Our Tradition

I'm not sure how or when this came about, but baby days are Mexican days for us. That is to say, on baby related days, we eat some sort of Mexican food. Over the past two years, Melissa has learned that she likes more than just tacos. She also loves tamales, tostadas, tostaguacs, and enchiladas. We've found our favorite area restaurant, El Toro; and I've learned to cook some Mexican of my own from Diana Kennedy's: The Essential Cuisines of Mexico.

Along the way, I purchased a Molcajete for making fresh guacamole. Having a tradition, like this, is one of the ways we cope. We've had a lot of Mexican food over the past two years. Tonight, we had enchiladas.



Once the basic components are prepared, this is a simple dish to assemble. We usually make the ranchera sauce and filling ahead of time. The filling, we like the best, is just a simple ground turkey that is seasoned like we would for tacos.

To assemble, fry one 5" corn tortilla quickly in oil, without letting it get crispy. Drain the tortilla, and then dip it in ranchera sauce. I actually put a spoonful of sauce on the one side and smear it around, then flip the tortilla over and repeat. Then spoon two tablespoons of filling on the tortilla, and roll it up. Place the enchilada in an oven-safe dish. Repeat as necessary to make enough enchiladas. Finally, spoon a little of the ranchera sauce on top of the enchiladas, and then sprinkle them with some mild cheddar cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Taco Meat
1 lb ground turkey
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon ancho
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup water

Directions:
Brown ground turkey and drain. Add all ingredients, simmer over low heat to reduce moisture.

Salsa Ranchera
2 pounds fresh tomatoes
2 Serrano chiles
2 Garlic cloves
4 tablespoons Canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
Roast the tomatoes and chiles under the broiler for 5-10 minutes (turning once) until slightly charred. Puree the tomatoes and chiles along with the garlic and salt in a blender. In a fry pan, heat the oil, and then add the sauce and cook quickly for about 5-7 minutes until the sauce has reduced a bit.