Machaca Omelet

Yet another Mexican inspired dish! This one is loosely translated from a traditional Mexican breakfast recipe called Machaca, which is originally made using dried beef and peppers and served on or with eggs and tortillas. I am making my own version, naturally, using what I have on hand today. There is some preparation involved though, preferably the day ahead. So plan this omelet for tomorrow!

The main ingredient of beef is best prepared at home and to your specific preference. I love tender, juicy, melt in your mouth roast beef, so I prepare mine in a slow cooker:

My awesome roast beef!

Ingredients:

1 roast (select roast with a good fat/meat balance. DO NOT TRIM. Fat = flavor!)
water
Season Salt
Crock Pot.

Rinse off roast well and place in slow cooker. Coat one side with the Season Salt, flip over and do the same to other side. Add enough water to come about mid-way through the roast. DO NOT COVER ROAST with water! This is will boil it (eeeew!)  Set on low and depending on size, cook from 8-12 hours. Flip roast midway through cooking time. When done, remove meat and place in sealed container. NEVER FORGET! Save the juice (gravy, aus jus, whatevs)!!!!!  Pour it in a separate container and chill both in fridge overnight. This step is really important!  No, really. It is.

TIME WARP TO THE NEXT MORNING!!!!  OoOoOoOo....

Machaca Omelet

Ingredients:

Roast beef
Aus Jus (reserved)
bell peppers (your color choice)
green onion
yellow onion
diced green chile's
salt and pepper to taste
Tony Cachere's Cajun spice blend (or your preferred "heat" mixture)
sour cream
cheese
Basic Omelet

Having prepared your roast the day before you are ready to rock this baby! Take a look at your roast and aus jus.. you will see that the fat has now solidified and is easily removable. Separate the fat from your beef. Throw away the fat and shred up the beef with your fingers. Place in a 12" skillet. Now you can skim off (or peel off) the layer of fat from the top of your aus jus. YES! See how easy that was? Told you refrigerating was important!  Now pour enough of the aus jus to cover the bottom of the pan, about 1/4 cup. Slice and dice your peppers and onions to desired size and place in pan with green chile's and meat. Salt, pepper and season to taste. Bring to a simmer over medium/high heat. Then cover and turn heat down to a low-medium. (can you smell that? Oh its heavenly!) Allow to simmer until juice is almost completely absorbed. Stir frequently, taking care to shred any larger pieces of meat with your spatula. Then prepare Basic Omelet. Use cheese, but sparingly (what? Joee? Sparing cheese? WHAT?) and add filling. Fold, top with sour cream!

A few notes about this recipe:

*This can be very salty. Consider your self pre-warned.
*Fresh "hot" peppers such as jalapenos are a fine substitute for the "heat" spice mix.
*Keep your shredded meat bite size and well separated. It is just more eater friendly that way.

This here is the start of something NOMS.

Shredded beef ready to simmer to perfection.

BEHOLD... the flavor!

Ready to simmer down... see how little aus jus is used?

Halfway through cook time.(lid removed for picture)

Simmered down..oh the smell is beyond words!!!

Just a little cheese... the beef mixture is the showcase here.

Your mouth has now begun watering....

...and jealousy has kicked in!



#*#*#*#* TIP OF THE DAY: Don't freeze an omelet. They do not re-animate well.   #*#*#*#

My Review:

Perfection.

Now GO MY MINIONS!  And create your OWN!!!













Almost an Enchilda Omelet

What better way to start off a snowy Rocky Mountain morning than with a warm chicken omelet with some diced green chile. Green chile's are one of my favorite flavors in the whole world. Their rich mild spicy flavor can stand alone...but why would you want it to when it blends so well with most everything? Cheerios and green chile! Green Chile Cheesecake! Ehhh... maybe not the last one.

Almost and Enchilada Omelet

Ingredients:

chicken
diced green chile
cheese
sour cream
2 slices bacon, chopped.
Basic Omelet

Prepare basic omelet. Warm up chicken and green chile. When omelet is flipped, add cheese and filling. Top with more cheese, a few more chiles and some sour cream.

I used Mozzarella cheese today! Woot! Changin' it up!

Mr. DeMille, I am ready for my close up.

It is always better with bacon.

WHERE IS THE CHEESE????  Oh, oh whew! It's just white is all!

If you look closely, the omelet is smiling at you...



#*#*#*#* TIP OF THE DAY: Allow your omelet to "sit" for a few minutes before eating. This allows the cheese to melt completely, and for the omelet to firm up, offering a better texture.   #*#*#*#

My Review:

Oh you cannot go wrong with a green chile. I think that perhaps they were put on this earth JUST for chicken and cheese. It is a no-fail flavor combination! I am not stoked on the Mozzarella, however. It just lacked the flavor I was seeking. Next time for sure I will use Jack or maybe even a provolone to really bring the bacon flavor to fruition.

Did YOU put it in an omelet today?  Many of my readers have! Check out the Reader Page and see what your peers are cooking up!









Omeleto Refritos!

