Snacks

Name: Mangonadas
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 mangonadas
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1/2 cup apricot spreadable fruit (not jelly, jam or preserves); Juice of 1 lime; 2 1/4 teaspoons McCormick Gourmet Collection ground ancho chile pepper; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 4-5 large dried apricots, rehydrated in warm water for 30 minutes; 2-3 tablespoons chamoy; 2 cups frozen mango chunks; 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3-4 large navel oranges); Chile lime salt, such as Tajín, to taste

How to prepare chicharrones de harina

14 · Jul 1, 2017 · 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.

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….

The best guacamole recipe ever

11 · Jun 12, 2017 · 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.

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….

Frozen orange slices with Tajín

9 · Jul 6, 2015 · 3 Comments

Transform plain orange slices with a little lime juice and Tajín! Serve immediately, or freeze them for a refreshing, frosty treat!

The best part of summer is the peak availability of so many fruits; it means you can make a variety of sweet treats with little or no added sugar, such as street food-style mango and orange cups with coconut chips, watermelon aloe juice, and all kinds of paletas. With what seems like a surplus of juicy oranges at my local supermarkets, I’ve been using them in many different ways all summer. Whether it’s juicing them, eating them plain, or sectioning them to make a fruity pico de gallo or ensalada xec (a Mayan citrus and jicama salad), there are lots of possibilities.

This healthy snack is one I like to make in advance, freeze and serve by the pool or in the backyard on hot summer days. It’s great to serve to kids as well because even if they eat two servings, they’re eating only one whole orange. Plus, it’s an easy snack for little hands to hold.

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan-friendly.

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Street food style mango fruit cups

1 · May 18, 2015 · 2 Comments

These street food style fruit cups made with mango, orange, lime juice and coconut are a healthy snack.

I love a good, healthy snack, and I’m always tempted to stop whenever I see a fruit cart on the street. Throughout Mexico, you’ll find these street food vendors with all different seasonal fruits that they’ll cut up and put in a cup and top with chile powder, Tajín, chamoy or some kind of bottled salsa.

RELATED RECIPE: Ensalada Xec (Mayan citrus and jicama salad)…

Queso fundido potato skins

0 · Mar 13, 2015 · 2 Comments

This post is part of a compensated campaign with Farmland® and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions and the recipe here are my own.

Queso fundido potato skins are a sinful snack perfect for any party or game day. Or even a random Saturday when you just want a savory, meaty, cheesy snack.

I usually serve queso fundido with tortillas (mostly corn tortillas, but sometimes flour) or hearty tortilla chips. But I’ve had a penchant lately to meld together my Mexican favorites with my American favorites, which is what prompted me to create these queso fundido potato skins.

RELATED RECIPE: Queso fundido with chorizo

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BLT guacamole

1 · Jan 20, 2015 · 5 Comments

This post is part of a compensated campaign with Farmland® and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions and the recipe here are my own.

BLT guacamole is a mashup of two of my favorite things: A classic bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich and avocado. Whenever I make a BLT sandwich, I usually like to add a little sliced avocado and some homemade chipotle mayo.

This recipe is a lot like a BLT — the only thing missing is the bread. (Although you could eat this guacamole on toast as an open-faced sandwich, too.)

RELATED TIP: How to keep guacamole fresh and green…

Roasted jalapeño hummus and the 2015 Flavor Forecast

1 · Jan 12, 2015 · 3 Comments

This post is part of a compensated campaign with McCormick Spices. All opinions and the recipe here are my own.

Roasted jalapeño hummus is a quick, easy, healthy snack you can make at home in about 15 minutes.

While this might look like any old regular hummus, the roasted jalapeño, garlic and cumin give it a mellowed, spicy kick for a different flavor than traditional, plain hummus. This anything-but-typical dip is great served with pita bread, pita chips, or tortilla. chips. And in 2015, this snack — which is a fusion of Middle Eastern and Mexican flavors — is actually trendy! Middle Eastern dips and spreads are one of the global food trends in this year’s Flavor Forecast from McCormick Spices.

It’s quite easy to work most of these trends into your daily cooking routines, but I challenge you to try to incorporate at least one trend per week. Chances are, if you’re a Mexican food enthusiast, you may already be cooking according to some of these trends — in which case, congratulations for being accidentally cool!

Check out the full McCormick Flavor Forecast 2015 and get inspired to get cooking with recipe suggestions galore.

There are eight flavor trends to watch in the 15th annual McCormick Flavor Forecast, and here, I’m sharing my five favorites and how you can apply them with Mexican cuisine in your own kitchen.

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Cotija and chile-spiced palomitas

1 · Dec 19, 2014 · 2 Comments

This post is part of a compensated campaign with Cacique and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions and the recipe here are my own.

