Here in our home I am always looking for nutritious meals that my entire family will enjoy, and I have to be honest that ever since I became involved with the Texas Beef Council campaign this last holiday season I’ve been discovering and testing new recipes using different cuts of beef. In fact, for one week straight in January all I made for lunch and dinner were deliciously tender steaks–cooked medium rare of course. I definitely got my intake of protein, iron, and garlic (the three top vitamins of Texas, not including jalapenos).

This week I fixed up some Chipotle Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Coleslaw straight from The Healthy Beef Cookbook. You might remember the cookbook name from the Texas Beef Council cooking demonstration I attended in 2010 with my favorite chef, Chef Richard Chamberlain. Can I just say one thing about these Chipotle Sloppy Joes? THEY ARE AWESOME!!! All caps intended.

Chipotle Sloppy Joes are not only awesome because they taste so great that my kids gobbled them up with no complaint, but also because they are packed full of vitamins and minerals, protein, fiber, and contain very little fat! In other words, they leave you feeling full and they’re good for you too. They are a wonderful twist on an old family favorite (and I’m also thinking that if you don’t normally like sloppy joes that you’ll probably like this version). Best yet? You’ll have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.

However, before I post the recipe I thought I’d share a couple healthy shopping and eating tips from the Texas Beef Council:

• Shop the Perimeter of the Store (LOVE this!)
• Nutrient Rich Shopping List (Also a GREAT tip!)

Here’s a great video showing you three easy ways to enhance your meals with beef (vegetarians like my brother-in-law, Jeebus, won’t like this video):

Now on to the fabulously tasty Chipotle Sloppy Joes that I know you’ve been waiting for!

Chipotle Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Coleslaw (rate the recipe HERE)

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef (95%)
1/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1-2 tsp. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split

Crunchy Coleslaw

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups packaged coleslaw mix
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch thick strips

Method

To prepare Crunchy Coleslaw, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, pepper sauce and salt in small bowl. Add coleslaw mix and bell pepper; toss to coat. Season with black pepper, as desired. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

Brown ground beef with onion in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking beef up into 3/4-inch crumbles. Pour off drippings. Stir in ketchup, corn, beans, tomato sauce, chipotle peppers and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in cilantro, salt and black pepper.

Place beef mixture on bottom half of each bun; top with coleslaw. Close sandwiches.

Disclosure: I am working with the Texas Beef Council to bring healthy recipes to my readers for the next four weeks! I am being compensated for my participation in this campaign. This recipe courtesy of “The Healthy Beef Cookbook” published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc (psssst!, buy the cookbook HERE).

The holidays are a busy time of year with gifts to purchase, parties to attend and menus to plan, but one of the best parts about the holidays is friends and family gathering together! Whether it’s a wrapping party with a few neighbors or family staying for the week, these warm and comforting meals make the perfect choice for your holiday gatherings – and the leftovers are the ideal go-to meal!

When I first saw this recipe by the Texas Beef Council, I knew I just had to try it! I love anything with peppers and spices, and so does our family, so I knew it was a meal we were all going to be looking forward to. Pot roast is very easy to make, especially if you follow the tips given in my Holiday Beef Recipe Week 3 post, and soon enough you’ll have a dinner the whole family will love. We made our Mexican Style Pot Roast last a little longer by pulling the tender fall-apart-with-your-fork roast and wrapping in freshly made tortillas. Serve with Mexican rice and beans and you’ll have a full meal.

Mexican Style Pot Roast

2 1/2—3 lb. chuck roast
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 cup Mexican beer (recipe tested with Corona)
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can (15 oz.) corn, drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared pico de gallo
1 cup prepared picante sauce
flour tortillas
shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, until hot.

Salt and pepper roast on all sides and pat with clean hands. Place roast in hot pan. Brown on all sides.

Add beer, tomatoes, corn, black beans, pico de gallo and picante sauce. Cover tightly with lid and place in preheated oven. Cook 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until fork tender.

Remove from oven, allow to cool 10-15 minutes. Shred beef with fork, removing any remaining fat. Stir to incorporate all ingredients in pan.

Serve on flour tortillas topped with grated cheese.

Disclosure: I am just one of ten Texas Beef Loving Gals sharing holiday beef recipes! Check the other nine out: Amy from Mom’s Toolbox, Arena from The Nerd’s Wife, Brenda from Meal Planning Magic, Christina from A Closet Writer, Crystal from Crystal and Company, Jessica from My Baking Heart, Lori from A Day in the Motherhood, and Trista from Mommy Upgrade.

I am participating in a four week campaign promoting Texas beef and am being compensated for my efforts. All opinions are my own. Recipes are courtesy the Texas Beef Council.

One of my favorite dinners has always been roast beef–cooked for several hours along with a vegetable accompaniment. Nothing beats the flavors of tender, juicy beef and moist, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and thyme. In fact, in no time this will be your favorite holiday meal–or heck your favorite anytime meal–all year long. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The trick to the perfect beef roast (or any roast to that matter) is searing the meat before roasting it in the oven. By browning the outside of your roast beforehand, you’ll capture most of the meat juices and help them stay inside creating a tender end product. You also need to choose a quality beef, but if you don’t have the extra cash, just go with a tender chuck roast. Any roast will do in this recipe.

It also helps to use the right type of roasting pan when cooking this bad boy up. I highly recommend a ceramic or dutch oven type roasting dish with a heavy lid. You can use whatever roasting pan you have on hand. For parties, church potlucks, and other venues where you’ll be cooking the roast at your home and then taking it elsewhere, use one of those heavy foil throw-away roasting dishes–just make sure to cover the top while cooking tightly with foil. You can alternatively use a crockpot–just place on low and cook for 8 hours. For searing the meat before roasting, just use a stainless steel skillet or whatever you already have in your cupboard.

Now to make your tastebuds tingle and your mouth water. (PS: This recipe is my own recipe…I didn’t even try the Texas Beef Council’s Classic Prime Rib Roast but you can.)

Roast Beef with Vegetables

2 T olive oil
1 4-6 pound beef roast (I use tender chuck roast)
Lawry’s garlic salt, to taste
Course ground black pepper, to taste
1 T dried thyme
6 small potatoes, quartered
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
2 large carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 large stalks of celery, with leaves, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
1 large garlic bulb, cut in half through the width, flaky outer layers removed.
2 cups water

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat, until olive oil thins and just begins to smoke. Meanwhile, season beef roast with garlic salt, pepper, and thyme. Pat with clean hands into roast. Once olive oil begins to lightly smoke, place roast into pan and simmer for about 4 minutes on each side, or until sides brown. Turn only once. Remove from heat and reserve pan drippings.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place browned roast in roasting pan. Top with pan drippings. Add vegetables, including onion and garlic bulb. Sprinkle with additional pepper, if desired. Add water. Cover tightly. Place in oven and bake for at least four hours or until roast is tender and falls apart with a fork.

Serves 6 generous portions. Serve with a fresh salad, dinner rolls, and pecan pie.

Want more recipes?

Here’s some other Texan bloggers who have been working hard on cooking this week with beef:  Amy from Mom’s Toolbox, Arena from The Nerd’s Wife,  Brenda from Meal Planning Magic, Christina from A Closet Writer, Crystal from Crystal and Company, Jessica from My Baking Heart,  Lori from A Day in the Motherhood,  and Trista from Mommy Upgrade. Check them out!

Disclosure: I am participating in a four week campaign promoting Texas beef and am being compensated for my efforts. All opinions are my own. Recipes are courtesy the Texas Beef Council, except this one.

It’s week two of the Texas Beef Council recipes for the holidays (or any time of the year for that matter!). Of all the recipe options that the Texas Beef Council is giving me, I am trying to pick the simplest and most down home recipes I can find and that’s why this week I chose the “Southwest Breakfast Casserole” which I changed to “Texan or Texas Style Breakfast Casserole.” My soul just won’t let me categorize Texas with the Southwest y’all. So wrong. Plus I had to change their recipe up a little bit to my liking, aka improve it Texas style.

This week we’re using beef sausage as the beef of choice for Texan Beef Casserole. In case you have trouble finding beef sausage at your local grocery store, I highly recommend my own beef sausage recipe to use instead.

Personally, I thought the recipe the council gave me was just a little over the top on fat content (probably because I ate at Long John Silvers earlier in the day), so I’ve trimmed the fat content way back. Instead of using half and half, my recipe calls for skim milk. Instead of using 4 cups of cheese, 3 cups will do just fine. My sausage uses 93% lean ground beef so if you can make your own you’ll cut down on fat even further. Although I’ve increased the amount of eggs by 50% (9 eggs instead of 6), I’ve also increased the amount of protein by doing so. I personally didn’t like the idea of using white bread as the base of my casserole (bland), so I used crushed Santitas corn chips instead; to cut even more fat out, try using prepared instant grits. I completely omitted the margarine/butter from the recipe.

Warning: Your casserole will be mild or spicy depending on what type of chilis you use!

Texas Style Breakfast Casserole

Half an 11 oz bag of Santitas corn chips, lightly crushed
1 lb. beef sausage
3 cups Fiesta blend shredded cheese
9 eggs
1 can or two cups chopped green chilis
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. prepared mustard
3 cups skim milk
bottled picante sauce or salsa

Method: Spray a medium hot pan with cooking oil, then brown sausage. Drain on paper towels.

Spread a thin layer of lightly crushed Santitas corn chips on a greased 9×13 casserole dish OR two 12 muffins tin OR two 8-9 inch pie plates OR one 12 muffins tin and one 8-9 inch pie plate. Spread beef sausage over corn chips. Spread chopped green chilis over beef sausage. Sprinkle with cheese.

In a medium bowl combine the eggs, skim milk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Beat until everything is incorporated (by hand 2 minutes). Pour over other ingredients (fill to tops of muffin tin).

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for 40 minutes (muffin tins need only about 30 minutes). Cool five minutes to allow the eggs to set. Serve with picante sauce or salsa on the side.

During the next four weeks I (as well as nine other Texas Beef-loving Bloggers) will be featuring dishes from the Texas Beef Council to help you get cooking this Holiday season.

Be sure to join us on Tuesday evening, December 13 from 8p to 9p CST for the “Beef Tweet Exchange”! We’ll be featuring great tips and information to help you create the perfect holiday menu! Follow hostess @TexasHolly for all the details. We will be joined by experts from the Texas Beef Council – Chef Tiffany, Jason the Butcher and Nutrition Expert Lerin – who will be available to answer all your questions. Over 20 prizes will be awarded, including a Tom Perini Fully-Cooked Tenderloin Roast, a $100 gift card, and a variety of beef items like a “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” apron, a meat thermometer, a cutting board and steak seasonings! Giveaway open to U.S. residents only. All winners will be chosen at random from those using the #TxBeef hashtag during the event. Let us know that you’re planning to attend by tweeting @TxBeef! Hope to see you there!

Disclosure: I am participating in a four week campaign promoting Texas beef and am being compensated for my efforts. All opinions are my own. Recipes are courtesy the Texas Beef Council.

I have to admit that probably in my top three reasons of why I love the holiday season food will come up. You knew that though, right? I mean think about it–from baked sweets to simmering roasts there’s nothing quite as savorful as indulging on everything the holiday season has to offer. For the next four weeks I am going to share with you some scrumptious beef recipes from appetizers to main course meals all not only so I can make your tastebuds tingle, but also so you’ll have some ideas on how to entertain your own guests, family or friends.

This week is all about appetizers! Boy are you going to LOVE what I’ve got in store for you:

Beef Crostini with Balsamic Drizzle and Parmesan Crisps

Ingredients:
2 boneless beef top loin (strip) steaks (about 1-1/4 pounds)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
12 slices thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed
1-1/2 teaspoons coarse grind black pepper
salt
4 ounces garlic-herb cheese spread, slightly softened
prepared balsamic syrup
24 small arugula leaves

Directions: Heat oven to 350°F. Combine Parmesan cheese and flour in small bowl; toss to mix well. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle Parmesan mixture evenly into 8-inch circle on baking sheet. Bake in center of 350°F oven 6 to 8 minutes or until melted and light brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Break into 24 irregular-shaped pieces. Set aside.

Cut each bread slice diagonally in half. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350°F oven about 6 minutes or until lightly toasted but not brown. Set aside.

Press pepper evenly onto beef steaks. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place steaks in skillet; cook top loin steaks 12 to 15 minutes (tenderloin steaks 10 to 13 minutes) for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally. Carve steaks into thin slices; season with salt.

Meanwhile, spread 1 teaspoon cheese onto each bread piece; top with 2 to 3 steak slices. Drizzle balsamic syrup over beef; top with Parmesan crisp and arugula leaf.

They were so good that my boys scarfed ‘em down as fast as I could put them together.

