We always make homemade salsa and in fact that is half the reason we grow a garden. Here is my super simple technique. It will take a bit longer if you don;t have a food processor, but just get a friend to help you chop. This will be enough to feed a small army.

• 12 med size fresh tomatoes
• 3 large peeled cloves of garlic
• 1 large onion
• 1 bunch of fresh cliantro
• large handful of peppers, 6-10 your choice, we use jalapenos, cayenne, gypsy, poblano, and Anaheim, sometimes habanera
• salt to taste

you will want chips to eat it with, we cook our own, see note below

Start by washing all of your ingredients. We will be using a food processor with the bottom mixing blade. Not the slicer or shredding disc. We will be using the pulse button.

Step #1 – Start with 6 of the tomatoes cut in half, cover and puree by pulsing several times, then put in mixing bowl.

Step #2 – Place garlic and cilantro in processor, cover and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Add to mixing bowl.

Step #3- Add all peppers, if big then cut in half or quarters, also add onion, peeled and quartered. Cover and pulse until chopped.

Add to mixing bowl.

Step #4 – Add remaining 6 tomatoes quartered, cover and pulse slightly only until diced in large chunks.

Add to mixing bowl.

Final step – Mix well and add salt to taste. Then refrigerate for 30 minutes to let flavors blend.

Homemade salsa is great on many things but best with home cooked tortillas. Take a stack of corn tortillas and cut the whole stack in 4ths using a butcher knife. Then separate and cook each in hot oil. We use a deep fryer and tongs. Be careful and only cook for a few seconds each. Drain on paper towels. You will think you are eating in a Mexican restaurant! Ole!

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use the same recipe as the vegetable burritos, but substitute fajita seasoning and use small tortillas and add a bit of cheese and sour cream on top

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Using spices in your cooking gives dishes authentic flavors,

for Mexican dishes use cilantro, and peppers

for Italian dishes use oregano and olive oil

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At our house we love Mexican food. I should say LOVE. We are sort of part Mexican, not by heredity but geographically, we are from California. Add to that I have this cooking thing in my blood, if I can imagine the taste I can make it. Well, last time I said something about all the wonderful peppers in my garden someone suggested we make chili rellenos. That was a thought I could not escape. But none of our peppers were the kind big enough to stuff. So what is my big  tip? Improvise!

What we came up with is a chili relleno casserole of sorts. First we start the sauce, in your blender add 5 squeezed fresh tomatoes, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 onion diced, and 1 red bell pepper diced,  puree. Pour into sauce pan and turn on med. Then into a bowl add the other half diced onion, and 12 to 15 chopped peppers. We used some sort of chili pepper (I forget all that we planted) bell peppers and several jalapenos, yes we like to live on the edge.

Then go back to your blender and add 3 fresh eggs, whip till frothy, then add one and a half cups flour, a T of baking powder and 1 cup milk, blend a little more until well mixed.

Then take a large skillet an add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, heat to frying temp. Pour in the batter, and add peppers on one side (think stuffed omelet). Then add 2 cups shredded fiesta blend cheese.

Turn your pan down and cover. Meanwhile your sauce should be bubbling and thickening.

When you have determined your batter is done, use a large spatula and flip empty side up on top of stuffed side. Again think omelet. Cover pan back up and leave on low until inside is thoroughly cooked, or take out of pan and microwave a bit more if the outside is cooking before the inside.

Then serve on plate with sauce spooned over it. This has the same flavor as a chili relleno and is absolutely addictive! Even when Hannah adds too many jalapenos and you are breathing fire. They like it that way around here. You could roast the peppers first but we like the not-all-the-way-cooked fresh taste.

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chimichangas are just basically fried burritos with toppings

• flour tortillas
• filling, our favorite is shredded beef and rice but we have also used cooked ground beef and refried beans
• cooking oil
• shredded mexican blend cheese
• mexican red sauce
• shredded lettuce
• sour cream
• diced cilantro
• diced tomatoes

Your amounts will depend on the size of your crowd and the size of your tortillas.

Put enough cooking oil in a skillet to well cover the bottom and heat. Warm your filling to serving temp. Take a tortilla and add enough filling to cover a strip down the middle. Not as full as you would a taco. Fold the bottom and top in toward the middle but not as far as to touch. Then roll the sides in. It should look long and like a roll. Then place in the pan with the fold side down. Fry until golden brown then turn and cook on other side. You want your oil hot enough to fry but not so hot that it burns right away. The point is to make your tortillas crunchy. When done remove and place on paper towel.

To serve we make a big presentation with these. On each plate make a bed of lettuce then add chimichanga, then red sauce then shredded cheese, then dollop of sour cream, then diced tomatoes and then diced cilantro. The toppings make this a gourmet dish.

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we use shredded beef in all kinds of dishes, tacos, enchiladas, sandwiches, burritos, chimichangas, tamales, and taquitos it can be made ahead and frozen

• beef roast, we use shoulder roast since our local market often has it on sale
• peppers (your choice)
• onions
• crockpot or slow cooker

This is really really easy. Take your roast and put it in the cooker, add quartered onions and sliced peppers. You can add as much or as little as you like. We usually use about 2-3 onions and 5-6 peppers with a 2-3 pound roast. Add enough water to cover, turn it to medium and let it cook until tender. When you can pull it apart with two forks it is done. If you have too much liquid put it in a pan on the stove and cook it down until all the broth evaporates.

Wasn’t that simple? Depending on what we are using it for we will sometimes mix with cooked rice.

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check back later today I will be posting his recipe

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• 2 pounds ground beef, or ground chuck, or venison, or stewing beef, or sausage, or any combination that amounts to 2 pounds
• 3 onions diced
• handfull of peppers of your choice, diced
• 6 pound can of tomato sauce
• 6 pound can of diced tomatoes
• 6 pound can of pinto beans
• your favorite seasonings

In a large skillet brown meant and onions and peppers. Then add all ingredients to a very large crockpot or electric roaster. Season according to your preference,  we use lots of chili powder and cajun seasoning. Cook on low about 4-6 hours, or until the aroma makes your stomach growl. Serve with a topping of fresh diced tomatoes, fresh diced onions, shredded cheese and sour cream. Also great to have cornbread muffins on the side.

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• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 onion cut in strips
• 1 bell pepper cut in strips
• 2 jalapeno peppers cut in strips
• 3 T. fajita seasoning
• homemade corn tortillas
• toppings- grated cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, lime slices or juice, cilantro
• 3 cups cooked rice (optional)

In a skillet on med heat cook the ground beef, onion and peppers with the fajita seasoning until the meat is cooked. You can add the cooked rice to stretch it a bit further if desired. Serve in fried tortillas and add toppings as desired.

This is one of those meals that can be really budget or a little more extravagant according to what you add on top. We use what is handy or on sale. Not as tasty as steak but will do . This makes enough to feed my big crowd.

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These are very simple.

• 2 cups Maseca instant corn flour
• 1 1/14 cups warm water
• dash salt
• 2 squirts lime juice

Mix together well, and divide into 16 equal amounts for taco size tortillas, you can roll the dough into a ball and flatten with hands or a tortilla press or you can do as we do, roll out with rolling pin and then use a plastic container as a big cookie cutter, then take tortilla and carefully place in ungreased hot skillet (cast iron is best). Cook on each side about 30 seconds or until lightly browned. And don’t forget to bless the cook

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