Pico de Gallo - My Recipe and "The Song"

It's a beautiful day here in the Land of Enchantment. Sunny, but not too hot. I had a very busy week, so I am going to enjoy hard-earned "down-time" this evening. I think if I lived in the south, I'd recline in the swing on my veranda, sipping a mint julep and snacking on cheese straws, while fanning myself delicately. YEAH RIGHT. I live in New Mexico, so it's me on the front porch with a margarita, homemade pico de gallo, and tortilla chips!

Pico de gallo (Spanish for Rooster's Beak) is a fresh condiment, much like salsa. It can be served as a dip for tortilla chips or as a topping for your next batch of tacos or fajitas.

Before you begin this easy recipe, you have to take a couple of minutes to listen to the "Pico de Gallo" song by Trout Fishing in America. Listen closely to the lyrics. I guarantee you'll laugh so hard you'll cry-o!



Anne's Pico de Gallo Recipe
1 lb. Roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (2 jalapenos will give you additional heat :- )
Squeeze of lime juice
Salt to taste
Optional: Cilantro, chopped (I'm not a fan of cilantro, so I don't use it in my version)

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to tacos or fajitas.

Hugs and blessings~
~~~Anne

Chile Relleno Casserole

Chile rellenos are one of my favorite New Mexican foods, but they require a lot of preparation. Get a whole roasted green chile, peel the chile, clean out the seeds, stuff it with cheese, dip it in batter and deep fry. Way too much work for this busy lady, so rellenos are more of a "restaurant treat" for me!

When I came across the following recipe for kind of a "faux" chile relleno casserole that involved none of the above prep and NO FRYING, I thought "no way", and filed the recipe card away. So... I was fumbling around in the kitchen the other day trying to figure out what to make for a weekend brunch and came across the recipe. I had all the ingredients for the casserole on hand, so I thought I'd give it a go. Oh my goodness! It was quick (5 minutes of prep!), easy, and absolutely delicious!!! This one gets filed under "love it". I will definately be making it again. (My husband said I'll be making it again SOON!)

Here's the recipe:

CHILES RELLENOS CASSEROLE
courtesy of Casa del Granjero in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Ingredients:

1 cup green chile, roasted, peeled, and chopped (Check the freezer section at the grocery for chopped green chile. It's already prepped for you :-)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/4 cups Montery Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup flour

1 t. baking powder

1 1/2 cups milk

Garnish suggestions: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, diced onions, sour cream, salsa

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the first seven ingredients, stirring until well incorporated.

Pour the mixture in a buttered 9x9 baking dish or a 10" pie pan.

Bake for 50 minutes or until fully set.

Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Slice, garnish, and serve.

Hugs and blessings~

~~~Anne