Curiously, about a year later, I met Douglas Cullen inspiredbymexico in San Miguel de Allende. One day, he told me I had to meet a friend of his who possessed an extraordinary knowledge of Mexican cuisine. We went to her home to meet her — and it was Kirsten West.

From that day on, we became very good friends. Once again, life had placed someone truly special in my path. Humble, genuine, and with a heart of gold, Kirsten is one of the few people who knows as much about our culinary culture as she does. She once cooked for Mick Jagger and many other notable figures, about whom she tells marvelous anecdotes.

One day, hanging on her wall, I discovered a framed letter with a heartfelt note of gratitude for an unforgettable dinner she had prepared — signed by Frank Sinatra himself.

Kirsten West in the garden of her home in San Miguel de Allende.

What to Expect from This Salsa Recipe

Salsa roja with Cotija cheese is a spicy salsa (but not too spicy!) made from chile de arbol or arbol chiles (tree chili), Serrano peppers, roma tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic and onion. Cotija, which is a Mexican cheese made with cow’s milk, complements the spice with a delightfully salty flavor.

And the citrusy cilantro brings all of these amazing ingredients into a perfect balance. This salsa doesn’t require cooking, so you won’t need olive oil or any other cooking oil. It’s quick, and you can find all the ingredients in your local Mexican grocery store.

Salsa Roja Is Healthy and Delicious!

Salsas are naturally healthy foods. Onions and tomatoes make them rich in Vitamin C, with an extra pop of Vitamin A from those tomatoes and jalapenõs if you throw some in. Salsa also contains potassium, and the cheese adds calcium. Best of all, it’s so tasty!

How to Make Salsa Roja with Cotija Cheese

Ingredients:

• ½ pound Cotija cheese

• 2 roma tomatoes

• 2 tomatillos

• ¼ white onion

• 1 Serrano pepper

• 5 chiles de arbol (tree chili — also called bird’s beak chile or rat’s tail chile)

• 2 garlic cloves

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 handful cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 ½ – 2 cups water

  

  Prepare the Salsa

  Fill a pot with 1 ½ to 2 cups of water and add the chiles de arbol, Serrano peppers, garlic, roma tomatoes, tomatillos and onion.

• 

  Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, or until the skin begins to peel away from the roma tomatoes and the chilis change to a lighter color.

  

  Remove the peel from the cooked roma tomatoes.

  

  Cut the tops off the chilis.

  

  Add the contents of the pot—all vegetables and water—as well as salt to your blender or food processor.

  

  Put the top on and carefully purée for about 15 seconds. You may want to cover the top with a kitchen towel and hold it down as you blend. The hot contents adds pressure to the container and you don’t want to get burned if the top pops off.

  

  Pour the contents of the blender into a serving dish and reserve.

  

  Prepare the Garnish

Finely chop the cilantro and reserve.

Toast the Cotija Cheese

Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Then cut the Cotija cheese into triangles and place onto the hot griddle. Heat top, bottom and sides of each piece for about one minute each, or until toasted the way you like. Because Cotija cheese doesn’t melt, it won’t stick to your griddle, so toast away! Also, it’s best to use a kitchen spatula to turn the cheese. If you use kitchen tongs or another tool, your cheese might break. So toasty!

Once toasted, remove from the heat to a plate.

Place cheese on a cutting board and cut into ½-inch cubes.

Serving Salsa Roja with Cotija Cheese

Add the cheese cubes to the salsa in your serving plate. Sprinkle on the reserved cilantro and you’re ready to eat! This salsa is the perfect companion to most kinds of Mexican cuisine.

Serve with carne asada tacos, over enchiladas, on huevos rancheros, with a side of guacamole or pico de gallo, with chilaquiles or simply place in the middle of the table with tostadas or tortilla chips.

Buen provecho!

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Notes

Additions

• Sprinkle with oregano or squeeze a little lime juice on top for a flavor boost.

• Add some chipotle chili for a smoky salsa.

• Add ancho chili for a sweet, mild, chocolaty flavor.

Packed with nutrients and flavor, this delicious, healthy dish can be served at breakfast or as a wholesome snack. Or break out the dinner plates for a quick meal that’s sure to impress.

