I often find myself with leftover meat from a previous meal that's
not quite enough in quantity to stand by itself for another meal.
One answer is to extend it by stir-frying with an assortment of
chiles, onions and other veggies for a Mexican-style stir-fry.
I use a steel wok or cast iron wok, but a well seasoned cast iron
skillet should work as well...

Mexican Stir-Fry

1 each - poblano chile, ripe red Anaheim chile and
ripe red jalapeno chile
1/2 - white onion
1/2 dozen - mushrooms
1 - zucchini or yellow crook neck squash
1 tablespoon - vegetable oil for stir-fry
day old corn tortillas as needed
vegetable oil as needed to fry tortillas
pre-cooked poultry, pork or beef as desired

Stack tortillas then cut stack in half. Stack tortilla
halves and slice into 1/8 inch wide by 1 to 2 inch length
strips. Heat an inch or so of oil in a cast iron frying
pan and fry tortilla strips a handfull at a time until crisp,
drain on paper towel, sprinkle with salt or pico de gallo
spice mix and set aside. Cut chiles in half lengthwise
and remove the seeds. Slice the poblano and Anaheim chiles
crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Slice the jalapeno chile
into 1/8 inch slices. Cut the 1/2 onion into two pieces
and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Quarter the mushrooms.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise
into 1/2 inch slices. Slice the leftover meat into 1/4 inch
slices. Heat the oil in wok over medium-high heat. Add chiles
and onions to wok and stir-fry until tender. Add mushrooms
and squash and stir-fry until squash is cooked but still crisp.
Add sliced meat and stir-fry until meat is heated through.
Serve over crisp fried tortilla strips with grated cheese,
hot sauce and fresh salsa to add per individual taste.

I might serve my Mexican Stir-Fry with rice or Sopa Seca de Fideo
and pinto or black beans on the side with a sliced avocado, tomato
and lettuce salad with maybe a lime and chile flavored vinaigrette
dressing; or, perhaps, an orange and jicama pico de gallo...depends
on what I have at hand.

Ripe red Anaheim and jalapeno chiles might be hard to come by unless
you grow your own. :-) I'd use 1/2 red bell pepper and ripe red
Fresno chile or green jalapeno if necessary as substitute.

--
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created
by the individual who can labor in freedom.

-- Albert Einstein

Rich McCormack (Poway, CA)

Who is Rich McCormack? Find out at...
http://home.pacbell.net/macknet/

"Rich McCormack" wrote in message
...
I often find myself with leftover meat from a previous meal that's
---- Mexican Stir-fry and other stuff cut for brevity---

I'm not nitpicking, nor complaining, nor being arrogant, nor negative....
but it seems to me that anybody can claim "Mexican" food if they simply add
a chile to whatever concoction they are making.

In the case of leftover beef... which is not used that much in Mexican
cooking except in Monterrey and lands north... by adding some Poblano chile
it suddenly becomes Mexican Stir Fry.

If you go through the many recipes posted here and elsewhere that claim to
be Mexican food, you will see this trend. To anything in the world, add some
chile and it's Mexican food!

Well.... why not go the other direction. Most Italian food from spaghetti to
pizza is based on tomatoes - originating in the Americas. German potato
salads and all the other potato stuff making them fat is of American origin.
Swiss chocolates, world famous, is possible because of Mexican cocoa beans
now cultivated globally; but originally from Mexico. Thanksgiving dinner of
turkey, potatoes, pumpkin pie - all pre-Columbian Mexican origin!

Fun, isn't it????

Wayne

Wayne Lundberg , channeled Vi*tor, and composed
message ...
---- Mexican Stir-fry and other stuff cut for brevity---

I'm not nitpicking, nor complaining, nor being arrogant, nor negative....

Well, okay, you weren't channeling Vi*tor but your black-and-white world has
become bereft of all its colors (which would include the grays.) For that,
I'm sorry.

The Ranger

The Ranger wrote:

Wayne Lundberg , channeled Vi*tor, and composed
message ...

---- Mexican Stir-fry and other stuff cut for brevity---

I'm not nitpicking, nor complaining, nor being arrogant, nor negative....


