The Other Side of the Tortilla

Recipe

The best strawberry margarita

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Margaritas are the most well-known cocktail from Mexico and the strawberry margarita is considered to be the most popular fruit-flavored version, both in Mexico and abroad.

The invention of the margarita dates back to 1942, credited to a bar in the Northwestern state of Chihuahua, where they began making this famous tequila cocktail in 1942. Today, you can get a margarita just about anywhere in the world. This version is a slightly slushy one, similar to the frozen margaritas you may have tried before.

Slushy strawberry margaritas with chamoy for rimming the glasses

If you love frozen margaritas, you might also like to try my prickly pear frozen margarita recipe!

Rimming your margarita glass with Miguelito (a powdered form of chamoy) lends a particularly Mexican sweet-and-sour flavor. Miguelito is available in most Mexican or Latin American markets in the same aisle as bottled salsas, as well as online. Miguelito is even available on Amazon Prime! I’ve used it to rim the glass for other margaritas as well, such as my mandarin orange margarita.

How to get extra strawberry flavor

If strawberries aren’t at peak season, your berries may not be very sweet or have that signature strawberry flavor you crave. A great way to enhance the strawberry flavor in your margarita is by using freeze-dried strawberries. They pack a lot of flavor without all the moisture and body of fresh berries.

Freeze-dried strawberries from Trader Joe's

Freeze-dried strawberries should be unsweetened and unsulfured. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s or Aldi, but you can also find them in many other supermarkets and online. A 1-2 ounce bag should cost less than $4. You can also find freeze-dried strawberry powder in 8-ounce bags. It’s more expensive up front but the per-ounce cost makes it less expensive in the long run.

Slushy strawberry margaritas on cloth coasters

Don’t be cheap when choosing your tequila

I use Don Julio Tequila Reposado in my strawberry margarita recipe because it has lemon citrus notes that complement the sweetness of the berries. It may be more expensive than you’ve spent on tequila before, but worth the price (750 mL costs around $40-50). Tequila reposado is aged in oak barrels from 2 months to 1 year. This rounds and softens the tequila, making it perfect for margaritas and mixed drinks.

Remember: buying cheap tequila always results in two things—a hangover and thinking you don’t want to drink tequila ever again.

What kind of triple sec goes best in a margarita?

Not all orange-flavored liqueurs are created equal. I prefer Cointreau which is a true triple sec with a subtle orange flavor and balanced between bitter and sweet. You can use whatever brand you like if you don’t have Cointreau. Stay away from cheap triple sec because it’s often unbalanced and too sweet. Cointreau is 80 proof and can be a bit pricey, but you don’t use much, so it should last awhile. Cheaper brands of triple sec are often lower, around 60 proof.

Grand Marnier is also a French 80-proof orange liqueur but is NOT a triple sec. Grand Marnier is a mix of cognac (a type of brandy) and triple sec, which technically makes it curaçao-style liqueur.

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Strawberry Margaritas

  • Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
  • Total Time: 15-20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
  • Category: Beverages
  • Cuisine: Mexican
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Description

An easy slush margarita recipe that packs a big strawberry-flavored punch

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled, juiced and strained
  • 1.5 ounces liquid cane sugar (such as Hey Shuga! brand)
  • 0.5 ounce Cointreau
  • 2.5 ounces tequila reposado
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/3 cup unsulfured, unsweetened freeze-dried strawberries (I buy them from Trader Joe’s)
  • 1.5 cups ice

For rimming glasses:

  • Juice of half a lime
  • 2 tablespoons Miguelito or Tajín

Instructions

  1. Wash, hull, juice and filter 1 pound of strawberries. 
  2. Add 1.5 oz liquid cane sugar, 0.5 oz Cointreau, 2.5 oz tequila reposado and the juice of one lime to the strawberry juice. 
  3. In a small food processor, pulse 1/3 cup freeze dried strawberries until moderately ground.
  4. Pour strawberry juice mix into blender, add 1.5 cups ice and 1/3 cup freeze-dried strawberries.
  5. Blend on high until smooth and serve.

To rim the glasses: You’ll need two shallow dishes. Squeeze lime juice into one. Add 2 tbsp of Miguelito to the other. Dip the rims of the glasses into the lime juice first, then the Miguelito.  

Notes

If you don’t have a food processor, you can add the freeze-dried strawberries straight into the blender and just blend for an extra 60 seconds to make sure they’re fully broken up and incorporated. 

Keywords: strawberry, margarita

Other margarita recipes you should try:

Paloma (grapefruit margarita)
Watermelon margaritas
Spiced pear frozen margaritas
Warm winter margaritas

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit The Other Side of The Tortilla at no additional cost to you when you purchase items linked from this site. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

Mandarin orange margaritas

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Mandarin orange margaritas are a refreshing cocktail using in-season citrus. These margaritas get a fun agridulce kick from a Miguelito and salt-rimmed glass.


Mandarin oranges, or mandarinas, are extremely common in Mexico, so they’re used in all kinds of recipes, from aguas frescas, to gelatinas, salads, and more—including mandarin orange margaritas.

The juicer used in my video is a Chefn Citrus Juicer.

In this case, rimming the margarita glass with a mixture of kosher salt and Miguelito (a powdered form of chamoy) lends a particularly Mexican sweet-and-sour flavor. It’s salty, sugary, acidic, and very slightly spicy, and it’s often used on fresh fruit, veggies, and other snacks. You can buy Miguelito in most Mexican or Latin American markets in the same aisle as bottled salsas, as well as online. Miguelito is even available on Amazon Prime!

RELATED RECIPE: Easy watermelon margaritas

A note about mandarin oranges: The harvest in the beginning of the season is usually less sweet or even a little bit sour, while mandarins harvested mid- to late-season will be sweeter. For that reason, you may want to add a little bit of sugar to your juice if drinking at the beginning of the season and the fresh-squeezed juice tastes a bit too tart for your liking.

I like to use a liquid cane sugar such as Hey Shuga! Organic Pure Cane Liquid Sweetener because a little bit goes a long way and it’s easier than dissolving granulated sugar. You can typically find this in any grocery store near where you’d find maple syrup or other liquid sweeteners for baking.

RELATED RECIPE: How to make a paloma

mandarin oranges

There are a few different varieties of mandarin oranges, and that’s why they may look and taste slightly different. Their peak seasons are also slightly staggered, but you can use any variety listed below.

Types of mandarin oranges you’ll find easily in the U.S.

Clementines are sweet, less acidic, and almost always seedless. They’re in season from November-January.

Murcott Mandarins are sometimes also known as honey tangerines, and are very sweet with no seeds. They’re in season from January-April.

Golden Nugget Mandarins are smaller than other varieties, but very juicy and sweet. They’re seedless, and in season from March-June.

Tangerines are a cousin of the clementine, but are less sweet and have a lot of seeds. They’re in season from October-January.

You might be used to seeing these types of oranges called Cuties in the grocery store, thanks to some catchy marketing. Cuties actually sells two varieties of mandarin; clementines and Murcotts. Whatever you choose, I know you’ll love these mandarin orange margaritas!

A word on choosing your tequila

I’ve used Don Julio Reposado in this recipe because it has lemon citrus notes with hints of vanilla and a silky, warm finish. It’s perhaps a more expensive tequila than you may be used to buying if you’re not a tequila connoisseur, but worth the price (750 mL should cost around $40-50).

Remember: buying cheap tequila always results in two things—a hangover and not liking tequila. It’s a liquor that’s meant to be sipped, not slammed. I’ve chosen a reposado because it’s aged in oak barrels from 2 months to 1 year (Don Julio Reposado is aged 8 months), which rounds and softens the tequila, making it perfect for margaritas and mixed drinks.

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Mandarin orange margarita in a glass rimmed with chamoy salt

Mandarin orange margaritas

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Total Time: 15
  • Yield: 2 margaritas 1x
  • Category: drinks
  • Cuisine: Mexican
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Scale

Ingredients

  • 6–7 mandarin oranges, juiced (should yield about 3/4 to 1 cup of juice)
  • 1 small lime, juiced
  • 2.5 ounces Don Julio Tequila Reposado
  • 0.5 ounces Cointreau

To rim the glasses:

  • 1 lime wedge (to wet the glass rims)
  • 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Miguelito (chamoy en polvo)

Instructions

  1. Halve and juice 6-7 mandarin oranges, until they yield about 3/4 to 1 cup of juice.
  2. Halve and juice one lime.
  3. Add 2.5 ounces of tequila reposado and 0.5 ounces of Cointreau and stir well. Set aside.
  4. To rim the glasses, mix 2 tablespoons Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon Miguelito in a shallow dish.
  5. Cut the lime wedge and run along the rims of the glasses to wet them. Turn the glasses upside down one at a time and dip in the salt-Miguelito mixture until the rims are completely salted.
  6. Add ice to the glasses, pour margaritas over ice and serve immediately.

