Loaded Chips and Cheese

You can make chips and cheese into a fully balanced meal! This is one of the great things about it – that and melted cheese. What cheese lover can resist that? :-)  (Note of our foreign friends – the kind of chips used for this are corn tortilla chips, just in case you don’t know that.)

To make the loaded chips and cheese pictured above I fully cooked some chicken breast strips and seasoned them with Mexican type seasoning (garlic, onion, red pepper, cumin, oregano) and salt.

Then, after spreading the corn chips on a baking sheet, I added the chicken, sliced black olives and grated cheese.  I added some more spices to make the entire batch more flavorful. I baked it in the oven (350F-375F)  just till the cheese melted and then sprinkled it with fresh, diced tomatoes before serving it. Supper in one pan! :-)

Pinto or black beans from a can or precooked (rinsed and well drained) could be used here in place of the chicken meat, or added to it to “stretch” it. You could also use cooked, drained ground beef.

Other toppings you could use to make a complete meal of it:

- mozzarella; pepperoni; fully cooked, crumbled sausage (drained and patted dry with paper towel); mushrooms; olives and other pizza toppings (use the sauce for dip if you want it, or sprinkle basil, garlic and oregano on top of the cheese before baking).

- good melting cheese of your choice, thin sliced steak (fully cooked); chopped, canned artichoke hearts (well drained and patted dry); and sautéed garlic cloves (drained). Add fresh chopped tomatoes after removing it from the oven. Season with herbs of your choice – maybe fresh, chopped basil? Mmmm.

- fully cooked, drained ground beef (drain on paper towel); garbanzo beans; pitted kalamata olives; lightly sautéed garlic; crumbled feta cheese.  (You could use mozzarella with this as well.)  Top this with fresh, shredded lettuce, chopped cucumber, and/or tomatoes.  You could also spray the top lightly with olive oil before to add flavor.

- cheddar cheese; cooked, drained ground beef; and finely chopped dill pickles. Add chopped, diced tomatoes; shredded lettuce; and diced onion or chopped green onions after it is finished baking. "Sprinkle" ketchup and mustard over it. (This is for a cheese burger type taste.) :-)

Notes:

Obviously all the cheese needs to be grated, or in the case of feta crumbled, before use.

You could use leftover meat for this such as shredded chicken, turkey, beef, or pork.

Anything you want fresh needs to be added after removing from the oven.

I have not tried all these toppings. I’m just thinking these through as I write. Be adventuresome and think up some of your own that sound good to you. Just remember not to use anything very wet or oily or the chips may get soggy.

Also, using safe cheese and other ingredients, this recipe can be made gluten free.

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First published here 1/2011. Edited.

Feel Good Friday - Mi Tierra - An Immigrant Story Worth Hearing

This is the true story of the results of the efforts of a Mexican immigrant couple who started a restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. The place has become a landmark through generations of hard work, attention to detail, and quality food and service.

What About the Refugees Anyway? – PART 1 - A Beginning and A Parable

This is a big issue right now with a lot being said about it.  I wasn’t sure if I should address it at first, but it is getting to be such a “big deal”, and I’ve seen so many things that disturbed me that I finally decided to do so.  As it turned out there’s a lot more to it from a biblical standpoint than I would have thought.  Here is PART 1 of a series.

What About the Refugees Anyway? PART 1 - A Beginning and A Parable

James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy,
that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

There has been a lot of emotion, animosity and heated opinions about the refugee situation.  Sadly, there has been a lot that, from my perspective, doesn't seem to reflect the mind of Christ - and I'm speaking about the Christian context here.  (I don't expect that from the world.)  Quite a lot of this is probably because modern right-wing and conservative politics have been made "the norm" and essential among Evangelicals and Fundamentalists.  But, what do you do when some, or the majority of them, take a position on a significant issue that is contrary to scripture and the example of Jesus Christ?

