Fiesta T-Shirt Winners

To celebrate San Antonio's Fiesta, I announced earlier this month that I'd be giving away some Fiesta T-Shirts. There were several ways to win; one of the ways was to leave comments on my posts this month.


The winners are two of my favorite Fiesta Foodies:

Reeni, Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice, left 15 comments this month. Reeni also hosted the first week of my Foods and Flavors of San Antonio cookbook giveaway for April.

Heather, GirliChef, also left 15 comments this month. Heather and I have cooked up a special cookbook giveaway for the month of May. I can't tell you what it's about; you'll have to visit GirliChef tomorrow for all the details, but I can tell you that it will be a fun contest and it involves cooking.

Turkey Lettuce Wrap Tacos

I love tacos. I love tacos wrapped in corn tortillas. I love tacos wrapped in flour tortillas. My new taco love is tacos wrapped in Romaine lettuce leaves. I saw a recipe on Kalyn's Kitchen for
tacos wrapped in lettuce and they looked so good I had to make them, changing the recipe to suit my taste. Kalyn loves cilantro;
I don't. Her recipe called for 1-1/4 cups of chopped cilantro. Not happening in my kitchen.

I rolled them after I took the picture because if I took the picture after I rolled them, all you would see is round packages of Romaine lettuce.

Here's my recipe for Turkey Lettuce Wrap Tacos:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 T. dried minced garlic
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
• 2 T. lime juice
• 8 leaves Romaine lettuce, washed and root ends trimmed
• 1 tomato, chopped
• Guacamole

Heat a deep, 12-inch chef's saute pan over medium heat. Add the turkey, onion, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring, until the turkey is brown and the onion is limp.

Add the green chilies to the turkey mixture in the pan, stir to mix them in, then let cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While this is cooking, prepare the guacamole.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lime juice.

Spoon equal amounts of the turkey mixture into the center of
the Romaine lettuce leaves. Top with chopped tomatoes and guacamole.

Wrap and enjoy. You can also serve this in a corn or flour tortilla (which I did with the leftovers), but a lettuce wrap makes a nice change and the crunch is good.

These were really good, but a bit mild. The only thing I'd do different is to add more chili powder and cumin. Lots more chili powder and cumin, maybe even some chipotle powder or crushed red pepper flakes.

Do you love tacos? Want to make tacos, or any variation
of tacos, for Taco Tuesdays? Post your tacos on your blog with the badge and a link to Taco Tuesdays, then send
me the link to your post at gloriachadwick@gmail.com.
Round-up is posted on the
third Tuesday each month.

Cookbook Giveaway... Week Four

All month, four of my favorite Fiesta Foodie friends have been giving away copies of my new cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio, each week on their blogs.

This week, Teresa, Mexican American Border Cooking, is giving away two copies of my cookbook and is offering you lots of chances to win every day from now until May 2nd. But that's not all. She's giving the winners of my cookbook something special; they'll also receive a copy of her e-cookbook, Mi Chita's Mexican Chocolate Recipes.
I have this e-cookbook and can vouch
for how delicious all the recipes are.
But you don't have to take my word for it. Visit Teresa's Mexican Chocolate Lore and More blog to see for yourself.

This is just too good to miss. If you love Tex-Mex food and chocolate, click over to her blog right away. She's got Kahlua
Coffee and Kahlua Cookies waiting on the table for you.

Be sure to stop by Mexican American Border Cooking every day
to see what Teresa has cooking and for extra chances to win my cookbook and her chocolate e-cookbook. For those of you who haven't met Teresa yet, she and her husband, Bob, are the authors of Aprovecho: A Mexican American Border Cookbook, a completely delicious Tex-Mex cookbook filled with family recipes and so much more. If you love Tex-Mex food, you're gonna love her blog.

Too Hot to Handle

I took my grandsons, Antonio and Jordon, to the King William Fair yesterday. It's a huge street fair and
is part of the Fiesta events. It's filled with vendors selling awesome stuff and there's lots of food: Foot-long corn dogs, gorditas, brisket tacos, corn on the cob, dorito pies, turkey legs, sausage on a stick, quesadillas, funnel cakes, and so much more.

