This is a great Mexican Corn Cake with fresh corn, red and green peppers with some special seasons, topped with a delicious avocado cream. These cakes can be served as an appetizer, a side dish for any Mexican dinner or as a light lunch. Today, I arranged the corn cakes on a bed of fresh lettuce from my lettuce tub and garnished with some mexican oregano from my herb garden. You will want to serve these delicious cakes over and over, we did not have any left overs to freeze or have the next day, they are that good!

I grew up in West Texas where we have a lot of migrant workers to help with the various farm harvest. The Mexican families brought with them the most delicious stew that came to be a favorite in our region. I grew up eating this recipe and it has been changed through the years to use some canned products and I have taken it from the stew pot to the slow cooker. The basic ingredients for this stew remain the same and the flavors bring me right back to the days when I would go to my Grandpa's cotton patch and help pull cotton all day. I would be out in the field with all the other children and it was a fun time. I remember coming into the kitchen at the end of the day to the smell of the Caldillo simmering away on the back of the stove. The first bite of that stew will take me back every time and it is so worth it, this stew is delicious!

Every year when we are making our garden plan we make sure that we are planting all the ingredients for our homemade salsa. Salsa is a staple here at the cottage, it is on the table just about every meal. There is always a jar of salsa in the refrigerator and you will find several jars in the canning pantry. The recipe that I am sharing with you today is our Fresh Garden Salsa that we have perfected through the years and is one of our favorites. All of these products are available from a farmers market or a super market the year round, but they are the best from your very own garden.

My husband grew up on a cattle ranch and one of his favorite breakfast from those days is Huevos Rancheros. I will often times surprise him with some of his favorites and this is one of those recipes. The orginal recipe that we used from the ranch bunk house, used fried tortillas and fried eggs. I changed the recipe a number of years ago in an effort to be able to make more Rancheros at the same time and be able to serve the guest at once instead of just one or two at a time and asking folks to wait for theirs to be cooked.  My husband and our guest love this recipe and I am so happy to share it with you today.

When I cook a pot of Pinto Beans I know that we will be making more than one meal from those beans. One of the many recipe's that we enjoy is the Refried Bean Hash, this is a great dish that can be used as a delicious side, a crowd pleasing dip and it make's my favorite Bean Burrito, plus a great Tostada. With all these possibilities today we are making the hash, dip and burrito.

There are times I am so grateful for a great Tex Mex Slow Cooker Recipe. This is one of those recipes, easy, and feeds a crowd if you need it to. Just put together the great Tex Mex spices and cook the beef until it shreds. Pile the shredded beef on a crisp corn tortilla and top with a nice mix of vegetables. This is a delicious recipe that our family and friends love. This is a great make ahead recipe and can be frozen for up to 3 months.

For as long as I can remember our family has enjoyed a Tex Mex buffet on Christmas Eve. We always look forward to all the homemade tamales, and the fun that went into the preparation. We have a real time of fellowship as some of us are gathered days ahead of the celebration to make the tamales. Usually it is an all day event as we make several different kinds each year. We will have the tamales with all the trimmings on our buffet table and we are so happy to share it with you this year. May The Joy Of Christmas Live In Your Home and Heart Throughout The Year We Wish You Christmas Blessings

Enchiladas can be found all over the state of Texas, but each region has it's own claim to enchilada fame. The recipe that I am using today takes me back to my youth and the little cafe's and Mexican Food restaurant's in the panhandle and western part of Texas. When this pan of enchiladas come out of the oven, it brings me right back to all the wonderful sounds and smells of my youth. I remember my Grandmother, Mother and Aunts making this recipe and it is still one of my favorites.

