Skip to main content

Nachos

It bothers me that the sour cream fell off center.


I realize that nachos are maybe the sort of thing that doesn't require a recipe, but it's taken me 40 years to finally make the perfect (for me) nachos, and I want to save the details.

The keys:
1) Homemade refried black beans. They are so much better than the canned kind, and maybe even more importantly, they don't explode in the microwave like the canned ones do. I don't know why this is, but it makes the effort worthwhile.

2) Fresh chips. I don't deep-fry things at home, and my oven-fried tortilla chips have never turned out well. But one day, we accidentally ended up with a large bag of extra chips from Mucho Gusto takeout. The next day, I turned them into nachos, and they were a revelation. This is going to be our tradition every time we get Mexican takeout now.

 3) Pico de gallo. I used to do a drizzle of green salsa, plus diced tomatoes, but it wasn't quite right. I've replaced these two items with some simple pico, and I'm convinced that this is the way to go.


The Recipe (adjust quantities to your liking):
fresh tortilla chips
shredded cheese (I like Tillamook's Mexican blend)
refried black beans
pico de gallo (combine chopped tomato, onion, corn, jalapenos, cilantro, lime, and salt to taste)
lettuce, shredded
sour cream

  • Place chips on plate
  • Top with cheese and refried beans
  • Microwave for 1:30
  • Top with pico, lettuce, and sour cream

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A
Overall reason: Fresh. Lots of contrasting flavors and textures.
Time to prepare: 5 minutes if you have the beans and pico already made. 
Husband quote: "REALLY good."

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.
2 comments
Read more

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from  Tea for Turmeric  and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vietnamese Curry Stir-Fry

  When I get the recipe just right, I'll go to the effort of adding fried shallots on top. I'm back to my on-and-off mission of trying to make a stir-fry as delicious as the shrimp I used to get at  Pho Grand  in St. Louis during college. It was called "cari tom" but it definitely wasn't a coconut milk type of curry, and they ALSO have a separate listing on their menu for "cari tom dac biet" which includes "coconut milk sauce" in their description. So I'm pretty sure it was just a stir-fry that had curry flavors in it? I got myself a big container of Vietnamese curry powder and I'm going to keep experimenting. This is the closest I've come so far. Changes for the future: - More oil and sugar, restaurant style - A blend of fish sauce and soy sauce, instead of just soy sauce - Fried shallots on top The Recipe (adapted from  Veggie Anh ): 3 tb fresh lemongrass, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Thai chili, minced 1 pinch salt 2 tb avoc...
Post a Comment
Read more