I hold my love for Idaho Potatoes in a special place. I hold it there all year long and at certain times it needs to burst out of it’s cozy snuggly place in my heart and show it’s true colors. February is always a great time to let my potato affection reveal itself in the light of  Potato Lover’s Month.

I have a growing boy in my house who requests potatoes with every meal. I usually make a batch of baked potatoes at the head of the week and as we get into the middle of it I find other ways to enjoy them. One of my favorite is the mojo potato. It puts the spunk back into my step and makes me fall in love.

Watch the video below to see how to make mojo’s out of leftover baked Idaho Potatoes:

Ingredients for mojos:

• 3 to 4 – leftover baked Idaho Potatoes (cold)
• 1 – egg (whisked in a bowl)
• 1 – pouch fried chicken coating mix
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s
• 1 – teaspoon corn starch
• 1/2 – teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 – teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 – teaspoon garlic powder
• vegetable oil

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Idaho Potato Commission. The recipe and all opinions are 100% my own. 

Thank you to my crew of two for this shoot! Mando Lopez and Tony Molina you guys ROCK!!!!!

Oh yeah… It’s almost time for the big game, just a few more days to be exact. This Sunday I’ll be sitting in a sea of people screaming and cheering for their teams, but I picture myself completely absorbed in my potato skins filled with rajas con crema, unaware of the chaos spewing around me or unable to pull my attention away to look up at the television . Sort-of like my own private Idaho….. Idaho Potatoes that is.

Check out my video on the unique combination of potato skins meets rajas con crema!

Ingredients for potato skins filled with rajas con crema:

• 10 – left over Idaho baked potatoes (better if they are cold out of the fridge)
• 2 – pasilla chiles (charred, peeled, and sliced)
• 1 – onion
• 1 – yellow bell pepper
• 1 – tablespoon chicken or vegetable bouillon
• 1/2 – teaspoon black pepper
• 2 – tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 – cups sour cream
• 1/2 – cup cotija cheese

Disclosure: A big thanks from the bottom of my heart to The Idaho Potato Commission for sponsoring this video. All opinions and the recipe are 100% my own.

Thank you Mando Lopez and Tony Molina for helping me make this video. You two work so hard and make the filming process fly by. Wish we could release all the impromptu rap songs we created this day or a photo of the three of us squeezed into the bathroom with all the equipment! Love you guys!

The winter weather here in southern California is either hit or miss. Sometimes you feel a chill coming and sometimes it feels like it might be a Summer day with cleaner air. I like winter to be on the cooler side. When the sun decides to take a break and let a little bit of the cold hit our coast, I instantly think of sopa de estrellas. Who can resist the savory star shaped pasta? I’ve been eating it since I was a kid. When I would get home from school on a cold day, I always knew there would be a small pot of sopa de estrellas or fideo waiting for me on the stovetop. Even though they are super similar I prefer the estrellas. As a kid it made me think of fantasy sci-fi or astrology, and it seemed to fit in with my cast of cute girly characters I wore in my hair or proudly displayed on my shirt. As an adult I love them just the same. I adore the fact that they are star shaped and a serious traditional dish my Grandpa made me growing up. They bring total nostalgia of a cold day from my childhood. I used to really be thrilled when he would let me watch over his shoulder as he made a fresh batch, he would tell me to make sure to burn the pasta good before adding anything else…. this would give the sopa good flavor. He was absolutely right about that. I add cubes of cheese to the top of the sopa when it’s done cooking and find myself happy and warm.

Here’s something I forgot to mention I found my estrellas at Walmart for .33cents a bag. Yes…. you read that right, I love it at Walmart. If you need to spend extra money on your gas bill this month due to the heater being on… This meal is inexpensive, and taste just right.

Ingredients for sopa de estrellas: 

• 1 – tablespoon olive oil
• 1 – 7 oz. bag of estrellas ( I used La Moderna)
• 3/4 – cup onion (thinly sliced)
• 3 – garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1/4 – teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 – teaspoon black pepper
• 8 – ounces tomato sauce (1 small can)
• 5 – cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 – cup diced chunks of cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a small pot over a medium high heat add in olive oil and allow to get hot.
2. Pour in the estrellas. Mix to coat with oil. 
3. Cook for  about 6 to 7 minutes. Stirring every so often. You want to make sure your pasta stars are burned. 
4. Add in onion, garlic, oregano, and black pepper. Mix to combine. 
5. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to soften the onion.
6. Pour in the tomato sauce. It will sizzle. Mix it in. 
7. Then add in the broth. Stir once or twice to break up the estrellas. Once the mixture comes to a boil let it cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until stars are soft to the bite. 
8. Remove from flame and add the cheese cubs in. Mix. 
9. Serve hot and enjoy with corn chips. 