Conservative politics and many conservative Christians say that Syrian refugees are very dangerous and must be refused.  There are cries for our safety, accusations that most of them are "young men", and a fairly broad disregard of all the other refugees from other countries that need help.  We've heard similar claims about the Mexican situation, except that the "loss of jobs" has been a major complaint on that.

First of all, I want to say that I am in no way trying to "solve the problem" here.  I don't have a perfect answer for a situation as complicated as this.  I actually doubt that anyone really does.  Messy situations usually require multi-faceted answers.

Continue Reading.

Tomatillo Salsa

This salsa was actually an invention of my dad’s.  I simply copied his idea.  (He didn’t have a recipe, as usual. :-)  )  The ingredients don’t have to be added in these exact proportions.  You can change them to suit your needs or taste.  One reason I like this salsa especially is because tomatoes bother me some, but apparently tomatillos don’t.  It also has a great flavor that is a little different than the usual fresh tomato salsa.  I find it a bit more refreshing.

Tomatillo Salsa

3-4 large tomatillos  (Probably more if you use homegrown.)
1 green onion, (green leaf parts only, unless you like lots of onion)
1 large jalapeno
3-4 garlic cloves
A little fresh (or frozen) cilantro
Juice of one lemon
Salt to taste

Prep. vegetable appropriately and run in a food processor or blender in batches.  Mix all together well and allow to sit in the fridge about 15 minutes before serving.  (Refrigerate leftovers.)

I love fresh salsa on a fried egg with sour cream on top and this kind is especially delicious.  You can also use it with corn or tortilla chips, tacos or burritos.  Mix it with sour cream for a yummy dip.  I spooned a little over chicken I was cooking in a frying pan with vegetables one night.  It  was good that way too.

Guacamole

Here is our recipe for guacamole - to go with the Taco Soup recipe, or for any time you want to make guacamole. We used to make a different style of guacamole, but after a friend expressed how he like the taste and/or texture of the store bought variety better, I came up with this alternative. Interestingly, though the mayonnaise is non-traditional, we like it better this way.

Guacamole

3 - 4 ripe avocados (med-small, non-sweet variety)
1/4 - 1/2 C. sour cream
1 - 2 Tbl. mayonnaise
Garlic powder - to taste
Onion powder - to taste
Red chili pepper (powder)
1/4 tsp. cumin
Pinch of oregano
1 - 2 tsp. lemon juice – preferably fresh
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients in a small - med. bowl. If avocado does not mash enough just from mixing you may wish to smash the chunks against the side of the bowl in order to make a smoother texture.
Serve with chopped black olives and tomatoes, and grated cheese. You may mix these in or use them to garnish the top. A dollop of sour cream and a black olive on top also looks nice when serving it.

Taco Soup

Well, the weather is actually getting a little cooler here in Texas.  It’s not exactly cool during the day, mind you, and I expect more hot days still, but it has moderated.  And, since a friend of mine was requesting my Taco Soup recipe recently, I started thinking about posting some soup recipes on here. :-)
Mary's Taco Soup
Canned refried beans
Chicken/beef broth or water
Fully cooked ground beef, or beef or chicken chunks (optional)
Garlic powder - to taste
Onion powder - to taste
Red chili pepper - to taste (mild, medium or hot)
Cumin (not as much as the onion or garlic)
Oregano (just a little)
Mix refried beans with broth over medium heat in a large pan.  Add seasonings and meat.
Cook, stirring often, till it is heated through or just coming to a boil.
Serve with chopped black olives, guacamole, sour cream, grated cheese and chopped tomatoes.  Chopped onions - optional.  Also, serve with warm tortillas, quesadillas, or tortilla chips.
Note: If you want a creamier soup, mix some sour cream into it while it is cooking.

As you can see, I don’t have exact measurements for this.  It is one of the recipes that I know “what” but not “how much”, so I make it “by the seat of my pants”. :-)  Make it agree to your family’s taste.
Also, I think this recipe could be made gluten-free.