Mex to the max, revisited

Photo by Kate Miller, stolenmomentscooking.com

Last night, I made chicken taquitos, one of my favorite quick and easy meals (I usually have a bag of chicken tenders in my freezer because they thaw quickly and always taste great).

I blogged about how to make these several years ago, but I came up with a time- and paper-saving tip, so I thought I'd share the recipe again.

If serving with rice and beans, your beans should be cooked and on low, and you should start the rice before assembling the taquitos, since rice will stay warm up to 30 minutes after it’s done.

Lori K’S Easy Chicken Taquitos
Serves 2

Ingredients
6 corn tortillas
Oil
6 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts, cut into 3 strips each
Garlic salt
Cumin
Chili powder
Salsa or guacamole for dipping

Instructions
Heat about a quarter-inch of oil over medium heat in a frying pan that’s just a little larger than the tortillas.

Put the tortillas in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean dishtowel. Microwave for a minute.

Season the chicken tenders or strips with a light dusting of the spices. Roll up each piece of chicken in a softened tortilla and secure with a toothpick.

Put three taquitos in at a time, seam side down. Brown on all sides (the toothpicks can come out after the first side is browned). The chicken will be thoroughly cooked, yet tender and moist inside. Drain on a paper towel. Keep the first three warm while cooking the rest.

Serve hot with the salsa or guacamole.

Indian spice

After writing about potato curry, someone asked about my garam masala. It is indeed a mixture that varies from kitchen to kitchen (and one of the reasons trying out new Indian restaurants is such an adventure), but here is one I like. (The photo to the right shows black peppercorns, but I don't use them in my garam masala, because they tend to overwhelm the other spices when stored. It's easy enough to add freshly ground pepper as you're cooking.)

Garam Masala
Makes about 4 tablespoons

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons cumin seeds (black cumin if you can find it)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried coriander seeds
1 piece star anise
1 long bay leaf

Instructions
Roast all the spices lightly on low-flame for about 2 minutes. Grind them to a powder in a clean, dry spice grinder. Store in an airtight glass jar in a dark, cool, dry place.

Eat like a "Slumdog"

Riding the wave of "Slumdog Millionaire," here's an easy recipe for potato curry.

Ingredients
4 medium potatoes
1 big onion
2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
2 teaspoons red chili powder, divided
Garam masala
cilantro leaves for garnishing
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon crushed ginger
4 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup frozen baby green peas (petit pois)

Instructions
Wash potatoes and peel them if you want them to look pretty. Otherwise, leave the nutritious skins on. Chop them into 1/2" thick cubes.
Chop onion finely. Chop tomatoes and cilantro.
Heat a wok or a sauce pan. Add oil. When oil is heated, add cumin seeds. As the seeds sizzle, add asafoetida and turmeric powder. After this, add 1/2 tsp chili powder in the tempering. This gives the gravy a nice deep red color. Also if you add chopped cilantro at this stage, it enhances the flavor of the curry.
Add onions and fry until they become light brown. Add chopped tomatoes and saute until they soften, blend with the onion and oil separates from the mixture. Then add crushed ginger and garlic. Fry until just aromatic.
Add peas and diced potatoes. Mix and add 2 cups hot water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and check if potatoes are tender. Add salt, masala and the rest of the chili powder and mix. Let it simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to thicken the gravy.
Garnish with cilantro and serve with plain rice.
Note: You can find the garam masala and asafoetida in Indian groceries. You can make this dish without them, but it won't taste authentic.