Recipes

Melted Cheese and Green Sauce on Toasted Rolls

Melted Cheese and Green Sauce on Toasted Rolls

Bolillos Tostada de Queso y Salsa Verde
This is a take-off on a popular melted cheese and bean combination that's served on toasted bolillos (oval Mexican sandwich rolls). French-style rolls can be substituted. I serve these filled rolls for brunch or a late breakfast, and do they ever disappear! The rolls can also be cut into pieces and served as an appetizer with drinks.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • Fresh Tomatillo Sauce or 1½ cups purchased green salsa
  • 4 oval Mexican sandwich rolls bolillos or other 6-inch sandwich rolls
  • Unsalted butter or margarine optional
  • 2 cups shredded medium Asadero or Chihuahua cheese or substitute cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Make the tomatillo sauce, if using homemade.
  • Preheat the oven broiler.
  • Split the rolls in half lengthwise.
  • Spread lightly with butter, if desired.
  • Toast under broiler until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Spread about 1 generous tablespoon of the salsa on each toasted half roll.
  • Top each half roll with about ¼ cup of cheese.
  • Place all the rolls on a baking sheet and run under broiler until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Cheese
Cuisine; Mexican

Bean and Melted Cheese Sandwiches

Bean and Melted Cheese Sandwiches

Molletes
Molletes are open-face sandwiches made on oval Mexican sandwich rolls called bolillos. The rolls are split and topped with refried beans and cheese. The molletes are baked to melt the cheese and are served hot, usually for breakfast, with salsa on top or on the side. They are also an excellent quick snack any time of the day
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • Fresh Salsa Mexicana or purchased salsa
  • 1 cup Basic Refried Beans or canned
  • 4 oval Mexican sandwich rolls bolillos or other 6-inch sandwich rolls, split in half
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

  • Prepare salsa and beans if using homemade.
  • Then, preheat the oven to 400°.
  • Heat the beans in a small saucepan.
  • Cut the rolls in half lengthwise.
  • Pinch out a bit of the soft center to make a cavity in the rolls.
  • Butter each half, and spread with about 2 tablespoons of beans.
  • Top each half equally with cheese.
  • Put the sandwiches on a large baking sheet, and bake about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot with a dollop of salsa on top, or on the side.
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Course; Cheese / Sandwiches
Cuisine; Mexican

Potato Masa Cakes with Spicy Pork

Potato Masa Cakes with Spicy Pork

Tortitas de Masa con Picante Puerco
Freshly cooked ground pork seasoned with herbs and spices and piled on crisp potato masa cakes makes an unusual and satisfying breakfast or brunch. Chunks of fresh pineapple and mango go well with the pork and potato cakes. For a more substantial meal, add refried beans to the plate. A meal like this would be served at almuerzo (late breakfast) around 11 in the morning.
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Equipment

  • skillet

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the pork and cook, breaking the meat into bits with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the salt, oregano, cumin, thyme, allspice, and tomatoes.
  • Cook, stirring, until the mixture is completely cooked, about 5 minutes.
  • Reserve in the pan off heat.
  • Prepare the potato masa cakes.
  • To serve, reheat the pork.
  • Place 1 potato cake on each of 4 serving plates.
  • Top equally with the heated pork mixture.
  • Sprinkle each serving with crumbled cheese.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve at once
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Course; Cake / Pork
Cuisine; Mexican

Beef and Cheese Quesadillas

Beef and Cheese Quesadillas

Beef and Cheese Quesadillas
Quesadillas de Carne y QuesoIn Northern Mexico flour tortillas are often used as well as corn tortillas for tortilla snacks. Serve this popular ground beef and melted cheese quesadilla made with flour tortillas for an informal breakfast or brunch. The tortillas can be filled and folded ahead of time and then lightly fried until crisp just before serving. Accompany the quesadillas with guacamole and a dollop of sour cream.
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Equipment

