Recipes

Simple Syrup

Simple Syrup

Keep this ever-useful universal syrup in the refrigerator for sweetening all kinds of bar drinks.
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Equipment

  • Saucepan

Ingredients

Makes about 2½ cups

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, mix the sugar and water.
  • Bring to a slow simmer, stirring, until the sugar is melted, about 3 minutes.
  • Cool.
  • Store in a glass jar, covered, in the refrigerator.
  • It keeps indefinitely.
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Course; Cold Drinks
Cuisine; Mexican

Pomegranate Syrup

Pomegranate Syrup

The pomegranates displayed in Mexican markets usually show several beautifully cut samples of the fruits to entice shoppers with a view of the jeweled seeds held within. Pomegranate juices make a wonderful sweet-sour syrup to add color and sweetness to fruit drinks or cocktails. The juice can also be drizzled over fruit, such as mangos or peaches. Store in a covered jar or bottle in the refrigerator. It keeps for months.
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Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups

  • 4 large pomegranates
  • 1 cup sugar

Instructions

  • With a large, sharp knife cut the pomegranates in half and then break them into sections.
  • Hold the sections in a bowl of cold water in the sink (to prevent juices from splattering), and pick out the red seeds, discarding the thin white membrane, and place them in a small bowl.
  • Put the seeds in a blender or citrus juicer and blend about 5 seconds.
  • Pour the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a nonreactive 1-quart saucepan.
  • Discard the seeds and debris left in the strainer.
  • Add the sugar to the juice and stir until dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, 5 minutes.
  • Cool completely.
  • Pour into a jar or bottle, cover and refrigerate
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Course; Cold Drinks
Cuisine; Mexican

Whole-Wheat Rolls

Whole-Wheat Rolls

Bolillos Integral When visiting Zacatecas, a colonial city, my husband and I tried some whole-wheat Mexican-style rolls from a local bakery. The rolls had a crisp crust, a soft but chewy center and a nutty flavor. I developed this from that great memory (and some notes). This is very easy and quick to make, and the dough requires no kneading. I often make them for Mexican tortas (sandwiches).
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Ingredients

Makes 8 rolls

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, put ½ cup of the warm water.
  • Stir in the yeast and let stand 5 minutes.
  • Add the remaining 1 cup of water, salt, sugar, and the whole-wheat flour.
  • Beat the dough vigorously by hand about 2 minutes.
  • Add the all-purpose flour and mix well.
  • The dough will be thick and sticky, so grease your hands, then form it into a ball.
  • Place the dough in a large greased bowl.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, and a dent remains when poked gently with a finger, about 45 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°.
  • Grease an insulated baking sheet.
  • Flour your hands and punch down the dough.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a fat rope.
  • Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.
  • Form each piece into an oval shaped roll and taper the two ends.
  • Place rolls on the baking sheet and let rise 20 minutes.
  • Cut a lengthwise slit in the top of each roll with a sharp, thin-bladed knife and place the baking sheet of rolls in the oven.
  • Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
  • Transfer to a rack.
  • Brush very lightly with oil.
  • Cool.

Notes & Wine Advice

The rolls are best the day they are made or they may be frozen in a sealed plastic freezer bag up to 3 weeks.
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Course; Sandwiches
Cuisine; Mexican

Pork and Red Chile Hominy Soup

Pork and Red Chile Hominy Soup

Pozole Rojo de Puerco
Pozole is a hearty rich main dish soup, that originated in the state of Jalisco. The main ingredient is hominy—dried white or yellow corn kernels that have been boiled and soaked in slaked lime to remove the hull, and then drained, rinsed, and cooked for about 2 hours. also contains onions, garlic, and chiles and is often made with pork—or sometimes chicken and its broth—and is always served with fresh toppings, such as cabbage or lettuce, radishes, cilantro, and fresh lime juice.This version is easy to prepare at home, using canned hominy as a convenience and even though it doesn't contain the traditional whole pig's head or pig's feet, it's delicious and wholesome. I use meaty, country-style pork ribs from the loin section. Country-style pork ribs are sold boneless or on the bone. It's quite simple to cut the meat away from the bone, or ask the butcher to cut bone-in meat into two-inch pieces.The ground chile (which can be quite hot, so add with caution) can be found in the Mexican section of supermarkets, or in Latin-American food stores. adds body and extra flavor to the pozole. It can be purchased in the flour section of most supermarkets. Oval Mexican sandwich rolls, called are usually served with the soup.
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Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

  • 6 boneless country-style pork ribs trimmed of excess fat, and cut into 1-inch pieces or 2-inch pieces for bone-in meat
  • 4 141⁄2-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large white onion chopped
  • 6 large garlic cloves chopped
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons pure ground pasilla or ancho chile
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons seasoned chili powder such as Crown Colony
  • 1½ tablespoons dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 15-ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
  • 2 141⁄2-ounce cans peeled and diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1½ tablespoons masa harina flour for corn tortillas
  • Finely shredded cabbage
  • Diced avocado
  • Fresh lime wedges

Instructions

  • Put the pork pieces in a medium heavy pan.
  • Add 1 can of the chicken broth and 1 cup of water.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat.
  • Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook the meat until tender, about 40 minutes.
  • Reserve the meat in the broth, off heat.
  • If the pork is on the bone, you may remove the meat from the bone, if desired, when it’s cool enough to handle.
  • Reserve the meat and discard the bones.
  • In a heavy large pot, heat the oil and fry the onion 2 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook stirring, until onions and garlic are softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the carrots, ground chile, seasoned chili powder, oregano, cumin, thyme, and salt.
  • Cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
  • Add the remaining chicken broth, hominy, tomatoes, cilantro, masa harina, and the reserved pork with its broth.
  • Bring to a boil, and cook over medium-low heat, covered, 25 minutes to blend the flavors.
  • Adjust salt, if needed.
  • Serve the pozole in shallow soup plates garnished with shredded cabbage and avocado.
  • Pass the lime wedges at the table.
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Course; Pork / Soup
Cuisine; Mexican

Tortilla Soup with Pork and Vegetables

Tortilla Soup with Pork and Vegetables

Sopa de Tortilla de Cerdo y Verduras
A confetti of diced vegetables and bits of pork in a flavorful broth make a delightful soup that's as healthful as it is pretty. Crisp tortilla strips, creamy avocado, salty cheese, and tart lime juice garnish the soup to complete the nuance of taste so important in many Mexican soups.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Fry the tortilla strips until crisp and light brown.
  • Drain on paper towels and reserve.
  • This can be done up to 3 days ahead.
  • Store the strips in a sealed plastic bag.
  • In a large heavy saucepan, heat about 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
  • Add the pork and sauté, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork to a bowl.
  • Add the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and crushed red pepper to the pan and cook, stirring, scraping up all the brown bits on the pan bottom, until the onion is limp, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the broth, tomato sauce, carrot, zucchini, corn, celery, and red pepper.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Return the pork to the soup, and simmer 5 minutes.
  • Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
  • Top with tortilla strips, avocado, and cheese.
  • Serve with lime wedges to squeeze the juice over the soup.
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Course; Pork / Soup
Cuisine; Mexican

Chicken and Tomato Broth with Vermicelli Pasta

Chicken and Tomato Broth with Vermicelli Pasta

Sopa de Fideos
Sopa de fideos, is a much-loved home-style soup made with thin coils of vermicelli that are browned in oil, and then added to the broth. Crumbled is often sprinkled over the soup at the table. cheese is now available in some supermarkets, or Latin American markets. Parmesan cheese may be substituted.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet.
  • Add the broken pieces of vermicelli, and stir-fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Work quickly to prevent burning.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
  • In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining oil, and cook the onion and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes and jalapeños.
  • Cook, stirring, until the tomato juices have cooked away.
  • Add the broth and cilantro.
  • Simmer the soup, partly covered, about 12 minutes.
  • Season with salt, then sprinkle with cotija, if using.
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Course; Broth / Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Red Chile Broth with Chicken and Epazote