Winter and family movie nights seem to go hand in hand, and you can’t have a movie night without a great snack! I love making up my own popcorn flavors, so this cheesy chile-spiced palomitas recipe is just what I want for a night in with the family and my Netflix account.

When I got an air popper several years ago, I stopped buying microwave popcorn. The beauty of freshly popped popcorn made with an air popper is that you can make as little (or as much) as you want, and you can dress it up differently each time you make popcorn! And you’re not getting any chemical additives either, so you won’t feel unhealthy eating it. If you don’t have an air popper, you can also easily make the popcorn on the stovetop without any oil.

I love to mix and match flavors all the time, but one of my favorite combinations is melted butter, chile powder, queso cotija and a little squeeze of fresh lime juice. Sometimes, I substitute the chile powder for a liquid hot sauce such as salsa Búfalo or Tapatío. If I’m feeling like something really spicy, I might even use a habanero salsa!

Popcorn (also known as palomitas) is also an awesome street food treat in Mexico, so I love recreating street palomitas at home….

Roasted chickpeas with tajin

11 · Nov 28, 2014 · 1 Comment

Roasted chickpeas (also known in Spanish as garbanzos) with Tajín, lime juice and cumin is an easy, healthy snack that’s also naturally gluten-free and vegan-friendly.

This is a great alternative to mixed nuts because the roasted chickpeas are crunchy, tangy, salty and have less than half the fat per cup. One cup of oil-roasted mixed nuts has about 72 grams of fat, while oil-roasted chickpeas have only about 31 grams of fat (which comes almost completely from the oil)….

Pellizcadas

11 · Nov 21, 2014 · 1 Comment

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

Pellizcadas are the perfect appetizer for those who love sopes, but want something a little smaller to snack on.

Pellizcadas can be eaten alone, as an appetizer, or along with a meal such as lunch. In Veracruz, where part of our family is from, it’s common for pellizcadas to be served with small pieces of crushed chicharron and topped with salsa. In other parts of the country, there are many variations when it comes to the toppings. This particular variation is similar to one I’ve eaten in Acapulco, where this dish is sometimes referred to as pellizcadas acapulqueñas….

Baked panela cheese and membrillo ‘pan de muerto’ for Day of the Dead

3 · Oct 17, 2014 · 2 Comments

This post is part of a compensated campaign in collaboration with Cacique and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions and the recipe are my own.

This recipe is a fun spin on pan de muerto, a sweet bread typically served during Day of the Dead celebrations.

Traditionally, pan de muerto is perfumed with orange blossom water, has dough adornments on top that represent bones, and then is baked and dusted in sugar. Similar to a baked brie, this dish envelopes panela cheese and something sweet into a flaky puff pastry crust that, when finished, resembles pan de muerto but has a tasty, sweet and savory surprise inside!

I’ve used quince paste in this recipe, known as membrillo in Spanish; you can also substitute guava paste if you prefer….

How to make mangonadas

253 · Aug 20, 2014 · 11 Comments

A mangonada is a quintessential Mexican treat, made of mango, orange juice, chamoy and chile lime salt, and they’re sold just about everywhere from street vendors to neverías in Mexico.

This post is part of a compensated campaign with McCormick & Company but the recipe and opinions here are my own.

It’s very popular, especially in the warm weather months, as it resembles an American slushie. You can grab one to go on the street or enjoy it with friends in an ice cream parlor.

If you’ve been reading The Other Side of The Tortilla for awhile, you may remember I interviewed Chef Kevan Vetter about the 2013 McCormick Flavor Forecast and how global flavor trends were incorporating Mexican flavors and sensibilities on a worldwide scale. This year marks McCormick’s 125th anniversary of the company celebrating the role flavor plays in all of our lives, inspiring flavorful conversation and giving back to communities around the world.

I’m thrilled to see that this trend and interest in Mexican cuisine has been growing exponentially and is again incorporated in the most recent report. The McCormick Flavor Forecast 2014 report includes two flavor insights particularly suited to highlighting Mexican cuisine: A worldwide obsession with chilies and a growing taste for regional Mexican fare in North America. Of the Mexican flavors considered to be trending globally this year is chamoy, a sweet and spicy condiment made with apricot, lime, chiles and salt. Chamoy also happens to be a key ingredient in the mangonada.

Chamoy is a versatile condiment, as it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes; anything from a salsa for dipping fruit or making jicaletas (jicama popsicles) to marinating meats or using it as a meat glaze.

