Shades of Green

 

 

If you are like us, you would think a 100 times before clicking one pic in a public place. We just feel awkward even taking pictures at home which is precisely why most of my shots are taken at home.  Taking pictures outside would involve alot of peeping and sneaking around (If anyone were to see us at it, they would think we were spying on someone.. But then again.. That’s exactly what we are doing.. Spying on everyone around .) So why you find yourself in an empty elevator, you scramble for your phone so you could get a shot before someone else steps in.. which is precisely what i am doing in the picture below. And before you ask… That hair did not come undone, it was intentional.. I promise!!!

Night & Day

We were on a movie date and i finally got around to clicking some pics of us after a really long time. We were on a date and i had curled my hair!! (Ya i was a lil less lazy this time) So it sure needed documenting.. So here we are!

I have been trying my hand at curling my hair and you can see the result in the pics i hope. Well, my hair curling involved some burns on my forehead and hands. Somebody forgot to inform me that the forehead is not part of my hair and does not need curling. Ya well, that is me!! To make things worse, i scratched the burn on my forehead so much that i have a plausible hole in my head. Ya, really!! I can almost see my brain(if there is any that is) through it.

Spanish Food :Part 5

Queso Flameado

 

Who doesn’t love gooey, melted cheese? And even more so when it’s topped with spicy chorizo?

Ingredients:

¾ cup fresh chorizo, removed from casings

1 small onion, minced

2 cups grated mozzarella, brick or Monterey Jack cheese

1 jalapeno chili chopped.

 

Method

Step 1

Cook the chorizo in a skillet with a bit of water, breaking it up into small bits with a wooden spoon. Once the water evaporates, the chorizo will have rendered down and it will brown in its own fat.

Step 2

Add chopped onion and cook until onion is very soft. Add the chopped chili to the mixture.

Step 3

Place the cheese in a heatproof bowl and sprinkle the chorizo onion mixture on top. Bake until melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Spanish Food Fest: Part 4:

Sopa Aguada

 

This soup is delicious and can be made in a flash.

 

Ingredients:

1 plum tomato, chopped

½ small onion, chopped

1 Tsp olive oil

1 cup small pasta, such as stars or broken spaghetti

6 ¼ cups chicken broth

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 white potato, peeled and diced

1 sprig cilantro

kosher salt, to taste

 

Method:

 

Step 1

Place the tomato and onion in a blender and puree until very smooth.

Step 2

In deep saucepan, heat the oil and saute the pasta until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook for a 4 minutes. Add the broth, carrot, potato, cilantro and jalapeno, if using. Season to taste with salt. Bring to a light boil.

Step 3

Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until vegetables and pasta are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 4

Ladle hot soup into bowls and serve with lime wedges. Serve with tortillas on the side.

Spanish Food Fest: Part 3:

Chicken Enchiladas:

For the Filling:

2 small yellow onions, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 pounds Chicken breast

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

For the Ranchero Sauce

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes

3 ounces sliced shallots

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1 jalapeno, stem removed and cut in 1/2

3 ounces Olive Oil

salt to taste

1/4 Bouillon cube

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

For the Tacos

12 corn tortillas

2 pounds chicken

2 cups Ranchero Sauce

1 pound your favorite cheese

 

Method:

Step 1

To make the chicken : Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, mix chopped onions and carrots. Place chicken into a roasting pan,season with salt and pepper, then add vegetable mixture to the roasting pan. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil (tightly) or a lid and place into hot oven for 2 1/2 hours. Once chicken is tender, remove from roasting pan, reserve juices, and allow to rest for 1/2 hour. Then remove and shred meat using two forks.

Step 2

To make the ranchero sauce: Preheat oven to 500 ℉. Place tomatoes, shallots, garlic, jalapenos, oil, and salt into a roasting pan and place in oven on the bottom shelf uncovered. Cook mixture for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until tomatoes are soft and well roasted, dark color. Remove mixture from roasting pan and place into a blender and process until smooth. Remove mixture from blender and place into a sauce pot. Take vegetable base and mix with ½ cup of hot water until dissolved. Place base mixture into sauce pot with sauce and cook for about 5 minutes. Adjust salt as needed and reserve covered until needed.

Step 3

To make the chicken taco filling: Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Place cooked chicken into a sauce pot over medium heat and add 2 cups of Ranchero Sauce. Fold sauce into chicken and cook until hot.

Step 4

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, place 2 cups of cooking oil and allow to heat. Once oil is hot, place one tortilla at a time into cooking oil using metal or heat resistant spatula and cook until soft, about 20 seconds or less. Remove and place onto a plate. Continue this process until all tortillas have been lightly toasted.

Step 5

To build tacos: Place a tortilla onto a clean flat surface. Add approximately 2 ounces of Ranchero chicken mixture onto center of the tortilla and 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture over meat. Take one end of the tortilla and fold over meat and gently roll. Place chicken enchilada into a rectangular baking pan 9” x 13 “ with tortilla flap side down. Repeat process with all tortillas until all have been placed parallel into baking pan.

Step 6

Spread the remaining ranchero sauce on top of the enchiladas. Cover with cheese and bake in 350 ℉ oven until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

PS: I used very little cheese to make it a little more healthy.

Mexican Food Fest: Part 2:

Huevos Poblanos:

This is such a luxurious dish: creamy and cheesy and lightly spicy. Soft-cooked eggs in a crock served with fresh corn tortillas make for a delicious and satisfying breakfast experience.

Ingredients:

6 poblano peppers

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

¾ tsp salt

2 tbsp butter

8 eggs

1 cup shredded Old Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mozarella cheese

 

Method:

1. Wash chilies and split them open. Remove seeds and chop. In medium frying pan, heat oil and add poblano chilies and onions. Cook over medium heat until soft, around 8 minutes. Let cool.

2 Butter individual allowing for one or two eggs per dish according to your preferences.

3.Divide chili sauce between mold(s) and then carefully break eggs into the sauce, making sure the yolks do not break. Sprinkle cheese over eggs and sauce and bake in 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and yolks are cooked to your desired degree.

4.Serve with fresh tortillas.