Enchiladas

This is not your lucky day - I could not find a good enchilada recipe. I looked and looked and looked all over. NOTHING. I will try to remember my mother's recipe - it is the very best. Perhaps my younger sister has it. As soon as I get it, you will see it here. Red Cheese Enchilada recipe, that's what it is. Be patient. By the way, enchilada means the spiced one, sort of like pickled means curtida. It could also mean the hot one but then people would think you're talking about a person, not a tortilla.

Coffee

Might this be true? From a recent news story: "Drinking coffee may do more than just keep you awake. A new study suggests an intriguing potential link to mental health later in life, as well. A team of Swedish and Danish researchers tracked coffee consumption in a group of 1,409 middle-age men and women for an average of 21 years. During that time, 61 participants developed dementia, 48 with Alzheimer’s disease. After controlling for numerous socioeconomic and health factors, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, the scientists found that the subjects who had reported drinking three to five cups of coffee daily were 65 percent less likely to have developed dementia, compared with those who drank two cups or less." I drink coffee because I like it. Of course, I either drink McDonald’s, Gevalia, Starbucks, Folger’s, or Maxwell House, but not for their medicinal value.

Atole

Atole is a corn meal hot drink popular in Mexico, sort of like hot chocolate is popular in other parts of the world. Most stores carry the masa harina (in 5 and 10 pound packages) that is required for this recipe. Atole stays steaming hot for a long time – be careful when you drink it.

Ingredients
1/2 cup masa harina
5 cups milk
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions – serves 4

1. Put the Masa Harina in a bowl and whisk in the milk, little by little.
2. Pour the milk mixture into a pot and add the brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to keep it from becoming lumpy.
4. Stir in the vanilla extract. Serve in mugs.

Tropical Fruit Salad

For this to work, I’m afraid you’re going to have to buy the cacao nibs at a health food store, unless you always keep some in your pantry. The best part of this salad recipe is, of course, the simple directions. I had something resembling this fruit salad many years ago while in Germany. It was served with some incredibly delicious glaze and exquisite cookies on the side.

INGREDIENTS
1. 1 cup banana, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices (from about 1 large banana)
2. 1 cup kiwi peeled and cut into medium dice (from about 3 medium kiwis)
3. 1 cup mango, peeled and cut into medium dice (from about 1 very large mango)
4. 1 1/2 cups papaya, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into medium dice (from about 1 medium papaya)
5. 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed, and coarsely chopped
6. 3 tablespoons cacao nibs
7. 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
8. 1 tablespoon agave nectar



DIRECTIONS – serves 4
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix to combine.

Greek cookies

Of course, I had never heard of these cookies, much less tasted them. If you are brave enough to order some, let me know how things turn out. Maybe I’ll go out and buy some. They sound yummy. “Evangelia's traditional Greek Cookies are named after Esther Luongo Psarakis' mother-in-law who runs the family farm on Crete. It is her picture on the box. She shared with Esther all of her favorite recipes, and these were among the first. These healthy cookies contain No Trans Fats, No Cholesterol, No Eggs or Butter and No Preservatives - just Unbleached Wheat Flour, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Wine, Sugar, Orange Juice, Sesame Seeds, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Cinnamon. These cookies have a lovely fragrance and delicate flavor. They are not too sweet and are a nice complement to cheeses, tea and coffee. Try them with goat cheese and heather honey. Or use like biscotti and dip into a frothy espresso drink.” They are produced in a bakery using peanuts and/or other nuts, in case you’re allergic to these products.

Chicken Tacos

1. 1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, cored (about 4-5)
2. 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3. 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
4. Salt & freshly ground pepper
5. 1 large white onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
6. 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
7. 2 tablespoons lime juice
8. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
9. 12 corn tortillas, warmed
10. 1/4 cup sour cream for garnish
11. 2 limes, cut into quarters

Directions – serves 6

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Place tomatoes in the skillet and turn occasionally with tongs until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut in half crosswise; squeeze to discard seeds. Chop the remaining pulp and skins; set aside.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil to the pan and heat over high heat until the oil is very hot. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on all sides and no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add lime juice and the reserved chicken and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and stir in cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
4. Spoon filling into warm tortillas, roll up and serve with sour cream or avocado slices and lime wedges. For a full meal, throw in some rice and beans on the side.

Chicharron

This is not the healthiest of foods, given that it is deep fried and usually made from pork skin with the underlying meat. Depending on what country we're talking about, it is prepared in a variety of ways, but usually with thick pork skins as the basic ingredient. Chicharron literally means that which has been burned to a crisp so you can expect this to be deep fried, sort of like blackened chicken. I have seldom eaten it - maybe once or twice and that's more than enough.