Category: Mexican Recipes

When I lived in Mexico, I couldn’t wait until the weather cooled enough to light the oven. I made these brownies as a special treat for two Finland boys who lived with us for nine months while they attended Spanish language school. Mika said they were the best brownies he’d ever eaten. The cinnamon gives a Mexican flavor to the brownies. There wasn’t be a single brownie left in the pan the next morning.

 

1, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.

2. Cut into small slivers: 3 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate.

3. Melt in the microwave: 1/2 cup butter (1 stick.) Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.

4. Stir in:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

5. Add and stir until combined:

• 2 large, beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

6. Add and stir until combined:

• 2/3 cup all purpose flour 
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

7. Fold in: 1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

 

I start every day with a cup of hot chai latte. It’s my guilty pleasure. Because it’s not available in Mexico, except at Starbucks, I’ve learned to make my own.  

Directions:

Grind these ingredients in a spice grinder, 1/4 cup at a time.

Put into a medium-sized bowl.

• 1/2 cup powdered milk
• 1/2 cup regular coffee creamer
• 1/2 cup french vanilla creamer
• 1 + 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup instant tea, without sugar or lemon

Grind together and add to the bowl:

• 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nurmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice.
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger

Whisk everything together and store in airtight container.

¡Buen Provecho!

 

 

Molletas are my favorite Mexican breakfast. It’s an easy hardy breakfast, made of an open-faced roll topped with refried beans, cheese and pico de gallo. Heavenly!

Start with a fresh bolillo. Look for bolillos in the bakery section of your supermarket. If you can’t find bolillos, use any kind of thick bread like French bread or a baguette. In Mexico we buy them fresh from the panaderia, or sometimes from a street vender at the end of the day.

Slice the bolillo in half. Remove some of the bread from the middle of the roll, to make room for toppings.

Spread butter on the cut side of the bolillo and place buttered side down on a hot skillet or griddle. Toast the bolillo for a couple of minutes until it’s nice and brown.

Remove the roll from the skillet and place it on a serving plate. Spread with a layer of warm refried beans. I love these mayocoba beans, available from Amazon. Isadora is an authentic Mexican brand. Maycoba beans are also known as peruano beans or canary beans.

Then add then a layer of shredded cheese. I like Queso Fresco or Oaxaca cheese on my mollletes.

Microwave for 30-45 seconds  until the cheese is melterd. Top with pico de gallo (salsa fresca.)

Pico de gallo is made of fresh chopped tomato, onion and jalapeño pepper.

¡Buen Provecho!

 

 

 

 

This easy Lemon Drizzle Cake is a beautiful recipe, perfect for days when you’re craving a decadently tender dessert with abundant lemon flavoring. I got this recipe from my friend, Agnus Dunn, who lives in California where lemons are fresh and plentiful.

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8″x4″ loaf pan. Set aside.

2.  Cream together until pale and creamy:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 

1 cup granulated sugar 

3. Beat in, one at a time, 4 large eggs

4. Stir in the zest of 1 lemon. For best results, use an organic lemon.

5. Sift together and fold into the butter mixture:

1 cup all-purpose flour  

1  1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan while making the drizzle.

8. To make the drizzle, mix together

3 Tablespoons lemon juice (about 1  1/2 lemons)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

9. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or a fork. Pour the drizzle over the top of the cake, allowing the juice to seep into the cake.

10. Keep the cake in the pan until completely cool, then remove, slice and serve.

Buen Provecho!

 

 

 

 

This spread is delicious on toasted bagels and bolillos (small rolls), or as a dip for fruit. I especially like it as a dip for papaya.

Beat until smooth: 

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

Gradually stir in: 

• 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest

Beat in: 

• 1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon Cointreau, or any citrus flavored liqueur

Buen Provecho!

The picture for this recipe was found on www.inspiredtaste.net

Jamaica (pronounced Ha-My-Ka) is a traditional drink in Mexico. A cold tea, made from the magenta-colored, dried flowers of the hibiscus plant, it is sold in every restaurant and every grocery store in Mexico.

I buy packages of dried jamaica flowers at my local Mexican grocery store in Aurora, and make my own. I love it’s tart, cranberry-like flavor mixed with lime juice for an extra punch.

Yield:  1 quart.

1. Rinse well:  1/2 cup dried jamaica flowers
2. Place rinsed flowers in saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Strain into a 1 quart pitcher. Return flowers to the saucepan and add: 2 cups water.
4. Bring to boil. Remove and add 1 1/2 cups sugar.
5. Cool. Strain. Transfer to pitcher and add 4 TBLSP (about 2 large) fresh lime juice.
6. Cover and refrigerate.

Buen Provecho.

 

 

I love this refreshing creamy cold soup on a hot summer day. This recipe makes about six servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 fresh tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can chicken broth
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• Coarsely broken tortilla chips (about 12)
• cilantro (optional)
• 3 medium shrimp/serving (optional)
• sour cream (optional)

PREPARATION

A dollop of sour cream is also nice.

Picture found on www.alldayidreamaboutfood.com

Guacamole in Mexico consists of only three ingredients. Fresh avocado, tomato and queso fresco cheese. That’s it. Three ingredients. The colors of the Mexican flag. No mas! No jalapeno, or cilantro, or onion. And, heaven forbid, no garlic.

Cut an avocado into small pieces and put in a bowl. The amount depends on how many servings you want to make. One whole avocado makes about four servings.

Cut the tomato in small, bite-sized pieces and add it to the bowl.

Crumble or cut the queso fresco into the same bowl. Use about the same amount as other ingredients. Add a little salt, if necessary.

Gently mix and serve with tortilla chips. Buen provecho!

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease  one 12 cup  muffin tin.

Whisk together in large bowl:

• 1  1/2 cups flour 
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder

Using glass measuring cup that holds at least one cup, add:

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg

Fill to one cup line with 1/3-1/2 cup milk

Add to milk mixture: 1  1/2 tsp. vanilla 

Gently mix flour and milk mixture until combined.

Fold in 6-8 oz. blueberries.

Fill muffin tins. Bake about 16 minutes.