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Here are some readers' recipes to get your party started:
Susan Ray's Navajo Fry Bread
Susan Ray's Indian Chili
Nayda's Hot Taco Dip
Kay's Mango Dip
Roasted Corn and Mushroom Salsa
Enchilada Casserole Gillihan
Susan Ray's Navajo Fry Bread
You Will Need
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered milk
1/2 cup shortening or butter
3/4 cup warm water
Up to 2 cups oil for frying
What to Do
1. Mix dry ingredients together; use a fork to add shortening. Add enough water to make dough. Knead until dough is soft, not sticky. Form into six 2-inch balls. Flatten to make a circle 6 inches in diameter.
2. Heat 1 inch oil in heavy skillet and slide in dough. Fry on one side until golden brown, about two minutes, flip. Drain on paper towels.
Serve with toppings (sliced meat, grilled vegetables, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, salsa) or with Ray's Indian Chili recipe.
Serves: 6
Susan Ray's Indian Chili
Susan makes a vegetarian chili to accompany her Navajo fry bread, but the recipe can be made with ground beef for a non-vegetarian version. Experiment with the amount of hot sauce to make it more or less spicy.
You Will Need
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, minced
1 bell pepper, minced
1 cup crumbled Smart Ground brand texturized vegetable protein (tofu) or 1 cup ground beef
4 cups cooked pinto beans (or two cans, drained)
3 cups tomato puree
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 teaspoon minced chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Hot sauce to taste
What to Do
1. In a frying pan over low heat, cook onion and pepper until soft. Add tofu or beef and cook until browned. Add pinto beans, tomato puree, tomatoes, chile pepper, salt, and chili powder and cook for thirty minutes. Taste; adjust seasoning with additional salt and hot sauce to suit.
Serves: 6
Nayda's Hot Taco Dip
Nayda Schwartz tasted hot taco dip at a backyard barbecue twenty years ago and has been making it for parties ever since.
"It takes ten minutes to make and it's usually gone in about the same time," says Schwartz, who is a trust advisor in Farmington Hills, Michigan. It is, she says, the rare invitation that does not include a request that she bring along her famous dip, which can, in fact, be made at home and baked off at the party.
Although she usually serves it as an appetizer, Schwartz has also turned her hot taco dip into a main course by serving it with a big salad.
You Will Need
1 8-ounce brick of cream cheese, softened (do not use reduced-fat version)
1 can Hormel meat chili
1 8-ounce package of shredded, "taco-seasoned" cheese (do not use low-fat version)
1 bunch scallions, minced
What to Do
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a spatula or frosting spreader, spread cream cheese over bottom of a shallow 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spread chili in an even layer over the cream cheese. Sprinkle shredded cheese over this and, finally, sprinkle scallions over chili.
2. Bake until bubbling and slightly brown on top and around the edges, about 30 minutes. It can burn easily, so watch carefully. Remove from oven; allow to sit and thicken for five minutes before serving. Serve with sturdy taco chips.
Serves: 4-6
Kay's Mango Dip
Kay Young lived in California for many years, and after moving to Ohio to work as a food chemist, she kept her memories of that spicy, flavorful California food alive by joining the Cincinnati Pepper Club, a group of pepper gardeners and cooks. During the growing season (April-October), the club meets once a month. The only requirement: Everyone must bring something hot and something cold. This mango salsa, which can be served with chips or as a relish for meat, is both hot and cold. For a spicier salsa, add more minced chiles.
You Will Need
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium white onion, minced
2 medium mangos, cut into fine dice
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, minced
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar, if needed
1/4 cup minced coriander leaves
What to Do
1. Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit, refrigerated, for several hours before serving.
Makes about 4 cups
Roasted Corn and Mushroom Salsa
This earthy mixture is great with grilled chicken, pork, or fish and makes a wonderful addition to any taco. It can also be served as a salad, topped with lobster or shrimp, or as an appetizer.
You Will Need
5 ears fresh corn
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup fresh shiitake or other wild mushrooms, cleaned and diced
2 large poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram
1 clove roasted garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
What to Do
1. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add one layer of kernels and cook in cast-iron skillet without oil, tossing constantly, until corn is smoky and dark, about five minutes. Place in large bowl and repeat until all the corn is cooked.
2. Heat olive oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about five minutes. Add corn. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Season with additional salt, if needed. Serve at room temperature. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to two days.
Makes 3 cups
Enchilada Casserole Gillihan
When they were young, Carolyn Gillihan and her husband were hippies who lived off the land in the Pacific Northwest. This recipe was given to them by a good friend and -- along with stories of their long-haired years -- remains a favorite of their five sons today.
"I make it for birthdays and family get-togethers," says Carolyn, who, like her husband, Charles, was eventually ordained as a minister. The couple live in Columbus, Indiana, where Carolyn's enchilada casserole is a favorite at church potlucks.
Carolyn serves the casserole with a big salad and sweet corn and doubles, triples, or even quadruples it when cooking for large crowds. The casserole can be made a day ahead, refrigerated, and baked an hour before guests arrive.
You Will Need
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 pounds ground chuck
2 cups fresh homemade salsa or one 16-ounce jar salsa (mild, medium, or hot, according to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup white cream sauce (see recipe below)
8 flour tortillas
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated
What to Do
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. In a skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in cooking oil until soft, remove and set aside. Add the meat to the pan and cook, using a fork to prevent clumping, until no pink is visible. Add the onion, garlic, and salsa to this mixture and season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Prepare the white cream sauce.
2. Dip 6 tortillas in melted butter and arrange over bottom and sides of a shallow 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon in meat mixture and cover with remaining two tortillas. Add sour cream to white cream sauce and spread this mixture over top of the casserole. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 325°F for 45 minutes.
White Cream Sauce
You Will Need
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1 cup warm milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
What to Do
1. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, whisking to make a thick paste. Slowly add milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Add salt and continue cooking for two minutes until smooth and warm.
Serves: 6
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