Well, okay, you weren't channeling Vi*tor but your black-and-white world has
become bereft of all its colors (which would include the grays.) For that,
I'm sorry.

The Ranger



However, Ranger, thr core of what Wayne says is true. Add chili to your
Mac n cheese and now it's Mexian mac n' cheese. Right.

However, I feel that Wayne is, in an offbeat way, tilting at windmills
He cares, but few others do. And so, add a chili to whatever and feel
good about calling it "Mexican." John Q. is an ignorant sob and
spreading this "add a chili and its Mexican" adds to that deepening pool
of ignorance.


jim

Jim Lane commented in message
...
---- Mexican Stir-fry and other stuff cut for brevity---

I'm not nitpicking, nor complaining, nor being arrogant, nor
negative....

your black-and-white world has become bereft of all its colors
(which would include the grays.) For that, I'm sorry.

However, Ranger, th[e] core of what Wayne says is true. Add chili
to your Mac n cheese and now it's Mexi[c]an mac n' cheese. Right.

Not in the literal sense for anyone with an ounce of ability or minimal
literacy. It becomes true only when marketing takes a play from Almalgamated
Corporation's Dumbdowning John Q's Palate and the follow-up Product
Placement.

However, I feel that Wayne is, in an offbeat way, tilting at windmills
He cares, but few others do.

There is caring and then there is fanaticism... I care deeply for how a dish
is made, and care not a whit for what it might be titled. Often, if I change
it to suit my tastes, I'll rename it anyway. Vi*tor was also sitting atop
his ivory tower, often pontificating at great length and and extended breath
about what was Mexican and what was not. Either burnout or corporate
maturity turned him away from shutting down afm-c completely.

I do not think Wayne means bad but his delivery requires some softening.

And so, add a chili to whatever and feel good about calling it
"Mexican." John Q. is an ignorant sob and spreading this "add
a chili and its Mexican" adds to that deepening pool of ignorance.

It only deepens when too many are lead to believe differently. Both you and
I live in heavily Hispanic populations, and /know/ differently. John and
Jane Q that Amalgamated is going after live in white cupcake neighborhoods
where the "spiciest" item in their pantry is salt and adding a pepper to
something is sure to send them into howls of pain. We, the aficionados, are
not important to the corporate bottom line; the masses they are catering to
are the demographic.

The Ranger

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:47:06 -0800, Jim Lane
wrote:

The Ranger wrote:

Wayne Lundberg , channeled Vi*tor, and composed
message ...

---- Mexican Stir-fry and other stuff cut for brevity---

I'm not nitpicking, nor complaining, nor being arrogant, nor negative....


Well, okay, you weren't channeling Vi*tor but your black-and-white world has
become bereft of all its colors (which would include the grays.) For that,
I'm sorry.

The Ranger



However, Ranger, thr core of what Wayne says is true. Add chili to your
Mac n cheese and now it's Mexian mac n' cheese. Right.

However, I feel that Wayne is, in an offbeat way, tilting at windmills
He cares, but few others do. And so, add a chili to whatever and feel
good about calling it "Mexican." John Q. is an ignorant sob and
spreading this "add a chili and its Mexican" adds to that deepening pool
of ignorance.


jim

yeah... its like calling taco bell mexican food... or maybe even food
for that matter.

Wayne Lundberg wrote:

"Rich McCormack" wrote in message
...
I often find myself with leftover meat from a previous meal that's
---- Mexican Stir-fry and other stuff cut for brevity---

I'm not nitpicking, nor complaining, nor being arrogant, nor negative....
but it seems to me that anybody can claim "Mexican" food if they simply add
a chile to whatever concoction they are making.

I'm a chile-head, I add chiles to most "concoctions" I make, even
potato salad...but no, I don't then call it Mexican potato salad.

My wife is particularly fond of stir-fry. I've made it for many
years, Asian-style -- thin sliced meat, mushrooms, celery, carrots,
snow peas, bean sprouts and such -- served over chow mein noodles
with sticky white rice and maybe some sort of tempura on the
side...and, of course, the usual soy sauce for seasoning.

Several years ago, I wanted to make stir-fry but had no "Asian"
veggies or chow mein noodles on hand. I did have a variety of
chiles and squash from my garden...and, some corn tortillas that
were starting to get a little stale. Idea: slice the tortillas
into really thin strips and fry them crisp, stir-fry some leftover
meat along with the chiles, squash and some onion, serve it over
the tortilla "noodles" along with some Mexican-style rice and beans
on the side...and, hot sauce and salsa in place of the soy sauce.
I decided to call it Mexican Stir Fry. It's just the name I chose
to call it, don't let it worry you so much.

Last week, I made my Mexican Stir-Fry with leftover turkey and ate
it "taco" style with soft fried corn tortillas, rice, beans, salsa
and hot sauce on the side. Let's see: turkey, chiles, onion, squash,
tomato, corn, rice and beans...6 out of 8 ingredients indigenous to
the western hemisphere. Where would that fit in the Puebla Protocol?

Rich

--
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created
by the individual who can labor in freedom.

-- Albert Einstein

Rich McCormack (Poway, CA)

Who is Rich McCormack? Find out at...
http://home.pacbell.net/macknet/

"Rich McCormack" wrote in message
...

Wayne Lundberg wrote:

"Rich McCormack" wrote in message
...
I often find myself with leftover meat from a
---snip---
it "taco" style with soft fried corn tortillas, rice, beans, salsa
and hot sauce on the side. Let's see: turkey, chiles, onion, squash,
tomato, corn, rice and beans...6 out of 8 ingredients indigenous to
the western hemisphere. Where would that fit in the Puebla Protocol?

Rich

Fits right in! One of the great things about Mexican food is the wealth of
ingredients available and the endless ways of putting them together.

Sorry I got stuffy on add chile and it's called Mexican. And thanks to the
group for pulling in the reins.

Wayne

Mexican stir-fry kinda reminds me of fajitas. But then fajitas aren't
Mexican either.

Linda

"Wayne Lundberg" wrote in message
...

"Rich McCormack" wrote in message
...
I often find myself with leftover meat from a previous meal that's
---- Mexican Stir-fry and other stuff cut for brevity---

I'm not nitpicking, nor complaining, nor being arrogant, nor negative....
but it seems to me that anybody can claim "Mexican" food if they simply
add
a chile to whatever concoction they are making.

In the case of leftover beef... which is not used that much in Mexican
cooking except in Monterrey and lands north... by adding some Poblano
chile
it suddenly becomes Mexican Stir Fry.

If you go through the many recipes posted here and elsewhere that claim to
be Mexican food, you will see this trend. To anything in the world, add
some
chile and it's Mexican food!

Well.... why not go the other direction. Most Italian food from spaghetti
to
pizza is based on tomatoes - originating in the Americas. German potato
salads and all the other potato stuff making them fat is of American
origin.
Swiss chocolates, world famous, is possible because of Mexican cocoa beans
now cultivated globally; but originally from Mexico. Thanksgiving dinner
of
turkey, potatoes, pumpkin pie - all pre-Columbian Mexican origin!

Fun, isn't it????

Wayne

Linda wrote:

Mexican stir-fry kinda reminds me of fajitas. But then fajitas aren't
Mexican either.

Linda

Fajitas aren't "south of the US/Mexico border" in origin, neither
are burritos. It might not be accurate, but they're both considered
"Mexican" by many people north of the border and probably some
south...there's not really much one can to about it.

My Mexican Stir-Fry is similar to fajitas in the way it's served,
but more easily utilizes leftover meat...which is what I generally
use, though I do occasionally start out with fresh, uncooked meat.

I coined the term to make it clear that when I suggest to my wife
we have stir-fry for dinner I mean Mexican-style as opposed to
Asian-style or Italian-style. Yes, I even make stir-fry using
foods and flavors typical of Italian cuisine once in awhile,
serving it over pasta. It's nothing more than a cooking method
and way of presentation, though it's usually associated more
with Asian cuisine.

Rich

--
Everything that is really great and inspiring is created
by the individual who can labor in freedom.

-- Albert Einstein

Rich McCormack (Poway, CA)

Who is Rich McCormack? Find out at...
http://home.pacbell.net/macknet/