Notes

My preferred tequila for this recipe is Don Julio Reposado, but any reposado will do. 

Cointreau is used here over Grand Marnier because it is less sweet, but any triple sec can be substituted to your preference. 

If you’d like to make these ahead of time (24 hours in advance) or for a large group, you can easily double, triple or quadruple the recipe and refrigerate in a covered pitcher without the ice until ready to serve. Serve over ice.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 7 ounces

Keywords: margaritas, mandarin orange margaritas, margarita de mandarina

You might also like:

Agua de mandarina

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit The Other Side of The Tortilla at no additional cost to you when you purchase items linked from this site. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

Margarita-glazed doughnuts

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These margarita-glazed doughnuts are a fun recipe to impress your adult guests for breakfast or brunch—it’s like having a cocktail for breakfast without the buzz!

Margarita-glazed doughnuts from theothersideofthetortilla.com

If you’ve been a longtime reader, then you know we love biscuit doughnuts in our house! They’re super easy to make, and the icing only takes a few minutes to whisk together. A couple of bakeries in LA have a margarita-glazed doughnut that I really liked, so I thought I’d try making my own at home and these were pretty spectacular! The icing really does taste like a margarita….

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Easy Watermelon Margaritas

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A watermelon margarita is a tasty summer cocktail that’s easy to make and also a great way to use up extra fruit.

A quick and easy watermelon margarita that serves 2 but can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. Get this recipe on theothersideofthetortilla.com. #margaritas #mexicanfood #mexican

I can’t think of a better way to close out the final weeks of summer on the patio than a fresh watermelon margarita. Can you? These are also perfect for sipping by the pool on a hot day.

These margaritas are super easy to make, and you can even use fresh, store-bought watermelon juice if you don’t have a juicer at home. (Although there are so many inexpensive juicers on the market nowadays, you can find lots of decent options on Amazon with Prime shipping!) …

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Moras con Crema Popsicles

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Mixed berries and cream popsicles are a spin on the traditional fresas con crema, loved all over Mexico. This version incorporates blackberries, raspberries and blueberries, in addition to strawberries.

My fresas con crema popsicles are some of the most popular paletas on the blog, and with good reason: they’re the perfect way to enjoy summer berries! I created this version with mixed berries a few years ago and loved the way it came out. It’s similar, but different enough that you get a different flavor palate with all the berries.

Berries and cream popsicles are a mixed-berry spin on the traditional Mexican fresas con crema dessert. Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

The best way to get these berries to bloom with flavor is to macerate them. Similar to the way I macerate sliced strawberries with sugar for my fresas con crema popsicles, we’ll macerate the berries in this recipe, too, with one key difference.

It’s essential to break some of the blackberries, blueberries and raspberries while macerating them, otherwise you won’t get much berry juice. I gently break the berries with a potato masher, but you can also use a fork or other kitchen tool. Remember: you want broken berries that will hold their shape, but ooze some juice. You don’t want berry pulp.

A couple of acknowledgements here: Blueberries are not all that common to find in some parts of Mexico, despite the fact that Mexico grows a lot of the blueberries eaten in the U.S. If you’re not a blueberry-lover, you can sub in more blackberries (called zarzamoras in Spanish).

These popsicles are heavy on the dairy, and they don’t translate well with coconut cream (vegans and non-dairy folks who like to make substitutions, be warned, you won’t get the same results). If you don’t eat dairy, I’d suggest making strawberry hibiscus popsicles instead to avoid tummy troubles. And if you REALLY like blackberries and can tolerate sweetened condensed milk, you might want to try my Oaxacan horchata popsicles, which have blackberries and cantaloupe in them—just like you’d float on top of the drink.

During the warmest months of the year, I suggest freezing these berries and cream popsicles completely overnight before serving so they aren’t quick to melt in the heat.

You’ll need a few things to make this recipe:

Popsicle molds
Wooden popsicle sticks
Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus (or another food processor or blender that can make whipped cream)

Berries and cream popsicles are a mixed-berry spin on the traditional Mexican fresas con crema dessert. Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com
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Moras con crema popsicles

Prep

Inactive

Total

Yield 10 3-ounce

Similiar to the popular fresas con crema dessert, this version uses a mix of summer berries for a spectacular berries and cream popsicle you'll make again and again. 

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup blackberries
  • 1/2 cup raspberries
  • 1/2 cup pure cane sugar (not white sugar) or raw sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  1. Wash all berries, pat dry, and remove strawberry stems.
  2. Chop 2/3 cup strawberries (about 4-6 large strawberries) and add to a glass bowl.
  3. Place blueberries, blackberries and raspberries in the glass bowl and break some of the berries slightly with a potato masher to release their juices.
  4. Mix the berries gently with a spoon and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar. Stir to make sure all the berries are coated, then allow the berries to sit undisturbed for 20 minutes to macerate and draw out the juices.
  5. After the berries have been macerating for about 15 minutes, add 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream to a food processor and process for about 2 minutes or until a thick whipped cream is formed. (If you over-process, you'll end up with butter.)
  6. Use a spatula to fold the whipped cream into the macerated berries, being careful not to over-mix and cause the whipped cream to go flat.
  7. Spoon into a popsicle mold, add sticks and freeze for 8 hours or overnight.

Notes

To remove popsicles from mold, gently run lukewarm water over the bottom edges of the popsicle mold for a few minutes to loosen them.

If you want to cut some of the fat and calories, you can substitute regular whipping cream for the heavy whipping cream without losing much of the creamy taste.

Courses Dessert

Cuisine Mexican

You might also like: Mangonada popsicles

Té de bugambilia

12 · · 1 Comment

Té de bugambilia, also known as bougainvillea tea in English, is an essential Mexican home remedy during cold and flu season. It’s an excellent way to alleviate coughs, chest congestion and sore throats.

How to make Mexican té de bugambilia (bougainvillea tea), via theothersideofthetortilla.com

Years ago on a visit to Mexico City, my father-in-law taught me how to make this very effective Mexican home remedy for alleviating coughs and sore throats.

The recipe couldn’t be simpler: boil water and add the flowers until the water turns pink, then add Mexican lime juice (key limes) and honey. Some people like to add a little Mexican cinnamon stick to theirs as well, but I prefer my tea without it. Add slightly more honey if your throat is particularly sore….

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How to doctor canned refried beans

43 · · 1 Comment

Canned refried beans are a cabinet staple in most Mexican homes, but you can expand your flavor options by doctoring your beans in a few easy steps.

If you’re like me, you probably keep a can or two of refried beans in the cabinet at all times. In fact, I usually keep a can of refried pinto beans and a can of refried black beans in there because one can never be too sure when an occasion requiring beans could arise in a Mexican-American household. Am I right?

And while you may be perfectly OK with always eating the same beans out of a can, you have no idea what you’re missing out on if you’d just play with your food a little bit!

…

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Strawberry hibiscus popsicles

3 · · 2 Comments

Strawberry hibiscus popsicles are a healthy treat with a uniquely Mexican-flavored twist.

How to make strawberry hibiscus popsicles via theothersideofthetortilla.com

This post is in partnership with California Strawberries. The recipe and opinions are my own.

If you love strawberries, but you’re also trying to cut back on added sugar, you’re going to love this recipe for strawberry hibiscus popsicles.
…

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Mexican chocolate-glazed doughnuts

3 · · 1 Comment

Try these Mexican chocolate-glazed doughnuts as a decadent treat you can serve to any crowd for breakfast or brunch.

How to make Mexican chocolate-glazed doughnuts with biscuit dough, recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

These biscuit doughnuts are incredibly easy to make, and the frosting is something you can whip up in a flash. Just keep a can of flaky biscuit dough in the refrigerator and you’ll be set for any breakfast. In fact, these are so easy, you can even make them on a weekday. Any pan dulce-lover will definitely be impressed by the familiar flavors….

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Roasted tomatillo and chile morita salsa

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This easy roasted, smoky salsa made with tomatillos and chile morita is great on everything from tacos to scrambled eggs.

