Easy Nachos

I have training in food yes, but do not let that intimidate anyone. I still love the simple things...like nachos. Everything about nachos is delish, but you have to have a good foundation first.

One of the things that makes nachos special, is that you can make them any way you like. You can add chicken, beef, BBQ pulled pork, sausage or chorizo and beans. Absolutely anyway you like. Today, these nachos will be made with ground beef and black beans.

The most important thing to do, whenever you decide to cook or bake anything, is to gather and prep all of your ingredients, having them at the ready before you begin. You can't be half way through the process and then need to stop because you have to search for a key item. The gathering of your ingredients is known as your mise en place. In simpler terms, it's also know as making your life easier...and I agree 100%.

There are other ways to help make your life easier to take advantage of, because usually, we are so busy with life that we don't always have the extra time to be our own prep cooks before making dinner. So, you can purchase diced onions and peppers and keep them as a staple in your freezer. You can buy a container of chopped garlic to dish out as needed when you cook - now, please understand that the flavor and freshness does not replace the use of fresh garlic, but it definitely helps to make things easier.

For this recipe, I use several other things that make cooking these nachos easy. I buy the guacamole in individual servings, there are several makers that offer their guac product this way. For the seasoning, I pre-make a batch of "taco mix" and store it in a mason jar. I do this with my blackening seasonings and my BBQ rub as well. Lately, I have been purchasing this newish item by gourmet garden = lightly dried fresh herbs. They are a little pricey when compared to buying the fresh bunches of herbs, but you have all of the work done for you without the waste. I love having this product as an option. For this recipe, I use their chopped cilantro, but I also keep basil and chives as permanent staples in my fridge too.

When making the meat for my nachos, tacos or enchiladas, I usually almost always add salsa or pico to the meat once it has been cooked. I do not usually make these myself, because I like easy, but I don't use jarred from the chip aisle salsa either. Most of the time, I go to the On The Border restaurant, but I also buy from Zona Fresca and the local Tacoria, depending who I am closer to. Buying from these restaurants offer fresh delicious salsa options. Today, I have pico de gallo and roasted tomato salsa.

Before I begin to brown the beef, I line a sheet tray with foil to help with the clean-up afterwards. I basically line everything with foil if I am using the oven. And, then I lay the chips for the nacho foundation.

Next, I add the black beans and set the tray to the side. The black beans that I use for my nachos is a black bean dip. My first choice black bean dip is by Desert Pepper, but the are a bit pricey too, so I don't buy that brand all of the time. If you have a Wegman's grocery store near you, they have a Wegman's brand that is pretty darn good and this is what I am using today.

Time to cook the ground beef. This is the most important part of your nachos. The flavor from your meat is the maker or breaker and you want to put love and effort into cooking it.

Before you add the meat to the pan, please make sure your pan is hot. Always make sure your pan is hot when cooking on the stove. I cook on medium heat, using the large eye of the stove. While you're at it, preheat your oven to 365 degrees.

Your pan is hot, your ingredients are prepped and you are ready to begin. Place the diced onions, diced green peppers and ground beef in the pan. Using a spatula, continuously chop up the ground beef into smaller pieces as you stir and fold to ensure that you are cooking everything evenly.

I do not add the seasonings straight away because I do not want the heat from the hot pan to "burn" the seasonings before being able to chop and cook the other ingredients.

Once the ground beef, onions and peppers are cooked, turn down the heat before adding the garlic, "taco" seasonings and cilantro. Mix everything together well. The smells coming from your pan should be making your mouth water with anticipation.

Speaking of water, I now add a little bit, maybe 1/8 of a cup directly in with the beef.

Why the heck am I adding water? Because I need taco meat juice to get on some of those nacho chips and give another layer to the taste and texture. I call this the juice juice.

The last step I take when cooking the ground beef is adding salsa. If I don't have salsa, then I will use pico. But, because I have both, I am only adding salsa to the pan this time. I will save the pico as a topping.

Now that you have cooked the beef and made the juice juice, it's time to add the beef and cheese to the chips and beans and place them in the oven until the cheese turns golden brown on the edges.