What to Expect from This Recipe

At the heart of this beet hummus toast recipe is our Beet Hummus made with boiled beets, chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Just throw it all in the blender and you’re off!

If you prepare beforehand, you’ll save loads of time. When you’re ready to make your beet hummus toast, all you have to do is slice the tomatoes, poach the egg, and toast the bread. Then, spread the hummus on the toasted bread and pile on the rest of the ingredients.

It’s a meal that not only packs a flavor wallop, but is filled with fiber, protein, calcium, potassium, folate, vitamins and healthy fats. That’s quite a list!

Learn How to Make Beet Hummus on Toast

Make the Beet Hummus

Red beet hummus is a delicious breakfast option and is a snap to make. Just follow our step-by-step recipe for our Easy Beet Hummus Recipe.

Once ready, set your hummus aside in a bowl, save some of the toasted sesame seeds from that recipe, and get ready to cook your eggs.

Poach the Eggs

Prepare to poach the eggs by heating a pot of water over medium-high heat. Just before it simmers, pour in the white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. This increases the acidity of the water, helping the egg whites denature (or coagulate) faster. Lower the heat so the water stays just below a simmer as you prepare your eggs.

You’ll poach the eggs one by one, using two eggs per slice of toast. First, remove the excess liquid from the egg by cracking it into a small strainer over a bowl.

Discard the liquid that drips into the bowl. Pour the egg that’s in the strainer into a small bowl and prepare to poach.

Bring the water to a low simmer. Don’t let the water boil. If it’s boiling, lower the heat before adding the egg. With a spoon, stir the water on the stove until you create a whirlpool.

Gently slide the egg into the center of the moving whirlpool in the pot. Let the egg cook in the water for three minutes without stirring. If you like your eggs with a firmer yolk, cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Don’t cook for more than 5 minutes or you’ll end up with a rubbery egg.

Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the egg from the water and drain.

Slide the egg inside a bowl of ice water. The cold water will prevent it from continuing to cook. Repeat the process of stirring the water, sliding the egg into the whirlpool, cooking, and removing to ice water with each additional egg.

Assemble Your Dish

Toast the bread and place the slice on a plate. We like sourdough bread for this recipe. If the bread is too thick for your toaster, you can toast in the oven or on a griddle. For less crunch, you can cut off the crusts, but it’s so much better with the crispy crust!

Spread the beet hummus on the toast using a small spoon or spatula.

Pile the spinach on top of the beet hummus.

Using a large spoon, carefully slide two poached eggs on top of the spinach, one beside the other.

Slice the cherry or grape tomatoes in half lengthwise. Place the tomatoes cut side down on top of the eggs.

Break up the cheese and sprinkle around the eggs and tomatoes.

Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds on top. If you prefer a richer, slightly bitter taste, substitute the white sesame seeds for toasted black sesame seeds.

Serve and Enjoy

Your beet hummus toast with poached egg is ready to eat! Looks so good!

Looks so rich and yummy!

This recipe can have many variations, so feel free to replace the hummus with avocado spread for a tasty avocado toast. Or spread cream cheese on your toast before the hummus and omit the other cheese. You can even roast your beets instead of boiling to make a roasted beet hummus.

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Notes

We recommend you eat this toast immediately, as the hummus can make the toast soggy if it sits for too long.

Otherwise, wrap the leftovers in foil and place in the fridge to enjoy the next day.

From salads and juices to spreads and smoothies, red beets bring a refreshing splash of color and earthy, sweet flavor to many dishes—and our beet hummus recipe is no exception.

Loaded with nutrition, including potassium, fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and powerful antioxidants, beets are grown year round in Mexico and are a staple in Mexican groceries and markets. Fortunately, you can find them in your local supermarket, as well. Let’s get started with our beetroot hummus recipe!

What is Beet Hummus?

Like a classic hummus recipe, our beet hummus is made with the same basic ingredients—including calcium and protein rich garbanzo beans (or chickpeas)—with the addition of a colorful beet. It requires very little prep time and is a versatile spread for hummus and pita, hummus appetizers, and even hummus toast.

It also makes the perfect dip for crackers or veggies! If you’ve never bought beets before, see our beet salad recipe for tips on how to choose beets.

