Sweet and sour tomatillo conserve: Tomates verdes encurtidos Karen Hursh Graber

Visually, these remind me of the pickled green tomatoes that are nearly always on the table in New York's kosher delis. But the sweet-and-sour vinaigrette, with the addition of green chiles, makes them... read more

vegetables vegetarian salsas Chihuahua

Cheese-filled Sweet Potato Patties: Tortitas de Camote Karen Hursh Graber

In most of Mexico, these fried patties are made with white potatoes, whereas in Veracruz they are made with sweet potatoes or yucca. This cheese-filled version is more versatile than most, because it c... read more

cheese vegetables vegetarian side-dishes Veracruz

Chipotle Chiles in Spicy Sauce: Chipotles Adobados Karen Hursh Graber

These have become a kitchen staple, both north and south of the border. Besides using them to make the currently popular "chipotle mayonnaise," they can be added to sauces, marinades, salad dressings, ... read more

vegetarian salsas side-dishes

Anchos Encurtidos: Sweet and Hot Ancho Chiles Karen Hursh Graber

Here in Cholula, the market ladies sell pickled sweet-and-hot chipotles known locally as " chipocludos," a recipe for which was given in this column in the February 2003 issue of Mexico Connect. This... read more

vegetarian salsas side-dishes Puebla

Pickled Jalapenos: Jalapenos En Escabeche Karen Hursh Graber

This is the classic, indispensable Mexican table condiment, served with beans, rice, eggs, tacos and tortas. If you can find both red and green jalapeños, by all means use them together, since they ma... read more

vegetables vegetarian salsas side-dishes

Mango and Avocado Salad: Ensalada de Mango y Aguacate Karen Hursh Graber

The combination of mangos and avocados gets a colorful and tasty lift from the addition of red bell peppers. Fresh bell pepper ( pimiento morrón) once meant green bell pepper, and red ones were avai... read more

vegetables vegetarian salads salad-dressings

Grilled Nopales Salad: Ensalada de Nopales Asados Karen Hursh Graber

In a previous column, I gave a recipe for the standard nopales salad that the market ladies all over the country seem to sell, but when my husband overdid it on the grilled nopales (his favorite ... read more

vegetables vegetarian salads salad-dressings

Spinach and Watercress Salad: Ensalada de Espinacas y Berros Karen Hursh Graber

Two of the most common greens in central Mexico are combined here with corn, radishes and scallions for a very Mexican take on a tossed green salad. Ingredients may be prepared in advance, stored separ... read more

vegetables vegetarian salads salad-dressings

Mixed Green Salad With Passion Fruit Dressing: Ensalada Mixta Con Aderezo De Maracuya Karen Hursh Graber

Passion fruit pulp is now more readily available north of the border than it is in Mexico. Here we have to wait for maracuya to come into season, whereas in the north, it is available year round in ... read more

vegetarian salads salad-dressings

Linguine with cilantro: Linguine con cilantro Karen Hursh Graber

If you can never find ways to use an entire bunch of cilantro before it wilts in the refrigerator, search no further. Fresh cilantro is the perfect foil for the guajillo chiles in ... read more

pastas main-dishes vegetarian

Penne pasta with mushrooms: Plumas con champiñones Karen Hursh Graber

A chunky sauce like this is best served with a shorter pasta shape, such as penne, shells, or rigatoni, which will "hold" the sauce, rather than spaghetti, from which the ingredients will slide to the ... read more

vegetables pastas main-dishes vegetarian

Fettucine with Ancho Sauce: Fettucine al Ancho Karen Hursh Graber

Here, the dried chiles are soaked with the other ingredients, rather than in water or vinegar, as is normally the case. Seville orange juice, which I learned to cook with in the Yucatan, is a great sub... read more

pastas main-dishes vegetarian salsas

Setas con Epazote Karen Hursh Graber

Setas is the general name for several kinds of wild mushrooms found in Mexico, which have different regional names, according to their colors and sizes. ( Yemas, duraznitos, morillas, and ... read more

vegetables vegetarian side-dishes Tlaxcala

Spaghetti with Poblano Chile and Squash Blossom Sauce: Espagueti al Poblano Karen Hursh Graber

Squash blossoms, in season at the same time, go well with poblano chiles. When removing the blossoms from the stems, be sure to remove the pistil as well. Ingredients: 1 pound spaghetti ... read more

pastas main-dishes vegetarian

Green Rice: Arroz Verde Karen Hursh Graber

Visually intriguing, tasty and and a bit different from the usual Mexican red rice, this side dish is perfect with chicken or pork. It is guaranteed to jazz up even the simplest grilled meat or vegetab... read more

vegetarian rice-and-grains

Nopal Salad: Ensalada de Nopalitos Karen Hursh Graber

The market ladies in Puebla sell this salad ready-made, ladling it into plastic bags to "take-out." The basic recipe consists of nopales, green onions and cilantro; other ingredients, such as tomatoes,... read more

vegetables vegetarian salads salad-dressings

Chile Strips with Cheese: Rajas con Queso Karen Hursh Graber

This dish uses the famous quesillo - Oaxaca cheese that melts easily. However, for this recipe, it should be grated rather than pulled apart into strings. It is delicious served alone with flour... read more

cheese vegetarian side-dishes

Nopales in Chipotle Sauce: Nopales en Chipotle Adobado Karen Hursh Graber

The mild flavor of nopales makes them ideal for combining with more strongly-flavored ingredients, such as chipotles in adobo. This recipe, from San Luis Potosí, is a quick, easy and flavorful vegetar... read more

vegetables vegetarian

White Rice with Vegetables: Arroz Blanco con Verduras Karen Hursh Graber

I like to vary the colors and textures of a comida, and for this meal I would choose a white rice dish such as this one, rather than repeating the red tomato base of the soup course above. This ... read more

vegetables vegetarian rice-and-grains

Tortillas In Oaxacan Tomato Sauce: Entomatadas Oaxaqueñas Karen Hursh Graber

This typical Oaxacan dish can be served as breakfast, light supper, or as a main meal accompanied by grilled meat or chicken. It is also fine as an appetizer or snack. The depth of flavor in this sauce... read more

masa vegetarian salsas side-dishes Oaxaca

Homemade Fruit Vinegar: Vinagre Casero Karen Hursh Graber

In the cooler areas of Mexico, homemade vinegar is usually made with apples, while in warmer places, the abundant pineapples are used to make the pineapple "beer" called tepache and the pineapple vi... read more

fruit vegetarian salsas

Stuffed Nopales: Huaraches Karen Hursh Graber and Ana María Flores Sánchez

These were first served to us at the nopal fair in Tlaxcalancingo, Puebla. I have since had them in restaurants in Mexico City. They are aptly named for the flat soles of the country people's sandals t... read more

cheese vegetables main-dishes vegetarian Puebla

Refried Beans: Frijoles Refritos Ana María Flores Sánchez

Serves 6 Ingredients: 1/2 kilo peruvian beans (pinto beans make a decent substitute) 2 qts. water 1 C. oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 chipotle pepper, chopped finely ro gro... read more

vegetarian

Beans Karen Hursh Graber

Ingredients: 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) black or pinto beans 1 large onion 1 head of garlic - whole, unpeeled 5 Tbsp. of salt or to taste How to Prepare: Place 2 qts. of water on to boi... read more

vegetarian side-dishes beans

Mexican Red Rice Karen Hursh Graber

Ingredients: 1/4 C. oil 1 1/2 C. long-grain white rice 1/2 medium onion, chopped 2 - 3 plum tomatoes 2 cloves of garlic 3 1/4 C. water or chicken stock 1 C. frozen ... read more

vegetarian side-dishes rice-and-grains