Horchata

While in California on my mission, I fell in love with a little drink called Horchata (pronounced Or-cha-ta).  It is a Mexican rice milk drink that is absolutely delicious!

When I am feeling ambitious, I sometimes make it.  It is so soothing and delicious on a hot summer day.

What you need:

• 1 cup uncooked white long-grain rice
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup white sugar

What you do:

• Pour the rice and water into the bowl of a blender; blend until the rice just begins to break up, about 1 minute. Let rice and water stand at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours (or overnight)

• Strain the rice water into a pitcher and discard the rice. Stir the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar into the rice water.  Let sit for three hours and then strain through a coffee filter.  Chill and stir before serving over ice.

Cinco De Mayo Meal, Baby!

Today is Cinco de Mayo. What that means is the Mexicans beat Napolean's army and drove the French from their lands on this day in 1862.  Pretty amazing since the French army had not been beaten for over 50 years!  Go Mexicans!

As it is well known, I find any reason I can to celebrate.  No, I am not Mexican, but I do love the people, culture, and food. 

Today in honor of the Mexican holiday, we ate in style.

We had Cafe Rio style burritos.  They are Jeffrey's favorite and I quite like them as well.  I found the recipe at Favorite Family Recipes and adapted it a little to suit our tastes.  Enjoy!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE:
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")


CILANTRO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

I also bought some enchilada sauce and poured it over the burritos, sprinkling Tapatio hot sauce and cheese over the top and popped them in the broiler (the oven turned to broil).  When the cheese was melted, they were done.  Add some pico de gallo and a little bit of crema and it is ready for the eating!

Mexican Rice

On Sunday I gave a lesson on time management. I used rice and water as part of my object lesson then realized I had a ton left over. Not wanting to waste it, I took it home and cooked it. Needless to say, cooking with rice has been on my mind quite a bit lately.

Yesterday I found a recipe and used it as a guide for dinner. I was worried it wouldn't be very good, but it was actually delicious!

What You Need:

4 cups cooked brown rice
1 can black beans drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes drained
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups cheese
spinach leaves

What to Do:

Preheat oven to 350*.
Spread rice in a casserole dish. Mix in seasoning, tomatoes, sauce, beans and 1 cup cheese. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
Bake until cheese is melted and all is heated through- about 20 minutes.
Serve on bed of spinach.

This would also make a great burrito stuffer. I think we are going to try that out tonight... or enchilada! That would be yummy too. At any rate, enjoy, and

Buen Provecho!