drinks

Mandarin orange margaritas

15 · Apr 7, 2019 · 5 Comments

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

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.

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

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

Halve and juice 6-7 mandarin oranges, until they yield about 3/4 to 1 cup of juice.
Halve and juice one lime.
Add 2.5 ounces of tequila reposado and 0.5 ounces of Cointreau and stir well. Set aside.
To rim the glasses, mix 2 tablespoons Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon Miguelito in a shallow dish.
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.
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

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Té de bugambilia

12 · Feb 3, 2018 · 3 Comments

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.

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….

How to make agua fresca de melón with a juicer

9 · Jul 2, 2017 · 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!

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. …

How to make suero

62 · Mar 24, 2017 · 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.

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

Suero (Mexican homemade Gatorade)

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

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

Pour mineral water in a highball glass and add salt.
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.
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.

The Best Mexican Hangover Cures

104 · Dec 31, 2016 · Leave a Comment

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 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….

How to make rompope

11 · Dec 31, 2016 · 1 Comment

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.

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.

RELATED RECIPE: Ponche navideño

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!

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, in my experience.
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 Williams-Sonoma or in-store at Whole Foods.

RELATED RECIPE: Spicy Mexican hot chocolate

Rompope (Mexican eggnog)

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 cups 1x
Category: Beverages
Cuisine: Mexican

Description

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

Scale

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

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.
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.
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.
While the whisk is still on low speed, add 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg and continue whisking for 1 minute.
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

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Keywords: rompope, eggnog

RELATED RECIPE: Champurrado

Frozen Café con Leche

4 · May 6, 2015 · 3 Comments

Make this frozen café con leche in your blender at home with just a few ingredients!

Who doesn’t love a good café con leche? I have one a few days each week, but I almost always make them at home instead of buying them. My mom and I share a love for making copycat recipes at home. It’s become almost a game between us, and has been for many years. Why pay $6 or more for a large coffee house drink I can make better at home, and for much less money per serving?

This post is part of a compensated campaign with Nestlé El Mejor Nido. All opinions and the recipe here are my own.

I definitely inherited my mom’s gift for recreating recipes, so I’m grateful that she shared her love of cooking and experimenting in the kitchen with me. I created this frozen café con leche with my mom in mind. She usually will ask me what kind of coffee I’m drinking lately, and then she gets hooked on it too. So even when we can’t have a cafecito together, we can at least enjoy the same drink despite the miles between us.

RELATED RECIPE: Mexican mocha latte…

Oaxacan Latte: The Mexican Mocha

34 · Apr 11, 2015 · 2 Comments

This Oaxacan latte is also know as a Mexican mocha or café Oaxaca. It’s a hot coffee drink that incorporates Mexican chocolate into the milk for a rich treat.

Serve this Mexican mocha latte with breakfast, brunch or even just alongside some pan dulce. I personally like to dunk orejas in my coffee!

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Chile-spiced hot apple cider brandy cocktail

1 · Nov 25, 2014 · 1 Comment

Growing up in the Midwest, I went apple picking every fall and loved to drink mulled hot apple cider. Although apple cider the way I grew up drinking it is really not consumed in Mexico, I came up with this recipe with the traditional American apple cider in mind; it’s made with apples that are easily found in Mexico along with Mexican cinnamon sticks, chile puya for a little kick, and sweetened with piloncillo — all ingredients that are muy mexicano.

Chile puya brings an earthy, fruity, moderate heat to this mulled hot apple cider that can be served with a splash of brandy on cold winter nights. It’s the perfect warm cocktail to serve during the holidays as well!

Chile puya looks just like a smaller version of chile guajillo, both in color and shape, but is spicier. If you can’t find chile puya, or want a milder spice, you can substitute a guajillo chile in this recipe. I advise that you start out with one chile and work your way up if you think it needs to be spicier. Either way, be sure to remove the seeds and veins inside the chiles….

Atole de calabaza

19 · Nov 16, 2014 · 1 Comment

Atole de calabaza is a masa-based beverage made with milk, and served hot. This pumpkin-flavored version tastes similar to pumpkin pie and is perfect for serving around the holidays.

Although vanilla atole, chocolate (called champurrado) and strawberry atole are the most common flavors, there are many other common flavors such as pumpkin, as well as modern, non-traditional flavors. I love to serve this pumpkin atole with conchas or orejas (types of pan dulce).

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Atole de vainilla

34 · Oct 13, 2014 · 2 Comments

This post is part of a compensated campaign with Maseca, but all opinions and the recipe here are my own.

Atole de vainilla is a traditional masa-based beverage, often made with milk, and served hot. This hot beverage goes great with tamales, pastries or pan dulce and is also most popular around Day of the Dead and the holidays.

Atoles date back to pre-Columbian times in Mexico and are well-documented as a form of sustenance amongst the Aztec and Mayan cultures. Historical texts tell us the drink was often flavored with fruits, spices or chiles.

Vanilla, strawberry and chocolate are the most common flavors of atole nowadays, but you can sometimes also find mora (blackberry; one of my favorites), nuez (pecan), pineapple, elote (sweet corn), piñon (pine nut), and many other flavors. In some areas of Mexico, you can even find savory atoles—one made with with green chile is called chileatole.

RELATED RECIPE: Champurrado…

How to Make a Carajillo: The Coffee Cocktail

570 · Sep 29, 2014 · 7 Comments

A classic Spanish cocktail popular in Mexico, the Carajillo is made with espresso and Licor 43.

I’ve often enjoyed this cocktail while in Mexico, whether it be at a fancy restaurant in Mexico City, a late-night coffee bar in Acapulco or at vacation resorts spanning the country from Los Cabos to Playa del Carmen.

This drink is also similar to Italy’s caffè corretto (meaning “corrected coffee”) which typically contains grappa, sambuca or brandy and espresso. The carajillo can be served hot or cold, over ice, as pictured here.

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Watermelon and aloe vera juice

48 · Jul 3, 2014 · 1 Comment

In Mexico, as well as other countries in Latin America, aloe gel (also sometimes referred to as aloe crystal) is used externally for a variety of skin ailments as well as consumed for its curative health benefits, especially for stomach and digestive ailments. Aloe gel or crystal comes from the meat of the leaf, and is easy and inexpensive to extract yourself at home. In Spanish, aloe vera is called “sábila” or “áloe,” and is sometimes misspelled as “sávila.” In Mexico, it’s most commonly referred to as “sábila.”

Aloe vera juice is said to help maintain healthy digestion, and can also help regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, reduce acne eruptions, as well as many other health benefits, and is a good addition for those who are conscious of an alkaline diet.

My Tío Eduardo swears by homemade aloe vera juice for digestive ailments. Homemade aloe juice is both easy and inexpensive to make—a single large aloe vera leaf in the produce section of most grocery stores in the U.S. should cost between 99 cents and $2 or $3. If a single leaf is $3 or more, it should be very large and heavy, otherwise check another store for a better price. Most Mexican or Latin American markets will carry them. Aloe leaves available in grocery stores are typically about 4-4.5 inches wide at the base, 22-24 inches long and about 1 inch thick.

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Agua de melón verde y pepino

13 · Apr 14, 2014 · 1 Comment

Aguas frescas are a staple in most Mexican and Mexican-American homes, mine included. The best aguas frescas are made with ingredients that are in season because they’re easiest to get, typically cost less because they are more abundant, and have the best flavor because they’re at their peak growing season. Honeydew melon—also known as melón verde—is in season typically from May to October, with the peak from May to August, but we’ve been seeing a lot of this melon in the grocery stores in Southern California since mid-March. This honeydew and cucumber agua fresca recipe is light and refreshing for warm spring and summer days. You can also opt to serve it straight as a juice with breakfast—just run through a juicer or powerful blender and leave out the water and optional sugar.

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Read More

Mexican-Style Carrot Juice With Lime and Chile

2 · Feb 23, 2014 · 4 Comments

I’ve been on a healthy homemade juice kick since we returned from Mexico in January. I’ve always loved carrot juice and whenever we vacation at the beaches in Mexico, I always order carrot juice with my breakfast if it’s available. Drinking carrot juice before getting sun, as well as after, can also help you hold onto a tan for a bit longer. (But don’t forget to wear sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.) Carrot juice is high in Vitamin A and beta-carotene, which aids in tissue and bone development, benefits eyesight, boosts your immune system to help stave off colds, and helps heal dry, flaky skin. Carrot juice is rich in other minerals too, thanks to carrots being a root vegetable, and folates, which are a safe, natural provider of folic acid (and why you’re likely to see pregnant women drinking it). It’s packed with antioxidants, Vitamin C, B complex and also has a low glycemic load, making it a healthy and safe drink for diabetics. What’s not to love about carrot juice?

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Spiced Pear Margaritas

2 · Feb 20, 2014 · 3 Comments

This spiced pear margarita recipe has a cinnamon-infused kick and gets a sweet, molasses-like depth from piloncillo.

There are two great things about this recipe: First, it can be served cold or hot, depending what kind of climate you live in and whether you’re suffering through a brutal winter or not. Serving it hot is just like having a fruit-infused tequila hot toddy! And second, the spiced pear puree will keep in an airtight container (I recommend a glass jar) in the refrigerator for up to a week, and the recipe can be easily doubled if you want to make it in advance for a party or just enjoy a few cocktails during the week.

This margarita recipe calls for Bosc pears, which have brown skin and sweet flesh. They’re in season from September through April. If you can’t find Bosc pears, you can substitute Bartlett pears, which also are sweet and juicy, and in season from August through February.

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Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate

13 · Nov 2, 2013 · 5 Comments

Día de los Muertos is the perfect time of year for Mexican hot chocolate. This recipe is a twist on the classic plain chocolate caliente; it’s spiced with chile guajillo, which lends a mildly spicy flavor and an earthy and fruity bouquet to this traditional beverage.

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Prickly pear frozen margarita

5 · Sep 16, 2013 · 2 Comments

A prickly pear margarita is just the drink you need to punch up your party menu!

Grocery stores are typically overflowing with prickly pears—known as tunas rojas in Spanish—in August and September. You can eat them plain, use them to make agua fresca de tuna roja, watermelon and prickly pear paletas, prickly pear sorbet or even margaritas! There are so many possibilities.

Prickly pears are full of pectin, which makes them ideal for jelly and jam-making. The pectin produces a syrupy consistency that’s also perfect for blending with ice to make a frozen margarita. I’m serving this margarita for our Mexican Independence Day celebration. It’s a sophisticated representation of the Mexican flag: red from the prickly pears, white from the tequila blanco and green from the lime.

¡Viva México!…

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Mango agua fresca

40 · Sep 2, 2013 · 3 Comments

Agua de mango is a popular agua fresca flavor in Mexico. Mangoes are high in fiber, packed with Vitamin A, C and E, have more than 25 kinds of carotenoids which help boost immunity, and can help lower cholesterol.

Ataulfo mangoes are best for this recipe because they are the sweetest variety and also least fibrous texture, which means you’ll discard less pulp.

Close substitutes or other names for this kind of mango can include Manila mangoes, honey mangoes or champagne mangoes.

Ataulfo mangoes are in peak season between March and June, but can often be found in stores all the way through December depending on the part of the country where you live.

Leave the mangoes out on the counter at room temperature for a few days if they’re firm at the time you buy them. You’ll know they’re ripe and ready to use when the skin gives a little when you press it and/or the skin starts to wrinkle slightly. If the skin is already wrinkled when you buy them, they’re ready to use immediately.

This variety of mango is less fibrous than the Tommy Atkins (green with red blush) variety, and therefore is more ideal for making aguas frescas.

If you like this recipe, you may also like my agua de fresa y mango recipe (strawberry and mango).

Mango agua fresca

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 20
Total Time: 20
Yield: 5 cups 1x
Category: Drinks
Cuisine: Mexican

Description

Ataulfo mangoes are best for this agua fresca recipe because they are the sweetest variety and also least fibrous texture, which means you’ll discard less pulp.

Scale

Ingredients

2 Ataulfo or Manila mangoes
3 1/2 cups cold water
3 tablespoons natural cane sugar (such as Zulka azúcar morena)

Instructions

Peel the mangoes and remove all the flesh from the pit. Put the flesh directly into a blender or food processor. Squeeze the juice out of any remaining flesh on the pit that is too difficult or rough to cut away from the pit.
Add 3 tablespoons of cane sugar and 3 1/2 cups of cold water to the blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth.
Place a fine-mesh strainer or sieve over a pitcher and pour the contents of the blender through the sieve. You should only end up discarding about 2 tablespoons or so of the fibrous pulp left behind from the mango flesh.
Serve over ice if serving immediately, or refrigerate. Will last about 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

Notes

Serve over ice. If you don’t consume it all, you can refrigerate the rest of the pitcher for up to four days. Remember to stir the agua fresca well because the mango puree will separate slightly when at rest.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup

Keywords: mango

Try more of my aguas frescas recipes:

Try more of my mango recipes:

Mangonada paletas | Mango and peach paletas | Paletas de mango con chile | Guacamole with mango and pomegranate seeds

Jarritos fruity tequila cocktails

70 · Aug 19, 2013 · 3 Comments

If you love to entertain and want to whip up some fun, fruity cocktails that are so easy to make, you’ll have plenty of time to spend with your guests, this is your cocktail! This is what I’ll be serving up to visitors during the Labor Day weekend while we hang by the pool and soak up the last of the summer sun.

I typically stock the following flavors at home to make this easy cocktail: Fresa (strawberry), tamarindo (tamarind), mandarina (mandarin orange), piña (pineapple), guayaba (guava), limón (lime) and mango. For those who like to play bartender, you can try mixing some of the soda flavors to make more unique cocktails, such as pineapple-guava or strawberry-mango. If you like, you can also substitute rum for the tequila. Even when we’re not entertaining friends, I like to hang out on the balcony or by the pool sipping these fruity cocktails.

Note: If you use the toronja (grapefruit) flavor + tequila, you can make a version of my paloma recipe!…

How to make iced café de olla with a Keurig machine

11 · Jul 15, 2013 · 2 Comments

Café de olla is one of my all-time favorite Mexican recipes. In fact, it was the first recipe I ever posted here on The Other Side of The Tortilla. During the spring and summer, I love to drink iced coffee. Naturally, I came up with this recipe to enjoy a summer version of café de olla so I can drink it on ice—and it doesn’t take me more than five minutes to make, so I can grab it to go in the morning as I head out the door to work.

Of course, you can also make this recipe without the ice for a quick, hot version of café de olla if you’re in a hurry. It doesn’t have all the flavor depth of the traditional version which is infused slowly, but it’s perfect for a quick fix!…

Get my FREE Brunch With Mom recipe ebook for Mother’s Day

1 · May 7, 2013 · 3 Comments

I’m excited to share that I’ve co-authored a bilingual recipe ebook, “Brunch With Mom,” that has 11 awesome brunch recipes for Mother’s Day by me and five other food writers. You don’t want to miss out on this cookbook full of drool-worthy photos and easy directions to make the perfect brunch!

I wrote two of the recipes in the book, which are pictured here below. If you make any of the recipes, share them on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #BrunchWithMom so we can see your masterpiece!

Trenza de huevo con chorizo | Egg and chorizo puff pastry braid

This fun and fancy variation on a traditional breakfast dish envelops the huevo con chorizo in a braided puff pastry dough to create a savory breakfast treat.

Latte Oaxaqueño | Oaxacan Latte

This spin on a regular old cafe latte uses Mexican chocolate for an Oaxacan twist. The secret: You don’t need a fancy coffee machine to make the foam! I teach you how to do it with a glass jar, milk and the microwave. Even your kids will be able to do this one.

My recipes and photos appear on pages 10-15 and 44-47. Get the whole ebook for FREE here (you need to create a free account to download or print it):
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Agua de fresa y mango

8 · Apr 8, 2013 · 5 Comments

Although May is National Strawberry Month, the grocery stores seem to suddenly be overflowing with ripe strawberries in the last week or so. We love strawberries in our house, but when you buy a few pounds of them at once because they’re inexpensive, what can you do with them other than eat them? Turn them into an agua fresca, of course! You want to be sure that your strawberries are red, ripe and fragrant to use them for this recipe. If they’re super sweet, you may want to decrease the amount of sugar in the simple syrup in the recipe; it’s a matter of personal taste how sweet you like the agua to be. Mango adds a sweet and summery twist to this classic agua de fresa recipe. If you don’t like mango, you can leave it out and increase the amount of strawberries by about one-third of a pound.

A few notes about this recipe: This particular agua fresca is a little bit thicker consistency than others due to the mango flesh. You can dilute it with additional water if you like, but the consistency of the recipe written here makes it more Colima-style. You should use yellow mangoes rather than the green and magenta-colored ones (a variety called Tommy Atkins, mostly grown in Florida, and known in Spanish as petacón because of the big-bottomed shape) usually available in most grocery stores.

The yellow mangoes you’ll find in the U.S. are mostly Ataulfo mangoes and are very similar to Manila mangoes in taste and look, and both have very thin seeds, meaning you’ll get more mango flesh. (Manila are the yellow variety most commonly available in Mexico City that we’re used to eating when we’re there.) Both Ataulfo and Manila mangoes have sweet, creamy flesh that practically melts in your mouth and are not fibrous like the Tommy Atkins variety, which can be tough if not ripe or stringy due to the fibers. Ataulfo mangoes are in season from March to July; they should be yellow to yellow-orange in color with no black spots, and they’re perfectly ripe when the flesh gives a little (just like with a peach) and the skin starts to wrinkle just a bit….

Wordless Wednesday: Store-bought Tepache

0 · Apr 3, 2013 · Leave a Comment

As I’ve been checking out as many Mexican grocers in Los Angeles as possible, I’ve noticed one product (made by a few different brands) that was not common to find in the Mexican supermarkets in Chicago: bottled tepache. I haven’t tried any yet, but I think I will soon just because I’m seeing it everywhere and I’m getting more and more curious how it tastes compared to the homemade tepache I’ve had in Mexico and Chicago from taquerías and street stands.

The fermented pineapple drink has a hard cider quality and is originally from the state of Jalisco.

For a home-brewed recipe, check out this step-by-step tepache recipe and tutorial from my friend Pati Jinich from Pati’s Mexican Table.

I used to frequently find tepache at an aguas frecas stand at the Maxwell Street Market (every Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; free admission and most vendors only accept cash). For more places to find tepache in Chicago, check out this August 2012 article from the Chicago Tribune.

Have you had store-bought or bottled tepache? Is it any good and do you have a preferred brand I should try?

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Agua de mango is a popular agua fresca flavor in Mexico. Mangoes are high in fiber, packed with Vitamin A, C and E, have more than 25 kinds of carotenoids which help boost immunity, and can help lower cholesterol.

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Try more of my aguas frescas recipes:

Try more of my mango recipes:

Trenza de huevo con chorizo | Egg and chorizo puff pastry braid

Latte Oaxaqueño | Oaxacan Latte

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