Happy Cinco de Mayo....but I am posting for Seis de Mayo! a.k.a. Hangover soup!

Menudo!

Seis de Mayo Soup-- a classic cure for hangovers.   You will see this fabulous soup around Cinco de Mayo and again on New Year's Day.  In El Paso, you can take your soup pot to almost any Mexican food restaurant and have them fill er' up for you to take home and reheat.  This recipe takes a long time to cook (over three hours.)  The flavors of the onions, garlic, Mexican oregano, red chile and coriander need time to marry.  Honeycomb tripe is the tenderest cut of the cow's stomach.  I LOVE this soup.  Taco King in Fairbanks makes a very good Menudo.  Serve this with a slice of lime, chopped white onions and some cilantro, and hot flour tortillas.

What you need:

• 3 pounds honeycomb tripe
• 9 cups water or chicken broth
• 3 medium onions, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
• 1 head garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushe
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3 Tablespoons red chile powder
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Pequin or crushed red pepper
• Lime wedges
• chopped cilantro to top
• Flour tortillas

Put it together:

Cut tripe into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large soup pot with water/broth, onions, garlic, salt, coriander, Mexican oregano, crushed red pepper, chile powder and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 3 hours till tripe has a clear, jellylike appearance.

Garnish with lime wedges, cilantro, diced white onions, and corn or flour tortillas.

Game Day? Game On! Spicy Black Bean Salsa

I wish I could get my Las Cruces Tortilla Chips.  But in Alaska, the next best thing is "On The Border" found at Sam's Club...Fred's also has a good off brand but the name escapes me.  So Super Bowl is NOT Super Bowl unless you have spicy dishes and beer to keep the viewer engaged.  I have several...this Black Bean Salsa is a go-getter!  I love it that is includes corn...something we don't see often in a salsa.....and because I come from a farming family, corn and beans combined is important!  Also on the menu is ez peel shrimp, lots of cheese and crackers, deep fried oysters, tequila lime chicken wings, and yes, this black bean salsa with chips.  The main course is a white chili soup..chicken, white beans, green chile and lots of other yummy things.


So easy....


1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1/2 cup whole kernel corn, rinsed (Use that good stuff we canned together last summer)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 TBSP. diced jalapenos
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely diced onions
1/2 a lime, juiced
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 cup red onion, diced fine

Mix all this together and allow to marry for an hour or more before serving.


Yell for the right team!