Recipes

Crisp Rolled Chicken Taquitos

Crisp Rolled Chicken Taquitos

Taquitos de Pollo
Taquitos de pollo are a favorite snack or light meal all over Mexico, made of crisply fried filled corn tortillas. For an ideal party appetizer, cut the taquitos in half and arrange on a colorful platter, with guacamole and sour cream served in separate bowls on the side. This chicken filling is a little creamy and mildly spiced.
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Ingredients

Makes 24 appetizers

Instructions

  • Place chicken breasts and broth in a medium saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, 12 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is white throughout, but still moist.
  • Set the chicken aside in the broth until cool enough to handle.
  • With your fingers, shred the chicken into thin strips and reserve in a bowl.
  • In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat and cook the onions and oregano, stirring, about 2 minutes or until onions are limp.
  • Put the onions in the bowl with the shredded chicken.
  • Mix in the cream cheese, salt, and pepper.
  • Reserve.
  • In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat and, using tongs, soften tortillas 1 at a time by dipping in hot oil about 2 seconds on each side or until very limp.
  • Drain tortillas between layers of paper towels.
  • Stack and keep covered with clean kitchen towel.
  • To fill, place 1 soft tortilla on a plate, spoon about 2 tablespoons chicken mixture in a line, across lower third of tortilla surface and roll up tightly.
  • Secure with toothpick and lay seam side down on another plate.
  • Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  • Cover with plastic wrap to keep from drying out.
  • At this point, taquitos can be held, covered and refrigerated, up to 6 hours before frying.
  • In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil on medium high, and fry the taquitos 2 at a time, seam side down, until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Repeat until all are cooked.
  • With a sharp knife, cut each taquito in half, arrange on a plate, and serve hot.
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Course; Chicken / Tortilla
Cuisine; Mexican

Tuna, Capers, and Jalapeños

Tuna, Capers, and Jalapeños

Tostaditas con Atún, Alcaparras y Jalapeños
A simple mixture with plenty of spicy flavor to spread on tortilla chips, makes an easy quick appetizer. Serve with crisp corn tortilla chips.
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Ingredients

Makes about 1½ cups

  • 1 9-ounce can white albacore tuna, packed in oil or water
  • 1 3-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 2 jarred pickled jalapeño chiles en escabeche, seeded and minced
  • 1 green onion including most of the green, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon drained capers chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice or unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 small tomato seeded and finely chopped
  • Salt to taste (optional)

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix very well all of the ingredients, except the tomato and salt.
  • Gently stir in the tomato.
  • Taste and add salt, if needed.
  • Transfer to a decorative serving bowl.
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Course; Fish
Cuisine; Mexican

Mushroom Appetizer Spread

Mushroom Appetizer Spread

Antojito de Hongos Picadas
Many varieties of wild mushrooms grow in the mountains of the states of Puebla and Tlaxcala. Mycological experts lead tours during the rainy season to search for the edible fungi found in the region. My friend, Jon Jarvis, of Mexican Mushroom Tours, contributed this appetizer recipe, using ingredients that are typical in the region's foods.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onion and garlic stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the mushrooms, chiles, and oregano.
  • Cook, stirring, until the mushroom juices are reduced and the mixture is nearly dry, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Add the walnuts, salt, and pepper.
  • Taste for seasoning.
  • Transfer to a bowl.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve at room temperature with crisp tortilla chips or a thinly sliced baguette.
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Course; Appetizer
Cuisine; Mexican
Diets; Vegetarian

Yucatán Stuffed Cheese

Yucatán Stuffed Cheese

Queso Relleno de Yucatán
Manuel Arjona from Yucatán and now the chef of Maya, a Mexican restaurant in Sonoma, California contributed his recipe for this unusual cheese preparation that's very popular on the Yucatán peninsula. Imported cheese, especially whole rounds of Edam and Gouda, are less expensive there because of the free port status that exists in the state of Quintana Roo on the eastern part of the peninsula. Here, a hollowed round of Edam or Gouda is stuffed with a ground meat filling and melted cheese. This delectable filling is scooped out and eaten with tortillas or chips. It's a great party dish.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

  • 1 2-pound round of Edam or Gouda cheese
  • ½ pound lean ground pork
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 jalapeño chile seeded, veins removed, and minced
  • 2 hard-cooked large eggs peeled and chopped
  • 1½ tablespoons drained capers

Sauce

Instructions

  • Peel the outside wax off the cheese.
  • Cut a 1⁄2-inch thick slice off the top for a lid.
  • Hollow out the inside of the cheese to within ½ inch of the edge.
  • Chop the inside cheese, reserve ½ cup for the sauce and store the rest.
  • Set the cheese shell aside.
  • In a skillet, cook the pork, oregano, cayenne, and salt, stirring and breaking the pork into bits as it cooks until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Stir in the jalapeño, eggs, and capers.
  • Spoon the mixture inside the cheese round.
  • Replace the lid.
  • Rub oil on the outside.
  • Wrap the stuffed cheese in cheese cloth and with the opening at the top, put in the top of a steamer with water in the bottom.
  • Steam over medium heat 12–15 minutes, or until the cheese softens, but does not collapse (test gently with a fork).
  • Meanwhile, make the sauce.
  • In a saucepan, stir together the chicken broth, masa harina, tomatoes, raisins, cloves, salt, and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add ½ cup of the reserved cheese and stir until melted, but do not boil.
  • Remove from the heat.
  • To serve, remove the cloth from the cheese ball and place the cheese on a serving plate.
  • Remove the lid.
  • Pour the sauce over the cheese.
  • Some will run onto the plate.
  • Serve at once.
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Course; Cheese
Cuisine; Mexican

Olive and Tomato Dip

Olive and Tomato Dip

Salsa de Aceituna Verde y Jitomate
Dips and chips are easy and well liked by almost everyone. This is a California-Mexican innovation based on ingredients commonly used in the cooking of Veracruz. For the best flavor try to use good-quality bulk olives from a delicatessen or gourmet store.
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Ingredients

Makes about 1½ cups

Instructions

  • Put the olives in a processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  • Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
  • Taste before adding salt, since the olives and capers are both already salty.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve with crisp tortilla chips for dipping
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Course; Sauce
Cuisine; Mexican

Almond and Cheese Dip

Almond and Cheese Dip

Botana de Nuez y Queso
A delightful little book I purchased in Mexico, Recipes and Memories of Mexico, by Dorothy Weeks, describes travels she took with her husband in Mexico in the 1950s and the foods they ate. I liked this simple dip and added chopped pickled jalapeño chiles to give it some heat. Serve with corn tortilla chips.
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Equipment

  • skillet

Ingredients

Makes about 1 cup

  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 3 ounce package cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 to 2 jarred pickled jalapeño chiles en escabeche, seeded and minced
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • In a medium dry skillet, toast the almonds, over medium heat, stirring until aromatic and golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Take care not to burn the nuts or they will be bitter.
  • Cool the nuts completely; then put them in a food processor with the cheese, sour cream and jalapeños.
  • Blend well.
  • If the mixture is too thick, add more sour cream to reach a dipping consistency.
  • Taste and add salt, if needed.
  • Transfer to a serving bowl.
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Course; Appetizer / Cheese / Nuts
Cuisine; Mexican

Green Chiles with Cheese

Green Chiles with Cheese

Chile con Queso
There are many versions of this popular melted cheese appetizer and most of them are very good if they are made with good quality cheese. Fresh roasted Anaheim chiles are called for in this version. They are usually fairly mild, but can be hot. Serve with tortilla chips.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Prepare the chiles.
  • Then, chop or dice the chiles very fine and set aside.
  • Heat the butter or oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the chopped chiles, salt, oregano, cumin, and cream.
  • Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted.
  • Serve warm.
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Course; Appetizer / Cheese
Cuisine; Mexican

Refried Beans with Cheese

Refried Beans with Cheese

Frijoles Refritos con Queso
At the Hotel Camino Real in Puerto Vallarta we ate a rich and tasty refried bean pancake studded with thin rings of serrano chile. It was perfect with icy mugs of beer. This is a good recipe to try when you have leftover cooked beans. You can use canned refried beans, but they won't taste the same.
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Equipment

  • medium nonstick skillet

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 serrano chiles cut into very thin rounds with seeds
  • 2 cups Basic Refried Beans well-seasoned
  • 1 cup coarsely shredded Monterey Jack cheese or other good melting cheese
  • Corn tortilla chips

Instructions

  • In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil and sauté the serrano chile rounds about 20 seconds.
  • Add the refried beans and stir with a wooden spoon until the beans are hot and form a paste.
  • Add the cheese and stir slowly until just melted, but still visible as swirls of cheese.
  • Turn out onto a round serving plate and form into a fat pancake.
  • Serve at once with tortilla chips for dipping.
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Course; Cheese / Vegetables
Cuisine; Mexican

Basic Refried Beans

Basic Refried Beans

Frijoles Refritos
Refried beans that are prepared at home from beans you have cooked yourself are absolutely delicious. You may never be tempted to use canned refried beans again. I often make up a big batch and freeze the beans in small containers for later use.Lard is rendered from fresh pork fat and it imparts a wonderful creaminess and rich flavor to refried beans. It's easy to make, if you wish, and contains half the cholesterol of butter, so a little lard isn't that bad. The beans can be varied in many simple ways. You can add chopped cooked onion and garlic, or melt cheese over the top when serving. Ground cumin or dried epazote or oregano may be added for extra flavor.
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Ingredients

Makes about 5 cups

Instructions

  • Cook pot beans until the liquid thickens and the beans are very tender.
  • To fry the beans, heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat and add the lard or oil.
  • When the lard is melted and hot, add about 1 cup of cooked beans and about ½ cup of the broth, too.
  • Stir and mash as the beans cook and thicken.
  • Gradually add all of the beans, and all of the remaining broth, mashing and stirring continuously, until the broth is reduced and the beans are thick enough to hold their shape.

Notes & Wine Advice

When the beans are very thick and the juices have cooked away, add salt and pepper. The beans are ready to use, or to refrigerate or freeze for later use.
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Course; Side Dish
Cuisine; Mexican

Black Bean Dip from Marge Poore

Black Bean Dip from Marge Poore

Antojito de Frijoles Negro
Enjoying dips and chips with cold drinks is just about the easiest way to spend a convivial afternoon or evening with friends. This cheesy black bean dip is one of the best snacks for the occasion.
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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Instructions

  • Prepare the beans.
  • Reserve.
  • Preheat the oven to 325°.
  • Drain the beans of most of their liquid, but leave them a bit soupy.
  • Mash half of the beans.
  • Put all of the beans in an ovenproof serving casserole dish.
  • Add the white onion, cheeses, jalapeños, jalapeño juice, and cumin.
  • Mix well.
  • Bake the bean mixture until hot and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
  • Drizzle with sour cream and scatter the green onions on top.

Notes & Wine Advice

Serve hot with chips.
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Course; Sauce / Snack
Cuisine; Mexican