Pollo Asado y Pico de Gallo

Ernesto and I have been in San Diego for the last month staying with mis suegros.  The summer weather here has been strange.  It's not sunny and warm everyday like it usually is, but I am happy to be out of the GA humidity.  We have been hiking, biking, kayaking, lobster eating in Mexico, watching horse races, and of course cooking lots of Mexican food. 

Although I haven't posted since last month, do not fear!  I have several great recipes to share with you on VLC.   When mi suegra is cooking, I have to be right there with a pen and paper to capture everything.  She cooks from memory so I am constantly asking questions, "What did you just add there? How much of that?"  I really appreciate her taking the time to pass these recipes on to me [and you]. 

On some nights we cook dinner and give everyone else the night off.  Back in Atlanta, Ernesto got addicted to grilling whole chickens.  

It's so simple too.  You will just need a whole chicken, five cloves of garlic (chopped), olive oil and salt and pepper.  Rub oil on outside of chicken and under skin.  Rub garlic under skin.

Place chicken on hot grill for 45 minutes, flipping it over several times.  

Every time this chicken comes out flavorful and so juicy. 

One chicken does not a meal make? Agreed.

My favorite way to serve this, is to make a quick pico de gallo to go on top and refried beans on the side.

Pico de Gallo

5 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

4 serrano peppers, chopped (less if you don't like it spicy)

handful of cilantro, chopped

1 squeeze of lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Pico de gallo

Sopa de Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

In college I rarely ate meat.  No, I wasn't a vegetarian, however I had two perceptions about meat.

#1 Meat is expensive and #2 it is fattening.

I was very conscious of what I ate back then [thinking it would affect my workouts],  and I was very poor.  I remember my family having cookouts and I would not even eat a hamburger!?  Crazy girl.
I don't remember what I was eating for those 5 years, but it must have been boring as hell.   I don't know why I just didn't get a little more creative in my college years.  Well, it was because I really didn't spend much time in the kitchen back then.  And there you have it.   My eating habits have changed; rarely do I turn down meat.  I do however look for lean cuts.

Ernesto, on the other hand, started all his cooking in college.  He moved from San Diego to Ohio, and really missed his mothers delicioso food.  He called her frequently to get her recipes.  I was very impressed when I met him that he was so into food, and not only that but he loved to be in the kitchen making it.  Many of our dates were late nights in the kitchen cooking dinner and to this day is our "hobby" as a couple.  I can't think of a better one.

This Sopa de Albondigas is one of my favorites from his mother.  Ernesto remembers eating a lot of soups and stews in his Mexican upbringing.  I would imagine there was a cost savings reason to serving soup to a family of 6, but it also happens to be a staple in Mexican cooking.    This recipe busts both my college perceptions by being very inexpensive to put together and very healthy.  (try to buy lean hamburger 93/7% fat)
It is a repeater for sure. Buen provecho! 

Ligia's Albondigas

Ingredients for broth:

1 small white onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 16oz can tomato sauce

8 cups water

3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 small zucchini, cubed

2 cups carrots, chopped

1 large russet potato, cubed 

1 can chipotles in adobo sauce

ingredients for meatballs:

1 lb lean hamburger

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/4 cup rice

1 egg

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1tsp garlic powder 

1tsp onion powder

1tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Mix all ingredients meatballs in bowl and roll into golf ball sized balls.  In large stock pot, saute onions and garlic in one tbsp olive oil until translucent.  Add tomato sauce, water bouillon cubes and potato.  Add meatballs and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat.  Add the remainder of the chopped vegetables and cook for 15 minutes.  Serve hot with a chipotle pepper in the bowl!

Fish Tacos, Take Two

Last year I posted Neto's infamous fish taco recipe but I had the WORST picture to go with it.  (horrible lighting)
Last night my dad was in Atlanta for a night and this is his favorite dish.  He requests it. Every. Time.

It is still not the best picture, but it sure as heck beats the last.  We make this every month or two, so I can try improve the picture again soon.  We need to make these for lunch one day so I can get good natural lighting.
Without further ado,  Neto's Fish Tacos.  See how to make fish tacos.

Cooking with Nopales (prickly pear cactus)

I have always been fascinated with succulent plants and cactus, but it wasn't until the last few years that I started eating them.  Nopales is a prickly pear cactus that I'm sure you have seen growing outside, or as a house plant.  In fact,  this hearty plant grows in Georgia and even at my mom's house in Ohio.

