Picadillo y Sopa

Tacos de Picadillo

Fry 2 pounds of hamburger and add 3 tomatoes into the same pot before the meat is completely fried. When the tomatoes are sort of soft and the skin is starting to come off, remove tomatoes and place in the blender. Add 1/2 of an onion and a couple garlic cloves, some salt, and 1-2 cups of water and blend until smooth. Poor the salsa over the fried hamburger. Cut potatoes into TINY cubes and fry them in some oil for a few minutes and then add them to the meat and salsa mixture. Cook until the potatoes are done.

For the tortillas, heat them on a griddle until hot then fold them in half and fry them like crunchy taco shells. Use a couple inches of oil and try to hold it open until it doesn't stick together. Today when Gloria made this she would start one tortilla shell until it held its shape and add in another one until she had three of four in the pan and then the she would flip them and take out the first ones and always kept three or four frying at a time.

The salsa that Gloria served on the side was a couple of tomatoes and quite a few serrano peppers (8-9) and boil that in water until they are soft and then blend in the blender with salt to taste. Leave just a little chunky if possible. It is SPICY  but sooo good!

To serve everyone stuffs their own shell with the picadillo (meat mixture) and shredded lettuce, lime if desired, and the salsa. She also fried some tortillas just a little bit in oil so they were still soft.

We also had:

Sopa

Fry a thin broken spaghetti  or any other small pasta shape in oil until fairly browned. Then add plenty of water, consomate (tomato flavored chicken boullion cubes) and then taste the broth and either add more consomate of salt to taste. Cook until the pasta is done. The sopa here is quite soupy and normally served in bowls. One of my chillens favorite foods!