Simple everyday meal good enough for Sunday!

Cortadillo is a dish that you will find all over the northern State of Nuevo León. It is a humble dish, but very delicious.  When I go home to Monterrey, I like to visit neighboring towns. Day-tripping on a Saturday morning, we ended up in a small town called Sabinas Hidalgo, where we sampled the local gastronomy. The Cortadillo in this town is made with a peculiar ingredient: poblano chile. Everywhere you go, you will find Cortadillo, and everyone makes it slightly different, but finding poblanos in my Cortadillo was a delicious surprise.

What can one say about a dish that is such an integral part of one’s memories? I grew up in a family of 4 kids, and more often than not, we all had friends drop in for lunch after school. My Nana, who was - and still is - a whiz in the kitchen, would make great meals that were perfect for sharing. That is the case of Cortadillo, a pot of this delicious stewed beef, some rice, beans and tortillas, and everyone was happy indeed.

Now, as I sample different versions of the same dish, I can see how a recipe can be part of an individual’s tastes. Each cook takes experiences or traditions and transmits that onto his or her cooking. That is the beauty of food - part tradition, part anthropology, part regional ingredient availability, part creativity and part taste, coming together beautifully. 

Yes, I love to travel and experience and taste. I made this recipe based on what I saw in Sabinas Hidalgo, with a touch of what my Nana puts in her recipe. I like to serve my Cortadillo alongside pan-fried oregano potatoes, chiles toreados (look for these recipes here in the blog too) and tortillas. This is my version of an authentic and very satisfying every day Mexican meal that’s good enough for a Sunday! 

Cortadillo Norteño
Northern style beef stew

2 Tbsp lard (or vegetable oil)
900g beef top sirloin, cut into 1/2" dice
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 poblano chiles, seeded and chopped
3-4 serrano chiles, stemmed but left whole
6 plum tomatoes, diced
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
Corn or flour tortillas, to serve

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat lard or vegetable oil over high heat. Add meat and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onions, garlic, poblano and Serrano chiles and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. 

Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and cumin and cover the pan while simmering mixture over low heat for 30-40 minutes, making sure it does not dry out. If it does, add a bit of water to maintain a saucy consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve hot with tortillas.

Serves 6.

Harvest time is the best time to make Sopa de Milpa.

Milpas are traditional Mexican vegetable parcels. The word “milpa” comes from the Nahuatl tongue, and it refers to a piece of land that is planted with specific types of vegetables. In these parcels, you will always find native ingredients like corn, squash, beans, tomatoes, chiles and wild greens. These plants not only grow perfectly well together, they also nurture each other, making milpas a self-sufficient type of farming, much like the Three Sisters concept in native North America. Milpas are the basis of the Mexican diet and this is my version of a type of vegetable soup that is named after our traditional vegetable growing practice.

There are as many versions of Sopa de Milpa as there are cooks, since each person can make his or her interpretation of the recipe. One thing for sure: the soup must have corn, tomatoes and some kind of squash or beans. After that, let your imagination fly.

I love soups, especially when the weather starts to get a bit chilly. There is something comforting and special about a soup that always reminds me of my Nana and being home. You may think I’m always homesick, but that is not so. I just treasure the memories I have from when I was growing up and the ones I continue to make when I visit my family in Mexico.

My Nana taught me that you must know how to make a good stock. Chicken stock is the easiest to make and the one I like best, that’s why I always have some in my freezer, ready for when the mood strikes to make a soup like this one. If you don’t have some at the ready, go ahead and use a good quality commercial stock. You will still love this soup.

A perfect starter to any meal, don’t forget to pass around the lime wedges and chipotle chiles, they make the soup shine. Buen Provecho!

Sopa de Milpa
Mexican Vegetable Soup

2 litres chicken stock
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼” slices
10 baby potatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 ear of corn, cut crosswise into 1 ½” rounds
1 small onion, cut into julienne
1 small zucchini, cut into ¼” slices
1 handful green beans, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces (about 1 cup)
2 roma tomatoes, diced
½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Garnish:
Chipotle chiles
1 lime, cut into wedges

In large saucepan, heat chicken stock for about 5 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, corn and onions. Cover partially and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and add zucchini, green beans and tomatoes, and cook for another 6 minutes. Correct seasoning and just before serving add cilantro. Serve with chipotle chiles and lime wedges.

Makes about 4 litres, serving 8-10.

Stuffed Poblanos on a bed of rice, what can be better?

The last time I was in Mexico, my friend Alma made this dish for me. I had tried it once before, but this time it made me really curious about the origin of the dish. I asked everyone I know if they knew where it came from and no one could answer me.

I have a sizable collection of cookbooks, and the older the books are, the more they intrigue me. I found a reference to a dish like this in an old book from my hometown, which leads me to believe this is a regional dish. Still, nothing that concrete, but the truth is that it is a clever way to make two dishes in one. I am not surprised a practical Mexican cook came up with this idea.

Many, if not most, Mexican meals are served with rice on the side. In this recipe, the rice and poblano chiles cook together in the same pan. How nifty is that? This recipe appeals to my practical self, and though I never shy away from making the most complicated dishes, sometimes I want to cook something that does not take 10 hours to make. This recipe is perfect for that. 

This dish will please your vegetarian friends, but if you want a heartier meal, you could stuff the peppers with picadillo. That would make a really nice variation. This recipe comes with its own salsa recipe, but you can use any salsa you want, it doesn’t have to be this one. 

When you serve this dish, all you need is a soup or salad as a starter and a delicious dessert to make a memorable meal for your family and friends. Think you are making a meal that was served in 1930’s Monterrey. That is something special indeed. Enjoy!

Chiles Poblanos Rellenos de Queso con Arroz
Rice Casserole with Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

Rustic Grape Tomato Salsa:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly across
1 jalapeño chile, diced
4 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt to taste

Poblano chiles:
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 poblano chiles
1 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 cups zucchini, cubed
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (from one large ear of corn)
1 rounded tsp Mexican oregano
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
3/4 cup brick cheese, shredded
3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Rice:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups jasmine rice
4 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cups low sodium chicken broth or water
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

To serve:
Cilantro or parsley leaves for garnish
Rustic Grape Tomato salsa (or any salsa of your choice)

To make Salsa:
In medium saucepan, heat olive oil for 2 minutes. Add onions, garlic and jalapeños and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until tomatoes break down, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and set aside.

To make Peppers:
Over gas flame or under the broiler, char poblano chiles all over until skins are well blistered. Place in a large bowl and cover with a plate. Let steam for 7-10 minutes. Peel peppers and cut a small slit down one side. Carefully pull all seeds and veins out. Reserve while you prepare the stuffing.

In medium frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add onions and cook over medium high heat for 2 minutes, or until softened. Add zucchini, corn kernels and Mexican oregano and cook for another 4 minutes. Cool completely.

In medium bowl, combine zucchini mixture with feta, brick and Monterey Jack cheeses. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff poblano peppers with cheese mixture and reserve.

To make Rice:
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large saucepan, at least 4 inches deep. Add onion and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add rice and stir 2 minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, making sure tomato paste is well distributed.  Add chicken broth and salt to taste.  Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes.  Add the stuffed poblano chiles, arranging them radially on top of the rice, cut side up. Continue to cook another 7-10 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

To serve, place some rice on a plate and top with a poblano chile. Garnish with cilantro leaves and a spoonful of tomato salsa.

 Serves 6.

The most gorgeous Aguachile is a pink one.

I’ve had a very interesting week! It started when I messaged Stone Soup Farms on Instagram asking how much their organic garlic cost. The owner, Ross’ response was totally unexpected and the next thing I knew I had one kilo of garlic on my doorstep. All he wanted was for me to try it and spread the word on how amazing it was. And it is!! So… after I chatted with him on the phone I wanted to go meet him in person to learn more about garlic, and that’s how I ended up at Carp Farmers Market, which brings me to these pink oyster mushrooms (blog post to come on a recipe using that amazing Stone Purple Organic Garlic, so stay tuned!).

As I was walking the market looking for Ross’s booth, the beautiful mushrooms in the Forest Floor Mushroom stall stopped me on my tracks. I mean, they are BEAUTIFUL!! There’s something so sexy about the curves of oyster mushrooms to begin with, but the coral pink hue on these beauties is just out of this world. I just HAD to get some.

So… all the way home I was thinking of what I could make with them… it needed to be something super special that would let me showcase their beauty. Cooking them would be delicious, but the pink colour would get lost, so I decided to make an Aguachile. Aguachiles are Ceviches’ cousins… and usually they are made with raw, very fresh seafood. But you can make aguachiles with vegetables too (they’re popular with vegans for obvious reasons) as they are delicious! Oyster mushrooms are meaty, so it is usually recommended to cook them rather than eating them raw. The process of marinating them in aguachile does the same job, but they are still essentially raw.

Making an aguachile could be as simple as mixing citrus juice (usually lime) with chile and a bit of water and salt - the word itself means chile water. But I decided to go a bit greener and add cucumber, tomatillo and cilantro to my mixture. It is sooo good! A bit spicy from the jalapeño, tangy from the citrus and tomatillo, herby from the cilantro and of course, salt to balance it all. That in essence is what the Mexican palate likes. It really does make my mouth water just thinking about it. Sour, salty, spicy… it’s so GOOD!!

But getting back to the recipe - and this is full disclosure. I shot the styled plate you see here because I wanted to showcase those mushrooms, but after that, you need to really let the mushrooms sit in the aguachile for at least 30 minutes, so they get nice and soft. After that, they won’t look as pink, but they will taste amazing. To serve, add sliced cucumbers, paper thin slices of red onion, radish, tomatillo and avocado, along with a few cilantro leaves and a drizzle of your best olive oil. Serve with tortilla chips or tostadas and you will be in heaven. And it’s OK if you don’t want to share. You can thank me later.

Aguachile de Setas Rosas
Pink Oyster Mushroom Aguachile

To make Aguachile:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 large tomatillo, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 wedge white onion (about 1 1/2 Tbsp), chopped
1 small Jalapeño or Serrano chile, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2-1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
200g pink oyster mushrooms (or any mushrooms you have), pulled apart

To finish the plate:
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced thinly
1 avocado, peeled and sliced thinly
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 small tomatillo, thinly sliced
A drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil
Corn chips or Tostadas

To make aguachile, place lime and lemon juices, cucumber, tomatillo, white onion, jalapeño, cilantro and salt in blender container. Blend until completely smooth.
Place mushrooms in shallow bowl and add aguachile. Mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but up to two hours.
When you’re ready to serve, place mushrooms along with the aguachile on large plate. Garnish with red onion, cucumber, radish, tomatillo and avocado. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve with corn chips or tostadas.

Serves 4.

The pride and joy of the North.

I was going through my blog posts today and realized I have never shared the recipe for flour tortillas, so I needed to remedy that post haste!

When we think about tortillas, we know that is that one food item that is part of the Mexican identity. It is our daily bread, and tortillas make an appearance at every meal on the Mexican table, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner - and even as a little snack between meals, slathered with butter and salt or smashed avocado. Tortillas are the vessel for many different meals, starting with the obvious tacos, but also enchiladas, tostadas, flautas and burritos.

All over Mexico we eat corn masa tortillas, but all along the North, our pride and joy are wheat flour tortillas. Depending on which State you visit, you can find varying sizes of tortillas - the ones called “Sobaqueras” from Sonora, measure anywhere from 40-60cm in diameter! Moving East through Chihuahua, you will find large ones specially made for making Burritos, and as you move further East, the tortillas get a bit smaller. Nowadays you find the regular 15 cm size, along with the “taqueras”, which are special small tortillas made specifically for tacos, as they are about 12cm in diameter and you can eat 3 or 4 or 6 at a time!

When I was a young child, my Nana used to make tortillas every day. Corn tortillas would appear at the table for every meal, but the special days were when she made flour tortillas. They are indescribably good! Tender, rich, soft and pliable. It’s like eating a fluffy cloud. I would stand beside her waiting for the first one to come off the comal, so I could snatch it and eat it slathered with butter and a pinch of salt. Pure bliss.

I have spent my life trying to make tortillas as good as hers. She would NEVER measure anything and I have to admit I am not there yet. I think I would need to make tortillas every day for one year to get to be as good as her! Regardless, making flour tortillas is pretty easy. All you need is wheat flour (I like to use all purpose), salt, lard and water.

Place the flour in a large bowl and work the lard until it’s in very small bits. Add warm water (always warm water please) and work it in until you have a fairly smooth dough. You don’t need to knead it as much as you knead bread, but you want it fully incorporated with the lard fully worked in. It is important to let the dough rest - this is crucial - at least half an hour but up to two hours if you can. If your dough rests, it will fully hydrate, the gluten will relax and your tortillas will puff up beautifully.

The hardest part about making tortillas is that they must be rolled individually with a rolling pin. Don’t be discouraged if the first ones are not perfectly round. Practice makes perfect, and the trick is to turn your dough by quarter turns as you roll them out. That will help keep them round.

Flour tortillas, like their corn counterpart, cook best on a comal, so if you have a cast iron griddle, please use that. If not, find the heaviest frying pan you own and use it. After they’re cooked, put a clean tea towel over a cooling wire rack and stack your cooked tortillas as they come off the comal. Cover them with the tea towel - this will steam and soften them as they cool.

Now, the best fillings for these are cheese (think quesadillas), scrambled eggs with or without chorizo, and queso flameado (find this recipe in the blog). If you have leftovers (and I doubt you will), you can keep them in a bag in the fridge for about a week, but you can also freeze them. Make some flour tortillas soon - they are delicious!

Tortillas de Harina
Wheat Flour Tortillas

4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cups lard or vegetable shortening
1 - 1 1/2 cups warm water

Place flour in large bowl and mix in salt. Add cold shortening and start breaking it up with your hands. Work the mixture until lard is in tiny bits.
Start adding water - first add about 3/4 cup and then only use what you need to get the dough to come together as you mix. You should have a fairly smooth, pliable dough that is not too sticky anymore.
Give it a few turns on the counter and then portion into balls about the size of golf balls. Place the dough balls in the bowl, cover them and let them rest 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

When ready to cook preheat griddle over medium heat. Place some flour on board and start rolling tortillas with floured rolling pin, turning the dough by quarter turns as you roll and extend dough. Get the dough as thin as you can. Transfer the tortillas to the hot griddle and cook on the first side for about 20-30 seconds, it will start to puff up pretty soon after it touches the hot pan. Turn when the bottom is starting to get colour. Cook on the second side for about 20-30 seconds. Turn one more time to finish the cooking process.

