Mexico: Food, Drinks & More!!

Ingredients:

• Freshly squeezed lime juice from 6-8 limes
• 1 Pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined (chopped or whole, according to taste)
• 1 White onion, finely chopped
• 5 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 Cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/3 Cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 Cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Jalapeño chile peppers, minced
• 1 Bunch radishes, diced
• 1/2 Cup green olives, finely chopped (optional)
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of oregano
• Tortilla chips or crackers

Directions:

Place shrimp in a bowl and pour the lime juice over them, covering the shrimp completely. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour, or until slightly firm and opaque.

Add onion, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, garlic, jalapeños, radishes, green olives, and olive oil. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. When ready to serve, add avocados and salt and oregano as desired. Serve chilled with tortilla chips or crackers and garnish with lime slices.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups strawberries, cored and sliced
• 1/2 Cup White Sugar, or to taste
• 7-8 Cups Cold Water
• 8 Fresh Mint Sprigs (optional)
• 1 Lime, cut into 8 wedges (optional)

Directions:

Dissolve sugar in 4 cups of water. Stir to dissolve completely.

Combine the strawberries and the sugar water mixture in a blender, and puree until smooth.

Pour the mixture through a wire mesh strainer set over a large pitcher. Discard the seeds and pulp.

Add the remaining 3-4 cups cold water to the pureed strawberries and mix well. Refrigerate until well chilled or pour over ice and serve immediately.

Garnish with lime slices and mint leaves.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Ingredients:

• 1 Chicken, cut into pieces
• 1/2 Cup Flour
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• Salt to Taste
• 8 Bacon Strips
• 3-4 Tablespoons Corn Oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger, Minced
• 6 Cups Freshly Squeezed Orange Lime
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Clove
• 2 Tablespoons Chicken Bouillon Powder
• 1 1/2 Cups Canned Pineapple Chunks, with juice
• 2-3 White Potatoes, Cubed, optional

Directions:

Combine flour, pepper and salt. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour mixture. Shake off excess and set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat, cook the bacon strips. Remove and cool. Cut the strips into 1-inch pieces and set aside.

If necessary, add oil to the pot. Add the chicken pieces, cooking until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Saute the garlic, onion and ginger in the pot until tender.

Add the orange juice, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, clove, bouillon, pineapple chunks, and bacon pieces. While bringing the mixture to a boil, stir frequently and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot.

Reduce heat to low and add browned chicken pieces and potatoes.

Cover and simmer about 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Ingredients:

• 2 Dried Arbol Chiles
• 1 Dried Guajillo Chile
• 2-3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 Cups unsalted peanuts, lightly roasted, or 1 Cup peanut butter (no sugar added)
• 1/4 – 1/2 Cup warm Chicken stock (or buillon)
• 1/2 Chipotle chiles (canned in adobo sauce)
• 1/8 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• Pinch of Ground clove
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Salt to Taste

Directions:

Re-Hydrate the arbol and guajillo chiles by placing them in hot water until they soften. Remove stems and corasely chop.

Add the oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the arbol and guajillo chiles, garlic and onion and sauté until softened. Remove from the pan and set aside.

If using peanuts, add more oil (if necessary) to the skillet and set it over medium heat. Add the peanuts and roast them about 30 seconds to a minute, stirring continually. Remove and set aside.

In a blender, combine the chile-garlic-onion mixture and about 1/4 cup of the chicken stock. Add the chipotle chile(s) and a tablespoon of the adobo sauce, blending well.

Add the peanuts (or the peanut butter) and 1 or 2 more tablespoons of chicken stock. Blend until smooth. Add the cinnamon, clove, pepper and salt to taste. Taste and add additional adobo, salt, pepper, or chicken stock to adjust seasoning and thickness, if desired.

This salsa perfectly complements roasted chicken, served with rice and warm tortillas.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Pork Ribs by Amy Hernandez

Ingredients:

• 2 Lbs baby back ribs, 2-3 inch pieces
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1 Tsp oil
• 1 1/2 Lbs fresh tomatillos, outer husks removed and rinsed
• 2-3 Jalapeño chiles
• 1/2 Small onion
• 2 Large fresh guero chiles
• 2 Large garlic cloves minced
• 3/4 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves
• 1 Tsp salt or to taste
• 1 Cup of water

Directions:

Rinse the meat and pat dry. In a large skillet with a lid set over medium-high heat. Season meat with 1 tsp of salt and place in skillet to brown (this may need to be done in two small batches) Be careful not to burn the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet as these will give a great flavor to the salsa. Once done, remove meat from skillet and remove skillet from heat until salsa is ready.

Place now the tomatillos, onions, jalapeños, and guero chiles on a dry pan or comal at medium high heat. Roast thoroughly, turning occasionally. Place garlic, cilantro and salt into blender bowl and then add in additional items (except for the guero chiles) as they finish roasting. Chiles and onion will be soft when they are ready, and the tomatillos will turn from bright green to a more yellow hue. Peel guero chiles and set them aside until the final step.

Blend the salsa well. Return the skillet to a medium high heat and pour in the salsa. Stir gently to release the brown bits on the bottom. Add browned ribs and 1 cup of water to salsa and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook covered until ribs are tender, about 40 minutes. Check occasionally to see if more water is needed.

When the meat is tender, add the guero chiles and check for salt. Be very careful not to make final check for salt until the meat is tender and the salsa is at the consistency you desire. Otherwise the end result can be too salty if additional reduction of salsa occurs. Serve with beans or rice with warm corn tortillas. Serves 4-6.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Pumpkin Seed Salsa Ingredients:

• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbs Serrano chile pepper, finely chopped
• 1 Teaspoon  Habanero chile pepper, finely chopped
• 2 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 Cups raw green pumpkin seeds, hulled
• 1/2 Cup vegetable oil
• 2 Cups cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/2 Cups water
• Salt to taste

Tomato Salsa Ingredients:

• 2 Serrano chile peppers, finely chopped
• 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 Cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 3 Tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Flauta Ingredients:

• 16 Corn tortillas
• 1 Chayote squash, pitted and cut into wedges
• 2 Red bell peppers
• 1 Large onion
• 4 Small or 1 large zucchini
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil
• 3/4 Cup queso fresco (Ricotta cheese as a substitute)

Pumpkin Seed Salsa Directions:

Sauté garlic, serrano, habanero, cumin, and pumpkin seeds in the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until seeds start to pop, about 5 minutes.

Transfer 1/3 cup of the pumpkin seeds to a small bowl and set aside. Cool the remaining seeds and oil and combine with the cilantro, water, salt to taste in a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Tomato Salsa Directions:

Combine serrano, tomatoes, onion, garlic, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Flauta Directions:

Warm tortillas by wrapping them in foil and heating them in a 325-degree-Fahrenheit pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes. (They can also be heated in the microwave as a quick option.)

If grilling the chayote, bell pepper, onion and zucchini, cut them into large wedges. If sautéing the vegetables, cut them into large strips. In either case, cook them until tender with a bit of oil and season them with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Cut the grilled vegetables into strips once tender.

Spread 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seed salsa on each warm tortilla.

Add some of the vegetables, and roll it up.

Heat about 1/2 cup oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until hot. Fry flautas seam side down, turning once, and cook until golden and heated through.

Transfer flautas to plates, topping them with pumpkin-seed salsa and a sprinkling of reserved seeds and cheese. Garnish with the tomato salsa.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Machaca Recipe (CC photo by Cook Sister!)

Marinade Ingredients:

• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T. chipotle chilli (in Adobo), finely chopped
• 2 Limes, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 Cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1/2 Tsp. Freshly ground Black Pepper

Machaca Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs Boneless beef chuck roast
• 1 Large onion, diced
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 1 Poblano chile pepper, finely chopped
• 1 T. Ground cumin
• 1 T. Oregano
• 2 Tsp. Dry mustard
• 1 Can Diced tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 Cup Beef Broth
• 2 Chipotle chile peppers (in Adobo), finely chopped
• 2 Tsp. Adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chiles)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil, about 1/4 cup

Marinade Directions:

Combine the ingredients for the marinade.

Cut the beef into 1/4 pound pieces and place in a Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the beef, making sure all sides are coated. Refrigerate overnight.

Before preparing, drain the meat and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Machaca Directions:

Add vegetable oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the pieces of meat on all sides, browning them in batches if necessary. Remove beef and set aside.