We got there about 11:00 A.M. (missed the parody parade) and walked around for a while, searching for the Kid's Kingdom. While we were walking around, we got hungry. I told Antonio and Jordan they could have whatever they wanted so of course they chose the foot-long corn dogs (I knew they would). These things are huge.
(I didn't take my camera so I don't have pictures, sorry!) I had a gordita piled high with pico de gallo.

After we walked around for a while longer, finally gaining sight of the Kid's Kingdom (yay!), we decided to have a funnel cake and it was really good! Worth every penny of the $5.00. (It probably cost the food vendor about 23 cents to make.)

We'd been walking around in the heat (90 degrees) and humidity for a couple of hours and finally arrived at Kid's Kingdom. I bought $40 worth of tickets for the kid's rides and games, and we're walking over to the climbing wall and the bungi jump when I started to feel really dizzy. Next thing I knew I was on the ground and a dog was licking my face. (Dogs love me and I think this dog helped me to wake up.)

It happened so fast; I had no warning. Just felt really, really dizzy, then passed out from the heat. I think some really nice people must have caught me and laid me gently on the ground. When I opened my eyes (I don't think I was out very long), there was a really nice, very cute, guy asking me if I was okay. He said he was a physician and would stay with me until I felt better. He asked me a couple of questions, wanting to know if I had diabetes, when did I eat last, was I on any medications, and could I sit up. I remember thinking that he was really nice and wondered if I could set him up with my daughter (she's divorced).

I still felt too dizzy to sit up, so I just laid there on the ground looking up at all the people who were looking at me laying on the ground (so embarrassing!). The doctor and some other really nice people helped me stand up, then walked me to the first aid station where they gave me ice to put on my neck and a bottle of water.

I just want to say a big THANK YOU to all the people who helped me. Don't know if they'll ever read this blog, but there are really nice people out there who helped me and stayed with me until I
felt better and I'm very grateful.

After about a half hour of cooling down, I decided that since my original intent was to have a really good time with my grandsons,
I wasn't going to let a little thing like heat exhaustion ruin our
good time at the fair. Besides, I had just spent $40 on tickets
and wanted the boys to enjoy the rides and games.

Heat exhaustion can happen to anyone, at any time. It is NOT a little thing; it can turn serious and deadly if you don't take care of yourself (or have someone else take care of you) right away. If you're going to be out walking around in the heat, check out this article on Heat Stress and Heat-Related Illness.

After we finished our fun at the fair, I called my daughter and she came to get us. When I got home, I turned the air conditioning way down to about 50 degrees, took a cool shower, and just relaxed for the rest of the day. I got a good night's sleep last night, but today,
I still feel hot and somewhat dizzy, so I'm going to stay cool today and have a relaxing Sunday at home.

Heat exhaustion can happen to anyone. I'm not that young (pushing 60), but I'm really healthy, and I had already guzzled two bottles of water, so I had kept myself hydrated, but I still passed out from the heat. It gets really hot and very humid in San Antonio (and in lots of other places), so please take care of yourself. Summer is coming and heat exhaustion can affect anyone.

Pork Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

Pork Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce is the recipe we're all making for Second Sunday San Antonio in May, a Tex-Mex foodie event where we all make the same recipe from my new cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio, and compare notes. The recipe was chosen by Chef Bliss. Here are my enchiladas before I dressed them up.

The finished dish, all dressed up with the delicious sides.

Since I can't resist making changes to my own recipes, I've noted the tweaking I've done in blue.

• 1-1/4 lb. pork shoulder, diced (I used a 3-1/4 pound boneless pork for carnitas; I used about half of it and saved the rest to make chili later in the week.)
  
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (I used butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.)
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 2 cups drained canned tomatillos (I used 6 fresh tomatillos, husks removed, washed and gently boiled for 15 minutes to soften.)
  
• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed (I was able to fit 10 enchiladas into the pan.)
  
• 3/4 cup grated Mexican blend cheese

Add the diced pork to a medium-size saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Drain, let cool, then shred with two forks. I seasoned
the shredded pork with salt, freshly ground black pepper, chili powder, and cumin.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 13 x 9 baking
dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the serrano peppers and the tomatillos. Cook, stirring constantly, until the tomatillos begin to break up. Reduce the
heat and simmer for 10 more minutes. Let cool slightly, then
puree in a blender.

Spoon equal amounts of the shredded pork on the center of each tortilla and roll it up. Place it seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Warm the corn tortillas by steaming them in the microwave.

Pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese bubbles. I baked it for 45 minutes
to brown the cheese. I love slightly-burnt cheese.

I served it with sour cream, refried beans, shredded Romaine lettuce, and chopped tomatoes.

We'd love to have you cook with us for May's Second Sunday San Antonio. The round-up will be posted on May 10th. Make the recipe (tweak it if you like) and post the picture on your blog, along with the badge and a link to Second Sunday San Antonio, then send me an email at gloriachadwick@gmail.com with the link to your post.

The first foodie to make and post the current month's recipe gets to choose the recipe we'll all make next month. GirliChef was the first to post this month so she'll be choosing next month's recipe which will be posted at the round-up.

Taco Tuesdays... April Round-Up

Welcome to the first round-up of Taco Tuesdays, a monthly Tex-Mex foodie event. Tacos are my all-time favorite Tex-Mex food. There are practically infinite ways to make tacos or any of
their relatives.

Tacos come in all shapes and sizes. A
taco called by any other name--such as tostadas, taquitos, quesadillas, flautas, burritos, nachos, chiliquiles, chimichangas, and so many more--
is still a taco at heart.

I made Tuesday Tacos, doing one each of a tostada and a taco. The only difference is in whether you fold your tortilla in half or leave it open.

Heather, GirliChef, loves tacos as much as I do. She made three variations of a taco. First up is her Seasoned Turkey Flautas, made with the help of her mexichef.

In the middle of moving from one house to another, Heather still had time to make some Quick Quesadillas consisting of shredded beef with black beans and cheese.

Heather, being on a roll with tacos, also made Flautas de Pollo with Salsa Verde, sharing her long-running love affair with
Mexican food.

If you haven't visited Heather at GirliChef, be sure to go over and say hi. She's a girl after my own Tex-Mex heart and has a totally awesome blog that you'll love. She's a wonderful cook and a really nice person. We're cooking up a special surprise for everyone on May 1st.

Heather awarded me the Premio Meme award, wanting to know seven things about my personality. You're supposed
to share seven things about yourself, then pass the award and meme on to seven other bloggers who share seven things about their personalities then pass it along to seven other bloggers who share seven things about themselves, etc., so and so forth, for forever, until everyone in the world knows seven things about everyone.

This is probably more than you want to know about me, but here are seven things about my personality:

1. Passionate. GirliChef listed this as her #1 personality trait, too, so we have a lot in common. :) You have to put your whole heart and soul into whatever you do.

2. Determination. Some people call this stubbornness, but I prefer to think I'm persistent and determined in everything I do. It walks hand-in-hand with passion.

3. I'm a perfectionist. I can't help it; it's just in my nature. Some people call this nit-picking, some people find it really irritating, editors love it, and I prefer to think I'm just very, very thorough and want to do everything right; it has to be perfect, IMHO, or I won't put it out there.

4. Gullible. Tell me anything, even something absurdly untrue that everyone else knows is a lie, and I will totally believe you. This has gotten me into trouble more times than I can count.

5. Soft touch. Fits right in with my gullibility. Tell me a sob story and I'll give you the shirt off my back. Or take in homeless strays. That's why I have five animals (the furry kind) that live with me.

6. Positive. I always see the bright side
of things and can always find the good in everyone and everything.

7. Happy. The credo that I live by is to
Just Be Happy.

Okay, now that you know more than you probably wanted to know about me, here are seven of my blogging buddies I'd like to know seven things about... if they're willing to share.

• Teresa, Mexican American Border Cooking
• Tiersa, Chef Bliss
• Reeni, Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice
• Meg, Megan's Munchies
• Hornsfan, Bytes from Texas
• Natasha, Five Star Foodie
• Colleen, Colleen's Recipes

If you'd like to do the meme, and I haven't called you by name, please feel free to enjoy the award and do the meme. There are thousands of bloggers out there I haven't met yet; if you've found my blog, please leave me a comment and let me find yours.