What to Expect from This Recipe

This easy hummus recipe starts with a boiled beet that is then blended with garbanzo beans, lemon, garlic, sesame seeds, cumin and olive oil. In just a few minutes, you’ll have yourself a tasty bowl of beet hummus ready for dipping, spreading or topping!

How the Red Beet Hummus Recipe Is Structured

This recipe is broken down into the following simple sections:

• Cooking the Beet

• Toasting the Seeds

• Chopping the Vegetables

• Blending the Ingredients

• Serving and Eating

Let’s make some refreshing beet hummus!

Learn How to Make Beet Hummus

Cook the Beet

Cut off the leaves and base of the beet. Be sure to save the leaves for later, as you can lightly boil or sautée for a tasty snack. Then place the beet in a pot of water over high heat, making sure the beet is covered by about two inches. When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Once cooked, set your beet aside in a bowl to cool.

Toast the Seeds

Heat a pan over medium high and carefully pour in the sesame seeds.

Stir seeds constantly, making sure they don’t burn.

Once seeds are lightly toasted and beginning to turn a light brown, remove to a separate bowl while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Chop the Vegetables

Peel the skin from the beet using a fork to hold the beet in place.

Slice the beet into ¼″ slices.

Cut the beet into ¼″ cubes and add to a blender or a food processor.

Blend Up the Hummus

Add the garlic to the blender and pour in the toasted sesame seeds. Then add the cumin, salt and pepper. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Note that we’re using Mexican lemons in this recipe, which are green. If you can’t find these, yellow lemons are fine. Finally, pour in the water.

With the top of the blender on, blend the ingredients until smooth. Then switch the speed to low and remove the lid of the blender. Tip: Add two ice cubes during initial blending for a fluffier, lighter hummus.

Slowly stream in the olive oil with the blender still on low speed until the hummus reaches a creamy texture.

Serve and Eat

Pour your beet hummus into a serving bowl and garnish with cubes of cooked beets and sesame seeds. Or sprinkle with parsley for an extra pop of color!

Serve your hummus with fresh carrots, cucumbers, crackers, pita bread, or pita chips. Or drizzle over eggs or avocado toast to brighten up your breakfast. Soooo pretty and so good!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

What to Expect from this Recipe

Our version of the mangonada emphasizes the natural mango fruit flavor and texture. It’s served lightly-chilled, not ice-cold, and moderately sweet. The salty, tart, and spicy chamoy and Tajín offer a counterpoint to the sweet fruit without overpowering it.

You’ll find other recipes that are bigger, bolder, and more over the top because they use far more chamoyada and Tajín and sugar or fruit juices. They’ll be delicious too, just a bit different than ours.

At the end of the post, we show you many options to customize your mangonada to make it exactly to your tastes.

Gather Your Ingredients

This is a very easy to prepare Mexican drink that only requires a few common ingredients.

Ingredients to make two 10 oz. mangonadas:

3 chilled Manila or Ataulfo mangoes or 2 cups frozen mango (Fresh mango gets the best results.)

1 cup water

1 tbsp. sugar

1 lime

Tajín chili powder

6 tsp. chamoy chili sauce

Choosing Mangos

For this recipe, we chose Manila Mangoes. Ataulfo Mangoes are also an excellent choice.

To get the best-tasting mangonada, you want really ripe mangoes that are at their sweetest and most flavorful. To know if a mango is ripe, gently press on it with your thumb. If it easily gives to the pressure it is ripe. If it is hard and doesn’t give in to the pressure it is unripe. Ripe mangoes also give off a delicious aroma whereas unripe mangoes do not.

Mangonada Toppings

The piquant flavor of the mangonada comes from the combination of Tajín chili powder and chamoy sauce. Both are used to spicy up fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, sno-cones (raspas or raspados), chips, popcorn, elotes, esquites, popsicles (paletas), or ice cream (helado).

Chamoy Chili Sauce

Think of chamoy as a candied hot sauce. It’s consistency is anywhere from syrup to paste. It is sweet, tart, spicy, and salty. You should be able to find it in the Hispanic section of your favorite supermarket.

How to Make a Mangonada

Start by removing the flesh of one mango and cut into ½″ pieces and set aside. Remove the flesh of the other 2 mangoes and blend with 1 cup of water, 1 tbsp. sugar, and the juice from the lime until smooth.

The blended mango should look like this.

Drink Preparation

Pour about a tablespoon of chamoy in the bottom of your glass.

Then add ¼ of the blended mango.

Add another ¼ of the blended mango and another tablespoon of the chamoy. Then add ½ of the reserved chopped mango and ½ teaspoon of the Tajín chili powder.

Give the drink a gentle stir to incorporate the chamoy and Tajín then enjoy!

Ways to Customize This Recipe

Substitute a cup of ice for the cup of water if for an icy-cold drink.

Add more chamoy or Tajín for a bolder spicier flavor.

Substitute orange juice or mango juice for the water for a sweeter drink.

Adding a banana with the mango is a delicious variation.

You can turn it into an adult beverage by adding 1 shot of silver tequila.

Alternative Recipe Names

This drink is also known as the chamango, mangoneada, or chamoyada. Whatever you call it it’s a delicious drink!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2 10oz. drinks

Any dish that is served ” a la Veracruzana,”  which means Veracruz style, is served with a mild tomato sauce prepared with olives and capers.

This is one of the few sauces served in Mexico that doesn’t have any chile in it.

Ready to Cook?

Start by gathering all of your ingredients. For this dish, you will need white fish fillets, tomato, onion, olives, capers, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and chicken broth.

The full ingredient list is below in the recipe. The traditional fish for this dish is red snapper. When prepared with red snapper the dish is called, “huachinango a la Veracruzana.” We used tilapia but any firm mild white fish works well.

Prepare the Sauce First

Over medium heat, fry the onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons of cooking oil for 4 minutes. You are starting to build flavor in the sauce.

Add the tomato, black pepper, and salt.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes until the tomatoes have given off much of their liquid.

Crush the tomatoes, onion, and garlic with a bean or potato masher.

Next, add the spices and stir.

Add the chicken broth.

Add the chopped olives and capers and stir, simmer for 15 more minutes.

Cooking the Fish

After the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, start cooking the fish. In a separate pan over medium heat, lightly brown each side of the fish in 3 tablespoons of oil.

Once you have browned the fish on both sides, place each fish fillet in the simmering sauce.

Cook for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the fish is fully cooked and has taken on the flavor of the sauce. Check the flavor of the sauce and adjust the salt if necessary.

Serve and Enjoy

Serve the fish with white rice. First, put the rice on the plate then place the fish next to the rice. Gently spoon about 1 cup of the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 213kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 913mg | Sugar: 3g

What to Expect from This Recipe.

This shrimp recipe features a very mild guajillo chili sauce made with toasted chilis and other ingredients you can pick up at the grocery store: garlic, onion, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, water and oregano. Blend the sauce, marinade the shrimp and heat on the griddle rather than sauté for a toasty, tasty dish.

Learn How to Make Mexican Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients:

2 ¼ lbs medium shrimp, heads on or off.

¼ white onion, diced.

8 guajillo chilis.

2 cloves garlic.

2 tablespoon olive oil.

¼ cup apple cider vinegar.

¼ cup cold water.

1 tablespoon oregano.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the Chilis

Cut the tops off the chilis and slice lengthwise to remove the veins and seeds.

Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Place the chilis on the griddle and toast 3 minutes.

Flip the chilis over and toast 3 minutes on the other side.

When the chilis start to smell nice and toasty, remove from the heat and place them in a bowl of water for about 10 minutes to soak and soften. Softer chilis are easier to blend and won’t break while blending like dry, brittle chilis.

Make the Sauce

Once chilis are softened, add them to the blender, along with ¼ cup of the soaking water, onion, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.

Purée until the mixture forms a paste. Empty into a bowl and set aside.

Clean the Shrimp

For the freshest tasting dish, you need to start with the cleanest shrimp. Using a sharp knife, make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp, from head to tail. Then use the point of the knife to remove the vein.

As you clean each shrimp, place in a bowl of water until all shrimp have been cleaned and soaked in water.

Prepare to Cook

Drain the shrimp and place in a clean large bowl. Cover with the reserved guajillo chili mixture.

Use a large spoon to mix the shrimp, making sure every prawn is covered with the mixture.

Cover the bowl and marinate the shrimp in the sauce for at least 30 minutes.

Skewer and Heat

Once the shrimp have marinated, remove from the refrigerator and get your skewers ready. Insert the skewer into the center of the first shrimp and push to the top, we recommend no more than three shrimp per skewer.

Preheat your griddle or frying pan to medium-high heat. Then add the shrimp skewers and cook for three minutes.

After three minutes, flip the shrimp and cook another three minutes. Getting toasty!

Serving Mexican Shrimp Skewers

Serve your shrimp skewers with rice, salad or as an appetizer. For a tangy taste, add lime juice and mayonnaise and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. The kids will love it!

Buen provecho!

Total Time: 1:15hrs

Servings: 8

What makes this dish so easy to prepare is that you use precooked shrimp. I know if you are a traditionalist this may ruffle your feathers. To prepare real ceviche you use uncooked shrimp or fish and you use the acidic lime juice to “cook” them but I’m from Cuernavaca, Morelos which is not on the coast and where it is more common to use pre-cooked shrimp.

This is the safer option too. Lime juice doesn’t fully kill all of the potentially stomach distressing bacteria that may be on raw seafood.

How to Make Step-by-Step

Start by gathering your ingredients. Get the ripest reddest tomatoes you can. You’ll need the following:

2 ¼ lb. small shrimp

1 medium white onion

Juice of 6 limes

Juice of 4 oranges

4 medium plum (Roma) tomatoes

2 tablespoons Mexican oregano

12 sprigs cilantro which will make approximately 1 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro

1 cup catsup

1 avocado

1 package saltine crackers

Place the shrimp in a large mixing bowl and then squeeze the juice of 4 limes on the shrimp.

Do the same with the oranges.

The shrimp should be nearly covered in citrus juice.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate and “cook” the shrimp. The acid from the citrus juice softens the texture of the shrimp.

While the shrimp is marinating you need to prep the tomato, onion, and cilantro. Start by removing the pulp and seeds from the tomato.

The easy way to do this is to slice the stem end off the tomato then slice the tomato in half lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds and flesh and discard.

Chop the tomato into ⅜ inch pieces, the onion into ¼ pieces, and chop the cilantro finely.

Remove the shrimp from the fridge and then add all of the remaining ingredients except the avocado. You will add the avocado just before serving so that it maintains its bright green color and shape.

Mix all of the ingredients together gently so that the tomato maintains its shape.

How to Serve

Just before serving very gently add the sliced avocado to your ceviche.

Don’t forget the saltine crackers

Seafood in Mexico is always served with saltine crackers. It’s almost unthinkable to serve it without them. In fact, my wife refuses to eat seafood without them because the food doesn’t taste right.

Think of the combinations of peanut butter and jelly, baseball and apple pie, or Penn and Teller. They’re just better together, the same as seafood and saltines.

Provecho!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 generous servings

Notes

Substitutions:

If you like your ceviche spicy, add 1 very finely chopped serrano chile. Remove the seeds and veins before chopping.

1 cup of chopped cucumber, mango or pineapple is a nice addition but don’t add all at the same time. That’s flavor overload.

You can prepare it without cilantro if you prefer. Not everybody likes the taste of cilantro.

Ceviche is also great served on a tostada.

Storage

It will last for one or two days in the fridge but is best eaten immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 1597mg | Sugar: 21g

Preparation is quick and easy using pantry staples. You can have the patties and dressing prepared in under 30 minutes with little fuss. They are kid-friendly and easy on the budget.

How to Make

These patties come together quickly with economical pantry staples.

Ingredients:

Canned tuna (water-packed), eggs, onion, cilantro, breadcrumbs, Cooking oil and salt.

Finely chop the cilantro and onion.

Drain the tuna. Press to remove as must liquid as possible.

Put the tuna, onion, cilantro, and salt in a mixing bowl and mix until the ingredients are evenly dispersed.

Place an egg-sized scoop of tuna mixture in the palm of your hand and form into a tight patty. Do this with all of the mixture.