Special note *For me personally, you can never use enough cheese for nachos, and I load on as much as I can.



Once out of the oven, carefully transfer your nachos to your plate and add the toppings of your choice; I use sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo salsa. But, you can add jalenpenos, additional cilantro or so many other things I can't think of.

Once plated and topped, the last thing you need to do is open up a cold cervesa and enjoy your easy nachos.

** Please note that you can easily convert this recipe when using chicken breast, ground chicken or fajita style sliced peppers and onions with zucchini or squash for a vegetarian option. You can change the beans, delete the beans, add chorizo or combine several options. The choices are limitless and the process is basically the same.

Ingredients:
• 1 lb. ground beef - 90%/10% was used for this recipe.
*If you use 80%/20%, please drain grease after cooking BEFORE adding water and salsa.
• 2 TBS diced onions
• 2 TBS diced green peppers
• 1 TBS chopped garlic
• 1 TBS chopped cilantro
• 2 TBS "Taco" Seasonings - see below
• 1/8 C water
• 1/4 C Salsa
• 1/2 C Black bean dip
• 1 Bag tortilla chips (or less)
• 1C to 2C Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese

Toppings (Optional):
• Guacamole
• Sour Cream
• Pico de Gallo
• Jalenpenos
• Cilantro

Equipment:
• Sheet tray / cookie sheet
• Aluminum foil
• Spatula
• Skillet

Taco Seasoning:
1.5 TBS Chili powder
1.5 TBS Cumin
1 TBS Paprika
1.5 TBS Onion powder
1 TBS Pepper
1 TBS Garlic Powder
1 TPS Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

Why I like food the way that I do

I am a lover of food - although I would not define myself as a foodie, because I am not a lover of ALL food. I am a picky eater at times and a creature of habit when I find something I like.

Don't misunderstand me. I appreciate food. I really do, but I am well aware that I have some wacky habits about food too.

I blame working in foodservice for both (the appreciation and the wacky habits).

As a teenager, I loved art. Painting, drawing, sculpting...you name, it I did it. I wasn't so bad at it either because I earned a few scholarships for college courses in Philadelphia while still in high school. Every Saturday morning, I would happily schlep down 95 to take my college courses during both my junior and senior years. I thought I would work with art when I grew up, but that was not my reality. My first job in world of playing adult was in food service. I started in the back of the house at 15 years old...washing dishes. When the restaurant was slow, it allowed me to venture out from behind the steamy wash station and watch how the chefs and porters transformed items, that were pretty basic to me, into these wonderful works of art for the senses. Not only could you see the beauty in what they created, the smell and tastes transformed me whenever I had an opportunity to indulge.

I was young, but I was an eager learner and worked my way into the position of prep cook (AKA: porter - someone without traditional training), then Garde Manger (preparing cold dishes and desserts), line cook (learning all posts: grill, sauté, etc.), and eventually learning each part of the back of the house. I became a rounds-person. I was able to work any position in the kitchen and at 18, I became a sous chef. I enjoyed what I was doing with food, but, I fell in love with baking.

I used baking as the creative outlet that creating art used to give me. Food service was my life and I couldn't see myself doing anything else, so I decided to go to culinary school and earned my pastry arts degree at 22.

Life doesn't always go as you think it will, and as you grow older you move in directions that you may have never thought of for yourself. That's me and I am no longer working in food service. I haven't for over 20 years now, but I still love food. I still appreciate what it takes to create the things that I eat. I also remember food at its basic form and what goes into producing the food that I eat...that's where my wacky habits come from. I no longer eat certain things because I have worked in food service or I only eat certain foods a certain way, again because I have worked in food service. Most of my issues don't bother other people so I just keep them to myself and really take the time to enjoy the foods that I do like.

With this blog I will:
• recreate celebrity recipes – I want to see what they bring to the table
• share recipes – and sometimes I will eliminate or add items to make it my own
• share shortcuts to certain food items – can’t be Martha all of the time
• my experiences dining out – my favorite hangouts and meals that get me excited

I believe that loving food is universal – it’s emotional, it comforts and it heals – sharing food is happiness and I am excited to be a part of that again.

Thank you