Nopales have a light, slightly tart flavor and have a crisp texture on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. To me it seems like a vegetable because they are very rich in fiber.  They are also rich in vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K) and minerals (magnesium, potassium), in recent years, I have really grown to love them.

Until several months ago when mis suegras (in-law's) did a big landscaping project, they grew this cactus in the back yard and we were able to go outside with a knife and cut off a peddle or two.  If you don't have it growing though, you can check your local Whole Foods, or you may even need to go to a specialty mexican grocery.  You will see them in the markets of Mexico for just 5 pesos, here it's closer to $1.

After you find it, the hard part is over.

When deciding what do do with this beautiful cactus I considered nopales en crema, [which I will share with you another time] but I wanted something that really highlights the flavor of the cactus, so I opted for a simple saute.

Nopales

2 cactus paddles

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

2 serrano peppers, diced

2tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Boil cactus until until tender (but not mushy)  about 15 minutes.  Drain and pat dry.

Heat olive oil and saute garlic and onion until translucent

Add tomatoes, peppers and cactus and until cooked through

Serve hot.  Que rico.

Caldo Talpeno

Back when I was in college, I spent a winter studying Spanish in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  I wanted to live with a Mexican family so I could immerse myself in the Mexican culture.  That is, in fact why it is called an immersion program. ha! Studies have shown that language immersion is the surest and quickest way to learn a language, and I can attest to that!  It went a little further for me though.  I came back to the US obsessed with not only the Spanish language, but the food, and culture as well.

Typically in Mexico, lunch is the biggest meal of the day.  I would come home mid-day for this comida and the table would be set for a full on feast.  My "familia" owned a clothing store and would shut the doors from 1-3pm and eat together.  I love that custom.   If only.....

The main dish, usually meat, would change daily, but the one thing you could count on is that the comida would start with a soup and fresh pan (bread,  a type called bolillos).  This is a tradition I love. 

This classic Mexican chicken soup is absolutely one of my favorites, and you will find it on every menu in Mexico.  On a recent trip to Mexico I would want to order it, but kept seeing new things that I hadn't tried before...and I always love to try new foods.  Still, I never lost that craving that I had, so we made a big pot of it the other night.   Que rica esta sopa.

Caldo Talpeno

10 cups chicken broth 

1 white onion, chopped

3 gloves garlic, diced

2 lbs chicken breast

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 small zucchini, chopped

1 small can chickpeas

3/4 cup rice

1 small can of jalapenos in adobo sauce

2 avocados, cubed

Directions: 

Cut chicken into thin slices, and season with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven or stock pan, sauté  onions, garlic and celery in olive oil, and add chicken to pan and cook until 3/4 done. 

Add chicken broth and carrots.  Bring to a low simmer for 20 minutes. 

Add rice, zucchini and chickpeas.  Cook until rice is done.  Add salt to taste.

Serve hot, and garnish with avocado cubes and one chile en adobo.  

Buen provecho.

Tortas Locas

No matter where you live, you probably have some rendition of a Mexican restaurant. If you are lucky you may even have a fast food option besides Taco Bell. Rubios out in California specializes in fish tacos! Here in Atlanta we have Tortas Locas, a little joint on the north side of Atlanta that makes [just as the name suggests] crazy sandwiches!

E has taken me there a couple times and it feels like I am sitting in Mexico City. Authentic.

We make a tortas locas too. So can you. Simply because you can put almost anything on this crazy sandwich. Anything goes. Look at this stack!

Ernesto's Torta Loca

Ingredients: (makes 4 tortas)

1 stick chorizo

5 Eggs, scrambled [with the chorizo]

1 can pickled jalapenos

4 pieces smoked ham

1 avocado, sliced

1 tomato. sliced

4 leaves lettuce

4 bollilo bread rolls (or another firm bread), toasted

There is nothing precise about this torta. Stack ingredients onto bollilo roll. Add ketchup and hot sauce. Enjoy.

Tacos de Lengua (tongue tacos)

Ernesto and I are still in San Diego with his parents and eating Mexican food every day. Sunday is "family day" and mi suegra always cooks something delicious. The whole family comes over and there is a food extravaganza. She asked for requests this past weekend and Ernesto said tongue tacos. How does that sound? Ok ok, maybe it doesn't sound good, but you can't deny that is looks good!

