Tag Archives: tex-mex

What’s Eating Aunt Debbie?

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I’ve eaten at 3 different Mexican restaurants in the past month or so. Only one of them was worth going to again. I’ve eaten a lot of Mexican food over the years and no, I’ve never been to Mexico or Texas, but holy crap. When the refried beans don’t taste like beans, the enchilada sauce is like tomato sauce, and the rice tastes dirty, I won’t eat there again. I can let go of the fact that the salsa may have way too much cilantro or the tortilla chips weren’t perfect. I know that restaurants have bad days. I know there are different regions of Mexico so each restaurant may have different recipes… Maybe I’ve become too picky or my palate has just been spoiled over the many years of eating at a Tex-Mex place that has closed down. All I know is that I know what tastes good to me…

Looking after Dad has been especially difficult this past month. He’s been forgetful more than usual. His gait is unsteady. He has fallen twice. His blood pressure goes high mid-day even though he takes his meds. He sleeps in his chair off and on all day long. He’s not sleeping well at night. He sleeps some but it’s not restful sleep. I worry. I stress a lot.

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired and frankly pissed off to no end, of this political shitstorm! Trump is an asshole, plain and simple. Every single person he has in his entourage is an asshole. You have to be an asshole to follow an asshole. He has no morals. He wants what he wants. He is the biggest narcissist this world has ever seen. He wants to change our government to the way he wants it to be. He wants to destroy everything we have and everything we know. I could write all day about Trump and still not cover everything…

Our washing machine is being stupid. It washes fine. No problems with a load being clean. The problem is that it doesn’t just beep (a tune) when a load is finished. It decides in the middle of the night to beep off and on as if there’s an unfinished load in the machine. It needs to be serviced before I beat it to death with a baseball bat!

Well, that’s what’s eating me today. Not sure about the rest of the week. Haha. Have a great day, friends.

aunt-debbie

A Sunday Recipe

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31150328_10156333184669299_6846227332643094137_nI don’t know about you, but I love, love, LOVE Mexican food and foods with a Tex-Mex/SouthWestern flare! I seem to always crave foods in that flavor palate, whether I am eating out or if I’m cooking at home. I don’t cook much anymore though, due to my mobility issues but when I do, it’s something quick and easy. Last month I found an awesome new recipe and I tweaked it a bit for my own tastes. It was FABULOUS!

I hope you’ll give this a try some time. It’s really delicious and not too expensive to make, as I normally already have all the spices and seasonings in my kitchen. Maybe you do, too. I’ve used both chicken and beef…so take your pick! I prefer the beef version myself, but both are delicious and very filling!

Tex-Mex Steak Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
A pinch (or more!) cayenne pepper
1 lb. flank steak (or chicken breast fillets)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp. red onion, chopped
Lettuce

For Dressing:

3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro OR 1 tsp. dried cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper, to taste

In a medium, bowl combine brown sugar, salt, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne. Mix well and rub spice mix over the steak (or chicken), coating well.

Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat, add tsp. of olive oil and cook steak for 5 minutes on each side, letting a nice dark crust form on each side. Let steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing. (For chicken, cook each filet about 5 minutes each side, or until cooked through.)

While meat is cooking, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, and onion. Toss to combine.

Slice the meat against the grain, into strips. When ready to plate, add the lettuce to bowl first, then top with the bean and corn mixture. Add meat slices along the side of the dish. Serve and enjoy!

(You can mix the lettuce with the bean and dressing mixture if you’re serving 4 people. This was enough for Dad and me to have 2 meals, so I didn’t mix the lettuce for fear that we would have soggy lettuce for leftovers.)

Makes 4 servings.