For St. Patrick’s Day this year I’m celebrating with some tie-dyed shamrock looking Polvorones, the ultimate Mexican sugar cookie. These cookies will make you feel so LUCKY like you just fell into a pot of gold. Okay, maybe not a pot of gold but you’ll feel GOLDEN for sure. They will have you doing a little Irish jig and furthering the similarities between Mexicans and The Irish…. What a beautiful union of people and cookie dough.

I love enfrijoladas…. a simple dish made with beans. Try these enfrijoladas as an alternative to spicy enchiladas. They are super kid friendly, and my son loves them too. Find my easy recipe over Babble.

Merry Christmas Everyone!  We decided to put this webisode together to help anyone out who is anxious to start making tamales this holiday season or just wondered how it’s done.  Without further ado…. Here’s our Christmas Special (Everyone loves a Christmas Special, right!?)

Tamale Tips:

Buy your masa prepared from your local Mexican/Latin Market or use Maseca Masa for Tamale flour.  For those of you that live in Los Angeles, I buy my masa at a place called “La Favorita,” and have been buying from them for YEARS!  They are located at 600 N. Brannick Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90063.  The best in Los Angeles. 🙂

I wrap my tamales in corn husks but take it a step further and wrap them additionally in a grease resistant 12 x 12 sandwich wrap paper.

A friend asked where do you pour the water when you are steaming your tamales and want to replenish the water?  You pour it right on the side of the tamale pot.  The tamales are covered in corn husks on top and damp towels.  The water is NOT going to disturb them at all.

If you are looking to be less stressed right before the holidays, make your tamales in advanced and freeze them in a ziplock raw (make sure to mark them so you know which side is the opening). Then the day you are ready to enjoy them, take them directly from the freezer and straight into the steamer and steam them for 5 1/2 to 6 hours.

If you are unable to find a tamale steamer pot, you can always make your own.  Use a smaller pot with a vegetable steamer basket placed at the bottom or flipped upside down.  Place enough water and a penny at the bottom of the pot, when you hear the penny bouncing that means the water level is low and time to replenish.  Make note, the water level will go low.  Also, you don’t want the water level to ever surpass the vegetable steamer.  Then follow the directions in the video. Make sure to cover in corn husks on top and a damp towel.

Place the Idaho potato in the tamale raw, it will cook as the tamale steams.  The potato is the perfect addition to a meat tamale or a vegetarian one.

In the vegetarian tamales on the video, I used green anaheim chile strips, but I personally use jalapenos in place of the green chile strips for more heat. Feel free to swap them out if you love the heat or don’t at all.

I usually season my masa with green chile for the vegetarian tamales and for my green chile pork tamales.  For my red chile beef tamales (which were not featured in this video) I season the masa with the red chile.  I also use the red chile inside the vegetarian tamales.  I am adding the recipes for both chiles below.

I make my chiles the day before I’m going to make my tamales.  I also chop everything I’ll need and cook my meat in the crock pot. For the pork, I use the pork shoulder.

Feel free to leave me any questions and I will follow up with you right away.  This is a very traditional recipe but also a very ambitious one….. but heck, give it a whirl.  This is such a fun recipe to attempt.

Here is my green chile recipe:

• 9 – tomatillos
• 6 – guero chiles (yellow chiles)
• 8 – serrano chiles
• 7 – jalapeno chiles
• 5 – garlic cloves (browned/fried)
• 3 – cups of water (from water chiles boiled in)
• 1 – teaspoon of vinegar
• 2 – teaspoons chicken bouillon (I use Knorr)
• 1 – teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 – teaspoon black pepper

Fill two pots halfway with water and place over a medium high flame.  Bring water to a boil.  Then put tomatillos in one pot and in the other put all chiles.  Boil tomatillos for 15 minutes, you will know they are ready when they go from light green to a greenish yellow color.  Remove from flame and set to the side.

Boil chiles for 30 minutes or until soft and a bit limp.  While chiles are boiling place garlic cloves in a frying pan with a little oil and fry till browned.  Set to the side.  Once chiles are boiled remove from flame but DO NOT discard water… you will need it to blend chile.

You will have to work in batches.  In a blender add chiles (discard stem), browned garlic cloves, water from the pot the chiles boiled in, vinegar, chicken bouillon, oregano, black pepper and tomatillos.  Blend until smooth about 1 minute.  Pour into a bowl.  Set to the side.

Here is my red chile recipe:

• 1 – large onion peeled
• 5 – garlic cloves peeled
• 3 – ounces new mexico dried chile (I use Don Enrique)
• 3 – ounces california dried chile (I use Don Enrique)
• 1 – large dried pasilla chile (I use Don Enrique)
• 3 – tablespoons salt
• 7 – cups water

In a big pot add water, 2 tablespoons of salt, all chiles, onion, and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil.  Boil for 30 minutes. Water will turn dark brown.

Remove chiles and garlic cloves from water.  Discard onion.  Do not discard water, you will be using it in the next step.  Remove stems from chiles, then add to a blender along with 1 cup of water from the pot, garlic cloves, and a tablespoon of salt.  Blend for 2 minutes.