How to make easy roasted tomatillo and chile morita salsa

I’m all for simple salsas to dress up any meal of the day. Our dear friend Victor taught me how to make a version of this salsa when I was a newlywed and it’s one that I’ve continued making frequently ever since. You should use tomatillos milperos for this recipe. They’re a smaller variety of tomatillo, no bigger than about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. Anything much bigger than that is a larger variety of tomatillo. Tomatillos milperos have a more concentrated flavor, but are less acidic than the larger tomatillos, and have a slightly sweet, mellow taste when roasted. They’re called “milpero” because they’re often grown in the milpas in Mexico—the rows between corn planted in the cornfields.
…

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How to make agua fresca de melón with a juicer

9 · · 1 Comment

Agua fresca de melón is a very popular fresh fruit drink in Mexico. Learn how to make it in a flash with a juicer to cut down on time and mess!

How to make agua fresca de melón with cantaloupe and a juicer machine

Why use a juicer instead of a blender? While the blender does the job OK, the process of filtering the pulp through a mesh sieve can be a lot messier, and also take more time. The end result is that your juice has some pulp that you really don’t want in an agua fresca. …

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How to prepare chicharrones de harina

17 · · 1 Comment

Chicharrones de harina are a puffed, salty, crunchy snack that are very popular in Mexico, and easy to find among street food vendors.

How to prepare chicharrones de harina

I’ve written before about how to fry your own chicharrones with the kind you buy at the store that you have to cook so they’re edible. But if you can’t get those at your local Mexican market, you’ll at least be likely to find them already fried and packaged to buy—usually alongside the chips, Takis, and that kind of stuff. All you have to know is how to prepare them!

I get a lot of questions from my non-Mexican friends and readers about this snack because they’ve never seen it before, or didn’t know how to prepare it properly. It’s actually really simple, and these things are super addictive….

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Tacos de chicharrón guisado in the slow-cooker

27 · · 2 Comments

Chicharrón guisado is an easy, flavorful dish made from crunchy, fried pork skin stewed in salsa, and it makes incredible tacos.

The best part about this dish is that it’s incredibly easy to make, packs a ton of flavor, and using a slow-cooker means it’s mostly a hands-off recipe.

How to make tacos de chicharrón guisado in the slow-cooker via theothersideofthetortilla.com

There’s a taquería in Los Angeles I really love called Guisados, and lucky for me, they have a location right near where I work. They make a taco de chicharrón guisado that’s very similar to this recipe, and they serve it on a corn tortilla over refried black beans, and topped with a little dollop of avocado salsa verde, which is how I served them here as well, but you can serve it without beans (or different beans) and whatever kind of salsa you like on top.

There are lots of recipes out there for chicharrón guisado—mostly in Spanish—and there’s one key departure in my version aside from using a slow-cooker: I use chile morita, which is a small, dried and smoked chile. I also like to serve these on smaller tortillas (about 4.5 inches round instead of the standard 6 inches) because it makes you feel more like you’re in a taquería….

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The best guacamole recipe ever

14 · · 2 Comments

If you want to make the best guacamole, there are a few things you need to know. I swear by this recipe, but also by these tips that help make it the best it can be.

Tips for making the best guacamole, via theothersideofthetortilla.com

Not all guacamole is created equal, and it’s much easier to screw up than one might think. And since avocados are sometimes a splurge in your grocery budget, you really don’t want to waste them with bad guacamole. There are some common mistakes people make that cause their guac to suck: mashing the avocado so much that it’s totally smooth, adding too much of one ingredient so it throws off the flavor balance, not enough flavor so the whole thing is totally bland, or the opposite – too salty.

I’m not bragging (OK, I am totally bragging) but everyone I know who has ever eaten my guacamole has said that I make the best guacamole ever….

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Avocado Chocolate Pudding

3 · · 1 Comment

Avocados blended with raw cacao powder and honey make for a perfectly silky, decadent, and dairy-free chocolate pudding.

How to make a rich, decadent and dairy-free avocado chocolate pudding, via theothersideofthetortilla.com

Most chocolate pudding recipes use milk, along with cornstarch and sometimes egg yolks to thicken it. This avocado chocolate pudding recipe relies on the creamy texture and stability of avocado and gelatin to create that perfect pudding texture.

