Mexican Christmas Traditions

Name: Huevo ranchero for one
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Mexican
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)

Mexican Eggs Benedict

12 · May 26, 2017 · 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.

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!…

What to eat at El Charco de las Ranas in Mexico City

16 · May 20, 2017 · Leave a Comment

El Charco de las Ranas has been the gold standard for “nice” tacos in Mexico City for more than 30 years. And I mean “nice” in the most Mexican of ways.

This often-imitated small chain does many things and does them right, every single time. From humble beginnings on Av. Río Mixcoac where they mainly doled out the classic tacos al pastor and bistec, they now have a 150-item-plus menu that ranges from breakfast classics such as huevos divorciados for breakfast to a very solid pozole for the overnight crowd. Our family always goes to the original location so I can’t speak to the one in Pedregal.

But their tacos al pastor deserve special attention. Neither lovers nor haters will ever call them “bad,” or anything worse. They’re huge though, so order fewer, as one of their “traditional” tacos usually make up three or four of any other taco they serve. …

20 Authentic Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

8 · May 4, 2017 · 1 Comment

Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo and looking for authentic Mexican recipes for your menu? You’ve come to the right place!

But first, a quick history lesson about what Cinco de Mayo is—and isn’t.

Cinco de Mayo IS a holiday that commemorates the Battle of Puebla, which took place May 5, 1862 and was a Mexican army victory over the occupying French soldiers. Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day (that’s in September).

While many people in the U.S. might “celebrate” this day, it’s more of a bank holiday kind of day in Mexico. Only some areas observe it as an actual holiday. And while I’m all for celebrating Mexican culture and cuisine, celebrating Cinco de Mayo is more of an opportunity for me to share authentic Mexican recipes that can actually teach you more about the diverse cuisine rather than just give you an excuse to eat chips and salsa and drink margaritas.

I’m sharing with you 20 of my favorite recipes that you can make with little time on your hands to prepare for Cinco de Mayo, or any day of the year.

And my No. 1 tip that you’ll want to keep bookmarked to share with everyone you know: How to keep your guacamole fresh and green

(Because friends don’t let friends put water, milk or anything else weird in their guacamole.)

DRINKS

Agua de jamaica – hibiscus flower agua fresca
Agua de piña – pineapple agua fresca
Paloma – a grapefruit margarita

APPETIZERS

Queso fundido with chorizo
Esquites – Mexican street corn in a cup
Chicharron de queso – a classic taquería appetizer that’s a big, crispy piece of griddled cheese

PAN DULCE

Orejas – also known as palmiers
Garibaldi – the famous mini cakes from El Globo, bathed in apricot jam and covered in nonpareils

SIDE DISHES

Chiles toreados – a classic taquería side dish of blistered chiles and onion, soy sauce and lime
Cebollitas cambray – grilled spring onions with a special salsa Maggi and lime sauce
Sopa de fideo – the quintessential Mexican comfort dish, a tomato broth soup with noodles
Frijoles charros – a hearty bean stew that’s often served in taquerías

MAIN MENU

Tinga de pollo – shredded chicken stewed with tomatoes, tomatillos, chipotle chile, chorizo and spices
Baked taquitos de pollo – a healthy take on the fried dish of shredded chicken rolled in a tortilla and served with salsa on top
Chilaquiles verdes – shredded chicken over tortilla chips, with salsa verde, crema mexicana and cotija cheese
Albóndigas en salsa chipotle – Mexican meatballs served in a spicy chipotle tomato sauce, served over black beans and rice
Pozole rojo – a hearty pork stew with hominy, spices, and garnished with radish, onion, Mexican oregano, lettuce and lime juice

DESSERTS

Mangonadas – a mango and orange juice frozen treat, similar to a smoothie, mixed with chamoy and Tajín
Paletas de fresas con crema – an ice pop spin on the classic strawberries and cream
Raspados de piña – pineapple ice sorbet topped with chamoy and Tajín

You might also like: Easy Mexican snacks for Super Bowl Sunday and other party gatherings

How to make suero

158 · 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.

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

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

Print Recipe

Description

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

Ingredients

Scale

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.

Weekday huevos rancheros

7 · Mar 20, 2017 · 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!

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

Huevo ranchero for one

Prep 5 mins

Cook 5 mins

Total 10 mins

Author Maura Wall Hernandez

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

Heat 1/3 cup of beans and 1/4 cup salsa and set aside.
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.
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.
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