La Esparanza and more

Last week I took my shopping day in Odessa. That's right, a shopping day on Monday--a school day. Our superintendent, bless her heart, understands how crowded the stores are on the weekends, and that is the only time school people have to shop, since we live a "fer piece" from Midland or Odessa, so she came up with the idea of a "shopping day." We trade days with someone who is not in the classroom. I traded with the librarian, and my kids just went to the library to work on their assignments. I had lunch with my son, Roberto, and of course, we ate at a Mexican cafe he has discovered--La Esparanza. It has some really good hot sauce, just the left side of painful with really good flavor. Odessa has some real good Tex-Mex, and they don't cut the heat!

My mother arrived yesterday (Saturday), in fine shape, no worse for wear. In fact she enjoyed her flight, and talked to some interesting people on the way. One young man was going home to McCamey, Texas from his job with wind turbines. He said he was ready for some good Mexican food. After church today, we decided we would try a little McCamey Mexican fare. Everything starts with chips and hot sauce. The cook must not have been very mad today, because it was rather mild. The madder the cook, the hotter the sauce!
Mom ordered enchiladas with red sauce, and said they were good, but it was more than she could eat! That cafe is used to feeding men, and men want lots of food for their money. It is Christmas break, and I am looking forward to reading, cooking some healthy low-calorie food, and throwing in a few new recipes, which I will be sure to blog. So, tune in again. Maybe you will see something unusual. I hope your week before Christmas is filled with joy, and lots of friends and family.

Carne Guisada..

It was in the 50's all day Sunday, and this cool weather really does make me want to cook and eat! So long diet! I used about a pound and a half of rump roast for this Tex-Mex dish. It really is good, and I hope all of you will try it. Here are the main players in the whole recipe. Beef broth, I used Knorr Caldo bullion, and

improvised by using chipped pepper, because the chilis weren't hot at all. Cumin, black pepper, salt and chili powder. I was being lazy, and didn't feel like processing those, long, dried red peppers.

Here are the peppers. I asked the lady at the Iraan grocery store if they were hot, and she said some of them had been, so I didn't bother to pick up any jalapenos. Actually, I think the chipped, red chili is really good. It has a pleasant flavor, and a comforting heat, that doesn't just kill your mouth.

Then I cubed the roast, and floured the meat with just enough flour to coat the cubes. Don't add any salt at this time, because it draws the moisture out, and the meat won't brown.

Next, brown the meat in some olive oil. You can see that this old Le Creuset has had plenty of experience cooking! It is funny how I don't notice how beat up, and used my utensils look until I see the picture. Oh well, they cook better than that new stuff!

When the meat was browned, I removed it from the Dutch oven, put it in the crock pot, then added the broth to the drippings, simmered it on low so all that browned flour that had stuck would loosen, and add to the flavor of the gravy.
This meat was nice and tender after cooking iall afternoon, the gravy was juicy, but thickened, and the flavor was worth the wait. You can see I still have flour on my fingers from mixing up the tortillas! I think this would be good on rice, or just eat it!

One thing I did learn--roast the peppers and peel them first. Here is the recipe, as best I remember.

Carne Guisada

1 1/2 lb. roast, cubed

2 long chilies (roasted and peeled) and enough jalapenoes to warm you up, or

use chipped red chili like I did.

1 onion chopped

1-1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 -2 tsp. chili powder

about 6 to 7 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 to 1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. chopped tomatoes, canned work well

1 1/2 C beef broth

2 T flour

1. Roast the peppers and peel, then chop.

2. Chop the onion.

3. Flour the meat, and let it set just long enough to stick.

4. Add a couple of T. of olive oil to the Duth oven, and brown the meat. When you add the meat to the hot oil, let it stick a little so you can have that nice, crusty stuff on the bottom of the pan for the gravy.

5. Take the meat out of the pot, and add the broth. Let it simmer to loosen the browned flour.

6. Put the meat, tomatoes, seasonings, onions and peppers along with the broth to the crock pot, and cook all afternoon. Enjoy!