you like spicy, not so good if you have to feed my family.  So mine is heavily spiced, but no heat.

One key item - I use adobo seasoning (from Penzey's), while Rick Bayless uses chipotles in adobo sauce.  They are NOT the same thing.  Adobo seasoning is garlic, onion, Tellicherry black pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin and cayenne red pepper.  Chipotle's in adobe sauce is
Chipotle Peppers, Tomato Puree, Vinegar, Onions, Sunflower Seed Oil, Sugar, Salt, Paprika and Garlic, and is quite hot.


Don't confuse the two.

Tinga with Home Grown (frozen) Sweet Corn

Ingredients

1 pound lean, pork shoulder, pork loin or boneless pork ribs  Trim and cut into pieces, 1- 2 inches in size.
3 medium  potatoes, pealed and quartered
1 large white onion, halved and sliced thin
1 green pepper, cut into chunks if you don't like to eat it, thin sliced if you do)
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1  28-ounce can diced tomatoes, in juice
Chicken Stock (enough to cover)
2 tbs adobo seasoning (not chipotles in adobo sauce)
Salt and Pepper

Recipe

Season the pork heavily with salt, pepper and at least 1 tbs of adobo seasoning.
Heat the some oil in a le crueset, brown pork chunks, set aside
Brown onion and green peppers
Add garlic and 1 tbs adobo seasoning, cook for 2 minutes
Add chicken stock to deglaze
Add tomatoes
Add potatoes and browned pork.
Cook on low heat for 1-2 hours, or in crock pot for 6 hours till pork is very soft.

Many options on how to serve this.  You could use it as a taco filling - shred or chuck it up a little.  Serve it over mexican rice and beans.  Serve on top of a salad with lettuce, fresh tomato, onions, some cheese and avocado (no dressing required).  Serve over brown rice.  Eat it like a soup.  Serve it with sweet corn.  Any way you serve, it will be great.

Best Mexican Restaurants in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

What a change we have seen.  From when ChiChi's (RIP) was the reigning Mexican Restaurant (and only outside of Taco Bell/Johns) to now, where we are fortunate to have many.  Here is my list of Best Mexican Restaurants in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

#1  Taqueria Sandoval – located in the back of Eau Claire’s first, and still largest Mexican Grocery, Mercado Sandoval, this is pretty much just what its name is – Tacos.  And what a selection – all the normal, and then all the real Mexican.  They also have great Tortas, Burritos and Soups, along with a couple of dinners.  Real Mexican coke, horchata and a decent selection of beers round out your dining experience (plus three different homemade salsas!).  The  environment is low end tables and chairs, but if you’re lucky you will be able to watch soccer in Spanish.  Not a date place, unless your date loves the best Mexican food in the Chippewa Valley.  Always amusing to see employees from other “Mexican” restaurants eating their before their shifts.

#2 Taco’s Juanita – close behind is a slightly more upscale place, with a little more atmosphere and a few more fancy meals as well as some of the more traditional Mexican as well as some Amer-Mex fare – taco salad anyone?  Still great, still has real “Mexican”, but also offers some meals to those less adventurous.

#3 Casa Mexicana – Chippewa Falls contribution to the top three, Casa houses some of the wildest wall fresco’s, chairs and tables you will see.  The food tends more towards Amer-Mex, but still good enough.  Full Bar, so that is something not available at the top 2.

The quality starts falling fast after the top 3, although there are plenty of choices.  To a certain extent, it is whatever is closest after the best, although each offers something different.

#4 Cancun – We are now moving into Amer-Mex, hot table Mexican food range – Basically they get your order, get out the tortilla of choice, scoop out meat and sauce from the hot table, and serve.  It’s fast, it’s attractive in that Chi Chi’s kind of way and the food is better than Taco Bell.  Their menu has been expanding, and in a good way.  Whole fish, more interesting items has improved my opinion, which moved them up.

#5 Azul Tequilla – a former Ponderosa, the outside looks the same but they have done a decent job with the inside.  Full bar, good beer selection, but the food is definitely Amer-Mex hot table food.  Meh.  Cheap however, which earns it the #5 slot

# 6 Manny's Mexican Cocina – this is the “nice” Mexican restaurant.  Brand new building, nice décor, good service, but the food is so so and the prices are the highest.  Food wise probably would be the #4, but cost drives the rating down.  Plus, I have had some bad meals there.  If you needed to take a client or date out, and they wanted Mexican, this is where I would take them.  But I won’t go there otherwise – the benefit/cost ration is off.

#7 El Patio – typical college place.  Food is good, prices reasonable, but it is in an old fast food place that is beat to crap.  Amer-Mex hot table food, but good enough.  Plus, they have liquor license.

#8 Burrachos – the chains start in here.  Ok food, serve beer.  It’s fast.  Better than fast food.  Think of Chipotle, but not quite as good.  Better than Qdoba.

#9 Taco Johns – Best Breakfast Burritos in town.  Salsa bar.  Little hash pellets.  Good fast food.

