Can't take the Tex-Mex out of the Texan! Alot of the foods down here seem strangely familiar to most Texans. Occasionally, I try to introduce our Ex Pat friends to something altogether Tex-Mex! This strange sounding appetizer seems to make people question if it is dessert or appetizer...you be the judge!


Jalapeno Fudge~Gringo's Tex-Mex Appetizer!

Ingredients:
1 pound shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound shredded monterrey jack
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno
2 eggs
1 large can evaporated milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. each salt & pepper

Directions:
Mix both cheeses and jalapenos. Press firmly (level) in a 9 x 13 pan. Mix eggs, milk, and flour and pour over the cheese mixture. Bake 40 minutes at 350F until slightly brown. Cool and cut into squares.
This recipe for Jalapeno Fudge serves/makes 16

Diego Rivera's Calla Lily Vendor

Jerry Jeff Walker said it best: "I love that Sangria Wine..." I am sure he should have mentioned how well it goes down on a warm Spring day in Mexico!


Torreon Circle of friends has live auctions from time to time to help raise money for a local orphanage. The Ex Pat women of Torreon either give generously from things they have aquired along the way or donate baked items, etc. I took a Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit pie~yummy...which seemed to be a good choice for auction (I did have to remind people that it was made by a Texan!!!!!) But for anyone who knows me & my love of Fostoria glassware I flipped out when I saw the large stack of Fostoria Americana dishes sitting there ready to be auctioned off! I of course jumped right up & grabbed those plates! My friend Caroline took home a vast amount of hand painted El Palomar Mexican pottery. I did however win one useful auction item: a Spanish couse on CD, certain to have me speaking better in "Ten Minutes"!!! (let us hope) All in all a fun time was had by all & there was even delicious Sangria wine being served! And, even south of the border when you are drinking Sangria what baby boomer isn't thinking Jerry Jeff Walker? While Sangria isn't anything new down here my favorite glassware is. Fostoria is as rare here as Shar-Pei puppies!!!

And of course "Flat Stanley" was there bidding the prices up~all for a good cause though! Last thing I heard, he was leaving with some baked goods & Mexican pottery he purchased:) One more Mexican experience for "Flat Stanley", how does he do it all?



"Yeah I love that Sangria wine

Just like I love old friends of mine

They tell the truth when they're mixed with the wine

That's why I blend in the lemons and limes"
Texas' own: Jerry Jeff Walker

Recipe for Spanish Sangria
1 cup apple juice
1/3 cup Triple Sec
1/4 cup sugar
2 cans of Fresca
3 blood oranges, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 limes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 Peach, cut into cubes
1 Apple, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 bottle red wine (not too expensive or cheap~you be the judge)

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher; stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Add ice & serve. Yield: 6 servings. YUMMY!

It should come as no surprise that in Mexico, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, Easter is the most widely celebrated and important religious holiday of the year. There are pagents & colorful parades & certainly there are foods that are quite specific to the season.
For Easter there are alot of local restaurants serving some of the holiday favorites of Mexican bread pudding: Capirotada, Arroz con Leche & Flan Napolitano. These light desserts are served at the very modest stands in the local Mercado & at the high end dining spots throughout Mexico, the recipes vary according to cost & availablity of ingredients.

Zacatecas Cathedral


Flan Napolitano

1/4 c. Sugar
4 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk~La Lechera, or Eagle Brand
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
4 oz. cream cheese (small Philadelphia cream cheese packet)

Caramelize & melt sugar in the bottom of flan pan (9 inch cake pan with high sides will be fine also but cover firmly with foil when baking), allow it to darken, set aside. Add all remaining ingredients: eggs, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla & cream cheese, placing into a blender. Blend till this mixture is smooth, about 1 min. Then pour into Flan Pan onto caramelized sugar in bottom of pan. Place lid on flan pan & clamp down. Place flan pan in H2O (about 2-3 inches up the side of the pan in water bath) Bake 1 hr. 15 min. @ 350 or till knife comes out clean & flan is firm. Cool in pan. Can be refrigerated over night for best firmness & flavor. Place in warm water to loosen from pan & turn out onto platter or cake stand. The burnt sugar caramel makes the top of the Flan a nice golden color. This is wonderful alone or topped with fresh fruit.
Salute!

Cristo Roto, Aguascalientes

A brief visit turns long....Deltza Zeta, Tex-Mex & Family time!

While home for our "quick weekend visit" that turned into quite a long running event because of John's accident, we did get to visit with our girls. John's injury not withstanding, it was nice to see our daughters & have family time. Jacqueline & I attended the Delta Zeta Sorority Mother/Daughter Day luncheon in downtown Austin at Rio Grande. The dining location was very nice & is situated in the old Spaghetti Warehouse which is better known for being the site of the MTV "Austin Real World house". We had the luncheon buffet style & were offered several varieties Tex-Mex items as well as Quesadillas a standard Tex-Mex menu item. In Mexico they do offer Quesadillas on some menus & I have seen the typical Tex-Mex looking variety but they also have more traditional methods of preparing the Tex-Mex fast food version. I have included a more tradtional Quesadilla recipe which at first sight seems more like a Taco than what we know as a Quesadilla!

Delta Zeta Sorority Mother Daughter Day!



While Texas & Mexico are often light years apart, our shared cultures make for some interesting food additions! Which I believe Lauren & Jenn can attest to from their San Antonio visit! *The typical Torreon horse drawn cart on Independencia Blvd.~just another day in Mexico!


Quesadillas de Lomo~Pork Loin Quesadillas

*Dough for Quesadillas
2 1/2 cups of corn tortilla dough, masa
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup shortening
salt
*Quesadilla filling
1/2 pound pork loin
2 chorizo sausages, about 12-16 oz.
1 potatoe
1 large tomato
1 chopped onion, diced
1 chopped clove garlic, minced
10 chopped olives

chopped jalapeño chili pepper, deseeded
vegetable oil

Procedure:
1. Combine the corn dough (masa), flour, baking powder, shortening and salt. Mix well & leave it resting in moisted cloth.

2. Cook the pork loin. When cooled, string in fine strands. Bake in the oven @ 350 for 20 minutes per pound. Rest meat before shredding.
3. Cook chorizo, peel and cut in cubes, set aside.
4. Roast, peel and liquefy tomato adding in the onion and garlic. (blender or molcajete is perfect for this step)
5. Saute the chorizo & the pork loin together. Add the cubed potatoes,tomato, onions, the olives and the jalapeño pepper. *JALAPEÑO is optional. With this traditional Mexican dish spice as usual can be adjusted to taste!

6. With Corn Tortilla dough, hand make tortillas, fill them with the meat preparation, fold them and fry.
7. FOR SERVING: Slice small amount of lettuce and radishes then sprinkle, vinegar, salt and pepper. Place the fried Quesadillas over this light salad. Salt & Pepper to taste! Salute!

Corn Tortillas are a way of life in Mexico! While recently watching the whole commercial tortilla process I noticed ladies arrive to buy just a few pesos worth of fresh tortillas for the day while others bought prepared masa for making tamales & gorditas. The large scale masa/tortilla operations cut several steps out for a busy housewife or cook in Mexico. There were even Tortilla riots in parts of Mexico recently because the price increase of the tortillas in Mexico...many unhappy people south of the border!! The prices have gone up as much as 5 pesos per kilo here, which is substantial for the working poor. Mexico imports an average of 4.2 million tons of U.S. corn per year~that translates to a whole lot of tortillas!
While the Corn Tortilla & Masa has been a staple in the Mexican diet for centuries & centuries, flour tortillas were brought to Mexico by Spanish Conquistadors. It is a carryover from the Moorish influence in Spain & is very similar to the Pan de Arabie still sold in Markets & groceries across Mexico today.


The whole dried corn is treated with a heat & steam bath so it is soft for the grinding process to make masa.


Tortilla Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
1 medium onion chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. Oil
2 lb Chicken breast with bone & skin
1 14oz. can tomatoes
1 10 1/2 oz. cans water
2 10 3/4 oz. can chicken broth
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
8-10 tortillas, cut in 1" squares, fried in skillet with oil (or baked)
1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack Cheese or Queso Asadero
sliced avocado

Directions:
Saute the first 5 ingredients in a large skillet.
Add remaining ingredients, except tortillas, cheese & avocado, and simmer for 50 minutes. Pull chicken off the bone, remove skin, dice & put back into the soup.
Pour into bowls over tortilla strips and sprinkle with cheese, avocado & extra cilantro. Also delicious with squeeze of lime!

Serves 6-8.

Sometimes it takes a Texan...
I taught a cooking class this week for the Ex Patriot women about how to cook with Nopal. Many of my Midwestern friends had no idea what to do with these little gems we find in the grocery stores & Mercados in Torreon. It is served in many restaraunts throughout Mexico. Texans have had this knowledge for many years even feeding Prickly Pear to cattle when food is scarce. Many a rancher has been thankful for our vast supply of cactus. With a taste like green beans & the benefits of lowering the cholesterol they are a great addition to a meal, Mexican or otherwise!


Cactus with Eggs & Chile Sauce

1 lb. fresh Nopalitos
3 ancho chiles
2 garlic cloves
3 Tbsp veg. oil
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped, tough stems removed
6 eggs, beaten
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook Nopalitos in saucepan of boiling salted water 5- 8 minutes. Drain & set aside.

Put the ancho chiles in a small saucepan of H2O covering the chilies by 2 inches & bring to a boil. Boil 5 min., then drain & let cool slightly. De seed as much as possible & remove the stems. Transfer to a blender with garlic, blend & puree adding H2O from saucepan to thin.

Heat oil in large skillet over med. heat. Add the onion & saute' until translucent, about 4-5 min. Add the nopalitos & heat through. Add eggs & scramble them into the nopalitos. Add some of the chile puree & cilantro just at the end & serve with remaining chile puree & corn tortillas or flour tortillas.


Ensalada de Nopalitos (Cactus Salad)

I N G R E D I E N T S
3 cups cooked nopales (nopalitos)
3 tablespoons chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano or Thyme
1/4 c. lime juice or vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil

T O P P I N G
3 tomatoes, sliced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco or añejo or chihuahua
1/3 cup purple onion rings
3 canned chilies jalapeños pickled sliced in rings
1 avocado, peeled and sliced

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Mix the nopalitos with the next four ingredients and set aside to season for 30 minutes. Stir well and adjust seasoning.
Spread the nopalitos over the platter about 1 1/2 inches deep. Decorate with the tomatoes slices and top with cilantro, cheese, onion rings, chile strips, and slices of avocado (if used). Excellent served as either appetizer or salad. We had it with black beans & thick nacho type chips.

Sanborns & Salsa

John & I frequently eat lunch on the weekends at Sanborns Restaurant. Most tourists know this eatery since they sell travel insurance at the border & have a very extensive breakfast menu that appeals to many American travelers. Sanborns claim to fame is being the origin of Chicken Enchiladas or Enchiladas Suisas. Sanborns waitresses wear a traditional Southern Mexico attire which makes me think of those little dolls we used to get at shops along the border in Texas. Our favorite Sanborns was in Durango where the location was in an old Spanish Colonial building. Whenever we have lunch there it is served with salsas & a basket of fresh bread, Gamesa crackers & small Mexican style tortilla chips. The salsas are freshly made each day & then served in a small gravy boat. My Spanish tutor, Lily gave me the recipe for her favorite Aguacate Salsa. When we were at the Abastos Mercado last week they sold a vast amount of fresh Avocados in every size you could want! The best Avocados in Mexico are the small bumpy green variety much like our Haas Avocados at home. We take advantage of the wide variety of fresh produce Mexico has to offer, that is... the things we recognize. There are some fruits & veggies that we still wonder about! It seems to be uncharted territory some days!

