Mexican dinner

[chel0524]

I want to start doing a mexican dinner night occassionally. I need ideas for side dishes for the family. I will be doing make your own burrittoes and tacos, but what about sides? I will probably do tortilla chips and a couple of different dips for them. I don't thinks something like refried beans would go over too well either.

Do you gals ever do this? What would you all use?

[Biblecat2]

I love Mexican food!

I like to make Spanish rice for a side dish. Since it's a side, I just used a box mix to save time.
Lots of shredded lettuce, cheese, onion, tomato, sour cream, sliced olives, and sometimes avocado when it's not so expensive.
You can buy pre-cooked tostada shells to put things on too.
This is really hot and spicy, usually for the adults..I take a small can of jalapeños and mix it with sliced boiled carrots and let it soak overnight. You can add onion and cilantro.
I hope I can get some ideas from this thread too...

[Marie_M]

Black Beans and Rice

Take a couple of cans of pre-cooked black beans, add some cooked rice, shredded cheddar cheese, and salsa (whatever heat level you prefer). Cook in the microwave until heated through. Stir and serve.

Spicy Chili Corn

Take a bag of thawed corn (or a couple of cans) and add 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of diced jalapeno peppers. Cook in the microwave until heated through. Stir and serve.

Avocado Salad

Dice or chunk a couple of avocados, onions, and tomatoes. Put in a bowl, sprinkle with a little salt, and squirt some fresh lime juice on top.

[chel0524]

Marie - that spicy chili corn sounds great!

[Marie_M]

It's really good chel!

If you have leftovers of it, you can just dump it in a pot of chili or stuff it in some burritos. Very versatile dish!

[Rebekah]

Pico de gallo is great to use as a dip, on fajitas, rice, baraccho beans, etc.
Just chop up some tomatoes, onions, jalepenos and cilantro (a little cilantro goes a long way, especially if you are like me and don't typically care for the taste). Add a little lime or lemon juice to it--delicious!

Mango or peach salsa is good, too.

You can buy some queso blanco to use as the cheese.

Don't forget that you can buy flour chips as well as corn chips. Tortillas are especially tasty served warm.

For dessert how about some flan? You can buy prepackaged. Or just a fruit tray for a lighter touch. Or flour tortillas served with butter and a dash of honey? Mexican hot cocoa is good, too. Usually this involves adding cinnamon to the hot cocoa for a little twist. Very tasty. Goya, Ceres or Looza brand fruit nectar and juices are a tasty way to have something fun to sip.

Beans don't have to be refried. You can make barracho beans (I know I spelled that wrong). It is like a bean "soup." You can also buy black beans and serve those. Do you have Goya brand where you are? Very tasty. How about a chicken tortilla soup? There are some good recipes for this online.

[wife]

Yummy!! We love Mexican night. I used to make rice but I haven't and my kids love it, so I guess I should start again...LOL

[chel0524]

Lots of good ideas!

[Biblecat2]

I'll have to try the tortillas with a dash of honey! I usually use a very hot griddle and flip the tortillas until lightly brown. Sometimes with a little butter after the griddle, but I like Rebekah's idea with a dash of honey.

[wife]

I fry up the tortillas (sometimes I bake them) and then sprinkle cinnamon sugar on them. yummy

[Tenbear2808]

Mexican Rice -

Borracho Beans - they make a wonderful substitute for refried beans, even though the name means drunken beans - its a mexican version of bean soup and is used as a side dish in many restuarants.

BTW I dont know why you couldnt use a good brand of canned pintos in place of dried if short on time just dont add the water except to make it the consistency that you want. Experiment. Here's the basic recipe from dried beans but this will give you the basic spices and stuff to add to canned beans too

Ingredients:
3 cups of pinto beans
3 quarts of water
1 lb. bacon or 1 ham hock
1 medium onion
3 roma tomatoes
1 cup cilantro
2 serrano peppers
3 garlic cloves
1 beer(optional)
salt to taste


Sort through the beans. Look for small rocks and debris.
Place in a large bowl and rinse several times. Lift beans out by hand into a clean bowl of water. Do not pour beans as there will be sand and debris at the bottom of rinse bowl.

Fill bowl with water and soak overnight.

Boil about 3 quarts of water and add beans. If you are cooking on a stove it should take about 3 hours.

If you are too busy to babysit a pot of beans, use a crock pot. Three cups of beans for a large crock pot, two cups of beans for a smaller crock pot.

Add boiling water as needed. If using ham hock add now.

When the beans are light brown and soft, add salt, garlic, serrano peppers. Cut bacon and fry along with the onions. Add to beans. Last add the celantro and fresh tomatoes.

Serve with flour or corn tortillas. Cornbread is great, too!

This is a very forgiving recipe. Make it your own. Enjoy!

[jorjean]

We like enchiladas! The commercial sauce is wonderful. Dip flour tortillas and fill them with beef, or beans or chicken, or what ever, place in a 13 X 9 pan and cover with more sauce, shredded cheese, bake until warmed through. You can add what ever you like. Peppers of all flavors and green chilli's,or black olives as well. Don't forget the sour cream and limes!!! (on the side)

[Tenbear2808]

Couldnt get the edit to work so here is Mexican Rice recipe:

Mexican Rice Recipe
* 1 teaspoon of salt
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 3 tablespoons cooking oil
* 1 cup uncooked rice
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1/2 cup tomato puree or can tomato
* 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
* 1/2 cup chopped onion


Instructions:
Heat oil. Add rice and cook until golden. Add & sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Add Salt, tomato and broth in blender. Add to rice, cook until tender and liquid is absorbed.Cooking time 20 minutes over low heat.

[jorjean]

Mexican Rice -

Borracho Beans - they make a wonderful substitute for refried beans, even though the name means drunken beans - its a mexican version of bean soup and is used as a side dish in many restuarants.

BTW I dont know why you couldnt use a good brand of canned pintos in place of dried if short on time just dont add the water except to make it the consistency that you want. Experiment. Here's the basic recipe from dried beans but this will give you the basic spices and stuff to add to canned beans too

Ingredients:
3 cups of pinto beans
3 quarts of water
1 lb. bacon or 1 ham hock
1 medium onion
3 roma tomatoes
1 cup cilantro
2 serrano peppers
3 garlic cloves
1 beer(optional)
salt to taste


Sort through the beans. Look for small rocks and debris.
Place in a large bowl and rinse several times. Lift beans out by hand into a clean bowl of water. Do not pour beans as there will be sand and debris at the bottom of rinse bowl.

Fill bowl with water and soak overnight.

Boil about 3 quarts of water and add beans. If you are cooking on a stove it should take about 3 hours.

If you are too busy to babysit a pot of beans, use a crock pot. Three cups of beans for a large crock pot, two cups of beans for a smaller crock pot.

Add boiling water as needed. If using ham hock add now.

When the beans are light brown and soft, add salt, garlic, serrano peppers. Cut bacon and fry along with the onions. Add to beans. Last add the celantro and fresh tomatoes.

Serve with flour or corn tortillas. Cornbread is great, too!

This is a very forgiving recipe. Make it your own. Enjoy!

So, would this work with black beans or kindey beans, or white beans?

[Tenbear2808]

I certainly could see this working with Kidney Beans for sure it would change the flavor a bit but those spices and veggies I use in kidney bean recipes all the time.

I dont know about the others because I dont use them BUT if you like a really good bean soup I have now posted a really SIMPLE and delicious bean soup. My daughter is the world's pickest person and even at 32 she hates most veggies but she eats this!!!

[chel0524]

Ooh! I can't wait to try some of this stuff! Thanks you all.

[heart_changed99]

We like to do quesadillas with our Mexican dishes. I like to chop up some tomato, mushrooms, onions, and use a blend of cheeses. Here is a simple recipe that you can follow:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archive...quesadilla.php

[firstoftwelve]

the frozen taquitos with tostitos creamy southwestern ranch dip are Awesome!!

[pistis]

How bout a Jicama slaw with cilantro, or even a green salad with some black beans, red onion rings, cilantro, and southwestern salad dressing made with salsa, mayo and sour cream, or a vinegrette with some cumin that's been lightly toasted in a dry pan?

You can dress up many common vegies or sides with a little lime juice, chili powder, cilantro or jalepeno and make them "mexican" style.

Take a regular tomato and cucumber salad, add a few squirts of lime juice to a sugar, vinegar and oil dressing, add some chopped cilantro and a sprinkling of diced fresh jalepenos and you've turned a regular side dish into a mexican style one.

Take corn on the cob and spread with melted butter mixed with lime juice and chili powder, dust with parmesan cheese for an extra zip.

Boil some carrots, drain and glaze them with butter, sugar and cumin powder, add a little orange juice for a more complex flavor.

Have fun with it, hope this helps!

[lyngraphics]

The boxed Mexican rice is a good time saver and my whole family loves it- even the generic tastes good. The trick is to add you own tomatoes, green peppers and some spices depending on your spice tolerance (I go for mild LOL!)