Cantina Laredo

Hola! It's been a while!! I have been sooooo busy with school and life that I just haven't had a chance to blog - but no worries, I'm still here:)

The other night some friends and I decided to go out to dinner.  We wanted to try a new restaurant and also visit a new area of town.  So we decided to head out to Midtown Omaha and try out Cantina Laredo!
I was a bit nervous when walking into the restaurant because I thought that it was going to be super expensive and I wasn't going to be able to eat for a month afterwards, but to my delight, it was about an average priced menu!   The decor in the restaurant was a little different than I had imagined it to be - it was mainly "modern" art with a few fire places, and wooden tables.  I enjoyed the setting of the restaurant, but it just did not seem to fit with my typical "Hispanic" styled cultural likes.
As we sat down at the table, we were served with complimentary chips and salsa.  The chips were absolutely amazing as well as the salsa that was on the table.  I was pleasantly surprised and had high hopes for the meal!
To my guest diners, they thought that the menu was "un poco dificil de leer" (a bit difficult to read), but no worries, I helped them understand:) It was a nice sized menu with quite a few choices, probably about 25 options, which is good for a restaurant.  I've always heard that the more options you have at a restaurant, the worse some of the food will be; just because it is hard to cook so many different dishes in one kitchen; so more of the food is likely to be frozen or pre-cooked.
I was delighted to see that they offered a few Mole dishes - which are my favorite!! So I ordered the chicken mole dish which is a black chocolate pepper sauce atop chicken rolled in flour tortillas.  I know, it sounds a little strange to think that chocolate, peppers, and chicken would go together - but in Oaxaca, Mexico (where the dish originated), it works perfectly!  I also added a side of guacamole, just because Mexican restaurants cannot be fully critiqued without testing the guac!

The food was served in about 10 minutes after we ordered, which made me a little leery to begin with.  It just seemed really fast to have made three dishes!  I was so excited to try my chicken and mole because I had not had it in a looonnnggg time!  I have to say that the food portions were a bit small for what the price was, but my dish was pretty good.  It was not the best Mexican food that I have had in Omaha, but average of what you could find at restaurants around town.  The guacamole was probably my favorite thing that I ordered, although, once again, it was a small portion for a steep price (I don't know if this has anything to do with the Avocado shortage... but if it doesn't, I would not order it).  The picture that you see below is a side of guacamole, which cost me $3.50!  I was not very pleased when I got the check.

My guest diners ordered your basic enchiladas, one beef and one chicken.  I could tell that neither of them were into their dishes.  The one who ordered beef said that hers tasted like canned chili that was rolled in a tortilla - so I was curious.  I tried a bite, and confirmed, that yes, it was definitely some Manwich-type food.  Let's just say, neither of them will be returning, and neither will I.  

I was thoroughly disappointed when we left the restaurant, mainly because I had heard good things about it and there was even a "best of Omaha" sign in the restaurant.  I would have rather spent $6 at Lina's and had one of my favorite meals than gone to this place for $15.  But, you win some you lose some!

Overall, I would rate this restaurant a 4 out 10 stars.  It was worth a shot, but was just not on point.  

I would LOVE to hear from you if you have tried Cantina Laredo!! What were your thoughts on this restaurant?? Maybe we hit a bad night, I don't know, but I was overall not impressed, and I would not recommend this restaurant.  

Hasta Luego!! 

P.S. If you are still interested, here it their link!

http://www.cantinalaredo.com/

Lina's vs. Abelardo's Mexican Food

  VS. 

As you have probably noticed by now, Mexican food is my all time favorite style of cuisine!! I LOVE everything about Mexican food, the flavors, the colors, the spicy, the sweet... You name it!  One of my all time favorite Mexican restaurants is Lina's Mexican Restaurant.  They are always quick and fresh; and they are probably one of the cheaper restaurants out there that gives you both a good quality and quantity of food for your buck!  I also love how Lina's is open 24 hours a day!! I mean, who doesn't have 2am cravings for Mexican food?? 

BUT there is another restaurant that I have found to be very similar to Lina's that I would like to mention; Abelardo's Mexican Food.  Just like Lina's they are open 24 hours a day and offer a lot of the same menu items.  So I thought I would let the two battle each other out and see which one won my vote!! 

I will say that Abelardo's has a better selection of the "Mexican" drinks, where as Lina's just has the basic Horchata and Mexican Coca-Cola and fountain drinks!  Making the score Lina's: 0, Abelardo's: 1. 

Although Abelardo's has a good drink selection, they are lacking in the sauce department.  I absolutely LOVE Lina's sauces that they offer to their diners.  They have three sauces: Hot, medium, and mild.  I actually prefer the mild sauce at Lina's because of the flavor; and the hot isn't really all that hot!  At Abelardo's they didn't have quite the selection of sauces that I would have liked, and the sauce that I did try didn't have such a good flavor.  Score: Lina's: 1 - Abelardo's: 1... Looks like we have a tie!

Although, the final point will go to the restaurant that has the best grub.  As I mentioned before, they both have very similar menu options.   I love Lina's "Carne Asada Burrito," it tastes JUST like something you would eat in Mexico!  Last time I was at Abelardo's I tried the "Pollo Asado," I have to say I wasn't impressed.  The flavor was good, but the ingredients didn't seem as fresh... 

So, my verdict: Lina's wins!! 

You may have a different opinion, and I would love to hear it; Good or bad!  But I definitely recommend trying out Lina's Mexican Restaurant!  Get the Carne Asada Burrito and you will feel like you are chewing on a piece of Mexico! :) 

Websites: 

Lina's: http://www.linasmexicanfood.com/

Abelardo's:  http://abelardosmexicanfood.com/

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

So when you first looked at the title of this blog post you were probably thinking, "tomato." But let me tell you, a tomatillo is NOT a tomato!! Sure, there are some similarities, but they are not even in the same category of fruits/veggies!! So what is a tomatillo?? First off, a tomatillo looks like this:
                                                 
As you can see, it comes in a husk-like wrapper and it is green!  Before I started doing a lot of Mexican cuisine and cooking, I never realized or knew what tomatillos were!  However, now they are one of my favorite ingredients to use in cooking!! You can use tomatillos in just about everything! Salsas, sauces, stir-fries, and much much more!
When you decide to buy some tomatillos at the store it is important to make sure that they are completely encased in their shell.  This ensures that they are fresh and un-tampered with.  When peeling the tomatillos you may notice that your fingers will become sticky.  Tomatillos have a sticky substance inside of the husk that helps to ward of bugs! Interesting right?? Anyways, this is one of my favorite recipes that I use tomatillos in, and I hope you come to love them just as much as I do! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
1 Serrano pepper
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt (you may need to add a bit more depending on your preference)
2 cups water

Directions:
1. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and pepper into a saucepan. Season with cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt; pour in water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Using a blender, carefully puree the boiled veggies, seasonings, and water in batches until smooth.

3. Refrigerate until cold; serve with tortilla chips or over tacos, enchiladas or anything else you may want!

*May refrigerate up to one week.

Guaca Maya Mexican Restaurant

Hola! Como estas?!  As you have probably noticed, I LOVE Mexican food... Actually, not just food, anything Mexican for that matter! Anyways, I was able to try out Guaca Maya Restaurant about a year ago; and since then, I have been back multiple times!  When I first pulled up to the restaurant I was shocked at just how big the building was from the outside!
When I walked in I realized that it was not only a restaurant, but also a place that groups come and perform and play music!  Usually their events only occur on the weekends, but if you check out the website (link posted at the bottom) there is a full schedule of events available.

The food itself is really good!  If you visit I would highly recommend the guacamole!  They have some of the best guacamole I have tried in the Omaha area; Not too chunky, not too oniony (yes, "oniony" is a word)... Just right!
Most of the time I order a taco, enchilada or burrito, and they have been good as well; But I may try something different next time I visit.  They also have a buffet available at some times, but I have never eaten off the buffet, only ordered specific dishes.

Let's get to the rating:

Cost: The good thing about Guaca Maya is that you can go and just order a taco or two, or you can order a whole meal.  I would expect on paying about $10.00 per person for a full meal; unless you plan on getting a specialty item.
Care: Great service! The staff was really knowledgeable about the food and they were extremely friendly!
Cleanliness: Very clean! Nothing out of the ordinary in this category!
Atmosphere: The cool thing about Guaca Maya is that it is such a different restaurant!  The place is huge!  It's a very open building, I could imagine that if there were a lot of people there it would be very noisy.  But whenever I have gone (lunchtime) it has been very pleasant.

Overall I would give Guaca Maya Mexican Restaurant a 9 out of 10 rating.  The only reason why I would dock Guaca Maya points is because of their menu.  Their menu is a little difficult to read and it is very large; making picking a meal a little difficult.
I would have no problem bringing children to this restaurant.  It is very family friendly; although I would double check before going on a weekend night since they may be hosting events.
Here is the link to the restaurant's website if you would like to check out their menu or learn more about the restaurant:

http://www.guaca-maya.com/index.html

I hope you get to try this restaurant out, it's very good and has a great atmosphere!  Here is the address and the phone number if you would like to try it out!  Enjoy!

