South Of The Border Essentials Everything Sauce Recipes

BAB'S SOUTH OF THE BORDER TACO DIP

Steps:

• Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Drain the excess grease.
• Stir in the garlic, chipotle peppers, cumin, and chili powder; cook just until the flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, red bell pepper, and 2 teaspoons lime juice to make a spreadable mixture. Layer the cream cheese mixture in the bottom of a large springform pan or 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Spread the cooled beef mixture over the cream cheese.
• Top the beef layer with layers of tomato, black olives, Cheddar cheese, half the lettuce, green onion, remaining lettuce, and the taco sauce.
• Lightly toss the avocados with juice and zest of 2 limes; spread the avocados over the taco sauce.
• Finish the dip by dotting dollops of sour cream all over the top of the dish and sprinkling with cilantro.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER SOUP

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. , In a large saucepan, brown meatballs; drain. Add the picante sauce, corn, beans, tomatoes and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 and grease 1 1/2 qrt casserole dish.
• Brown meat and drain.
• Add onion and jalapeno (if using) and cook with meat until tender.
• Stir in tomato sauce and seasonings.
• Layer one-third of meat mixture, cheese and one half of tortillas in casserole dish; repeat layers, ending with cheese.
• Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.
• Note: Corn tortillas will soften and absorb the sauce.
• These are recommended.
• Flour tortillas will expand and the casserole will be too doughy-therefore flour tortillas are not recommended.

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER ESSENTIAL: ALL-ROUND SPICE MIX

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will need a spice or coffee grinder to make this mix.
• 3. Helping Spices Out Most spices, with the exception of things like salt, can benefit from an additional step before using... Pan heating. Add the spices to a cold pan, and then bring it up to medium heat. Continue to stir until the spices smell fragrant, about 2 - 3 minutes. Be advised that from the moment they smell fragrant to the moment that they overcook and burn, is a matter of 10 - 15 seconds, so as soon as you smell them, remove the pan from the heat, then immediately remove the spices from the skillet. Even if you turn off the heat, the spices will continue to toast in the residual heat of the pan. Why Does This Work Since the whole point of using spices is to enhance the flavor of the dish you are making, it makes sense to do everything you can to make them more flavorful, yes? Heating the spices (blooming) draws out the oils from the spices, emphasizing and emboldening their flavors. It can even take spices that are a bit long-in-the-tooth and bring them to new flavorful life. Note: If you are making a spice mix, do not cook the spices when you make the mix, cook them just before you "use" the mix in your recipe.
• 4. Salt If you are on a salt-restricted diet, then you can leave it out, or reduce it. You can always add a bit more later. Chili Powder The chili powder contributes to the heat and overall flavor of this spice mix. I like ancho for its deep smokey flavor notes, but if you have a favorite chili powder, use it. Full Stop. Paprika Smoked paprika works best, but if you have mild or hot, feel free to substitute. Dehydrated Onions The dehydrated onions add a mellow onion flavor to the mix; almost, as if you sautéed the onions before adding them. I use them in all kinds of dishes. If you do not have any, no worries, just replace them with about 2 teaspoons of onion powder. My goal of using the ancho chili powder and smoked paprika was to give the spice mix some nice mellow smokey flavor notes, and the white pepper imparts a nice sweet heat.
• 5. Storage of homemade condiments and spices Because homemade spices and condiments do not contain any preservatives, it is important to store them properly. Non-reactive (glass) containers with tight-fitting lids are a must. If I am making a dry spice, I love to use old spice bottles that I have run through the dishwasher. If I am doing homemade sauces, I love using Weck jars. They are all glass, come in all sizes and shapes, and have excellent leakproof lids. If you shop online, you can go to Amazon, and type in "Weck Jars" and you will find a ton of them. Dry spices should be kept in a cool space, away from sunlight (spice cabinet), and sauces, in most cases, should be stored in the fridge. If properly stored, this spice mix should last up to a year.
• 6. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 7. Mix all the ingredients together, grind to a uniform consistency, then store according to the provided suggestions.
• 8. PLATE/PRESENT
• 9. Use in any Mexican dish where you want to kick it up a bit. Enjoy.
• 10. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER PASTA

Steps:

• In a bowl, bring cream cheese to room temperature to soften.
• Add minced jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, green onions chopped, spinach, milk, sour cream, and pinch of salt.
• Mix well.
• Warm over *low heat* while cooking pasta.
• DO NOT BOIL or BURN!
• Cook pasta al dente; drain and let it cool a bit.
• Add to cream cheese sauce and mix well.
• Serve sprinkle with more cilantro, if desired.

