Wilmington Weekend: Huevos Rancheros with Salsa Ranchera

I'm not done with treats from my Wilmington visit yet. As you can tell most of my time was spent eating. Before leaving on Sunday my dad whipped up some brunch. Huevos rancheros to be exact.

My family loves Mexican food but none of this over-cheesed, over-sauced mess. We go a little more authentic. My dad got this recipe from The Essential Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy who is basically the Julia Child of Mexican cuisine. 

By using fresh veggies to make the salsa and moderating the amount of cheese, this can be a very satisfying but non-nap inducing brunch choice. Since there aren't too many elements to this dish, the salsa is the star.

WAY better than jarred salsa

Fry the tortillas like you would for enchiladas - making sure not to make them crispy. Drain them and then fry the eggs right in that oil. Everyone's different but I prefer my whites completely set with a runny yoke. This would be a good time to whip up some homemade refried beans too. I won't judge you for using a can, but homemade ones are much tastier and look way more appetizing. 

Multitask

Now it's time for assembly. Almost done! Place a fried egg on a tortilla and surround with salsa. Grate a little cheddar cheese on top and stick under the broiler for about 30 seconds - just enough time to melt the cheese. Top with some cilantro and dig in! I definitely think it's a respectable decision to eat two. 

Huevos Rancheros with Salsa Ranchera
Serves 1

Ingredients:
1/2 cups of salsa ranchera, warmed (recipe below)
2 tbsp oil
2 small tortillas
2 eggs

Directions:
Heat oil and fry the tortillas lightly on both sides, as you would for enchiladas - they must not become crisp. Drain them on some toweling and place them on the warmed dish.


In the same oil, fry the eggs, then place them on the tortillas.

Cover the eggs with the warmed sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. Put the dish briefly under the broiler until the cheese melts.

Salsa Ranchera


Ingredients:
1 tomato (about 1/2 lb), broiled
1 or 2 chiles serranos, toasted
1/2 clove of garlic, peeled

Directions:
To toast chilies, place the chili on a warm cast iron pan and turn it from time to time until the skin is charred and the flesh is soft.

To broil tomatoes, out onto a hot cast iron pan and cook until the skin is wrinkled and brown and the flesh is soft right through - this takes about 20 to 25 minutes for an 8 ounce tomato. However, since this method is very messy, it is best to line a shallow metal pan with foil and put the tomatoes in it. Place them under a hot broiler - do not have the flame too high or the tomato will burn without cooking through - and turn them from time to time so that they cook through evenly - the skin will be blistered and charred. A medium tomato will take about 20 minutes.

Blend tomatoes, chilies, and garlic together to a fairly smooth sauce. Do not overblend.

[Recipe from The Essential Cuisines of Mexico by Diana Kennedy]

Adobo Shrimp Tacos with Sweet and Sour Slaw

I can't even begin with my love for tacos. What's not to love? You can customize them any way you want: spicy, cheesy, seafood, veg, slaw, salsa, even fruit. I'm big on the customization piece because my mood and palette change daily, hence why I also have a love affair with sandwiches and pizza. You really can't mess them up, and I would have to work hard to get tired of them.

I've been wanting to make tacos ever since a long weekend with friends in Wintergreen where we had fish and chicken tacos. It looked pretty simple, and the slaw was so tasty that I needed to recreate it myself. It was sweet and tangy with a good crunch that all tacos need. 

Pretty colors

I got the recipe from the chef of the weekend, my friend Eliza. Using pre-shredded purple cabbage and frozen corn makes this simple but impressive. Check out those colors. Just marinate the cabbage in some Agave syrup (I used regular honey thinned out with a little water) and lime juice while you're prepping the rest of the food. Throw it in the pan with the cooked corn right at the end, and you're done.

Multi tasking

The shrimp are a piece of cake as well. Just dump on a spice mixture and cook for about 4 minutes per side. Then it's assembly time. Layer on the shrimp, slaw, fresh cilantro, avocado and adobo sauce. You can really change up the toppings however you want, but, I thought it best to keep them relatively simple because so many flavors were happening between the slaw and adobo sauce.

