Recipes

Avocado and Melon Salad

Avocado and Melon Salad

Ensalada de Aguacate y Melón
Here's a typical salad combination that's found all over Mexico. Mound this fresh chunky salad on an oval platter or in a shallow bowl to show off the colors and textures. The salad goes with almost everything, but I especially like it with grilled chicken breasts or grilled shrimp.
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Equipment

  • Large bowl

Ingredients

  • Makes 6 to 8 servings
  • 1 ripe cantaloupe peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 medium cucumber peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced
  • 1 large jalapeño chile seeded, veins removed, and finely chopped
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large avocados Hass variety preferred, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, toss together the melon, cucumber, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt.
  • Gently stir in the avocado and cilantro.
  • Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve cold.
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Course; Salad
Cuisine; Mexican

Citrus, Jicama, and Watercress Salad

Citrus, Jicama, and Watercress Salad

Ensalada de Naranjas y Berros A bed of peppery watercress, topped with a mixture of juicy citrus fruits, crisp jicama, and radishes mingle for a fresh-tasting salad that goes very well with simply prepared fish such as Sautéed Fish Fillets with Golden Garlic and Lime.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 bunch watercress thick stems removed, washed and spun dry
  • 2 navel oranges
  • 1 large or 2 small grapefruits
  • 1 cup peeled finely diced jicama from about one 1-pound jicama
  • 8 radishes thinly sliced

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and salt.
  • In a medium bowl toss the watercress with half of the dressing and toss to mix.
  • Place on a large serving plate.
  • Peel the oranges and grapefruit and remove all the white pith.
  • Cut into bite-size pieces and put in a medium bowl.
  • In the same bowl, add the jicama and radishes to the citrus fruits, then with the remaining dressing.
  • Mound the salad on the bed of watercress.
  • Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve cold.
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Course; Fruit / Salad
Cuisine; Mexican

Pineapple, Corn, and Pomegranate Salad

Pineapple, Corn, and Pomegranate Salad

Ensalada de Piña, Elote, y Granada
The town of Guanajuato tumbles along a deep gorge in the rugged mountains of central Mexico that once supplied precious minerals. Now this lovely little colonial city in central Mexico is known for its music festivals. The small plaza, Jardin de la Union, shares a pleasant flat area with a few sidewalk cafes, hotels, and shops. From every direction, steep winding streets descend into the plaza.In a charming sidewalk café I had this salad with its unusual combination of ingredients. It was served with a sweet mayonnaise dressing, but I prefer a vinaigrette. For convenience or a different flavor, you can substitute raisins for the pomegranate seeds.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a large bowl toss together all of the ingredients except the lettuce.
  • Refrigerate for at least an hour.
  • To serve, line each of 4 serving plates with lettuce and divide the salad among the plates.
  • Serve cold.
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Course; Fruit / Salad
Cuisine; Mexican

Pineapple, Cabbage, and Romaine Salad

Pineapple, Cabbage, and Romaine Salad

Ensalada de Piña, Col, y Romaine
Just imagine how pretty and refreshing a chopped salad made of sweet fresh pineapple, crunchy cabbage, and crisp romaine lettuce would be served with a saucy spicy entrée. Try it with Chicken in Oaxacan Red Mole or with Shrimp in Red Chile Sauce.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 3 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ fresh pineapple peeled and cut into small pieces
  • ¼ medium head of cabbage finely chopped
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and salt.
  • Put the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Add the dressing and toss to mix.
  • Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve cold.
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Course; Fruit / Salad
Cuisine; Mexican

Shrimp in Red Chile Sauce

Shrimp in Red Chile Sauce

Camarónes en Salsa de Chile Rojo
This is a wonderful dish with a spicy, flavorful sauce made by thickening the shrimp cooking broth with puréed chiles and masa harina (the flour for making corn tortillas). The sauce is typical of West Central Mexico in the states of Michoacan and Jalisco. Serve over white rice.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a small skillet, toast the chiles on both sides until blistered in spots, 30 to 40 seconds.
  • (Take care not to let them burn.
  • ) Put the toasted chiles into a small bowl and cover with hot water.
  • Soak about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan bring to a boil the broth, water, onion, celery, cilantro, oregano, and bay leaf.
  • Add the shrimp and cook over low heat until pink and curled, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Pour the broth through a strainer into a bowl and reserve.
  • Remove the shrimp, peel, devein, and reserve in a separate bowl.
  • Discard the debris left in the strainer.
  • Rinse the saucepan and return the broth to the pan.
  • Lift the chiles out of the soaking water and put them into a blender jar.
  • Add the garlic, masa harina, cumin, and ½ cup of the broth from cooking the shrimp.
  • Blend as smooth as possible.
  • Pour the sauce through a strainer into the broth remaining in the pan.
  • Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and the flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
  • (The sauce will still be thin.
  • ) Add the shrimp to the sauce.
  • Heat through completely.
  • Serve hot.
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Course; Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Chicken in Oaxacan Red Mole

