A Hangover Fiesta!

Maybe you had a few too many green beers, Guinnesses, or Irish Car Bombs on St. Patrick's Day and are in need of a meal to help you feel better.  (This post is a little late for that, but we both know that there will be more days when you have a bit of a hangover, so keep this post in mind for future reference.) 
I know when I am hungover, I like to eat greasy, unhealthy, fast-food.  Taco Bell is hard to come by in NYC, but it makes great hangover food.  Since there isn't one nearby, I decided to make my own Taco Bell meal (with a special hydrating drink). This meal turned out so good, I would even recommend it for days when you are not hungover!

Drink...

Coconut Heaven

*recipe from Food.com 
I have heard a lot of hype about coconut water and its magical hangover healing powers.  I have never tried it, but because of it's high potassium and mineral content, coconut water is supposed to be as good or better than sports drinks like Gatorade.  If you like coconut water, I think you would really like this drink.  I, however, realized that I do not like coconut water.  Oh well . . . for those that do like a hydrating coconut water after an evening of drinking, enjoy!
Ingredients:
(makes 1 drink)

• 16 ounces fresh coconut water
• ¼ cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a glass.
2. Stir.
3. Drink :) 

Dinner...

Crunchwrap Supreme

*recipe from Full Bellies Make Kids Happy
 When I go to Taco Bell, I always get a Crunchwrap Supreme—It's my absolute favorite.  So, when I found this recipe, I was super excited to be able to make them at home!  Taco Bell must have gigantic tortillas, because mine turned out about half the size of theirs.  They tasted just as good though (of course you can't really replicate that taco bell beef, but these were close :)
Ingredients: 
(makes 4 small Crunchwraps)

• 4 Large Flour Tortillas (burrito style)
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 packet taco seasoning
• sour cream
• nacho cheese
• tortilla chips (you could use use a corn tortilla)
• tomatoes
• lettuce 

Directions:
(I changed the order of the directions on the website to match the ones given by a reader who left a comment saying she worked at Taco Bell and gave the proper Crunchwrap building order.)

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet, add the packet of taco seasoning and stir until mixed well. Cook for another minute or so.
2. Microwave the tortillas for a few seconds just to warm them up, it will make the wrapping easier.
3. Take a tortilla, spread some nacho cheese in the center.
4. Top with ground beef (1/2 lb ground beef made 4 crunchwraps, but they were small tortillas. If you had bigger ones, it would probably make 2).
5. Next, add a layer of tortilla chips or at this point you would add a small corn tortilla like a tostada size.
6. Top with sour cream.
7. Add lettuce and tomato and then starting on the bottom, fold up the tortilla toward the center, continue all the way around until it is all folded over, it WON’T cover it completely.
8. Carefully lift it up and set it fold side down on a non stick pan. Press with a spatula and cook until nice and brown, flip it over and cook the other side. It won’t take long at all.

Dessert...

Churros with Nutella Dip

*churro recipe from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey cookbook by: Jill O'Connor 
What dessert goes with a Crunchwrap?  Churros of course!  These were ridiculously easy to make and tasted like real churros.  The only problem I encountered was that my churros were curling up in the oil instead of being straight sticks.  But, they still tasted the same despite the crazy shapes!  
The recipe I had for these had a hot chocolate dipping sauce recipe along with it.  However, this winter Doug and I went to Bryant Park and had a delicious churro with melted Nutella drizzled over it.  It was so good and easy, so I decided to do a Nutella dipping sauce and it worked wonderfully! 
Ingredients:
(serves 2)

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/8 cup light olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 + 1/8 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• peanut or canola oil for deep frying
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbs cinnamon
• Nutella

Directions:

1. Combine the water, oil, and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a full, rolling boil.
2. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once.  Stir briskly with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and gathers in a clump around the spoon.  
3. Place the pan with dough over medium heat and stir the batter for 30–60 seconds more.  This will dry any excess moisture and eliminate any raw flour taste from the dough.
4. Place the dough on a sheet of aluminum foil and let cool for about 5 minutes.
5. Return the dough to the pan and add the eggs, one at a time, beating briskly after each addition until the egg is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth, slightly sticky, and malleable.  (This was quite a workout because the dough is thick and it takes a while to get the lumps out)
6. Pour oil 3 inches deep into a skillet or deep-fryer.  Heat the oil to 365 degrees.
7. Meanwhile, stir the cinnamon and sugar together in a large, shallow dish.
8. Fit a large pastry bag with a large star tip.  Fill the bag with the dough.
9. Pipe strips of dough into the oil, and cook approximately 2 minutes per side.  
10. After cooking, pull the churros out of the oil using tongs and place on a plate lined with paper towels to cool.
11. After they have cooled slightly, roll the churros in the cinnamon sugar.  
12. Melt the Nutella in the microwave and enjoy dipping the delicious churros in this tasty hazelnut chocolate dip!