They smelled so great that my husband actually got off World of Warcrack to eat dinner with us.

Here’s how I mixed up the recipe a little bit:

• I did not cut the crusts off my bread. Doing so will make your appetizers prettier, but I hate wasting food. Plus, I tell my kids that all the vitamins are in the crust and that’s what gets them to eat bread crust…don’t want to get them to stop now…
• I toasted the bread in the toaster, rather than the oven. Saved time.
• We used a 9 grain bread instead of white. I don’t think it really matters. You could probably even use rye bread which will taste great with the peppered beef and arugula leaves.
• I did not have balsamic vinegar on hand to make the prepared balsamic syrup, so I used tarragon wine vinegar instead and two tablespoons molasses, simmered for 5 minutes. You could probably use apple cider vinegar. No need to buy something you might only use once when you can substitute something else just as easily.
• My kids ended up making sandwiches with the appetizers, because they are easier for little hands to eat that way.

During the next four weeks I (as well as nine other Texas Beef-loving Bloggers) will be featuring dishes from the Texas Beef Council to help you get cooking this Holiday season.

Be sure to join us on Tuesday evening, December 13 from 8p to 9p CST for the “Beef Tweet Exchange”! We’ll be featuring great tips and information to help you create the perfect holiday menu! Follow hostess @TexasHolly for all the details. We will be joined by experts from the Texas Beef Council – Chef Tiffany, Jason the Butcher and Nutrition Expert Lerin – who will be available to answer all your questions. Over 20 prizes will be awarded, including a Tom Perini Fully-Cooked Tenderloin Roast, a $100 gift card, and a variety of beef items like a “Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner” apron, a meat thermometer, a cutting board and steak seasonings! Giveaway open to U.S. residents only. All winners will be chosen at random from those using the #TxBeef hashtag during the event. Let us know that you’re planning to attend by tweeting @TxBeef! Hope to see you there!

Disclosure: I am participating in a four week campaign promoting Texas beef and am being compensated for my efforts. All opinions are my own. Recipes are courtesy the Texas Beef Council.

Nothing quite beats the taste of fresh lemons mingled with fish and seafood. And since I had about twenty lemons on hand thanks to our very abundant co-op I had to figure out a way to use them all besides making loads of fresh lemonade.

Enter 2 lemons.
And 6 tilapia filets.
For a tasty dinner you won’t soon forget.

Easy Lemon Pepper Fish Filets

2 quarted lemons, peel grated and set aside
6 4-6 oz tilapia or other fish filets
dash of freshly ground black pepper
salt
cooking spray (I use PAM)
1 small onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup water, divided

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, spray pan and place two fish filets inside. Allow to cook for three minutes on one side. Flip and add salt and pepper to taste, and squirt with one quarter lemon each. Add two tablespoons of water, then cover and allow to remain cooking 4 minutes or until meat is opaque and flaky (done). Set on a plate and continue cooking the remaining filets in the same manner.

Once filets are all cooked, squirt with remaining two quarters of lemon, then sprinkle with grated peel.

In same pan that you cooked the fish, add chopped onion and garlic and saute for five minutes or whenever the onions and garlic begin to turn golden. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve lemon pepper fish with sauteed onion and garlic. Garnish with fresh dill, if desired.

Alright, it’s Saturday and I’ve got one more goody for you this week! Last week I showed you how to make Cranberry Poppyseed Muffins and told you a little about the new and improved PAM cooking spray. This week I’m making Company French Toast in the below 7 minute video. That’s right–7 minutes. Hey, but at least you have no excuse about not being able to make it because you needed to see a demonstration of the entire process.

That’s right, kick back and enjoy my favorite go to recipe when family, friends, and other company arrive. It’s great as a dessert, for breakfast or any meal of the day. Make it for brunch and enjoy with your friends. Full recipe after video. (Feedreaders and email subscribers may need click to the full post to see video.)

BUT WAIT! That’s not all! Stay tuned to next week because I’m (read PAM) is giving away special toolkits to 5 of my readers! FIVE! You’re really going to love it! Be sure to visit PAM cooking spray on Facebook!