S.O.B. (SOUTH OF THE BORDER) CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until almost tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Crumble the turkey in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook and stir until evenly brown; drain. Add onion to browned turkey meat and cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, gravy mix and chili powder until combined then mix in the corn and macaroni. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve on a bed of tortilla chips topped with shredded lettuce and sour cream.

SOUTH-OF-THE BORDER ESSENTIALS: EVERYTHING SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will require a blender or food processor fitted with an S-blade to make this recipe.
• 3. I like to play about with the salt and lime juice. Sometimes the chiles and tomatillos can be a bit more-or-less tart, and I adjust those seasonings accordingly. FYI: I you do not have any tomatillos; you can always substitute regular tomatoes. It will not taste the same; however, it is still pretty dang good. And, if you like yours hotter, throw in 1 or 2 jalapenos.
• 4. Homemade Ranch Mix This recipe calls for ranch dressing seasoning mix. If you want to make your own... It is healthier and does not have any preservatives check this out: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/seasoning-mix/diy-essentials-ranch-seasoning-mix.html?r=4 Homemade Mayonnaise To be sure, there are some good store-bought mayo's on the market (my all-time favorite is Duke's) If you live in the South, you have probably seen it on the shelves of your local grocer; however, as you travel North, it becomes as scarce as hen's teeth. If you would like to take a stab at making your own (it really is not all that difficult), check out this recipe: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/spread/mayonnaise-essentials-faux-duke-s-version.html?r=1
• 5. Storage of Homemade Condiments and Spices Because homemade spices and condiments do not contain any preservatives, it is important to store them properly. Non-reactive (glass) containers with tight-fitting lids are a must. If I am making a dry spice, I love to use old spice bottles that I have run through the dishwasher. If I am doing homemade sauces, I love using Weck jars. They are all glass, come in all sizes and shapes, and have excellent leakproof lids. If you shop online, you can go to Amazon, and type in "Weck Jars" and you will find a ton of them. Dry spices should be kept in a cool space, away from sunlight (spice cabinet), and sauces, in most cases, should be stored in the fridge. If properly stored, this sauce should last 4 - 6 weeks.
• 6. What Is A Tomatillo? A tomatillo is a small round fruit with a green color and papery husk. They're native to Mexico and are commonly used in Mexican cuisine to make salsas, sauces and more. When used in a recipe, the outer papery outer crust is always removed. What is the Difference Between a Tomato and a Tomatillo? At first glance, tomatillos look very similar to green tomatoes, but they are actually two very different fruits. Even though the word "tomatillo" literally translates to "little tomato" in English, don't be fooled. They're not the same thing. Like tomatoes, a tomatillo plant is easy to grow, and both are plants in the nightshade family. But that's where the similarities end. Tomatoes are sweeter, red in color and do not have the vibrant tartness that tomatillos have. What Do Tomatillos Taste Like? Fresh tomatillos have a unique flavor that is tart, bright and almost citrusy. They are mainly eaten cooked but can also be prepared raw. When boiled, the tomatillos tend to keep their tart flavor. When roasted, tomatillos become a little sweeter and lose some of their tartness. Tomatillos are healthy. They contain a lot of dietary fiber, and are rich in antioxidants, niacin, potassium, and manganese. Some Popular Recipes That Use Tomatillos: • Salsa Verde • Tomatillo Guacamole Salsa • Pork Chile Verde • Chicken Pozole Verde
• 7. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 8. This is an easy/peasy recipe to make.
• 9. Pop all the ingredients into your blender of choice (I am using a Vitamix), and blend baby blend.
• 10. Properly store in the fridge until needed.
• 11. I would let it chill in the fridge for an hour or two before using. That gives the ingredients a chance to know one another.
• 12. PLATE/PRESENT
• 13. Drizzle on a plate of greens, drizzle over enchiladas, burritos, tacos... stick in a straw and drink it right out of the jar (yeah, it is that good). Enjoy.
• 14. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.