Need Recipes. New to the Southwest and would like...

[Lady Freedom Returns]

some recipes with locale flavor. And I need them to be quick and easy as well easy on the pocket book. Please post and thanks for all suggestions.

[Aerows]

1. Black beans and yellow rice :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/115715468

[Lady Freedom Returns]

2. Thanks again!

[cbayer]

3. Are you looking for Tex-Mex/Spanish kinds of food?

I can't think of other foods that are particularly unique to the Southwest.

Perhaps a local cooking course would be just what you need (and could be lots of fun).

[Retrograde]

10. New Mexico has its own distinct cuisine

as well as its state question: green or red? They use flour tortillas a lot more than Texas or California, and there seems to be more Native American influence (e.g., Navajo tacos, beans served on fry bread).

California cuisine, at least in the Bay Area, is strongly influenced by northern Italian cuisine, and by new immigrants from the Far East. The Sunset cookbook has a lot of local recipes: they're based in the Bay Area, but they cover the West.

ETA: I see from your [the OP] profile you're in Tucson. There are a lot of different chiles for you to experiment with, fresh and dried. Not all of them are hot.

[Angry Dragon]

4. What part??

I would just make friends with a lot of Mexican Americans and you should be set ..................

[Major Nikon]

5. Learn to love the tortilla

If your only experience with tortillas is the days old flour tortilla supermarket choices, you are doing yourself a huge disfavor. Tortillas are simple to make, you just need a decent press. Even if you don't want to go to the trouble, the great thing about living in the southwest is you can almost always find a good source for them. Many restaurants and some markets have tortilla factories on site and they are always cheap. Get one hot off the press and you'll never want to live anywhere else. My personal favorite are white corn tortillas. Most southwest cooking is based on the tortilla, so don't overlook this important detail. Salsa is another important addition. I have my own recipes which I make in bulk for the week, but you can also find local good ones in the jar. I also make my own Mexican crema, which is essentially sour cream. This is also available locally. You may have to find a Mexican market if your local supermarket doesn't carry it.

Once you have good tortillas, you are most of the way to a meal already. Heat up a cast iron skillet on medium high heat, brush a flat piece of meat with olive oil, salt and pepper, and slap it in the pan. By flat piece of meat I mean pretty much anything that is about 1/2" thick. Sirloin, flank, cube steaks, chicken breast pounded flat, pork loin, lamb chops all work. I sometimes go meatless and use portobello caps, or some other vegetable like squash. You want it to be thin so when you brown it for about 3 minutes on each side it is done. Slap it in the pan and brown it, then let it rest while you do the vegetables. Peppers of most any variety and onions are the most common choices. I like to use poblanos and good yellow onions, but you are only limited by your imagination. Brown them in the same pan while tossing in a pinch of salt. Take everything out of the pan and turn off the heat to let the pan cool. Cut the meat against the grain into strips about 1/2" wide. Return everything to the pan to keep it warm.

I heat up the tortillas one at a time right before serving on a hot cast iron pan. It just takes a few seconds on each side. Serve everything with some shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, and shredded Mexican cheese if you like. Salsa and Mexican crema are on the side. Let everyone make their own. Fill small bowls with homemade pinto beans made up ahead of time. I don't do Mexican rice so you're on your own there.

There's lots of ways you can jazz it up, but this is just simple everyday food in casa Nikon. If I do the prep work ahead of time it takes 15 minutes of cooking. It's cheap and it's fast and it's delicious.

[grasswire]

6. it's easy to eat well and cheaply on SW food, I think.

A lot of the best dishes are basic peasant food based on corn, beans, cheese and variations thereof.

Sopa seca comes to mind, as does huevos rancheros.

[Paladin]

7. Homesicktexan.blogspot.com

Lisa Fain does a beautiful job with Southwestern food. Lots of recipes on her blog, and her cookbook is amazing.......

[no_hypocrisy]

8. I love the cuisine of New Mexico.

http://www.itsatrip.org/!UserFiles/pdf/ABQ_RecipeCards.pdf

[pinto]

9. Check this out -

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/southwestern/index.html

Lots of good, varied recipes. And on the whole, SW meals are $ reasonable.

A suggestion - Go to a local farmers' market and see what's being offered. Check out the range of chile - a basic and a surprising range of tastes / heat. Have fun!

[Lady Freedom Returns]

11. Thank you one and all!

This is what I need to get started with!!!!!

[NMDemDist2]

12. here ya go...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1157&pid=15984

[Lady Freedom Returns]

13. Yum!

Thank You!!! Writing it down!!!