Company French Toast

2 loaves plain french or artisan style bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 T sugar
1 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t salt

Topping

1/2 c butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 t corn syrup, pancake syrup, or maple syrup
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg

Slice bread into 1 inch slices, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine the first 7 ingredients. Whisk together until evenly combined and eggs are beat. Dip slices of bread into egg mixture and place next to each other in a 9×13 glass baking dish that has been sprayed with PAM cooking spray. Stuff as many of these slices of bread in pan as you can. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the topping (last six ingredients). Stir together so all pecan pieces are evenly coated. Pour evenly across the top of the egg dipped bread in baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 40-60 minutes. If pecans begin to darken too much, cover with foil.

Disclosure: This post is part of a series of reviews and recipes about and using PAM cooking spray. PAM has partnered with me to showcase their new and improved no-stick cooking spray. The PAM cooking spray, baking products, a FLIP video camera, promotional items, and compensation were given to me. All opinions are my own as always.

Alright y’all, I haven’t posted for a few days because I’ve been completely brain-wracked recording, editing, and trying to publish a video of a new recipe and review of PAM cooking spray. I know, that sounds so exciting don’t it? Now normally I don’t like posting two reviews one after the other, but since the video took me way longer than I expeted (danged technology) that’s what you get. But hey, you get to see me and hear me talk. But not my face. I left that out. You can thank me later.

Screwed Up Texan (that’s me!) and PAM cooking spray have partnered up to get the word out about PAM’s new and improved formula which boasts 70% better no-stick performance over bargain brands (that’s the kind I normally buy). Ever since I began trying to lose weight two months ago (I’ve lost almost 20 pounds and over 12 inches so far!) I began using no-stick cooking sprays to cut down on the amount of fat I’ve been consuming. No-stick cooking sprays come in especially beneficial when I cook with 93% lean ground beef because without it the meat always sticks to my stainless steel pans. In fact, a long time ago I came up with a great tip to “fry” eggs with no oil which I’ll share in another post. Trust me, it probably ain’t what you’re thinking.

In the below video, I demonstrate how to make one of my favorite go-to dessert recipes, Cranberry Poppyseed Muffins or Bread. The recipe is very simple to make, and if you don’t care for cranberries or poppyseeds, feel free to swap those ingredients out for anything you do like (chocolate chips, raisins, pudding mix or nothing at all). Feedreaders and email subscribers will need to view the full site to see the video below. Let me know what you think of the video in the comments below.

Here’s the recipe for those that need to see it:

Cranberry Poppyseed Muffins (or Bread)

Starter Mix:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar

Mix in a large bowl or container and cover with a lid. Place on counter at room temperature for three days or until the mixture begins to ferment (will smell yeasty or beer-like). I leave mine at 75-85 degrees F. Don’t be surprised if mixture bubbles–just stir everyday. You will have some mixture left over after using it in the recipe; keep this amount and the ingredients again to make more bread or muffins in a few days (at least three).

Ingredients for muffins or bread:
2 cups Starter Mix
1 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup cranberries
2 TBSP poppyseeds
2 ripe mashed bananas (optional)
a few drops of sweet orange oil (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 F. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spray a muffin tin or bread pan with PAM. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full or bread pan 1/2 full. Bake muffins for 40 minutes and bread for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Makes 24 muffins or two loaves or 12 muffins and 1 loaf.

GREAT NEWS FOR MY READERS!

PAM has an exciting GIVE AWAY coming up in the next couple weeks right here and I CAN’T WAIT to tell you about it! Stay tuned for more details! Be sure to visit PAM on Facebook!

Disclosure: This post is part of a series of reviews and recipes about and using PAM cooking spray. PAM has partnered with me to showcase their new and improved no-stick cooking spray. The PAM cooking spray, baking products, a FLIP video camera, promotional items, and compensation were given to me. All opinions are my own as always.

Serving bowl and dishtowel from H-E-B‘s new Cocinaware line available in stores now!

When my husband and I were newlyweds we decided to move to Colorado to begin our life together. Those times were fun and we spent almost every weekend trying out new foods at area restaurants. Our favorite Mexican restaurant was a quaint place located in Colorado Springs and I am not even sure it even exists anymore. Anyway, the salsa had heat and most of the dishes passed my supposedly picky Texan taste.

One of the dishes that my husband was genuinely excited about was the ceviche. My husband had served a proselyting mission to Ecuador and learned to love the people, culture, and food so when he saw ceviche on the menu it was love at first sight. Ceviche was only served on the weekend so we made a special attempt to drive there occasionally and order some. We were hooked.

