Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Nachos for Dinner


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Hi everyone! Today will be all about "5 de Mayo", so I have a perfect dish to Celebrate "La Batalla de Puebla", which celebrates the Mexican victory over the French on May 5, 1862, this battle was held in Puebla, which is located in East-Central Mexico, just between Mexico City and Oaxaca.


You might be a little surprise to know that this date is a minor Holiday in Mexico, we don't really celebrate it as people celebrate it in the United States.
I lived in the North of Mexico for over 20 years and in those 20 years we never celebrated it, not at home or schools; there were no parades, no festivals, no mariachis and no fiestas at all!


So when I came to the United States, I was somewhat surprised to find out that 5 de Mayo was such a huge deal! Anyhow, I'm all about the parties, and celebration!


So today I'm bringing you a great idea for your 5 de Mayo party! This dish is so easy and delicious that is just perfect for any day, dinner, lunch or even breakfast, as a main dish or as an appetizer!


This one is one of my husband's top choices for dinner! If he could choose what to eat everyday, it will be wihout a doubt my "Ground Meat and Beans Nachos!" Hopefully you will like this one as much as he does!


Serves 4 main dishes or 10-12 as an appetizer
Ingredients:


1lb ground meat (I used turkey)
1 14.5oz can black beans
1 14.5 can Diced tomatoes with jalapeno peppers in rich juice
4-5 tablespoons taco seasoning
2-3 cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend or your favorite)
1 package of corn tortillas to make home-made nachos or 1 family bag of nachos
**Oil for frying, in case you are making home-made nachos**


Pico de Gallo:
¼ cup onion finely chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 lime
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
ground black pepper to taste


To garnish:
Sour Cream
Pickled Jalape?os


Drain the can tomatoes, reserve the juice.


Rinse and drain the black beans. Season with 1 teaspoon of each, salt and dry oregano, mix well and set aside.


To make the Pico de Gallo:
Combine the can tomatoes, (remember to drain the juice, and reserve it, we will use the juice to season the meat), combine the tomatoes with the onion and cilantro, season with 1 teaspoon of each: salt and oregano; also add in the juice of 1 lime and ½ teaspoon of each: garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Mix well, taste the flavor and add any salt or ground black pepper if needed. Set aside until ready to use it.


To make the Home-made nachos: (or buy your favorite brand of nachos)
Cut the tortillas in quarters. In a large skillet, heat up 1-2cups of oil, bring to a temperature of 350oF, fry the tortillas until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and while still warm season with a pinch of salt. Reserve until ready to use them.(If you prefer, bake the tortillas at 450oF for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.)


In a large non-stick skillet cook the meat on medium-high heat, for about 10 minutes or until brown. Add in the grated onion and continue to cook for 1 more minute. Season with 4-5 tablespoons of Taco Seasoning and add in the tomato juice (from the can of tomatoes) and ¼ cup of water, also bring in the beans, stir together and continue to cook for 4-5 more minutes or until the beans are heated through.


And that's it, serve at once!


If you are making this for a party, I recommend you set all the ingredients as a buffet,(Nachos, Meat Mixture, grated cheese, Pico de Gallo, Pickled Jalapenos and the sour Cream)so your guests can build their nachos whenever they are ready.


If you are serving this as an appetizer: Place the meat mixture right in the middle of your plate, add some cheese,  top it with the Pico de Gallo, jalape?os and sour cream, arrange the nachos around the meat.


If you like melted cheese, place your plate of nachos in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese
is melted.


Enjoy!


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