Simple Yet Gourmet

Second only to a perfectly sweet piece of corn on the cob, this is my favorite way to eat it! Traditional Elote would be made with a cob of corn, slathered with mayo and sour cream then sprinkled with spices and cheese. This skillet version takes all of that deliciousness and simplifies it.  Frozen corn is cooked in a skillet with butter then mixed with mayo and sour cream, sprinkled with cojita cheese, flavored with spices, and finished off with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of cilantro.  I love serving this with these Steak Tacos but they would be a perfect side for just about any Mexican Dish!  

One of my go-to quick weeknight meals, these quesadillas are as tasty as they are easy!  They are layered with  chicken, Mexican cheeses, and a drizzle of pesto.  They come together quickly and are so flavorful! We love to eat these with some fresh guacamole, sour cream, and salsa.   The nice thing about these quesadillas is that they don't require exact amounts of ingredients.  Do what works for you! The ingredients themselves can easily be swapped out for what you have on hand or your preference.  

This is my type of chili! More creamy than tomato-y and full of good for you stuff like corn and beans! While it is quite flavorful, it's not overly spicy.  I toned it way down so my picky kids would eat it.  Don't worry though, if you want it to be more spicy, I'll give you some easy ways to do that!  This chicken enchilada chili is so easy thanks to the slow cooker and smells amazing cooking away throughout the day.  Top it off with some grated cheese, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips, etc.  I always love lime juice on mine!

These tacos are so yummy!  So much better than traditional ground beef.  Grilled flank (or sirloin) steak is topped off with fresh corn, grilled zucchini, and tomatoes...or avocados, or whatever you want really.  But what really makes these special is the sauce and cotija cheese.  And don't forget to squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top.  So, so good! As a side note, some days when I'm feeling like eating a little healthier, i nix the tortilla and just have eat the toppings in a bowl.

This recipe and lovely picture comes courtesy of the Pioneer Women.  As promised here is the recipe I told you about earlier this week.  For me, this comes as a surprise to actually like a recipe where red enchilada sauce is used.  I am NOT a fan of it and have tried many recipes to force myself into liking it, yet no success!  Well, that has all changed with this recipe from the Pioneer Women.  The red sauce combined with the chicken broth is out of this world, at least my world. The filling is simple, yet tasty.  There are a few steps to this recipe which some people might think makes this a hard recipe, but don't let that scare you away from giving this a try.  I can safely say, this has become my new favorite Mexican dish!  Like many of you know, I never make something just like the recipe, so we did serve this with diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado and a dollop of sour cream.  Also, I added the green chilies to the meat mixture whic...

Originally I found a recipe for pork carnitas on Pinterest and decided to give it a try.  Upon taking it out of the oven I tasted the pork and was disappointed to find that it was pretty bland.  Even the juice didn't have a lot of flavor to it.  Not wanting to serve up a bland and boring dinner I decided to add my own touches and came up with a deliciously flavorful and moist combination that we all loved!  I even got the head nod and raised eyebrows from the Hubby .  That means he really liked them :).  This recipe is different from other pork recipes I have tried in the past because they are flavored with oranges and limes.  The result was a sweet, citrus flavor.  Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!.  Might I suggest though, that you squeeze some fresh lime and orange juice onto the meat before eating?  Hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Here is a super easy dinner full of flavor and healthy as well.  My kids were unsure of it but after eating them, they were hooked.  If you have a rice cooker, add rice and cook while making the rest.  When rice is done assemble and toast.  Feel free to add some diced chicken if you wish.  I served mine with homemade guacamole, fresh pico and sour cream.  With the left overs I made up a few wraps, put them in the fridge and then toasted them the next day or lunch.  Here's to a more healthy new year!

     I am so happy to welcome fall this past week!  Not only do I love the fall colors, but I am soooo happy to finally have some cooler weather.  This summer has been so unbearable with the high temperatures and the state on fire, I am ready for fall.  Plus with cooler weather means a change in menu as well.  I start making more soups and homemade bread and less grilling.  Here is the new one for my recipe book.  I'm sure many of you know Cafe Rio and Cafe Mexicali.  I have mentioned before that I can eat Mexican food everyday if Mike would go for it.  Unfortunately, he likes Mexican food, but not as much as I do.  Well this one Mike really liked, thank goodness.  This soup in a combination of recipes from Cafe Rio and Cafe Mexicali.     At Cafe Mexicali they make this Tortilla Soup, but they add a scoop of creamy habanero sauce, which makes the soup heavenly.  Now, you may make the soup and omit t...

