New East side Mexican Food - YUM!

We are so excited that on the far east side we continue to attract new places to eat. The newest addition is Cucos a little joint on Buckeye that took over the Papacornopulis location. What an improvement - the place is really bright, clean and comfortable place to grab dinner any night of the week.  The menu is huge with a huge number of choices - all the usual Tex Mex items I grew up with, enchiladas, nachos, fajitas and a huge combo section. The beer is cold and the margaritas look tasty - we have not had one yet. The service is spectacular - always friendly , attentive and present when needed.  We have found a couple of things that are the best kept secert at this new favorite go to spot. First - ask for the hotter salsa - it is smoky, deep with rich chili notes and nice punch of heat! And second - order the Pork Carnitas dinner - holy cow - a plate full of the most tender, slow cooked pork with crispy exterior. This is by far one of the best plates of carnitas I have ever had in my life - and I have eaten a lot of Mexican food.  The platter is accompanined with nice refried beans, rice, lettuce, pico de gallo , fresh guacamole and crisp pickled jalapenos. You get to choose either corn or flour tortillas which are served fresh and hot. It is a build your own taco bonanza - we usually have leftovers for the next day - what value for about $10 it is a must seek out spot when the craving for Mexican food hits! While the west side has Taqueria Guadalajara and we have a few others spots around town - this is our new favorite place in the neighborhood!  We can't wait to explore the menu even more - if we can get away from ordering these succulent carnitas.

Happy Eating!

Jim

Korean BBQ it is HOT HOT HOT!

Here is the second recipe we created for the Value Cuts Summit in Austin. Just know that this is a spicy one, but not as hot as the proto-type. While developing this one Linda said it might be a little too hot for the average consumer. And after eating three tacos during development she was absolutely on the mark, it took a couple of hours for my tongue to cool off! So give these a try when you want to spice up your dinner – these can be either wok cooked or on the grill for even better smoky flavor. Happy eating




Korean BBQ Beef Tacos servings: 4


1 lb Delmonico cut steaks
12 each Tortillas, flour or white corn

Marinade
1/2 cup Korean soy sauce
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 T Fresh ginger, grated
¼ c Brown sugar
2T Toasted Sesame oil
1 t Black pepper, fresh ground

Kimchi Slaw
1/2 c Romaine, shredded
1/2 c Napa cabbage, shredded
1/2 Cucumber, peeled & seeded, julienne
1/4 Red onion, shaved
1 Carrot, julienne
1/2 Red pepper, julienne
¼ c Cilantro, chopped
2 Green onions, sliced

Slaw Dressing
1/4c Lime juice, fresh
1/4c Rice wine vinegar
2 t Red chili paste
2 t Sugar
1/2 t Red pepper flakes

Red Pepper and Sesame Hot Sauce
3T Red pepper paste
3 t Sesame oil
3 t Brown sugar
2 T Rice wine vinegar

Preparation:

Take the chilled Delmonico steaks and slice into ¼” slabs. Place in a container for marinating.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the marinade, pour over the Delmonico pieces, coating well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

In a large mixing bowl add all the Kimchi slaw ingredients and refrigerate until ready to dress.

In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for slaw dressing and mix well with a wire whip. Add to the slaw ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate until needed.

In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the red pepper and sesame hot sauce; mix well with a wire whip. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Grill the marinated Delmonico slices over medium high heat until medium degree of doneness. Set aside to rest. When ready, slice into smaller strips.

Heat the tortillas and wrap in a towel to keep warm.

Assemble the tacos as follows:

Place a warm tortilla on a plate
Add approximately 3 ounces of Delmonico steak strips
Top with a generous portion of Kimchi Slaw
Drizzle the Red Pepper and Sesame Hot sauce over the slaw
Serve immediately

He saw his shadow - now it is recipe time!

That is it - I have had it with winter already and now that meaty little groundhog rodent has the nerve to confirm we have 6 more weeks of this, ugh! I have always thought that the perfect recipe for groundhog would be fajitas. Marinate the meat and eliminate that grassy taste, since they are herbivores. Serve it with all the wonderful salsas and condiments to make tasty tacos!!!!! Add a side of wonderful tart margaritas, and you have the perfect...... OK- JUST KIDDING, FOLKS!!!!

After a beautiful and warmer weekend we can feel Spring is peaking over the horizon. We are so excited about the coming months we just want to hold the vision and feeling of the warm sunshine on our face.

So happy Ground Hog Day to everyone - and hey lets hope he got it wrong this time - his average is better than our local weather guy!

Soups On!!!! - Tortilla Soup

Since it is -3 degrees outside with a 20 mph "breeze", I thought it was a perfect time to cook up a batch of chicken tortilla soup. I take the leisurely approach on this by using a crock pot so I don't have to watch the stove. Here is the recipe - note it is a fairly healthful soup - give it a try!

Chicken Tortilla Soup servings 10


2 cup Onion, large dice
1 cup Carrots, large dice
½ cup Celery, chopped
1 Jalapeno, diced
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp Olive oil
3 ears Corn, removed
1 cup Mushrooms, quartered
4 Medium Zucchini, 1” chunks
14 oz Whole Canned Tomatoes
4 Whole Bay leaves
1 Roasted Chicken, meat pulled
2 qts Fat Free Chicken Stock
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp Chili powder
½ tbsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander, ground
12 Corn Tortillas, strips
To Taste Salt & Pepper

Garnish
1 cup Tortilla Chips
½ Avocado
½ cup Cotija Cheese


In a heavy stock pot over medium high heat place the olive oil then add the onion, carrot, celery, jalapeno and garlic cook until soft about 8 to 10 minutes

Add the corn, mushrooms and zucchini to the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes

Add the tomato by hand crushing them into the pot then add the bay leaf, chicken meat, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, coriander and cook for an additional 5 minutes while stirring

Add the chicken stock and the corn cobs bring up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes

Remove the corn cobs and bay leaves, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper then add the tortilla strips and cook for an additional 15 minutes

Serve in a bowl and top with your favorite condiments such as cilantro, tortilla chips, avocado and Cotija cheese.

Per serving
Calories 304
Fat 11
Fiber 6.6
WW pts 6

Enjoy - Note all recipes are original © Doak & Krantz 2008