#10 Taco Bell – ok, I will eat here if I have to.  As in if forced, or there is simply no other option.  But I will eat it.  Taco Bell is the cut line for me – I start all Mexican restaurant reviews with the question – better, or worse, than the Bell?  And yes, I have, twice, had food worse than Taco Bell.  None in Eau Claire however, so this ends the list.

Chipotle is coming to town – assuming they serve what they normally serve, they will become the new #8

Best Tortilla Chips Ever - El Milagro

El Milagro products are made in Chicago.  And, as with many great Mexican places, they combine both their factory with a taqueria.  Now that is a restaurant I want to eat at.

Anyway - the point is this - these are the best tortilla chips you will ever eat.  Thick, crunchy, tasting of corn, not to much salt ... incredibly addictive.  I buy mine at Mercado Sandoval in Eau Claire for $2.89 a bag - a great deal.

Fish Taco's - Why Don't You Make Them?

I mean really - how easy can you get?  You really just want to have some ground up mystery meat stuffed in a piece of bread?  No I say - especially with Tilapia available year round, and usually inexpensive.

So tonight's dinner - Tilapia Tacos with grilled onions and peppers, corn with black beans  and a salad of lettuce, tomato, sour cream and guacamole.

The other advantage is that this is about the only way I actually like fish, and everyone else in the family is usually wining at me for more fish.  So.....Fish Tacos

Served on whole grain tortilla, this is a very healthy and very delicious meal - one you don't have to feel like you deprived yourself in order to have a good meal.  No, this is not real Mexican food.  But is good.
Ingredients

Corn and Beans
1 lb frozen corn - a great use of your own corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
1/2 lime

Salad
Lettuce
Avocado or 1/2 cup Guacamole
1 tomato
1/2 cup sour cream

Fish Tacos
1 lb Tilapia fillets (cut fillets in half the long way so each filet gives you two pieces)
2 tbs Chicken Taco Seasoning from Penzeys
1/2 lime
1 Pepper - yellow, red, green or orange, sliced thin
1 Onion - sliced thin
1/4 cup Cilantro
4 large whole wheat tortillas or 8 small ones
shredded cheese if you like

Recipe

This is a three pan dance.  Start the corn and beans in first pan, then lower temp and hold.  Make and place salad on plates.  Cook Onions and Peppers in one pan, Tilapia in the other, then assemble plates and serve (see above picture)

Corn and Beans
Heat Corn and Beans
Before serving stir in juice of 1/2 lime and cilantro
Serve.  If you like more spice, 1/2 tsp of cumin would be fine.

Salad
Pile it up - lettuce, tomato, avocado, guacamole, sour cream.  Sprinkle some cheese and cilantro.  Green onions over the top would be nice

Fish Tacos
Thaw and dry Tilapia.
Rub some oil (1tbs or so) on the fish, sprinkle with taco seasoning.  Let sit for 15 minutes
Heat two frying pans to medium/medium high (this is the only tricky part
In one pan put 1 tbs oil, add onions and pepper slices.  Toss till almost cooked to the way you like it, then turn off heat and hold.
In the other pan, at the same time, put 1 tbs oil, then add the Tilapia.  Cook almost all the way through, then flip.  Turn off stove - the residual heat will cook the fish through.
Arrange Taco by placing one to two filets on warmed tortilla, add onions/peppers, squirt some lime juice on top and toss with cilantro

Grand Finale
Set out four plates.
Arrange Salad, Corns and Beans, assemble one (or two) tacos per plate

Pressure Cooker Chili - Re-Post

Old, but great, especially this time of the year.  Trust me on this - you enter your office chili cook-off with this, you will win.

Alton Brown's Pressure Cooker Chili, modified with love

You can do this in the oven or on the stove (in your Le Crueset, natch), but it will take longer and while tasting great, not as great as it could be.

Rice and Beans - Southwest Style (a.k.a. Spanish or Mexican rice) - Vegetarian also!

Rice and Beans are a classic combination across the world.  Cuban, Puerto Rican, Cajun, and many others.

But as far as I can tell, you can't get "spanish" rice in Spain, nor do you get (typically) rice and refried beans in Mexico (unless you are a restaurant catering to gringos)

Yet I love Rice and Refried Beans.  The only problem is most places the beans are boring (and seemingly straight out of a can) and the rice is a frighting dish too often prepared with tomato soup.  Blech.

However, I am also cognizant of time - how can I get dinner made while fitting it in with everything else that has to get done.  And finally you have the whole rice issue - it's basically like eating sugar pills - simple carbs that add nothing of value (although yes, I understand they make a complete protein when served with beans)

So here is my Rice and Beans recipe - Mexican style - fast, nutritious and delicious.  Just don't pretend this is how it is done in Mexico.  Or Spain.

Ingredients

Cooked Brown Rice (You do make extra when you make other dishes, right?  Otherwise this dish takes way to long to make), 8 ounces cooked.  Basically 2 ounces per serving - no more.
1/2 onion, white, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs Chicken Taco Seasoning (from Penzeys), in 1/4 cup water
Peas - 16 ounces.  Frozen works great.
1 fresh tomato, diced (or 2 Roma)
1 Can, Vegetarian Refried Beans
1 tbs Rojo Taco Seasoning (Penzeys again).  Or cumin and cilantro if you don't like heat
Water
Cooking Spray or oil

Obviously you will have to adjust based on how many you are serving - the above is for 4 people.  You want at least 2 ounces of peas to 1 ounce of rice.

