Recipes

Mixed Vegetable Salad

Mixed Vegetable Salad

Ensalada Mixta
Maria Marquez Merrill, of San Miguel de Allende, was tour guide, interpreter, and cooking teacher for several tours that I led to the region. Maria prepared this salad during one of our cooking classes. We cooked the vegetables in the morning, and assembled the salad just before serving.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 4 small new potatoes about 9 ounces, unpeeled
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces
  • ¼ of a medium cauliflower cut into small florets
  • ¼ pound fresh green beans cut into 1-inch lengths
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped or cubed
  • 6 to 8 inner romaine lettuce leaves
  • ½ cup Basic Vinaigrette

Instructions

  • In a medium pan of boiling water to cover, cook the potatoes until tender, but not soft, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.
  • Cool under running water, peel, and cut into 3⁄4-inch cubes.
  • Put into a large bowl and set aside.
  • Cook the carrots, cauliflower, and green beans, each separately, uncovered, until crisp-tender.
  • The carrots take about 4 minutes, cauliflower about 3 minutes, and the green beans about 6 minutes.
  • Rinse each vegetable through a sieve under cold running water to stop the cooking.
  • Shake excess water.
  • Put the cooked vegetables in the bowl with the potatoes.
  • Add the salt and olive oil, and toss gently.
  • Cover and refrigerate until the vegetables are cold, at least 1 hour.
  • Remove the vegetables from the refrigerator shortly before serving and add the tomatoes.
  • Toss the salad with sufficient vinaigrette to coat generously.
  • Line a shallow bowl or serving platter with the romaine leaves.
  • Mound the vegetables on the lettuce.
  • Serve cold.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Salad
Cuisine; Mexican
Diets; Vegetarian

Basic Vinaigrette

Basic Vinaigrette

Vinagreta
A basic vinaigrette in Mexican cuisine is a simple oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper combination. It brightens the flavors of all kinds of salads and cold vegetables. The olive oil adds richer flavor.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, or put all of the ingredients in a half-pint jar and shake vigorously.
  • If the dressing separates before using, shake again.

Notes & Wine Advice

Dressing keeps refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Dressing
Cuisine; Mexican

Caesar Salad from Marge Poore

Caesar Salad from Marge Poore

Ensalada de Caesar
Caesar Salad was invented in the 1920s in Tijuana, Mexico, by Alexander and his brother Ceasar Cardini, owners of a popular local restaurant. The story goes that late one evening near closing time, Alex welcomed some late diners and, with only a few ingredients to work with after a busy day, Ceasar, the chef, whipped up the first Caesar Salad.Now, there are so many versions of the salad that the origins are often forgotten, but Tijuana still claims Caesar Salad as its own. This updated version does not contain raw egg in the dressing.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a blender, thoroughly combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, and mustard.
  • Add the Parmesan and black pepper.
  • Blend until creamy and smooth.
  • Transfer to a small bowl and reserve, or, if made ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.
  • Whisk thoroughly before using.
  • Put the lettuce and croutons in a large salad bowl.
  • Add the dressing and toss well.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Salad
Cuisine; Mexican
Diets; Vegetarian

Green Salad with Tomato and Green Chile Strips

Green Salad with Tomato and Green Chile Strips

Ensalade Verde con Jitomate y Rajas
A pile of lightly dressed greens topped with diced tomatoes, thin strips of roasted poblano chile, and a sprinkle of cotija cheese is a very appealing modern salad.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 2 poblano chiles roasted, peeled, seeded, and veins removed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 6 cups torn lettuce greens
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
  • 2 medium tomatoes seeded and finely diced
  • ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese or grated Parmesan

Instructions

  • Prepare the chiles.
  • Remove the stems and cut into short, very thin strips.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and salt.
  • Put the lettuce in a large bowl.
  • Add the dressing and toss lightly to coat.
  • Add the black pepper and toss.
  • Divide the salad among 4 serving plates.
  • Top with the reserved chile strips and the tomatoes.
  • Sprinkle equally with cheese.
  • Serve at once.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Salad
Cuisine; Mexican
Diets; Vegetarian

Tomato and Red Onion Salad

Tomato and Red Onion Salad

Ensalada de Jitomate y Cebollas Rojas
A great variety of tomatoes of different colors and sizes have come to the world from Mexico. What could be easier or more striking than a platter of vine-ripened tomatoes with a tangle of marinated red onions to serve as a summer salad?
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Small saucepan

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 1 medium red onion 6 ounces, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 4 medium ripe tomatoes 1½ pounds, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro or fresh oregano

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and add the sliced onion.
  • Soak the onion for 1 minute.
  • Drain and transfer the onion to a small bowl.
  • Add the vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, salt, and sugar.
  • Stir and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, arrange the sliced tomatoes on a serving plate.
  • Drain the onions and scatter over the tomatoes.
  • Sprinkle with cilantro or oregano.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Salad
Cuisine; Mexican
Diets; Vegetarian

Avocado, Tomato, and Jicama Salad

Avocado, Tomato, and Jicama Salad

Ensalada de Aguacate, Tomate, y Jicama
Mexicans are masters of artfully arranging platters of foods. Beautiful hand-crafted pottery pieces help to make the compositions visually appealing. The components for this salad can be sliced and arranged separately on a serving platter for a buffet, or cut into uniform-size pieces and tossed together in a bowl. Either way, it's good eating!
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Small bowl

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper together.
  • Set aside.
  • Serve the salad on a platter, arrange the tomatoes, avocados, jicama, radishes, and jalapeños in rows.
  • For a mixed salad, put all of the ingredients in a bowl.
  • Drizzle the dressing over the salad on the platter, or toss with the vegetables for the mixed salad.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Salad / Vegetables
Cuisine; Mexican
Diets; Vegetarian

Tortillas in Ancho Chile and Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Tortillas in Ancho Chile and Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Chilaquiles en Chile Ancho Crema
One day, while testing recipes, I discovered this very pleasing combination of corn tortilla wedges in ancho chile cream sauce, that is similar to pasta in a sauce. Serve this easy informal dish for lunch with a salad, or top with a fried egg and crisp, crumbled bacon for brunch.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • large nonstick skillet

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Prepare ancho cream sauce.
  • Reserve in the pan off heat.
  • Then, spread the tortilla wedges, overlapping, in a large nonstick skillet.
  • Pour the sauce over the tortillas to coat them.
  • Heat the tortillas and sauce over medium heat, moving the wedges around as the sauce starts to boil.
  • Cook until completely heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • (The tortillas will become limp and absorb some of the sauce, and some may break, but that’s okay.
  • )
  • With a wide spatula, divide the tortillas and sauce among 4 shallow soup plates.
  • Sprinkle with cheese and cilantro.
  • Serve hot.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican

Tortilla, Bean, and Corn Casserole

Tortilla, Bean, and Corn Casserole

Chilaquiles de Frijoles y Elote
Dry or stale corn tortillas are used creatively in Mexico for dishes such as chilaquiles. For this tasty version of chilaquiles, strips of fried tortillas are mixed with cooked black beans, corn, onions, tomatoes, and broth. The dish is topped with cheese and run under a hot broiler to melt the cheese.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • If the tortillas are very fresh, spread them on a counter to dry a bit—about 30 minutes.
  • Heat oil to a depth of about ½ inch in a skillet.
  • Fry the tortilla wedges until barely browned and almost crisp.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Reserve.
  • Preheat the oven broiler.
  • In a deep saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil used for frying the tortillas, and cook the onion until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, ancho powder, beans, corn, spinach, and chicken broth.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Stir in the reserved tortilla wedges, cilantro, and salt.
  • Continue to stir until the tortillas start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Turn the mixture into a shallow ovenproof baking dish.
  • Top with the cheese.
  • Broil about 6 inches from the heat until the cheese melts and bubbles.
  • Serve at once.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Casserole / Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican

Tortilla, Corn, and Zucchini Casserole

Tortilla, Corn, and Zucchini Casserole

Chilaquiles de Elote y Calabacitas
Corn tortillas are cut into thin strips and fried before being mixed with the vegetables and sauce. The casserole is topped with cheese and baked in the oven. Serve as a side dish with a meat entrées, or as a light meal with salad.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Equipment

  • medium skillet
  • oven

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • In a medium skillet, heat oil to a depth of about ½ inch until it simmers.
  • Fry the tortilla strips, in batches, until golden and crisp.
  • Drain on paper towels and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the skillet.
  • Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until the edges start to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the cumin, zucchini, corn, and chiles.
  • Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, broth, cilantro, and salt.
  • Bring to a boil and transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish.
  • Add the tortilla strips and half of the cheese.
  • Stir gently to combine.
  • Press to level the top.
  • Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Bake until completely heated through and the cheese melts, about 20 minutes.
  • Serve hot.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Casserole / Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican

Potato and Tortilla Casserole

Potato and Tortilla Casserole

Chilaquiles de Papa
Donna Nordin, a dear friend and travel buddy, is executive chef and owner of Café Terra Cotta in Tucson and Scottsdale, Arizona. The menu features contemporary southwestern dishes and some innovative Mexican dishes, as well such as potato chilaquiles. At the restaurant, blue corn tortillas are used for this dish; but since they are pretty hard to come by, I use regular white corn tortillas.
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Instructions

  • Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles and put the chiles in a bowl.
  • Pour boiling water over the chiles and let stand to soak 1 hour.
  • Reserve 1 cup of the soaking liquid, and discard remaining liquid.
  • Put the chiles in a blender with the cup of reserved liquid and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Press through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pushing and scraping to extract the pulp.
  • Discard the debris left in the strainer.
  • (There will be about 1 cup purée.
  • )
  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Grease a 9- × 13-inch baking pan.
  • Put the puréed chiles in a large bowl.
  • Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
  • Transfer the mixture to the baking pan and spread to even the top.
  • Bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
  • Cut into squares and serve.
————————————————————————————————–
Course; Casserole / Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican