#59 :: Buñuelos

These are a quick, easy and delicious dessert to finish off any Mexican meal. Instead of using vanilla ice cream like the recipe called for, we used cinnamon ice cream. The cinnamon ice cream makes it feel more like a Mexican dessert to me.... {reminds me of the dessert at El Chicho's Mexican Restaurant back home in Texas}!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 (8-inch) flour tortillas, whole or cut into shapes

Directions

On a plate, mix the sugar and cinnamon. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, add enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat over medium-high heat until a deep frying thermometer, inserted in the oil, reaches 350 degrees F. (If you do not have a thermometer, test the oil with a piece of tortilla, which should sizzle when it touches the oil and should brown in about 2 to 3 minutes.) One by one, fry tortillas until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the crisps to paper towels to drain. While still warm, transfer to cinnamon-sugar mixture, turn to coat and serve.

*Cooks note: These crisps can be made ahead, sealed in cellophane bags and given as gifts!

**Cooks note: A fun way to present these crisps is to serve a couple in a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream with fresh, seasonal berries on top.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Recipe from Mexican Made Easy on Food Network

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

#58 :: Tortilla Soup

Finishing off our Mexican week is Tortilla Soup {and for dessert, Buñuelos}. This is hands down the best tortilla soup I think I've ever eaten, and the leftovers the next day taste even better! I was really proud of us on this recipe, too! We used a whole chicken for this, made our own stock, fried our own tortilla chips and strips....everything was fresh and homemade. It was great!

Ingredients

For the Stock:

• 1 (4 to 5 pound) whole chicken, innards removed and rinsed
• Salt
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup medium diced carrots
• 1 cup medium diced celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 cups water

For the Soup:

• 8 (7-inch) corn tortillas, recipe follows
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 cups chopped onions
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded (about 6 to 8 Romas)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Garnishes:

• 1 large avocado, peeled and diced
• 2 fresh limes, cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

For the Stock: Season the chicken with salt. Place in a large stock pot and add the remaining ingredients. Season with a teaspoon of salt. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the liquid into a another pan, discarding the vegetables. Remove the fat and bones from the chicken. Dice the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

For the Soup: Preheat the fryer. Cut half of the tortillas in quarters and thinly slice the other half. Fry both cuts of tortillas in batches, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and set aside. In a stock pot, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf and jalapeno. Continue to saute for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Crush the reserved fried tortilla quarters over the tomatoes. Stir to mix. Stir in the reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Using a hand-held blender, puree the soup until smooth or leave chunky. Re-season the soup. Stir in the reserved diced chicken and cilantro. Simmer for another 5 minutes. To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with the avocados, squeeze of lime juice, fresh cilantro and the fried tortilla strips. Serve warm.

Makes 6-8 servings

Recipe from Emeril Live on Food Network

Star Rating: 5+ out of 5 stars

#55 :: Pico de Gallo

Last night's dinner consisted of 3 different recipes -- Pico de Gallo, Creamy Poblano Pepper Strips (Rajas) Tacos, and Sauteed Potatos with Chorizo Tacos. This first recipe for Pico de Gallo is really simple, and different because of the golden tomatoes. I did try it personally,{because I don't like raw onions} but Jamie said it was great.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds yellow or red tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 serrano chiles*, seeded and minced
• Pinch kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl, and toss to combine. Cover and chill until ready to serve. This salsa can be made 4 hours ahead.

Cook's Note: In Mexico, pico de gallo is used to describe a wide variety of regional salsas, which are always made with fresh cubed fruit and/or vegetables. The most common version is made with any red tomato, onion and green chiles and is sometimes called "salsa mexicana" or "salsa bandera," because the colors in the salsa represent the Mexican flag.

*The serrano chile is a fresh, small, green chile. Traditionally used in salsas it is slightly hotter than a jalapeno chile and can be found at most supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or online.

Makes 3 cups

Recipe from Mexican Made Easy on Food Network

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#57 :: Sauteed Potatoes with Chorizo

Mmmm Mmmm good stuff! I think anything with chorizo is good, and red potatoes are no exception. It makes a great taco filling! Jamie thought it made a good breakfast today, too. :)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 10 ounces Mexican pork chorizo, casings removed*
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 pound red skinned new potatoes, cut into small (1/4-inch) dice, and boiled
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking up the clumps, until dry and crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a paper lined plate to absorb any additional oil. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and boiled potatoes and saute until brown, about 12 minutes. Stir in the cooked chorizo and season with just a little salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

*Cook's Note: Mexican chorizo is an uncooked sausage, made with fresh ground pork and well seasoned with smoked red chiles. Since it's fresh, you will need to remove the casing before cooking it. They can be found at most supermarkets. Also, some chorizos are very salty so watch the seasoning!

A great filling for soft tacos, just add shredded cheese, beans or your favorite taco filling!

Makes 4-6 servings {or 3 cups}

Recipe from Mexican Made Easy on Food Network

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#56 :: Creamy Poblano Pepper Strips (Rajas) Tacos

This recipe is delicious! It completely made up for the bum mole from the night before. Broiling the peppers gives it such a great flavor! I think I liked it best because it wasn't your every day taco, but it was easy to make and big on taste. This is going on the list of favorites for sure.

Ingredients

• 6 fresh poblano chiles* (or canned, peeled)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 ears corn, kernels removed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche
• 1/2 cup, shredded Monterrey jack cheese
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Char the poblano chiles directly over the gas flame on the stove or under the broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in a plastic bag and let steam for about 10 minutes.

Add the oil to a heavy large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Set aside.

Peel and seed the chiles. Cut the chiles into 1/4 to 1/2-inch strips (rajas) and add the strips to the onion and corn mixture and saute until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and Mexican crema and cook until bubbling, about for 8 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Season the rajas with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

*Cook's Note: The poblano chile is a fresh chile that ranges from mild to hot. It is a deep, dark green color and is large and wide with shiny skin. Ripened on the plant and dried it is known as "chile ancho" or "pasilla." They can also be found at most supermarkets or Latin specialty markets. Just keep your eye out, as some stores sell them fresh under the name "pasilla."

A great filling for tacos or topping for grilled arrachera. You can use virtually any chile but a mild poblano adds the perfect amount of spice to any dish.

Makes 4-6 servings (or 2 cups)

Recipe from Mexican Made Easy on Food Network

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

#54 :: Chicken Mole Enchiladas

"Catastrophic flavor failure!" -Jamie

This was a disappointment. I'm not sure what I did wrong, I'm pretty sure I did something to mess this one up. The flavor of the mole was just...wrong. I have full confidence that it's a good recipe when it's done right...and I will definitely have to re-visit this one and try again someday soon. For now, feel free to try it yourself and let me know your results!

*There are no photos because the mole was so bad I didn't even roll up the enchiladas. I ate the shredded chicken breast for dinner instead!

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Mole:

• 5 dried pasilla chiles, (or dried anocho chiles) stemmed and seeded
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, grilled crisp, recipe follows (or handful of regular tortilla chips)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 5.5 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped, (recommended: Ibarra*)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Enchiladas:

• 12 corn tortillas, warmed
• Olive oil, as needed
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
• 3/4 cup queso fresco (or mild Feta)

Directions

For the chicken breasts: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a baking sheet, season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and olive oil, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through or, set aside to cool, then shred into small (1-inch) pieces.

For the Mole: Reconstitute the dried chiles by soaking them in 1 1/2 cups hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside. Grill the 2 corn tortillas in a grill pan until dry, crisp and golden. Tear into pieces and set aside. In a heavy large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, season with a little salt and saute 3 minutes, or until translucent. Then add the minced garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer onion and garlic mixture to blender with all remaining mole ingredients (except for the chocolate and chicken) and blend until very smooth. Then transfer the sauce to a medium saute pan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in the chocolate. Season the mole with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1 cup of mole for garnishing the enchiladas, the rest will be used for dipping the tortillas.

To assemble the enchiladas: Re-heat the shredded chicken if necessary and keep warm. In a medium saute pan (wide enough to fit the tortillas laying flat) over high heat add the oil to reach 1/2-inch up the side. When oil is hot, dip one tortilla at a time, and fry for a few seconds just until soft and heated through. Lift out, let excess oil drip, then dip the fried tortilla directly into the warm mole (which should be right next to the pan for easy dipping) and place on a cutting board. Working quickly, put about 1/3 cup of the warm shredded chicken in the center, being careful not to over fill. Roll the tortilla like a cigar to enclose the filling and place in serving dish seam side down. (Individual gratin dishes work great to hold the extra mole sauce or if serving family style, a baking dish will work as well.) If necessary, use tongs or a spatula to place each enchilada seam side down in the dish. Continue to fill all of the tortillas and place them side-by-side. Pour the remaining, reserved Mole over the top, drizzle with a little creme fraiche, sprinkle with queso fresco, and serve.

Cook's Note: Queso Fresco is a white, mild, fresh Mexican cheese with the texture of fresh farmer's cheese in the US. Queso fresco can be found in many supermarkets, or can also substituted with a mild feta cheese.

Cook's Note: The pasilla is a Mexican dried chile, also known as "ancho" or "chile negro" in the U.S. It is often used in moles and other Mexican sauces. It also can be sold as a fresh chile in the U.S. - similar to the poblano. They can be found at most supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or online.