Back to the food... If you want to do Taco Tuesdays with us, make tacos or any of their cousins or relatives--tostadas, taquitos, quesadillas, burritos, flautas, or practically anything that involves a tortilla, post them on your blog, along with the badge and a link to Taco Tuesdays, then email me at gloriachadwick@gmail.com with the link to your post. The round-up is posted on the third Tuesday every month.

Monterey Pepper Jack Chicken

Monterey Pepper Jack Chicken is one of the 261 recipes in
my new cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio. It's San Antonio's version of Chicken Parmesan. Instead of tomato sauce, salsa is used. Instead of Mozzarella cheese, Monterey Pepper Jack cheese is used. Instead of serving it over pasta, it's served over rice. The cornmeal coating adds a nice crunch and texture.

• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups salsa (I used a 16 oz. jar of Lime & Garlic Salsa Picante)
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Pepper Jack cheese
• 3 cups cooked white rice, hot (I made Mexican rice)
• 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a 13 x 9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and water until frothy.

On a dinner plate, combine the cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.

Dip the chicken breasts in the egg, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. Shake off the excess.

Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish and cook for 30 to
35 minutes or until the juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife.

Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the salsa over. Sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven for 10 minutes
or until the cheese melts.

Serve over rice with sour cream on the side.

I served mine with a side of pinto beans. Delicioso!

It's Fiesta!

Fiesta starts today and runs through the 26th. For 11 days, San Antonio parties day and night with over 107 activities.

An extra day was added this year for Fiesta Fiesta, April 16th, 5:00 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. at the Alamo to begin the festivities of Fiesta.

In addition to all the fun and food you can enjoy downtown around the Market Square area, here's a run-down on the major activities and events.

Fiesta Carnival. April 15th through the 26th at the Alamo Dome.

Fiesta Oyster Bake, Friday, April 17th, 5:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. and Saturday, April 18th, 11:00 A.M. to 11 P.M., St. Mary's University. This is known as the heartbeat of Fiesta and is the official kick-off of the party. In addition to over 100,000 oysters, there's plenty of Tex-Mex food, music, fun, and fireworks.

A Taste of New Orleans, April 17th through the 19th (various hours) offers family fun with a "taste" of New Orleans food and music. New Orleans is our sister city and we're now home to thousands of Katrina evacuees.

Paseo del Rio Children's Festival, April 18th, 10:00 A.M. to
4:00 P.M., at the River Walk is for children of all ages and features interactive games, face painting, clowns, mascots, story-telling, a moon bounce, food, and much more.

Texas Cavalier River Parade floats along the San Antonio River through the heart of the city on April 20th, 7:30 P.M.

NIOSA -- Night in Old San Antonio (pronounced knee-oh-sa) is a four-night event held in La Villita that celebrates San Antonio's diverse cultural heritage with 15 ethnic areas and 250 food booths serving every kind of food you can imagine. April 21st through the 24th, 5:30 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. This is mostly for the younger folks; there's a lot of drinking and partying going on. I babysit my four grandchildren while my daughters go and party.

Battle of the Flowers Parade is the founding event of Fiesta; it began in 1891 to honor the memory of the fallen heroes at the Alamo and to commemorate the victory at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836, where Texas gained its independence. Friday (aka Fiesta Friday), April 24th, 12:45 P.M. The Battle of the Flowers Parade is a really big deal. Banks close. Schools close. Businesses close. Millions of people converge on downtown San Antonio to enjoy all the fun of Fiesta. The theme of this year's parade is Hats Off to Texas.

Pooch Parade, April 25th, Alamo Heights, 8:00 A.M. to noon. Even dogs get to Fiesta!

King William Fair, April 25th, 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., offers a parade parody to start the day off that's filled with lots of fun, entertainment, a Kid's Kingdom, arts and crafts vendors, and of course, food!

Fiesta Flambeau Parade is a night-time parade through the streets of San Antonio. The floats are illuminated with thousands
of lights. The fun happens on April 25th at 7:45 P.M. when the sun goes down.

If you're not in San Antonio and can't be part of the foods and flavors of Fiesta, be sure to enter my giveaway to win a San Antonio Fiesta T-Shirt this month.

Cookbook Giveaway... Week Three

Do you love Tex-Mex food? Would you like to win a copy of my new cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio? This month, four Fiesta Foodies (see the sidebar) are giving away a copy of my cookbook each week on their blogs.

Tiersa, Chef Bliss, is hosting the third week of the cookbook giveaway. She's blissfully giving you six chances to win
this week, from April 15th to the 21st.

Be sure to visit Chef Bliss. You'll love her blog for many reasons; winning my cookbook is just one of them. Since I'm in a Fiesta mood and I want you to win, I thought it would be fun to offer you
a 7th chance this week. Leave a comment on this post as well as on Chef Bliss. I'll send your names over to her for the random drawing. Plus, I'll toss in a San Antonio refrigerator magnet to the winner this week. Plus, there's more! Chef Bliss is cooking up a surprise and will share it later this week.

Cascarones

It's almost time for Fiesta! Are you ready to party?

One of the traditions of Fiesta is Cascarones, confetti-filled eggshells, which, when cracked over your head, bring you good luck. This isn't just for kids. Adults of all ages are cracking cascarones during Fiesta.

What are Cascarones? They're part of the Fiesta fun!

Want to pretend you're at Fiesta and play a cascarones game?

Tuesday Tacos

I totally love tacos! During the Fiesta of Foods of Flavors event
last month to celebrate the birth of my new cookbook, Foods and
Flavors of San Antonio, we had tacos, or a variation of tacos,
every Tuesday. Since tacos are so good, and because you can make
them so many ways, we have a new monthly Tex-Mex Foodie event:
Taco Tuesdays.

Of course I made tacos for this event. I'd make them even without this event. I also made tostadas, which is basically an open-face taco. Here's my Tuesday Tacos.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• Various amounts of chili powder and cumin, to taste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa (I used Herdez Salsa Casera, Medium)
• 1 (8 oz.) package Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 1/2 small cucumber, chopped
• Chopped tomatoes
• Ranch dressing
• Shredded lettuce

Brown the ground beef and onions in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chili powder and cumin to taste
while the meat is browning.

Add the water, stir to mix, then reduce the heat and let simmer
for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Just before you're ready to start assembling the tacos, put the refried beans in a bowl and place them in the microwave; warm them for about 45 seconds. This makes spreading the beans on
the tortilla easier.

In a separate 10-inch dry skillet, warm the corn tortillas, one at a time, over medium heat. When the bottom is browned, flip it over and let the other side brown.

While the second side is browning, spread on some refried beans, some of the meat mixture, a spoonful or so of salsa, and some of the cheese.

Remove to a plate and add the chopped cucumber, tomato, Ranch dressing, lettuce, then more cheese.

Depending on whether you want a hand-held taco or an open-faced tostada, fold the tortilla in half for a taco or leave it open-face for a tostada.

Want to do Taco Tuesdays with us? The rules are easy because tacos are easy. Post your tacos (or their cousins--tostadas or taquitos; or their relatives--flautas, quesadillas, and burritos) on your blog, along with the badge and a link to
this post, then email me at gloriachadwick@gmail.com
with the link to your post. The round-up will be posted on the 21st, the third Tuesday this month.

Easter Sunday Pot Roast

Here in San Antonio, we tend to turn traditional meals, like an Easter Sunday dinner, into a Southwestern-style meal. I made
a not-so-traditional pot roast. I added a taste of Tex-Mex by tossing in some chipotle peppers. The sweetness of the carrots melded perfectly with the zip of the peppers. It's so easy to turn
any recipe into a Tex-Mex recipe. :)

• 1 2-1/2 pound bottom round rump roast
• 6 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 8 carrots, cut on an angle
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• Salt, coarsely ground black pepper, and dried Mexican oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 chipotle peppers, finely chopped
• 1 (0.87 oz.) package brown gravy mix
• 1-1/4 cups water, divided
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian diced tomatoes
• 8 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• Fresh or frozen broccoli florets

Heat a deep, 12-inch, chef's saute pan over high heat. Rinse the roast and put it in the hot pan to sear. When the bottom is seared, turn it over and sear the other side. When that's seared, sear both the sides. (I used tongs to hold the meat upright while the sides seared.) Remove to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the celery, carrots, and onions to the pan. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and oregano. Let cook for about 5 minutes, then stir and let cook again for 5 minutes. (Not much stirring involved and no need to add any oil; the veggies release their juices when sprinkled with salt so there's just the right amount of moisture to begin softening the veggies. Plus they pick up the flavor of the seared meat.)

During the last 2 minutes of sort-of softening the veggies, stir in the garlic and chipotle peppers. About a minute later, stir again.

Make a well in the middle of the pan (move the veggies to the
side) and return the roast to the center of the pan, along with
any accumulated juices.

Pour the gravy mix into a 2-cup measuring cup. Add one cup water, then stir with a fork to get out all the lumps. Pour this over the meat and veggies, letting some run under the meat, then add the diced tomatoes, along with about 1/4 cup water. (I put the water
in the can of diced tomatoes and swirl it around to pick up all the remaining tomato bits and juices from the can.) Stir.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for 2 hours or so, stirring the veggies and turning the meat occasionally.

About 20 minutes before the roast is done, cook the potatoes in salted boiling water in a separate saucepan.

About 5 minutes before the roast is done and the potatoes are happily cooking, put the broccoli florets in a medium-size bowl, cover with a wet paper towel and steam in the microwave for
about 3 to 4 minutes or until tender-crisp.

This was a simple, very delicious, Easter Sunday Pot Roast,
nothing fancy, just basic ingredients with an added taste of
Tex-Mex. It practically cooked by itself and my house smelled
wonderful.

Second Sunday San Antonio... April Round-Up

Welcome to the first round-
up of Second Sunday San Antonio, a monthly event where we cook a recipe from my new cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio. This month we made Mexican Pork Chops, my favorite recipe in the cookbook because it's quick, easy, and most of all, it's really, really delicious!

Tiersa, Chef Bliss, helped me launch Second Sunday San Antonio last month during my Fiesta of Foods and Flavors by being the first foodie to make the Mexican Pork Chops.

She enjoyed it so much that she also made the Mexican Chicken Chops version a week or so later.

Karen, Domestic Muse, being a true foodie, couldn't help but fool around with the recipe, changing it to suit her taste and serving it with some delicious sides of Cuban-Style Yellow Rice and Brushed Eggplant.

Of course, I made Mexican Pork Chops, too, since it is my favorite recipe.

Heather, Girli Chef, made Mexican Chicken Chops, serving it with a generous dollop of sour cream, a side of refried beans, and a lime for squeezing over everything. She's in the midst of a move right now but still has time to cook Tex-Mex. You go, girl!

Carole, Hey Mom, What's for Dinner Tonight? made Mexican Pork Chops, serving them with a fresh citrus salad.

Since Chef Bliss was the first foodie to post, she gets to choose the recipe we'll all make for next month and she chose Pork Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce.

• 1-1/4 lb. pork shoulder, diced
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 2 cups drained canned tomatillos
• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
• 3/4 cup grated Mexican blend cheese

Add the diced pork to a medium-size saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Drain, let cool, then shred with two forks.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 13 x 9 baking
dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the serrano peppers and the tomatillos. Cook, stirring constantly, until the tomatillos begin to break up. Reduce the
heat and simmer for 10 more minutes. Let cool slightly, then
puree in a blender.

Spoon equal amounts of the shredded pork on the center of each tortilla and roll it up. Place it seam side down in the prepared baking dish.

Pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese bubbles.

We'd love to have you cook with us for next month's Second Sunday San Antonio. The round-up will be posted on May 10th. Make the recipe (tweak it if you like) and post the picture of the dish on your blog, along with the badge and a link to this post (you don't need to include the recipe). Send me an email at gloriachadwick@gmail.com with the link to your post. If you're the first one to make and post Pork Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, you get to choose the recipe we'll all make next month.

Birthing a New Cookbook

When I wrapped up the month-long birthday party in March--A Fiesta of Foods and Flavors--to celebrate the publication of my newest cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio,
I announced the birth of a new fundraising Tex-Mex cookbook that will benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.

During the Fiesta, lots of foodies generously contributed nearly 200 original recipes that will be published in the new cookbook. I'm hoping to collect at least 100 more recipes and this is where you come into the picture.

If you'd like to contribute an original Tex-Mex recipe for the new cookbook, please send me an email at gloriachadwick@gmail.com. If you already have one or more Tex-Mex recipes posted on your blog and want to share them for the new cookbook, please let me know. Or create a new recipe and post it on your blog with a link to this post. All recipes for the new cookbook will be credited to the foodies who contribute them. My publisher has an option on my next cookbook and is interested in seeing a proposal for this new cookbook. If they like it, they'll offer on it. If not, I plan to self-
publish the fundraising cookbook.

I'm fairly outspoken about the hunger crisis and this is one way I can help--with your help--to feed people. Plus you'll get your recipe published at the same time! I'd also really appreciate your help in getting the word out to the foodie blogosphere about this, so feel free to copy the badge and put it on your sidebar with a link to this post or blog about the new cookbook to extend the call for recipes. The more foodies who know about this and share their recipes, the more people we can help to feed. Thanks!

Lasagna Enchiladas

Enchiladas come in so many shapes and sizes, and with so many different sauces and seasonings, that it's nearly impossible to clearly define what an enchilada is. Supposedly, they consist of a flour or a corn tortilla that is rolled to enclose a filling, placed in a baking dish, covered with enchilada sauce, smothered in cheese, and baked in an oven. But that's just the beginning. Enchiladas can be anything you want them to be. Who says you have to roll them? Sometimes it's more fun to layer them as you would with lasagna.


While I was gathering recipes for my Fiesta of Foods and Flavors month-long birthday party last month to celebrate the publication of my new cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio, I wrote a Twisting Tex-Mex post one day and shared a picture of Reeni's Taco Lasagna. To read her recipe, click on the link. This looked
so good that I decided to do an adaptation of her recipe and call
it Lasagna Enchiladas.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Various amounts, to taste, of chile powder, cumin, and chipotle powder
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can Mexican-style diced tomatoes
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, steamed to soften
• 1/2 (16 oz.) can refried beans
• 1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, cut into chunks
• 1/3 (4.25 oz.) can chopped black olives
• 1 (8 oz.) block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans
• 4 large Romaine lettuce leaves
• Dollops of sour cream
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber

Heat a deep, 12-inch chef's saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef with the onions and sprinkle with the chile powder, cumin, and chipotle powder. (I was very generous with this; adjust the seasonings to your taste depending on the heat level you want.) Cook until the meat is brown and the onions have softened.

Add the tomato sauce, sprinkle in more seasonings if you want
to, stir, then add the diced tomatoes, season again, and stir to
mix everything together. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce reduce for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is reducing and intensifying in flavor, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

When you're ready to assemble the lasagna enchiladas, steam the corn tortillas to soften them. (See this post for how to steam corn tortillas.)

Place half the refried beans in a bowl, then warm them in the microwave for about 45 seconds to make it easier to blop them
into the filling. (I love the word blop. Got it from Girli Chef.)

Spoon a small amount of the sauce in an 8-inch round casserole dish. Lay one tortilla on top of the sauce, spoon some of the meat mixture over to cover the tortilla, blop some of the refried beans on top of that, then dab some of the cubed cream cheese on top of that. Sprinkle some of the olives on, then cover liberally with some of the Monterey Jack cheese. Repeat three times.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the
foil and bake for 10 more minutes to brown the cheese.

During the last ten minutes of baking, warm the pinto beans in
a saucepan over medium heat.

Let the enchiladas rest for 5 minutes, then cut them into quarters. Place each over a Romaine lettuce leaf. Put a dollop of sour cream on the top and sprinkle with some of the chopped avocado and tomatoes. Serve the pinto beans, sprinkled with some of the avocado, tomatoes, and chopped cucumbers, on the side.

A few weeks ago, I announced The Whole Enchilada Throwdown and challenged all foodies to make enchiladas this month and define what the whole enchilada means. My definition is that enchiladas can be whatever you want them to be. There are no limits, there are no rules; you can have whatever you want, you can have it all. Be creative with your food and embrace the philosophy of the whole enchilada in your life.

There's still time to make enchiladas for the throwdown; the round-up will be posted on the 18th and there's a prize for the foodie who makes the best enchiladas (in any shape or size)
and creatively defines what the whole enchilada is. The prize
is a copy of my new cookbook. Voting will determine the winner.