Simple enough to cook for one but impressive enough to cook for a dinner party. I suggest you try these out for your next Taco Night (The Bachelor finale is Monday night. Just saying). Your friends will be singing your praises.

Adobo Shrimp Tacos with Sweet and Sour Slaw

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Tacos:

4 corn tortillas

1 avocado

10 large raw shrimp, deveined and thawed if frozen

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin

3 dashes sea salt

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 cup shredded purple cabbage

1 whole lime

For the Adobo Sauce:

5 teaspoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 of a whole lime, juiced

2 dashes salt

For the Slaw:

1/2 cup corn, thawed

1 cup purple cabbage, shredded

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp agave syrup

1/2 of a whole lime, juiced

salt

pepper

Directions:

In a small bowl add the adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers, Greek yogurt, lime juice, and salt. Mix and set aside.

Sautee the corn with the oil, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes and garlic powder for 10 minutes.

While corn is cooking, put the shrimp in a medium size bowl and add the chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, cumin, and salt. Mix together so that the shrimp are coated with the spices.

In a medium size skillet add the olive oil. Then add the shrimp. Turn the shrimp as they cook until each side is lightly browned (about 8 minutes). Reserve the olive oil in the pan, and remove the shrimp on to a cutting board or plate.

Add the cabbage to the corn and cook for about 2 minutes.

Cut the shrimp in half and put them in a bowl. Then add the remaining olive oil from the pan in with the pieces of shrimp and mix together.

Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave for about 10 to 12 seconds.Then top with the shrimp, cilantro, avocado and the slaw. Drizzle the adobo sauce on top. Serve while the tortilla is still warm, and with a quarter piece of lime.

[Recipe adapted from Coupon Clipping Cook]

Chorizo Enchiladas

Since it gets dark so quickly these days, the last thing I want to do after I get home from work is go to the store and chef something up. So when the mood strikes me I have to take advantage and cook up a big batch of something to last me throughout the week (more to come on Soup Sundays). I'm a huge leftovers fan especially when it comes to bringing lunch to work.

One of my go-to's has become enchiladas. I blame this on my dad who makes some form of this every couple weeks. They're so versatile and easy. Once you get the basic flow of the recipe down you can change up your meat, veggies, cheese and sauce based on what's in your fridge. 

Even though I might be making a stretch here, I'd venture to call them healthy since it's much better for you than any dirty Tex-Mex spot - not knocking them because I've been known to dabble. I just can't consciously put as much cheese or sour cream (I'm not ruling out cream cheese either) on these bad boys as somewhere like "El Rodeo."

And I don't need to sell you on Chorizo, because, duh. 

Chorizo Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

Serves 3

Ingredients:

3-4 Chorizo sausages, casings removed

1/2 onion, sliced

2 jalapenos, seeded and cut into strips

Jack cheese cut into thin strips

6 whole wheat tortillas

1/2 can of Trader Joe's Tomatillo Sauce (call me Sandra Lee)

Avocado and Greek yogurt for serving

Directions:

Heat medium skillet over medium heat. Pinch casing-free chorizo into smaller pieces and add to the skillet. There's enough fat and flavor in these to not need oil or spices. Heat until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towel. 

In the same pan, add the onions directly to the chorizo grease. I'm big on minimal cleanup, and I just think of this as a much more flavorful olive oil. Cook until soft.

I like to add some of the tomatillo sauce into the skillet once the veggies are removed, and heat it up a little. Let each tortilla cook in this individually for about 15 seconds on eat side to seal some flavor in there and soften it up to make it easier to roll (secret of the pros). 

After letting the tortillas simmer, add in some onion, one strip of jalapeno, one strip of cheese and top with chorizo. Roll these tightly and place seam side down in a greased baking dish. I usually put too much filling in and end up with fat enchiladas so could only fit six in the dish. Top your finished product with the rest of the sauce and dot with cheese. 

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with avocado slices and Greek yogurt.

Whatever, avocados are healthy fats.