  • medium nonstick skillet

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
  • Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the beef, breaking it up into bits, and cook, stirring, until it starts to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add oregano, cumin, and crushed red pepper.
  • Stir to mix with the meat.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook until the juices reduce and the mixture is nearly dry, about 5 minutes.
  • Season with salt.
  • Heat a large dry nonstick skillet over medium heat, and warm the tortillas, one at a time, turning once or twice, until soft and limp, about 20 seconds.
  • Wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep moist and soft.
  • (This prevents the tortilla from cracking when it’s folded.
  • ) Put 1 tortilla on a flat work surface.
  • Spread ⅓ cup of the meat mixture half the tortilla and top with ⅓ cup cheese.
  • Fold in half.
  • Press lightly to flatten and put on a baking sheet.
  • Cover with a piece of plastic wrap to prevent drying out.
  • Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fillings.
  • (Can be made ahead to this point, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 to 4 hours before frying.
  • )
  • Preheat oven to 200°.
  • In a large nonstick skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until it starts to shimmer.
  • Put 1 quesadilla in the skillet and fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Keep warm in the oven.
  • Repeat until all are fried.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Beef / Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican

Crisp Rolled Tortillas with Ham

Crisp Rolled Tortillas with Ham

Taquitos de Jamón
Here, flour tortillas are rolled into cylinders (taquitos) in the style of northern Mexico. The tortillas are layered with thinly sliced deli-style smoked ham and cheese before being rolled. The taquitos are then lightly fried and served for breakfast. I like them with Mexican Scrambled Eggs. Taquitos can be assembled ahead and fried shortly before serving. They can also be cut into pieces and served as appetizers.Chihuahua cheese is very popular in Mexico and is made by Mennonites who settled in the state of Chihuahua in 1921. There are now about twenty Mennonite communities, called camps (campos) in the region. They make cheese and cultivate crops on their farms. If you can't find Chihuahua cheese, mild cheddar is a good substitute.
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Equipment

  • nonstick skillet

Ingredients

Makes 8 taquitos

  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 8 1/16-inch-thick round ham slices (about 6 inches in diameter)
  • 2 cups shredded Chihuahua or mild cheddar cheese
  • Oil for frying

Instructions

  • In a dry nonstick skillet, warm the tortillas, 1 at a time, until soft and flexible, about 20 seconds.
  • Stack and wrap in a kitchen towel to keep soft.
  • Lay 1 tortilla on a flat surface.
  • Put a slice of ham on the tortilla and top with ¼ cup of cheese.
  • Roll tightly and secure with toothpicks.
  • Put on a plate and cover to keep soft.
  • Repeat until all are rolled.
  • In the same skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat, and fry the taquitos 2 or 3 at a time until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are crisp and golden, about 1 minute.
  • Drain on paper towels.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve at once.
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Course; Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican

Tortillas Topped with Pork and Potatoes

Tortillas Topped with Pork and Potatoes

Picaditas de Cerdo y Papas
This is one of my favorite picaditas—a regional specialty of Puebla, a fascinating colonial city with a rich history that is also known for its wonderful cuisine. The exquisite hand-painted Talavera-style pottery and tiles come from Puebla, and the historic tiled kitchen in the Convent of Santa Rosa, where Mole Poblano was invented, is located here, too.Picaditas—corn tortilla dough pressed into small tortillas then pinched to form a cup for fillings—are commonly served for breakfast. I based this recipe on the picadita I had at El Balcon café in Puebla.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 small servings

  • Basic Corn Tortilla Dough
  • 1 medium potato peeled and diced (about ½ inch)
  • 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
  • ½ medium white onion finely chopped
  • 8 ounces thinly sliced pork sirloin ¼ inch
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • 1 cup red salsa purchased or homemade
  • Crumbled cotija cheese or substitute mild feta cheese

Instructions

  • Prepare 4 fresh corn tortillas.
  • Heat a medium dry skillet or Mexican comal (skillet) over medium-high heat.
  • Put 1 tortilla on the pan.
  • Cook until it loosens easily from the pan, about 45 seconds.
  • Turn and cook 40 seconds.
  • Remove from the pan and pinch up a 1⁄3-inch edge all around.
  • Return to the pan, flat side down.
  • Cook 35 seconds.
  • Transfer to a plate.
  • Cover to keep warm.
  • Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  • Stack, covered, on the same plate.
  • Put about 1 cup of water in a small saucepan, add the potato and bring to a boil.
  • Cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
  • Drain and reserve in a bowl.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Cook the onion, stirring, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Transfer to a plate.
  • Cook the steak in the same pan until browned on both sides and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
  • Remove the meat to a cutting board and chop coarsely.
  • Return the meat, onion, and potato to the pan.
  • Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil, salt and oregano.
  • Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
  • To assemble, spread 2 tablespoons of the salsa on each picadita.
  • Top each with about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture.
  • Sprinkle with cheese.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve at once, with additional salsa.
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Course; Pork / Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican

Breakfast Bean and Cheese Tacos

Breakfast Bean and Cheese Tacos

Tacos de Frijol y Queso para Desayuno
Yes, airport food can be inspirational! In Puerto Vallarta, before a morning departure, some friends and I ate breakfast in the airport's restaurant and we all agreed that the black bean taco was worth duplicating at home. Soft corn tortillas were folded in half, not rolled, after being filled with well-seasoned black beans and cheese, and ranchera sauce was spooned on top. Eat these tacos with a knife and fork.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Prepare the beans, if making homemade.
  • Then, prepare the ranchera sauce.
  • Set aside and keep warm.
  • In a medium saucepan heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion until it starts to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the tomato, serrano, and oregano.
  • Cook, stirring, until the tomato juices reduce, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the beans and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  • In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, warm the tortillas, 1 at a time, until limp.
  • Cover the tortillas with a clean kitchen towel to keep soft and warm until all are heated.
  • To assemble, put about ¼ cup beans on half of each tortilla, add about 2 tablespoons of cheese, then fold in half.
  • Put 2 filled and folded tortillas on each of 4 plates.
  • Spoon heated ranchera sauce on top, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and serve at once.
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Course; Breakfast / Taco’s
Cuisine; Mexican

Breakfast Tacos with Potatoes and Chorizo

Breakfast Tacos with Potatoes and Chorizo

Tacos de Papa y Chorizo
Crisp rolled tacos filled with potatoes and chorizo sausage, served with Mexican Scrambled Eggs and fresh tropical fruits (Breakfast Fruit Plate), make a memorable brunch. Packaged chorizo sausage can be greasy, so if you can't find good quality at a butcher or gourmet store, substitute Mexican Pork Sausage.
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Ingredients

Makes 8 tacos

  • 1 cup 1½ recipe Basic Cooked Tomatillo Sauce
  • ½ pound fresh bulk chorizo or packaged, with casings removed
  • ¼ medium onion finely chopped
  • 2 medium boiled potatoes peeled and finely diced or chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Oil for frying tortillas
  • 6 corn tortillas
  • ½ cup sour cream

Instructions

  • Prepare the tomatillo sauce.
  • Then, fry the chorizo in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces; cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the potatoes, salt, and ½ cup of the tomatillo sauce.
  • Reserve off heat.
  • In another medium skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil until it shimmers.
  • One at a time, dip the tortillas in the hot oil just until limp, about 10 seconds.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Put about 2 tablespoons of the filling on one soft warm tortilla.
  • Roll tightly and secure with a toothpick.
  • Repeat until all tortillas are filled and rolled.
  • Add about 2 more tablespoons of oil to the same skillet used for softening the tortillas and fry the tacos, seam side down, until crisp and browned.
  • Turn and fry the second side.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Arrange the tacos on a plate.
  • Garnish with remaining tomatillo sauce and sour cream.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Breakfast / Taco’s
Cuisine; Mexican

Tortilla Casserole with Eggs and Red Chile Sauce

Tortilla Casserole with Eggs and Red Chile Sauce

Chilaquiles con Huevos
Homey casseroles called chilaquiles are made of crisp fried tortilla strips or triangles mixed with sauces and other ingredients. This breakfast version features eggs and red chile sauce.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • Basic Red Chile Sauce
  • 6 corn tortillas cut into strips, about 1⁄2-inch wide
  • Vegetable Oil for frying
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ cup grated queso fresco fresh Mexican cheese
  • ⅓ to ½ cup sour cream optional

Instructions

  • Prepare the red chile sauce and keep warm.
  • Pour oil into a large deep skillet to a depth of about ¼ inch.
  • When the oil is hot, fry the tortilla strips, in batches, until golden brown.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the skillet.
  • Add the beaten eggs and salt.
  • Cook, stirring, until just beginning to set, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the tortilla strips and the heated chile sauce.
  • Mix gently until the tortillas soften and absorb the sauce, about 2 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the top with cheese and drizzle with sour cream, if desired.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot.
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Course; Casserole / Eggs / Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican