Mexican Food Recipes

does anyone know a good spanish/mexican dish?

&&

the recipe for it?
or a website w/ recipies?

Pork Empanadas

Tender pork turnovers. Filling can be used for almost anything else, such as taco filling. Can be frozen baked or unbaked. If baking from freezer, do not thaw. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Reheat baked frozen at 350 for 15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds pork butt roast
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 bay leaves

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup masa harina
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lard
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup salsa

DIRECTIONS
To make the filling: Place pork in a large pot and cover with water. Add onion, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. While pork is cooking, prepare dough.
To make the dough: Sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening to the dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg and 1/2 cup milk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and stir with a fork until the dough comes together in a ball. Divide the dough into 16 even size pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Place in a container, cover and refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). After the pork has simmered for 1 1/2 hours remove from liquid. Place pork in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until meat shreds easily with fork. Remove from oven and shred into small pieces. Add salsa to shredded pork.
On lightly floured surface, flatten a piece of dough with the palm of your hand. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to make a 5 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Brush edges of dough with milk. Fold dough over filling. Pinch edges together. Crimp with fork to seal.
Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove to rack and cool for about 5 minutes. Serve warm

My boyfriend and I aren’t vegetarian, but I’m trying to incorporate more vegetarian meal options into our daily life. I feel we’d be healthier if we ate a more organic and vegetarian-ish diet. He is not a fan of tofu by any means, so that’s out. But I don’t think he has any objections to other alternatives.

Does anyone out there have any favorite recipes they’d like to share? We love Chinese, Italian and Mexican foods, if that matters. Thanks!!
I like the first responder’s suggestion, though I’m not sure how he’d react to the eggplant. I may try that one day just to see how he feels about it.

http://www.fatfreevegan.com (one of my favs)

http://www.theppk.com

http://www.vegcooking.com

http://www.vegetarianlunchbox.com

http://www.peta.org/accidentallyvegan

http://www.veganlunchbox.com

ok so i need to make some kind of mexican food for my spanish class

but here is the problem it has to be 100% veg. that means no eggs no meat and ho fish!!!

got any ideas on what i could make?

and is there a way of making churros with out eggs? cuz that was my original idea but all recipies that i found had eggs in them, CANT HAVE THAT NOW CAN WE.

but if u have any 100% veg. recipies please let me know.
thanks in advance

Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a cold, raw soup that is full of flavor.

Yield 8 servings
Time 20 minutes + several hours to chill
Tools large, covered bowl
blender (optional)

Ingredients 4 c tomato juice or diced tomatoes
2 c diced tomatoes
1 peeled, seeded, diced cucumber
½ c chopped red onion
½ c chopped celery
½ c chopped bell pepper
2 chopped scallions
2 cloves minced garlic
¼ chopped fresh parsley
2 T wine vinegar
2 T lemon and/or lime juice
2 T olive oil
salt, pepper

Directions Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.
Purée some or all of the soup (optional).

Chill for several hours.

Or….

Vegetarian Paella

A Spanish dish traditionally made with meat and shellfish. This flexible veggie version is simpler, but no less delicious.

Yield 6 servings
Time 30 minutes
Tools large saucepan with lid
wooden spoon
small bowl

Ingredients 2 T olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, sliced or diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 t paprika
½ t pepper
¼ t crushed saffron
2 c white rice, uncooked and rinsed
3 c boiling water
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 c peas
1 c corn

Directions Sauté 1 garlic clove in 1 T oil for about 1 minute. Add bell pepper and cook for two minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
Heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Sauté remaining garlic, onion, and carrot for 2 minutes. Add spices and stir well.

Mix in the rice, then pour in water.

Stir well, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is cooked.

Remove from heat, place the cooked bell pepper, tomatoes, peas, and corn on top of the rice. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Notes This is a very flexible recipe. You can leave out pretty much anything except the rice and saffron (ok, you could even leave out the saffron, but the flavor would be sorely lacking), and you can add just about anything – tofu, tempeh, or artichoke hearts, just to give you a few ideas.

mexican food

Go to:

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/month/pdfs/Tomatillo.pdf

I just started the whole "house wife" role due to the fact that my boyfriend and I just got our own place. He said his favorite foods are italian and mexican so ne-help with some recipies would be greatly apprecited. Please include oven and time settings… Thank you so much in advance guys!!!

HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

6 whole hot Italian sausages
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion
1 green bell pepper
3 tbsp olive oil

Set the sausages to boil for about 10 min, drain set aside. Chop the pepper and onion in 3/4-1" pieces.
Sauté over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Pour in the olive oil, add the diced garlic, peppers and onion. Cook the vegetables just until they begin to soften. Transfer contents of skillet to a large bowl and set aside.

Slice sausages into 1/2" thick coins, as you would carrots. Place one more tablespoon olive oil into the skillet and fry the sausages until they are lightly browned along the edges. Stir in the bowl of cooked vegetables and continue to cook on medium-high setting, stirring every 2 minutes for about 10 minutes.

Butter some Italian bread and set on the edges of a serving plate. Pour the contents of the skillet onto the plate.

CALZONE

6 cans tomato sauce
1 cup half and half
your choice of Italian seasonings
black pepper and sea salt
1 tbs garlic powder or four cloves
(or prepare your normal spaghetti sauce)
2 lbs ground beef and/or turkey
mozzarella cheese or other
2 cans store bought biscuits, any kind

Heat oven to the biscuit directions. In a big pot add first 5 ingredients to taste; turn to low-med. In a skillet brown meat with a little salt and pepper and Italian seasonings. Cook to your liking; preferably medium to well done. When meat is done drain grease and rinse. Add the meat to your sauce and turn off burner. Now open the cans of biscuits and roll out to good sized square preferably on a cooking sheet that you will cook them on; add about a tablespoon of meat sauce. Add a small slice of cheese to the middle. Then bring all four sides to the middle; pinching them together. If you’d like at this point, you can add a slice of cheese to the top, for optimal support. Bake as the directions on the biscuits tell you. Viola! Serve with a salad.

MEXICAN STUFFED SHELLS

12 large pasta shells (cooked and drained)
1 lb ground beef
1 small jar picante sauce
1/2 cup of water
1 cup spaghetti sauce
4 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 can (2.8 oz) French fried onions
1 4 oz can diced green chiles

Brown ground beef, drain and set aside. Combine picante sauce, water and spaghetti sauce. Stir 1/2 cup into ground beef along with chiles, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 can of French fried onions. Mix well.
Pour half of remaining sauce mixture on bottom of 8×12 baking dish. Stuff cooked shells with ground beef mixture. Arrange shells in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells.

Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes.

Top with remaining cheese and onions. Bake 5 minutes longer.

I love Mexican food. Does any one know any quick recipies (20-30 minutes) that I can make?

enjoy

do you have any great recipies to make great mexican food
i really like beef tacos and taquitos. especially with a lot of cheese
thx

Keiko’s Tex-Mex 7-Layer Dip
My boss, Keiko Horton, gave me this recipe. It’s one of her most popular. The trick to keeping the dip from being runny is to drain and (in some cases) pat dry with paper towels everything.

Layer 1:

2 large cans bean dip (preferrably Frito Lay)
drain any water from cans and spread on bottom of a rectangular cake dish
Layer 2:

3 avocados peeled and crushed
2 tbsp. lemon juice
sprinkling of garlic salt
mix 3 ingredients well and spread over bean dip
Layer 3:

16 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
mix well and spread over avocado layer
Layer 4:

1 bunch green onions, chopped fine
spread over sour cream layer
Layer 5:

2 large tomatoes, sliced, seeds removed, patted dry on
paper towels, and diced
spread over onions
Layer 6:

small can sliced black olives, drained, patted dry, and chopped
spread over tomatoes
Layer 7:

4-8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
spread over black olives

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Mexican Lasagne
From: jagordon@agsm.ucla.edu

Soak, cook and mash 1 pound pinto beans, seasoned with a little garlic,
cumin and chili powder .
1 dozen corn tortillas
1 container non fat ricotta cheese
1 16 ounce container salsa
non fat yogurt – optional
In a casserole, spoon a couple spoonfuls of salsa cover bottom of casserole with tortillas.