Mini Mexican Meatloaf Muffins

I decided to reinvent meatloaf and give it a Tex-Mex flair.
Meatloaf has been around since the beginning of time, so it definitely qualifies as vintage. People have been reinventing meatloaf forever, so there's nothing new. My grandmother, and
my mom, used the same old recipe: ground beef, ketchup, an egg, salt and pepper, and Saltine crackers, so I made it new again with a variation on the same ingredients, and I made it mini. I don't know about your Grandma and your mom, but mine would always serve HUGE portions and tell me I had to eat everything on my plate. It's a wonder we all didn't turn into fatties eating this way, so to make something old new again, I downsized it into proper proportions for the way we eat (or are supposed to eat) in this day and age.

Umm, I definitely need to improve my food photography skills, but
I assure you, it tastes much better than it looks.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium egg
• 1/2 medium onion, basically turned into mush in my mini food processor (I was in a mini mood and a food processor is something my grandma and mom didn't have.)
• 1/2 cup, or more, sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into small, medium, or large cubes, depending on how much of a mouthful of cheese you want in each bite
• 2/3 cup crushed white corn tortilla chips--so much better than crushed Saltines, plus it's fun to beat the heck out of them. If you have a mostly-eaten bag of tortilla chips that are all crushed anyway, you can skip beating them into crumbs. You don't have to put them in a plastic baggie, squeeze the air out, seal it, then hit it repeatedly with a meat mallet. But you might want to do this anyway, especially if you've had a bad day or if you're mad at someone.
• 1 (8 oz.) can hot Mexican tomato sauce, divided

I mixed all the ingredients the same way that all cooks, for the whole eternity of time that meatloaf has been in existence, mix meatloaf: in a mixing bowl. Then I sprayed a mini muffin tin with butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray. Was nonstick cooking spray even around back in grandma's day? I seem to recall she buttered everything she thought would stick to a pan. In keeping with the mini theme, I cooked my mini meatloaves in my mini toaster oven preheated to 350 degrees.

In a medium-size mixing bowl (you have to use a medium-size mixing bowl; if you use a mini mixing bowl, your mini meatloaves will overflow the bowl), combine the ground beef, egg, mushed-up onion, cubed cheese, the crushed tortilla chips, and about half of the tomato sauce. You definitely have to use your hands. There's just nothing like the feel of raw food in your hands, squishing through your fingers--one of the joys of cooking. But don't get
too into this; a few squeezes is all it needs to get all mixed up together.

Since you've done your prep by spraying the mini muffin pan, scoop some meatloaf mixture into your hands, shape it into a loose ball, and plop it into one of the openings in the muffin pan. Repeat five more times, then it's okay to wash your hands of the meatloaf.

Dribble the remaining tomato sauce over the tops of each mini meatloaf muffin, making sure it runs down the side and makes
a mess. Actually, it will make a mess all by itself, but it's fun to
be a messy cook from time to time.

Before you put your mini meatloaves into the mini toaster oven, pull out some aluminum foil and gently cradle it around the entire bottom of the mini muffin pan. You'll thank me for this because your oven will stay clean because the aluminum foil will catch all
the drippings. I actually had the foresight to do this, so I didn't make a mess.

After 35 or 40 minutes, take your mini meatloaves out of the mini toaster oven. Let them rest for 5 minutes, then scoop them out by running a knife around the edges.

One of the new ways I made this was I cooked it in my toaster oven. Those weren't even invented in the old days. As you can
see, I globbed it up with lots of cheese--wonderful, melty, sharp Cheddar cheese inside that's so good, it just oozed out of my mini meatloaves. And that's not ketchup on the top. It's HOT Mexican tomato sauce.

I served it with mashed potatoes (just like my grandma and my mom did) and buttery, peppered corn.

That's it: Mini Mexican Meatloaf Muffins, reinvented with a taste
of Tex-Mex and a throwback to the days of yore.

Cookbook Giveaway... Week Two

Do you love Tex-Mex food? Would you like to win a copy of my new cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio? This month, four Fiesta Foodies (see the sidebar) are giving away a copy of my cookbook each week on their blogs.

Meg, Megan's Munchies, is hosting the second week of the cookbook giveaway. She's giving you seven chances to win this week, from April 8th through the 14th.

Visit Meg at Megan's Munchies for a week of Tex-Mex fun as she makes more recipes from my cookbook and highlights recipes other Fiesta Foodies have made.