Arroz Verde - Green Rice

Hola amigos! How are you? I hope you've been enjoying my recipes as much as I've enjoyed making, tasting and sharing them with all of you! Today I bring another recipe, a very VERY easy one but the fact that is easy doesn't take anything away from its delicious flavor! Today I am sharing "Arroz Verde" (green rice) and it doesn't mean that the grain itself is green this rice is cooked in a sauce that makes it look green in the end.

We, Mexicans, eat a lot, A LOT of rice, I think only Asian people eat more rice than we do, we often call rice "sopa de arroz" (soup of rice or rice soup) we don't mean by this that it is soupy it's just the way we call it, any noodle or rice we call "sopa" (soup) even spaghetti we call "sopa" why? now I am wondering the same thing!

Anyway... Here is my recipe to make "Green Rice (with Vegetables)"

Note: Even when the rice uses poblano peppers it is not really hot or spicy because we remove all the seeds/veins of the peppers it has just a very mild kick to it. My 3 yr. old enjoys this rice so I assure you it is not very hot.

Arroz Verde (con Verduras)
Yields: 8-10 Servings
 Ingredients:
2 cups of white or jasmine rice* (I use and prefer jasmine)
6 tbsp. butter
2 Poblano peppers (stem, seeds and veins removed) -cut in quarters- (I use 1 poblano pepper per cup of rice)
1/4 white onion (cut into smaller wedges, it will go into the blender)
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cube of chicken bouillion (or use 2 cups of chicken stock instead of 2 of the cups of water)
*4 cups of hot water if you are using white rice or 3 1/2 cups if you are using jasmine like me.
1/2 cup of frozen mixed vegetables (optional)
Salt to taste (about 1.5 teaspoons)


Directions:

•  First make your sauce. In the jar of your blender add the poblano peppers, white onion, clove of garlic, and about 1/2 the amount of water, blend until it's all completely mixed and there are no big pieces of poblano pepper, then add the chicken bouillion to it and blend for another minute. Set aside. (The poblano peppers make a lot of "foam" then they are blended, don't worry, that's normal).

• In a big saucepan and at medium heat melt your butter. Once it has melted add the 2 cups of rice and start stirring preferably using a wooden spoon. Stir constantly until the rice has turned into a more opaque color and not as white anymore but don't let it really brown (about 4 mins.)

• Add your poblano pepper sauce to your rice (carefully because it might "jump" a lot from the heat of the pan) stir once and then add the remaining water, your frozen vegetables if you are using them and season with salt (stir JUST once again). 

• Once it starts boiling reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid just leaving a tiny crack open (do not uncover often or stir at all again). let it cook until all the liquid is all gone (about 18 mins). Cover completely, remove from the heat and let it sit for about 5 mins. Fluff with a fork and serve.

I hope you like this simple and delicious recipe!If you do please do not forget to leave a comment, we, cooks, stay encouraged by the comments of people who enjoy our food!

Provecho!

Paloma.

Albondigas Rellenas de Huevo - Meatballs stuffed with hard-boiled egg

Hello everyone! Here I am with a new (not so new if you are a Mexican) Mexican recipe and this time it's "meatballs" who doesn't like meatballs? They are so versatile! They can be "simple" or "fancy" and you can use pretty much any meat to make them! (turkey, beef, veal, lamb, pork... ANYTHING). This recipe is not uncommon in Mexico and it makes GREAT meatballs that go perfect next to white (buttered, YUM!) rice. It might sound a little weird to you (if you have never had them before) but these meatballs are stuffed with hard-boiled egg... Trust me... you have to try them! So... here is the recipe:

Albondigas rellenas de huevo / Meatballs stuffed hard-boiled egg

Yields: 8 Meatballs (4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 white onion
6 roma tomatoes (or about 4 of the whole red tomatoes) - cut in quarters or big chunks -
3 hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters (you will probably only need 2 because we are making about 8 meatballs but cook 3 eggs just in case)
1/4 cup of white rice
1 cube of chicken bouillion
salt and pepper to taste (about 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. of black pepper... adjust to your taste)
about 1.5 tbsp. vegetable oil (or a little more if necessary)

Directions:
- In a middle sauce pan pour some water (fill it about half-way) and when the water starts boiling throw the 1/4 cup of white rice and let it boil for only 5 minutes, remove from the heat, drain the rice immediately and set aside (let it cool for about 5 minutes)

- Mix the ground beef with the rice, season with some salt and black pepper and mix it all well with your hands.
- With the meat start making "patties" (like hamburger patties) and wrapping the egg quarters with those patties (one quarter per each of the patties) Making sure the egg is completely wrapped by the mix of meat/rice. Do this with all the meat/rice mixture. You should have about 8 meatballs. Set aside.

- Put your tomatoes, garlic, chipotle pepper and about 1 cup of water in the blender. Blend it all until it makes a sauce (as smooth as possible)
- In an extended non-stick pan using medium-low heat add the oil and fry your 1/4 onion there (you can slice the onion if you want, it doesn't matter much but the onion will be removed) While the onion is frying and the oil is hot add your meatballs carefully so they don't open or fall apart, if you use medium or medium-high heat it might cause them to break so just be patient and seal your meatballs on all sides.

-Once they are browned on all sides (about 9-10 minutes) remove the oil and the oil excess. Add your sauce and chicken bouillion (you can add some salt at this point if necessary but wait until the sauce has been simmering for about 5 minutes to taste and adjust) once you add the sauce you can also add chopped potatoes if you want just to add something else, but I left it like that. Bring it all to a boil, cover, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 35 minutes and serve.

I hope you like this recipe! If you do please let me know! Comments are always a great encouragement to keep cooking/sharing.

Paloma.

Salpicon ... Mimi Style!

Today's recipe is not mine.... My friend Mimi! She is a wonderful Mexican cook! And I love her wittiness and style! I am so happy I found her blog! If you know how to speak Spanish I am sure you will love it too: Me gusta cocinar pero odio lavar los platos (I love cooking but I hate washing the dishes) and she actually repeatedly refers to herself as "The lazy cook" ... So anyway.... Don't get discouraged if you don't speak Spanish! I am here to translate! And that's exactly what I am doing today... I am bringing one of her recipes to all of you! in English!

Today it will be "Salpicon" and it's delicious! as I've already explained (probably with all my recipes) each Mexican dish has its original foundation and flavors... BUT EVERY SINGLE FAMILY has their own version of it! Recipes in Mexico are usually not very "precise" they are transmitted from the older generations to the younger ones based on experience and it's all about your senses... When your "abuelita" or "mamá" (granny or mom) tell you how to prepare a dish they usually use phrases like "When it looks like this, when it tastes like this, when it smells like this and even when it sounds like this or that" so... Mexican cooking is all about feeling and experiencing through your very own palate, hands, eyes and ears! not so much about 1/2 tsp. of this or that....

Of course, we, modern cooks and bloggers are trying to put it all in a way where most people would be able to reproduce it... So ... here goes Mimi's version of Salpicon! I hope you enjoy it:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound skirt steak (cooked until tender in water with some salt and a big piece of onion and then thinly shred it with the help of a fork)
• 1 carrot thinly sliced (julienne)
• 1 potato cut into julienne
• 1 serrano pepper (roasted directly over the fire on your top stove, on the grill or on a flat pan if you don't have "Fire on your stove" and it's electric) make sure the pepper gets slightly charred - then thinly slice it -
• 1/2 white onion (sliced in circles)
• a little bit of vinegar (here we go, you see? It all depends on your taste, it's just for dressing)
• olive oil (once again, it's for dressing, so just eye ball it!)
• dried oregano (remember it has a strong flavor so it won't be more than 1 tsp)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• The ingredients above MAKE the salpicon but to eat it you will also need:
• Thinly sliced lettuce
• tostadas
• 1 avocado

Directions:
Mix the shredded meat, carrots, potatoes, serrano (green) pepper and the onion, mix the olive oil and vinegar separately (it would be about 1/3 cup) and add it to the meat and the other ingredients, season with a little bit of oregano, salt and black pepper to taste.

Then place it all over the tostadas and top it with lettuce and avocado (season again with a little bit of salt)

Enjoy!!!

Thank you for sharing this recipe with all of us Mimi!!!

Paloma.

Taquitos de Tortilla Roja - "Red Tortilla Tacos"

I love Red Tortillas! have you ever tried them? They are not made with "Red Corn" or anything like that... they do have some "colorant" in them to make them look red... but what I love the most about them is their very distinctive flavor... They are seasoned with different condiments that make these tortillas PERFECT for certain type of Mexican tacos.

One very easy way to use them is to basically warm them up and then pass them through some hot vegetable oil, after this you can just fill them with a mix of queso fresco and chopped white onions, there is no specific recipe on "how much queso fresco and onions you need, because it varies, some people like more or less onions so it basically depends on your very personal taste. Queso fresco can be found in many stores, just make sure it says "QUESO FRESCO" and not Mexican cheese, queso fresco is not the "melting kind of cheese" but it's a more crumbly one.
Always garnish your "Red Tortilla Tacos" with fresh raw cabbage... Trust me... The flavor of cabbage with the red tortilla tacos is SOOO GOOD! Much better than using lettuce with them.

You can also fill these tortillas with shredded skirt steak and or even some mashed potatoes seasoned with dried chile cascabel and chile ancho (The recipe to use these chilies is coming!)

So go visit a Hispanic supermarket and try to find RED TORTILLAS! Trust me... You'll love them!

Paloma

"Flautas" - "Taquitos de Pollo"

Hi everybody! Here I am with another recipe to share with you! This is a very simple (and really really good!) recipe.

It's basically "chicken taquitos" but what matters is that not only it is simple to make but regardless (or because of) its simplicity it is just delicious!

I have already explained that tacos (in Mexico) do not have a "specific recipe" we call taco ANY FOOD that goes in a tortilla (flour or corn) -we just specify if it's flour or corn tortilla but they are still both tacos! we do not use HARD SHELLS in Mexico, those "pre-folded" kind of nacho shells are an American invention (not saying  is a bad invention) just not an Authentic one. So if you have tortillas in your refrigerator and even put just "onions" in it... that is already a "taco" just a "taco de cebolla" (onion taco) and I am not sure it would become very popular... but it complies with the requirements to be a taco... because it is food that goes in a tortilla... so... anyway... "Taquitos de Pollo" (also known as flautas) are VERY VERY popular in Mexico and as any other dish in Mexico there are many versions of it... so here is mine:

Makes 12 taquitos (this is usually enough for 2-3 people, one person eats 4 to 6 of these tacos)
Ingredients:
- 2 (or 3 if they are too small) cooked (boiled) and shredded chicken breasts (boil them in enough water to cover them, add salt to the water about 3 tsp. and 1/2 white onion) discard the onion and just use the meat.
- 12 corn tortillas (buy good ones, "La Banderita" is a good option, "Tia Rosa Corn Tortillas" are ok too, the best I've found are the "Fiesta" Tortillas made in their tortilleria but I don't know if there is one of those stores by you)
- 1/2 white onion
- 1/3 iceberg lettuce or 1 romaine heart of lettuce (thinly sliced)
- 1 whole red tomato (or 2 roma tomatoes)
- Crema Mexicana (Mexican Table Cream)
- Salt to taste
- Oil to fry (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:
- Warm up the tortillas (if using the microwave warm them up using paper towel in between each tortilla) and just for about 25 seconds. If using the stove just use a flat pan to warm them up (both sides) and until they are warm all the way through. This makes them easier to handle/bend/roll (even if they cool off a little while they are being filled)

- Fill them with some of the chicken and roll them tightly (place them all on a plate firmly arranged next to each other so they remain rolled)

- Warm up a non stick pan and add part of the oil (about 12 of it) until it is VERY HOT (also add a little bit of salt the oil), place the taquitos there (one by one, carefully with the seam down) once they fry on one side they will easily stay rolled because they harden. You can place as many taquitos as you want at a time, because the fact that they are close to each other helps them keep their shape but if you want to do two or three at a time is ok, just make sure they fry all the way around (turn them while they fry so they don't burn and cook evenly) They should be hard and crunchy... they should keep their shape if held from one side only. (use more of the oil if necessary, they should be fried in the oil all the way around) Look at the pics:

Place them on a plate lined with paper towel to get rid of any excess of the oil.

Plate them (4-6 on a plate) and garnish them with the onions, lettuce and tomatoes) -in that order- add some of the table cream on top of them (and sprinkle with a pinch of salt if necessary for the garnish). These go AWESOME with sliced avocado and green salsa but I had none when I made them, so if you have a good avocado at hand go ahead and try it on these.

Provecho!

Paloma

Cactus Salad - Ensalada de Nopales

Hello everyone! I am just done enjoying some grilled chicken that hubby made! It's Friday so it always feels like "grilling" on Friday nights, don't you think? who knows... it might just be the weather!

Anyway... I thought about fixing something quick to go with the grilled chicken and I decided to make "Ensalada de Nopalitos" or Cactus Salad... Nopalitos are very common in Mexico and we eat them either grilled, boiled and in salad like I just did, seasoned with some red chilies and in tacos  or with eggs in the morning (I know it sounds weird but THEY ARE SOOO GOOD LIKE THAT) So I thought I would come here and share the "recipe" with you so you can hopefully try it too!

Remember that we, Mexicans, rarely use EXACT amounts when cooking, it's a lot about your very own taste and how you like/feel things so this is one of those recipes

Note: you can buy "Nopalitos" at any Hispanic Store in the produce area, don't buy the stalks, buy them already cleaned and cut so you don't have to deal with the thorns.. trust me it is not fun!

Cactus Salad: Serves about 4 (or 2 very hungry people like we were today!)
Ingredients:

• 3 cups of fresh Nopalitos (cactus)
• 1/3 white onion -whole-
• 1/3 white onion (finely chopped)
• 2 small red tomatoes (or 1 big) (cut in small cubes)
• 1 avocado (cut in small cubes)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 small can of Sliced (and pickled) Jalapeño Peppers - you will use 2 tbsp. of the liquid and some slices of the jalapeño peppers finely chopped - the amount of peppers depends on how much heat you like in your food, you can even use the liquid only if you don't want the peppers -
• 1/2 tsp. FRESH lime juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste

1. First boil  the nopalitos and 1/3 white onion (whole) in about 6 cups of water until the nopalitos are cooked through (they'll change to a more opaque color) -cook for about 15 mins- Then Rinse and drain about 4 times in cold water (to remove the slimy liquid from them, it won't completely go away but it'll be fine) - Place them on paper towel to remove the excess of liquid. (discard the cooked onion)
2. In a salad container mix the rest of the ingredients  (chopped onion, tomatoes, jalapeños, lime juice, avocado and cilantro), add the cooked nopalitos to the mix, season with salt and pepper and toss until it's all combined!

Enjoy with grilled meat/chicken and hot corn tortillas!

Provecho!

Paloma.

Cochinita Pibil!

Hello everybody! As I promised... Today I am going to post the recipe to make the wonderfully flavorful, tasty almost heavenly "Cochinita Pibil" but first let me tell you a little bit about it:

"Cochinita Pibil" is probably the most famous dish from Yucatan, State in the Southeast of Mexico. This dish is originally cooked in a hole in the ground, people would basically make a kind of "Adobo" to season the meat (pork) then wrap it in Banana leaves and place it all in a hole previously dug for this purpose on hot stones (rocks that have been previously placed in fire). Pibil is a word in "MAYA" and it actually means "underground" This method of cooking is used in many Mexican recipes and it has pre-hispanic origins.

"Pasta de Achiote" is the main ingredient to "season" the "cochinita". There is a tree that is native of Central America and Mexico. It produces a fruit that kind of looks like a "big capsule" and when it ripens it opens and "reveals" its red seeds (annatto seeds) which are mixed with spices to make the "dark orange" paste which is used to season many extraordinary dishes. Interestingly this condiment wasn't just valued due to its flavor but it seems that "The Mayas" also used it as insect repellent and to color fabrics and some other items. It was also used as body and facial paint for some of their religious traditions and rituals. Annatto seeds are also known for their therapeutic, astringent, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and healing by the formation of scar tissue.

There are some traditional steps to follow to make cochinita pibil, things that basically make it authentic. For example, to make a real cochinita pibil you need banana leaves and orange juice plus some other spices, if you find a recipe that does not call for banana leaves, orange juice or achiote then it's definitely not a good recipe. 

So, I won't make you wait any longer and here is the recipe to make a wonderful (and very easy) Cochinita Pibil:

Serves 6-8 people or MANY tacos 

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds of pork meat (it can be butt, leg or picnic roast -the one you would use to make carnitas... that's the one I used)
• 3/4 of a bar of achiote paste (the bar should be about 4 oz. so you would use 3 of those 4) (You can find this in the hispanic or ethnic foods isle) -it might look like this (there are different brands though):

•  Black pepper (about 1 tsp.)
• Salt (to taste) I used about 2 tsp.
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2/3 cup of water
• 1/3 cup of vegetable oil (or PORK Lard if you can get it) - this is only needed if the cut of pork you use is not very fatty.
• 1 cube of chicken bouillion 
• The juice of 2 limes
• Juice of 1/2 an orange
• 3 Banana leaves (you can get this at any hispanic supermarket, there is at least one in your city, I am sure! and they sell these in the produce area)

For the Garnish:

• 2 red onions (thinly sliced)
• 4 cups of boiling water
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• dried oregano flakes (2 tsp.)
• salt to taste

* You also need to have soft corn tortillas to go with it!

Directions:
1. Cut the meat in squares (about 2") 

2. Blend the rest of the ingredients (except for the garnish ones) until you have a pretty smooth "sauce" and use it to cover the meat, cover it all with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so all the flavor of the sauce really impregnates the meat.

3. Minutes before getting the meat out of the fridge, rinse the banana leaves in warm water, pat them dry and place them  in a cold oven and start it at 400 degrees, remove the leaves from the oven after about 5 minutes (or until you find that they are easier to handle and bend without tearing). - Turn down the temperature to 325F, that's the temperature you will use to bake your meat.

4. Use the leaves to line a baking dish where the meat would easily fit (without having too much space because you'll want to make a firm bundle with the meat in the banana leaves) I used an 8x8 baking dish.

5. Get the meat out of the fridge and place it along with the sauce in the middle of your baking dish previously lined with the banana leaves -don't worry if some of the sauce leaves the "bundle" through any crack the leaves might have, try to avoid it but don't worry if it happens- (Make sure you leave the banana leaves big enough to be outside of the edges of the dish because you will still use it all to cover your meat). "Close your bundle" by folding the edges of the banana leaves towards the meat (you can use an additional leaf of banana on top if needed to make sure it's all wrapped in banana leaves and then cover it tightly with aluminum foil.

6. Bake for about 3 hours in the preheated oven after this time you can get it out of the oven, uncover VERY CAREFULLY because it's all HOT AND STEAMING in there. You should be able to shred it EXTREMELY easily with a fork. If it's not SUPER tender and "almost shredding on its own" you can cover it again and put it back in the oven for an additional hour.

7. Once its ready you can uncover, finish shredding it and mix it with all the juices that are left.

To make the garnish:
This is VERY EASY and you can do it a few minutes before serving it all:

Have a pot of boiling water (the 4 cups) on your stove and throw in there the sliced RED onions, leave it in the water for about 15 seconds (while gently stirring) and drain. Dress the onions with the vinegar, oregano and salt.

You can enjoy this AMAZING dish in tacos (use soft corn tortillas) with the onions or with white rice (I had buttered rice) on the side.

You HAVE to try this! Trust me! It is really good! Hubby had quite an experience while eating it last night! It was great to hear all the ooooh's and aaaah's while he was eating! It is very rewarding when you make a dish your family enjoys so much!

Provecho!

Paloma.

Empanadas de Piña - Pineapple "Empanadas"

Hello everybody! How are you doing? We are almost at the end of our groceries here, we usually go grocery shopping on specific days... and I actually like those few days before we go grocery shopping again because it actually helps me get "creative and inventive" in my kitchen.

If you follow my other blog The Coffee Shop you know that the last dessert I made were those AMAZING Cheesecake Cookie Cups, those I made on Saturday (even though I posted the recipe until Monday) so they were already gone by yesterday (of course I only made 1/2 a batch) so I knew I had to start baking again to have something sweet to go with our "nightly coffee" ... I went to my pantry and I found:

I immediately knew that would be my inspiration for my next dessert... And then I remembered my dad (an expert baker) told me once that he uses canned pineapple slices for his empanadas, he doesn't use jelly because it has too much sugar and that + the consistency of the jelly makes it all caramelize inside the empanada and in consequence you end up with a very hard piece of pastry with nothing in the middle but hard caramel in the internal walls of the empanada... So I thought: That's what I'll make!

Then I also thought I've never actually made empanadas (even when my dad has made THOUSANDS of them) and I don't even have a recipe... I started looking online but all the Empanada recipes I found out there seemed to ask for so many ingredients! (and I was out of some of them), the reviews also made me doubt about making them or not (I didn't want to waste the only ingredients I had) and then it happened! I had the best idea I've had lately! (LOL!) I would make my empanadas with the dough I use for my apple pie! Oh! I was so excited! I thought it would work out! then I checked my pantry again... and I didn't have shortening! I usually use 6 tbsp. of butter and 6 tbsp. of shortening for my pie crust! I was very disappointed, I called my dad (in Mexico) and he told me to use just butter and the dough would be even finer... I went for it and well... These are the results:

I am so happy that these turned out not only well... but REALLY REALLY GREAT! Hubby loves them! And they are very easy to warm-up in the microwave too!

So here is my recipe:

Paloma's Empanadas de Piña:

Makes about 12-14 empanadas

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

12 tablespoons butter (room temperature, softened -not melted-)

6 to 8 tablespoons ice water (I used exactly 6)

1 can (20 oz) of pineapple slices (drained)
+ 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 tbsp. of cinnamon for coating.

Directions:

Mix in a large bowl:

2 cups all-purpose flour

I teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Then cut in using a dough blender (or fork) but not your hands

12 tablespoons butter

  6 to 8 tbsp. iced water (You don't need to mix too much, just until the ingredients have incorporated and you can see a ball of DOUGH forming instead of divided pieces of it)

Your dough should look like this when you are done mixing

Once your dough is mixed and has formed a ball just wrap it in plastic wrap or put it in a ziploc bag getting as much air as possible out of it. Then place in refrigerator for 20 or more minutes.

 In the mean time get your drained pineapple slices and cut it in very small pieces (not so small that is like mush) but just small cubes (you will see the example in another pic below)

Also in a container or big extended plate mix about 1 1/2 cups of sugar with 1 tbsp. of cinnamon (more or less, it depends how much you like cinnamon) and set aside (you will use this to coat your empanadas when they come right out of the oven)

Lightly Grease two baking sheets with butter.

Preheat your oven @375F.

Get your dough out of the refrigerator (after the 20 mins) and make small balls (1" diameter) with them, flour a smooth surface and roll each ball out with your rolling pin until you make a kind of "small oval tortilla" (about the size of your hand) and fill it with the pieces of pineapple. (about 3 tsp more or less) just making sure that there is enough space for you to fold the empanada and "seal the edges" (to do that just press with your fingers) and then press with a fork on the edges. (This also makes them look nicer) Use your fork ONCE or TWICE (only) to make little holes on top -center- of the empanadas just to let the steam out so they don't burst while baking.

