Mexican

Category: Mexican

23
Feb
2015

Grapefruit Paloma Margaritas

Happy National Margarita Day!!

Yes, it’s a thing.

A very, very good thing.
I can honest to goodness say it’s a good thing now that I’ve discovered what really goes into a margarita because up until about 2 years ago, I couldn’t stand these super salty, ridiculously crappy sweet and sour mix/well tequila laden cocktails AT ALL. If I drank one I knew the next day I would have a little something I like to call “Hangover Heartburn”. It’s where a migraine meets acid reflux and has a baby. The only cure for it is a shot of antacid with an ibuprofen chaser.

Welcome to 30, you old so-and-so. I’ve saved you a seat right here next to me.

It wasn’t until I had my first real, honest to goodness margarita from real ingredients that I conceded that margaritas didn’t have to be happy hour nightmares dressed up in weird little umbrellas and maraschino cherries. They are actually made out of lime juice, sugar, tequila, triple sec, and ice. No blending. No sweet and sour mix. No tequila out of a fountain squirter. Just simple and recognizable ingredients. Now, why this isn’t done everywhere, I don’t know but it should probably be a law.

Up until I found my holy grail margarita cantina/recipe, I just stuck to what I knew as the best tequila cocktail known to man: The Paloma.
You may not know what a Paloma is so let me brown-girl-break-it-down for you: A “paloma” is the most popular tequila-based drink in Mexico. It’s similar to a margarita in that it contains tequila, lime juice, and ice. However, what sets the paloma apart is one special ingredient: grapefruit.

Now this whole grapefruit thing can go two ways when making this drink:
You can keep it real and make it the way we would growing up by simply using ice, tequila, grapefruit soda and a twist of lime

-OR-

you can keep it all crafty-hipster-farm-fresh-foo-foo and use fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, sugar or simple syrup, fresh lime juice and top it with a floater of club soda.

I like to think I’m about a 3 on the fancy-pants scale when it comes to palomas and about a 9 on the snobby-hipster scale when it comes to margaritas. I’m secure enough to admit this but you may not be so I have married my two selves to make this poor man’s margarita/rich man’s paloma margarita mashup recipe for you.

Now go put away the antacids but leave out that ibuprofen…you may need it after a couple of these bad boys.

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01
Nov
2013

Café de Olla (Mexican Spiced Coffee)

categories: Breakfast, Brunch, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coffee, Drink, Mexican

Happy Dia de los Muertos!

Happy Day of the Dead! Ok, I’m not just being morbid, there really is something called Day of the Dead.

On November 1st & 2nd of every year in Mexico, other Latin countries as well as the U.S., families & friends gather together to pay their respects to passed loved ones. They dedicate brightly decorated alters full of marigold flowers, sugar skulls, candles, & photos of those that have passed. The idea is that during these two days, the dead come back to the living world & therefore we celebrate them & welcome them home. I think it’s a great way to remember those that we have lost in a celebratory fashion instead of being all sad & weepy about it. Families will often celebrate into the wee hours of the night, praying, telling stories about their loved ones & eating delicious treats & coffee to help keep them awake well into the wee hours of the night.

A type of coffee that is typically consumed on this day is called:

Café de Olla.

Café de olla literally means “Pot Coffee” getting its name from the clay pot (or olla de barro) that it’s traditionally made in.

It wasn’t until two years ago that I heard about & tasted this concoction of spices & coffee for myself. I fell in love with it despite not liking coffee at all. It tasted like someone poured a warm blanket, cinnamon & love into a cup. So of course I set out to learn more about this delicious drink & how I could recreate the love at home. This post is all about what I learned & how you can share the goodness that this simple little drink holds with your own loved ones, both past & present.

Enjoy!

A Little Background:

Café de olla is a traditional Mexican style of coffee made in clay pots & flavored with raw cane sugar (called piloncillo in Mexico or panela in other Latin American countries) & spices such as cinnamon & cloves. The coffee beans typically used for this recipe are Viennese-type dark roasted beans. When brewed, the coffee is medium-bodied & has a bit of a kick to it. This kind of coffee gives the café de olla a rich base for the spices to accent upon.