If you’ve got avocados that are slightly past their prime and a little too soft for anything else, this recipe is a great way to use them up so they don’t go to waste.…

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Mexican Eggs Benedict

8 · · 2 Comments

Eggs Benedict is one of the most popular breakfast dishes served in the United States, so I gave it a Mexican makeover with chorizo, ancho chile hollandaise, and Herdez Guacamole Salsa.

How to make Mexican eggs benedict with an ancho hollandaise, and topped with Herdez guacamole salsa. Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

This post is part of a compensated campaign in collaboration with HERDEZ® and #WeAllGrow Latina Network. All opinions and the recipe here are my own.

I would eat breakfast food for three meals a day if nobody prevented me from doing it. I LOVE poached eggs, and I’m no stranger to spreading chorizo on avocado toast, so I already knew Herdez Guacamole Salsa would pair perfectly with this dish.

The creamy texture of real avocado and the spicy kick of salsa verde is what makes the salsa so unique. You can use it for topping, dipping and cooking—there’s no wrong way to do it!…

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How to make suero

60 · · 2 Comments

Suero is basically homemade Mexican Gatorade.

In fact, it’s similar to a limonada, but with salt instead of sugar. It’s a very simple recipe and surely you’ll already have all the ingredients, but it’s the best remedy for a hangover.

And it’s not to be confused with buttermilk, which is another meaning of the word “suero” in Mexico.

Suero is an amazing Mexican hangover cure that's similar to Gatorade, but easy and cheap to make at home. See more Mexican hangover cures at theothersideofthetortilla.com

RELATED: The Best Mexican Hangover Cures

What’s awesome about this drink is that it can also be used to help you recover from a run or an intense workout! The salt helps you retain liquids after you’ve been dehydrated.

Sick with the flu? This is also helpful for staying properly hydrated.

Remember: table salt tastes saltier than Kosher salt (which is what I usually cook with). Start with 3/4 of a teaspoon and add more if necessary if you plan to use table salt.

And if you’ve got some digestive issues, a little watermelon and aloe vera juice for a couple of days can help you get back to normal once you’re rehydrated. Té de bugambilia (bougainvillea tea) is also a great Mexican home remedy for when you’re sick with a cold or cough.

RELATED: Guide to Mexican Limes

Mexican limes
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Recipe for suero, which is like homemade Mexican Gatorade via theothersideofthetortilla.com

Suero (Mexican homemade Gatorade)

  • Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x
  • Category: drinks
  • Cuisine: Mexican
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Description

The Mexican hangover, flu and dehydration cure that gives Gatorade a run for its money. 

Scale

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces cold agua mineral (in the U.S., Topo Chico is my preferred brand of mineral water)
  • 3/4–1 teaspoon of salt
  • juice of 1 lime

Instructions

  1. Pour mineral water in a highball glass and add salt.
  2. Squeeze the juice of one whole lime directly into the glass and stir to mix everything well, until the salt dissolves. You can also toss in a few lime wedges if you like.
  3. Add ice if you like, and drink the entire glass while it’s still cold.

Notes

If you’re suffering from serious dehydration, please be smart and consult a physician.

Weekday huevos rancheros

4 · · 1 Comment

Huevos rancheros are a popular Mexican breakfast dish, but they don’t have to be complicated or time-consuming to make.

With a couple of store-bought ingredients, you can make them quickly enough to eat breakfast at home before work!

A huevos rancheros recipe so easy you can make them on a Monday morning! Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

RELATED RECIPE: Chorizo avocado toast with poached eggs

Eating breakfast every day is important to me. Don’t you just feel like you’re starting the day off right when you sit down and eat breakfast without being in a hurry? I started waking up a little bit earlier so I could have some daily quiet time to eat breakfast, sip my tea or coffee, and read the newspaper. Since last year, I’ve been eating a decent breakfast a lot more consistently and I notice I make better choices throughout the day when I’ve had breakfast at home.

And as much as I love stuff like churro french toast or pancakes on the weekend, I really need to eat a protein-rich breakfast on weekdays so that I don’t snack on too much sugary crap during the day. And as much as I love a trenza de huevo con chorizo for breakfast, unless I make it the night before, it’s a little too much work when I’m trying to get out the door quickly in the mornings.