Salsa de Aguacate

3 Jalapenos (less if you want), blackened or raw, seeded & stems removed
1 -2 Avocados, diced
1 Tomatillo, cut into quarters
Cilantro, loosely chopped

Put all in a blender or molcajete then thin out with small amount Crema, or Sour Cream, salt & pepper to taste.
*Crema~ Crema Pura de Vaca is used in many dishes here. It just thins this recipe out, so it is easier to dip. I buy small glass jars of Lala Crema.
salt & pepper to taste, then garnish with sprigs of Cilantro & serve with chips or Fajitas. Nice to serve this from a traditional Mexican Molcajete.

Warm days & Cold nights here in Coahuila!



With the onset of Winter & weather in the States cooling things off we have had much cooler temperatures here as well. Would would think that "Sunny Mexico" could get so cold? But when the temperatures dip down even into the 40s here the houses tend to become very cold & damp feeling. Torreon is high desert & surrounded by the Sierra Occidential Mountain range. With the thick stone & concrete walls as well as the tile flooring it is hard to keep the houses warm or stay warm. Often times the outside temperatures rise while the houses stay very cold. We deal with it & put a few extra layers on but I tend to make more dishes to kind of warm us up internally too. Mexico has many sopas & regional dishes that likely are adaptations from the European settlers.

Mexican Potato Cheese Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
7 cloves of garlic
1-2 chopped fresh jalapeño chilies
1-2 chopped tomatoes
Optional: strips of mild green Anaheim-style chilies or bell pepper
Saute the above ingredients in oil or butter until tender. Add:
2 cups of raw potato: sliced, cubed or grated
a pinch of salt
hot water: enough to well cover the ingredients
Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Add a handful of cubed cheese or half a cup of carne machaca or finely shredded beef jerky. Carne seca is found in many Hispanic foods stores in the U.S.
Optional: when the potatoes are tender, stir in 1/2 cup milk and heat the soup until it almost boils.

The grocery stores in Mexico are still stocked for what looks like Christmas Fiestas. The real reason for all of the treats & decorations is Three Kings Day, January 6th. The bakeries are doing a brisk business with the colorful Three Kings Bread being served up & the smell of the sweet yeasty confections baking ~ truly wonderful. The Torreon HEB is advertising 1 kilo of Kings Day Bread. That is one giagantic bread! And the best influence I can think this might have over me is a few days more before I have to remove the few Christmas decorations I have out. A win, win!

Rosca is the name given to any ring-shaped bread or cookie. This sweet bread was once used by the priests to evangelize: a small doll, representing the Christ child, is baked right in the bread- "hidden", to symbolize the hiding of the infant from King Herod's troops on the day of Los Santos Inocentes, the Holy Innocents. This bread is traditionally served on the festive Three Kings Day, when the children receive their toys. Whoever gets the slice of rosca with the doll in it has to provide the tamales and atole for the next party, on Candlemas. This is much like the tradition of New Orleans King Cake with the baby inside that is served during Mardi Gras.

Rosca de Reyes
Three Kings Sweet Bread

Ingredients:

For the dough:
8 1/2 cups flour
8 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups butter
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1.6 oz.(2 3/4 cakes) compressed yeast

For the decorative paste:
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
Preparation:


Mix yeast cakes into 1/2 cup warm water (about 85º F.) Mix with all other dough ingredients & beat the batter well until smooth and elastic. On a large baking sheet, shape the dough into a ring, resembling a large wreath. Cover the ring with a clean cloth or tea towel & sit in a warm place for two hours.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350º F. If you'd like to hide the infant (or lima bean is a traditional substitute) in the cake, tuck a miniature plastic doll inside. After the rosca has risen, & before putting it in the oven, prepare the decorative paste by creaming the butter and sugar together, beating in the egg & mixing in the flour. Use this paste to decorate the sweet bread in the form of rays coming out from the center.
Bake until the rosca is golden brown. Decorate with candied fruit; in Mexico, candied cactus, called biznaga, is often used.

In Texas & the South in general we eat Black-eyed Peas for good luck in the New Year, Mexico has their own traditions for luck, one of which is eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight for luck in the coming New Year. I will not say this makes sense as I have not tried this custom for good luck! However it does say alot for grape sales in Mexico around the New Year Holiday! This recipe is a good Mexican variation of a Texas favorite.