{tongue tacos topped with onion, cilantro and salsa}

This was my first time eating tongue Mexican style. My mom made it sometimes when I was growing up, but it was a Hungarian recipe. I didn't like it from what I can remember, but I think that was more because it was tongue and I was a child!

I was surprised at the simplicity of this recipe.

You will need one cow tongue (we cooked three, but I have adjusted this recipe for one)

Rub all over with salt and oregano and place in a dutch oven.

Through in 2 bay leaves and 3 cloves of garlic.

Add 1-2 cups water and turn on high heat for 5 minutes.

Turn down to low for 2 hours. Take out of pot. They will look like this.

Wait for meat to cool and cut into cubes. Reheat. (many people shred the meat while hot)

Place into warm corn tortillas, top with chopped onion, cilantro and a salsa of your choice.

Buen Provecho!

Sunday Morning Menudo

It was a long night. You hadn't intended on drinking so much. [A shot of tequila for everyone! yeah!] You sure as hell didn't expect to cross the border partying in TJ and roll in at 4am to your parents house.

But alas, it is 9am and there is a delicious smell wafting up the stairs into your bedroom. Summoning you to the kitchen.

You are not sure why or how cow's stomach lining makes it all better, but it does. The hangover is gone....and so the mystery of menudo lives on.

If you can overlook what it is you are eating, the flavor of this classic Mexican soup is going to blow you away.
Menudo (recipe from mi suegra)

Ingredients:

6-7 lbs tripe

2-3 cans hominy

1 head of garlic

18oz can of chile colorado (brand: Las Palmas)

2 tablespoons of dry tomato broth powder (or 1 cube)

salt and dry oregano

Rinse tripe and cut off excess fat. Chop into cubes. Put in dutch oven or large pot. Fill with water. Add salt and simmer covered for 2 hours. Add Chile Colorado, tomato broth and a pinch of oregano. Simmer one hour more.

Serve hot with chopped onion and cilantro and spicy chile sauce as garnishes.

To make spicy chile sauce:

toast a handful of dried chile de arbol peppers.

Add them to a blender with one clove of garlic and a 1/4 cup water. Serve on the side to add spice as needed.

Avocado y Tomatillo Salsa

We are constantly trying new salsas. Last month Ernesto made a recipe on a recommendation from his co-worker Victor. You may remember this picture.

We posted that tomatillo salsa recipe here. Only later did we find out that his recipe called for blending the ingredients (not cubing). Ha! We made a variation of Victor's [blended] salsa a couple weeks ago and 3 times since. It is a refreshing, healthy salsa. Great for tacos or eating with chips. You can adjust number of chiles to your tolerance. Avocado y Tomatillo Salsa

To a blender add:

3 avocados

3-4 serrano or jalapeno chiles

8 tomatillos cubed

1 clove garlic

handful cilantro

salt

Blend until creamy.

Habanero Salsita..Muy Picante

Habaneros are one of the hottest peppers around. According to the scollville chile heat chart, there is only one pepper that is hotter. With that being said, you need to take care when handling these bad boys, they can literally burn your skin.

We never cooked with habaneros too much, but lately we have started to appreciate its unique flavor. The palomitas (popcorn) that we make every other day come out perfectly spicy with habaneros. Sometimes we add one to a big batch of pico de gallo to give it an extra kick.

The other night we were flipping through The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking cookbook, which I can't even find online. The cover pic is to the right. I bought it for Ernesto years ago at TJMaxx.

This salsa is HOT! We dipped some chips, and although the flavor was superb, it was too spicy [even for Ernesto] to eat straight. The finely chopped spring onions add a wonderful crunch.

Try adding this to a beef stew, or on tacos.

Habanero Salsa

Ingredients:

5 dried roasted habanero chiles

4 dried chile de arbol peppers

3 spring onions, finely chopped

juice of 1 orange

grated zest and juice of one lime

small bunch of cilantro, chopped

salt to taste

*Soak the habanero and chile de arbols in hot water for about 10 minutes, until softened. *Drain, reserving the soaking water.

*Remove the stems from all chiles and chop roughly

*Put chiles in food processor and add some of the soaking liquid. Puree into a fine paste.

*Scrape mixture into a bowl.

*Stir in scallions, fruit juice, lime zest and cilantro. Mix thoroughly. Add salt to taste.