 

Sometimes José will wake up early and make breakfast for me before work, which is such a treat. I love this huevo ranchero for one recipe because it’s so simple but SO good. To cut down on prep time, we just use canned beans (the preferred brand in our house is La Costeña) and Herdez bottled salsas (the red is called salsa casera and the green is salsa verde).

A huevos rancheros recipe so easy you can make them on a Monday morning! Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com
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Huevo ranchero for one

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 1 serving

A classic Mexican breakfast made easier with some store-bought ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 1 corn tortilla
  • 1/2 tablespoon light cooking oil (such as safflower or canola oil)
  • 1/3 cup canned black beans or pinto beans, reheated (whole or refried)
  • 1 large or extra large egg
  • 1/4 cup bottled or canned salsa (you can choose red or green)

Instructions

  1. Heat 1/3 cup of beans and 1/4 cup salsa and set aside.
  2. In a skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon canola oil over medium heat. Lightly fry the tortilla on both sides and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain off any excess oil; discard the paper towel. Spread the beans over one side of the tortilla.
  3. In the skillet, there should still be a little bit of oil. Crack the egg into the skillet and cook the egg sunny side up, 1-2 minutes until the white is opaque and the yolk has slightly set.
  4. With a spatula, transfer the egg on top of the beans. Pour the warm salsa gently over the top of the egg and serve.

Courses Breakfast

Cuisine Mexican

RELATED RECIPE: Huevo con chorizo breakfast tacos

A recipe for huevos rancheros that's so easy you can make them on a Monday morning! Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

Easy Hibiscus-Glazed Doughnuts

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Impress everyone with this easy recipe for hibiscus-glazed doughnuts for breakfast. They look fancy but you won’t believe how quick they are to make!

Who doesn’t love doughnuts for breakfast? I don’t trust anyone who says they don’t. I first got the idea to make this doughnut recipe when Fany Gerson posted a photo on Instagram of a similar-looking doughnut she was making at her doughnut shop in Brooklyn—appropriately called Dough. If you’re not familiar with Fany, she’s one of my favorite people in the culinary world and she wrote a beautiful book called “My Sweet Mexico” in 2010 that has made me one of her biggest fans. As a lover of pan dulce and Mexican candies and desserts, her book was the first one I found that made these treasured recipes accessible in English.

How to make hibiscus glazed doughnuts with candied hibiscus flowers

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The Best Mexican Hangover Cures

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Did you know Mexican hangover cures are among the best?

We’ve all been there. You had too much fun, and you’re paying the price the day after. You might even have what my friend Victor calls “cruda del agua,” which is when you’re so hungover that you can’t even keep water down. That’s the worst, and if that’s the case, as soon as you can hold anything down, try the recipe for suero below before you eat anything.

 A few notes: I’m not a doctor and this isn’t medical advice. Some say they benefit from taking an antacid after a night of heavy drinking before consuming anything with tomato or chile to aid in curing a hangover because they’re acidic and sometimes can provoke heartburn and acid reflux.

MEXICAN REMEDIES FOR CURING A HANGOVER

Best remedy for the kind of hangover that makes you vomit: 

Suero is an amazing Mexican hangover cure that's similar to Gatorade, but easy and cheap to make at home. See more Mexican hangover cures at theothersideofthetortilla.com

Suero is like homemade Mexican Gatorade. In fact, it’s similar to a limonada, but with salt instead of sugar. It’s a very simple recipe and surely you’ll already have all the ingredients, but it’s the best remedy for ANY hangover. (And it can also be used to help you recover from a workout!) The salt helps you retain liquids after you’ve been dehydrated. Remember: table salt tastes saltier than Kosher salt (which is what I usually cook with). Start with 3/4 of a teaspoon and add more if necessary….

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How to make rompope

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Rompope is a Mexican version of eggnog. This popular drink is a staple in many Mexican households and festivities from December all the way until Día de Reyes.

Several years ago, I was able to copy down abuelita’s recipe for rompope (which was for a very large crowd, based on the portions) from a typewriter-written version in a family recipe book at my mother-in-law’s house. Thinking it was going to be difficult, I didn’t make it until a few years later. It was then that I discovered the recipe wasn’t quite complete, the directions were sparse and it didn’t taste right on the first try. So I got to work in my kitchen, testing and tasting until it seemed right to us.