THAT is what I call Spanglish. I grew up in San Diego which automatically earns me the right to slaughter both English and Spanish and mix them together into my own grammar violating creations. It also allowed me the absolute privilege of eating the most delicious of ethnic foods: Mexican. With Mexico a mere 30 minutes from downtown San Diego the Mexican influence is larger than any other. From Tijuana to Baja you can explore flavors and textures that awaken your senses. Their culture is rich in many things but none more spectacular than the food. It is more than food choice for me, it is a food necessity. While there is to date no restaurant here in Colorado that really encompasses taste of Tijuana, I am able to satisfy by recalling my favorite dishes and recreating from memory; with a little "gringa" thrown in, naturally.

This omelet is inspired by one of my favorite Mexican breakfasts: Huevos Rancheros. The traditional recipe consists of refried beans spread on two lightly fried corn tortillas, topped with two over easy eggs and smothered in a salsa or chile sauce. Of course I had to go and mess it all up, turn it inside out and make it my own. This is one of many Mexican inspired omelet's I will be proudly creating! OLE!!!

Omeleto Refritos

Ingredients:

Refried Beans
Cheese
Salsa
Sour Cream
1 corn tortilla
1/4 oil (vegetable or olive or canola? Whatever, it's your choice!)
Basic Omelet

In a small pan heat up your oil over a medium-high heat. Slice up your tortilla into small strips. Once oil is fully heated, carefully drop your tortilla strips in and allow to fry for a minute or even less.You can fry a little longer if you want them crunchier (I prefer a chewier version myself.) Turn off heat and using a slatted spoon carefully remove and place on a paper towel to drain. Add a dash of salt if you like. Prepare your basic omelet. Meanwhile, heat up the refried beans either in a pan or in the microwave. Once omelet is flipped, spread the beans onto the cooked side, sprinkle cheese and fold. Cover the top of the omelet with salsa and add a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle your previously fried corn tortilla strips on top. Devour as if you have never eaten before, don a Sombrero and scream at the top of your lungs AY YI YI!!!! MUEY NOMS!!!!

Showcase... note the HOMEMADE Peach Salsa lovingly canned by my mother in law. This stuff is phenomenal!

Your little strips of corn tortilla topping.

Sizzle Sizzle Sizzle

Let them drain or your thighs will feel the pain.

Beans Beans the magical fruit!

Inside out Huevos!

Sous Chef Dalton waving the magic rattle of approval over the dish. POOF!  Its noms.



#*#*#*#* TIP OF THE DAY: Place your "wet" toppings (such as salsa) on your omelet only immediately before serving. Otherwise, you get soggy results.  #*#*#*#

My review:

This baby took me home. Just as close to the huevos rancheros as you could get without actually making it. The corn tortilla strips really set this omelet apart from the others. I loved the contrasting textures. Next time I may do a salsa with a little more heat to it, but other than that I was enamoured!













Chick-chick bean Omelet!

So you  have been starving yourselves just waiting for today recipe. I know... I need to start cooking earlier!
You are gonna have to do a little extra work today to get this omelet on your plate. So roll up your sleeves, grab your can opener and DO WORK SON!!!


Chick-Chick bean Omelet!

Ingredients:

1 can white chicken breast
1 can Rotel (mild) ** Rotel is simply a canned mild salsa...if Rotel is not available to you replace with any salsa of your choice!**
1 can black beans
Entirely too much shredded sharp cheddar cheese
pat of butter
3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
splash of milk

Open and completely drain both the chicken and the black beans. Open can of Rotel, and drain a SMALL amount of the juice out (not all of it!)  Add these three ingredients to pan and simmer on medium until juices are all absorbed. Be careful not to scorch! When done remove from heat.  Meanwhile, make your basic omelet shell by whisking your eggs, milk and seasonings together.  When your omelet is flipped add a heart-aching amount of shredded cheese and your filling. Fold omelet and add MORE cheese on top and a small amount of filling for the whole, "I want my omelet to look pretty before I eat it" affect.  Then NOMS. And noms. And noms.

You will find you have plenty of leftover filling after making this. This particular filling will freeze very well, or you can reserve in your refrigerator for another omelet or even a burrito! I say eat another omelet!

Pictures! Cuz, like, whats a food blog without pics!!!

OLE!  Your ingredients!

Simmering your Spicy goodness.

My resident food taster approving the cheese. And no, he is not wearing pants. He says it helps clear his pallet. Meh, critics.

Dangerously close to a scramble... *shudder*

This one ended up a little on the homely side. But we support ugly omelet's on this here blog!

Lotsa leftovers for tomorrow's breakfast! Or dinner.. or snack?

#*#*#*#* TIP OF THE DAY: Make you fillings the day before. You got nothing to lose but the extra time!  #*#*#*#*

MY REVIEW:

I admit that I have always been fond of the flavor of canned chicken. HOWEVER it does tend to overwhelm a dish. NOT the case here though... simmering with the Rotel really drew out the "obviously canned" flavor and replaced it with the perfect blend of spice and fowl. You can never go wrong with black beans, and they did not fail... their texture is simply divine. I wanted to make a second one this morning, but my thighs started crying and making a big ol' scene... maybe I will have one for lunch!

MAKE THIS RECIPE!  AND COMMENT! Did you add something? Subtract something? Hate it? Love it? YOU MUST let me know!!!