Quick and Easy Menudo

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How I found this Menudo

Menudo I’m told, is traditionally prepared on Sunday morning’s for breakfast.  I haven’t researched it, I’m just going by the word of a friend of mine that’s inspired some of my authentic Mexican recipes.  It might not be a Sunday morning delicacy for most but apparently it is at his house.  Regardless,  this is a dish I’ve grown to love.

It was first introduced to me by a coworker in a Denver Refinery I was working in. The company that had the maintenance contract at the time employed several Mexican men that ate excellent authentic Mexican food from day to day, thanks to the preparation of their Mexican wives(go figure).  Anyway, one specific gentleman made a little extra money on the side selling burritos at work that his wife prepared every morning before he’d leave.  Those of us that usually skipped breakfast in the morning, knew that we could rely on him vending out burritos from the big blue cooler he toted in day after day.  Burrito’s filled with eggs, chorizo and chili’s, or potatoes and pork with beans.  Thursday’s were my favorite day to buy because those days she made Chili Relleno’s with beans, rice and goat cheese wrapped in a tortilla!  Mmm Mmmm, those were the goods.  So, getting back to the point, this same guy’s wife dropped off a huge grocery paper bag full of Bolillo’s (bread) and a pot full of Menudo.

He invited me to try it, but I really had no idea what I was getting into and with a name like Menudo, I had to ask what it was.  Well, a chili base soup with Tripe and Hominy didn’t sound too bad but honestly, I don’t think at the time I realized what Tripe was.  He told me to get a bowl and make sure I grabbed some bread.  So I did, and at first glance I was really skeptical.  Then at first chew I thought, rubbery not dreamy.  Then the after taste kicked in and I wanted more, end of story.  I’ve been getting it at restaurants ever since.  I believe Menudo is one of those recipes.  It’s a hit and miss and you either like it or you don’t.

I guess the moral of the story is, don’t be so quick to judge and give everything a chance at least once.  Also make your decisions based on the experience of the cook.  I have found that most of my “bad experiences” came from cooks that didn’t know how to prepare a dish even half as well as they thought they did.  And when I was willing to give the recipe a second chance with someone else cooking that absolutely without a doubt knew their recipe, I usually found the light.

MenudoMaking Menudo

Now as far as this dish goes, the easiest and fastest way I know how to whip out Menudo the very moment I’m craving it, without any preparation or the 6 plus hours of cooking time is to have it already to go on the shelf.  Now you can purchase this fine recipe in a can these days and it’s pretty comparable to a fresh batch made from scratch.  To be clear this is NOT a recipe video, just a Quick and Easy way to knock out a 6 hour soup, Menudo, in 10 minutes.

My Hobbie My Headache!

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I love to cook.  I love to eat.  I absolutely love food.  But!  I don’t eat drink and sleep recipes.  I can’t stand all day in a kitchen preparing meals for others that I’m simply not going to be able to sit down and enjoy for myself.  Though I love the critics, and I enjoy the compliments, if I’m going to endure a full day stand in the kitchen I’m going to inherit a headache.

Moderation is the key for good cooking I think; at least it is for me.  I’ve got to resonate after I take in a good meal and process what I can do better next time.  Putting it down on paper doesn’t seem to help.  In fact it’s actually something I avoid wholeheartedly.  Doing the blog, the facebook page and the Youtube channel weren’t even things that I originally wanted to do, like, at all.  My brother talked me into it.  And the problem I find myself repeating constantly is making the time to write down these recipes that I’m constantly perfecting on a daily basis.

As you can see here, I’m clearly cooking.  There’s the evidence right in front of you.  But, I ask myself, “Is this something others want to be cooking?”, “Are these secrets that I even want to be giving away?!  It’s really tough to swallow sometimes.  A ton of hard work goes into making a dish something that everyone wants and loves to eat, then just hand over the recipes.

Why do others do it?  We see it all over the web these days right?  What’s the payoff?  Advertising!  Commercials, product placement and pay per clicks.  Guess what though.  You’ve got to be getting hundreds if not thousands of ad clicks a day to see any results from that kind of gig before you even see a dime.  I haven’t.  not even one red cent.  Not that I’m complaining, I just want you to recognize that some people just love what they do so much they feel like keeping things to themselves.  That way our hobbies don’t become headaches and we don’t become slaves to the pills that stop the pain.

I don’t want that for me; headaches that kill the passion I have for my hobbies.  As long as I can share the things that I’ve learned through my education and experimentation, I’ll keep cranking out recipes for Poor Mans Gourmet Kitchen.  But like any true artist out there, sometimes you’ve got to wait for the release of a masterpiece! ;-)

On a lighter note, here are a few concoctions I’ve been thinking about writing about.  If any of these recipes catch your attention I’d like to know about it.  There’s a Lo mein noodle that is as good as any restaurant or fast food I’ve ever had; grilled Salmon smothered in a sweet and sour sauce with veggies; Nachos… baked; Ceviche Tilapia; fresh Chicken Tequitos; and last but not least, a Chicken Wrap with a Peanut Lime sauce!

Garlic Bread Pizza

Garlic Bread Pizza, What’s the big deal right?

I saw this advertised in the paper last week when Pizza Hut introduced their Garlic Bread Pizza.  my first thought was, “Man, they’re gettin’ desperate”, but the more I thought about how much I love Garlic Bread and how much I love Pizza I decided to try making it myself.  I mean, I already know I make a bad ass pizza so I figured I might as well combine the two for myself and see how it turns out!  LET ME TELL YOU, Garlic Bread Pizza is THE BOMB!  Honestly though, I still haven’t tried the Hut’s yet but I’m definitely doing this in my own kitchen again and you can do it to.  Whether you want to dig in and make everything from scratch or if you want to keep it as simple as possible and just buy a few pre made ingredients, you’re going to love Garlic Bread Pizza.
For those that want to keep it simple and maybe even have some fun with the kids, watch my video.  Then pick up some pre made sliced buttered and seasoned garlic bread from your local grocery, a jar of your favorite spaghetti or pizza sauce, some Pepperoni or favorite toppings, and some Mozzarella cheese with Provolone mix.  Layer it on a pan, bread, sauce, cheese then toppings and bake 500 degrees f. for 6 to 8 minutes.  Once you try your own Garlic Bread Pizza you’ll understand and you won’t regret it!