A Mexican Inspired Meal

Marinated Carne Asada, a mexican inspired stir fry, and cilantro jalapeno corn cakes.  It was fun, delicious, and then gone in a flash.  And the best part, we got to bust out the barbeque for the first time this year.  Bring on summer...we are so ready!

What you'll need:

Carne Asada
1 lb carne asada (or thin cut filets)
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup abodo sauce (I found this great chipotle hot sauce that tastes just like the liquid from the chilies in abodo.  Its heaven in a bottle)
1 garlic clove minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Juice from 1 lime

Make at least 24 hours ahead to give plenty of time to marinate.  Throw all ingredients in a gallon ziplock back and put into fridge.  Mix around once or twice.

Corn Cakes
1 1/2 cups masa flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 jalapeno diced
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
1/3 wheel cotija cheese crumbles
2 cups corn (if using frozen, make sure to defrost)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
2 cups water

Add first 7 ingredients to a large bowl and combine.  Next add wet ingredients and mix.  I wanted my pancakes to be fairly thin, almost between a tortilla and a thin pancake.  That way they could be used  like a tortilla if you wanted.  So you may need more water, after 2 cups slowly add more until you have a fairly think batter.  Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a little oil to your pan. Use your 3/4 measuring cup and scoop batter into pan and cook like you would pancakes.

Set your oven on the lowest setting and place a cookie sheet inside, then put cakes when done inside keep warm.  These can be cooked while your making your stir fry too, they don't take too much attention.


Stir Fry
2 large carrots sliced at an angle for large peices
1/2 onion sliced
3 stocks celery sliced like carrots
1 bell pepper sliced
5 large mushrooms quartered
2 heads broccoli cut into bite sized florets
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup abodo or chipotle sauce
1/2 lime juiced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon oil
dash cayenne if you want more spice

Heat oil in large pan over medium high heat.  Add carrots and onion and saute for about 5 minutes or until carrots are starting to get slightly soft.  Next, add celery and bell pepper, abodo sauce, lime, garlic, sugar, spices and water and mix until well combined.  You may want to turn heat down to medium if things are cooking to fast.  Add broccoli and mushrooms.  Once veggies are the the desired doneness, about 15 minutes, turn down heat to low.

Just before you start stir fry, fire up your bbq and get nice and hot.  When your carrots and onions are sauteing, put your meat on the grill.  Return to your veggies, add the remaining of the ingredients until they are all combined.  4-5 minutes about, then go flip your meat.  Return to stir fry and and mix again.  About the time your veggies are done, your meat will be too.

here you can see what I mean when cutting carrots

I bet your excited to eat this beauty of a meal.  I took a corn cake, a few slices of meat and some veggies and made sort of a mexican gyro.  It was delish.  But everything is tasty enough to be eaten on its own.  I also had a little dish of cotija cheese crumbles, cilantro, and limes at the table.  Oh, and Kam had his beloved sour cream of course.  Enjoy!

(Note: Kam wanted me to mention that HE barbecued the meat.)