Ingredients:

• 1/2 Stick butter
• 6 Garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Guajillo chile peppers, stem and seeds removed and thinly sliced
• 2 Chiles de arbol, minced
• 1 Pound (450 Grams) mushrooms, cleaned with stems trimmed
• 1/4 Cup white wine
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 Green onions, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

In a medium heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat, melt the butter and saute garlic 1-2 minutes.

Add the chile peppers cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the mushrooms and saute about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. add the wine, black pepper, salt, green onions, and parsley and reduce heat to low. Simmer another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

You can serve the mushrooms as an appetizer with some crusty bread (thus more traditionally like the Spanish tapas), or serve them as a taste side dish to arrachera steak, rice, and warm tortillas.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Ingredients:

• 4-6 Poblano Chiles
• 2 Tablespoons Oil
• 1 Onion, Sliced into rings
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Beef or Habanero Buillon cube
• 1/2 Stick butter
• 3 – 14 oz. Cans whole kernel corn
• Salt to Taste
• 1/4 – 1/2 Cup cotija cheese, shredded, optional

Directions:

To facilitate the removal of the skin on the poblano chiles, hold them over a burner flamer until the skin bubbles and blackens. Immediately put the chiles in plastic  bags and wait about 20-30 minutes. Remove the chiles from the bags and immerse them in warm water. You should be able to remove the skin by scraping the chiles underwater with a small knife. Then remove the stems, seeds and veins, and slice the chiles into small strips. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium -high heat. Add the onion, garlic, crushed buillon cube and salt to taste. Cook until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the butter and poblano strips (rajas). Continue to cook until the chiles are tender.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the corn and salt to taste, and cook another 5-10 minutes.

The corn is ready to serve. However, adding the cotija cheese and cooking the corn until the cheese melts adds a nice flavor and creaminess to the finished dish.

Serve as a side dish to carne asada or chicken milanesa.

Recipe Posted by Lindsay

Frijoles Negros (black beans) are an integral part of Mexican Cuisine, accompanying a wide variety of main dishes. The secret to great beans lies in adding Epazote. Epazote is also known as Mexican tea and wormseed, and many say that it’s an acquired taste. It’s a pungent, wild herb that has a strong, acidic, almost lemony flavor, which contributes to flavorful beans. The other bonus is Epazote is a carminative, meaning it reduces gas – obviously a benefit if you’re preparing beans!

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg Black Beans
• 1 Onion, quartered
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Serrano Chile Pepper, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 2 Sprigs Epazote or 2 Tablespoons Dried Epazote*
• Salt to Taste

*Note: You can substitute 1/2 cup Cilantro for the Epazote if you can’t get it, although there’s nothing quite like Epazote.

Directions:

Wash beans and soak in water overnight.

Drain beans and put in a large pot. Add fresh water, the onion, garlic, bell pepper, chile, and cumin. Set over high heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Add the epazote. Simmer another 30 minutes, or until beans are tender. Remove the onion and epazote. Add salt to taste.

Serve as a side dish with anything from Carne Asada to Scrambled Eggs.

Posted by Lindsay

A Mexican meal is not truly complete without Red Rice. While there are many ways to prepare it, the following recipe is what you’ll find served in many homes throughout Mexico. Although the Serrano Chile and vegetables are marked as optional, they really do contribute to making this a delicious side dish.

• 1 1/2 Cups Rice
• Onion, quartered
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Serrano Chile Pepper, optional
• 1/2 Cup Tomato puree
• 1/2 Cup oil
• 2 Cups water
• 1 Cube Chicken Bouillon
• 1 Carrot, peeled and finely chopped, optional*
• 1/2 Cup peas, optional*
• 1/2 Cup corn, optional*
• Salt to taste

*Note: You can use 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables instead of fresh vegetables if you’d prefer.

Soak the rice in hot water for 15 minutes. Then drain thoroughly.

In a blender, combine the onion, garlic, serrano chile, and tomato puree and blend until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice, stirring continuosly to coat the rice with the oil so it doesn’t clump. Fry well until golden brown. Drain oil.

Add tomato mixture and stir to combine with rice. Fry a minute longer.

Dissolve the chicken bouillon in the water and add the rice. Add the carrot, peas, corn, and salt. Stir to combine with rice. Cover tightly with a lid and reduce heat to low. Cook rice until there’s no more liquid remaining. This should take about 20 minutes, but you’ll want to check and taste the rice to make sure it’s done. Turn off the heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Use as a side dish to accompany anything from Carne Asada to Lentils.

Serves 4-6

Posted by Lindsay