Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large skillet brown the meat, onion and garlic over medium high heat. Drain off excess liquid. Stir in tomatoes, corn and spices. Cover and simmer ten minutes.
Spread the mixture in a shallow 3quart casserole. Set aside.
To prepare the topping:
In a small bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar and baking powder. In another, combine the milk, egg and melted butter. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture.
Spoon the topping over the meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top is set slightly when touched.
Yields: 6 servings
Preparation Time: about 70 minutes
And finally my own concoction. As with most of my recipes, those of you who follow these pages know that I am a stranger to exact measure. I've come as close as I can in this recipe, but keep in mind that flexibility and your own personal taste is the key. Oh yeah, for those of you who are purists, no, taco fillings don't usually include rice, but we like ours this way.
We prefer to use the soft tacos for this filling although the others will do nicely too. In fact, we've even been known to use pitas and other wraps. When I was coming home from Dallas I snuck some corn tortillas home. Mmmm-mmmmm good!!
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb lean ground pork
1/2 lb ground veal
1 cup hot salsa
19 oz can diced tomato
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beer
2 cups cooked rice
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp oregano (2 tbsp if using fresh)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a large skillet, brown the meat in small batches, set aside, and drain off all fat. When all the meat is browned, return it to the skillet and stir to combine well over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients except cilantro, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. If the mixture is getting too dry, add more beer in small amounts. The end result should be moist but not wet. Adjust seasoning and stir in cilantro. Serve hot.
We keep the additions to our tacos fairly simple. Sour cream, a good guacamole, some shredded Monterey Jack cheese and sliced black olives. You can, however, also add diced tomato, peppers, jalapenos, shredded lettuce and chopped green onion. Whatever your decorating whim calls for, I can guarantee you're going to love these tacos!!
And just because I love Sangria, here's my favourite recipe.
Sangria derives its name from its colour; red which is the colour of sangre, Spanish for blood. This is a white version, purists might want to call it anemic, but if you're like me and allergic to the tanin in red wine, this is great!!
1/2 cup berry (fine) sugar
1/2 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 cup brandy
2 - 26oz bottles dry white wine
68oz bottle club soda
1 lemon thinly sliced
1 lime thinly sliced
1 orange thinly sliced
2 cups halved fresh strawberries
ice
In a punch bowl, combine sugar, Grand Marnier, brandy and wine. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours to chill. Just before serving, add soda water, fruit and ice cubes. Stir and serve.
Yields: 12 servings
And, since I mentioned tequila poppers, I thought it only fair to include the "recipe". But don't call me with your headache stories. These little shots go down real smooth and easy and reserve their whallop for later!!
Tequila Poppers
1 1/2 oz tequila
1/2 oz Seven-Up
Pour the tequila into a shot glass and top up with 7-Up. Cover the top of the glass with the palm of your hand and bang the table. As soon as the 7-Up starts to fizz drink it in one gulp.