Spread a layer of mashed beans
Spoon on some salsa
Layer of tortillas
Layer of ricotta or tofu
Spoon on some salsa
Tortillas
Beans yogurt and salsa
Bake 350 degrees farenheit for about 1/2 hour. Good with mexican rice and/or a big salad.

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Flour Tortillas (Makes 12)
From: MWORKMAN@vm.cc.purdue.edu

Here is a recipe for tortillas that was adapted from Simply Simpatico: A Taste of New Mexico. It was originally posted by Steve H.

4 cups flour, all purpose or 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 T shortening, margarine and Crisco both work
1 1/2 cup warm water, may vary with the flour used
Combine the dry ingredients, then cut in shortening. Make a small well in the center and gradually add water. Knead the dough until it is soft, smooth and elastic. Set aside 10 minutes, then divide into 12 equally sized balls. Roll balls into 1/8 inch thick circles, and cook on a preheated, ungreased grill for about 2 minutes a side, until the tortilla is lightly speckled. Cover to keep warm.

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Tacos
From: D.Rutherford@appbio.utas.edu.au (Macfudd)

Dry Ingredients
2 tablespoon Cumin powder
1 tablespoon Nutmeg powder
1 tablespoon Pimento (Allspice) powder (NB not pimiento)
1 tablespoon Paprika (hot or sweet)
1 tablespoon cracked peppercorn
salt to taste
Wet Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green capsicum, diced
1 medium red capsicum, diced
1 seeded tomato, roughly chopped
12 hot little fresh red chillies, sliced
6 pickled jalapenos, sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup tomato juice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 kilo beans, any kind(s)
To Cook
In a heavy bottomed frying pan (skillet) saute the onion in the oil until golden
Add the mince and fry with stirring until cooked dry. This means all the water has gone and only oils remain.
Add all the dry ingredients to the beans and cook for two minutes with stirring. This cooking without water brings the natural oils out of the spice and gives a better flavour. If too dry then add a little oil, not water.
Add the wet ingredients and stir in well.
Reduce heat to very gentle, cover fry pan and cook for 3/4 hr. Stir occasionally to reduce sticking to pan.
The mixture should not be runny, if so remove lid and reduce.

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Taco Salad
From: kmh2@toto.cc.lehigh.edu (Kathy M. Miller)

1 head lettuce, broken into bite-size pieces
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1-1/2 lb. Nature’s Burger
3/4 cup water
1 (8 oz) bottle Thousand Island dressing
1/2 cup sugar
1 onion, diced
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. taco flavored corn chips
Brown the burger. Reserve 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix. Add the rest to the meat with about 3/4 cup water. Simmer for a few minutes then remove from heat. Let cool. Layer lettuce, tomatoes, onion, burger mix, and cheese. Repeat layers until all is used. Refrigerate.

Sauce: Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 8 ounces Thousand Island dressing, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix. Just before serving, add sauce and broken taco chips to vegetables and toss. Enjoy!

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Taco Salad
From: whitney@magnum.sybase.com (Whitney Martin)

1 lb. beans, any kind(s)
1 taco seasoning packet (I use Shilling)
1/2 head of head lettuce, chopped
1/2 bag tortilla chips, broken into medium size pieces
1 can garbonzo beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 avocado, diced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
sour cream and salsa for garnish, if desired
Brown the beans, and season with packet, following directions on package as if you were making for tacos. Set aside and allow to cool slightly while you make the rest of the salad. Mix together the lettuce, garbonzo and kidney beans, cheese, avocado, tomato and onion. Add tortilla chips and beans last, toss, and serve immediately, topped with sour cream and salsa if desired.