If you’ve never tasted or heard of ceviche you may wonder what all the fuss is about. Ceviche is a typically South American dish (it probably originates in Peru) that over the centuries has made its way up through Central America, Mexico and beyond. Ceviche is basically raw fish, shrimp or other seafood that is marinated in lime and/or lemon juice and other ingredients. The lime or lemon “cooks” the fish and it is one of my favorite tasting meals/appetizers. It’s the closest to sushi I will get.

Ceviche

• 1-1.5 pounds tilapia, sea bass, flounder, catfish or other fresh, white fleshed fish. Fish should be fresh with no off oder and from a reputable seller or you may use thawed frozen fish from your grocer’s freezer.
• 1 small onion, chopped finely but not minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup fresh lime juice (see instructions for a tip)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 small or medium avocado, cubed (optional)
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped (optional)
• jalapeno, aji or other pepper to taste, may use jarred/canned (optional)
• corn chips for serving (I prefer Santitas) or you may use tostadas

Because you are essentially making a dish to eat with raw meat it is essential that all surfaces, utinsles, and preparation area is completely clean and preferably sanitized. Other than that, let’s begin!

First, cube raw fish by first cutting across the grain and then with the grain. You don’t have to cut it this way, but it makes it easier. Place in a clean serving bowl.

Next, chop the onion and place with the fish in serving bowl.

Add chopped cilantro.

And then the salt.

At this point you may add the optional ingredients to the fish mixture.

Pour lime juice evenly over mixture and then toss to fully incorporate. To quickly make one cup of lime juice, take 6-8 medium limes, quarter them, then add them and one cup of water to a blender, and blend for 10 seconds (peel and all). Strain through a fine wire mesh strainer or cheesecloth.

Loosely cover and allow to sit at room temperature for two hours and then place in fridge for at least two more hours or until thoroughly chilled. Ceviche is ready to eat when fish meat turns white and is opaque. Alternatively, you may use peeled, deveined shrimp in place of fish.

Labor Day weekend is upon us and I’ve been searching and searching for great recipes to bring you just in time for grilling and sports! A couple weeks ago I bought a thirty pound burlap sack of fresh, mild New Mexican Hatch Chilies. Yes, I said 30 pounds! So, what did I do with so many Hatch chilies? Well, I roasted and canned most of them and sun dried about 50 peppers.

As you can probably guess (especially if you live in North Texas) the chilies were easy to sun dry. I simply set up a contraption in my back yard in the full sun made of a table, landscape barrier material, and bricks, then laid the whole, unsliced chilies on top of the material and allowed them to dry outside for 5 days. This caused the green Hatch chilies to turn a deep yellow-orange to rusty red color and the flavor in each pepper intensify. Now I can use my chilies all year round.

One of my favorite flavors which can highlight many Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes is the combination of chilies and limes. Many Texan and Hispanic children enjoy dried mangoes and papaya with none other than chili powder–not chili powder for making chili either, but powder made from REAL chilies. Typically, ancho chilies are used, however I enjoy experimenting with different types and you can too!

There’s really no secret to making a great chili lime seasoning or rub other than keeping it simple. If you will take the time (usually about a day) to dry your lime zest before adding it to the seasoning you can have a product that will last for a long time in a cool, dry, dark place. My Hatch Chili Lime seasoning can be sprinkled on corn, tacos, meats, and anything that you grill. Not only is it great on dried mangoes and papayas, but it’s excellent on fresh fruit as well! Of course, you don’t have to use Hatch chilies either–use anchos or experiment with other dried peppers as well.

Hatch Chili Lime Seasoning

• one 6-8 inch long Hatch chili, dried or 1-2 anchos, dried
• 1 tsp coriander seed
• 2 tsp paprika, ground
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• zest of one lime

Using a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears, cut the chili into three to four sections. Remove stem.

Place chili and coriander seed into a blender and grind (use almost highest setting depending on blender) until the chili and coriander seeds are minced and a fine powder begins to form, about 30-45 seconds. Pour seasoning into a small bowl, scraping sides to get as much out as possible.

Zest one whole lime peel using a very fine grater and add to ground spice mixture.

Add remaining ingredients and stir to fully incorporate all the spices and salt.

Sprinkle on fish, tacos, meats, vegetables, fruit, and anything that you grill! Also tastes great sprinkled on kettle potato chips.

PS: You know you’re a Texican when you spell chilies as chilis and have to correct yourself after writing a post.