Ay Caramba! Recipes!

If you read my post on 31 December, you might notice that this is not, in fact, a book review or author interview. No. I changed my mind, because really? Did anyone expect me to actually keep to my original schedule? If you did, I'm sorry. But, well, I've decided that since I do book reviews on my GoodReads page, I could do something different on my blog. And, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I've updated that original post to reflect these changes.

I'm embracing my inner laid-back person (ha!) and assigning Saturday as another random post day, because, really, why do we have to plan so much?

On to the actual post!

I am a Mexican food addict. There. I said it. Unfortunately, I live in the UK*. You'd think that with the advent of, I dunno, trade, one would be able to find decent Mexican food here. But, after the first couple of tries, I had all but given up. We then found a restaurant in the mall that is passable (actually, it's quite good, and it's not even a Mexican restaurant!). But, we don't have a car, making travel to the mall pretty difficult.

During the summer, we got desperate and decided to make our own enchiladas. I was pleased with the results, but they still didn't taste like they do in a restaurant. We're still attempting different recipes for enchiladas.

Last night, I got a craving for something even remotely Mexican, so I made burritos using a recipe found in a British cookbook. I had tried this recipe out on my parents when they were here over Christmas, and it was really good! So, I made them again, tweaking the recipe slightly based on my mom's suggestions. (Yay, mom!)

But, one cannot live on burritos alone. No, we needed some rice, I decided. But, I didn't like the recipes I found online, mainly because I didn't have a lot the ingredients, and I was too lazy/cheap to go get them. So, instead, I made up a recipe! *Pats self on the back* It. Was. Good. The hubster even noted that he thought it was better that some he'd had at restaurants**.

As an afterthought, I felt we needed something green in our diet and happened to have a package of fresh spinach. I LOVE cooking fresh spinach, so I almost always have some on hand. Tweaking my usual cooking style just a bit, I made some pretty yummy spinach.

Without further ado, here are the recipes!

Bean and Cheese Burritos
1 can Refried Beans
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp oil
1 jar Chunky Salsa (mild or hot)
Shredded Cheese (I use a spicy Mexican cheese)
8 Flour Tortillas
Cilantro, chopped (Coriander, for you Brits)

Saute onion in the oil until soft. Mix half the sauteed onions with the beans in a small saucepan and cook over low heat.

When beans are hot, heat a large frying pan (sprayed or oiled to keep from sticking) over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the pan for several second, then turn to get the tortilla pliable. Transfer to a plate, and put a dollop of beans, followed by onions and cheese. Top with salsa and cilantro. Wrap tightly.

Repeat until all burritos are made. Place burritos in already-hot frying pan and cook until golden brown. Flip until the other side is golden brown. And, enjoy!

Mexican Rice (serves about 4)
1 small onion, diced
1 T oil
1 cup Long Grain White Rice
1 can Ro*tel (or Tomatoes and green chiles), drained, juices reserved
1 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Mild Chile Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
Salt to taste

Sauté  onion over medium heat until soft and golden. Add uncooked rice and continue cooking until rice turns slightly golden (only a couple of minutes), mixing constantly to keep rice from burning. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add drained tomatoes and mix well. Add all liquids (reserved juices and stock) along with the spices. Note: I used my hand to measure the spices, so these are an estimate. Use as much or little as you'd like.

Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until rice is done.

Yummy Wilted Spinach
1 Bag Fresh Spinach
Cumin
Garlic Powder
Salt

Add spinach one handful at a time to a non-stick frying pan. When about half the spinach is starting to wilt, season with the spices (to your taste). Take off heat just as all spinach has finish wilting. (If you overcook the spinach, it tastes fine, but the texture isn't the same.)

***

*I realize that sounds mean. I love the UK, actually. We may be planning to stay a bit longer, in fact. But, really? You have to admit. The selection of GOOD Mexican food (i.e., salsa not made with ketchup as the lead ingredient) is few and far between.

**Yeah, yeah. He married me, so he has an obligation to tell me my food is good. But, really. I'm honest with myself. I've had some real disasters (*remembers steamed fish* ewwwwwwww...), and I can admit when my stuff tastes like cow manure. :-D