If necessary, add a little oil to the pot. Add onion, garlic, poblano chile, cumin, oregano, and dry mustard. Cook until the onions and poblano chile are tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, beef broth, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, pepper, and salt. Add the browned beef to the liquid and bring to boil. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a spatula to remove the browned bits.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 2 hours, checking occasionally to see if you need to add any additional beef broth. The meat should be at the point where it will fall apart easily. Remove the meat and shred it.

Return the shredded beef to the liquid and simmer until the liquid is reduced and the meat is almost dry. Season with additional salt, pepper and/or adobo sauce as desired.

Serve the machaca taco style, or add some to scrambled eggs and serve with warm corn tortillas and salsa.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Ingredients:

• 12 Small prawns, peeled and de-veined (cocktail shrimp may also be used), optional
• 12 Jalapeño Chile Peppers
• 12-24 Bacon Strips (depending on size of Jalapeños)
• 8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• 3 T. Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup Bread Crumbs
• Vegetable Oil, For deep-frying

Directions:

If using prawns, cook them in boiling water until they turn pink, about 1-2 minutes. Remove them from water and set aside.

Place Jalapeños on a baking sheet under the broiler, turning occasionally until skins blisters and is lightly browned on all sides. Remove and place peppers in a sealed Ziploc bag.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, and cilantro.

Beat eggs in a small bowl and set aside.

Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.

Remove Jalapeños from Ziploc bag and remove skins, Slice stem and cap off Jalapeños, removing seeds carefully.

Cook bacon strips in a large frying pan until just cooked through. Set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.

Stuff each pepper with cream cheese mixture and a cooked prawn.

Wrap each pepper with one to two strips of bacon.

Pour vegetable oil into a heavy saucepan and set over medium-high heat.

Roll peppers in the eggs, then coat with bread crumbs.

Deep-fry peppers in batches until golden brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Serve immediately. Enjoy them plain or with your favorite dipping sauce.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Peeled & Deveined Medium Shrimp
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Habanero Chile Pepper, quartered
• 3 Cloves Garlic, halved
• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3 Tablespoons Red Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 Cup Celery, sliced
• 1 Cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 Cup Cilantro, Chopped
• 4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 Avocados, chopped
• 1 Chipotle chile (canned in adobo sauce), finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Adobo Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Lime Juice, freshly aqueezed
• Salt to Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Combine the bay leaf, habanero chile, 3 halved cloves of garlic, lemon pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt in boiling water. Add the shrimp and cook until they just turn pink. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Don’t remove the shrimp from the water since they ‘ll absorb the seasoning in the water as they cool. Chill in the refrigerator about half an hour. The longer the shrimp in the water, the spicier they’ll get.

Combine the remaining ingredients, stirring in the drained shrimp at the end. Serve with  crackers or bread, telera or baguette).

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Caldo de Res (Beef Soup) by Computopia Flickr

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 Kg Beef Shank with bones, meat cut off the bones into stew-size pieces
• Salt to Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
• 1 Onion coarsely chopped
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Large Tomato, chopped, or 1- 14.5 oz Can diced tomatos
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 3 Cups Beef stock
• 4 Cup Water
• 3 Potatoes, coarsely chopped
• 3 Carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 Cup Green Beans, halved
• 2 Chayote, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 Ears Corn, shucked and cut into thirds, or about 1 cup canned corn
• 1 Cup Cilantro, Chopped
• 2 Zucchinis, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 Head Cabbage, Chopped
• 3 Limes, quartered
• 4 Radishes, quartered
• 1-2 Habanero, Jalapeño, or Serrano Chile Peppers, minced, optional

Directions:

Set a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, meat, bones, and salt and pepper to taste.

When the meat is browned, add the onion, garlic, tomato, and cumin and cook about 5 minutes until tender.

Add the beef stock and enough water to cover the meat and bones by about 2 inches. Reduce heat to low, Cover, and simmer about 1 hour, or  until meat is tender.

Add any remaining water, the potatoes, carrots, green beans, chayote, corn, and about 1/4 cup cilantro. Simmer until vegetables are tender.

Add the zucchini and cabbage and simmer another 10 minutes or until tender.

Serve soup hot, garnishing with freshly squeezed lime juice, radishes, and peppers to taste.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay