The Whole Enchilada

[Anita]

Being that I've eaten fairly restricted for many years, and this is just next level pared down, I'm missing a few things. I'm also a Southern California resident. I'm surrounded by fabulous Mexican cuisine. It's plentiful, cheap, and good. But I don't eat it. I want it. I want a cheesy enchilada and some beans and rice. But I realize it's a no-go for my body.

 

Do any of you have any satisfying Mexican recipes that are Whole30 compliant? I searched the recipe forum and didn't see much. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I suppose it could be one of those foods I go off-road for on a rare occasion, but I am really afraid of the consequences since there is so much "bad" in Mexican food (cheese, rice, beans, corn, etc.). 

 

Any ideas are welcomed.  Thanks!

[GFChris]

I haven't made it yet, but there's a Mexican Meatza recipe in Well Fed. It's also on the author's website at http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com. There is also a Stovetop Pork Carnitas recipe on the site.

[misshannah]

I've eaten the Well-Fed Citrus Carnitas many times. It's fantastic. Highly recommended. http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/04/29/stovetop-pork-carnitas/

[Anita]

Thank you! May I inquire what you eat with it to make it a meal?

[Vian]

I've been searching for ways to replicate Chipotle recipes at home and found this one for their pork carnitas http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main-course/pork/chipotles-carnitas-pulled-pork.html I made it and after the pork was cooked, I strained the juice and mixed it back in, but it made the meat a little bitter, and I still wasn't getting the strong black pepper flavor that I love in chipotle's, so next time I'm going to decrease the amount of juniper berries (I used 2 tbs), add whole peppercorns, more salt (probably 1/4-1/2 tsp salt per pound of meat) and more ground pepper at the end and only mix in enough juice after it's shredded to make the meat salty enough.

 

I also have this recipe for barbacoa. It's almost unbearably spicy (to me, I'm a bit of a wimp though) if you use 4 chipotle peppers. Next time I will use 1 or 2. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/04/tender-beef-barbacoa-chipotle-tacos-recipe.html

 

Then I also kind of made up a recipe for their green tomatillo salsa based on their ingredients statement.

 

1 roma tomato

3-4 tomatillos

1/2 jalapeno

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 red onion

salt and pepper to taste

juice of half a lime

pinch granulated garlic

1/4 tsp. dried oregano or 1 tsp. fresh

handful of cilantro (I leave this out because I hate cilantro)

 

Peel the paper from the tomatillos and wash the sticky residue off. Cut the tomatillos, tomatoes, and jalapeno in half lengthwise. Toss with olive oil and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler for about 8-10 minutes or until the skins are getting charred and the juices are bubbling. Sprinkle the cumin over the veggies and broil another 2 minutes. Place the roasted veggies in a food processor or blender and add all the other ingredients. Pulse until mostly blended, but still slightly chunky.

 

And their guac is pretty basic...

 

1-2 avocados

1/2 jalapeno

1/4 red onion

juice of half a lime

handful of cilantro

salt to taste

 

Mince jalapeno and red onion, chop cilantro, and dice the avocado. Place everything in a bowl and use a fork to mash the avocado until desired chunkiness is achieved.

 

To make it a meal, I sautee some bell pepper and onion with a little salt and oregano (chipotle's fajita veggies) and then pile everything ontop of chopped romaine lettuce.

[misshannah]

Thank you! May I inquire what you eat with it to make it a meal?

We often eat it on salad, or with a giant pile of sauteed veg. I think zucchini goes well with it, as does cabbage. If you do peppers, that would work too. You could stuff peppers with it and roast them. If you're looking for more starchy veg, it's nice with sweet potatoes in any form as the tangy citrus and the unctuous pork are balanced by the sweetness of the veg. 

 

Really, go nuts!

[Lizitea]

anita -- suggestions are listed under the recipe

[WunderHase]

Please don't laugh at my suggestions, but you're free to dismiss them :-) I don't live anywhere near Mexico, and have only visited once, so my idea of Mexican food might be pretty off the mark :-) I'll still share what I would do.

 

I'd bake or cook some chicken in a frying pan (with a bit of clarified butter), and season the chicken with ground cumin, paprika, chili, garlic and onion powder and salt.

 

I'd serve it with some pico de gallo and guacamole (with just mashed avocado, lime juice and cilantro, and possibly with chiles).

 

Then here's the weird suggestion :-) It was something my friend made to us almost 20 years ago and I still remember it as it was so nice in a chicken wrap: mashed sweet potato with some diced jalapenos. Now, she probably used a bit of cream to make it...creamier...but I'm thinking that perhaps just a bit of clarified butter, salt and a hint of hot water might help. The combination of sweet and hot was really nice and was great with the chicken (and salsa).

 

I know this is pretty basic, but the foods in my culture are pretty much totally different from Mexican food, so I'm ignorant :-)

[Anita]

I would never laugh at that.  It sounds great.  I sometimes roast butternut squash with whole jalapenos, so I think it will suit me!

 

I really appreciate all your suggestions! I'm going to try a few things this weekend!

[praxisproject]

Louisiana Hot Sauce and Franks Hot Sauce (original) are both compliant. I like them with pulled pork or chicken wings. I eat anything mexican-ish with capsicum (peppers).

Currently nightshade free, so enjoy some spicy things for me