Chicken in Oaxacan Red Mole

Pollo Coloradito
In Mexican cuisine, it's said that "often the sauce is the dish." Such is the case with Mole Coloradito (red mole sauce), one of Oaxaca's "seven moles" that's generally served in a rather plain fashion, as most moles are, with just a cooked chicken quarter on the center of the plate smothered in mole and sprinkled with sesame seeds. This typical presentation might also have a small mound of rice and a sprig of cilantro on the plate. It's a classic presentation focusing attention on the complex sauce. A side dish of cooked vegetables might be served with the chicken. Warm corn tortillas are served to dip into the sauce. The sauce is best if made a day or more ahead.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • Oaxacan Red Mole
  • 1 about 2-pound chicken, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, finely crumbled
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • Cilantro sprigs

Instructions

  • Prepare the mole several hours or a day ahead, for best flavor.
  • Then trim excess fat and loose skin from the chicken.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until it shimmers.
  • Rub the chicken with oregano and season with salt.
  • Place the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Turn and cook the second side minutes until golden brown, about 6 minutes.
  • Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook the chicken until no longer pink inside, about 20 minutes.
  • Reheat the mole sauce until simmering.
  • Place 1 chicken quarter on each of 4 plates.
  • Cover each serving equally with sauce letting it pool onto the plate.
  • Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and garnish with a sprig of cilantro.
  • Serve with tortillas.
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Course; Chicken / Salad
Cuisine; Mexican

Cabbage and Orange Salad

Cabbage and Orange Salad

Ensalada de Col y Naranja
This refreshing salad of crunchy cabbage with juicy oranges is a natural to accompany spicy dishes.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
  • Put the cabbage in a large bowl.
  • With a sharp knife, cut both ends off the oranges, and cut away the rind and the white pith.
  • Cut the oranges into bite-size pieces and put in the bowl with the cabbage along with the onions, cilantro, and avocado.
  • Add the dressing and toss gently to coat the salad.
  • Serve cold.
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Course; Fruit / Salad
Cuisine; Mexican

Spinach Salad with Oranges and Jalapeños

Spinach Salad with Oranges and Jalapeños

Ensalada Espinaca con Naranjas y Jalapeños
Iliana de la Vega is the gracious and creative chef-owner of El Naranjo Restaurant in Oaxaca. Her menu always features some creative new dishes along with excellent traditional fare. This imaginative spinach salad is based on one of Iliana's offerings that I enjoyed one evening during a recent visit. Mexican panela cheese, a mild fresh cheese with tender spongy texture, is available here in many supermarkets or Mexican markets, or substitute ricotta cheese, if necessary.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • Basic Vinaigrette
  • 5 cups fresh spinach leaves washed and spun dry
  • 2 oranges peeled, white pith removed, and cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ medium jicama peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
  • 2 jarred pickled jalapeño chiles en escabeche, seeded and cut lengthwise into thin strips
  • 8 1⁄4-inch-thick slices of panela cheese
  • 8 to 12 radishes washed with some leaves attached

Instructions

  • Prepare the vinaigrette.
  • Then, in a large mixing bowl toss the spinach, oranges, and jicama with enough dressing to coat lightly.
  • Garnish with jalapeño strips, overlapped cheese slices, and radishes.
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Course; Fruit / Salad
Cuisine; Mexican

Spinach, Jicama, and Mango Salad

Spinach, Jicama, and Mango Salad

Ensalada de Espinaca, Jicama, y Mango
Iliana de la Vega, owner-chef of El Naranjo restaurant in Oaxaca, always impresses me with her creative salads. Iliana uses local and native ingredients, successfully combining the old with the new.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a small dry skillet, toast the almonds, stirring, until aromatic and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
  • Set aside.
  • In a large bowl place the spinach, jicama, and mango.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, and oil.
  • Add the dressing to the salad and toss.
  • Add the nuts to the salad and toss to mix.
  • Divide the salad among 4 serving plates.
  • Sprinkle with cheese.
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Course; Fruit / Salad
Cuisine; Mexican

Mixed Greens and Strawberry Salad

Mixed Greens and Strawberry Salad

Ensalada Mixta con Fresas
A salad of delicate sweet strawberries mixed with salad greens may be a surprise written in any language. The idea for this nueva salad came from La Capilla Restaurant in the lovely colonial city of San Miguel de Allende. It pairs well with spicy or rich dishes.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, sugar, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, cabbage, and strawberries with the dressing.
  • Mound the salad equally on each of 4 serving plates.
  • Scatter the pecans equally over the salads.
  • Garnish with mint sprigs.
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Course; Fruit / Salad
Cuisine; Mexican