Gazpacho de Sandía

Watermelon Gazpacho (Cold Soup)

From Elías’ Kitchen

Calories: About 150 cal.

Serves:  4 small portions

Note:  I love this soup, it is fresh, sweet, healthy, unbelievably simple, and excellent for a hot summer! My kids love it!

You will need

1 1/2   Pounds of ripe watermelon, without seeds

1          Pound of red tomato

1/4      White onion

1          Red bell pepper

1          Small garlic clove

1          Tablespoon EVO Oil

2          Tablespoons white vinegar (or good apple cider vinegar)

1/2      Medium sized cucumber

            Salt, to taste

Preparation

1.       Puree all in the blender.  Let it chill for an hour before you serve. Decorate with mint leaves and little cubes of watermelon and onions.

NOTE: The ingredients that are Mexican products can be found in a local Mexican store, or some stores have a Mexican products aisle.

Albóndigas en Salsa de Chipotle

Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce

From Margarita’s Kitchen

Calories: About 600 cal.

Serves:  4 to 6 portions

Jay loves this dish, especially during fall and winter. Serve a green fresh salad with balsamic vinegar dressing before the meatballs and your meal will be balanced.

You will need

1½   Pounds of ground beef

1½   Cups of beef broth (or water)

½         Medium white onion minced

1          Garlic clove minced

2          Tea spoons of chipotle pepper juice (any brand will do, I buy Herdez)

2          Cups of tomato sauce

1          Egg

            White rice (or boiled egg)

            Bread crumbs (I like to substitute it with flax seed powder)

            Salt and Pepper

           

Preparation

For the Sauce

1)  In a pot blend the tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chipotle juice, beef broth, salt and pepper. Keep the sauce on the side and bring it to boil.

For the Meatballs

1) Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper.

2) Form the meatballs and in the center add just a little bit of white rice

3) In a hot saucepan put canola oil and sear the meatballs, then add the sauce and let it boil until the meatballs are perfectly cooked and the sauce thickens a little.

NOTE: The ingredients that are Mexican products can be found in a local Mexican store, or some stores have a Mexican products aisle.

Tostadas de Pollo

Chicken Tostadas

From Margarita’s Kitchen

Calories: About 200 cal.

Serves:  8 portions

Note: Fresh but hot and spicy, easy and flavorful. This is the basic recipe for tostadas, but be creative, add cooked chorizo, or make the tostadas with rotisserie chicken left-overs, add sweet peas and carrots, etc.

You will need:

8        Tostadas (I like the brand Mission: A tostada is actually the hardshell flat tortilla)

1        Cup of boiled and crushed beans… or not (sub: La Chata refried beans located at the Mexican store)

2        Cups of finely cut romaine lettuce

1/4     Onion (I like it pickled, put the minced onion in a bowl with ¼ of vinegar for ¾ of water and leave it for a couple of   hours)

2        Cooked shredded chicken breast (cook the chicken in water, add salt, ¼ onion, 1 garlic clove and an epazote leaf, shred it (parsley will substitute)

Mexican sour cream (I buy the brand Cacique or I substitute with cottage cheese)

Cotija cheese (substitute: Feta cheese or shredded Monterrey Jack)

Green Salsa “street tacos’ style” (Don’t worry, I will pass on the recipe with this recipe)

Preparation

Take a tostada, cover it with the beans, then add the lettuce, chicken, sour cream, cheese and green salsa and go for it!

Salsa Verde Cruda

Raw Green Tomatoes’ Salsa “Street Tacos Style”

From Margarita’s Kitchen

1        White onion (cut in fourths)

2        Garlic cloves

2        Pounds of green tomatoes

          Chopped cilantro (cilantro has a strong flavor but the amount depends on your taste. Add as much as you like).

          Jalapeno peppers (I would use 6 or more, but it would be too hot for the boys, so 3 is fine, blend the ingredients adding a jalapeno, taste, another jalapeno, taste… you get the idea!)

Preparation

Place the onion, garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos and salt in the blender until they are perfectly mixed. Place the salsa in a bowl and add the cilantro.

NOTE: The ingredients that are Mexican products can be found in a local Mexican store, or some stores have a Mexican products aisle. 

Camarones a la Vinagreta

Shrimp Vinaigrette

From Elias’ Kitchen

Calories: About 200 cal.

Serves:   12 small portions

Note: This is the dish for parties and social activities on a hot day. It is fresh, sweet, elegant, spicy and tasty. It could be an appetizer or an entree dish.

You will need

2          Pounds medium-large shrimp (31/35). It is better if the shrimp is not clean and deveined, the shrimp will have a better taste.

3          Medium white onion, minced

3          Beefsteak tomatoes well ripe tomatoes finely cut in small cubes (chopped). You may choose to remove the seed-pulp, I do.

2          Jalapeno peppers, minced (don’t forget to wear gloves, adjust the amount to your taste)

6oz     Good quality red wine vinegar

2          Garlic cloves

1          Bay leaf

            Good quality olive oil

            See Salt

            Water

You will need to cook the shrimp:

1/2      Onion

2          Garlic cloves

1          Bay leaf

            Sea Salt

Water to cover shrimp

Preparation

1.       Boil water and then place the shrimp in, for about 3 minutes or until cooked, devein, clean and rinse (careful not to overcook, shrimp should be crunchy). You may place the shrimp on ice to stop the cooking process. It’s ok to use precooked shrimp if you add a pinch of garlic powder to the dish and a pinch of sea salt.

2.       In a Pyrex casserole dish set a bed of shrimp, tomatoes, and onions.

3.       Add 4 ounces of red wine vinegar, salt to taste and half teaspoon of olive oil. Mix well.

4.       Mix the shrimp with the vinaigrette and all the other ingredients. I like doing it with my hands, with gloves of course!

5.       Let it marinate for half-a-day and serve cold with saltine crackers or sourdough baguette slices. Mmmmm!

NOTE: The ingredients that are Mexican products can be found in a local Mexican store, or some stores have a Mexican products aisle. 

Coctel de Camarón

Shrimp Cocktail (Mexican Beach Style) 

From Margarita’s Kitchen

Calories: About 200 cal.

Serves:  8 portions

Note: Fresh for summer and always good for an appetizer.

You will need to cook the shrimp:

2          Pounds medium large shrimp (41/50), it is better if the shrimp is not clean and deveined, the shrimp will have a better taste

1/2      Onion

2          Garlic cloves

1          Bay leaf

            Sea Salt

Water to cover shrimp

For the Cocktail Sauce

1          Medium white onion minced

2          Well ripened medium beefsteak tomatoes minced

1 1/2   Cups of Ketchup

1          4 ounces tomato paste

3          Deseeded Jalapeno peppers minced (don’t forget to wear gloves)

1/2      Cup of the water used to cook the shrimp

4         Key Lime juice

1/2      Cup of chopped fresh cilantro

3          Avocados

            Salt

            Water crackers

Preparation

1.       Boil water and then place the shrimp with the onion, garlic, laurel leaf, and sea salt (to your taste) for about 3 minutes.

2.       Take the shrimp out and put it in a bowl with ice to stop cooking.

3.       In a different large bowl put the ½ cup of water where you cooked the shrimp, the onion, tomatoes, ketchup, tomato paste jalapenos, lime juice and salt and mix well.

4.       Add the shrimp, mix and put the dish in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

5.       A few minutes before serving cut the avocados in small cubes and mix them with the cocktail.

6.       Serve with crackers!

NOTE: The ingredients that are Mexican products can be found in a local Mexican store, or some stores have a Mexican products aisle. 

Bisteces a la Mexicana

Filet of Beef, Mexican Style

From Elías’s Kitchen

Calories: About 300 cal.

Serves:  6 to 8 portions

This dish is ideal to serve a good number of people or hungry young men.  Set in the middle of the table and have everybody prepare tacos with it. To accompany the dish prepare white rice and a bag of corn tortillas. I wrap the tortillas in a clean cloth and put them in a dish directly to the microwave.

You will need

2lb          Thin cut beef flank filet

2lb          Tomatoes cut in small cubes

½             Large white onion minced

2              Garlic cloves minced

4              Serrano peppers cut in half, lengthwise (you may choose to put more or less) 

                 Sea Salt

Preparation

1)          In a large hot saucepan with canola oil or pam, sear the filets, one by one. Set them in a separate plate and keep the residual meat sauce in the saucepan

2)          In the same saucepan add a little more canola oil or pam, sauté the onions and the garlic, at a medium temperature, until the onion turns clear; make sure you move constantly to avoid burning the garlic; otherwise it will bitter the dish.

3)          Return the filets and the meat sauce to the saucepan, now add the tomatoes and serrano peppers.

4)          Immediately after adding all the ingredients, add a pint of beef broth to cover all the ingredients and some salt, to taste.

5)          Mix all the ingredients and  bring to a boil for about 5 minutes (this will blend the flavors)

6)          Lower the temperature to a simmer, and leave for about 15 minutes to cook the meat.

7)          Let the juice thicken for another 10 minutes.  

NOTE: The ingredients that are Mexican products can be found in a local Mexican store, or some stores have a Mexican products aisle.

Chilaquiles Verdes con Pollo

Green Chilaquiles with chicken

From Margarita’s Kitchen

Calories: You don’t want to know… Nah! A medium portion is about 350 cal.

Serves: 6 portions

This casserole is ideal for brunch, but it could also be a complete dish anytime of the day.

On another note: Not that anybody needs it, but it is a classic hangover remedy… Enjoy!

You will need

2     Boiled Chicken breasts (sub: canned chicken)

A bag of white tortilla chips (I prefer the brand Mission)

Mexican sour cream (I buy the brand Cacique or I sub with cottage cheese)

        Cotija cheese (sub: Feta cheese or shredded Monterrey Jack)

For the Salsa

20           Green tomatillos

2              Fresh jalapeños

¼            Medium size white onion

                Salt

(Avoid the work and substitute with Green Salsa by Herdez)

Preparation

1)          Boil the chicken breasts with salt and a piece of onion, when it is cooked shred the chicken.

2)           Put in the blender the green tomatillos, fresh jalapeños and white onion.

3)           In a saucepan put a little bit of canola oil, when it is hot pore the salsa and let it boil.

4)           Once the salsa is boiling for about 5 minutes turn the heat to warm.

5)           Set the shredded chicken and the tortilla chips in an ovenproof dish, pour slowly the salsa until the chips and the     chicken are soaking. If you add to many chips the dish will get mushy.

6)           Add the cheese, if you choose to use Monterrey Jack, set the covered dish in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes until the cheese melts.

7)            Serve with a little bit of sour cream, and chopped onions on top.

                                        

NOTE: Ingredients that are Mexican products can be found in a local Mexican store, also, some stores have a Mexican products aisle.