It's Hatch Chili season and we love those chilies. We like to get the fresh chilies, roast them and enjoy lots of different dishes with the green chilies. Often times after roasting we freeze them and they sure are good in dishes all winter. Baked Green Chili Fajita's is one of the delicious dishes that we make with the chilies. I sure hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

I really love a recipe that can be put together in a short time, walk away from and come back to a fabulous meal. These Carnitas Pork Tacos take no time to put in the slow cooker then finish with awesome flavor and so tender the meat pulls with a fork. The Honey Lime Dressing puts these Carnitas Tacos over the top with just the right flavor to compliment the flavor of the pork. We didn't have that many left overs but the next day we made Carnitas Burritos, they were so good. I sure hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. Carnitas Pork Tacos with honey Lime Dressing Carnitas Pork Tacos with Honey Lime Dressing Miz Helen's Kitchen Ingredients 2 pound pork tenderloin Rub 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup cilantro, chopped 1 cup green onions with tops, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups Salsa Verde The Dr...

The pumpkins have been so pretty this fall and delicious, maybe because we have had cooler weather, the meat of the pumpkin has been very sweet. I developed two new recipes for roasted pumpkin this fall  Roasted Southwest Pumpkin Stew and these fabulous Roasted Pumpkin Enchiladas. These Roasted Pumpkin Enchiladas are just full of flavor with a wonderful Pumpkin Sauce to finish them. When I was making them my thought was that maybe we would have some left and freeze some for latter, well that didn't happen, we only had enough left for one lunch the next day, we loved these enchiladas and sure hope you do to! Roasted Pumpkin Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce Roasted Pumpkin Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce Miz Helen's Kitchen Ingredients 4 cups Roasted Pumpkin, chopped 1 cup black beans 1 cup whole Kernel Corn 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 1/2 cup green chilies 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1...

The Peppers are just beautiful this time of the year, we have beautiful Poblanos, Green Chili Peppers and Jalapeno. We love to stuff the Poblanos with the awesome vegetables that are still coming out of the gardens and farmers market. These Stuffed Poblanos are great to make for a crowd or a nice casual dinner for your family. We just love the flavor combination of these Poblanos that keep you coming back for seconds. Stuffed Poblanos Stuffed Poblanos Miz Helen's Kitchen Ingredients 6 to 8 poblano chilies, charred and peeled 2 ears corn, grilled and cut off the cob 2 cup Roma Tomatoes, chopped 1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped 1 cup brown rice, cooked 1/2 cup cilantro, divided 2 tablespoons cream cheese,softened 4 tablespoons lime juice 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded 3/4 cup queso fresco, crumbles Cooking Spray Directions Completely coat the poblanos and the corn wit...

Guacamole is a staple here at The Cottage, we enjoy it as a dip, salad, toppings for Mexican Food, sandwiches and a great side dish for any meal. Guacamole is a dish that can take on many different flavors with the addition of different vegetables, seasons and sometimes even some nice Gulf Shore Shrimp or Maine Lobster. I have been making this Guacamole for many years, it is a recipe that has changed through the years and has been perfected to this one that we love. This is a recipe that can have many additions, but our base remains the same and really is the one that is most requested by our family and friends. Miz Helen's Guacamole Miz Helen's Guacamole Miz Helen's Kitchen Ingredients 2 large very ripe avocados 2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded, chopped fine 1 bunch green onions, chopped with tops 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers to taste, chopped fine 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped juice of 1 lime salt to taste Directions Pee...

My husband and I both grew up in a part of the country where the Mexican culture had a big influence on our local cuisine. Rancher Beans, Tacos, Burrito's and Carne Asada all very familiar menu items in our home. Carne Asada a Mexican term that means grilled meat and is usually grilled on an outdoor grill or on a grill indoors. It is usually a flank or skirt steak that has been marinated in a well seasoned marinade before grilling. Carne Asada is one of the most popular dishes in Mexican cuisine, and originated primarily in the northern and western parts of Mexico, making it's way to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. It is one of my husbands favorite Mexican meats and I am happy to share this recipe with all of you today. Carne Asada Carne Asada Miz Helen's Kitchen Ingredients 2 pounds flank or skirt steak 2 lemons, sliced thin 1 orange, sliced thin 1 onion, sliced thin 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 teaspoon cumin 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 teas...