Whip up some nachos in time for Cinco de Mayo

Cooking with Cathie

By Cathie Campbell

(Updated: Friday, May 02, 2008, 2:45 PM)

Being that I love food, I appreciate any opportunity to celebrate and share in the foods and recipes of other cultures. I know that Cinco de Mayo is not all about the food, but this is a recipe column, so let's explore some treats that lend themselves well to a celebration of Mexico's traditions. Speaking of recipes, I was all set to share my favorite one for nachos, a recipe I put together on my own. But I now see that Emeril Lagasse came out with one almost exactly like it several years ago. In this case, it's no doubt just a matter of people putting together certain favorite ingredients that they know will blend beautifully, so it's no wonder there will be a match now and then.

I adore the creativity of several of the celebrity chefs, but I have noticed that sometimes they put their names to recipes that one could say have been in everybody's recipe box and been shared at every church potluck for decades. So what then....does the recipe then legally belong to them? Maybe so, if they were the only ones to get a copyright on it. I always credit recipes that come from magazines or from chefs, but sometimes they are very close to what I have thrown together for years.

All that aside, let's just be happy that there are more recipes in this world than we could ever have time to make, so we needn't ever face boredom in our kitchens and dining rooms. Hope you enjoy these recipes that showcase some of Mexico's flavors.

Chorizo nachos

Here is Emeril's version, which is almost exactly the same as mine, but I bow to the chef (this time)!

• 1 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casings and crumbled
• 1 tblsp. chopped garlic
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Water

Restaurant style corn tortilla chips

• 1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
• 1 small white onion, sliced into thin rings
• 5 large jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, or to taste
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

1. In a large skillet, cook the chorizo, garlic, and cumin, stirring, over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned and the fat is rendered, about five minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. To the fat in the pan, add the pinto beans, chili powder, salt, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups water (depending on the moisture in the beans). Cook over medium heat until warmed through, smashing with the back of a heavy wooden spoon or potato masher until chunky/smooth. Remove from the heat.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a large, oval ovenproof platter or in a large baking dish, spread 1 layer of chips. Top with a layer of one-half of the beans, then oone-half of the sausage, cheeses, onion rings, and chopped jalapenos. Repeat with another layer of chips, beans, sausage, cheese, onions and jalapenos. Bake until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is hot, five to eight minutes. Remove from the oven.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lime juice, with a pinch of salt. Drizzle over the nachos, garnish with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Homemade tortillas

This recipe is for making the flour version.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps. baking powder
• 2 tsps. salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening (some people prefer to use lard)
• 3/4 cup hot water

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Either by hand or with a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening till the mixture is crumbly. If the mixture looks more floury than crumbly, be sure to add just one or two more tablespoons of shortening till it is crumbly. Add about 3/4 cup hot water to the mixture, or just enough to make the ingredients look moist.

2. With your hand or a large fork, knead the mixture making sure to rub the dough against the sides of the large mixing bowl to gather any clinging dough. If the dough still sticks to the side of the bowl, add a couple more tablespoons of flour until the dough forms a soft round shape. The dough is ready to roll out now, but it is best to let it rest. Cover it with a dish towel, and let it sit for about an hour or so.

3. Take the dough, and pull it apart into 10 to 12 balls. Lightly flour your rolling area, and roll each ball with a rolling pin to about one-eighth inch thickness.

4. Place each tortilla on a medium hot cast iron skillet. Cook for about one to two minutes on each side, or until the tortilla does not look doughy.

Ancho vegetable stew

This is something different, courtesy of Terra Sol foods.

• 1 tblsp. canola oil
• 1 cup simmering water
• 2 tblsps. Terra Sol Ancho Chile Paste
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14-oz. can of stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cups water
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• One 11-oz. can of corn kernels, drained
• 1 tblsp. dried parsley
• 2 tsps. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsps. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup tomato paste

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, about six minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the tomato paste and the ancho paste and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the ancho paste and cook for five minutes.

2. Let the stew stand for five-10 minutes before serving. Ladle into bowls and serve with flour tortillas.