Mexican Black-eyed Peas
Ingredients
16 oz. dried, black-eyed peas
1 lb. pork sausage*, or chorizo
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-18 oz. can whole tomatoes, undrained
1/2 c. water
2 T. sugar
2 1/2 T. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin seeds
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
2 T. garlic salt
1/4 T. pepper
1/4 c. bell pepper, diced
Directions
Sort and wash peas. Place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water 2 inches above peas. Let soak overnight. Brown sausage in skillet, stirring to crumble. Add onion, bell pepper and cook until tender. Drain peas well and stir into sausage. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, adding water if necessary. When ready to serve garnish or serve with side of jalapeno strips. *be careful not to get a spicy or country sausage so the dish takes on an Italian or country flavor.

This was an awesome dish to go with Mimi's cornbread dressing, veggies & meats.

Asparagus Torte

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 c. Veg. Oil
1 tsp. Salt
dash Pepper
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Lg. Onion, chopped
1 c. Pioneer Baking Mix
1/2 c. Parmasaen Cheese
3 1/2 c. Fresh Asparagus, chopped

Combine eggs, oregano, oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion in a large bowl. Add baking mix & Parmasaen cheese. Stir till completely mixed. Add Asparagus, stir to coat. Pour into greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake @ 350 40-45 min. till golden brown.

There are those who have an impact on your life & make you laugh when you need to & then arrive at the right moment with the killer Asparagus Torte! Good Job Aunt Carol!

The Awesome Aunt!

On Calle Revolucion this week I was in a car with several Ex Patriot women when we spotted these little Christmas ornaments that are commonly sold here by the street vendors. I along with a couple of the other women wanted to purchase a few to decorate with & several of us bartered for them. With varying prices among the street vendors I am not so sure the man we were buying from thought that a car full of American & Canadian women were such a good deal for him! These little ornaments are made of foil, paper & tinsel. They are called pinatas since they are the shape of the gift filled Navidad Pinata. When we were at the Mercado Navidad we could smell the various food scents drifting through the market stalls. Truly mouth watering were the Buñuelos that were cooking. Yes, they were cooked in Lard & yes, we left without them but they smelled like heaven after a morning of shopping in the Mercado! The Piloncillo called for in the recipe below is found in Mexican Groceries & is the cone shape of the famous Mexican Sugar Molds now used for candles.


Buñuelos de Navidad -Christmas Sweet Fritters
10 servings
Ingredients
2 cups water
1 lb. flour
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp anisette
9 oz. lard *vegetable shortening is healthy alternative
9 oz. piloncillo -raw sugar

Boil one tablespoon anisette in a cup of water and leave to cool. Mix and sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the eggs, the yolk and the anisette in water, as required, and knead until the dough stiffens. Form into small balls and roll out on a floured board until very thin. Continue flattening by hand on a napkin and place on a floured table. Heat the lard .Fry one by one in the lard.
Heat the piloncillo in one cup of water with the remaining tablespoon of anisette. This mixture will thicken to a light syrup. remove from heat and strain.
Serve the fritters, broken into pieces, in bowls and pour the syrup over them. *served in Mercado Navidad with sprinkle of cinnamon & sugar only!

I really don't know if this is considered a holiday dish down here but I have only seen the Pomegranates in December here in the grocery stores. And with all of the steps it is not an everyday dish. I have also noticed ladies buying alot of the same ingredients so I can only surmise that this is a Nochebuena favorite in our area.
Chilies En Nogada
The recipe is said to have been concocted by the grateful people of Puebla, who were giving a banquet in honor of Don Agustin de Iturbide's saint's day, August 28 in 1821. He and his followers had led the final revolt against Spanish domination; as self-proclaimed emperor he had just signed the Treaty of Cordoba. All the dishes at the banquest were concocted of ingredients of the color of the Mexican flag; in this dish were the green chilies, the white sauce, and the red pomegranate seeds. Many favorite dishes here in Mexico have the Bandera national colors.
You must start this dish one day ahead by soaking the walnuts for the nogada sauce overnight. This dish is a bit involved, but the effort is worth it. It really is an extraordinary blend of flavors. But if you get an opportunity to order it in a restaurant without all the prepration by all means taste & enjoy the flavors.

The Picadillo:
2 lbs of ground pork or beef
1/2 onion, sliced
1 Tbsp salt, or to taste
Put meat into the pan with the onion, garlic, and salt and cover with cold water. Bring the meat to a boil, lower the flame and let it simmer until just tender - about 40-45 minutes. Do not over cook. Leave the meat to cool off in the broth.
Strain the meat. Let the broth get completely cold and skim off the fat.
6 Tbsp of oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
The cooked meat (about 3 cups - note if you use more than 3 cups, you will need to increase the amounts of the other ingredients)
A molcajete (mortar and pestle)
8 peppercorns
5 whole cloves
1/2 inch stick cinnamon
3 heaping Tbsp of raisins
2 Tbsp blanched and slivered almonds
1/4 c. chopped dried apricots, chopped
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, peeled and seeded
Melt the oil and cook the onion and garlic, without browning, until they are soft.
Add the meat and let it cook until it begins to brown.
Crush the spices roughly in the molcajete and add them, with the rest of the ingredients to the meat mixture. (If you don't have a molcajete, you can use the blunt end of a pestle to crush the spices in a bowl.) Cook the mixture a few moments longer.
Add chopped apricots & raisens to the mixture. Add broth at this point if the meat needs a bit of moisture.

The Chilies:
Put 6 chiles poblanos (and you MUST use this type of chili) straight into a fairly high flame or under a broiler and let the skin blister and burn. Turn the chilies from time to time so they do not get overcooked or burn right through.
Wrap the chiles in a damp cloth or plastic bag and leave them for about 20 minutes. The burned skin will then flake off very easily and the flesh will become a little more cooked in the steam. Make a slit in the side of each chili and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Be careful to leave the top of the chili, the part around the base of the stem, intact. (If the chilies are too hot - picante, let them soak in a mild vinegar and water solution for about 30 minutes.) Rinse the chilies and pat them dry.
Stuff the chilies with the picadillo until they are well filled out. Set them aside on paper towels.

The Nogada (walnut sauce)
The day before:
20 to 25 fresh walnuts, shelled
cold milk
Remove the thin papery skin from the nuts (sometimes this is totally impossible). I used Pecans as they are plentiful here in Northern Mexico. If you use pecans omit all but 1/2Tbsp. sugar.
Completely cover the walnuts or pecans with cold milk and leave them to soak overnight.
On serving day:
The soaked and drained nuts
1/4 lb queso fresco or neufchatel cheese
1 1/2 cups thick sour crema (or creme fraiche)
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
Large pinch of cinnamon
Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until they are smooth.
To Serve
To assemble the dish, cover the chilies in the nogada sauce and sprinkle with fresh parsley leaves and pomegranate seeds.

Chocolate Caliente

6 servingsIngredients
6 cups of milk

6 oz sweet chocolate (you can find in Hispanic foods section of store: a yellow small box with round disks of chocolate & a photo of an Abuela on outiside of package)

6 oz semi sweet chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla

dash of cinnamon

Heat the milk over medium flame. Break the chocolate into pieces. When the milk is hot, dissolve in it the chocolate pieces, moving constantly until everything is dissolved. Increase heat and let the mixture slowly boil. Add the vanilla and the cinnamon. Continue beating until frothy.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

When preparing the hot chocolate with children , they usually sing:
"Chocolate, molinillo estirar, estirar,

que el demonio va a pasar."

Great recipes, while difficult to get a copy of are not altogether impossible. Well guarded secrets are sometimes the best! That said; Cream of Poblano Soup is very popular this time of year in Mexico. I frequently see women with large families purchasing 10 lb bags of Poblanos for special holiday recipes. This recipe was given to me by a friend who got it from a local restaurant. Wonderful pepper, great soup!

