The sun finally came out this weekend and started melting the snow away. It’s going to be 60 degrees on Wednesday, giving us all a false hope of spring which is still several weeks away. It's cold and dreary again today, and it's also National Margarita Day. You can have a standard, traditional margarita, but this one, I find, is great in winter and spring as it adds strawberry and raspberry notes to the tart kick of citrus. These are not for the faint of liver! I served these up a few years ago and my neighbors fell over on their walk home - they literally live next door and could not make it, apparently - so remember, these are sippers!
Pro tip: There are also ways to tone this beverage down. You can substitute weaker Triple Sec for the more potent Cointreau. Additionally, you can water them down with a splash of Pellegrino or turn them into a spritzer/cooler by adding some Blood Orange flavored seltzer to each glass.
It also helps to have some food to counter the sweeter notes and potent kick of these margaritas. As opposed to a big meal, I decided to go for a little happy hour vibe...remember happy hours? I’m kind of missing them in a really bad way. Hopefully toward the end of this summer, life will start returning back to normal. But, you can bring the cantina to your casa with these addictively adorable Chimichangitas. Chimichangitas?! Yes, tiny chimichangas! I found some diminutive 5-inch flour tortillas at the store and they called out to me. Not sure why I never thought of making these before, but it definitely won’t be the last time. I paired them with a lovely, homemade, chipotle-lime crema which you are going to find addictive. Creamy, cool, kicky, limey, luscious and smoky hits about all the notes you need for these fun little poppers.
Strawberry Margaritas
Go ahead and prepare your pitcher of margaritas and let the concoction chill and meld while you prepare the appetizers. When making something “raw” like a cocktail, you should really use fresh squeezed juices. But, if you are going to use something bottled, I would recommend a quality option like Santa Cruz.
6 oz strawberries, cored
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (3-4 limes)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (~3 lemons)
3 tbsp agave nectar (or sugar)
1 cup Reposado Tequila
1 cup Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
1/2 cup Chambord (or other Raspberry Liqueur)
Combine the strawberries, citrus juices, agave nectar and a pinch of salt into a blender and process for about 20 seconds. Pour the contents through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher.
Stir in the Tequila, Cointreau, Chambord and about a cup of crushed ice and place in the fridge to cool/combine. Prior to serving, taste the margarita. If it’s too bitter (don’t confuse strong for bitter...it’s going to be strong!), add some additional agave nectar.
Place some additional crushed ice into a margarita glass, or a lowball, and pout the margarita over top. Garnish with a strawberry.
Chimichangitas
If you’re more comfortable wrapping these like mini-burritos (fold both sides in, then fold up, tuck and roll) feel free to do whatever feels right/better to you. They’ll look more like egg rolls, but they’re just as tasty! See the process shots below for how to fold chimichanga style.
Filling
Extra-virgin olive oil
White onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 chipotle in adobo, minced almost into a paste
1.5 tbsp ancho chili powder (or 2 tbsp regular chili powder)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 cup chicken stock
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (~1 lb)
15 oz can pinto beans
~20 5- or 6-inch flour tortillas
Additional items
Shredded cheddar cheese
Cilantro Rice (see recipe below)
Chipotle Lime Crema (see recipe below)
Flour paste (3 tbsp flour and 3 tbsp water whisked well)
Heat a tablespoon of evoo in a 10-inch skillet, over medium-high heat, and saute the onion with a pinch of salt, until starting to soften. Start preparing the cilantro rice (see recipe below).
After about 5 minutes of sweating the onion, stir in the garlic, minced chipotle, chili powder, cumin and a pinch of salt, until fragrant. Then, pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
When boiling, place the unseasoned chicken breasts into the pan. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 15 minutes, flipping the chicken half-way through.
While the chicken is cooking, drain and rinse your beans and place in a bowl. Using a masher or fork, give the beans about 10 good presses to break some of them up.
After the chicken has cooked, move it to a cutting board to cool. Stir the beans in with the vegetables and stock and increase the heat to medium.
While the sauce reduces, start shredding your chicken and cut it into small pieces. Stir the chicken back into the pan of beans and stock and continue cooking until no more moisture remains and it is a tight mixture. Set aside.
Assembly
Preheat a deep fryer (or a deep pot with 3-4 cups oil) to 360 degrees.
If the tortillas aren’t fresh or pliable, heat them in the microwave until they are very flexible and won’t crack. Wrapping them in a damp paper towel also helps when microwaving.
Place a tortilla on a work surface, and using a teaspoon, spoon some rice directly in the middle. Then add some chicken and bean mixture on top of it and sprinkle with a pinch of cheddar cheese.
Dip your index finger into the flour paste and run your finger around the edge, spreading the paste evenly. Fold the bottom flap up over the filling and fold the top half over the bottom-half. Place a little more paste on the left and right of the tortilla and fold each side in and flip over and give a firm press to seal the chimicangita. Set aside and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
When ready to fry, gently add each chimicangita to the oil and fry for about 4 minutes, flipping half-way through. Place on a wire rack in a paper-towel lined baking sheet to catch the excess oil.
While the chimichangitas are frying, prepare the Chipotle Lime Crema dipping sauce (see recipe below).
Cilantro Rice
1 cup chicken stock
Fistful of cilantro leaves + 1 tbsp minced
1 tbsp butter
½ cup rice
Scallion, sliced thinly
Combine the chicken stock and fistful of cilantro leaves and process in a blender for about 30 seconds.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the rice, toasting briefly. Then add in the cilantro-infused stock and a ½ tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low.
Simmer for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat and keep covered until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, stir in the minced cilantro and sliced scallion.
Chipotle Lime Crema
Crema, Mexican sour cream, can be found in most regular grocery stores in the specialty section. It’s tangier than American sour cream and a bit more runny. You’re going to love it, especially my twist on the classic.
1/2 cup Mexican Crema
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1/2 tbsp adobo sauce from the can the chipotle came in
Juice from half of a lime (about 2 tsp)
Place all the items into a mini-food processor, along with a pinch of sea salt, and blend until combined.
___________________________________ Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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