RELATED RECIPE: Mango and chamoy paletas

Although bottled chamoy can be found in most Mexican supermarket chains in the U.S. as well as for purchase online, I like to make my own so I know exactly what’s in it. Most of the commercially produced chamoy is loaded with sugar, preservatives and dyes. My version of chamoy uses apricot fruit spread (not jelly, jam or preserves) and natural ingredients so you can feel good about indulging in this treat. There are multiple brands that offer apricot fruit spread, which is more or less a jam or preserve made with little or no added sugar.

Ground ancho chile provides a subtle, earthy spice to this homemade chamoy without being overpowering. If you want to make your chamoy on the spicier side, you can add about 1/2 teaspoon more to the recipe below. And if you need to thin out the chamoy, you can add a little lime juice and store leftovers in the refrigerator. For a modern twist to the traditional mangonada, you can try substituting pineapple juice for orange juice.

Mangonada #recipe with homemade chamoy from theothersideofthetortilla.com #mexican #flavorstory @mccormickspice

Mangonadas

Prep 35 mins

Total 35 mins

Author Maura Wall Hernandez

Yield 2 mangonadas

A traditional Mexican mango and orange juice slush with chamoy and chile lime salt, mangonadas are served everywhere from street vendors to neverías in Mexico and are very popular especially in the warm weather months.

Ingredients

For the homemade chamoy:

1/2 cup apricot spreadable fruit (not jelly, jam or preserves)
Juice of 1 lime
2 1/4 teaspoons McCormick Gourmet Collection ground ancho chile pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4-5 large dried apricots, rehydrated in warm water for 30 minutes

For the mangonadas:

2-3 tablespoons chamoy
2 cups frozen mango chunks
1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3-4 large navel oranges)
Chile lime salt, such as Tajín, to taste

Instructions

For the chamoy:

Add 4-5 large dried apricots to a cup of warm water and allow to soak for 30 minutes to rehydrate. When the apricots are rehydrated, discard the water.
Add 1/2 cup spreadable fruit, juice of one lime, ground ancho chile pepper and apple cider vinegar to a food processor and run on high until completely smooth.

For the mangonadas:

Add 2 cups frozen mango chunks to blender and pour orange juice on top. Seal the top of the blender and blend on high until completely smooth.
Spoon chamoy around the inside of the glass, then pour the mango and orange juice mixture into the cup.
Top with more chamoy and swirl with a spoon.
Sprinkle chile lime salt on top and serve.

Notes

The prep time in this recipe includes 30 minutes of inactive prep time for soaking the dried apricots.

Cuisine Mexican

Chiles toreados

165 · Jul 21, 2014 · 8 Comments

Chiles toreados are a dish that you’ll commonly find in taquerías in Mexico.

They’re usually made with serrano or jalapeño chiles that are sautéed in oil until the chiles are blistered. There are many different ways to make chiles toreados—some people use the chiles alone, but I like to cook onions with them too. There are also a variety of ways to make the sauce, which is part of the beauty of this recipe. There’s no wrong way to make them; it’s just a matter of personal taste.

This post and recipe are part of a compensated campaign in collaboration with Kikkoman and Latina Bloggers Connect.

Rather than cook the chiles in vegetable oil, I’ve opted for a slightly healthier method by using coconut oil spray to cut down on the amount of oil used. No need to worry about your chiles tasting like coconut, though—the taste won’t infuse into the chiles.

This dish can be served as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to tacos of your choice. Chiles toreados are also naturally vegan-friendly!

I’ve eaten this spicy, salty side dish in both hole in the wall and upscale taco joints and the taste varies slightly from place to place. Some cooks like to add oyster sauce for a little umami flavor, but I prefer to keep mine classic with just lime juice and soy sauce. Kikkoman soy sauce is a versatile ingredient that can be used to cook many different types of cuisines. In Mexico, you’ll also often see chiles toreados served in sushi bars and restaurants, as it’s a perfect pairing for dipping rolls, similar to the spicy mixture of soy sauce and wasabi paste that is traditionally used in Japanese cuisine.

This particular dish is most commonly made with regular soy sauce, but if you’re trying to keep your sodium intake down, you can substitute Kikkoman low-sodium soy sauce or even the lime ponzu for a lighter, less salty flavor. I typically use the low-sodium Kikkoman soy sauce in my kitchen. If you want to make the dish spicy, use serrano chiles (and if you like it REALLY spicy, add another chile or two); if you want to make it less spicy, substitute jalapeño chiles for the serrano chiles.

Chiles toreados

Prep 5 mins

Cook 15 mins

Total 20 mins

Author Maura Wall Hernandez

Yield 2-3 servings

A classic Mexican taquería dish, chiles toreados are roasted serrano or jalapeño chiles, blister cooked with onion and marinated in a soy sauce and lime juice mixture.