Cream of Poblano Soup

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon butter

3 diced poblano peppers, seeds and membranes removed

2 medium onions, diced

1/2 carrot, diced

4 cups low sodium vegetable stock, or chicken stock

1 large white potato, diced

8 oz. Mexican crema fresca (substitute sour cream, yogurt, or creme fraiche if you prefer)

chopped cilantro for garnish

8 large tortilla chips

1 cup Chihuahua cheese, shredded (or you can use cheddar or monterey jack if you prefer)

In a soup pot or stock pot heat the oil and butter until the butter starts to sizzle.
Add the peppers, onions, and carrot and sautee 5 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables with the oil and butter.
Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until potatoes and carrots are soft.
Using an immersion blender, blend soup thoroughly until uniformly smooth.
Serve in oven-proof bowls. Float two tortilla chips on top of each bowl, sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese on top of the bowl and set under a broiler until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Nochebuena

While we are missing our Texas traditions there are some wonderful Mexican traditions & foods as well. The Nochebuena is what name is given to both Christmas Eve & the Poinsettia Flower. Here is both a South of the Border recipe John enjoyed at the Cimaco restaurant & a Tex-Mex variety of Salsa made popular by the Houston Jr. League. This version of Cranberry Salsa recipe was given to me by my dear friend Carolyn.

Ensalada de Nochebuena Christmas Eve Salad

A traditional salad eaten during the Christmas season when the pomegranates and other ingredients are available. The bright colors make a brilliant presentation on the holiday table.

6 medium beets, peeled, cooked, and diced (optional, totally optional!)
4 oranges, peeled and sectioned, with membranes removed
4 Red Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into match stick strips
1 cup roasted peanuts
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup club soda
1 cup fresh pineapple cubes
1 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

Pomegranate Dressing Makes 1.5 cups.
Seeds of 1 whole pomegranate, with some seeds reserved for garnish
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
Combine all salad ingredients except the lettuce in a large nonreactive bowl and refrigerate for at least two to three hours. While the salad is chilling, make the Pomegranate Dressing. Combine the pomegranate seeds, sour cream, sugar, and apple juice in a blender and puree. Drain the salad and toss with Pomegranate Dressing. Serve on a bed of iceberg lettuce and garnish with reserved pomegranate seeds. Serves eight to 10.


A true holiday favorite at our house (Armadillo Bazaar included)! More Tex-Mex than Mexican.


Cranberry Salsa

1 pkg. fresh cranberries, chopped
1-8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeno, finely minced, or more depending on taste!
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
2 T. onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp. salt.

Mix it all together a few hours ahead of serving & chill.

Great balls of fire,

love those peppers!

Capsicum annuum

Spicy food at every turn here in Mexico

John & I heard someone remark that Mexican men lived on the average of 10 years longer than their north of the border contemporaries, peppers being the reason. Don't know how truthful the statement is but there are alot peppers consumed in Mexico. The size, colors & species are really overwhelming in the grocery stores here. Even by Texas standards there seems to be a truck load of variety here.

This popular bean dish is originally from around Monterrey, Neuvo Leon, one of the first regions to enjoy beer! This recipe is a meal by itself!

Frijoles Borrachos~Drunken Beans

1 lb. Pinto Beans
2 cloves of Garlic, chopped
2 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Cilantro, chopped
3 slices Bacon
1/2 lb. fine-ground Chorizo (Mexican Sausage)
1/2 c. Water
1 Med. Tomato, sliced
2 Serrano Peppers
1 Chili Ancho~Dried Red Chili found with peppers
2-3 Chili Petines~Dried & threaded onto a toothpick for retrieval later on!
4 oz. flat Beer
In a large pot bring Pinto beans to boil & soak with cover on & fire off for 1 hr. In the same pot bring the beans to boil again & add garlic, salt, cilantro, chilis petine & bacon. Continue to add water when necessary. When done, beans should be soft texture. Separately, brown Chorizo for about 15 min. Boil tomato slices & whole Chili Ancho & Serrano peppers in water for 10 min., then blend until smooth in a blender. Mix with Chorizo into beans & add beer. Simmer another 15-25 min. Serve hot with fresh tortillas.

*Mexican Bean Pot

*Bandera Mexican Bean Pot The bandera style of pottery is quite distinctive, as it is thusly named because of its red, white and green colors - the same colors that comprise Mexico's bandera nacional (national flag). Red is commonly used as the background color, while the green and white are used for the decorative details.

Molcajete~the ancient Mexican Cuisinart!

Recently I was given a Molcajete by my Spanish tutor Lily Lopez. I was very honored to have received this as a gift especially since it was given to her by her mother as a present for me. The basalt Molcajete was very worn & shows much care in the way it has been used for many years. This time honored classic has been used since Aztec times here in Latin America. It is used for centuries to grind, blend. It has been called the Cuisninart of Mexico. In this day & age the many cooks are using the blender to do the work of the Molcajete but it is still the truest & most honored addition to a true Mexican kitchen~or a nice conversation piece.The Molcajete is from the state of Jalisco where the basalt rock is carved into a bowl shape. (found a photo of men carving on web.)
Included below is a recipe I have used when I make Chicken Enchiladas. You don't have to have a Molcajete to make this tasty sauce~please feel free to use your blender. Bon Appetit!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

10-12 Tomatillos (green with husks & look like small tomatoes), roasted

1-2 yellow onions

2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 green bell pepper, roasted

3-4 Anaheim or Hatch chilies, roasted

2-3 Jalapeno peppers, roasted

10-12 cloves garlic, roasted

1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 c. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. fresh Mexican oregano, minced

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. sugar

Salt & Pepper to taste

All peppers, onions, tomatillos must be roasted. These can be done on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-20 min. Turn these veggies so the roast evenly or you can use a stovetop comal to roast & blacken the vegtables. When they are softened & browned/blackened(stove top) Remove from the heat & cool slightly. Use tongs or gloves to de-seed the peppers. Put all the ingredients in a blender, food processor or Molcajete & process to desired texture. Adjust & add the herbs, spices. Let this sit at least 1 hour for flavors to meld together. Enjoy!

The word molcajete (mortar) derives from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs: “molli” (seasoning or sauce) and “caxitl” (bowl).

Herbs in Mexico.

There are herbs that increase love, decrease gas, settle the digestive tract,ward off evil & calm a baby with colic. I don't know that I believe in all of the folklore that goes along with some of the plants. Trips to the nursery find me returning with herbs I plant in pots around the patio. My favorite here is Cilantro. While I don't grow it because it is very cheap in the stores this place is a real herbal melting pot with what is used in la cocina!

Cilantro is plentiful & mere pesos in Mexico so I have been making a family favorite which is a recipe my mother passed on to me. I will continue making all of my salad dressings here. Long gone the days of Wish Bone & Seven Seas Salad dressings. And Ranch dressing, I can't imagine what they would call it here! I miss the days when I could go to an aisle in the grocery store & see rows of different brands & flavors. Here with fewer choices I just have to be more inventive.

Cilantro Dressing
1/3 c. lightly packed cilantro with stems
3Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1/2c oil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt,
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp mayonaise
Mix in blender till smoothe...makes 1 cup

John & I are looking forward to seeing a production of Aida here this weekend in Torreon. There will be hundreds of cast members, actual fire on the stage, huge sets. A nice cultural experience I am sure. The production is a traveling group from Germany. It will be unique since John will not be the only blond man in Torreon for the weekend.
Being in Mexico has given me more time for the things I haven't done the last few years, cooking is one. I am posting a recipe that is an adaptation of a recipe that was used by Roxanne Hill to feed hundreds of hungry people last year at Stony Point. I have made a few changes but most of the recipe is the Roxanne original!

Chicken Enchiladas

13 oz. canned Tyson chicken, drained

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream, thinned out with 3 T. milk

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

10 oz. mexican rotel

15 oz. green chili enchilada sauce, Hatch is prefered

1 small chopped white onion

24 white corn tortillas

Save some of the onions and shredded cheese for topping. Mix the chicken, cheeses, rotel, and onions together. Warm the tortillas in the microwave then stuff and roll. Lay them in a pan, pour the sour cream mixture over the enchiladas, pour over the green chili sauce, then sprinkle on the remaining onions and cheese.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

*thanks again Roxanne! Cooking down here is a challenge when you go to the stores. You begin with the list you want to come home with & end up leaving the stores with what you can find! Adaptation!