Reprise of an old favorite: part two, the guacamole

You can hardly call this guacamole since there is so little avocado in it but that's what they call it at Cielito Lindo's. You can call it damn delicioso and put it on anything, well maybe not dessert.

Let's get this finished. I had so many pix for the first installment and my camera decided to be uncooperative for the second so we are gonna proceed photoless.

Take the approximately 3 cups of the Salsa Verde you made from the previous post and add one half a medium sized ripe avocado. Yes, that is correct, one half, 1/2, or medio; however you say it–it's just a tiny bit of the whole sauce.

Liquefy in the blender until smooth and bring to a simmer in a small sauce pan. Simmer for about five minutes. This cooks out the "raw" taste of the avocado. Not a bad taste but somehow different once you cook it.

Now thin with a bit of what's called in the restaurant biz, "profit". That would be water to us folks. This sauce is very thin, like a heavy tomato juice. Adjust the salt and let this cool; refrigerate and serve cold over the taquitos. It is also good on tacos and I love it mixed in with frijoles.

I hope this helps the readers who can't make it to downtown Los Angeles for their taquito fix and maybe spur someone else to try this classic Olvera Street favorite.

Not your Grandma's pie

This pie is so versatile and tastes good too. Always looking for different recipes and anything that includes tortillas go to the top of the must try list.

Layers of roasted pork, fresh tomatoes, grated cheese. roasted green chiles, beans, and the ever popular cilantro.

Found this recipe over on Simply Recipes and Elise has never failed when it comes to Mexican food. She calls this comfort food and I can readily agree.

For the beans I used a can of pinto beans that I cooked in some tomatillo sauce I had on hand. Buttering the tortillas is also the key to crispiness.

I made two and shared one with friends, when the pie plate was returned I was asked if I was gonna make another one of these.

Chilaquiles: not just for breakfast anymore

As many cultural dishes do this recipe comes from the peasants side of the table. Usually they are fixed for breakfast from last nights tortillas and salsa. The poor of this planet have always been green.

Chilaquiles (chee lay kee lays) has so many variations but while tinkering about with this recipe I came up with great casserole version. Since I fry my tortillas in oil before assembling my enchiladas I thought I'd combine the two dishes.

Salsa Verda is a sauce of tomatillos, spices, and chillies and you can use homemade or buy it in the store. If you can find salt-free tortilla chips you could use them in a pinch but frying the tortillas isn't very difficult at all. That's the whole idea of using left over tortillas.

Chilaquiles Enchilada Style

1 quart Salsa Verde, homemade or store bought
vegetable oil for frying
12 corn tortillas
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pan bring Salsa Verda to boil and turn down to a simmer until thickened a bit.

While that is simmering cut tortillas in wedges or strips and fry in small batches until golden. Remove to paper toweling to drain. Make sure oil is hot enough between batches so the chips don't become oily. Put chips in a very large bowl or pan; big enough to add the sauce and stir.

Return the salsa to a light bubble and whisk in quickly the beaten eggs. The sauce will start to thicken and continue to whisk for about 30 seconds. Pour the sauce over the chips tossing gently as not to break them. Toss until they become soft and absorb some of the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, onion, and cilantro. Serve hot.

Now this is where I changed my recipe. After you turn off the heat and before you pour the sauce on the chips gently stir in the following:

2 large cooked chicken breasts, cubed
2 green chillies, chopped
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, cubed
2 green onions; including tops, chopped

Now pour over chips and gently mix. This goes in a 2-3 quart oven-proof dish and into a 375 oven until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the cheese, onion, and cilantro. To serve, use a large spoon.
This photo is before the oven and because it was so yummy, no photo after. I was going away for the weekend so I made the whole recipe, took out three portions, and gave the remaining to our neighbors. I hate to waste anything.

This is great to use leftovers and you can add anything you'd normally put in your enchiladas. Olives, medium cheddar cheese, salsa, and you could certainly leave out the meat if you wanted. The eggs you whip into the sauce makes it very rich and velvety.

Gone are the days

Occasionally we do a restaurant review and since I've been spending my Fridays in downtown Los Angeles here is a quick review of a famous favorite. If you've never been to Olivera Street put it on your things to do in LA.

La Luz del Dia
1 Olivera Street
Los Angeles, CA 91024

Growing up in the Los Angeles area and working downtown LA, I've been to Olivera St. more times than I can count; so I know the food. My usual haunt is Cielito Lindo's at the opposite end of the street but my dad's favorite was La Luz so this week I decided to have lunch.

First off they've replaced the abuelita (grandmother) slapping masa into fresh tortillas with two women mashing the dough with a tortilla press. Not the same texture at all. When I asked one of the owners why he honestly told me it just got too expensive and he knew it wasn't as good but, what can ya do?

The whole meal was just average but nothing like it use to be. My tamale was tender as was the meat in my soft taco but the sauce flat and uninteresting. The fresh salsa was as mild as you could get it. The missing chilies seemed to be replaced with onion.

Their cafeteria style of service does move quickly and it was quite busy because it's tourist season there on the calle. I was glad to see they still have the vieja señoras to take your tray of food to a table and it's quite funny to see tourist try to wrestle away that tray. They are very insistent and frown upon anyone saving a table before your food is ready. Their system has worked for 49 years so don't muck it up. I just wish they hadn't mucked up the food.

Mexican Sauces

In the spirit of house cleaning I ran across this photo and can't believe I didn't post this. While at my local ethnic market a few months ago I noticed these little packages of sauces and because I'll buy anything that's new and compact, only four ounces, to have on hand I picked up a few plus they were only a half a buck. What a bargain.

Now, I don't use very many canned products because they are usually loaded with sodium and they never taste as fresh so why bother. Well, these little packs are great to throw into something that needs a little lift. I put one in the rice the other night and it was great. I was amazed to fine they had a nice fresh taste. One of the kitchen staples you need when the fresh tomatoes, in the winter, are tasteless.

My version of Tortilla Soup

Dang this was good. Although a few zantacs were passed around at the completion on the meal.

My love for Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes is well known, I had some leftover chicken breast that I diced up and some of that mean green sauce that moon posted a few days ago.

I chopped up a small onion, added the chicken once the onion was sauted, poured the mean green sauce over the chicken and added a half a container box of low sodium chicken broth.Let that simmer for a bit and added my can of fire roasted tomatoes, added the remainder of the chicken broth and let simmer for about half hour. Had a can of white hominy, rinsed it well and added that to the pot. Now remember the mean green sauce already has a lot of seasoning so extra is not need. Taste as you go.

Once the hominy is heated thru it tends to thinken the soup, so I added another box of chicken broth. Finished it off with tortilla strips lots of em as husband says, slices of avacado, and some fresh cilantro.I had made corn muffins earlier and added a can of chopped green chiles to the batter.Find the similar recipe here at the Muir Glen site. Try it if you like spice, adjust it if you don't.

No more calls, we have a winner

We've posted a few references to an L.A. landmark, Olvera Street and our favorite taquito stand, Cielito Lindo. See posts one and two. I was real surprised to get a few request for the sauce recipe. I've tried many times to replicate and finally gave up, jeeze, it's only about forty miles to LA.

The request saying they'd take anything close so I thought I'd give it one more try. I mean I do fancy myself a pretty good cook and I've eaten enough of their guacamole--I should be able to get closer. I'd even seen a recipe in a cook book, god only knows where, that says cook the sauce to change the raw taste.

This is not your typical guacamole, it is thin and strained of any seeds. You really don't even taste the avocado there is so little.

Taquito sauce

1 can of Herdez Salsa Verde, or something that has tomatillos, onions, serrano peppers, salt, and cilantro.
1/2 ripe avocado
about 1/2 cup cilantro, packed
one serrano pepper, no seeds

Blend this in a food processor until smooth. Add salt to taste or extra serrano peppers if you like it hotter. Strain out all the seed.

Now here's the odd part, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about five minutes. Don't boil, just simmer, this isn't a reduction. Thin with a bit of water or chicken broth. This is a real thin sauce. Maybe as thin as tomato juice. Cool and refrigerate.


So I made this a few days ago and damn, if I didn't come closer than I'd even hoped. It is lacking something I can't put my finger on, maybe thinning with chicken broth would be it. If you make it and you've eaten at Cielito Lindo's you tell me. For now, I think I'm satisfied.