Mushroom and spinach enchiladas: Enchiladas de champiñones y queso
In the Nahuatl language of the indigenous people of Central Mexico, the word for mushroom is the same as the word for meat, a testament to the mushroom's protein content and meaty texture. Use a variet...
read more
Mexican Oaxaca-style lentils: Lentejas oaxaqueñas
This spicy-sweet, meatless main dish is traditional Oaxacan Lenten fare. The combination of spices with fruit is characteristic of southern Mexican cooking. Lentils are one of the fastest-cooking legum...
read more
Mexican Queretaro-style lentil soup with nopales: Sopa de lentejas con nopales estilo Queretaro
This recipe, adapted from Diana Kennedy's The Essential Cuisines of Mexico, contains the characteristically Mexican ingredients nopales, fresh green chiles and cilantro.
Ingredients
½ cup brow...
read more
Refreshing squash drink: Agua de chilacayote
The bottle gourd, cucurbita Ficifolia, a rather bland member of the squash family, is common in Oaxacan cuisine, either cooked in stews, used to make a dulce something like candied pumpkin, or in this ...
read more
Potato and fava bean patties with costeño chile sauce: Tortitas de papas y habas con salsa de chile costeño
The potato tortitas, or "patties" sold inside some of Oaxaca's markets are superb — light on the inside, with a crunchy golden crust. This variation is typical of the region from Ocotlan south to the...
read more
Oaxacan yellow mole: Amarillo
Called simply (and fondly) "amarillo," this Oaxacan mole dish is a specialty of the Central Valleys region of this southern Mexico state. Although usually made with chicken, it is one of the few mol...
read more
Baked sweet potato fries with Mexican miel de maguey: Camotes horneadas con miel de maguey
These are sweet potato fries without the grease, with a taste reminiscent of Thanksgiving candied yams. In Mexico, sweet potatoes, or camotes, come in white, purple and orange. The orange-fleshed varie...
read more
Guacamole, simple and fresh
Oaxaca salad by Pilar Cabrera: Ensalada Oaxaca por Pilar Cabrera
Pilar Cabrera, chef, cooking instructor and, most recently, participant in Iron Chef Canada, shares this recipe with Mexconnect readers.
Ingredients
250 grams (about ½ pound) of organic lettuc...
read more
Potatoes in vinaigrette: Botana de papas en escabeche
Fresh carrots, potatoes and jalapeños are delicious as a snack when prepared in escabeche
© Daniel Wheeler, 2010
These potatoes in vinaigrette are a very common bar snack all over México, brough...
read more
Mexican potato patties: Tortitas de papa
Potato, onion, garlic and eggs are essential for tortitas de papa.
© Daniel Wheeler, 2010
Crispy outside, soft inside, these are lightly flavored with cheese and onion. The addition of greens make...
read more
Baby new potatoes with garlic and cumin: Papitas al ajillo
Choose the very smallest white or red potatoes you can find. Sometimes in Cholula, I find potatoes as small as marbles. This recipe is adapted from Larousse de la Cocina Mexicana by Alicia Gironella D'...
read more
Meat and vegetable stew: Mole de olla de res
Ancho, pasilla and guajillo chiles give this stew its deep color and rich flavor. If using the Mexican field corn most often sold in the mercados, cook the corn with the meat. If using sweet corn, cook...
read more
Sonora style beef stew: Guisado de res sonorense
Cooks in Sonora often cut the beef for this guisado into strips, so that it can be rolled into burritos once cooked. This way, the recipe yields a vegetable stew plus beef burritos. In Mexico, ground a...
read more
Stewed beef shanks with vegetables: Guisado de chambarete
This is an easy and delicious one-pot meal that can be made ahead and reheated. For a less picante taste, remove the chipotle before blending the cooked ingredients. The weight given for the meat refle...
read more
Mexican Spanish style beef and vegetable stew: Chambarete español
Although classified under "soups," this is really a stew, served as a main course. A reflection of the European heritage of Aguascalientes, it is similar to the Spanish caldo gallego, which is also m...
read more
Green rice casserole with poblanos and cheese: Arroz verde con queso y rajas
If preparing this with Mexican rice, thoroughly rinse and drain beforehand, to eliminate the excess starch. In the United States, rice is milled differently, so the rinsing is not necessary.
Ingredie...
read more
Peach and chayote salsa: Salsa de durazno y chayote
This recipe is adapted from Nueva Salsa Recipes to Spice It Up by Rafael Palomino and Arlen Gargagliano. The original calls for ají amarillo, but serrano chile is a good substitute. If you like it rea...
read more
Chayote soup with poblano chile: Sopa de chayote con chile poblano
This recipe is adapted from one taught at Susana Trilling's Seasons of My Heart cooking school, located in the beautiful Etla Valley of Oaxaca. The soup is refreshing cold, or may be served at room tem...
read more
Cheese stuffed chayotes au gratin: Chayote relleno con queso gratinado
This can be served as a luncheon dish, as a side dish, or as a vegetarian main course with a green salad and good quality French bread.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds (3 medium) chayotes
2 cups g...
read more
Chorizo stuffed chayote: Chayote relleno con chorizo
The mild taste of chayote is a perfect foil for the robust, spicy flavor of chorizo. Be sure to use fresh Mexican chorizo, and not Spanish chorizo, which is usually cured.
Ingredients
1 ½ poun...
read more
Preparing Mexico's classic chiles rellenos: Step by step
One of the most comforting and traditional dishes in this country is chiles rellenos, literally translated as "stuffed chiles" — a dish that originated in the colonial city of Puebla and that evolved into an uncountable amount of varieties and versions. The original and most simple one is the chile relleno stuffed with cheese.
read more
Baby greens with pumpkin seeds and Mexican lime vinaigrette: Ensalada verde con pepitas y vinagreta de limon
Green salads in Mexico often come with just a wedge of lime, but this dressed up version uses olive oil and jalapeños to make a lime vinaigrette. The contrasting textures of the avocado and pepitas ar...
read more
Cumin flavored Mexican huazontle with onions: Huazontle con cebollas y comino
This is a quick and easy side dish, a flavorful accompaniment to simple grilled or roasted meat or poultry. The recipe is adapted from 1,000 Mexican Recipes by Marge Poore.
read more
Mexican huazontle croquettes: Tortitas de huazontle
Flour, eggs and huazontle become delicious tortitas
© Daniel Wheeler, 2010
I had these for the first time at Las Cazuelas de Tlaxcala, a restaurant in Tlaxcala with really authentic Central Mexica...
read more