Place your empanadas on your baking sheets and bake for 9-10 minutes, open the oven and with a spatula quickly turn your empanadas so they bake on both sides, bake for an additional 5-7 minutes. Get out of the oven and immediately transfer to your container with the sugar/cinnamon mix. (use a spoon to pour the mix all over them making sure they are all perfectly coated) shake a little bit to remove the excess and transfer to a plate or wire rack so they completely cool off (you can eat them warm, be careful because the filling is REALLY REALLY hot)

Enjoy!!!

Paloma.

Chicken fajitas tacos

It's been a while since I last posted here, but I am back and I hope I'll be posting more often!

Today I will share a recipe of very very easy chicken fajitas, you can make tacos with them with corn or flour tortilla (I used flour tortilla this time)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast (skinless, boneless) and cut to make about 8 smaller pieces.
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•  Salt and ground pepper to taste (I use Kosher Salt)
• 3 bell peppers (1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red), remove veins/seeds and make thin slices.
• 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 8 flour tortillas (6-inch) or 12 regular corn tortillas
• Fresh chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup sour cream, for serving.
• 2 limes (cut one in wedges and the other one just cut by half)

Directions

1. Heat broiler on High, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Arrange chicken on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil; rub with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until chicken is opaque throughout, 7 - 9 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside.
   
2. On another rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, toss peppers, onion, garlic, and remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and slightly dark in some of their edges (charred),  about 8 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, thinly slice chicken crosswise. Warm up the tortillas on a comal (flat griddle or pan) on medium high, making sure they don't toast but they warm up all the way through (about 35 seconds  each side). Transfer chicken and "roasted peppers" to a platter, and serve on tortillas, garnish with cilantro, sour cream and some drops of the halved lime plus lime wedges on the side.
   
   Provecho!
   
   Paloma.
   

Huevos a la Mexicana

Hola amigos! I am back! Kind of worried because I haven't gotten any comments in my previous posts... but that's ok... I just hope I didn't offend anyone with my "review" of the "Tacos Cantina" from Taco Bell! :)

So... I had promised I would write about all the ingredients for "Mole" so I will just mention some of the "modern ingredients" (I say modern because in old times the MOLE SAUCE used to have over 100 ingredients) so... this is what Mole usually includes: Dried Pasilla Chilis, Dried Mulato Chilis,  Dried Ancho Chilis,  Garlic,  Onion, Almonds, Raisins, Sesame Seeds, Bolillo (French bread or Baguette),Cloves, Cinnamon, Anise Seeds, Black Pepper, Corn Tortilla, Chipotle Chilli, Tomato, Sugar, Salt, Unsweetened Chocolate, Lard.

So, there you have it.... that is a sauce that sounds heavy, but mole poblano is basically the "perfect balance" of all those ingredients, so it's not as heavy as it sounds....

*_*_*_*_*_*

Now... Going to my recipe today, it is a common "Almuerzo" (breakfast) in Mexico, HUEVOS A LA MEXICANA (Mexican Style eggs), in Mexico, there are 3 ingredients that you should ALWAYS HAVE at hand, and those ingredients are: "chile, tomate y cebolla" (chilies, tomato and onion), by chilies we usually mean "serrano peppers" which are VERY COMMON in many dishes in the Mexican cuisine. And those ingredients will help us make this classical Mexican breakfast, if you notice, the colors of those ingredients are the very ones of the Mexican flag (green, white and red), so, not only the flavor but the colors of this dish are very representative of Mexico.

For 2 people:

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 small red tomato (or half a biggger one) chopped (in cubes)
• 1/4 white onion (finely chopped)
• 1 or 2 chopped serrano peppers (serrano pepper is a hotter kind of pepper, you can use jalapeno or even green bell pepper if you want to avoid the heat, but serrano is the traditional pepper to use)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

Directions:
Add the oil to a pan, wait for the oil to warm up so you can sautee the vegetables, stir in the peppers and onions, sautee (season with salt). Once the onion is clear add the chopped tomato and fry a little bit longer (about 2 more minutes, until the tomato releases some of its juices), add the eggs and season with salt again, scramble the eggs and keep the eggs moving until they are cooked the way you like them.


I do not like eggs that are way too cooked (they shouldn't be dry, plus remember, the tomatoes will make it seem like the eggs are still too moist, but it's not the egg itself, it's the juice of the tomato)

Serve with refried beans, sliced avocado with salt (optional of course) and corn tortillas.

Provecho!

Paloma.

MOLE!!!

Hola amigos! I know you are probably thinking the title for this post is weird.... but do not worry, I will not write about lumps on the skin or about an infiltrated person in a team or anything like that.... I am talking about MOLE SAUCE (Mole is pronounced like... hmmm, like "mo- as in moment" and "-le as in legs")

There are many different kinds of "MOLE" in Mexico, and some of them are nothing at all like the rest (sometimes I even wonder why they are called mole), but I would say the most popular MOLE is "Mole Poblano", it takes its name from its state of origin "Puebla" and it is such a delicious dish, you have to TRY IT! and that's the type of mole I will focus on today.

When my mom and grandma' were here these past weeks (Yes, they are already gone and I am missing them so much!) they made "mole con pollo" (mole with chicken) .... Mole Poblano is a combination of chilies, spices, nuts, seeds and chocolate, it is such a rich sauce! but it requires too many ingredients and time to make it from scratch (which of course is the best), But I must say I have never made mole from scratch... Now, there are many brands that offer good "MOLE", basically the "paste" and you can just "make it your own" by adding some little touches that will make it more "homemade like".

The Brand I suggest you to use is: "Doña Maria"

That would be the base for the sauce.

To make your own "Pollo con mole" you will need:

Ingredients:

1. 2 pounds of chicken (legs and thighs)
2. 1/2 white onion
3. 2 cloves of garlic
4. 2 tbsp. of salt
5. 1 cup of Mole Dona Maria (the whole container of 8.25 oz)
6. 1 slice of bread (white or even 1/2 hot dog or hamburger bun)
7. Approx. 2 oz. of chocolate (chocolate "abuelita", "ibarra" or "Goya" -those are the brands to use-)
8. 1/2 tsp. sugar
9. 2 tbsp. chunky peanut butter
10. 1 pinch of salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder

Directions:

Put the chicken in enough water (2 inches of water over the top of the chicken), add the 1/2 white onion, cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp. salt, cook it all together until the chicken is cooked (no pink juices running).

While the chicken cooks, fry the slice of bread in some vegetable oil and set aside, it should be just a little golden, separately fry the chocolate just for a little bit (about 2 mins).

Once the chicken is cooked, use 2 cups of the liquid of the chicken and blend it with the rest of the ingredients (mole paste, bread, chocolate, sugar, peanut butter,  pinch of salt, black pepper and garlic powder)

Put the sauce in a big pan, start the low fire until it starts bubbling, add 2 more cups of the liquid of the chicken and the pieces of chicken until it all starts bubbling, make sure the chicken legs and thighs all get covered by the sauce. (note: If it is too thick you can add one 1/2 to 1 cup of water to it)

Done! You have "Mole Poblano" right in your kitchen!

Serve hot with rice and refried beans or lettuce salad. Have corn tortillas to go with it too!

If you are enjoying this blog... share it with others... tell your friends about it.... I am really trying to share about Mexican cuisine... 

Provecho!

Paloma.

Easy rice

This rice recipe I will share with you is really, really simple...

Rice is a very "Mexican thing to eat" (not only Asian people eat rice) ... If you go to a Hispanic Store you will find HUGE bags of rice, and trust me.... As a Mexican I know if we buy a bag like that, we will go through it really quick

Rice goes great with most Mexican dishes, its mild flavor goes great with the way we cook meat, peppers, etc... Besides, it is a great "filler".

This recipe makes a lot of rice (for about 6 people, so you can cut it by half to try it first)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Long Grain Rice
• 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth  (another way of measuring the liquid for the rice, is that there should be about an inch of water above the level of the rice)
• 1 or clove of garlic
• 1/4 white onion (chopped) - or 1/2 white onion if the onion is small.
• 1 tomato (fresh) or 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce
• 1/2 cube of tomato bouillon.
• 1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil (it can be olive oil)
• 1 cup of canned mixed vegetables or canned cubed carrots -rinse well- (optional)
• 1 stem (with leaves) of cilantro
• 1 serrano pepper (optional)
• Salt to taste (about 2 tsp.) 

Directions:

1. Fry the rice in the oil until it is not translucent any more, it should be an opaque white. (medium heat)

2. Add the onion and garlic and turn the rice around with a spoon (wooden spoon is ideal) keep frying until the rice turns into a light golden color.
3. Add the chicken broth and tomato (fresh or canned), season with salt and add the tomato bouillon, leave it uncovered until it starts boiling.

4. Once it is boiling, add the canned vegetables and the serrano pepper.

5. Cover the pot of the rice and decrease the heat just so it simmers for about 25 minutes. (see next step though)
6. Check the rice after the first 15 minutes of simmering test it for doneness and check the water, if it seems to be too dry and the rice is still hard add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.

7. Add the cilantro and cover again, let it keep cooking for the remaining time (still low heat).

8. Remove from the fire and serve.

Provecho!

Paloma.

Chiles rellenos - Stuffed peppers

"Chiles rellenos" are such a traditional Mexican dish.... I remember when I started dating my husband on 2006 (For those who do not know we met online "e-harmony") I was in Mexico and he was living here, in Wisconsin.... And in one of our conversations, I remember him saying: "I wonder what you are going to cook when we marry, because I don't like Mexican food" I told him I was convinced he would LOVE Mexican food once he really tried it but he was pretty sure he had tried "all kinds of Mexican food" here in Wisconsin, he said he had gone to "very authentic restaurants" (they claimed to be authentic) and he says that he saw Mexican people in the kitchens (well, they were employees there, but it doesn't mean they were really cooking Mexican food) One of the things he told me he hated the most was "guacamole", he basically disliked avocado.... Little did he know how much he would love it one day!

So, on his first trip to Mexico, I made sure he ate not just "our real tacos" (which by the way he couldn't stop eating) but I wanted him to try  some other Mexican dishes I knew would change his opinion about "Mexican" food.... So, he tried "Chiles rellenos" and it was "love at first bite" he couldn't believe how delicious that dish was, he was all aaahs and ooohs and wows while he ate.... and that is why I want to share with you such great recipe:

"Chiles rellenos" are roasted poblano peppers, stuffed with "picadillo" (a ground beef "guisado" -stew type of thing but not with too much liquid in it-) or stuffed with "queso fresco" (Mexican style fresh cheese) and then passed through an egg batter and finally fried in very very hot oil.

Here is what you need to make them: (4 people)
For the peppers:
4 poblano peppers (get 6 just in case any of the peppers gets torn if it's the first time you are handling these)
2 eggs (divided)
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp. of salt

For the stuffing:
Queso:
1 8 oz. queso fresco (you can easily get this in a "hispanic or Mexican" grocery store)

OR

Picadillo:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 potato (cubed)
1/2 white onion (chopped)
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cube of chicken bouillon
1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro (fresh)
salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

This dish needs to be made with some time, because of all the steps involved and especially if it's the first time you make them, I would say take your good 2 hours (is not too much work but it takes time, trust me, it's all worth it)

First roast the peppers, One or two at a time, cook peppers directly on the grate for about seven minutes. Periodically turn with tongs or a fork to cook all sides of the skin. (don't worry if it looks black, that will go away when you peel it)



Roasting Poblanos Using the Oven or Broiler
To roast peppers in the oven, preheat the oven to 450° F. Spread the peppers in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook until the skin blisters and begins to darken, about five to ten minutes.
 
Put the peppers inside a plastic bag so they can "sweat" and then you can remove the skin easier (for about 8 mins.)


