Mexican Fiesta

Really good Mexican food is like a party for my mouth! In an effort to recreate that fiesta while saving money, I've tried several different Mexican-type recipes @ home. All have fallen short... UNTIL NOW! Just take a look @ this deliciousness! (I don't care much about the "display" of the food on the plate, but this time it was absolutely necessary to capture the wonderfulness!)

Is your mouth watering yet?! Here's the rundown & links to the recipes: Beef Chimichangas (baked, not fried), Spanish Rice, Refried Beans with a hint of lime, Pico de Gallo atop a bed of shredded lettuce with guacamole & sour cream additions! Oh yeah baby!!!
Note: The Shredded Beef Chimichangas recipe came from allrecipes.com, but @ the time of this post, that site was being updated so I couldn't link. Sorry

The rice that you get @ Mexican restaurants is so delicious to me, but I tried many recipes in hopes that they would get it just right & none of them were right on the money. (I'm picky about rice... has to be right on the money!) Then, lo & behold, I found "the one," and I will never falter. It's tried & true - you can trust me on that! I made my own tweaks to the Chimi recipe, using carne asada in a roasting pan instead of the roast in the crockpot & was super pleased with the results - tender, flavorful & juicy, warranting plenty of nibbling while the Chimis were in the works!!! The beans were nothing too special, just from a can (insert sheepish grin here, but I really have no desire to rinse, soak, cook & mash my own pinto beans). Since they come out of the can looking like canned dog food, I thinned them with a little water for a nicer consistency & added garlic & lime juice for some extra yummy flavor.

And there you have it folks, a party for your mouth! It did, however, create this mess (well, in truth, some of it was already there, but it did make it lots bigger!):

Worth it? You betcha!!!