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl then dip each patty in the egg.

After dipping each patty in the egg coat the patty in breadcrumbs.

Place the coated patties on a plate until they are coated.

Fry the patties in ½ cup cooking oil over medium-high heat.

Turn once when frying. Cook until both sides are golden brown.

Place the cooked patties on paper towels or paper napkins to remove any excess oil.

Serve the patties on a bed of lettuce with a cilantro lime dressing.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

Homemade dressings are easier to prepare than you might expect. Our creamy cilantro lime dressing takes less than 10 minutes to prepare from start to finish including cleanup.

Greek yogurt gives the dressing body, fresh cilantro, garlic, and lime the tangy taste.

Cilantro is an herb that people either love or hate. If you happen to hate cilantro this dressing just might make you change your mind.

How to make

Ingredients:

1 cup of chopped cilantro (about 12 sprigs)

½ cup Greek yogurt

2 tbsps. lime juice

1 clove garlic

¼ olive oil

1 ½ tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. salt

Rinse the cilantro well and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the stems from the cilantro and discard. Roughly chop the cilantro. You should have about 1 cup of loosely packed cilantro.

Add all of the ingredients to your blender and blend for 1 minute.

Ready!

Tuna Patties

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Cilantro Lime Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Notes

Substitutions:

Apple cider vinegar for the white vinegar.

Plain unsweetened yogurt for the Greek yogurt.

How Is This Recipe Different from Mexican Meatball Soup?

While there are many albondigas soup recipes out there, our Mexican meatballs are meant to be eaten as an entrée, alongside rice, vegetables or other side dishes of your choice. That’s because the sauce is thicker than a typical soup broth.

What to Expect from This Recipe

For this recipe, you’ll pan roast and blend a few veggies, then cook the salsa to a smoky perfection. Next, mix up and roll the meatballs. Finally, you’ll cook the meatballs in the sauce, serve with your favorite side dish, spoon on some extra sauce and dig in. The flavors of the roasted vegetables, chipotle and cilantro will take you directly to the streets of Mexico!   

A Surprise Inside!

We add a surprise inside our meatballs for extra flavor and protein—hard boiled egg! Note that we don’t include rice inside our meatballs because it tends to soak up too much of the salsa, giving the meatballs a sticky texture.

How the Recipe Is Structured

The recipe is broken down into three simple sections:

Preparing the Salsa.

Making the Meatballs.

Serving and Savoring.

Let’s make a batch of albóndigas!

Learn How to Make Albóndigas

Ingredients:

For the Salsa

5 tomatoes.

2 garlic cloves, skin removed.

4 cups beef broth (or chicken broth).

¼ white onion.

1 chipotle chili (from a can of chipotle chilis).

¼ cup water.

¼ cup vegetable oil.

For the Meatballs

1 ¾ lbs. ground beef.

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped into ¼-inch pieces.

1 large egg.

¼ cup breadcrumbs.

¼ white onion, finely chopped.

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped.

1 tablespoon salt.

¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Prepare the Salsa

Roast the Vegetables

First, we’ll roast the vegetables. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the tomatoes, onions and garlic.

Roast the vegetables for 10 minutes, turning so that each side is evenly roasted. Be sure to only roast the garlic for two minutes. Any longer and it will taste bitter. Once each side has blackened and the skin on the tomatoes has blistered, remove from the heat.

Blend the Salsa

Place the veggies into your blender, along with ¼ cup of water and one chili from a can of chipotle chilies.

Blend for 30 seconds or until very smooth. You shouldn’t be able to see any pieces of tomato skin. Important: Cover the top of the blender with a kitchen towel and hold the top in place as you blend. Because the vegetables are hot, the pressure could cause the top to pop off and splash the hot ingredients.

Cook the Salsa

Pour ¼ cup of vegetable oil into a large pot heated over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is very hot, slowly pour the blended salsa into the pot. The salsa might splatter as you’re pouring, so work carefully.

Next, pour in the beef broth (or chicken broth).

Stir constantly and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium and simmer until the tomato sauce darkens but doesn’t reduce. Meanwhile, make the meatballs.