Transfer cooked tortilla to a towel set over a cooling wire rack. Continue until you’ve used up all the dough balls. Enjoy tortillas right away or cool and store.

Makes 28-30 tortillas.

Memories of Istanbul

I first came across a version of this salad at a Turkish restaurant in Ottawa and I fell immediately in love with it. I think that was the precise moment when what would become a bit of an obsession with Turkey and its food started. That one dish was the one that fuelled my intense interest and years later I finally was able to travel and spend some time in Istanbul.

I cannot say enough about Istanbul. My daughter Julia and I spent only 6 days there as part of a longer European trip, but we both agreed that we could have easily spent a month there. Such a thrilling metropolis! It is huge! With a population of 17 million plus, it is a busy and exciting place. The confluence of cultures is exhilarating, it is the only country in the world that sits on the edge of Europe and Asia, and it is the most interesting place to explore. It is an ancient city that has had many names throughout history, from Byzantium to Constantinople to Istanbul. The architecture is just as fascinating as its history and the food is out of this world. The only thing I know is that I need to go back. One day, when the world settles down after Covid-19, I will go back and spend more time there, and travel around the country. All I want is to go there, explore, photograph, cook and eat!

Being at the edge of the Mediterranean, the food available in Turkey is bountiful and beautiful, and it shows up at the table as the most delicious mezes, kebabs, pilafs and pastries. Our favourite meals while there were the breakfasts, composed of LOTS of small plates, everything from fruit and conserves and the most delicious yogurt and cheese to eggs, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and olives. And the same happens at dinner time, when they present you with all these small plates ranging from the most delicious white anchovies called Hamsi to potato salads, stuffed vine leaves, burek and a great variety of eggplant dishes like this salad. Foodie paradise indeed!

I could go on and on and on, as Turkey is one of the most fascinating places I have visited. But for now, let’s get to the recipe. This is my version of the Patlican Salatasi (eggplant salad). As with many recipes, it can vary to your taste. The most important thing - if you can do this - is to char the eggplant, either on the stovetop (if you have a gas stove) or on the barbecue - to give it that smoky taste. Of course, if you don’t have this available, roasting the eggplant in a hot oven until it’s soft is perfectly acceptable. Then you add the freshest tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions and bell peppers and douse it with lemon juice and lots of olive oil. Salt to taste, add some fresh herbs and voilá! You have the most delicious eggplant salad!

Afiyet olsun, as they say in Turkey - Enjoy!

Patlican Salatasi
Charred Eggplant Salad

2 medium-large eggplants
1 large vine tomato, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup diced red onion
1-2 Lebanese cucumbers, diced
Juice of 1 lemon (or more to taste)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Sea salt to taste
Pita bread to serve

To char eggplant, place a rack over the flame on the stove and turn constantly until completely soft and charred, about 20 minutes. You can do this on the barbecue over medium high heat, and turn often, until soft and charred. If you’re doing this in the oven, puncture eggplants and place on tray and bake at 400°F for about 45 minutes, until completely soft.

Once eggplant is cooked, let it cool briefly and open it up. Scrape flesh off the skin and place on colander. Let it drain completely before proceeding with the recipe.

In a small bowl, place the diced onion. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt and let sit for 10 minutes while you prep everything else. Chop the drained eggplant and place in a large bowl. Add diced tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and herbs. Add red onion in its lemon juice and salt. Adjust seasonings and let salad rest for an hour before serving.
Enjoy with plenty of pita bread!

Makes about 4 cups.

Tostadas are delicious and fun!

Northeastern Mexico is the land of “beef”. Barbecues are a weekend ritual in many homes, geared towards spending time with family and friends. Mexican carnes asadas - as barbecues are known - are long, drawn-out affairs that start early in the afternoon and end well after midnight. Why do they last so long? And what could keep people entertained for 8 hours around the table?

Well, it is all part of the ritual: first of all, a carne asada is almost exclusively led by men. I’m not sure why, but men rule when it comes to Mexican barbecue. It will start with the guys lighting the charcoal, and taking care of it until it becomes white coals. During this time, the snacks will come out - guacamole, salsas, nopalitos (cactus paddles), fruits and vegetables spiked with chile and lime are the usual things, along with beer and tequila. 

Next, come the vegetables prepared on the grill… every family will have their own favorites - in my family’s case, there is always broccoli, stuffed chiles güeros  with cheese, corn and grilled whole onions. All those appear on the table next.

After that, comes the meat: a mixture of arrachera (skirt steak), chorizos, costillas (ribs) and rib-eye. They all come to the table as soon as they are ready, providing a pleasurable, leisurely afternoon eating. And let’s not forget the tortillas, warmed on the grill and served piping hot, so you can make your own tacos.

After the meat is served, the pit master will cut up some of the steak and start making tostadas piratas. If corn tortillas are left on the grill a bit longer, they get crunchy, making perfect tostadas. Topped with cheese and chunks of meat, they make the perfect serving for the guests that do not want to eat a lot of steak. At the table they are topped with avocado and salsa, and some people like a few drops of lime juice.

With the leftovers, you can make more tostadas piratas for lunch the next day. And you can sit and remember that awesome afternoon you spent with family and friends at the carne asada, and hoping the next one comes very soon.

Tostadas Piratas
Grilled Beef, Cheese and Avocado Tostadas

8 corn tortillas
1 grilled steak, cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 avocado, cut into thin slices
Salsa of your choice

Heat tortillas on a griddle over medium low heat. Place a mound of shredded cheese on each tortilla. Once it starts to melt, top with chunks of steak. Continue to cook until cheese is completely melted and tortilla starts to get crunchy.

Serve hot garnished with avocado slices and topped with salsa.

Serves 4.

The most refreshing sorbet of the summer!

Watermelon has the power of taking me back to my childhood on the family ranch. On lazy, hot summer days my cousins would come visit and one of our favorite treats was the large platters of chilled, sweet watermelon my Nana would bring out after lunch.  

What can be more refreshing than cold, sweet, juicy watermelon on a hot summer day? I can think of a few things, but this watermelon and tequila sorbet tastes like summer in a bowl, and even better, since it boasts a very adult spike of silver tequila. 

Many people find it intimidating to make ice cream or sorbets. I have to tell you, it is one of the easiest things you can do! I tend to prefer making very simple, clean fruit flavors, and all you need is a blender and an ice cream maker, but that is optional. 

If you have an ice cream maker, then this recipe will be a breeze, but if you don’t, you can still make a very good sorbet. You only need a deep tray, and you will freeze the mixture in stages, bringing it out and scraping it at intervals to achieve a frozen texture. It is not as smooth as churned sorbets if you make it this way, but it will be just as delicious.

When I worked at the restaurant, this sorbet was a popular item on the menu. Since the restaurant was Italian, there was no question of flavouring it with tequila. Instead, I used Sambuca - and even though that is not Italian either, at least the flavor was more akin to Italian flavors. The anise liquor complemented the watermelon beautifully and it was a huge hit. 

If you are serving this to little ones, just omit the booze. It will be just as delicious without it. Just sit back and watch them, it will disappear in a flash!

SORBETE DE SANDÍA AL TEQUILA
Watermelon and Tequila Sorbet

5 cups cubed watermelon
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp silver Tequila
Mint springs for garnish

Place watermelon cubes and sugar in a blender jar. Process until completely smooth. Add Tequila and mix again. 

Pour into frozen cylinder of your ice cream maker and churn for 15-20 minutes, or until your machine freezes mixture.

If you do not have an ice cream maker, you can pour the mixture onto a rectangular mold and place in freezer. Let freeze partially (about 30 minutes) and then scrape up the mixture. Place back in freezer to freeze a bit more and scrape it up again. Repeat until mixture is all frozen. This process will give you more of a granita, but it will still be delicious.

Place mixture in a plastic container and freeze until firm. When you’re ready to serve, let mixture temper for 10 minutes in refrigerator so it is easier to scoop. 

Serve in small bowls, garnished with mint leaves. 

Makes 1 litre.

A chunky and delicious salsa!

In the world of Salsas, there are a few camps - red, green, cooked, raw, roasted, smooth and chunky, to name a few. I can’t say I belong to any one of those camps, instead, I favour any of those depending on my mood. Sometimes, I want a punchy and bright Pico de Gallo (fresh), and others I want a mysterious and deep Salsa Negra (roasted), and yet other times I want a salsa that reminds me of home, like my Nana’s Salsa Casera (cooked). It all depends on the day and also what I’m going to use them for.

Today, I was in the mood for something rustic, something easy to make and delicious. Rustic is made with old tools, like my Mom’s molcajete: that volcanic rock mortar and pestle that’s traditional in Mexico. This particular beauty, as I said, was given to my Mom when she got married, so it is older than me! I was so lucky to inherit it and it is one of my most valued treasures. It is heavy and smooth on the inside, a real beauty. And the best part is that it makes the BEST salsa.

When we talk about salsas, we can really go on for hours - there are so many ways to make them! I really don’t use recipes, I only see what I have in the fridge, and then I just throw stuff together. Granted, I have been making salsas for over 30 years and you may not have that same experience. But this is where I come in, to help you make the most awesome salsa you can make.

So this salsa starts out as any cooked salsa, and it’s super easy to make - no chopping required. Just wash some Roma tomatoes and husk and wash some tomatillos, peel one garlic clove and a small cooking onion, and throw everything in a saucepan along with some jalapeños. Cover everything with water and place on the stovetop. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes, only until the tomatillos change colour - you don’t want to cook it so long that they break. Once that is done, it will go into the molcajete to become one of the best salsas you have ever tasted. Just know you’re in for a bit of an arm workout, but be patient. It will be worth it. If you don’t have a molcajete, you can just throw it all in the blender and your salsa will be just as good, only with a different texture.

Season your salsa liberally with salt, throw in some chopped cilantro and that’s IT! OK, OK, maybe I can’t leave things alone and I like to add another type of chile into the mix, like a bit of powdered pasilla, chipotle, guajillo or ancho, just for a bit more mystery. But really, if you don’t have any, your salsa will still be perfectly delicious. Use it for tacos, for dipping, for your morning Huevos Rancheros or whatever you like! If you make it, please let me know and show me your pictures! Buen provecho!

Salsa Molcajeteada
Chunky Salsa made in the Molcajete

2 ripe Roma tomatoes, whole
5 smallish Tomatillos, husked, left whole
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 small cooking onion, peeled and halved
2 Jalapeño chiles, whole
1/2 tsp powdered ancho, guajillo, chipotle or pasilla chile (optional)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, or to taste
Salt to taste

Place tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, onion and jalapeños in medium saucepan and cover with water by about an inch. Bring up to a boil and then turn down to simmer and cook for about 5-10 minutes, only until the tomatillos turn an olive green colour. Don’t cook it longer because they will break.

Once vegetables are cooked, place jalapeños and garlic in the molcajete (it helps if you slice the jalapeños first). Start pressing on the vegetables and work until you have a paste. Add the tomatillos and continue working the salsa with the pestle. Once the tomatillos are smooth, add the tomatoes and continue working the salsa until you reach your desired texture.

Season generously with salt, add the chopped cilantro and your powdered chile of choice and stir until it’s all incorporated. Serve right out of the molcajete.

Makes about 2 cups.

Avocados and Seafood are a perfect match.

The other day, I looked at my vegetable bowl and noticed I had a lot of tomatoes and avocados. I also knew I had shrimp in the freezer. What to do with that abundance?

I decided to make a roasted tomato vinaigrette spiked with chile de árbol - kind of like a cross between a salsa and a salad dressing. If you like spicy tomatoes, you will love this. You can also use it as a sandwich or hamburger spread, for fish cakes, etc. 

The shrimp is marinated in lime juice, fresh chiles and garlic, and then quickly sautéed, so this recipe comes together quickly. Get your hands on the most beautifully ripe avocados and hollow them out a bit so you can fit more shrimp on each half. Top with your garlicky shrimp and then drizzle the roasted tomato vinaigrette on top.  Decorate with sliced green onions and cilantro leaves. We are talking delicious.

Were you looking for something impressive, yet easy to make? These shrimp-stuffed avocados are it! They are the perfect starter for your next al fresco dinner, paired with a crisp sauvignon blanc or a cold beer. Your guests will be very happy indeed.

AGUACATE RELLENO DE CAMARON CON VINAGRETA DE TOMATE ASADO con CHILE DE ARBOL
Shrimp Stuffed Avocado with Roasted Tomato and Arbol Chile Vinaigrette

2 large ripe avocados, halved, seeded and hollowed out slightly

Tomato vinaigrette:
2 vine tomatoes, halved
½ small onion, peeled and chopped roughly
2-3 chiles de arbol, cut into small pieces
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Shrimp:
1 lb 31-40 shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Jalapeño chile, minced
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Garnish:
1 green onion, sliced thinly on the bias
a handful cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place tomatoes, cut side down, on parchment covered baking tray. Add chopped onion. Bake until skins start to blacken quite a bit, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

In food processor, place roasted tomatoes and onion. Add chiles de arbol, ½ tsp kosher salt and black pepper. Process until smooth. Add red wine vinegar and while motor is running, start drizzling olive oil through the tube. Let mixture emulsify and taste for salt and pepper. Correct seasonings and reserve.

In medium glass or ceramic bowl, place shrimp, garlic, jalapeño chile and lime juice. Marinate for 10-15 minutes. Heat medium saucepan and add olive oil. Add shrimp and cook just until they turn pink, 2-3 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

When you’re ready to serve, cut the avocados in half, pit and remove a bit of the flesh to make more room for the shrimp. Mound the shrimp over the avocado halves and drizzle with tomato vinaigrette. Garnish with green onions and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Hearts of Palm anyone?

As summer comes around and it gets hot, we start thinking of serving and eating dishes that are not only easy to make, but that don’t heat up the kitchen. Salads are an obvious choice, but they can become pretty boring if we keep using the usual ingredients.

When you are looking for a colourful dish that’s full of flavour, look no further. This recipe has a touch of the exotic from the hearts of palm and a super flavourful vinaigrette that dresses it perfectly. 

