Homemade Flour Tortillas

4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons lard 1 1/2 cups water Directions Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

Refried Beans

Refried Beans

adapted from Simply Recipes

•2 1/2 cups of dry pinto beans (about 1 lb or 450gm)
•3 quarts of water
•1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
•2 Tbsp pork lard, bacon fat, or olive oil
•1/4 cup water
•Salt to taste
•Cumin to taste (I put in about 1 tsp to a HALVED recipe)
•Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (optional)
1.Rinse the beans in water and remove any small stones, pieces of dirt, or bad beans.
2.Cook the beans in water.
3.Pressure Cooker method Put beans into a 4 quart pressure cooker with a 15 lb weight. Fill up the pressure cooker with water, up to the line that indicates the capacity for the pot. Cook for 30-35 minutes - until the beans are soft and the skins are barely breaking open.
4.Regular method Put beans into a pot and cover beans with at least 3 inches of water - about 3 quarts for 2 1/2 cups of dry beans. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer, covered, for about 2 1/2 hours. The cooking time will vary depending on the batch of beans you have. The beans are done when they are soft and the skin is just beginning to break open.
5.Strain the beans from the cooking water.
6.Add the onions and lard/fat/oil to a wide, sturdy (not with a flimsy stick-free lining) frying pan on medium high heat.

7.Cook onions until translucent.
8.Add the strained beans and about a 1/4 cup of water to the pan (I use the bean water by straining the beans and allowing its juice to pour into a liquid measuring cup).

9.Using a potato masher, mash the beans in the pan, while you are cooking them, until they are a rough purée. Add more water if necessary to keep the fried beans from getting too dried out.

10.Add salt and cumin to taste.

11.Add a few slices of Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, or some (1/2 cup) grated cheddar cheese if you want.

12.When beans are heated through (and optional cheese melted) the beans are ready to serve.

Mexican Chicken

Crock Pot Chicken W/ Black Beans and Cream Cheese
4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can corn
1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

Chicken Breasts One-Dish Meal
Take 4-5 frozen, yes, frozen, boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot.
add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained.
Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.
Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour.
All done and enjoy!

PW's Restaurant Style Salsa

This is my favorite salsa! Especially, since I live on the East Coast and no one seems to even know what Mexican food should taste like.

1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
¼ cups Chopped Onion
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
¼ teaspoons Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
½ cups Cilantro (more To Taste!)
½ whole Lime Juice
Preparation Instructions
Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Cornbread Pudding

On a whim I decided to make this recipe from Allrecipes and it is absolutely divine. I serve it with bbq food and it never fails to win over friends. I made a few changes to it. I prefer using two cans of cream style corn instead of one can of cream style corn and just canned corn.

Cornbread Pudding
2 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 stick melted butter
2 eggs 1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn muffin mix
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Spread evenly into the pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Enchiladas

I am in love with this recipe. My friend Katie invited us over to house for dinner and this was such a delight to eat! It is better than any restaurant enchilada and her mother invented it!

I love these as much, if not more, than any restaurant enchilada I have had. My mom came up with the recipe. She uses the beef mixture for her famous Chimichangas. It is so good and pretty easy to make. The enchiladas require some work to prepare and assemble but are well worth the effort. They are great as leftovers too so I always make enough to fee my family for two nights.


Shredded Beef Enchiladas

1 roast
1 large onion
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
oil
2 small cans chopped green chilies
1 pkg corn tortillas
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can cream of mushroom sauce
shredded cheese

Mom, here is the recipe I told you about. Can you pick up these items for me or have someone do it for you, and I will gladly pay you when I see you? I think everyone will love the recipe.!!!

Cook one roast - slow cook in a dutch oven size pan with lid on. Put in 200 degree oven over night until it falls apart. I used a cross rib roast. I usually put it in at 10 pm and check it 11 or 12 hours later, if it isn't falling apart - keep it in for another hour or two until it does.

Drain and reserve juices. Remove all fat from meat and break into large chunks.

Saute 1 large chopped onion in 3 Tablespoons oil. Add to meat with 2 cans diced green chilies and skimmed juice from meat (skim the fat off juice before adding) , and add the seasonings listed above.

Refrigerate overnight. ( I usually take roast out of oven in morning, season and refreigerate unitl time to assemble that evening)

Reheat meat.optional

Cook corn tortillas briefly in hot oil, turning once. Drain on paper towel and let cool enough to handle.

Mix equal parts red enchilada sauce and cream of mushroom soup. Dip cooked tortillas in enchilada sauce, spoon meat mixture onto tortilla and top with shredded cheese. Roll up and place, seam side down in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour some leftover sauce over enchiladas and top with more cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or longer if you refrigerate them first