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Authentic Mexican Recipes
Appetizers
A word from Sheri: I wanted to share some of my favorite Mexican recipes with you. They range from basic Mexican recipes to real authentic Mexican recipes. My husband Gustavo is a chef and also from Mexico. Some of these recipes are from his mother and grandmother. I hope you enjoy them, you may add or take away from them depending on your taste. The key to making good Mexican food is using the same spices they use in Mexico. You can get them at Mexican markets and even larger super markets carry them also try Indian and Asian food stores. Use fresh veggies when possible it makes a big difference in the way your food will taste. Plant a small garden with a few tomato plants, jalapenos, bell peppers and cilantro. These veggies and herbs play a big part in Mexican cooking. Also when preparing or cooking Mexican food and drinks, a lot of preparation is involved so plan accordingly. This is why the food taste so good!
SALSA VERDE (GREEN SALSA)
2 lbs. husked tomatillos
2 green jalapenos
1 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
2 garlic gloves
salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado cut in small cubes
Put tomatillos in a pot of water and boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer
for 10 min. until tender, remove. Retain liquid. Remove stems from tomatillos
and chilies. Put retained liquid, jalapenos, tomatillos and garlic in
blender and blend until smooth. Pour in bowl and put in onions, avocado,
and cilantro. stir well and add salt and pepper to your taste.
GUACAMOLE
4 roma tomatoes
4 ripe avocados from 1 lime
1/2 onion chopped finely
salt
*add chili powder for a spicy kick if desired
Chop roma tomatoes very fine. Add lime juice, onion and
salt to tomatoes in a separate bowl. In a different bowl put pealed and
seeded avocados
and smash with a potato smasher or fork, or you may want
to use a hand blender until smooth, add other ingredients and serve. Put
the avocado
seed back in to dip to keep it fresh and from turning
brown.
RED TOMATO MEXICAN SALSA
3 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 c. chopped onion
4-6 fresh serrano chili peppers chopped finely
1 TBS chopped cilantro
salt/pepper to taste
2 tsp of lime juice or orange juice
1 avocado chopped in small cubes
Put all ingredients in large bowl and stir. Cover and put in fridge for
1 hour to richen flavor.
TORTILLA CHIPS
10 corn tortillas
oil for frying
salt
With a sharp knife cut each tortilla into six triangular wedges. Fry in
hot oil till tortillas float or turn light brown. Oil should be 1/2 in
depth. Fry in small batches and lift with slotted spoon and drain on pepper
towels. Sprinkle with salt.
POPCORN WITH LIME AND CHILI SAUCE
1 bag of microwave popcorn
2 tsp. chili powder
juice of 2 limes
Pop popcorn in microwave empty in large bowl sprinkle with chili powder
and lime juice.
-Thanks to Sheri for these great recipes!
SALSA VERDE
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos husked and rinsed
1/2 cup small white onion peeled and coarsely chopped
1-2 serrano peppers stemmed and seeded
Preheat your broiler.
Broil tomatillos, onions and chiles in a roasting pan
until lightly charred all over, about 10-15 minutes
Place in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
Season to taste with salt.
Serve at room temperature or chilled with tortilla chips.
Makes about 2 cups
SALSA VERDE PICANTE
6 fresh serrano chiles
1 bunch cilantro
3 cloves garlic peeled
1 small white onion peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Remove and throw away stems and seeds from chiles. Place in blender adding cilantro, garlic, onions, oil and 2 tbsp very hot water.
Puree until smooth adding more hot water to thin mixture if you want.
SALSA ROJA
2 serrano chiles stemmed
4 very ripe medium plum tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic crushed and peeled
salt
2 sprigs fresh cilantro trimmed
Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking, about 5 minutes.
Add chiles and tomatoes to skillet and roast turning often until well charred all over, about 3-4 minutes for the chiles and 10-12 minutes for the tomatoes.
Transfer chiles and tomatoes to a plate and set aside.
Grind the garlic and 1/2 tsp salt together in a molcajete
to a paste. Cut tomatoes into eighths and add to molcajete
in 3 batches, grinding to a coarse pulpy consistency after each addition.
Add 1/2 cup
of water and season to taste with salt. Stir to combine.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
SALSA NEGRA
3 ounce dried chipotle chiles
6 tsps vegetable oil
12 cloves garlic peeled
salt
Rinse the chiles.
Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chiles and the garlic and cook (remember to stir) until the chiles are puffed and the garlic is browned, about 5 minutes.
Transfer chiles to a bowl ad set garlic aside for now.
Soak chiles in hot water until soft, about 15 minutes and then drain. Remove the stems, veins, and seeds.
Puree chiles, garlic and 2 cups of water in a food processor or blender.
Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add chile puree and cook stirring with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to stick to skillet, about 10 minutes.
Season to taste with salt.
CACHUETES FRITOS (spicy fried peanuts)
1 dried onza chile
1 tsp kosher salt
juice of one lime
1/2 skinned raw peanuts
8 small cloves of garlic peeled
1 tbsp dried whole pequin chiles
Toast the onza chile in a nonstick skillet over low heat.
Remove and throw away the stem and then grind the chile and salt together
with a mortar and pestle. Add lime juice to chile mixture and set aside.
Toast peanuts and garlic cloves together in a skillet
over low heat for about 5 minutes. Shake the skillet to keep the ingredients
from burning. Add pequin chiles and toast for 1 minute longer.
Transfer to a dish and drizzle chile-lime mixture over the peanuts.
Serve warm.
Makes 4-8 servings
GUACAMOLE
1/4 cup finely chopped and peeled white onions
1 jalapeno pepper stemmed, seeded and minced
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
salt
1 ripe avocado
1 small ripe tomato coarsely chopped
Place the onions, half the jalapenos and half the cilantro
into a food processor and season with about 1/2 tsp of salt. Crush or pulse
into a smooth paste and transfer to a serving bowl.
Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove and throw
away pit. Scoop the avocado pulp out with a spoon and
throw away outer skin of avocado. Add onion to mixture
and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Stir in remaining onions, jalapenos, and cilantro and
then gently mix in the tomatoes.
Adjust seasonings with salt and serve immediately with tortilla chips.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
TORTILLA CHIPS
Cut 10 cooked corn tortillas into quarters. Deep fry
the quarters in 350 degree oil stirring frequently until golden brown and
crisp, about 2 1/2-3 minutes.
It is best to do this in small batches.
Drain on paper towels and season generously with salt. Serve while hot and slightly moist.
Serves about 6-8
MAYONESA DE CHIPOTLE
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp salsa negra (can substitute a few tsp of pureed canned chipotle chiles
in adobo sauce)
1 clove garlic peeled and minced
juice of 1 lime
Mix mayonnaise, salsa negra, garlic and lime juice together
in a bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Use as a dip for shrimp, lobster, or crab claws.
Can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to one week
SHRIMP CEVICHE
1lb shrimp (you can substitute 1lb of any other skinless white fish)
Juice of 2-3 limes
1-2 serrano chiles chopped with stems cut off
1/2 bunch of cilantro
salt to taste
Add shrimp, lime juice, chiles and cilantro in a medium bowl. Season with salt and stir well to mix all ingredients.
Refrigerate stirring the shrimp every 30 minutes until shrimp is opaque and firm to the touch. This takes about 1-2 hours.
Serve cold with tortilla chips or crackers.
Makes 4-6 servings
SHRIMP COCKTAIL
1 lb small shrimp boiled and peeled
1 chopped up tomato
1/2 small white onion chopped and peeled
1 clove of garlic peeled and minced
1 jalapeno stemmed, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 ripe avocado
1 lime cut into wedges
Mix the shrimp, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapenos
in a medium bowl. Stir in the oil and parsley then season
with salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Remove pit and
throw away. Peel of the outer skin and throw away and
slice the remaining pulp.
Top the mixture with the avocado slices and serve with lime wedges.
Makes 4 servings
CRAB SALSA
1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat picked apart
4 ripe medium tomatoes diced
1 small red onion peeled and sliced
1/2 cup boiled fresh or frozen white corn
Leaves of 1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped
1 medium scallion trimmed and chopped
Juice of 2-3 limes
2 tsps white vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix crabmeat, tomatoes. onions, corn, scallions, and
cilantro in a medium bowl. Drizzle lime juice and vinegar over the mixture.
Add cumin and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss gently but be careful not to break up lumps of crabmeat.
Adjust the seasonings if needed.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hours.
Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.
PICO DE GALLO
2 ripe medium tomatoes diced
1 medium sweet onion peeled and diced
2 scallions
2-3 serrano chiles stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
1 clove of garlic peeled and minced
Juice of 1 lime
salt
Mix tomatoes, onions, scallions, chiles, cilantro, garlic
and lime juice into a medium bowl. Mix very well.
Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Can also be refrigerated for up to 8 hours before serving.
-These recipes are from Karan H. and her friend Dany's
family in Cancun. Gracias!
Have a great recipe? Post it here or email it to me at:
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