When I make a salad, I tend to keep some of the ingredients the usual standbys, like leaf lettuce, bell peppers, some sort of onion - either red or green - fresh herbs and a delicious home made vinaigrette. But then, I like to make my salads way different by using some non-traditional ingredients, like delicious hearts of palm and grapefruit segments. 

Hearts of palm usually come from Costa Rica, Brazil or Ecuador, and are truly enjoyed by foodies around the world. They are, as their name implies, the hearts of the stems of certain palm trees. Their flavor is reminiscent of artichokes and besides flavour, they add a nice visual touch to the dish, as when they are sliced, they break up into pretty rings.

I love using fresh herbs in my recipes, and in this case, I’m using chives as part of the dressing. After segmenting the grapefruit, I used the juice left in the core of the fruit (which is usually plenty) as part of the acidic element in the vinaigrette. Because grapefruit juice is not too strong, I added a bit of white wine vinegar to give me the acidity I was looking for. A bit of garlic, Dijon, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, a quick whiz in the blender y listo! Ready to dress a beautiful salad. Looking so forward to summer!

ENSALADA DE PALMITOS CON ADEREZO DE CEBOLLIN Y TORONJA
Hearts of Palm Salad with Chive Grapefruit Vinaigrette

1 can hearts of palm
1 small head red leaf lettuce
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 red grapefruits, segmented
¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup grapefruit juice
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove
1/3 of a bunch of chives (about ½ cup, chopped)
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup cilantro leaves

Drain hearts of palm and cut crosswise into ½” slices. Segment grapefruits over a bowl and reserve ¼ cup of the juice you obtain from squeezing the grapefruit core after segmenting.

Arrange lettuce, red bell pepper slices, hearts of palm slices and grapefruit segments on a platter. 

In blender container, combine grapefruit juice, white wine vinegar, garlic clove, olive oil, chives, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Process until very smooth. Adjust seasonings.

Drizzle dressing over salad. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Quirky name for an iconic Mexican breakfast.

Growing up in Mexico, there was never a shortage of salsa in my house. We had at least one type of salsa on the table at all times, but more often than not, we had two (or more). There was usually a red one and a green one. I have to say, I’m one of those people who are not happy with only one salsa. I like to have two. I think two is better than one, and my taste buds agree.

This is a delicious breakfast or brunch recipe, hearty enough to keep you going on a busy day. The name of this dish is a play on words. “Divorced” refers to the two types of salsa on the plate - one red and one green, though really, it could be any two different types, not necessarily red and green. 

In many restaurants, they serve this dish with a row of refried beans down the middle, alluding to the “divorce” even further. I like to keep things simple, but if you like an even heartier breakfast, by all means go ahead and add beans and cheese or even avocado to your plate.

As with all simple dishes, the quality of the ingredients is paramount, and in this case, the salsas should be superb. I have made one salsa smoky using chipotle chiles, and the other one is tangy due to the nature of the tomatillos. Though very simple, they are delicious, and together, they make a perfect contrast on your plate.

These salsas stand alone perfectly and can be used for other recipes, so any leftovers can be enjoyed in other dishes, or can be used as table salsas. So go ahead, double up on the ingredients for your salsas and you will come up ahead for other dinners during the week. 

Huevos Divorciados
Two-Salsa Eggs

Eggs: 
2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas
8 slices ham
8 eggs
2 cups red salsa
2 cups green salsa

Red Salsa:
3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo
1 tsp vegetable oil
½ tsp salt, or to taste

Green Salsa:
450g tomatillos, husked and washed
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion, quartered
3 serrano chiles
1 small bunch cilantro
¾ tsp salt, or to taste
¼ tsp sugar

To make Eggs: 
In medium frying pan, heat 2 Tbsp oil. Soft-fry tortillas only to warm and soften them. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm while you fry all tortillas. 

Fry ham slices briefly, only to warm up. Remove to a plate and keep warm. 

Before you prepare the eggs for each guest, have the plate ready to assemble. Place two tortillas on plate and top each tortilla with a slice of ham. Cook eggs, sunny side up (or over easy if you must) and place one egg over each tortilla. Spoon red salsa over one egg, and green salsa over the other egg. 

Prepare all plates in the same manner. Serve immediately.

To make Red Salsa:
Place tomatoes, onion and chipotle chile in blender container. Blend until fairly smooth. 

In medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Pour salsa from blender container into pan and cook, until salsa changes colour and flavours blend, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and keep warm.

To make Green Salsa:
Place tomatillos, onion, garlic and chiles in medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook vegetables until tomatillos soften, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables to blender container, add cilantro and salt blend until smooth. 

Serves 4 (2 eggs per person).

For the Cilantro lovers out there....

I remember tasting something like this when I was still living in Mexico. Recipes involving gelatine were popular in the 70’s and 80’s. Most of them were sweet - fruit and nut gelatines with or without milk or cream were very common. But a savoury recipe made with gelatine was not that common. That’s why this recipe stands out in my memory. 

Back then I did not pay much attention to recipes, but only enjoyed food and the occasion where it was served. That’s why this particular dish has been bugging me. I needed to re-create it so I could taste it again. 

Fast-forward to 30 years later. Based on the ingredients available and popular now, and working from my taste memory, I decided to make a go of this recipe. 

The main ingredient had to be goat cheese, instead of the cream cheese that would have been used then. Add to that a little bit of mayonnaise to help bind things combined with crema for a subtler taste, Serrano chile and lime juice to spice things up, and loads of cilantro (leaves and stems) make up the main body of the recipe. To round up the flavour profile, add a bit of chicken stock or bouillon and salt to taste. 

The mousse-like mixture is set with the help of unflavoured gelatine, then un-molded on to a platter, surrounded by your favourite crackers and you have a delicious appetizer for your next gathering. 

This original recipe is delicious as is, but since I have been trying my best to “healthify” my older recipes, so to make this one a bit higher in protein, I have also substituted the mayo and sour cream with plain Greek yogurt and I like it just as much.

I have served this Cilantro Mousse to many of my friends and family. You have to be a cilantro lover - and if you are, you’re in for a treat. Biting into a cracker topped with a slather of Cilantro Mousse is like having a party in your mouth. All you need is a glass of white wine to go with it and it is pure bliss.

Mousse de Cilantro
Cilantro Mousse

1 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stems (packed) 
250 g goat cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
2-3 jalapeño or Serrano chiles, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp chicken bouillon (powder)
Salt to taste
1 envelope unflavoured gelatine 

Grease a 3-cup glass or ceramic mold lightly with vegetable oil. 

In microwaveable cup, measure 1/3 cup water and mix in the gelatine. Warm in the microwave for 10 seconds. Dissolve gelatine until liquid looks completely clear. Let cool.

Place cilantro, goat cheese, mayonnaise, crema, chiles, lime juice, chicken bouillon and salt to taste in blender container. Add gelatine liquid and blend until very smooth, 3-4 minutes.

Pour blended ingredients into prepared mold. Shake gently to remove any bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.

To serve, run a thin knife all around the sides of mold. Invert mold onto a platter and shake gently until mousse releases from mold. Garnish with a cilantro leaf. Serve with crackers or bread.

* This recipe makes 3 cups of mixture. You can choose to pour it into whatever mold you have. One large one or small individual portions.

In the vast world of Antojitos, the Gordita de Manteca stands out.

There is a world of Antojitos in the Mexican cooking repertoire, and Gorditas are one of my  favourites… for obvious reasons! Like a warm, compact sandwich, a Gordita holds any number of fillings, ranging from the humblest refried beans, to scrambled eggs, to picadillo, to chicharrón  in green salsa (my favorite!).

From the first bite, you savour a rich corn dough flavoured with manteca - that porky-tasting lard Mexicans love. The filling is, of course, your choice, but that is what makes these Gorditas so much fun. They can be filled with breakfast, lunch or dinner items, though more often than not, Gorditas are eaten for lunch or dinner.

Gorditas are very similar to Venezuelan or Colombian Arepas, the difference being in the flour used. In Mexico we use nixtamalized masa, whereas in south America they used a corn flour that is coarser in texture. Technique is almost the same. Another cousin of the Gordita is the Salvadorean Pupusa, using the same masa as we do in Mexico, but pupusas are cooked with the filling inside from the beginning. All are delicious.

You can make Gorditas without lard, but in my opinion, the ones that do have lard in the mixture are infinitely better tasting, to say nothing of the texture of the dough, which is more moist and less likely to crumble and dry up. Some gorditas are cooked on the griddle and then fried, but that is every cook’s choice. This version is like the ones I have tried in the central State of Zacatecas, and they are delicious!

A filling of beans is all you need for these little guys, and a showy garnish of finely shredded cabbage, crumbled salty cotija cheese (or feta if you can’t find cotija) and pico de gallo, topped with a spicier salsa. I can guarantee these will fly off the plate! 

Gorditas de Masa Estilo Zacatecas
Masa Cakes Zacatecas Style

2 cups Maseca
1 tsp kosher salt
1 ½ cup hot water approx
¼ cup manteca (rendered lard)

1 cup refried beans
2 cups finely shredded cabbage or lettuce
1 cup crumbled cotija, fresh or feta cheese
2 cups pico de gallo 
1 cup spicy salsa

In medium bowl, place Maseca and mix in kosher salt. Start adding warm water, a bit at a time, as you work the dough, until you have a smooth dough that’s not too sticky. Add lard and work it into the dough.

Divide the dough into 8-12 portions, depending on the size you want your gorditas. Flatten them until they are 3/8” thick, making sure edges are nice and smooth.

Cook on pre-heated griddle about 3 minutes per side initially, and then turning every minute or so until they are nicely speckled. Remove and place on a tray and keep in a warm oven until all gorditas are cooked.

When ready to serve, split gorditas open and spread with refried beans. Top with pico de gallo, shredded cabbage and cheese. Finish off with a spicier salsa if desired. Serve warm.

Makes 8 gorditas.

A versatile and bright salad.

As the COVID-19 quarantine continues, our skills in the kitchen are not only about being creative but also about the ability to use everything without waste, while still creating recipes that are delicious and fun. Carrots are an amazing option because they are delicious, colourful, and nutritious, but they also last a long time in the crisper. Chances are, you have a bag sitting in your fridge right now.

I think carrots are an underappreciated vegetable, mostly left to appear as a simple side dish either boiled, steamed or mashed. Prepared like that, they are - in my opinion - a bit on the boring side.

A lot of the carrot salad recipes you see out there are made using mayonnaise or cream, and on the sweeter side including raisins, apples and/or pineapple. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that flavour profile, I will always prefer sour, salty and spicy notes in my food. This carrot salad is exciting, fresh, and a snap to make, and it also keeps well if you need to make it a day or two in advance, making it a great addition to your lunch or dinner repertoire.

In preparing this salad, it’s the little details that make all the difference. Sure, you can shred the carrots on your box grater, but that will give you a slightly mushy salad. Instead, use a food processor with the grating blade, and place the peeled carrots horizontally in the feed tube. That way, you will get nice long strands of carrot that make your salad look beautiful, and also taste nice and crunchy.

I like the kick of fresh chiles, and love to use Serranos in this recipe, but you can easily use Jalapeños or canned Chipotles. I also love the smokiness of ancho chile powder, but it you don’t have it or don’t like it, you can leave it out or give this salad a North African taste by using Harissa instead.

Garlic is, in my opinion, mandatory, but you can omit it, or add as little or as much as you like. Cilantro can be replaced by parsley, and lime juice by lemon juice. Make this salad your own by using the ingredients you like, have on hand, and most of all, enjoy!

ENSALADA DE ZANAHORIA AL CILANTRO
Spicy Carrot and Cilantro Salad

4 cups coarsely grated carrots, about 450g
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro 
1 Jalapeño or Serrano chile, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 ½ tsp ancho chile powder
¾ tsp kosher salt, or more to taste

In large bowl, mix carrots, cilantro, Jalapeño chile and garlic. Add ancho chile powder and salt. Mix well. Add olive oil and lime juice and mix well to combine.

You can serve right away, but it is much better if you let it sit for at least 30 minutes to combine flavours.

Makes 4 cups.

A little something to spice up your meals.

Another week of isolation for many of us, and we really start to get in a rut in the kitchen - not unlike any other time - but now it’s worse because we’re in the house 24/7. With the help of social media and chefs at their creative best, I offer you a little something that is so easy to do, but it will perk up your meals in a flash. Enter the little Chilito Toreado. Pan-fried chiles, usually made with Serranos, but if you can’t find them, Jalapeños are readily available in most grocery stores. Quick, easy and best of all, you can make a batch and keep them in the fridge for a few days to spice up your meals and make them special at the same time.

Every time I go to Mexico, I seek out the most popular Taquerías, whether they are street stalls or full blown restaurants, they are a must on my list of places to eat.

In my hometown of Monterrey, I make a point to visit new and trendy restaurants, but there are those places that hold a special place in my heart - because they are so good! One such restaurant is Taqueria La Mexicana, located very close to the Mercado Juarez. 

When you walk in, the aromas engulf you - La Mexicana is first and foremost a butcher shop. They make their own chicharrones, and the smell permeates the establishment. I LOVE pork, so I am in heaven.

La Mexicana is also home to some of the best tacos al vapor in Monterrey, and one must stand in a long line to order and pay, then in another line to receive our order of the most delicious steamed tacos in town.

Along with the tacos, there is a good selection of salsas - green, red and pico de gallo. Mounds of cut-up limes and the best chiles toreados are on the counter and just waiting to enhance our tacos.

The term “torear” means to toast a chile, and many people think that by toasting chiles, they become hotter. You can toast chiles without oil on your comal, but I like to flash fry them in a bit of oil. Some serve them only sprinkled with a bit of sea salt, but I like the umami that a combination of soy, Maggi and Worcerstershire sauces tempered with lime juice brings.

Chiles toreados are a Mexican staple. Every home cook has his or her own recipe for making them for the family, so you don’t have to go to La Mexicana to enjoy them. They are very easy to make and they are amazing with tacos, sandwiches, hamburgers, steak… you name it! But be forewarned: chiles toreados are not for the weak - they are for the brave ones who love spicy heat!! 

Chilitos Toreados
Pan-fried Chiles

½ tsp lard or vegetable oil
10-15 small Serrano (or Jalapeño) chiles, left whole and with stems
Juice of 1 large lime
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp liquid Maggi seasoning
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In small frying pan, heat ½ tsp lard or oil. Add whole chiles and pan-fry until blistered all over, about 5 minutes. 

In small bowl, mix lime juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire and Maggi seasoning. Add chiles to this mixture while they’re still hot. Let them marinate for a few minutes before serving. 

In times of crisis, beans are the perfect food.

As the world fights the health crisis caused by the Pandemic of Covid-19, most of us have been at home, self isolating for weeks. More than ever, we have been cooking and baking for our families and finding lots of ways to make meals that are substantial, nutritious and from the pantry.

Beans are a great staple food - they’re budget friendly, they are good for you and when you cook them from scratch, you know exactly what goes into them. I have been teaching Mexican cooking for over twenty years and when I talk about cooking beans, I joke about how in Mexico when you get married you will always get a blender and a pressure cooker. A blender to make salsas, and the pressure cooker to make beans!

The beauty of owning either a pressure cooker (or an InstaPot), is that there is no pre-soaking required, making beans a perfectly suitable food for weeknight dinners with only a bit of organization required. If you don’t have one, then a slow cooker works just as well, you just need a bit more planning ahead. Once you taste home cooked beans, you will never go back to buying canned. Best of all, there’s no preservatives and you can control the amount of sodium going into them. A couple of important bits about cooking beans: rule number one - salt them at the end of their cooking time, once the skins have softened. And rule number two, it is better to cook them in more water than less - remember beans expand a lot, so you need lots of water to accommodate for that.
After making the beans, you can make Frijoles a la Charra, one of my favourite ways to make pinto beans.

In Mexico, and more specifically in my hometown of Monterrey, these brothy beans are always part of a Carne Asada. They can be very simple with only vegetables and bacon, but often they include Cueritos, pork hock and even weiners, and can be made Borrachos by adding beer just before serving. These beans taste even better if made the day before, and with the leftovers they make a great dip if you cook them down until thick and then add a melting cheese.

Frijoles a la Charra
Ranch Style Beans

For the Beans:
4 cups pinto beans
12 cups water
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp dried epazote, or a few sprigs fresh (optional)
Salt to taste

For the Ranch Style Beans:
500g bacon, cut into ½” pieces
1 cup finely chopped cooking onion
¼ cup minced jalapeño chile (with seeds)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 ½ cups diced tomato
8 cups cooked pinto beans
6-8 cups pinto bean broth
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
½ cup chopped cilantro 

To cook the beans:
In pressure cooker - place beans, water, onion, garlic and epazote in pressure cooker. Cover and bring up to full pressure. Cook at full pressure for 40-45 minutes. When the time is done, release the pressure and add salt to taste. Remove onions and garlic. Cool and store beans in their broth until ready to use.
*Please adjust quantities to accommodate for the size of your pressure cooker - they should never be filled more than 3/4 full!
In slow cooker - follow the same instructions for pressure cooker, but cook on slow setting for 8 hours. When beans are soft, salt to taste.
**Leftover broth can be used to make “black” rice.

To make the Ranch Style Beans:
In Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring often, until bacon starts to brown on the edges and renders its fat, about 8 minutes. You want the bacon to be cooked but not completely crispy.

Remove bacon and reserve. Drain all but 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat in Dutch oven and add onions and chiles. Over medium heat, sauté vegetables for 2 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute.

Add tomatoes and cook for about 4 minutes, or until tomatoes break down and start to become saucy.

Add beans and broth and mix well. Add bacon and salt. Bring mixture to a boil and then turn heat down to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until beans are a bit thicker. If beans become too thick, you can add a bit more broth.

Adjust seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Add chopped cilantro just before serving.
Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

Serves 10-12

Cooking (pretty food) while in Isolation.

The last couple of weeks have been surreal, as if the world has been turned upside down. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, life, as we know it, has taken a drastic turn and it’s scary and stressful. We have been asked to work from home if possible, to be safe and to keep everyone around us safe as well. This has impacted everyone and I can say we are living in very uncertain times.

Amongst all the bad stuff, the silver lining, at least for me, is that this situation has forced me to take a step back, to slow down, to appreciate the good things and to concentrate in what’s really important, which is to take care of ourselves and our families and neighbours, and to be kind to one another.

My happy place is the kitchen, and when I feel stressed you will find me there - cooking is my therapy! Thankfully I have a well stocked kitchen and pantry, and this is my opportunity to start emptying the freezer, the place that more often than not sees things go in, but never out! These days I have not been really planning meals, but rather cooking from the pantry and freezer, using up what I have. So with that in mind, I’m sharing the recipe for a very tasty Mexican style bruschetta, made with cherry tomatoes.

A few summers ago, I was fortunate enough to get a gift of organically grown, perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes that were harvested by the Horticulture students at my local college. I was so excited! For a Chef, that is one of the most beautiful gifts you can get! Inspired by the sun-dried tomatoes I saw in Sicily, I decided to oven-dry these beauties, but adding some garlic, olive oil and herbs. I could have gone traditional using rosemary, thyme and parsley, but instead I decided to give these tomatoes a Mexican twist by using epazote.

Epazote is an herb used in many traditional Mexican recipes. It has a very pungent aroma reminiscent of anise, fennel and tarragon, and once it cooks, it blends beautifully with the other ingredients in the preparation. 

This recipe could not be any easier - you just need some patience because it needs to cook very slowly. Slow baking in a low temperature oven cooks the tomatoes in such a way that they start to caramelize and then they pack a huge flavour punch. Toss everything together, and then let the oven do the work. Check every hour and bake for 2-3 hours, depending on how dry you want your tomatoes. Once they’re done, you can use them in many ways - in pastas, blended into salad dressings or dips, or use them to top fabulous bread toasts like this bruschetta.

Make a mixture of crema and cotija cheese, add some fresh herbs like chives or parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Spread this mixture on your toasted bread with top with the oven-dried tomatoes. Garnish with a bit of epazote and you’re ready to enjoy a fabulous taste of summer in the middle of this Ottawa early spring. And it’s OK to enjoy it even if you can’t share it with anyone at the moment.
Stay healthy and stay safe!!

BRUSCHETTA DE TOMATES SECOS AL EPAZOTE
Bruschetta with Epazote Oven Dried Tomatoes

1 lb ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced thick
2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 
3 Tbsp fresh epazote leaves, torn (or 1/2 tsp dried)
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp coarsely ground pepper

Bruschetta:
1 small baguette, sliced horizontally and cut into 2 1/2” pieces
¾ cup queso cotija, grated (or you can substitute with Feta cheese)
¾ cup crema or sour cream
3 Tbsp finely sliced chives
Salt and pepper to taste
10-12 small fresh epazote leaves or cilantro leaves for garnish

To make tomatoes:

On a baking tray, combine tomatoes, garlic, thyme and epazote leaves, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss everything together and bake in a preheated 250°F oven. 

After one hour of slow baking, they start to get a bit wrinkled. Don't stir them too much, as they will fall apart - they are very soft at this point. 

