Rockin Robin's Mexican Recipes Blog

Cherries are in season now so visit your local Farmer's Market so you can get the freshest cherries possible. Because they are so fresh (compared to most grocery stores) you will get the best flavor as well as the most antioxidant benefits.

Here are some tips for buying and storing cherries this season.

Here are some of the varieties of cherries that are available thru late June, at least at my farmers market:

• Bing


• Brook


• Burlat


• Lapin


• Rainier

The best way to select cherries is to look for those with their stems still attached, and that seem heavy for their size.

Storing Cherries

Store your cherries unwashed in the coldest part of your refrigerator for 5 to 6 days. If you can't eat them all, guess what? You can freeze them for up to a whole year!

Freezing them is easy. First rinse them off and drain. Place them on a tray in a single layer and pop them in the freezer. Once they are completely frozen, transfer them to a ziploc bag and they will be good for a year.

Here is a recipe you might enjoy for cherry lemonade.

Cherry Lemon Cooler

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water


• 1 cup sugar


• 1 cup fresh California sweet cherries, halved and pitted


• 1 cup fresh lemon juice, refrigerated


• ice


• 1 bottle (1 liter) club soda or seltzer


• Cherries with stems for garnish


• 4 long stems fresh mint

Directions

In a small saucepan add the water, sugar and the cherries. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Take off the heat and cool. Pour the mixture through a strainer and place in a mason jar or any jar with a lid. Throw the cherries away.

Place the syrup in the refrigerator until cold.

To Serve: Fill a 16 oz glass with ice. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup syrup and fill the rest of the glass with club soda. Stir. Garnish with mint and cherries.

Serves 4
From the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association

Enjoy,
Rockin Robin

To reference this entry please copy the url in this link: (Permalink)

January 26, 2009 21:46 - Beckeritos - a cross between a quessadilla and a burrito.

By Becky Hayes

Beckeritos (2-4 servings) This recipe is original and was created spontaneously after having more conventional enchiladas earlier in the week. Not sure which recipe we like better -- these were excellent! The idea was spawned from the desire for chicken-cheese quesadillas -- rolled up.

Since they are rolled like burritos and my name is Becky, we called them Beckeritos. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 flour tortillas (about 7-8" in diameter, not burrito size)


• Butter


• Cream Cheese


• 1 can refried beans (or homemade)


• 1 small can of corn, drained


• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded


• 1/3 cup yellow onion, finely chopped


• 2 Tbsp. nacho jalape?os, finely chopped


• 1 Chicken breast, skinless, boneless, cut into half-inch cubes


• 1 tsp. ground Cumin


• 1 tsp. dried minced garlic


• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro


• 1/2 tsp. chili powder


• 2 Tbsp. La Victoria Salsa Verde (green chile salsa)


• 1/4 cup of chopped green onion

Directions

Grease a 9 x 9 inch Pyrex baking dish with butter.

Melt 1 Tbsp. of butter in a skillet. Brown the chicken in the melted butter. As the chicken browns, add the Salsa Verde, ground Cumin, dried minced garlic and chili powder to the skillet. Mix well and simmer for 2 minutes after chicken is done all the way through.

Add the chopped Cilantro. When Cilantro is wilted, remove from heat.

Place a flour tortilla on a plate, and spread one end with Cream Cheese. Using a soup spoon, place two large
dollops of refried beans across the middle of the tortilla and spread from side to side, only across the middle.

Place 1/4 of the seasoned chicken on top of the beans and arrange evenly. Place a handful of chopped onion on top of the chicken and spread evenly.

Place a heaping teaspoon of the chopped jalapenos on top of the onions and spread evenly. Add two heaping soupspoons of canned corn on top of the jalapenos. Arrange a small handful of shredded cheese on top of the whole pile, press down, and fold the tortilla so that the end with the cream cheese on it is folded on top.

The cream cheese will help the tortilla to stay closed -- as well as adding additional flavor. Place the first Beckerito in the prepared baking dish.

Repeat this process with the other three tortillas, placing each one next to the others in a single layer -- scrunch if needed. It will be a snug fit.

Top with remaining shredded cheese (should be about 3/4 cup of it) and any leftover chopped yellow onion.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is well melted and bubbling on top. Remove from oven.

Place one Beckerito on each dinner plate. Top with sour cream and chopped green onion. Serve with Spanish Rice or a side salad. Serves up to 4. Leftovers are YUMMY!

Thank you Becky, for sending this recipe in.

Rockin Robin

To reference this entry please copy the url in this link: (Permalink)

July 21, 2008 14:42 - Ron's Afterburner Hot Sauce

Here is a hot sauce recipe sent in by Ron. He calls it Ron's Afterburner Mexican Hot Sauce. This is our first hot sauce recipe so if you are looking for some "hot sauce" you might want to try this out.

Ron says this hot sauce will light up your life with the best hot sauce you'll ever taste. Try it out and post your response here and let us know what you think.

Ron explains that this hot sauce is simimlar to Pico Pica. "I like it because it can be used on any food requiring a little nip to the tongue. I like Pico Pica but it's hard to find in the Midwest. Sooooo, after a lot of research, I decided to make my own tasty hot sauce."

Try it. If you are a hot sauce fan, you'll love this one.

Ron's Afterburner Mexican Hot Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried hot red chili peppers


• 1/4 cup dried onion flakes


• 1 tsp. salt


• 1 tsp. cumin powder


• 1 tsp. oregano leaves


• 1 tbsp. chili powder


• 1 tsp. paprika


• 4 tbsp. white vinegar


• 2 cups water


• 2 eight ounce cans of tomato sauce

Directions:

Make sure the red chili peppers are the hot dried type with stems removed. Bring all ingredients, except tomato sauce, to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool. Place in blender and add tomato sauce. Blend until smooth. Add a little more water if too thick.

Makes 3 eight ounce bottles.

If you have a great hot sauce recipe you would like to share, please send it in
here.

Regards,
Robin

To reference this entry please copy the url in this link: (Permalink)