*Cooks note: Ibarra chocolate is a brand of Mexican chocolate that can be purchased in most national supermarkets. If you cannot find Ibarra or any Mexican chocolate, you can substitute one ounce of Mexican chocolate for: 1 (1-ounce) of semi-sweet chocolate, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and one drop of almond extract.

Makes 4-6 servings

Recipe from Mexican Made Easy on Food Network

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

(but we'll try it again!)

#54 :: Avocado Salad

I realized at the last minute that our Poblano peppers should probably have some sort of a side dish served with it. I wanted to keep it light, and I had an extra avocado, so avocado salad was my first thought.

Ingredients

• 1 avocado, halved, pitted and sliced
• 4 leaves of Romain lettuce
• 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• A sprinkle of fresh cilantro
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Lay the Romain on the plate as a base for the salad. Cut the avodado in half, remove the pit, then score the avocado into slices while it's still in the skin. The slices can easily be peeled back from the skin this way. Layer them over top of the lettuce. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the avocados, this will keep them from turning brown so quickly. Mix in a few slices of Roma tomatoes and top it all off with a sprinkle of chopped fresh cilantro and salt & pepper.



Makes 2 servings.

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#53 :: Poblano Stuffed with Chorizo, Shrimp and Rice

This recipe is in our top 3 favorites so far. It was melt in your mouth amazing! From the very second the first ingredients hit the pan, the kitchen smelled wonderful and we couldn't wait for it to finish. Try this recipe for sure!!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 pound Mexican-style chorizo
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 cup short-grain rice
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 large, fresh poblano chiles
• 1 pound shrimp, shelled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup Cheddar, shredded
• 3/4 cup Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil and chorizo, cook for 3 minutes. Add peppers, jalapeno, onions and garlic. Cook until translucent, then add rice and cook until all the grains of the rice are coated with oil. Add all liquids and stir over high heat for 3 minutes, cover and reduce heat to low. Check rice for doneness after 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place poblano chiles on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, cut top 1/4 of chile off and remove ribs and seeds.

When rice is finished cooking, fluff with fork and stir in shrimp. Stuff chiles with 1/6 of the rice mixture. Place all the chiles on baking sheet and place into oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, mix cheeses together and cover pepper with cheese. Broil for 3 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.

Makes 6 stuffed peppers

Recipe from Guy's Big Bite on Food Network

Star Rating: 5+ out of 5 stars

#52 :: Skirt Steak Tacos

This steak taco just didn't have a lot of flavor. It wasn't bad by any means, but I guess that it pales in comparison to the other dinners we've prepared lately. Oh no, I've become a food snob! :)

Ingredients

• 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce, thinly shredded
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, halved and diced
• 8 ounces sour cream

Directions

Heat grill to high.

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and on the top rack of the grill while the steak is grilling.

Heat grill pan over high heat. Brush steak with oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill on one side until golden brown and slightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook to medium-rare doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Let rest 5 minutes then slice against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Fill each tortilla with some lettuce, 3 to 4 pieces of meat, onion, sour cream, and avocado.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Boy Meets Grill on Food Network

Star Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

#51 :: Chocoflan

One word sums it up. Mmmmmm! Made-from-scratch chocolate cake, with homemade flan and caramel sauce..... rich and sweet! This dessert was absolutely delicious.....and magic!

Ingredients

• 12-cup capacity Bundt pan
• Softened butter, to coat pan
• 1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce

For the cake:

• 10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For the flan:

• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For garnish:

• 1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Coat a Bundt pan with a little butter, then coat the bottom with 1/4 cup cajeta and put it in a large roasting pan. (The roasting pan will serve as a water bath during baking.)

For the cake: Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa in a medium bowl. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture, and 1/2 of the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Blend until well incorporated.

For the flan: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds.

Scoop the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spreading evenly. Slowly pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Cover with foil and add about 1-inch of hot water to the roasting pan.

Carefully slide the pan into the oven, and bake 1 hour, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When cake is done, remove from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Invert a large, rimmed serving platter over the Bundt pan, grasp tightly together, giggle a little and flip over. Remove the pan and scrape any remaining cajeta from the pan onto the cake, garnish with chopped pecans and serve!

Cook's Notes: The batters may appear to mix when you pour them into the pan, but they completely separate while baking, with the flan ending up on the bottom when it's inverted. I like eating it warm, but traditionally, it is chilled 24 hours before serving.

Flan is a rich, creamy, cooked egg custard. It is often flavored with vanilla and baked in a water bath to retain its delicacy.

Cajeta is a thick and creamy spread or paste made with caramelized sugar and milk. It is used as a desert on its own or as a topping. Also known as "dolce de leche," it is sold in many supermarkets, Latin specialty markets or online. It can be substituted with a thick caramel sauce.

Makes 10 servings

Recipe from Mexican Made Easy on Food Network

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars