Down Home Kitchen

  Last weekend we went to one of our favorite restaurants.  This is one of the great Mexican restaurants in town, who’ve been around for years, that makes everything so good.    The decor is right in line with the Mexican flair, so you feel that your really in a place that knows their Spanish cooking. You keep coming back, no matter how big your waist line gets.
We were greeted at the door by a server and when sat at our table, salsa was served with tortilla chips.  I’m spoiled to their salsa, because it is kept warm in a warmer, so not only is it hot from the peppers, but it is nice and warm in the bowl, when served.   I can fill up on this and not be able to finish my main course.
Gonzalez has some of the best Menudo, in town.  This stuff is so delicious and they give you celantro, chopped onions, and jalepeno’s with sliced lemons for your pleasure.  They also serve nice warm flour tortillas with your food.  Talk about fattening, these babies can pack some weight on.  But they are so great with butter.
Below is a picture of a bowl of menudo and I wish I had gotten a better picture.  This is the large bowl, you can get a smaller one if you like………I always take the extra home for later….     I was afraid that my flash on my camera would bother some people so, I hope that the lighting would be enough.  It looks as though I needed to use the flash to take my pictures.     My frozen margarita was great and I had to have to big one…………   My spouse had the smaller one………   They offer many other good drinks, if your not interested in a brew, then there’s coffee, tea, water and such.
If you don’t like Menudo, there’s plenty of other good food on the menu.  The grilled pork chops are real thick and have great flavor, and are served with rice, beans, salsa, and flour tortillas.  Ready for some good Mexican food , then come to Gonzalez for a huge plate of great food……..:)

This is good to serve on a cold day, with crusty bread………..
2 T olive oil

1/2 c. finley diced onion

1/2 c. finely diced turnip

1/2 c. finely diced carrot

2 t. mince garlic

4 c. veg. or chicken stock or canned broth

1.4 c. tomato paste

3 c roasted plum tomatoes with cooking juices

1/4 c. chop fresh basil leaves

1/4 c. chop fresh parsley

Heat oil in lg. saucepan over med. heat, saute onion, turnip,carrot & garlic till soft.  Stir in stock/broth, tomato paste and tomatoes with jusices, cover bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 30 min.  Stir in basil and parsley, serve in soup bowls.

To Roast Tomatoes:

Pre-heat oven to 325*F.  Cut 24 lg. ripe plum tomatoes in half, crosswise.  Place on lg. roasting pan, drizzle with 2 T. olive oil, sprinkle 1 T. chop basil & 1 T. oregano.  Roast for 45 min., let cool remove skins and cores, & coarsely chop flesh.

1 med. chuck roast

2 ribs celery cut up

3 carrots cut up

1/2 green bell pepper cut up

1 med. onion cut up
3 med. potatoes cut in quarters

1 c. water

salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder for seasoning

Place all ingredients in slow cooker except potatoes.  Set temp. on high and cook for three hours.  Put in potatoes and cook another hour.  Remover to serving dish, reserve stock for making gravy.

We went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch.  I had enchiladas, rice and beans, with pico de gallo, chips and salsa.  It was good and filling, so for $5.75 it was worth the effort to go there.  It would have been nice to have had some guacamole and sour cream on the side.  We mostly go to this restaurant on the weekends to get their fresh made menudo.  It’s a huge bowl and they bring out a large plate of pico de gallo, sour cream, and lemons with a bunch of flower tortillas to eat with it.  It costs $4.99 and is very filling with plenty of tripe, hominy, soup and a large ham shank.  The last time we got it we brought home half a cup of soup, in “to go” cups and I froze them.

This is a very full restaurant on the weekends and it’s very hard to find ample parking.  They have a large clientel of Mexican people and often run out of the menudo…..before we can get there……

Here they are……the green tomatoes, that you can fry up with cornmeal and have a tasty delight.  

Then if that’s not to your flavor, you can fry up some summer yellow squash……there are several ways, to fix these babies……..     Now for the “gran-daddy” of all vegetables……the wonderful fresh cabbage that is so easy grown, in a garden……..hey, slaw, or steamed ……cabbage is great and chocked full of  and good nutrients.   

I found this article on Glycemic levels, and thought it was a good idea to note it for my readers.  I believe that many are obese, because they eat the wrong carbs and done watch their intake.
Keep an eye on G.I. levels. Glycemic Index were the buzzwords of the last year. The Glycemic Index chart ranks carbohydrates based on their effect on blood sugar levels. Carbs that break down fast and lead to blood sugar spikes are given a high value while carbs that move through the body slow are assigned a low value. The more low G.I. foods you consume the better for your blood sugar. For example, a doughnut has a G.I. of 76. Yogurt, on the other hand, has a G.I. value of 14.

2 c. milk

1 qt. oysters in liquor

4 T. butter

1 T. flour

2 egg yolks

1 c. cream

1 tsp. parsley

1/2 sm. onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Scald milk, drain oysters, save liquor, melt butter, add oysters & simmer oysters till edges curl. Blend flour into butter. Beat egg yolks & liquor add to milk, mix into butter/flour mix till smooth. Boil 1 min. add cream, parsley, celery, onion & seasonings. Heat through, do not boil.

Serves 4 to 6.

There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are usually sweet and can include cakes, candies and other sugary foods. Some foods such as peaches, melons and apples are simple carbs. Complex carbs include whole grain pasta, brown rice, oats, vegetables and whole grain cereals. For the most part, try to stick with complex carbs which take longer to digest and are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Make your food complex. as in carbohydrates. White bread, cookies, pasta and other highly-processed foods give carbs a bad name.

1/2 c. mild green chiles(canned), drained
3 T. flour

2 T. onion, chopped

3 T. butter

3/4 c. cream

1 c. chicken stock

salt & pepper to taste

sour cream, cayenne pepper or paprika for garnish

Drain chiles; puree in blender. Melt butter in saucepan; saute’ onion, whisk in flour to blend, add chiles, stir constantly. Cook over low heat, add cream, chicken stock & simmer about 10 mn., stir frequently. Season with salt & pepper; serve hot. Garnish with dollop sour cream, pinch of cayenne or paprika.

Serves 4 to 6.

1 1/2 quarts chicken broth

3 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked & cubed

1 rib celery, chopped

1 carrot, sliced thin

1 sm. onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

salt & pepper to taste

1 c. dry egg noodles

Heat broth in soup kettle; add chicken, celery, carrot & onion, along with seasonings. Cook till veggies‘ are tender, add water if liquid is low,
add noodles and cook till noodles are tender.

serves 6.