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor Board and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed and recipe is are 100% my own.

Let me tell you about my Nina… she is a hot little spit fire packaged in a petite frame and has long luscious locks that drape her face. She has green piercing eyes and a voice that can carry through the French alps if it needed to. In other words she is loud and feisty and good looking. This firecracker was always kind to me growing up and bossy at the same time. As you can imagine she gave direction well, and didn’t take anyone’s crap. My Nina has always been surrounded by a gang of yappy little mean chihuahuas who were meaner than the Grinch. If people came to visit her they  would nip at the ankles of the guests and tug at their pant hemlines. I use to find this amusing since that was the opposite treatment they gave me. They would jump on their hind legs with their tongues sticking out and their tails wagging. The baby puppies loved me. I think it might have been because I always shared my food with them. Let me add this tidbit, my Nina is an excellent cook, and makes very traditional foods. One day many moons ago she was instructing me in a louder than usual volume to try this arroz con leche she had made. I dug my spoon in and savored the sweetness in my mouth. She watched with knowing eyes that her’s was the best. Then that little kitchen filled up with her loud bullhorn voice and she said ” You like it ha Mija? It’s probably one of the best you’ve ever had. Right?” I felt like Dorothy  when she first encounters the wizard of oz…. no room to agree or disagree. I nodded my head. That was that… I never asked what was in her arroz con leche, but I surely wanted to know.

In my quest to eat the most magical arroz con leche… I decided to mix in chocolate and dried cherries. I still wanted it to be super yummy and didn’t know if that would do the trick so I made it tres leches, and low and behold I figured out exactly what my Nina had made that day.

Here are more creamy delicious milk recipes for your viewing pleasure! Or download a MILK coupon here.

Ingredients for Chocolate Cherry Arroz Con Tres Leches:

• 3 – cups water
• 2 – cinnamon sticks
• 1 – tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 – cups long grain rice
• 1 – cup dried cherries
• 1 – cup milk
• 1 – can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 – can media crema
• 3 – Mexican chocolate disks

Directions:

1. In a pot over a medium high flame add in water, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla. Bring to a boil. 
2. Add in rice and dried cherries. Mix to combine, then bring to a boil. 
3. Once boiling lower flame to a simmer and cover with a lid.
4. Allow rice to simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Once rice is cooked, remove from flame and discard cinnamon sticks. Allow rice to rest for a few minutes. 
6. While rice is resting. In a separate pot over a medium low flame mix together media crema and Mexican chocolate disks. Mix until fully dissolved and a chocolate sauce is formed. Set the the side. 
7. In a large bowl add in cooked rice and cherries, milk, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate sauce.
8. Mix to combine and serve either warm or cold.
9. Enjoy!

Here’s a little video showing you how:

The funny thing is I learned how to make a complete Thanksgiving meal from start to finish in my early twenties. It was something I wanted to know how to do. I felt by having the classic all American feast under my belt, it was like earning a well deserved medal. My Auntie Rosie showed me the basic ropes and since then I have made my way testing and switching up ingredients every year to get to my ultimate dinner on the table. I personally crave the combination of sweet with my savory. I like to have several options for candied dishes on my big plate of savory to mix and match between cranberry sauce and turkey or yams with stuffing. Some people think of the yams as a dessert when paired with marshmallows, but seriously they belong on the main plate. There is plenty of other desserts to choose from and yams and apples shouldn’t be one of them.

This simple dish can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. When ready for the big feast… pop it in the oven to bake. Check out this easy to make recipe and find all the ingredients at your local Walmart….. I did.

Ingredients for apple yam crumble:

• 1 – cinnamon stick
• 4 – medium sized yams (peeled and cut into 1″ cubes)
• 6 – small granny smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
• 1/2 – cup brown sugar
• 4 – tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 – cup honey
• 1 – cup mini marshmallows

CRUMBLE:

• 1 – cup brown sugar
• 1 – cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 – cup flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 – stick butter (melted)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In a medium saucepan halfway filled with water over a medium flame add in cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.
3. Peel and cut yams and apples. 
4. Boil yams in water for 10 minutes. 
5. Drain yams and remove cinnamon stick.  Set yams to the side.
6. Butter a 11×8 casserole dish, and add apples and boiled yams in. Mix to combine.  Set to the side. 
7. In a small saucepan over a medium low flame melt sugar and butter together. Mix until combined. Add in honey and mix until fully incorporated.
8. Pour over the yam and apples. Mix to ensure all yams and apples are coated in sugar honey mixture. 
9. Top with marshmallows. Set to the side. 
10. Let’s make the crumble.
11. Add sugar, graham cracker, flour, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl. Mix to combine.
12. Add in pecans, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix with hands until fully combined.
13. Spread crumble over the entire top of yams and apples. 
14. Bake for 35 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
16. Enjoy! 

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with the California Milk Processor Board and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed and recipe is are 100% my own.

I always scramble at Thanksgiving… with a mad dash to the market to try and get everything in one shopping trip. Of course I’m not completely delusional …  I realize some items need to be bought the day before or the day of the feast. What I do like to buy when I am in one of my Thanksgiving shopping frenzies are a couple gallons of milk. It helps make my mashed potatoes dreamy, my rice dish creamy, and my hot chocolate steamy. I keep my milk coupon in my purse and save a dollar on two gallons. It’s a good way to pocket a buck. 🙂 When I run dry on ideas I always turn to Toma Leche cookbook for more recipe ideas. Click here if you’re looking for some MILKY inspiration! I decided to make a video of one of my favorite rice dishes that I always serve at the holiday table…. plus it doubles down as a main dish for the vegetarians. Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients for creamy mushroom chile rice casserole:

• 1 – stick butter
• 1/2 – cup onion (chopped)
• 1/2 – tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 – cups long grain rice (uncooked)
• 8 – ounces mushrooms (sliced)
• 1/2 – teaspoon dried basil
• 1 – teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt
• 4 – cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 – cup roasted chiles (chopped) (I used anaheim)
• 1 – cup of whole milk
• 16 – ounces sour cream
• 2 – cups grated pepper jack cheese

Directions:

Watch the 2 minute and 27 second video above to see exactly how to make it! Serve this lovely rice dish this holiday season for a casserole of perfection…. Enjoy!

Have you ever tried corn tortillas made with mashed potato and cheese?  I never had and was thinking of how amazing these type of tortillas would be with a plate of beans or a bowl of rajas con queso or with a slab of butter.  Let me rewind and tell you where this insane train of thought is actually coming from.  I was thinking of the Mexican Revolution.  I know, where’s the bridge between the Mexican Revolution and corn tortillas? Let me explain how my wacky brain thinks sometimes.

The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime tyrant Porfirio Diaz, and lasted for the better part of a decade until around 1920.  Over time the Revolution changed from a revolt against the established order to a multi-sided civil war with frequently shifting power struggles.  This armed conflict is often categorized as the most important social-political event in Mexico and one of the greatest overthrows of the 20th century, which saw important experimentation and improvement in social organization. 

Experimentation is always something I’m willing to delve into, which brings me back to my corn tortillas.  I am in no way trying to diminish the importance of the Mexican Revolution by comparing it with my tortillas.  What I am saying (tongue in cheek, of course) is that something that has come to be the normal for many many years,  like the beautiful corn tortilla for instance, can be re-made.  I’ve taken the classic corn tortilla and have blended it with mashed potatoes and cheese.  I know there are a lot of purists out there that would consider this food-blasphamy but the results are beyond interesting and delicious.

Check out my teeny, tiny tortilla revolution recipe and keep an open mind. Enjoy!

Ingredients for potato cheese corn tortillas:

• 1 – cup of leftover mashed potatoes (can not be instant potatoes, has to be homemade)
• 1 1/8 – cup corn masa flour
• 1/4- teaspoon salt
• 2/3 – cup water
• 1/2 – cup grated cheese (I used queso quesadilla)

Directions:

1. In a mixer add in leftover mashed potatoes, corn flour, and salt. Mix on medium until combined and the mixture becomes grainy.
2. Add in water and mix to combine. The mixture will become a soft dough and should not be sticky. If sticky…. a tablespoon of corn flour one at a time.
3. Add in the cheese and mix to combine.
4. Divide the dough into 12 parts and roll into balls with the palm of your hands. 
5. Then using a tortilla press (or two books), line each side with a layer of plastic. Place a masa (potato corn tortilla mixture) ball in the center and press. This will flatten it and make it a perfect disk.  
6. Place on a hot comal and cook on each side for 2 minutes or until slightly crispy.  
7. Enjoy!