Café de olla can be made in saucepans, french presses & other pots but it is most definitely at it’s best when made in a clay pot called an “olla de barro“. These clay pots (like the one pictured above) are tan in color & tend to have a distinct smell to them that I can only describe as “earthy”. The very thing that gives the pot that earthy smell is also what imparts a unique flavor into the coffee, giving it a “homemade” taste. These pots can also be used to cook a variety of foods that require slow cooking over low heat like stews (guisados) & beans.

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18
Oct
2013

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

categories: Chicken, Healthy, Mexican, Soup

I wait all year for the weather to turn just the slightest bit of cold to bust out my soup pots.

Yes, I said pots…as in plural. What can I say? I love me some soup. My hands down absolute favorite kind??

Chicken Tortilla Soup!

I adore this stuff! I love the cheesy, thick, Americanized stew-like tortilla soup they sell at chain restaurants as well as the clear, spicy broth-like soup you find at little Mexican restaurant hole-in-the-walls.

It’s actually one of the first things that I learned to “cook” in college. My first encounter with this recipe came from an old home & garden magazine I was reading in my dentists’ office titled, “Five-Can Tortilla Soup”.

I figured this was one recipe I could handle since all I had in my cupboard at 21 was cans of food. I tore out the recipe from the magazine & hid it in my pocket thinking that the “dentist police” were for sure watching me & I would be banned from the office without getting my root canal. Guess what? Turns out no one gives a damn about a page of an old magazine when they are about to charge you $200+ to drill holes in your face. Lesson. Learned. Still, I felt like a rebel & took my wrinkled recipe home with me feeling quite content that I got one over on that dental masochist. I actually think I still have that recipe in a box somewhere… I keep it as proof to my children that their mom was once a bad ass ninja recipe thief. After I ended my crime spree, I started working on making what was an OK generic recipe into a delicious concoction of spices, chicken, fresh & canned veggies & fried tortillas. And so here is the fruit of my labor…no law breaking needed.

Enjoy!

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26
Sep
2013

Slow Cooker Roasted Poblano Pepper Chili

categories: Mexican, Slow Cooker

Oh gosh, it’s that time of year again, isn’t it?

The time of year when my Facebook feed fills with the catty banter of, “my team is better than yours therefore you suck”,

when every server in every restaurant on Sunday dons their favorite teams’ jersey,

& when you can find me planted firmly on my couch any given Sunday…& Thursday…& Monday

(wow, that sounds like I have a problem).

It’s Football Season!

And I’m hungry.

There’s just something about watching the game with cold beer makes me crave chili.

Hot, delicious, spicy, meaty, saucy, chili.

It’s kind of sad to admit but I actually use it like a topping…on everything…

Hamburgers, hot dogs, crackers, biscuits,

rice, cornbread, zucchini (yes, I said zucchini. Don’t knock it until you try it!)…

Nothing is safe in my kitchen from getting chili-fied!

Bwahahaha!

The problem is that making good chili, I mean really great chili, takes allllll daaaayyyy.

And I don’t know about you, but I just don’t have the time for that…so I cheat…kinda.

I usually make it halfway then throw it in the slow cooker so that I can go about my day & not have to worry about my stove being on if I leave the house.

A little bonus is that slow cooking your chili also gives the flavors a chance to really develop & meld together leaving you with one delicious ol’ bowl of goodness!

The chili I am sharing with you today has to be one of my absolute FAVORITES!!

(and not just because I make it).

But be forewarned: It is not for the faint of heart.

I use roasted poblano chiles, jalapeños cayenne pepper, chili powder, & ground chipotle peppers to really layer the spicy flavors. Sounds downright ulcerative, right?

But I find that by adding all the different chiles to it, you don’t just get a mean burn on your tongue when you taste it. You actually get a smoky, roasted spiciness that lingers on your tastebuds just long enough for you to enjoy it.

That being said:

I cannot stress enough that this WILL be spicy.

You may NOT be able to handle it.

You may need something to DRINK.

To this I say :

Grab a beer.

Put on the game.

MAN UP

& eat some damn chili.

ENJOY!!

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05
May
2013

Margarita-Lime CupCakes

categories: Boozy, cupcakes, Mexican

Feliz Drink-o de Mayo!

I know, I know.

It’s Cinco de Mayo, the day when Mexico’s army was victorious over French forces in the
Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 (I got mad history skills, I know.)

But honestly, very few actually celebrate this day in honor of this battle.

Actually, most think it’s Mexican Independence Day…which it isn’t (that’s in September).

That being said, this day has been come to beknown in the United States as a day to celebrate all things Mexican! Whether it’s the food, the music or of course the tequila, people love themselves a good Drink-o de Mayo.

A lot of people have come to know Cinco de Mayo as a signal to the beginning of summer & a day to gather with friends & family. The heart of Latin culture is family & close friends so if that’s not a good alternative reason to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I don’t know what is.

Today millions will gather to do 3 things: make wonderful memories, eat delicious food, & drink a lot of libations.

So I decided what better way to kill two birds with one stone than to put a whole mess of tequila in a cupcake you can eat?

Win. Win.

Now go make some, share them with your friends & family & start making some great memories!

Margarita-Lime CupCakes

These cupcakes are super simple…And super boozy…That’s why my bottle of tequila is super empty 😉

First whisk all the dry ingredients together & set aside.

Next cream together the butter & sugar until it gets nice and fluffy. While that’s going on, take the zest & juice from 2 limes. I take the zest first because trying to zest a cut lime is a quick way to a band-aid.

I like using this metal juicer my fiancé’s mama gave me to juice limes. I didn’t know what I was missing until I got one. It’s so easy, I’ll never squeeze another lime with my hands again!

Once the butter is creamed, add one egg at a time, mixing well after each egg. Then add your juice, zest, vanilla extract & tequila & mix until incorporated. NOTE: the alcohol & lime juice will cause the batter to look like it’s separating, but once you add the dry ingredients, that will resolve itself.

Add the dry ingredients & buttermilk in 3 parts, alternating between additions of dry ingredients & buttermilk. Don’t over mix! You will have a hard cupcake & that’s just not right! Once the cupcakes come out of the oven, let them cool completely.

Once cool, brush the tops with tequila & let that soak in while you make your frosting.

I made mini cupcakes & regular sized cupcakes for those who really wanted to feel, uh…spirited.

I used these pretty & colorful liners to make them really stand out. They reminded me of a piñata & were so bright & cheery, I just had to share.

Next, I made the frosting which is also super easy…and super boozy…

Whip the butter for about 5 minutes with a whip attachement on your mixer. Then add sifted powdered sugar gradually to the butter until it’s all incorporated. You will have to scrape down the bowl because it will start to stick to the sides. Add lime juice & MORE TEQUILA (I warned you!) & whip until just combined. It should be thick & smell like heaven.

Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes & decorate however you like! I dipped lime wedges in sugar sprinkles & nonpareils & placed them on top as a garnish.

There! You’re done!

Now find your designated driver, gather 11 of your favorite people & let the celebration begin!

Enjoy!

Margarita-Lime CupCakes

Prep Time: 20 hours

Cook Time: 23 minutes

Total Time: 43 minutes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Margarita-Lime CupCakes

Fun & Booze filled cupcakes perfect for adults-only gatherings!

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
zest & juice of 2 limes
2 Tbsp Anejo tequila (I like this tequila because of the flavor but you can use any tequila)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp tequila (for brushing on tops of cupcakes)

Tequila-Lime ButterCream Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
2 -3 Tbsp tequila

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line your cupcake tin with liners. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, & salt. Set aside.
In an electric mixer, combine the butter & sugar set to medium-high speed using the paddle attachment. Mix until the butter/sugar mix is light & fluffy & well combined.
Add one egg at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next.
Scrape down the bowl. Add the lime juice, lime zest & tequila. Don't worry if it starts to look like it's curdling or separating, the flour will help bring this all together.
Scrape down the bowl again & reduce the speed to low. Add the dry ingredients & buttermilk in three parts, alternating between additions. Do not over mix!
Divide the batter into the prepared cupcake tins, filling to about 2/3 full to avoid overflowing.
Bake for about 12 minutes for mini cupcakes or 23-25 minutes for standard sized cupcakes.
Check cupcakes once the tops start to turn light golden color & a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cupcake.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely before brushing the tops of them with the reserved 1 Tbsp of tequila. Allow the cupcakes to soak up the tequila while you prepare the frosting.
To prepare frosting, place butter in a mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whisk butter about 4 to 5 minutes or until fluffy.
Lower the speed of the mixer to medium-low & add the sifted confectioners sugar in small batches. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions & continue to whip until all sugar is incorporated with butter.
Add lime juice & tequila to frosting & mix until frosting is thick but fluffy.
Frost cupcakes & decorate with lime zest, sprinkles, or sugar dusted lime wedges!

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