GORDITAS

When I think of Gorditas I think of the Catholic Bazaars I used to attend as a kid back home. Gorditas are a corn patty, deep fried, split open like a pita pocket and stuffed with meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese and topped off with green salsa. Ohhh me ohhh my, these were such a specialty. These always remind me of Fall because of the great corn aroma that fills your home while frying them.
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INGREDIENTS
2 small potatoes
4 Tablespoons of Salt
2 pounds of masa, corn dough, like those to make corn tortillas. It can be purchased in a Mexican grocery store already prepared.
2 pounds of ground beef
3 cups of Canola or Vegetable Oil
1 Head of Iceberg Lettuce
1 block of Monterrey Jack cheese
3 tomatoes
Pepper to taste
Green Salsa Casera
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DIRECTIONS

1. Peel, dice, and boil the potatoes until soft to the touch. Make sure to add about 1 Tablespoon of salt to the water when boiling them.

2. Cook the ground beef, adding salt and pepper to taste, while you wait for the potatoes to cook.

3. Add the cooked potatoes to the masa, add 2 Tablespoons of salt and mix thoroughly.

4. Form the gordita (corn patties) about 1/4 inch thick and no bigger than the palm of your hand.

5. Heat up the oil in a deep frying pan.

6. Drop the patties into the oil and cook until the patties rise to the top. After they rise to the top, allow them to continue to fry for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Set aside on a paper towel until they cool off and to drain excess oil.

8. Chop the lettuce and tomatoes.

9. Grate the cheese.

10. Slice the gorditas on one end all the way through, creating a pocket for filling.

11. Fill the gordita with the meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and top off with salsa. Aprovecho, enjoy!

From my casita to yours, besos y sabores...

Fresh Salsa

Making fresh salsa can be quite easy.  You can use jalapenos, fresno peppers (as in this recipe) or a combination of jalapenos and anaheim long green chiles and or tomatoes. Growing up we always had fresh salsa. Why? Because watch what happens when you put fresh salsa in a bowl and a pile of tostadas (chips) next to it. It won't last long. I never knew it came in a jar...you laugh, but it's true.  Oh poor me, I know.  I was literally spoiled.  The fun part in making salsa is, the sky's the limit.  Once you attempt to make it, you'll wonder why you ever bought the stuff in a jar.  If you have 25 minutes, a blender and a few ingredients you can always have fresh salsa.  Best of all, it goes with everything..well almost everything. The level of hotness is determined by the chile pod or pepper you use. Thanks to my friend Ken, who gave me a batch of these beautiful pods from his garden.

Fresh Salsa  Makes about 3-4 cups

Ingredients:

20 Fresno chile pods

1 large can of whole tomatoes

1 garlic glove

2 teaspoons of salt

Boil the pods in a large pot for about 15-20 minutes, strain, remove stems and seeds and put into a blender.

Add the can of tomatoes, liquid and all. 1-2 garlic cloves, salt and blend for about 1-2 minutes. The less you blend the chunkier the salsa.  If you like super chunky then don't blend it, just chop all the ingredients and throw them all in a bowl when done.  Open your bag of chips and enjoy.

Homemade Mexican Rice

Hola Everyone,
So much has happened over the last several months. I've been doing lots of cooking and finalizing the details to my long awaited cookbook. Pictures to follow of some of the yummy recipes that have filled many a tummies here at home. Thanks for your patience and email requests for the actual recipes. Here is a wonderful dish to compliment a meal of tacos or enchiladas.  From start to finish, it takes about 20 minutes. Makes for great leftovers, if you are fortunate to have any leftover.

Sopa de Arroz - Mexican Rice - Makes 6 servings

1 cup long grained rice
1 TBSP cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 can or 3 oz. of tomato sauce
3 cups of chicken stock
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup mixed vegetables (peas and carrots)
salt to taste

1.  Fry the long grained rice in the cooking oil until golden brown.
2.  Add the chopped tomatoes and onions and mix constantly for about 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomato sauce to the rice and mix for about 1 minute.
4. Add the chicken stock, garlic and vegetables. Heat until it begins to boil. Taste and add salt if needed.
5. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid until after 15 minutes.