While the peppers are "sweating" make the stuffing, if you are using queso, then skip this step and just cut the queso fresco in 1/4" slices, your stuffing is ready.

If you are going to make "Picadillo" (which I highly recommend you go for it!! You can actually make some chiles with cheese and some others with ground beef and then choose which one is your favorite) then you need to:

1. Sautee the onion and garlic (properly season with salt and black pepper)
2. Add the ground beef (brown it, season it with a little more salt and pepper and make sure it doesn't clump, keep it moving so it is really ground) -cover the pot with a tight lid so the meat releases its juices- (medium heat)
3. Once the meat has browned, get rid of about 70% of the liquid, keep it moving so it fries a little bit and the liquid reduces and add the cubed potato, let it all cook until the potatoes are almost cooked all the way through
4. Add the 1/2 cube of chicken bouillion and the crushed tomatoes, cover, reduce the heat and let it all simmer until the potatoes are cooked all the way through.
5. Remove from the fire and add the chopped cilantro.

Once your stuffing is ready, you can go back to your peppers, peel them (remove the thin burnt layer of skin) and get the seeds and veins out (use plastic gloves because the heat of the peppers is all in the seeds and you can get your hands burnt (TRUST ME!), do this very carefully, trying to keep the flesh of the pepper intact and by opening a 1 1/2 inch slit on one side of the pepper with a sharp knife.

Stuff your peppers with about 3 slices of cheese or 3 tablespoons of picadillo (it also depends on the size of the pepper) they shouldn't be too full that the food comes out or too thin that there isn't enough stuffing inside.

Put the all purpose flour in a bowl and in a separate bowl beat the egg whites until they form peaks, still beating on high with your electric mixer slowly fold in the egg yolks, so the batter stays really frothy.

Now in a pan (deep enough for your oil but not too deep that is hard for you to handle the peppers, you can use something as deep as a wok) start heating the oil, this is one of the main secrets of chiles rellenos, the oil should be really, really hot, ALMOST bubbling, you can test it by adding a little bit of the egg batter and it should fry pretty quick and you should see it "sizzle" immediately. While the oil heats up pass your chile relleno (carefully) and ONE at a time by the flour until the pepper is lightly coated with flour, then immerse the pepper in the egg batter (trying to keep the open side of the pepper up) you can handle the pepper by its tail and tip, quickly put the pepper in the oil and turn it so it is all fried up, the fried egg will prevent the food from coming out of the pepper, once it's all fried and it looks beautifully golden all around put your chile relleno on a plate (lined with paper towel to absorb the excess of oil), Do this for each pepper and THERE YOU GO! Your very own CHILES RELLENOS!

You can serve chiles rellenos with rice and refried beans or rice and lettuce salad, corn tortillas are a MUST.  I will share the recipe for a very easy rice tomorrow.

Provecho!

Paloma.

How to make EASY corn tortillas

Buenos dias amigos!

After writing yesterday about hard shells and real tortillas, I thought I should start looking for a video that would show you how to make them really easy.... So I went to youtube and found this video, watched it and liked it a lot because it really shows how easy making tortillas is.

There are just a few things I would like to explain first though:

1. Be careful when pressing the tortilla in the tortilla press, if you press too hard then you will only get a super-thin tortilla, so thin that it will be impossible to remove from the press or too hard to handle and transfer to the hot pan to cook. You will find what's best for you after the first 1 or 2 tortillas you attempt to make.

2. The lady in the video used a griddle to cook the tortillas, I use a "comal" which is like a Mexican griddle type of thing, is just a flat iron pan, it does not have to be non stick... tortillas will not stick to the "comal".

3. You will notice that she uses a plastic bag in the tortilla press (you will see what I am talking about once you watch the video) that step is REALLY IMPORTANT and can't be skipped, if you don't use it you will only have pieces of dough stuck to your tortilla press instead of a beautiful tortilla.

4. Homemade tortillas like these, have to be used right away, they are not good when stored, same thing with the dough, you just make the dough for the tortillas you will eat and eat the tortillas you made, once you have practice making tortillas you will find that is very easy and it doesn't take you long.

5. Homemade tortillas are great to go with your Mexican food or to make your very own tacos, but they are not good to make entomatadas, flautas, enchiladas, etc.... When I share recipes for those dishes I will specify that you cannot use your homemade tortillas. And that is because the thickness is really different from those store bought tortillas or the ones you can get in a "Tortilleria", the consistency and flexibility is different and they are not great to be fried, these tortillas have to be eaten right off the "comal".

So, here is the video I found on how to make tortillas with MASECA.

If you have any questions please let me know!



Provecho!

Paloma.

Tostadas de Pollo

Hola amigos! I just want to give a quick update from my very Mexican Kitchen.... which is even more Mexican now that my mom and grandma' are here spending some days with us!

I haven't cooked anything! but I am still eating real Mexican food! From tostadas to a potato/carrot soup, it's been great! So I thought I should share a "Chicken Tostadas" recipe with all of you...

There are different ways to make chicken tostadas, these are the ones we had last week:

Ingredients:
(for 4-6 people)
- Corn Tostadas (12)
- 1/2 a can of Refried Pinto Beans (these brands are easy to find in USA and they are very good: "La Preferida", "Goya" "Adelita" "La Costena" "La Sierra"
- Cooked and shredded chicken (you can use leg quarters or chicken breast, or even mix the two) approx. 2 pounds. (just boil your chicken with enough water, salt, 1/2 white onion and 3 whole cloves of garlic, once it is cooked, let it cool a little so you can handle it and shred it)
- 3 red tomatoes (chopped or thinly sliced)
- chopped (in stripes I would say, julianne) lettuce (about 1/2 a lettuce, or more)
- 1/2 big white onion (chopped)
- 4 oz. queso fresco (Mexican fresh cheese, it's not too hard to find) (crumbled, you can easily crumble it with your fingers)
- 1 thinly sliced avocado (1 big avocado or 2 small ones)
- Mexican style sour cream (if you can not find Mexican style sour cream just use more queso fresco)
- Salsa verde (optional)
- Salt to taste

Directions:

- Spread a thin layer of the refried beans on all of your tostadas
- Add the shredded chicken (equally on all the tostadas)
- add the rest of the vegetables (lettuce first, then avocado, onions, tomatoes)
- Add the crumbled queso fresco and then each person can add the sour cream and salsa.
- Add a pinch of salt to each tostada on top and voila! You are set to go to have a wonderful Mexican meal!

Today we will be having "POLLO CON MOLE" for lunch... I will share the recipe with all of you soon! So, stay connected!

Provecho

Paloma.

Guacamole - Recipe

Hello my friends! How are you? I've been meaning to write something lately but the nausea hasn't allowed me to! I am actually taking a brave step at this very moment, trying to write about food... when I don't really feel like it... But I want to keep my promises and share with you a recipe....So, I chose an easy and delicious one (very healthy too!): Guacamole!

I know there are many versions "out there" and some are authentically Mexican, although, with Guacamole I like to keep it simple, fresh and really really natural... I can tell you that if a guacamole recipe calls for "Taco Mix" is not authentically Mexican then... and you should discard it immediately

The way I make guacamole is really simple and here are the ingredients you need:

(serves about 5 people)
2 Avocados (Hass) - (See the final note to know how to pick a good avocado)
2 Red Tomatoes (they can be roma tomatoes)
1/2 white onion (if it's too big use a little less)
1/2 lime (juice, always use fresh juice) - you can add more to taste
1 cup of chopped cilantro (fresh cilantro only)
salt to taste
(optional serrano pepper) I usually do not add the pepper because my daughter loves guacamole, so that's why it's optional, it depends if children or people who can't tolerate any heat will eat it too, if you are going to go for it then start with 1/2 a serrano pepper and experiment with that, add more if you think you can handle it.

What you need to do is chop all the ingredients (except the avocado and lime of course), mix them and set them aside, mash the avocados, you can make guacamole as clumpy or smooth as you like, do not blend it in the blender though, just use a fork, add the lime and salt and mix it all together with the tomatoes, onions and cilantro you set aside.

I leave the avocado last because it tends to get dark (oxidation), the lime will help prevent that oxidation, some people leave the seeds of the avocados in the guacamole believing this will keep it from darkening, the truth is that it doesn't, what happens is that guacamole gets dark from being in contact with oxygen, and the seeds kind of help the avocado around it (the one that touches it) to be in contact with oxygen, there is nothing special or magic about the seed, it could really be anything (even a light bulb LOL!) So, what would work better is some "Saran Wrap", place the guacamole in the container that you will serve it and cover it tightly with Saran Wrap, so the lime and the wrap will really help you keep a nice looking guacamole.

 Note: The "bump" on top of the pic is the "lime squeezer". By the way, get one of those if you don't have it.

There you have it, I hope you make it and enjoy it! you can have some tortilla chips to eat it as a snack or put it in your next "Real Tacos"

Note: To know how to pick ripe avocados click here 

Step 2

Pick that avocado up and examine the stem end. If the avocado is ripe, you will be able to pull the stem out very easily. If the stem is already missing, or your not sure how easy it was for you to pull out the stem, read on.

Step 3

Hold the avocado in your hand and gently squeeze it. An unripe avocado will feel like a stone. An over-ripe avocado will feel loose under the skin. A ripe avocado will feel the same as if you were to squeeze the palms of your hands.

Step 4

Know when the varieties of avocados are in season. Haas avocados are available year-round but at their peak from April to November. Fuerte are available from November to July. Reed are available from March to September. Booth, Lula and Taylor are available from the end of June through February. Zutano are available from October to May. Bacon are available from November through July.

Read more: How to Pick Ripe Avocados | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2300768_pick-ripe-avocados.html#ixzz0toOb1ohR

Provecho!

Paloma.

A guilt free Snack... WITH FIRE!

Hello my friends! I hope you are enjoying this blog so far! Today is a hot day in Wisconsin (it's been pretty hot this week) and it got me thinking of what I would be eating if I was in Mexico right now... and I know that for sure I would be stopping one of those "carritos de fruta ambulantes" (mobile fruit stands) which you can find in any street of Mexico, especially during Summer!

But... I can make my own here... at least it will be pretty close to it:

What you will need to make your own "fruta con chile" "fruit with chili powder" (yes, now you know where the fire is!) is:

Note: You can use any of the following fruits... or all of your favorite ones in the list below and mix them.... I highly recommend to use JICAMA (you will see what it is below) and cucumber too!

Cucumber (peeled and sliced)
 Jicama (peeled and sliced) (jicama = jícama = yam bean = Mexican yam bean = ahipa = saa got = Chinese potato = Mexican potato = Chinese turnip  Pronunciation: HIH-kuh-ma)
Slices of a fresh coconut
Cubes of Watermelon
Mango (in slices or cubes)
Orange wedges
Slices of pineapple

FRESH lime juice (about 1/2 lime per cup of fruit), 
Salt to taste
Chili powder (you can use ground bird pepper "chile piquin molido" or the bottles with chili powder  for fruit ... Brands "Tajin or Trechas")

and you are good to go!

If you are going to go for Mango... it's better if that's on its own with the lime, salt and chili powder and not mix it with other fruits... if you go for the other fruits (and the jicama root) they can ALL BE MIXED TOGETHER... it will look BEAUTIFUL! The amount of chili powder will be according to the amount of heat you can tolerate... so start with a little bit and taste it and add more as you like.

Here is an example of jicama with chile:

There you have it! The refreshing flavor of Mexico on your table! I hope you go for it and try it! Whenever I've been on diets and trying to lose weight I've found that eating "jicama and cucumber" like this really satisfies my cravings and I don't need "chips" and things like that.... Jicama has only 46 calories per cup and cucumber even less!!! cucumber has only 16 calories per cup... So... even if you are on a diet you can live the Mexican experience too!

Enjoy!

Paloma.