Chicken Mole, Refried Beans, and Mexican Rice

So the husband requested Mexican tonight for dinner. I just made an enchilada bake last week and made chili and cornbread two nights ago. So I did some searching and found some recipes to try on allrecipes.com

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mexican-rice-ii/detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-mole-2/detail.aspx

The first two are Mexican Rice II and Chicken Mole 2 and they are made exactly as the directions are called and I did use homemade chicken stock.

The refried beans I got from this:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/refried-beans-without-the-refry/detail.aspx

But I did not follow the directions on this at all. This is what I did instead:

2 15oz cans pinto beans
1 small onion
2-3 tablespoons of diced green chilis
2 tablespoons garlic
1 teas salt
1/2 teas fresh ground pepper
1/4 teas roasted cumin
oliveoil
wee bit of chicken stock.

So I cut the onion up very fine and sauteed in the oliveoil until translucent and soft. Drained and rinsed the beans then added them to the pot. Then I added all the seasonings, green pepper, and garlic. I cooked it at low heat for about 15 minutes or so until everything was soft. Then I smashed it all up with a little bit of chicken stock to get the right consistency and wellah :).
This was SOOO much better than any re-fried beans that I have ever had. It's definitely a recipe I will make again and again. The rice was fabulous as well. The chicken mole had an interesting flavor but I really enjoyed it. Time will tell if the hubby likes it too!

Mexican Spice Rubbed Ribeye, Asparagus and Red Potatoes

Mexican Spice Rubbed Ribeye with Lime Butter, Roasted Asparagus and Red Potatoes

This steak is relatively hot because of the mexican rub, but it has lots of flavor. The bread is a garlic italian loaf that was purchased at the bakery. Roasting the veggies is one of my favorite ways to have them. The spice and butter mixtures are enough for 4 steaks. I split them between two and that worked fine as well.

Mexican Spice Rubbed Ribeye:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Light the grill or preheat large grill pan

2. First small bowl, combine softened butter, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, and salt. Set aside.

3. Second small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, chipotle, and cayenne pepper.

4. Rub mixture all over the steaks

5. Oil the grate and grill the steaks over moderately high heat, turning once, until slightly charred and medium-rare, about 12 minutes.

6. Transfer the steaks to plates and top with the Lime Butter. Use about a tablespoon per steak.

7. Let the steaks stand for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.

Roasted Asparagus and Red Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Asparagus
Red Potatoes
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Cayenne Pepper

1. Evenly coat Asparagus with salt, pepper, and oil.

2. Spread out evenly in baking dish.

3. Evenly coat Red Potatoes with salt, pepper, and oil. Sprinkle lightly with cayenne pepper.

4. Spread out evenly in baking dish.

5. Bake both dishes for 45 minutes.

Note: If you like the asparagus to be a bit more crunchy decrease the baking time by 15 minutes. If you want your potatoes less crisp decrease the time as well.