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Chile Rellenos (4 rellenos, serves two)
From: spp@zabriskie.berkeley.edu (Steve Pope)

4 Anaheim chiles, roasted and peeled (canned Ortegas work OK)
3-4 oz. monterey jack cheese
8 oz. mild green chile salsa (canned salsa works OK)
2 eggs, separated
Stuff the chilis with the cheese. Whip the whites of the eggs until extremely fluffy; then add the yolks and stir once or twice (overstirring will deflate them).

In a large frying pan, heat 6 oz. of salsa to boiling. Reduce heat. Place 2/3 of the egg mixture in the pan in four relleno-sized lumps. Place one stuffed chile on top of each lump, and the remaining egg mixture on top of the chiles. Use up the remaining salsa by carefully spooning a dollop of salsa on top of each relleno. Cover and cook over low heat for a few minutes — until the egg is firm and the cheese melted; do not overcook. You will need a large pancake turner to dish the rellenos from the frying pan onto serving plates — they have a tendency to fall apart, so do this carefully.

To make these extra wonderful, start with fresh Anaheim peppers, two green and two red, roasting and peeling them right before preparation.

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Chile Relleno
From: sfisher@megatest.com (Scott Fisher)

The classic Mexican-restaurant chile relleno uses what’s called a Long Green Chile, of a number of cultivars. Easiest to come by is the Ortega brand of canned green chiles, which are known as the Anaheim chile when fresh. They’re almost completely fire-free but very flavorful, especially the ones we picked last night for chile verde (recipe later, this one’s a winner). You can stuff any pepper you like; I’ve stuffed habaneros, poblanos, Fresnos, Hungarian hot wax peppers, Spanish Spice, etc. They’re all good, but the one that is most often used in restaurants is the Anaheim, mainly due to Col. Ortega’s trek in 1906 from New Mexico to Oxnard, California, and later to Anaheim, where he developed a technique for roasting and peeling chiles mechanically.

If you’re using fresh chiles, that’s the trick: roasting and peeling. Batter won’t stick to the shiny outer skin of fresh peppers, so you have to remove it. Besides, the taste changes drastically when you fire-roast a pepper, and it’s worth doing at least once — except you’ll probably get hooked. (I covered roasting peppers not long ago, but basically, you hold them in an open fire till they turn black, then let them cool and peel off the black skin. The flesh of the peppers stays green, or red, or orange, and takes on a smoky flavor.)

Once roasted, make a slit about 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the pepper, just below the calyx (the base of the flower around the stem). CUt out the core and seeds. Stuff the chiles with cheese — the classic is to use Monterey jack, but I’ve become addicted to the salty-sour taste of feta or goat cheese (and goat cheese is more likely what the Indians of New Mexico would have used anyway, it turns out).

For the Mexican restaurant flavor, beat egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold in beaten yolks with a little salt. Dip the stuffed peppers in this batter and then fry immediately in hot oil, removing to drain on paper towels when the coating turns golden brown.

What I’ve come to like, however, is dipping the peppers in beaten egg, then in corn meal, then in egg and in corn meal again. Then deep-fry them and drain when golden. This gives a crispier crust with a great corn-meal snap to it; blue corn meal gives it a deeper flavor and looks really cool besides.

In a restaurant, they’ll serve these with a basic salsa ranchera, which I don’t like well enough to know how to make it. I usually serve the ones I describe with sour cream and a fresh pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, fresh chiles, onions, cilantro, cumin, salt, and lime juice). They would be Homeric with a green chile-tomatillo sauce.

I’ve also stuffed them with cheese, topped them with a grated cheese and popped them under the broiler for a low-fat/low-mess variation. In some ways I prefer that: there’s more roasted-chile flavor than there is with the battered-and-fried variety, but you do miss the nifty crunch and the corn-meal flavor.

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Baked Chili Rellenos
From: jsmith@cyote.dasd.honeywell.com

Stuff 6-8 fresh roasted and pelled chilies (remove seeds, but keep stems) with monterey jack or longhorn cheese. Lay in greased casserole and pour batter over. Bake 325 until batter is done and lightly browned on top, 25 – 30 minutes. Serve with cheese sauce.