Once blended get a big bowl and add 1/2 cup of water from pot into the bowl, then take the blended chile and put through a strainer. It will be thick.  Add a little bit of water from pot to chile strainer and scrape with a spoon.  Use up to 1 3/4 cups of water for the entire process. It’s time consuming but your red chile will be clean and super tasty.  Set to the side.

A hundred hugs to my crew for all the hard work we put in together!  A special thank you to the Idaho Potato Commission for believing in us! Thank you to the Zardeneta Family for being the best! xoxoxox! Love you guys and Merry Christmas!

Are you lucky enough to have had a Mexican Corn on the Cob? This addicting treat is a favorite in my house. We make it often or buy it from the street vendor who frequents my neighborhood everyday. Next time you are craving a spicy cheesy treat, give Mexican Corn on the cob a try, it’s the caramel apple of corns.

To watch my video on how to prepare this delicious kernel treat, click here.

Ingredients for Mexican Corn on the Cob:

• 1 – cooked corn on the cob (grilled, boiled or steamed)
• The juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 – tablespoon butter
• 1 – tablespoon mayo
• 1 – tablespoon cotija cheese crumbled
• cayenne pepper to your liking

Directions:

1. Squeeze lime juice onto hot cooked corn on the cob.
2.  Spread butter on corn.
3. Slather it in Mayo.
4. Sprinkle the cotija cheese on top.
5. Last spice with cayenne pepper.

Sunday morning breakfast is what comes to mind when the word “Chilaquiles” passes my lips.  It is the breakfast that I have been enjoying since I could identify a date and time.  The old traditional Mexican dish has made me and my family come back time and time again and beg for more.  This simple dish is super easy to make and is not only enjoyed in the morning but really could be eaten at any time of the day…and it is!  What I love most about Chilaquiles is I usually have all the ingredients on hand and can whip them up whenever I get a hankering for the comfortable dish that tastes like enchiladas.  Some people make them with red chile, and some people prepare them with green chile, and if you serve both types on a plate side by side they are called “Chilaquiles Divorciados.”  I’ve had them smoothered in mole too. Wowsa…. my mouth just watered.  All sauces are a great compliment to the fried corn tortilla triangles that are pleading to be topped with cheese.  I tend to use a variety of cheeses on mine, but traditionally Queso fresco holds court on this recipe.

It’s a real head scratcher when I come across a person who says they don’t enjoy Avocados.  I just don’t understand.  I can’t comprehend it cuz I LOVE Avocados.  It’s a wonderful thing Avocados from Mexico are available year round because going through guacamole withdraws wouldn’t be good.  Avocados are a winter fruit and have their peak season from September to May.  Perfect timing.  I’m not alone on this you know, Chefs and gourmands praise the Mexican Hass Avocado.  I sometimes will walk into my kitchen and warm a flour tortilla, slice an avocado open and make myself a Avocado burrito with just a dash of salt….Mmmmm….

Recently I was digging around my bag of tricks in order to submit a recipe to this great contest called “Aguacate Lindo y Querido Recipe Contest” going on RIGHT NOW!  You can join too if you have an original Avocado recipe and get it in before May 25th, 2012.  Just click here to enter the contest.  The Grand Prize is a $500 dollars plus a trip to Houston for a private cooking lesson with Mexico’s spectacular celebrity Chef Aquiles Chavez.  Did that spark your interest?  Here’s what I made!

Ingredients for Avocado Cilantro Sauce:

2 – jalapenos

2- huerito chile

3 – tomatillos

1/2 – onion (fried)

3 – garlic cloves (fried)

3/4 – cup water

2 – teaspoons salt

1 – teaspoon black pepper

1 – teaspoon vinegar

1 – cup chopped cilantro

2 – Hass Avocados from Mexico

Fill a pot with water halfway and place over a medium high flame.  Bring to a boil.  Add jalapenos, hueritos, and tomatillos and allow to boil for 20 to 25 minutes or until chiles are soft.  Set to the side.

In a small frying pan over a medium flame add oil and allow to get hot.  Then add onion and garlic cloves.  Fry until golden brown.  Set to the side.

In a blender add all ingredients listed for sauce, and blend well.  It will be thick, spicy and most importantly Avocado delicious! Set to the side.

What you need for the chicken enchilada:

3/4 – cup vegetable oil

12 – corn tortillas

1 1/2 – cups shredded cooked chicken

1/2 – cup chopped onion

1 – cup queso quesadilla (grated)

Preheat oven to 325 fahrenheit

In a small frying pan over a medium low flame add vegetable oil and allow to get hot. Then add corn tortilla and fry for about 30 seconds on both sides.  Remove from oil and add a handful of chicken to the middle, along with a pinch of onion and a small handful of queso quesadilla.  Roll tightly and place in a baking dish.  Repeat until all tortillas are rolled and ready to be put into the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Once they are done. Remove them from the oven and place on plate.  Then slowly pour avocado cilantro sauce over the top.  Garnish with queso fresco and cilantro.  Serve with rice and beans!

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Avocados From Mexico. However, all opinions expressed are my own.  

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley and Mando Lopez