Tag: mexican cuisine

Scalloped Potatoes with Roasted Poblano Sauce

I am very proud of this recipe. I combined a bunch of peppers, garlic and onion and roasted them till they became soft and deliciously nutty. I then blended the veggies with cream and milk- I basically made a cream sauce to be used to make scalloped potatoes. I bought a reasonably priced mandolin. Usually they are quite expensive and not worth the money. They are handy to have around- as they make slicing the potatoes a cinch. I was done in no time. The whole dish took me hardly any time to make.

I would recommend making the cream sauce ahead of time if you are planning a big Thanksgiving dinner. You could even freeze the sauce and take it out a day ahead and assemble the potatoes the morning of and then bake them right before eating. They are simply delicious…

1 poblano pepper
1 anaheim pepper
1 head of garlic with the top sliced off with a drizzle of olive oil and wrapped in aluminum foil
½ medium yellow onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup cream
¼ cup milk
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the peppers, wrapped garlic and onion onto a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle the peppers and onion with the oil and massage with fingers. Roast in oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the peppers are charred on the outside. Let cool. Take the skin off the peppers and squeeze the garlic out of the skins.
Add the roasted vegetables into a blender with cream and milk. Blend till smooth and add salt. Keep aside. This can be made two days in advance.

2 pounds red skinned potatoes, sliced thin about 1/8 inch
½ cup queso fresco, shredded

Divide the potato slices into three batches. Add the first to the bottom of an ovenproof dish (9X9). Spread a quarter cup of green sauce. Repeat till you have the third and last bit of potatoes. Pour all of the sauce covering all the potatoes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Take the foil off and add the cheese. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or till the cheese is golden brown.

Beef Chili with Chicken Chorizo

This is a delicious chili cooked with chorizo- which has immense flavor…

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound grass fed ground beef
4 chorizo links, casings taken off and crumbled
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with chili
1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a saucepan with olive oil. Add the beef and chorizo and sauté on high heat for 5 to 6 minutes while separating the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the onion, garlic and pepper and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spices and tomatoes. Saute for another 2 to 3 mintues. Add the black beans, water and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Take the lid off and cook for another 15 minutes on a low heat, or until the desired consistency is achieved. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro. Serve warm.

Black Beans with Onion and Cumin

This is a very simple yet flavorful side dish to serve with any kind of protein or even just as a snack. I made these beans with the chicken enchiladas… yummy!

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 14 ounces can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 14 ounces cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Salt
2 cups water
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and sauté on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the black beans, salt and the water. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for another 5 minutes. Check the seasonings and garnish with cilantro.

Chicken Enchiladas

One of our favorite cuisines is Mexican- we all love it and I make a whole lot of it at home… this is one of our favs…

1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle the olive oil all over the chicken thighs and rub them with the spices and salt. Marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours. Keep aside.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cups homemade sauce or a 28 ounces can of crushed tomatoes
1 large onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and brown them on both sides until golden brown, at least 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

Take out of the pan and add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and the chicken back to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer with the lid on for 15 to 20 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take the chicken out and let cool. Once thoroughly cooled off, shred the chicken with a fork and keep the meat aside. Add cilantro to the tomato sauce, check for seasoning and keep aside.

6 to 8 small tortillas (I used a tortillas made with both flour and corn)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mixture of Mexican cheeses) and more if needed

Use a 8X8 oven proof dish and start assembling the enchiladas. Dip a tortilla in the tomato sauce and then place half a cup of the shredded chicken in the middle and top with about a ¼ cup of shredded cheese. Roll it up tightly and place it in the dish seam side down. Repeat with all the tortillas you have using up all the chicken. Top with the tomato sauce and about one cup of shredded cheese.

Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Take out and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Shrimp with Pumpkin Seed Sauce

We have a local Mexican restaurant that my daughter absolutely loves.. I on the other hand, am not a fan… well, until recently. I found a delicious shrimp dish cooked in a pumpkin seed sauce. It was creamy but extremely light- unlike a lot of Americanized Mexican dishes… this was perfect.. so I thought why not try to make it at home. It was very delicious and easy to make…

1 pound shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds
3 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 cup cilantro, chopped

Roast pumpkin seeds in a heavy skillet on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or till the seeds are golden brown. Transfer the roasted seeds, green onions, jalapeno peppers, garlic, oregano, cumin seeds, salt and 2 cups of chicken broth in a powerful blender and blend till completely smooth. Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil and transfer the sauce into it. Cook on medium heat, stirring for 5 to 6 minutes or till the sauce thickens. Add another cup of chicken broth and continue to cook for another 20 minutes on medium heat. The sauce at this point may separate but don’t worry. Turn heat off and transfer back to the blender and add ¾ cup of cilantro and blend till the sauce is smooth again. Return to the saucepan and adjust seasonings. Cook the shrimp in the sauce and garnish with the remaining cilantro. Serve with lemon and cilantro rice.

Deconstructed Shrimp Enchiladas with Tomato Sauce

These are soooo good! I saw some chef make a version of these on The Chew… and it looked yummy.. and very interesting as she added nutmeg to the tomato sauce- not something I associate with Mexican cooking…. So, I tweaked it to my taste and came up with this version. They are easier than traditional enchiladas as there is no assembly requires.. just dip the tortillas in the sauce and add the filling, fold in half and serve!!! Definitely make yesterday’s slaw with them…

2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store bought (14 ounces can of tomato sauce)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno chili, sliced in half and deseeded
1 medium onion, chopped
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fish stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon olive oil

Transfer the tomato sauce to a medium saucepan. Add the garlic, jalapeno, onion, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes or till the vegetables are soft. Transfer to a blender and add the fish stock and blend till smooth.

Heat the same saucepan with olive oil and add the tomato sauce and sauté for a minute. Turn heat lower and simmer, covered for 15 minutes, till the sauce is thickened. Add the heavy cream, mix well and check for seasonings. Keep warm.

1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and cut into half
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Heat a frying pan with the butter and olive oil. Add the shrimp and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or till the shrimp is cooked through. Turn heat off and keep aside.

1 large avocado, diced
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon salt

Mix the avocado, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and keep aside.

6 to 8 6 inch tortillas, heated in a toaster oven or stove top
½ cup queso fresco, crumbled

Take each tortilla and immerse in the tomato sauce. Remove and place on a plate. Add some shrimp and avocado and garnish with some queso fresco. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

Brussels Sprouts with Chorizo

I have to eat brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving- it is a must. I like them best roasted till they are nutty and yummy. This particular one of course has Latin flavors- chorizo to be specific. I like the Mexican style chorizo, which is the fresh and uncooked variety. I love the yummy garlic and paprika flavor of this sausage. It enhances any dish to a new level. I have been making brussels sprouts with walnuts and a cream sauce. This one is a bit different- it includes pecans and the delicious sausage. It is a very simple dish to put together and all the prep work, including cutting the brussels sprouts, shallots and pecans. You can do it the day before and put the dish together in the morning. It can be reheated right before you sit down to eat. Enjoy!!

1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle the olive and sprinkle the salt and pepper. Mix well and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Squeeze the garlic out and keep aside.

4 ounces fresh chorizo, casing removed and crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium shallots, sliced
½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Add the chorizo and olive oil into a large frying pan. Saute for 2 minutes and add sliced shallots. Saute until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the roasted garlic and sprouts. Add the pecans and vinegar. Add salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

« older entries newer entries »