Batter:

Beat 4 or 5 egg whites very stiff and add 1/4 tsp salt, add the yolks and continue beating while adding 2 Tbls flour.

Cheese sauce:

Heat and bubble 2 Tbls butter and 2 Tbls flour and 1/4 tsp salt. Add 1 cup milk. Heat and stir until thick. Add 1 cup shredded cheddar or longhorn cheese and melt.

Enchilada Chile Sauce

To begin the Enchiladas we will make the sauce, which is the key to the whole dish.

In a frying pan, add:

1 Tbl lard or vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped

Saute around until garlic a bit golden

Add:

3 Tbl red chile powder
3 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed whole cumino seed

Stir around until hot and starts to smell good, add:

2 1/2 Tbl cocoa
6 cup water or meat stock
couple bouillon cubes, optional

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and let simmer till needed.

The Meat, Onions and Cheese

While the sauce is simmering, fry up a pound of hamburger gently, or chop up 1 lb. roast pork or roast beef and add to the chile sauce. Let meat simmer gently in chile sauce for 20-30 minutes.

Next, finely chop 1 large onion and grate 1 lb. Monterey Jack or a mild cheddar cheese. Reserve. These will be used between the layers of your enchilada.

Tortillas, and Enchilada Construction

You can obtain corn tortillas about anywhere now. Buy the best you can get, the difference in quality is significant. Tortillas can be made at home using prepared masa, but to do it right is difficult, and the resulting tortillas are usually no better than the store bought ones. The best tortillas are prepared from scratch, but this is a very labor intensive and time consuming process, best left to true afecionados, and the very poor.

To fry the tortillas bring a small, heavy frying pan with about a half inch of lard or oil in it up to a sufficient temperature that a piece of tortilla dropped in it will rise to the surface in a couple seconds and sizzle.

To cook a tortilla, drop it in the oil for a couple seconds, and before it gets hard, pull it out of the oil, let the oil on it drain on a paper towel, then place the tortilla on a plate. Spoon on some of the chile meat sauce. Sprinkle on grated cheese and a bit of chopped onion. Quickly toss another tortilla in the oil. When the next tortilla is done lay it on top of the first tortilla and repeat the proceedure.

A stack of three tortillas is generally about right per person.

Because each enchilada is "custom made", and each takes time place the plates in a warm oven as you finish them so that they stay hot and so that the cheese will melt.

When you are ready to serve, remove the plates from the oven and surround the enchiladas with finely chopped lettuce. Then garnish the Enchiladas with at least a few of these:

a bit of sour cream
a sprinkle of fresh cilantro or parsely
sliced black olives
avacado in any form
thinly sliced tomatoes

I alway make fajitas, natchos, enchiladas, tacos and want to make something new!!!
Does anyone have and really tasty NEW recipies please!!!!
I am living in Spain at the moment and ingredients are hard to get!!!
lol

Marranitos (Mexican Pig-Shaped Cookies)
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup unsulfured molasses
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and shortening until smooth. Mix in 1 egg, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the baking soda, cinnamon, and molasses. Mix in flour until the dough is stiff enough to roll out.
Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into cookies using a pig shaped cookie cutter. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the remaining beaten egg over the tops of the cookies.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the centers of the cookies appear dry and edges are lightly browned.

Annie’s Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips
INGREDIENTS
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit and spice mixture.

Mexican Queso Fundido (Fondue)
I N G R E D I E N T S
1 cup white wine
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 pound Monterey Jack, grated
1/2 pound goat cheese crumbled
2 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 pound Spanish chorizo, grilled and finely diced
6 cloves roasted garlic, smashed to a paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
I N S T R U C T I O N S
Bring the wine to a simmer in a double boiler. Add the mozzarella and Jack cheese and stir until melted. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. Place in a fondue pot and serve with flour tortillas and blue corn chips

Beans, Chipilin and Pork with Chirmol Salsa
Serves: 5

I N G R E D I E N T S
3/4 lb pork meat
1 garlic clove
1 bunch chipilin
1 onion
1 jalapeño chile
3/4 lb tomatoes
3/4 lb cooked black beans
Salt
Oil

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Place the pork, garlic and salt in water enough to cover and cook until done and no longer pink inside.

Once the meat is cooked, chop onion, jalapeños and tomatoes and fry them with Chipilin leaves.

Add cooked beans (add salt if necessary). Once Chipilin leaves are cooked, serve with meat.

Mixiote de Pollo

6 ancho chiles
8 guajillo chiles
4 pasilla chiles
2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to soak the chiles
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon comino (cumin) seeds
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, dried
1 bay leaf
8 whole cloves
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoon coarse salt (Kosher works well)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3 chicken drumsticks
3 chicken thighs
3 fresh or dried avocado leaves
fresh spinach for serving

**Typically this recipe would be served with fresh tortillas but we suggest serving with or on a bed of freshly steamed spinach.

Toast chiles in a dry, hot comal or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until pliable, about 3 to 5 minutes; turn often to prevent burning. Remove seeds and veins from chiles and discard. Soak each type of chile separately in hot, salted water to cover for about 20 minutes. Drain, and reserve liquid.

Grind marjoram, cumin seeds, oregano, bay leaf, thyme, and cloves in a molcajete or spice grinder.

In batches, combine drained chiles, ground herbs, garlic, salt, vinegar, and 1/2 cup chile soaking liquid in blender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add chicken, and marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
Cut three 16-by-16-inch parchment-paper squares. Place a drumstick, thigh, and an avocado leaf in the center of each square. Bring the four corners together, and tie with string. Place in a steamer, and steam over simmering water for 1 hour. This is a good use for your tamale steamer. If you don’t have one, a simple bamboo steamer works well, or you can try one of Ms. Howard’s methods:

Place a colander lined with a clean kitchen towel in a large pot filled half way with simmering water. To create a good seal place two kitchen towels around the rim of the pot and sit the lid firmly in place.
To serve, remove string, and open parchment paper, folding under slightly. The presentation in the parchment is quite lovely so you may want to just server your greens on the side or you can remove the contents and serve over a bed of steamed spinach.

Pozole
i n g r e d i e n t s
2 pounds (5 1/2 cups) dried white "cacahuazintle" corn
2 1/2 tablespoons "cal" slaked lime

d i r e c t i o n s

Clean the corn
Place the corn in a colander and rinse under cold water.
Prepare the lime mixture
Add 2 quarts of water to a large (at least 4 quart) noncorrosive pan. Place the pan over high heat and add the lime (cal) and stir until it is dissolved.
Boil the corn
Add the corn into the lime water, stirring gently. Use a slotted spoon and remove any kernels that float to the top of the water. Allow the water to boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the corn to soak for about an hour.
**Note: Read your recipe before you discard the water your corn is boiled in as it may be used in the recipe.

Wash the corn
This step is very important. If you don’t rinse and clean the corn properly your dough will be yellow and taste like lime.
Pour the corn into a colander and place it under cold running water. Use both your hands and rub the corn between your hands to loosen any hulls still attached to the corn.
Continue until the corn is all white (except the tips). Drain the corn well. This cleaned, prepared corn is what is called "Nixtamal" or "Nixtamalado".
Pictured above you can see the little brown "heads" (pedicels) left on the corn. If you want the kernels to open (flower) then you need to "de-head" the kernels. De-heading simply means to pick off those little germ heads. This rather time-consuming step is optional and does not affect the flavor of the pozole, just the appearance. If you don’t have a strong thumbnail to flick off the heads then you can use a small, sharp paring knife for the task.

The corn is now ready to proceed with your favorite pozole recipe.

Huevos con Chorizo
I N G R E D I E N T S
1/2 lb chorizo sausage, casing removed
4-6 green onions (spring onions), green and white parts, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 eggs
2 tablespoons water
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese, or Queso Blanco
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional) or chopped Italian parsley
Sour cream or Mexican Crema for garnish
I N S T R U C T I O N S
Saute chorizo in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the green onions and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs, water, salt, and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the cheese and cilantro and stir until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

If using Mexican Crema or sour cream, top each serving with a small dollop.