Red Chile Broth with Chicken and Epazote

Mole Epazote
Teresita's Restaurant in Puebla City, about 90 miles southeast of Mexico City, served this excellent soupy type of mole in deep earthenware soup bowls. The mole followed appetizers of quesadillas and soft tacos. Be sure to add small chunks of avocado and a squirt of lime juice to the soup at the table to heighten the flavor. If you can't find fresh epazote, use dried epazote that's found in most Mexican grocery stores.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Put the chicken breasts in a pan with the chicken broth.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the broth to cool.
  • Cover to keep moist.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the chiles.
  • Put in a bowl with hot water to cover.
  • Soak 20 minutes.
  • Transfer the soaked chiles to a blender and discard the soaking water.
  • Add the onion, garlic, tomato, epazote, oregano, and 1 cup of the chicken broth from cooking the chicken to the blender.
  • Blend as smoothly as possible.
  • Pour the puréed chile mixture through a strainer into the pan with the remaining broth, pressing to extract all the juices.
  • Discard the seeds and pulp left in the strainer.
  • Bring the chile broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes to cook the onion and tomato and blend the flavors.
  • Coarsely shred the chicken and discard the bones.
  • Add the shredded chicken to the chile broth, and season with salt.
  • Heat through and serve hot.
  • Pass diced avocado and fresh lime wedges at the table.
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Course; Broth / Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Chicken in Red Chile-Tomato Broth

Chicken in Red Chile-Tomato Broth

Chilpachole de Pollo y Chayote
This soup of rich red chile broth with generous chunks of chicken and (a pear-shaped squash that is used similarly to summer squash), can make a meal when eaten with warm corn tortillas, to dip into the flavorful soup. Fresh lime juice is always added just before eating.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Instructions

  • Put the chicken broth in a large saucepan.
  • Trim excess fat from the chicken, and cut into 1-inch pieces.
  • Add the chicken and the chayote to the broth.
  • Add half of the garlic and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
  • Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the chicken and chayote are tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Reserve in the pan off heat.
  • Meanwhile prepare the chiles.
  • Then, soak them in a bowl of hot water, 20 minutes.
  • While the chiles soak, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and fry the tortilla quarters until crisp and lightly browned on both sides.
  • Transfer to a blender.
  • In the same skillet, fry the onion stirring, 1 minute.
  • Add the remaining garlic, stirring, until onions and garlic start to brown about 3 minutes.
  • Add the remaining salt.
  • Transfer to the blender.
  • In the same skillet, cook the tomatoes on both sides until soft and the skins are charred in spots, about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer to the blender.
  • Drain the chiles, discarding the water, and add the chiles to the blender.
  • Add 1 cup of the chicken broth from cooking the chicken.
  • Blend as smoothly as possible.
  • (Blend in batches, if necessary.
  • )
  • Pour the chile purée through a strainer into the pan with the broth and chicken, pressing to extract most of the solids and juices.
  • Discard the debris.
  • Add the epazote and oregano to the broth.
  • Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes to blend the flavors.
  • Adjust seasoning.
  • Serve hot with lime wedges.
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Course; Broth / Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican

Chicken Broth with Chickpeas

Chicken Broth with Chickpeas

Caldo de Pollo con Garbanzos
This simple soup was served at a special dinner I attended, arranged by Chef Ricardo Muñoz as a finale for a group tour. It was one of the most unusual and enjoyable parties I've ever attended. A caravan of boats took a leisurely path along the historic canals of Xochimilco in Mexico City. We rode in the main boat, which also contained a long, festively decorated table. Then came the second boat, where musicians played, followed by a third boat, which contained a kitchen.When it was time for dinner, the kitchen boat pulled up alongside us and the team of cooks came aboard our boat to serve a truly memorable meal, including this wonderful rich chicken broth in hand-made brown clay pottery mugs. A small bowl of condiments was passed around the table, for garnishing the soup. We followed the traditional method, and drank the broth first, then scooped out the chickpeas with a spoon. It is a wonderful soup, and you will love it too—for a fiesta or a simple meal.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

  • 6 cups Basic Chicken Stock
  • 1 cup canned chickpeas garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 to 3 serrano chiles seeded, veins removed, and minced
  • 2 tablespoons minced white onion
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Prepare chicken stock.
  • Strain and put 6 cups into a clean saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add the chickpeas and bring to a boil again; then reduce heat to low and simmer 1 minute.
  • Add salt, if desired.
  • Serve in heated mugs.
  • Put the minced chiles, onion, and cilantro in small bowls.
  • Put the lime wedges on a small plate.
  • Pass the garnishes at the table.
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Course; Broth / Chicken
Cuisine; Mexican