Navajo Tacos

2 1/2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
warm water, enough to make a soft dough
Shortening, for deep fat frying
2 cans refried beans
1 pound hamburger
2 large tomatoes - diced
Lettuce
Cheese

(note: may substitute chili con carne for refried beans and hamburger)

- Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and water together and knead the resulting dough 10 minutes (while the shortening is heating).
- Handpat the dough into thin, flat circles the size of a pancake; keep submerged in deep hot grease until lightly golden.
- Brown the hamburger, then mix with the refried beans and warm the mixture.
- Place a large spoonful or so of the refried beans mixture on each of the fry bread. Top with cheese, lettuce and tomato.

Steak Fajitas with Sweet Potato and Poblano

This recipe is delicious. I suggest you double the yummy sauce- you won't regret it. My family had real fajitas in tortillas, however I put the meat and veggies over crispy romaine lettuce as the recipe suggested can be done with leftovers.

Steak Fajitas with Sweet Potato and Poblano (Real Simple Magazine, November 2010)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼” pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 ¼ pounds skirt steak, cut into 4 pieces
½ cup sour cream
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (you can find it at Karns)
8 small tortillas, warmed (or serve the steak and potatoes over crispy romaine lettuce)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, onion, poblano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, heat broiler. Season the steak with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. (I simply sauted the meat in the same skillet after removing the potatoes) In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and chipotles. Fill the tortillas with the steak, vegetables and chipotle sour cream.

Chicken Salsa Tacos

This is a recipe my cousin recently shared with me. It is SO good and WAY easy. I made it in my crock pot for about 4-5 hours. She suggests flour tortillas but my little family prefers corn tortillas. Mmmm...

6-8 Chicken breasts
Jar of Salsa ( medium sized )
1c. brown sugar

Mix Salsa and brown sugar pour onto chicken breasts and cook. (Either in Crock pot or oven) Shred chicken and serve in soft flour tortillas with regular tacos mixings. (ex. sour cream, lettuce, tomato, olives, re-fried beans, etc.)

Guacamole

Bring on the quac! This recipe is from the Cummings clan in Virginia, care of Marie. A yummy addition to a Mexican feast, or fantastic with chips at a summer BBQ. It is a favorite! Thanks Marie!

- 2 Avocados

- 1 teaspoon olive oil

- 1 clove minced garlic

- 1 Tablespoon cilantro

- 1/4 cup chopped tomato

- 2 Tablespoons chopped onion (optional)

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

Darin's Fav' Chicken Enchiladas

• 4 chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups monterrey jack cheese
• 1 can diced green chiles (4 oz)
• 1 bundle of green onions (sliced)
• 1 pint sour cream
• 8-10 flour tortillas

- combine cream of chicken soup, cheese, diced green chiles, sliced green onions, sour cream together in a bowl

- set aside 2 cups of mixture

- add cooked and diced chicken to remaining mixture

- grease bottom of 9x13 casserole dish

- fill flour tortillas with chicken mixture, roll up, and place in dish (8-10 will fit)

- cover the enchiladas with the remaining mixture

- bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Thanks to Darin's mom Karen for this great recipe. It is Darin's all time favorite meal and a staple in our home.

Tortilla Surprise Casserole

• 1 -2 cans tomato sauce
• package of small round corn tortillas
• 1-2 pounds ground beef
• 1 green pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 package frozen corn (or 2 cans drained)
• A large jar of salsa (any kind of salsa - I use this liberally)
• shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)

- Pam bottom of casserole dish

- Cook ground beef on the stove with chopped green pepper, onion and taco seasoning

- Layer all ingredients twice in dish: starting with tomato sauce to cover the bottom of dish, cover sauce with corn tortillas, cooked beef mixture, corn, salsa, then cheddar cheese. Repeat.

- Bake at 350 until cheese melted (usually 25 minutes), and broil 1 minute

- You can also add sliced olives to the top before baking

Thanks to my best Tiffany for this excellent concoction - she is a FABULOUS cook!

creamy tomatillo dressing-cafe rio knock off

For my own reference. L.H.-I will make this one and you can see which one you like better, since I've never made one. Yours looks great to me but we can compare the two. Wish me luck.

1/3 buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cilantro
1/4 tsp. crushed jalapeno pepper*
1 Ranch mix packet
2 garlic cloves
3 tomatillos

Add all ingredients in a blender or food processor, blend until smooth. Makes about one quart.

* Recipe author used cushed red pepper flakes instead of the jalapeno ones and said that it tasted similar but a little less spicy.

Taco Soup

Okay there are TONS of variations of this recipe so feel free to give/take from this to suite your own taste buds.

1 lb ground beef
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn
1 can kidney beans
1 LARGE can of crushed tomatoes
1 package of taco seasoning

I always drain and rinse the beans. Sometimes I drain the corn, sometimes I don't. I then add chicken broth and/or chili to taste. The broth helps to thin it out - the chili helps with taste. Lots of people add an onion, I don't. I have added chilies though.

Of course you serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream and avocado. Delish.

Cafe Rio taste-alike Recipes

Shredded Pork

• 3-4 pounds pork loin
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 bottle red taco sauce
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1 can Coke

- Cook pork on low in crock pot with water covering 1/2 of pork for 6 hours or until able to shred.

- 3 hours before serving, drain liquid off pork and add coke, taco sauce, brown sugar and cumin.

- Continue to cook for approximately 3 more hours.

Rice

• white rice
• chicken broth
• chopped cilantro
• chopped white onions
• lime juice

- You get to experiment on the portion sizes. Cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water with cilantro, onions, and lime juice.

Tomatillo Dressing

• 2/3 cup mayo
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 T. lime juice
• 1 T. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 package dry ranch dressing
• 3 tomatillos

- mix all ingredients in a blender and serve over salad.

Salsa

• 6 tomatoes diced
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1 onion chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 T. lime juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 mango diced (can use peaches)

(thanks to my friend Kelli for these great recipes)