Recipe

Rice -

If using frozen peas, microwave about 1/2 the time on the package (your thawing them, not cooking at this time)
Heat non stick frying pan, spray with cooking spray or 1 tbs oil
Add onions - cook till just starting to brown
Add garlic, cook 2 minutes
Add rice and peas
Add Chicken Taco Seasoning that has been rehydrated as above
Cook 5 minutes.
Mix in diced tomato (your heating, not cooking the tomato)
If you turn off the heat but leave it in the pan it will hold for at least 5 minutes till your ready to serve.  Just cover with a clean dish towel

Beans -

Place beans in pan on stove, add 1/4 cup water and seasoning (either the Rojo or the cumin/cilantro).  Mix well
Heat for 5 minutes at medium heat.  Add 1/4 water (or broth) as needed to thin - the beans should be thin (think thick pancake batter), not watery or soupy

Serve next to each other, not mixed.  These are often served as a side dish, but there is no reason you could not serve this with a fresh salad dressed with guacamole and sour cream and it would be a great meal.  Or feel free to serve with carnitas or tinga or grilled chicken

This is how I would eat in Mexico City

The Grey Lady ain't what she used to be, but still is better than most newspapers.  From last Sunday's NYT, a great article on Tamales, Tortas and Tacos in Mexico City.

Most of what you get in America is not what Mexicans eat.  There are very few places where you can get that kind of food.  In Eau Claire, WI, that is pretty much limited to Taqueria Sandoval and Tacos Juanita  (which happen to be the top 2 rated Mexican restaurants in EC on Yelp, proving at least enough people have good taste).

Fun article.  Makes me want to both go to Mexico City and to eat real Mexican food - It might be time for a run to Taqueria Sandoval for some Tamales that they serve out of a 40 gallon pot by the front cash register.

Chicken Taco's with Black Beans

Taco's.  Wonderful taco's.  And again, they can be a super diet killer.  I love me some hard shell corn tortillas - wonderful little fat and sugar bombs.  Sorry - you don't get to eat them.  At least not very often.  Fortunately, there are plenty of high fiber tortilla options these days.  I don't worry two much about the fat content - I just look for what I like the taste of that has lots of fiber.  And then I don't eat more than 2.  One if they are really big.

Ingredient List

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced small

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced thin (not a huge fan of ground chicken)

1 green or red pepper, sliced thin

1 onion sliced thin

8 oz fresh mushrooms quartered or smaller

Chicken/Veg stock

Whole wheat taco’s

1 tomato, diced

Cumin, taco seasoning, adobe seasoning

Low or no fat sour cream (8 oz container)

Lettuce, sliced thin

No fat cheese slices

Salsa

Cooking instructions

Three basic things are happening  - cooking beans, cooking chicken/veg, cook tortillas.  Start the beans first, then move on to chicken/veg once the beans are underway, then do the tortillas when everything is done and keeping warm.

1)  Beans - Mix beans, sweet potato and a little water or chicken/veg stock.  If you like, you can put in ½ teaspoon of cumin or adobe seasoning (available from Penzeys).  Cook at medium heat until sweet potatoes are soft (about 20 minutes).  Lower temp and keep warm.  If watery, you can take some out and mash, then stir back in to thicken, or serve with a slotted spoon to drain excess liquid.  Or feel free to mash all of them into more of a re-fried bean.  But please don't fry them.  And not in lard, no matter how good they taste that way.

2) Meat – brown chicken, onions, peppers and mushrooms.  Do them separately.  Use cooking spray.  When all browned, toss in pan together, along with Taco Seasoning (one packet or 4 tsp of Penzey’s seasoning)  After about a minute, mix in water according to the taco seasoning instructions.  Keep at low temp to keep warm.  Of course you can keep chicken separate if you have some vegetarians at dinner.

3) Tortillas – heat over medium heat one at a time.  Takes about 20 seconds a side.  After heated, put in foil or clean towel to keep warm

When all three are done, serve with lettuce, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, cheese.

Veg options are varied.  You can use zucchini, eggplants, potatoes, sweet corn.  You can mix sweet corn in with the beans also.

30 Minute Shredded Chicken Taco's

Did I ever mention I love the pressure cooker?

3 lbs chicken thighs, with the skin off (can use boneless if you like - more expensive, but a little less work
1 jar salsa
1 cup water or chicken stock
1 packet chicken taco seasoning

Toss in pressure cooker
Bring to pressure, then back temp off till it's a low whistle
Cook for 20 minutes
De pressurize

Using tongs, take out the thighs, shred meat (will be falling apart)
At the same time, boil down the cooking liquid -
Combine shredded chicken and some of the sauce

Serve with your favorite taco seasonings!

Subsititute bbq sauce for the salsa if you want shredded chicken sandwiches.