Mexican Fish Stew (Quick)
I N G R E D I E N T S
1 (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (or whole, toasted cumin seeds, ground)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus leaves for garnish
1 pound red new potatoes, scrubbed and sliced thin
1lb cod or other firm white fish
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped fine (you can use more or less chipotle to your taste) OR 1 tablespoon ancho paste
4 tablespoons Mexican Crema or Greek Yogurt (optional)

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Combine tomatoes, corn, cumin, chopped chipotles or ancho paste and the chopped cilantro in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

Use a 2-quart microwave-safe dish with a lid and combine the potatoes, shallots, and oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes in an even layer to promote even cooking.

Cover then microwave on high for 6 minutes.

Place the fish in a single layer around the edge of the dish atop the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato mixture in the center. Microwave on high until the fish is cooked through and potatoes are tender — about 9 to 10 minutes.

Remove from microwave and mix carefully to combine but don’t break up the fish. Garnish with cilantro and a dollop of Mexican Crema OR Greek Yogurt.

Mexican Crab Cakes
I N G R E D I E N T S
1-1/2 pounds picked over crabmeat
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

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I N S T R U C T I O N S
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add the sour cream, diced poblano and yellow peppers, celery, salt, and pepper. Toss together until well mixed. Add the crab, shredding it into approximately 3/4 inch chunks, and the bread crumbs. Mix together gently but thoroughly.

Divide the mixture into 12 cakes, shaping them into patties about 3/4 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter. Refrigerate them on a large plate, loosely covered, for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a large heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. Saute 6 crab cakes at a time, for about 3 minutes on each side, being very careful when you turn them so that they do not fall apart. They should be golden brown on each side. Place the cooked crab cakes on a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm while you add the remaining butter and oil to the pan and saute the other six crab cakes in the same way.

Queso Fresco Mashed Potatoes With Caramelized Onions
Serves: 8

I N G R E D I E N T S
3 tablespoons butter
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or new potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces Queso Fresco, crumbled, divided use
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

I N S T R U C T I O N S
For the Caramelized Onions, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, separating it into rings, until it begins to turn light brown. Reduce the heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid evaporates and the onions begin to turn dark brown and caramelize. Set aside.

In the meanwhile, wash the potatoes. Place them in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and place pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Preheat the oven to 350F. When the potatoes are cooked, pour them into a colander to drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skins. Return the potatoes to the pan and place them in the oven uncovered, to dry out, for 5 minutes. Butter an ovenproof casserole dish.

Heat the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove the potatoes from the oven and place in a large mixing bowl. Whip the potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth. Alternatively, pass them through a potato ricer or a food mill fitted with the fine disk. Add the milk and continue whipping the potatoes with the mixer or by hand. Gradually add 6 ounces of the Queso Fresco to the potatoes, while continuing to whip them. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Pour the potatoes into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 2 ounces of Queso Fresco over the potatoes. Cover with the caramelized onions. (The potatoes may be set aside at this point and later reheated for 45 minutes.) If continuing with the recipe, place the casserole directly in the oven and heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese melts and browns.

Serve hot from the casserole dish.

The Little Chefs make Mexican Rice Bowls

Duration : 0:7:28

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What are some good Cuban food recipies? My friends are Mexican, and they've never tried Cuban food before. I would like to try making some Cuban food for them. You see, my friends work construction, and they're tired of the same ole fast food, etc, so I thought it would be nice if I could make them something. Can anyone help me out?

Pork tenderlion: marinated in olive oil, garlic, & orange & lime juices. Thrown on the grill or pan-sear.

Black beans & rice: Cook rice & throw in a little butter / olive oil after cooking. Brown some onions & throw in a can of black beans w/ garlic, bay leaf & chicken stock / broth.