Behind the Recipes
Meet Paloma
When Paloma Coldero followed her brother Santiago to the cattle ranch Eaton Edge in northeast New Mexico decades ago, she brought her cooking skills and extraordinary warmth with her. Originally employed as housekeeper by Hammond Eaton, she quickly became close friend and confidante to him and adopted mother to his three children, Everett, Ellis, and Eveline. Presently, Paloma is the heart of the Eaton family and a seat at her table is coveted by friends and neighbors alike. To try some of her home-grown southwestern recipes, scroll down. To learn more about Paloma and the Eatons, they are featured in the Fuego, New Mexico trilogy.
Dips
Tex-Mex Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 block (32 oz.) Velvetta cheese
- 1 pck. (8 oz.) cream cheese
- 1 can (10 oz.) Rotel
- 1 can (10.75 oz) cream of mushroom soup
- 1 lb. ground beef or sausage
Instructions:
Brown ground beef or sausage in a pan over medium heat and set aside. Cut up Velveeta and cream cheese into cubes and place in a crockpot. Pour in the Rotel and cream of mushroom soup and stir the ingredients together. Place the crockpot on low for an hour, letting the ingredients meld. After 30 minutes, add browned meat and continue to let cook, sitrring as needed. Serve with corn chips.
Dips
Fiesta Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 can (16 oz) refried beans
- 1 pint (16 oz) sour cream
- taco seasoning
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 1 cup quacamole
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup black olives
Instructions:
Spread refried beans in a shallow serving bowl. Mix sour cream and taco seasoning together. Spread this mixture over the beans. Top with 2 cups of cheese, 1 cup each of the quacamole and tomatoes, and 1/2 cup of each onions. Serve with tortilla chips.
Soups
Tex Mex Chili
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Medium onion, diced
- 2 lb hamburger meat
- 2 pck. Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix
- 1 pck. taco seasoning mix
- 2 16-oz. cans white shoepeg corn
- 1 16-oz. can black beans
- 1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes (petite)
- A splash of water
- 1/2 jar of salsa
- Red pepper flakes
- A dusting of brown sugar
Instructions:
Brown the diced onions in oil until clear. Add the meat to onion and brown. Drain the grease. Add seasoning packs then canned vegetables and beans. Add a little water if vegetables are too thick. Add the salsa. Bring chili to a simmer for as long as desired to allow flavors to come together. Sprinkle brown sugar and red pepper flakes and mix to taste. Serve with cheese and sour cream, if desired.
Soups
Shrimp & Poblano Tacos In cilantro-Lime sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (Gulf shrimp is preferable)
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1/2 cup white onion
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
- 6 corn tortillas
Ingredients for Cilantro Sauce:
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 medium avocadoes
- 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
Instructions:
To make the cilantro lime sauce, add all ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside. To make shrimp and poblano filling, thaw the shrimp completely and remove tails and shells. Then cut each shrimp into thirds. Next, heat a large skillet on the stove. Once it is hot, add chopped poblano peppers and onion. Saute these until tender. Add the shrimp, garlic, chili powder, cayenne, and salt. Saute again until shrimp are cooked through. Stir in cilantro and transfer shrimp mixture to a bowl once it is done. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay tortillas out on the baking sheet. Spray them with cooking spray. Flip them over and bake them for 2-3 minutes. Then take the baking sheet out of the oven and layer each tortilla on one side with cheese, shrimp, and poblano mixture. Add a little more cheese on top. Fold the other side of the tortilla over the filling and press down gently until it sticks together. Once all tacos are made, place the baking sheet back into the oven for 15-17 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tortilla is crispy. Serve immediately with the cilantro-lime sauce and/or your favorite toppings.
Entrees
Sheet Pan Fajitas
Ingredients:
- taco seasoning
- 6 flour tortillas
- olive oil
- 1 lg. or 2 sm. onions
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut along the grain into thin strips)
- 2 colorful bell peppers (not green)
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 jalapenos
- Lime wedges
- 1 Tbsp. cilantro
- 1 cup quacamole
- 1/2 jar of salsa
- 8 oz. sour cream
- 1/2 cup refried beans
- 1 cup of yellow rice, cooked
Instructions:
Slice all peppers into 1/4 in. strips except for jalapenos. Stem the ends off the jalapenos and use a vegetable peeler to dig out the membrane and seeds. Slice these into rounds. Cut two poles from the onion and cut them in half from pole to pole. Thinly slice each half. Spray a large baking sheet with oil. Add peppers, onions, and chicken strips to the sheet. Sprinkle taco seasoning on top then drizzle olive oil on top. Toss all ingredients to coat everything evenly. Bake until chicken is cooked through. Warm the tortillas and serve with the lime wedges, cilantro, guacamole, salsa, refried beans, yellow rice or any other topping you desire.
Entrees
Sausage & Pepper Stirfry
Ingredients:
- 1 pck. mild Conecuh sausage (or spicy if you prefer)
- 1 family size pack of Zataran’s yellow rice
- 3 bell peppers (not green)
- 6 eggs
Instructions:
Begin cooking rice according to the package’s instructions. While it’s simmering, cut the sausage into thin rounds and then cut the rounds in half. You can quarter them if you like smaller bites. Core the peppers, cut them into long strips and dice them. Saute peppers and onions in separate pans on the stove. The peppers will be done when they are softened. Careful not to overcook the sausage. Drain sausage and peppers and set aside. Sausage may need to be patted dry. By this time, the rice should be done. Make sure it is not watery before taking it off the heat. In a large skillet, scramble the eggs. When the eggs are done, quickly add the rice, peppers, and sausage to the skillet and stir until warm through. This meal is very hearty and filling. No sides are necessary.