An authentic recipe for rompope, also known as Mexican eggnog. Get this and more recipes on theothersideofthetortilla.com

 

RELATED RECIPE: Ponche navideño

I’ve amended abuelita’s recipe slightly to my personal taste but so it still maintains its authenticity, and reduced the quantity of the original recipe to make a smaller batch in case we didn’t go through it quickly enough. I recommend if you’ll be drinking your rompope solo, half-cup servings are best, and this recipe makes eight half-cup servings. If you’ll be serving a small crowd, make double the recipe and just refrigerate any leftover rompope.

One year, José’s Tía Annette hosted a fabulously catered posada, which is where I learned to put rompope in my coffee or make lattes with it. I’ve done it every December since!

RELATED RECIPE: Spicy Mexican hot chocolate

A few notes:

  • If you don’t have time to make everything all at once, you can make the cinnamon-infused milk and refrigerate it overnight, and finish the rest of the recipe the next day with no problem.
  • The directions below have descriptions of how the egg yolks should look at ribbon stage, but if you need extra guidance, this video is pretty helpful. It’s easiest to do with a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid than it is with a whisk by hand. Don’t suffer! Just use the stand mixer.
  • You can find aguardiente in most Latin supermarkets across the U.S. If you don’t see it on a shelf in the store, they sometimes keep it locked in a cabinet with the pricier liquors, so just ask. It’s anise-flavored liqueur that is produced from sugar cane, and much of what is available in the U.S. comes from Colombia.
  • I advise against using imitation Mexican vanilla extract because it really doesn’t have the same taste. I only buy Nielsen-Massey Mexican pure vanilla extract, which is available online from King Arthur Flour, Amazon, and sold in many high-end culinary stores such as Williams-Sonoma or WholeFoods. (For the record, Williams-Sonoma has the best price on a 4-ounce bottle.) If you live in Los Angeles, I have also purchased this extract at Surfas Culinary District in Culver City and Gelson’s.

An authentic recipe for rompope, also known as Mexican eggnog. Get this and more recipes on theothersideofthetortilla.com

Print

Rompope (Mexican Eggnog)

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4 cups

Mexican eggnog, called rompope, is a popular drink during the holidays.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2-3 Mexican cinnamon sticks (Ceylon cinnamon)
  • 3 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract (Nielsen-Massey is my preferred brand)
  • 7 extra large or jumbo egg yolks
  • 1/2 pound of granulated cane sugar (I use Zulka brand)
  • 1 cup aguardiente (cane sugar liquor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Optional: ground Ceylon cinnamon to sprinkle on top to garnish

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 1/4 cups whole milk and Mexican cinnamon sticks over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan or getting a skin. Bring it to a boil and then remove from the heat. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature.
  2. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, add egg yolks to the mixer bowl and bring whisk to medium speed. Start adding the sugar gradually, until you reach ribbon stage. The egg yolks should turn light yellow and look creamy and fluffy.
  3. Turn the whisk speed to low and slowly add the room temperature milk and 3 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract. Slowly add 1 cup aguardiente (sugar cane liquor) until fully incorporated.
  4. While the whisk is still on low speed, add 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg and continue whisking for 1 minute.
  5. Pour contents of the bowl into an airtight glass bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Notes

The rompope tastes better on the second day, as the alcohol settles with the other ingredients. If it doesn’t taste boozy enough to you at first, wait to add any more alcohol until at least the day after.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 cup

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

RELATED RECIPE: Champurrado

Mexican chicken soup with hominy and barley

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Nothing soothes the soul like chicken soup, no matter what country or culture you identify with. My version of Mexican chicken soup includes hominy and barley for a unique spin on this typical dish.

This post is sponsored by Teasdale Foods. All opinions and the recipe here are my own.

Make this hearty Mexican chicken soup with carrots, onion, Mexican oregano, chayote, hominy, barley and finish the flavor with lime juice and chile powder! Recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

RELATED RECIPE: Slow-cooker pozole rojo

My suegro loves the sopa de pollo from this place in Mexico City called el Ricón de la Lechuza, which has been around since 1971. What makes La Lechuza’s chicken soup different than most others is that in addition to the traditional homemade broth, carrots and celery, barley (called “cebada” in Spanish) lends a unique texture and adds to the nutritional profile of the dish.

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