5002 South 33rd Street

Omaha, NE 68107

402-733-3440

Homemade Tamales

Well... I FINALLY made homemade tamales!!! I have been wanting to make homemade tamales for a long time now and finally picked up some corn husks the other day at the store!  Let me tell you... This is not a quick dinner.  The total time that it took to make these was probably 5 hours.  This includes boiling the meat and steaming the tamales.... So... Make sure you have TIME!

I made a video to show you the process instead of a picture by picture; I thought it would be more enjoyable!

Here's the full recipe in case you want to try!

Ingredients:

4 pounds boneless chuck roast

4 cloves garlic

1/2 onion

1 (16oz) packages of dry corn husks

1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cloves garlic; minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon white vinegar

salt to taste

3 cups shortening

1 Tablespoon salt

9 cups masa harina

Directions:

1. Place beef, garlic and onion in large pot.  Cover completely with water.  Bring contents to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3.5 hours; or until beef is tender.  When beef is cooked, save 5 cups of cooking liquid (discarding garlic and onions).  

2. Shred beef with forks and set aside.

3. While beef is cooking, soak corn husks in large container with water.  You will need to weigh down the corn husks with something heavy so they are completely submersed.  Soak for 3 hours.

4.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Mix in flour until slightly browned.  Mix in beef broth, Ancho chili powder, cumin seeds, ground cumin, minced garlic, chopped oregano, red pepper flakes and vinegar.  Stir in shredded beef and heat for about 20 minutes.

5. Place shortening and salt in LARGE mixing bowl.  Whip with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add masa harina and beat until well mixed. Pour in reserved liquid a little at a time, until consistency is similar to cookie dough.

6. Drain water from corn husks.  One at a time flatten out each husk; spread approximately 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the top of center of husk.  Spread dough out making sure to leave 1/2 in. edge so it can be easily rolled.  Roll up the tamale being careful not to have any of the contents leak.  If husk rips, roll up in another husk. Tie ends with ripped strips of husks into knots.

7. Lay each tamale flat in a steamer and steam 1 hour.  When you take out of the steamer they should feel more firm than when you placed them in the steamer.

8. Take out and enjoy!

Well... There's the process!  If you watch the video the steps become a little more clear.  It was fun trying out this new recipe and I hope you get the chance to try it out!  Let me know if you have made tamales before and how they turned out, I would love to hear your stories! 

Be prepared to roll tamales for about 1 hour!!

South of the Border Chicken Chili

I am so excited to tell you about this next dish because it is in my top 5 favorite recipes to make and eat!
Now, people will debate me on whether this is considered a chili or a soup... I say, look at the title!  It is a little more runny than a typical red chili, but a little more thick than a typical soup.  But since I am the chef, I deem it to be a chili!  So, as I was saying, this chili is one of my favorites because it has so much flavor!! You also have the power when making this chili to make it more or less spicy, whichever you prefer, by adding more or less peppers!

I love all of the fresh peppers that are used in this recipe, sometimes I add different kinds than the recipe calls for just because I like to experiment.
Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try it:

1 cup of white onion, chopped
1/2 cup of green onions, sliced and chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
21 ounces of cream of chicken soup
2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup of tomato sauce
2 cups of milk
4 ounces of chopped green chilies (drained)
2 Tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1.  Saute chopped white onion, green onion, peppers and minced garlic in a large skillet with the oil.  Saute until vegetables become slightly soft (about 5 to 10 minutes).
2.  Add chicken to mixture and cook until browned (5 to 10 minutes).  *I like to sometimes cook the chicken a little before mixing into the vegetable mixture, especially when I make a double batch; just to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through.
3.  Place vegetable and chicken mixture into a large pot and add the rest of the ingredients.  Heat to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender.
5. Serve with topping choices of guacamole, cheese and sour cream.  Enjoy!

Finished chili

Serves about 4
Total time to make: 50 minutes

It's a really simple recipe, the only time consuming thing is chopping up all of the vegetables.  I usually make a double batch of the chili because my family loves this recipe and it is one of the few things I will eat as leftovers (that's a different story)!
The last time I made this recipe I actually used almond milk instead of real milk just to make it a little more on the healthy side.  I did not tell the diners that I had substituted the almond milk for the real thing... They never noticed (and still don't know)! Ha.  I also added an Anaheim pepper into the mixture just for some extra peppery goodness!
If you want to make this recipe a little more healthy you could maybe try substituting turkey for chicken, almond milk for regular milk; and leave off the cheese!  That would cut your calories by at least 50 to 100, depending on the size bowl you have!  I am assuming that after you try one bowl you're going to want another!
I hope you get to try this chili out!  It is a really good recipe for those brisk nights when you want something fresh and filling!
Let me know if you have any questions or comments!  I would love to hear about your experience if you do decide to try it out!

Dinner is served!

Cooking up the chicken with vegetables!

Restaurant - Rivera's Mexican Restaurant

Here's to the first restaurant rating on my new blog!! Cheers!

Friday night my family and I went out and tried Rivera's Mexican Restaurant!  I had never heard of the restaurant before, probably because it's a little far from my house: 120th and Blondo.  So... A little drive... BUT let me tell you, it was worth EVERY SINGLE SECOND in the car!!! I have to say, this is honestly the  BEST MEXICAN food I have had since Oaxaca, MX!  It was amazing!

Their menu features some really authentic Mexican dishes that you would not be able to find just anywhere.  For example; I ordered the Pollo en Mole Poblano (Chicken in Pepper Mole sauce), "Mole" is a very intricate sauce that I had while I was in Oaxaca a few years back... Oaxaca happens to be known as the "land of the 7 moles."  Mole is basically a sauce made out of tons of spices!  There are 7 main moles and they range from chocolate, pepper, red and yellow.  If you were to watch someone make an actual mole sauce by hand, it could take anywhere from 15 hours to 2 days.  It is a very long process because they grind the spices by hand...
Anyways, this Mole Poblano was the BEST dish I have had in ages!

Cost: The nice thing about this restaurant is that you can order anything from about $8 - $20.  They do have a kids menu which has $5 options... Although I would not recommend bringing children because it was so crowded and loud... Maybe on a weekday?
Care: I will tell you that the atmosphere of the place was very crowded and loud.  The restaurant only seats about 50 people, making it a tight squeeze. I don't know how crowded it usually is on other nights of the week, but Friday night was pretty busy (about 25 min. wait).  But the service was top-notch and our : Good! I didn't notice anything dirty or out of the ordinary, the waitress was very friendly!

Cleanliness: I would give this restaurant 11 out of 10 stars! It was incredible.  You just have to remember to be adventurous when you try these new places and order something besides a taco!  I would recommend the "Pollo en Mole Poblano" (it is a tad spicy) and definitely order the Guacamole for an appetizer (which is also spicy)!  I have to say, their Guacamole is very spicy for Guac, but very intriguing and delicious!

Here's the link to their restaurant if you would like to check out the menu before going!

http://riverasmf.com/index.asp

I will definitely be going back... probably three times a week! Ha. (Okay, that's wishful thinking)...
Buen Provecho!!

Salsa Love

Homemade Salsa

So... As some of you may know, I LOVE Mexican food.  Actually, the word "love" doesn't even explain just how much I ENJOY it!  One of my missions this past summer was to find and create a salsa recipe that not only had some kick to it (spicy food is bomb!) but also encompassed all the fresh and vibrant flavors of some Mexican food.  Here is my favorite salsa that I like to make; I originally found the base for the recipe in a Rick Bayless book but have tweaked it a alot! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 medium Tomatillos
1/2 White Onion
1 T./ pinch of Fresh Cilantro
2 Jalapenos
2 Serrano Peppers
1 Anaheim Pepper
1/4 T. Ancho Chile Powder (this may be a little difficult to find)
3 Cloves Garlic
2 Medium Red Tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper
1 15oz. can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Small squirt of Lime Juice or 1 Freshly squeezed Lime

Directions:1. Roast all fresh ingredients until soft and brown.  I like to roast them on an iron skillet (you may score your really nice "non stick" pans if you use those) *hint hint*.  You will know when the Tomatillos are done because they will begin to caramelize, turn brown and be extremely soft and limp.

2. Once all of the ingredients are roasted, place all of the roasted ingredients and the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency.

3.  Allow to chill in fridge about 2 hours before serving.  I will say that salsa always tastes better after it has been allowed to sit for about 24 hours in the fridge; that way all the fresh flavors have time to mix!

Special Notes:

- If you are not using an iron skillet or would just like to keep your pans clean while roasting the fresh ingredients, you can place them on tinfoil and place on the skillet.  That way you have less mess and an easier  clean-up time!

- This recipe is a little spicy!! For a tamer version you could substitute the Jalapenos for more Serrano Peppers, or add an extra Anaheim pepper.
- If you would like to kick it up a notch on the "Scoville Scale" (the heat scale for peppers), add a Habanero pepper or two!!