I have been waiting all year long for peaches to come into season so I could make this salsa!  We love it.  When you first take a bite you taste the sweet peaches, but it is quickly followed up by the spiciness of the peppers.  As a side note, we picked these peaches off my parent's trees, which makes them that much sweeter.  Try eating this salsa with Hint of Lime Tostitos! So good! I've written this with canning instructions since that's what I usually do, but it's not necessary.  

It's no secret that we LOVE Mexican food, OK so I love it more than Mike. But since I'm the chef, Mike has to eat a lot of Mexican. Before we were married Mike's idea of Mexican food was Taco Bell, poor boy! I have since opened his eyes to all kinds of Mexican food, and he actually likes it. We love to make breakfast burritos, Cafe Rio Salads and Honey Lime Enchiladas, but something was always missing. I would always serve diced tomatoes, but Mike always asked for some homemade Pico. Well, I found a recipe that I love and so does the rest of the family. I served this with a new soup recipe that I made, which was to die for, and they ended up eating the whole bowl of Pico with tortilla chips along with their soup. It works well as a garnish as well as a side with any Mexican dish you serve. With the garden tomatoes just about ready, what more could you ask for that homemade Pico de Gallo. Our family is not much into spicy things so I omitted the jalapeno and Tabasco sauce a...

In my house, a great salad goes a long way! My kids all love salad, especially Tyler! This recipe was no exception, he ate 3 large bowls. What a great combination with beans, tomatoes, avocados and crunchy tortilla chips. The dressing was just enough to add flavor but not make the salad soggy. It was a nice light and tasty dinner. I served it with fresh pineapple and homemade chips and salsa. Mike was out of town so I can not report on his take, but I think he will like it. The kids and I decided next time we would warm up fajita sized tortillas and make a wrap instead of a salad. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Do you ever have one of those days that you just know you're not going to have much time to devote to dinner? But you still want to have a nice home-cooked meal?  I know I do.  The prep time on this soup is under 10 minutes.  Can't beat that!  It is great served with fresh lime juice, a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, etc.

Mike and I were invited to a Christmas party a few weeks back.  I was asked to bring an appetizer, which is not one of my specialties.  Not that I can make them, I just don't have a lot of recipes to pull from.  As I took my handy recipe book out I came across these fun and different appetizers.  They can be made ahead of time and are super easy to make.

If I had my way we would have Mexican food every day, but Mike on the other hand would not be so happy! I love anything Mexican, so when I found this recipe I was very excited to give it a try. I have a similar recipe, but I liked the additional flavors and textures added to this recipe,

I have really been digging Mexican food lately and what's better to drink with it than a traditional Mexican Drink?  Horchata is delicious, refreshing, and easy to make, but it needs to be made in advance.  So with a little planning, and very little effort you can wow your family and make your meal extra special!

One of my favorite restaurants is a placed called Rubio's. They serve warm refried beans with fresh chips along side their wonderful soft chicken tacos. The only problem I have, is it takes me about an hour to get there! So I found a recipe that I can make at home when I am craving those yummy beans

Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, these taquitos are a winner in my book.  They are packed full of flavor and, because they are baked rather than fried, they are a healthier option than some others.  These were fun to eat for a Mexican Fiesta and were actually quite easy to make as well.  Flavor wise, they could stand on their own, but they were great for dipping as well.  I dipped mine in some sour cream ( I know, real healthy right?) , and I think the next time I make these I'm going to mix lime juice with the sour cream for an extra delicious dipping experience.  For those of you who like things spicy, try dipping them in some green salsa or mixing the salsa with some sour cream.  Either way, they will be delicious.

A while back I came across this fantastic recipe for Honey Lime Enchiladas. It was an instant hit with our family. Aaron loves these so much he even requested them for his Father's Day dinner! I had delayed posting these since Kirsti had already posted a delicious recipe for Honey Lime Enchiladas, but as these aren't identical and since they are in our top 5 meals I feel they deserve to be posted anyway :)

Summer is a time for quick and simple meals. My good friend Katie passed this yummy recipe on to me last year and it has become one of our favorites. I love to add avocados to any dish possible so I serve an avocado and tomato salsa along with this dish (which I have included). The combination of cilantro dressing, avocados, tomatoes and chicken is amazing, you must give it a try!

My sister, Abbie was the first to try this recipe. I had it on my menu for the week, but moved it up a few days after her review. I have search high and low for a good enchilada recipe with a white sauce. I am not a fan of the red sauce, so when I saw this recipe on Cookingalamode.blogspot.com, I had to try it. My husband, Mike gave these a 10 out of 10, very hard to get this score in our house! This recipe is very easy, fast and delicious!! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed .