Whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, I’m always looking for a way to infuse Mexican ingredients into our family’s holiday traditions. I came up with this turkey stuffing recipe that’s a riff on my mom’s traditional turkey stuffing, but with a little kick from jalapeño chiles and soy chorizo (aka soyrizo).
Vegetarian/Vegetariano
Arroz poblano
With the cold weather and the holidays approaching, I can think of nothing but comfort food. Arroz poblano is a staple comfort food in my home during the winter months and is a filling dish that can be served as a side or even as a vegetarian meal. Because the holiday rush has already begun and my schedule is getting tight, this is a great quick recipe because I use one big cheat to cut down on prep time: ready-to-serve microwavable rice.
This arroz poblano recipe also has a unique twist from the typical one you might be familiar with that has chopped poblano and yellow corn kernels mixed into white rice. In my suegra’s house they always add crema Mexicana, which is something I’ve adapted into my own version of this family favorite. My recipe uses a blended poblano crema to coat the rice and keep it moist and a thin layer of cheese both in the middle and on top….
HOW TO: Make molletes
Great for a quick, easy meal or a snack made from leftovers, molletes are very popular in Mexico. You can typically find them at any coffee shop and in many casual restaurants around the country as well. They can be eaten for any meal and you probably have all of the ingredients without knowing it!
A few notes: Day old bread is best, but you can use fresh bread just fine if you toast it well. There aren’t really exact proportions here in this guide. I typically make refried beans at the beginning of each week and just use them until they’re gone. If you don’t do the same, a small can of refried beans will do just fine here, and you’ll still have some left over. Here, I’ve used pinto beans. You can also use frijoles bayos refritos (a cousin in taste and texture to the pinto bean) or refried black beans. You can also add as much or as little cheese as you’d like; the point is that you cover the beans.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- For each serving of two molletes, you’ll need one bolillo roll. If you don’t have those, you can substitute with a loaf of soft French bread cut into sections.
- A little bit of butter or margarine
- A few tablespoons of refried beans (frijoles refritos) for each piece of bread
- Shredded cheese (I recommend: Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Monterrey Jack. Note: In Mexico, I prefer what they call manchego, which is not the same as Spanish manchego, but they don’t sell Mexican manchego in the U.S. to my knowledge.)
- Salsa mexicana (here’s my recipe for 2 servings, which can be doubled or tripled for however many you’re feeding)
Keep reading for step-by-step photos to help you assemble your molletes.…
Wordless Wednesday: Flores de calabaza
My find of the week? This gorgeous and lush bunch of flores de calabaza (squash blossoms). They weren’t cheap… I think I paid about $4.99 for the whole bunch, but it was worth it when I sauteed them with a little butter and stuffed them into a quesadilla for breakfast a few days ago. What can I say? Sometimes I can’t resist a treat like this, even when the price isn’t quite right. I lament that I ate most of them so fast I forgot to take photos to share, but I’ll be on the lookout for more flores at the market this weekend so I can show you how else to use them.
- What’s your favorite way to enjoy squash blossoms?
Chicharrón de queso
On any trip to Mexico City, I look forward to my first visit to any of my usual taquerías. Not only because I need to satiate my appetite for tacos (read: stuff myself to practically the point of no return), but also because I get an order of chicharrón de queso while I wait.
It’s a delicate, crunchy salty treat—the name basically translates to cheese cracklings.
For years, I never considered making my own chicharrón de queso. Not because I thought it was too hard, but because I don’t have a flat top griddle like the taquerías do. I thought the hot griddle was the key to the texture and the high heat was responsible for the ability to mold it; but one day I had a nagging craving that forced me to experiment and I discovered it can be done at home in an easy way that doesn’t sacrifice any of the things that you’d expect from a good chicharrón de queso….
Wordless Wednesday: Guaca-tacos
I posted this photo on Instagram last week as I was eating leftover guacamole in the form of tacos, also known in my household as guaca-tacos.
You can find my guacamole recipe here. Sometimes I like to substitute red onion for white onion (like I did here, though it’s difficult to tell from the photo). It’s a substitution I picked up from my mom since she normally makes her guacamole with red onions.
- Do you ever eat guacamole tacos?
Vegetarian tacos de hongo, chile poblano y cebolla
I’ve really been wanting to reduce the amount of meat we eat on a daily basis in order to be a bit healthier. I love veggies and don’t mind vegetarian meals, but when you live with a serious carnivore, it’s sometimes really difficult to convince them that a vegetarian meal is a) good and b) filling enough to be a meal and not just an appetizer. Enter the idea of vegetarian tacos.
Enter the idea of vegetarian tacos.
Sometimes the mere mention of serving a vegetarian meal summons an apocalyptic response in my household. If you can’t get your family to eat a full vegetarian meal, this dish makes a great appetizer to ease them into enjoying it; just double or triple the recipe depending on how many people you’re feeding. They may soon see that an all-veggie meal isn’t so bad after all.
And if you’re truly desperate to get them to eat veggies, you can always add a little crumbled chorizo to this dish. It’s not meatless, but hey, at least they’re eating veggies, right? (You could also attempt to substitute soyrizo for chorizo if you’re brave, but I can’t be held responsible if they figure you out and throw their chanclas at you.)
Regardless, whether you’re vegetarian, trying to get your family to eat less meat or just trying to observe meatless meals during Lent, this is a quick and easy recipe you’re bound to enjoy.
I like to use baby portabellas for this recipe, but you can use just about any kind of regular medium-sized mushroom you like so long as you slice them somewhat thickly so that when they saute with the onions and butter, they don’t shrink too much, or get too thin when they’re fully cooked.
RELATED: How to roast poblano chiles
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Sopa de poro y papa
I don’t know what it is about fall that makes me want to eat nothing but soup. I’d say it’s the chill in the air, but since we had an unusually warm beginning to October in Chicago like I mentioned last week, I know that can’t be the only factor. Come the beginning of fall, like clockwork, I always want to eat soup for lunch and dinner almost every single day. Now that the weather is cooling off, I have an entire page-long list of all the soups I want to make at home.
This particular recipe is one I’ve eaten many times in Mexico and I consider it to be a comfort food. During my visit to Mexico City last month, Luci, the family cook, made this as a first course for lunch on a chilly and gloomy afternoon and it was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits.
When I returned to Chicago, I was really missing our family so I decided to make this soup to cheer myself up. The truth is, there’s something about making recipes that I’ve eaten in Mexico that makes Chicago seem like it’s not so far away from the people and places I love in Mexico. Before the soup was even finished cooking, José said, “huele a mi casa.” (Translation: “It smells like my house.”) There are few compliments that warm my heart more, and I was feeling a little better already….
Sopa de frijol negro con chipotle
Check out this fantastic and hearty black bean and chipotle chile soup I made this week. There are three reasons I love this recipe: First, you can make it in the blender—so it’s very easy to clean up afterward. Second, the whole recipe from prep to bowl can be made in 15 minutes or less! And last but not least, this recipe is very healthy—it’s low-fat and high in fiber. It makes a great first course if you divide into smaller portions, or with a little bolillo roll and butter, it can make an excellent and filling lunch or dinner.
Flores de calabaza at the farmers market
I’ve been stalking visiting my local farmers markets lately looking for flor de calabaza. And every week since they started bringing them three weeks ago, I’ve arrived too late because they sold out before 9 or 10 A.M. So this past weekend, I got up early on Saturday hoping to get my hands on some, only to discover I’d arrived just a bit too late.
But my lovely friends at Nichols Farm advised me to show up at another market location they visit on Sunday mornings in Wicker Park and to arrive just before they opened. I got there just before 8 A.M. and was able to get a big bunch (15 flowers!) as well as snap these photos with the bucket still full of florecitas!…
Wordless Wednesday: quesadilla de huitlacoche
Over the weekend José and I had dinner at Fogón, an upscale Mexican restaurant that opened this spring in a neighborhood near where we live. I’ll write more about it another time, but I had to share a photo of this earthy-tasting, perfectly over-stuffed quesadilla I ate as an appetizer—it had cheese and huitlacoche (also known as corn smut or corn truffle), epazote, salsa rustica with black beans and was topped with a small dollop of creme fraiche and light greens. It’s the culinary equivalent of black gold! (More on the topic of huitlacoche soon, I promise!)
- How do you like to eat huitlacoche? Have you ever had it before?