Bake for another hour (you can bake them for up to another hour, depending on how dry you want them to be). Let them cool on the tray and then place in a glass jar. If not using immediately, top tomatoes with additional olive oil and store them in the fridge. 

To make bruschetta: 
In small bowl, combine queso cotija with cream and mix well. Add chives and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place bread on baking tray and toast under the broiler until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. 

Spread some of the cheese cream mixture on each piece of toast. Top with some of the tomatoes, garnish with small epazote leaves and serve right away.

Makes 12 bruschetta.

The cutest shaped Antojito has to be the Tetela.

Tetelas are bean-filled corn tortillas that are a distinctive triangular shape. They are traditional in the Mixteca region of the State of Oaxaca and they are very easy to make and so delicious! 

Corn, or more specifically corn masa, has been a Mexican staple since pre-hispanic times. There are many different shapes of “antojitos” made with masa, and even more foods to fill them with. 

In the case of our Tetelas, we have a simple but by no means ordinary filling of black beans. This bean paste is uniquely flavored with guajillo chiles and avocado leaves, which gives the mixture that really authentic taste.

If you plan on making Tetelas on a regular basis, invest on a tortilla press, it will make your life easier. If not, you can still make them by pressing the dough between sheets of plastic under a pie plate or something along those lines. It will just require a bit more force, so pretend it is your workout.

Press the dough between two sheets of plastic, and after spreading a layer of beans on the dough, help yourself with the bottom piece of plastic to fold the edges over, forming a triangle. Leaving a little window in the centre of the folds is traditional. Cook on an ungreased griddle just as if you were making tortillas.

Some people open the tetelas on one end and fill them with crema, cheese and salsa, and other people prefer to garnish them on top. I like to add the garnishes on top, as I think they look prettier on the plate. 

Put on some Mexican music, go in the kitchen and make your family and friends a platter of Tetelas. Place two or three salsas on the table, and plenty of beer, and I guarantee you will make them feel like they’re in Mexico!

TETELAS DE FRIJOL NEGRO
Black Tean Tetelas

2 cups Maseca
1 ½ cups water (or more if needed)

2 ½ cups cooked black beans
1 guajillo chile, seeded and de-veined
1 dried avocado leaf, crumbled
1 Tbsp lard or vegetable oil
Salt to taste

1 cup salsa of your choice
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
½ cup crema

In small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add guajillo chile, cover and turn the heat off. Soak chile until pliable, about 10 minutes. Drain but keep some of the soaking water in case you need it to blend the beans.

In blender container, place cooked beans, soaked chile and crumbled avocado leaf. Add a bit of the chile soaking water if necessary to help you blend mixture until it’s perfectly smooth.

On a medium frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp lard or vegetable oil. Add bean puree and cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Bean paste should be pretty thick and compact. Cool and reserve. Bean paste can be made up to two days in advance.

In large bowl, place Maseca. Start adding warm water ½ a cup at a time while mixing until you achieve a smooth dough that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl anymore. Dough should be moist enough that when you make a ball and flatten it, it does not crack around the edges. If it cracks, then add a bit more water.

Once you have your masa hydrated enough, make balls the size of a ping pong ball. Keep them covered under a damp towel as you work so they don’t dry out.

Place a ball of masa on a piece of plastic, cover with another plastic and press on tortilla press until it is 1/8” thick. Spread a heaping tablespoon of beans over masa leaving a 1” border around the edges.

With the help of the plastic, fold the masa to form a triangular shape. Start by folding one edge of the masa over itself, and continue two more times to form a triangular shape. 

Meanwhile, heat up a comal or cast iron griddle over medium heat. As the Tetelas are shaped, cook on griddle, turning every minute or so until they are golden and speckled, about 4-5 minutes in total. 

Keep cooked Tetelas in a clean tea towel while you continue to cook the rest.
Serve Tetelas piping hot dressed with salsa, crumbled queso fresco and a drizzle of crema.

* If you have leftover Tetelas, it is best to shallow fry day-old Tetelas in a bit of oil before serving. Just heat a bit of oil in frying pan and cook until golden  and heated through. Proceed with garnishes and serve piping hot.

Makes 12 Tetelas.

The perfect Taco for any day of the week - Chilorio Sinaloense

If you say the word “Chilorio” to any Mexican, they will immediately know it comes from Sinaloa, and specifically from the city of Culiacán. Chilorio is famous nation-wide, and so popular that it is sold in cans and sealed bags all over the country and beyond. 

Culiacán can reach scorching temperatures in the summer, and it is said that Chilorio - traditionally cooked with lard and vinegar - was made as a way to preserve the meat in the days before refrigeration. Usually made with pork, Chilorio can also be made with beef or chicken. The trick is to cook the pork slowly for a very long time, until it falls apart, and then you can easily shred it. 

Chilorio, as its name implies, is made with chiles. Some people like it spicy, and others don’t, so you can decide how to make yours. Usually, there is a mix of dried chiles, ranging from Guajillo (or Mirasol, as it is known western Mexico) to Ancho to Chipotle, if you like a bit of spice.

Once the meat is cooked until tender, you add the sauce made with re-hydrated chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano and vinegar (I like to use a mix of rice and white vinegars, as this mixture comes closer to the flavor of Mexican white vinegar). After seasoning with salt and pepper, the mixture simmers slowly for a while, until everything is well seasoned. 

As I mentioned earlier, Chilorio is made with large amounts of lard. As you can see, I did not use any in this recipe. Instead, I rendered all the fat from the pork, using that instead of adding lard. 

You can serve Chilorio with scrambled eggs for breakfast, or along with potatoes as a main meal. You can also use flour tortillas to make Burritas and serve with your favorite salsa. Either way, after cooking Chilorio, you will be rewarded with one of the most satisfying and delicious meals you have ever had.

CHILORIO SINALOENSE
Pork with Dried Chiles, Sinaloa Style

3 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1” pieces
1 cup water
3 bay leaves
1 Tbsp kosher salt
4 ancho chiles
2 guajillo chiles
2 pasilla chiles
6 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp Mexican oregano
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

In large Dutch oven, place pork, bay leaves, salt and 1 cup water. Cook over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Turn temperature down to low, cover partially and simmer for 1 hour, or until pork is tender. After one hour, uncover, continue to simmer and let all the liquid evaporate. 

As the liquid evaporates, the pork will start rendering its fat. The fat will accumulate on the bottom, so if there is too much, you need to remove all but 2 Tbsp fat.

Continue to cook pork until it becomes crispy, and the meat becomes so tender than you can smash with the spoon and the meat starts to shred. Cook until you can shred all the meat, another 15-30 minutes.

While pork is cooking, seed and de-vein the chiles. Place in a deep bowl and top with boiling water. Cover and let them soak for 10-15 minutes, or until chiles are very soft and pliable. Fish them out of the water, and reserve a bit of the soaking liquid (about ½ cup).

Place chiles and soaking liquid in blender container, along with garlic, cumin and oregano. Blend until very smooth. 

Add chile sauce to the pork and mix well. Add salt, pepper and vinegars. Mix well and simmer, stirring every few minutes, until sauce becomes a deep red color, about 15-20 minutes. If sauce starts to stick at the bottom of the pan, add a bit of water. Adjust seasoning and serve hot with flour tortillas and salsa.

Serves 6-8.