Potato And Rajas Tacos Recipes

CRISPY POTATO RAJAS TACOS

Steps:

• For the potato rajas: Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook potatoes until just tender, about 6 to 8 minutes, being careful not to overcook. Drain, pat dry, and spread in a single layer on a tray to cool.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions with salt and pepper until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in red bell peppers and chiles. Pour in heavy cream, bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes or until cream begins to thicken. Add grated cheeses and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until just heated through. Remove from heat.
• For the tacos: Heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees F in a large, deep pot or deep fryer. Dip tortillas briefly, one at a time, into the hot oil, just to soften. Spoon potato rajas mixture into center of each softened tortilla. Fold in half to enclose mixture and secure with a toothpick threaded through the top edge of the tortilla. Deep fry tacos for 3 to 5 minutes, until crispy and lightly golden. Remove and drain thoroughly.
• To serve, spoon Chipotle Crema onto four serving plates, spreading a bit to create a bed for the tacos. Place Crispy Potato Rajas Tacos on top of crema. Finish by topping with generous spoonfuls of Border Guacamole and Corn Relish and serve immediately.
• Combine ingredients thoroughly in a small mixing bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Chill until ready to use.
• Cut the avocados into quarters and place in a mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or fork until chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and combine with a fork. Serve immediately.
• Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the corn with the salt and pepper, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
• Add diced peppers to the sauteed corn along with the scallions, red wine vinegar, and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix well and let sit 20 to 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve at room temperature.

POTATO & RAJAS TACOS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan full of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook just until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet to cool.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, season with the salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and turn golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Stir in the roasted red peppers and poblanos. Add the cream; bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and let the mixture simmer it until begins to thicken, about 4 minutes. (You can make the filling up to this point a day or two ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat gently over medium-low heat when ready to serve.) Stir in the grated cheeses. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

POBLANO AND CHEESE TAMALES (TAMALES DE RAJAS CON QUESO)

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 30 to 60 minutes. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Line a heavy cast iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange poblano peppers in a single layer on top. Grill until chiles are blackened, turning as necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer into a resealable plastic bag and let them steam, 10 to 15 minutes. Peel off skin, seed, and cut them into strips.
• Place tomatillos in a pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they change color, about 5 minutes. Drain and place in a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add blended tomatillos and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes. Add poblano peppers and cilantro and boil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Beat remaining lard in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add salt and continue beating for a few minutes. Add masa harina and baking powder and beat well until combined. Add chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough has a smooth and workable consistency that is not too wet, similar to cookie dough. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, keep working the dough a little longer.
• Select 1 wide corn husk or 2 small ones. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the tomatillo sauce and a piece of Monterey Jack cheese in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

TACOS WITH ROASTED POTATOES, SQUASH AND PEPPERS (RAJAS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place potatoes on one baking sheet and toss with salt to taste, 3/4 teaspoon each of the ground cumin and chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread in an even layer.
• Place squash and onion slices on other parchment-covered baking sheet and toss with the remaining olive oil, salt to taste, cumin and chili powder.
• Depending on the size of your oven, roast vegetables together or separately on the middle rack. Roast potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender all the way through. Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl. Roast squash and onions for about 15 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes, until tender and lightly colored. Remove from oven and add to bowl with potatoes. Add pepper strips (rajas) and toss together. Season to taste with salt, and add more chili powder if desired. Keep warm.
• Spoon filling onto warm tortillas and add a generous spoonful of salsa. Top with goat cheese and serve.

POTATOES WITH ROASTED POBLANO CHILES AND MEXICAN SOUR CREAM (PAPAS CON RAJAS Y CREMA ÁCIDA)

Steps:

• On an ungreased comal or in a cast-iron skillet over high heat, roast the chiles, turning them over every couple of minutes using tongs or your hands (carefully, so you don't get burned). You're looking for uniform blistering, but you don't want them to become too soggy in the process, especially if you intend to stuff them, since they need to hold their shape. The process will probably take 10 to 15 minutes. Once they are well blistered and before the flesh is completely charred through in any spots, place the peppers in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid or in a bowl that you can cover with a plate (not a towel or anything porous) and set aside to "sweat" for about 10 minutes, or until they are cool enough to handle.
• Remove the charred skin from the whole chiles. Once you have removed and discarded the skin and seeds, cut them into rajas, or strips, about the width of fettuccine.
• In a small saucepan, cover the potatoes with 2 inches / 5cm water and add the salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove one of the potatoes and taste it. The piece should be soft but not falling apart, still holding its cube shape. Cubed like this, they will cook quite quickly, so be attentive. Once they have the right texture, drain the potatoes and set aside in a medium bowl with a lid or cover the pan with a plate to keep them warm.
• Using the same comal or skillet in which you toasted your chiles, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it's hot but not smoking. Add the onion and sauté until it's translucent but not browned.
• In a saucepan, combine the potatoes, chiles, onion, and crema or crème fraîche. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. As the mixture cools, the starches will absorb some of the melted cream and help it firm up. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve as you wish!
• Do Ahead: These potatoes can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

PAPAS CON RAJAS (POTATOES AND PEPPERS)

Steps:

• Boil potatoes whole in salted water until done.
• Put poblanos on a cookie sheet and broil until black. Turn and blacken on all sides. Remove poblanos and put right into a plastic bag and seal so no steam escapes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat.
• Add onions and cook until wilted and slightly browned.
• Peel and cube cooked potatoes (about 1/2-inch cubes).
• Turn skillet temp up to high and add potaotes.
• You may need to add more oil. Potatoes tend to suck it all up and you want the potatoes to kind of "fry". You want to get some color on the potatoes, so stir and then let them cook and brown before stirring again. The potatoes will fall apart and kind of mash, but that's OK.
• Add lots of salt and some pepper to taste--do taste to make sure it is salty enough.
• Under running water, peel skins off of poblanos and remove stems and seeds.
• Coarsely chop poblanos.
• When potatoes have some nice color on them, add poblanos, garlic and queso fresco. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Note: I use this as a filling for vegetarian tacos or for quesadillas, but they would be good as even a side dish or for breakfast instead of hashbrowns.

POTATO AND RAJAS TACOS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the potatoes until just tender, being careful not to overcook, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, pat dry and spread in a single layer on a tray to cool. When ready to serve, heat the rajas in a medium saucepan over medium low heat, stirring frequently, just to heat through. Add the potatoes and stir occasionally until heated through. For potato and rajas tacos, toast 24 small Corn Tortillas and keep warm. For each taco, stack 2 tortillas and layer with the potato rajas mixture. Top with Salsa Fresca and an avocado slice and serve.
• CREAMY RAJAS: In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions with the salt and pepper until they begin to wilt and brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the julienned red peppers and chiles. Pour in the heavy cream, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes or until the cream begins to thicken. Stir in the grated cheeses and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.
• SALSA FRESCA: In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Stir and toss well, and serve. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator no more than 1 day.