Wordless Wednesday: Nopales
I saw these nopales (known as cactus paddles in English) in the grocery store last week and they were just asking to be photographed! It reminded me also that it’s been awhile since I’ve had ensalada de nopales from one of my favorite places so I think I’ll have to make a trip this weekend. The place where I like it from opens very early in the morning and they usually sell out by noon. I’ll post pictures next week if I can make it there on time!
- What’s your favorite way to eat nopales?
Cebollitas asadas
At any parrillada, cebollitas asadas are the one side dish you can count on one s being the same, no matter what kind of meats are chosen for the main dish. These grilled onions are marinated in Maggi and lime juice before being served.
I love grilling. The smell of the charcoal, the crackling sound of the fire roasting the food and the anticipation of what’s about to land on my plate. And whenever we grill in Mexico, my suegro (father-in-law) is the king of the barbecue.
Cebollitas asadas are so simple and easy to make (and almost totally impossible to mess up even if you’re not a grilling pro), it’s the single dish that most reminds me of a Sunday parrillada in Mexico.
RELATED RECIPE: Calabacitas con elote
You can add as much or as little lime juice and salsa Maggi, a Worcestershire-style seasoning sauce, or soy sauce as you like – it all depends on your taste buds. The Maggi sold in the U.S. doesn’t taste the same as salsa Maggi sold in Mexico, so I sometimes substitute low sodium soy sauce because we always keep some in the cabinet or the refrigerator.
Not only is this dish often served at barbecues and family gatherings, you can also often find them at little street food stands around Mexico. I especially love to pair this side dish with tacos de rib eye and my Mexican chimichurri-marinated flank steak.
RELATED RECIPE: Calabacitas rellenas
A note for my gluten-free friends: Salsa Maggi contains wheat gluten, wheat and wheat bran among its ingredients. A suitable alternative for you to be able to enjoy this dish is Kikkoman’s gluten-free soy sauce.
PrintCebollitas
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Side dishes
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Cebollitas are a classic side dish staple at any Mexican barbecue.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of large spring onions (the kind with the little bulb on the end); these are sometimes called cebollitas cambray or knob onions
- fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 to 1 whole lime
- Salsa Maggi (jugo sazonador) or soy sauce to taste
Instructions
- Wash and grill the onions until they start to get grill marks and the bulbs look mostly cooked through. Leave the green stem tails on. (Some people don’t eat the tails; it’s up to you!)
- Once you’ve removed the onions from the grill, put them on a plate or in a bowl and squeeze the desired amount of lime juice over them.
- Add desired amount of Maggi or soy sauce over the top and let the onions sit in the juices for a few minutes. Pick up by the stems and eat the bulbs.
Keywords: onions
Mexico City-Style Pico de Gallo
This Mexico City-style pico de gallo made with jicama, oranges, cucumbers, chile, red onion and lime juice is one you’re sure to eat over and over again!
When most people think of pico de gallo, they think of a salsa made of tomatoes, diced onion and fresh green chile (such as serrano or jalapeño), lime juice and cilantro. That salsa is also commonly referred to as salsa mexicana. This is not that (although salsa mexicana is good in its own way).
However, in parts areas of Mexico if you ask for pico de gallo you’ll end up with a sort of fruit salad-looking thing that you perhaps didn’t intend to order. But make no mistake, this kind of pico de gallo is one you’ll definitely want to try! It’s a favorite snack in our house–great for a lazy afternoon watching fútbol or even for entertaining guests….
Easy Esquites
The weather is getting warmer and that can only mean one thing: an explosion of Mexican street food carts popping up on every corner in the neighborhood where I do all my grocery shopping.
Among the carts that make my mouth water the most is one from which the sweet smell of roasted corn wafts through the spring air – and through my car window enticing me to stop for a quick treat. Yep, you guessed it: esquites.
The key ingredients of this antojito are roasted corn, lime juice, salt and dried ground chile piquin. And then there are the customizations and variations on the snack that can make it so unique from place to place. Sometimes sauteed with butter or onions and epazote, it can also be topped with mayonesa or crema Mexicana. And my favorite touch: a sprinkle of queso cotija, a dry, crumbly cheese with a little bite.
It’s usually served in a Styrofoam or plastic cup on the street, but don’t let the simple presentation fool you. Serve this at a spring or summer backyard barbecue and impress your guests with this simple treat they’re sure to love. Or just make it at home as a weekend snack!
Part of the beauty of this dish is that you can make changes or adjustments to your own tastes very easily without compromising any kind of measurements or balance so long as you follow the base of the recipe by roasting the corn either with butter or by adding a little water to the corn once you’ve cut it to help create a little juice. The portions of the lime juice, chile and toppings is up to you. The end result should be a sweet, sour, salty and spicy taste in every bite….
Papas gratinadas
To me, wintertime means lots of comfort foods. And pardon the pun, but during the blizzard we had here last week, I was cooking up a storm while I was cooped up inside for three whole days. One of my favorite comfort foods is papas gratinadas, a Mexican version of potatoes au gratin.
I love it so much, in fact, that while I’m writing this, I’m thinking about going to the store for more potatoes so I can make another batch. The last two times I’ve made this dish, it disappeared in less than 24 hours. And my friend Silvia over at Mamá Latina Tips has been asking me to post this recipe for several weeks since I told her I made it because her mom used to make papas gratinadas for her and it’s one of her favorites, too.
These are a great side dish (or, um…an afternoon snack) when you need hearty, warm food to keep you full and fueled to fight the cold outside. Here’s a quick video tutorial on how to make this recipe.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bseuBjSf_Q[/youtube]
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Crock-Pot frijoles de la olla
Frijoles de la olla are a staple in Central Mexican cuisine. Traditionally, they’re cooked in a clay pot, but this version is adapted for cooking in a slow-cooker or Crock-Pot.
There are three types of beans you typically see in frijoles de la olla recipes: frijoles bayos, flor de mayo or pinto beans. Frijoles de la olla made with those type of beans are most common in Central Mexico. All three varieties have a pinkish hue, with pinto beans being the lightest in color among them. These are also the same kind of beans I use for making frijoles charros.
While individual recipes for frijoles de la olla may vary, they will also often include common ingredients such as onion, garlic, manteca de cerdo (pork lard), salt and hierbas de olor (herbs such as epazote or cilantro that are cooked in with the beans for flavor). Other variations may include different spices such as cumin or bay leaves.
In Eastern Mexican states such as Veracruz and others bordering the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the South and Southeast states of the country such as Oaxaca, black beans are preferred over bayo, flor de mayo or pinto varieties. Accompaniments may also vary by region to include a fresh squeeze of lime juice, diced onion, chile serrano, chopped cilantro or crumbled fresh cheese.
Cooking tips for frijoles de la olla
To prep this dish the night before, add everything to the crock-pot except the liquids, pork neck bones and salt. The next day, add the liquid and pork neck bones and turn on high.
If you’re planning to let this cook all day while you’re not home, use a slow-cooker that has a timer that will turn the heat off or to a very low “keep warm” setting after the cooking time. You can then add the salt, reheat them for 30-60 minutes in the slow-cooker and enjoy!
If you don’t have a guajillo chile at home but you have other dried chiles, any other dried red chile you like and have on hand is an acceptable substitute. Just be sure to portion based on the heat factor! Or you can leave the chile out altogether if you prefer.
For those who like their beans with a thicker stew-like consistency instead of broth, some cooks mash or blend a portion of the beans and then re-add to the pot as the broth cooks down.
To make this dish vegetarian-friendly, leave out the pork neck bones and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
This recipe will give you plenty of leftovers, and it’s great as a snack, a side dish, or even a main dish with some garnishes and mix-ins.
PrintCrock-Pot frijoles de la olla
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Method: Slow-cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Frijoles de la olla are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Traditionally, they’re cooked in a clay pot over a fire or on the stove, but this version is adapted for cooking in a slow-cooker or Crock-Pot.
Ingredients
- 2 cups frijoles pintos (pinto beans)
- 2 cups chicken broth (substitute with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1/2 of a white onion, sliced 1/4 inch-thick
- 1 chile guajillo
- 1/2 of a small head of garlic (about 4–6 cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- a few pork neck bones (leave these out for a vegetarian version)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (to be added in last 45 minutes of cooking)
Instructions
- First, rinse your beans under cool water to remove any dirt or debris and get rid of any broken beans. There’s no need to soak the beans overnight!
- Layer the onion slices along the bottom of the crock-pot. Place the beans directly over the top of the onions. Tear off the stem of the chile and tuck it into the beans and nestle the pork neck bones in the beans, too. Add the chicken broth. Remove the papery skin from the garlic cloves and place in the crock-pot whole. Add the ground cumin.
- You’ll notice the chicken broth isn’t enough to cover the beans and keep all the ingredients moist while cooking. Add 4 cups of boiling water over the top, making sure all the ingredients are under the broth and water and then put the cover on the slow-cooker.
- Turn the heat on to high for 5-6 hours (individual slow-cookers can vary slightly in temperature). If the beans start to get dry during cooking, add 1-2 extra cups of boiling water. I only had to add about one cup in the last hour. You can substitute boiling chicken broth in place of the extra boiling water if you like. Add the salt in the last 45 minutes of cooking and stir it in gently to incorporate.
- Serve warm.
Notes
The beans should be soft to bite and have a nice broth when they’re finished, but shouldn’t be watery.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Rajas con crema
Rajas con crema, a hearty dish made with poblano chiles, onion, crema mexicana and a little bit of cheese, is a favorite in my house. As one friend put it, “anything that comes out of your kitchen at least once a week has got to be good.”
Rajas are particularly popular in central and Southern Mexico, and are so versatile I’ve seen them served as breakfast, lunch and dinner. I can’t speak for all of Mexico, but at least in Mexico City when someone is talking about rajas, they are usually talking about strips of poblanos or this dish specifically.
According to my husband, José, rajas con crema are the best when the poblanos have a spicy bite, but they’re not too hot. Usually you can tell how hot the poblanos are when you’re removing the seeds after roasting because the heat will burn your skin and if you breathe in too deeply, you might cough. In that case, you may want to soak them in a solution of vinegar and water so they’re not too spicy. If those two things don’t happen, sometimes I skip the vinegar and water soak after roasting the chiles. However, f you soak them too long, the chiles are a little sweet rather than spicy but still delicious nonetheless.
If you’ve never prepared rajas before, you’ll want to first read my tutorial on how to roast poblano chiles before you skip to the directions below.
Some rajas con crema recipes call only for cream, and lots of it; others call for so much cheese that it’s more of a queso fundido in disguise. Mexican sour cream isn’t actually sour like American sour cream; it has a less acidic taste and a thinner consistency. The cheese should melt slowly and not be gooey, and it should be barely visible once incorporated. It’s really more of a bonding agent so the cream doesn’t get soupy.
RELATED: Vegetarian queso fundido with rajas
My version, based on a recipe José grew up eating, strikes a perfect balance. Some people like to eat rajas con crema over rice, or as a side dish with meat like carne tampiqueña (a grilled filet or skirt steak) or cecina (a thinly-cut aged salted beef). In our house, as you may already be fully aware if you’re a regular reader, the taco is king. However you decide to serve it, though, I guarantee it won’t be long before you’re making it again.
RELATED: How to roast poblano chiles
Rajas con crema
Yield 12 servings
Rajas con crema is a hearty dish made with poblano chiles, onion, Mexican sour cream and a little bit of cheese. It's used as a taco filling or served as a side dish.
Ingredients
- 5-6 poblano chiles, roasted, skinned and cut into strips
- 1/2 of a large white onion, sliced into rings and then cut in half (to make half moon strips)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (do not substitute margarine)
- 5 ounces crema Mexicana
- 1/2 of coarsely shredded Chihuahua cheese
- A pinch of kosher salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- Roast poblano chiles. Allow them to sweat for 15 minutes, then peel off the skins, remove seeds and cut into strips.
- Using a deep skillet, melt the butter and cook the onions in the butter on medium-low heat until they start to change color and caramelize a bit (slightly transparent and a little brown). Turn off burner and remove pan from heat.
- Add the chile strips (rajas) in the pan with the onion, stir to coat well with the remaining butter, and warm over medium heat until the rajas are warm and a little wilted.
- Add about 5 ounces of crema and stir in well. Cook for about 2-3 minutes and then reduce heat to low and add a half cup of coarsely grated Chihuahua cheese (if you can't find cheese labeled Chihuahua, any cheese labeled "queso para fundir" will do). The cheese should melt slowly and not be gooey, and it should be barely visible once incorporated. It’s really more of a bonding agent so the cream doesn’t get soupy. Once the cheese is melted, turn your burner as low as it will go, just so it is on to keep the rajas warm.
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and reheated on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave at 30-second intervals.