Gorditas de Pollo

This is one of the dishes my kids loves to eat all the time. I also love them because they are very easy to make and I can filled them up with so many different fillings. This time I will share with you my recipe for "Chicken Gorditas."

The gorditas are made with corn masa, I use Maseca which you can find at most of the super markets in the flour section. Following the instructions in the package I mixed 4 cups of corn flour (Maseca) with 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth mixed with some salsa. I use the chicken broth I have left after broiling the chicken breast I will use as the filling because I like the corn masa (flour) to have some flavor.

After mixing the corn flour with the chicken broth I started to form the gorditas by grabbing some masa and pressing it down with my hands to create a thick flat tortilla shape. They have to be thick because we will cut them from the side to fill them up with the chicken. I do not fry my gorditas, I prefer to put them in a very hot skillet and take them out when they are toasted in both sides. You need to turn the gorditas in both sides in the hot skillet. When they are done take them out and carefully cut them on the side with a knife only half way.

For the chicken filling I broiled 3 chicken breasts and cut the chicken in small pieces after cooked. In a hot skillet I added some olive oil with 3 cut plum tomatoes, 2 small onions and one serrano pepper. When the vegetables start to soften up I added the chicken and mixed them together. You can add salt and pepper to your taste.

Now you are ready to fill the gorditas and ENJOY !!!! You can also add some fresh salsa and sour cream when you serve them.

My kids also love when I just filled them up with cheese or a delicious mixture of poblano peppers, onions and cream. The combinations are endless and you will love to eat them too.

Plate of the day: Polenta with meat sauce and french green beans

I confess, we are carnivores at home, but meat doesn't need to be always the primary ingredient on a meal. Once in a while on Saturday mornings we visit the Farmers Market at the Pearl Brewery, besides getting fresh veggies (we love fresh mushrooms), we always look for grass fed beef, not cheap but worth the money.


Last time I purchased some skirt steak, NY strip and a cut for beef stew. This last cut was not more than a pound, but good enough for a good meat sauce. So today we put together some polenta with a hearty home made meat sauce, and following a good diet guided by my beloved wife as a side we included some sauté French green beans.

Stuff I used today, well lets say ingredients:

• 1lbs of beef stew cut in small cubes
• 1/2 chopped white onion
• 2 chopped romano tomatoes
• 2 packs (18oz) of traditional Italian pre-cooked polenta
• 2 cans (8oz) tomato sauce not salted
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic (chopped very small)
• 1lbs of French green beans
• Grated cheese a piacere (please not yellow cheese)

Lets start with the easy part. Since we are going to sauté the green beans, first on a medium sauce pan put water to boil, and also get ready a bowl or other recipient with ice cold water. We are going to clear the green beans, as soon as the water is boiling, drop the green beans on the pan and leave them for few minutes, we don't want to cook them all way through, then take out the green beans and put them in the cold water to stop the cooking and then on a strainer to remove the water.

In parallel, put olive oil in a skillet or frying pan and also on a sauce pan. When the oil is hot put the meat on the skillet and the chopped onions on the sauce pan. We are going to just seal and brown the meat on the skillet, it will finish to cook in the sauce. When the onions start to get tender drop the chopped tomatoes, make sure they start to cook evenly with the help of a wooden spoon, and after few minutes pour the contents of the tomato sauce cans on the pan.

Season the meat with some salt and pepper (we regularly use coarse kosher salt), also season the sauce with salt, pepper, and other species you like, I used some paprika, a little bit of crushed laurel leaves and a tiny bit of sage.
When the meat is all brown transfer the meat and all the juices to the sauce pan, if the sauce looks too dense you can add some beef broth or plain water, let it simmer with a gentle fire.

Preheat the oven to 475F and cut the polenta in slices of about 1/3".

When the sauce is ready (about 20-25 minutes) start scooping some sauce out of the pan (leave the meat in there) and arrange the polenta in layers with the sauce and cheese. Today I used an Italian blend of cheeses with mozzarella, asiago, romano and parmessan, and some monterrey jack. When you are done layering the polenta slices top with more cheese and put in the oven for few minutes to create a gratin with cheese.

While you are waiting for the cheese to melt, heat some olive oil in a sauté pan, put the chopped garlic on the pan, stir with a wooden spoon and for two minutes let the oil absorb the flavor from the garlic, then drop the green beans on the pan and sauté them. Pay attention and make sure you are not burning the garlic.

When the cheese is fully melted take the polenta out of the oven and top with the rest of the sauce and the meat. And we are ready to serve !!

Bon appetit 

Chicken Tostadas (My Style)

Hola my friends !!! Here I am again sharing a very easy and delicious recipe I always make to my kids. They love to eat them and they are YUMMY !

                                       CHICKEN TOSTADAS

Ingredients 

Shredded Chicken
Refried beans
Mixed veggies (cooked)
Tostadas
Salsa (optional)
Cream (Mexican or Sour) 

1- Spread some beans in the tostada
2- Add some shredded chicken
3- Mixed cooked veggies
4- Cream and Salsa

To make the salsa it is also very simple, I just boiled tomatoes( I mixed some red and tomatillos this time) and serranos (as many as you want.)
When my serranos and tomatoes are boiled and use my blender to mix them together. In the blender I add salt, pepper, lime juice and some olive oil.

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Provecho !!! ♥

Love,

Lorena

Lorena's Green Salsa Chicken Tamales

This is a recipe I have been making for a long time and my family always ask me to make them, my son Christian is a big fan of my tamales. ;o)
I am happy to share my recipe with all of you.


Tamales are made from masa dough filled with meat and vegetables or fruit and wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaves and steamed.

Ingredients :

Lorena's Green Salsa Chicken Tamales

8 cups of Maseca corn masa mix.

8 cups of chicken broth mixed green salsa.

1 1/2 cup of CRISCO vegetable shortening.

2 bottles of green salsa.

2 Tsp. Baking powder.

1 Bag of corn husks.

10 to 15 Chicken legs or 1 1/2 Rotisserie chicken.

1 Jar of pimiento stuffed olives.

1 cup of raisins.

Olive oil.

Salt.

Soak the corn husks in warm water until soft

If you choose to boil in water the chicken legs, take the legs out of the broth and save the liquid to use in the corn masa mixture.

In a mixing bowl, blend the Maseca corn masa mix, crisco vegetable shortening, warm chicken broth with green salsa, baking powder and salt to taste.

You will obtain a consistent mixture and the corn masa will be soft.

In a pot with some olive oil add the shredded chicken, a bottle of green salsa, olives and raising.

Add some chicken broth and salt if needed. 

Spread the masa evenly over the corn husk, after that you have to add some of the chicken mixed with olives and raisins on top of the masa.

Fold the sides of the corn husk to center over the masa so that they overlap to make a package(tamale.) Fold the empty part of the husk under so that it rest against the side of the tamale with a seam.

Place the tamales in a steamer and cook them for about 35 to 40 minutes. The tamales will be cooked when they separate easily from the corn husk.

Enjoy !!!! ;-)
Love,
Lorena