Make the Meatballs

Make the Mixture

Dice ¼ onion and finely chop the cilantro. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, large raw egg, diced onions, breadcrumbs, cilantro, salt and pepper.

Mix all ingredients using a wooden spoon or combine with your hands. Don’t overmix, as this will make the meatballs tough.

Roll the Meatballs

Break off a chunk of ground beef and roll into a rough ball.

Make a well with your finger in the meat.

Place a chunk of hard-boiled egg in the well.

Close the well and roll into a ball.

Repeat until you’ve rolled all the ground beef into balls. These are ready to cook!

Cook the Meatballs

Using kitchen tongs, place the raw meatballs into the hot salsa.

Cook for 20 minutes, turning over halfway through so the meatballs are evenly cooked.

Now you’re ready to eat!

Serve and Savor!

Place your meatballs on a plate and spoon over the salsa.

Serve with a side of rice, bread or tortillas. So tasty!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes.

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes.

Total Time: 1 hour hour.

Servings: 6

Notes.

Place any leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to four days.

Freeze the meatballs and salsa together in a Ziploc bag for up to three months. Let thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

How to Make

Choosing the Corn.

If you want authentic flavor, you have to prepare this dish with white Mexican corn, elote blanco, not sweet corn. Mexican corn is much firmer, not sweet, and has an earthy, grain like taste. The first time I ate elote blanco I was confused. It tasted nothing like the soft sweet corn that I was used to eating. At first, I wasn’t sure that I cared for it but after a few more tries the taste grew on me. I’ll happily eat it every day now.

Ingredients

To Prepare the Corn:

4 ears Mexican white corn.

1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth.

2 cups water.

2 epazote leaves, (a pungent Mexican herb).

Typical Toppings (All are optional. You mix and match to taste.)

Lime.

Mayonnaise.

Grated cheese, queso fresco.

Chili powder.

Melted butter.

Hot sauce.

Preparation

Start by removing the husks and silk from the corn. Cut off the top and base of the cob. This will make it easier to cut the kernels off the cob.

Remove the kernels from the cob. Hold one end of the cob with your hand and place the other end of the cob on the cutting board.  Hold the cob at a 45-degree angle. Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off and be sure to always cut away from your hands and body.

Place the kernels in a pan.

Add 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth.

Add 4 cups of water.

Add the epazote and salt. Bring the water to a boil then reduce to medium.

Cook until about ⅔ of the liquid has evaporated. If the corn is still too tough for you after the liquid has reduced add 1 cup water and cook until you get the desired texture. Repeat if needed. You want a little bit of liquid to remain. It goes in each cup when you serve.

Serving

Serve your corn warm in a cup and then add the toppings of your choice. My perfect cup is like the one in the photo, just a squirt of lime juice, a pinch of salt, a dab of mayonnaise, a sprinkle of chili powder, and a good squirt of hot sauce.

Looks good, doesn’t it!

Provecho!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 308kcal

Notes

Storage

The corn will keep 3 days in the refrigerator. Do not store prepared with all the toppings. Reheat in the microwave before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Sodium: 536mg | Sugar: 5g

These meatballs differ from the classic albóndigas as that rice isn’t mixed in with the ground beef and that each meatball doesn’t have a bit of hard-boiled egg in the center.

How to Make.

Gather your ingredients first. You will need the following:

2 lbs. ground beef (We prefer standard ground beef to low-fat ground beef because it makes a juicier meatball.)

½ white onion.

12 sprigs cilantro.

½ tsp. black pepper.

1 teaspoon salt.

5 tbsp. cooking oil.

Steps.

Remove the stems from the cilantro then finely chop the onion and cilantro. Reserve 1 teaspoon of cilantro to use to garnish the meatballs when served.

Place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Thoroughly mix the ingredients with your hands. Gently compact the meat while mixing.

Divide the mixture into 12 evenly sized balls. Use your hands to shape each ball into a slightly flattened egg-shaped pattie.

Refrigerate the meatballs for 30 minutes to one hour. This step helps keep the meatballs together during cooking and allows the flavor from the onion and cilantro permeate the meat.

Preheat 5 tablespoons of oil your frying pan to medium-hot then place the meatballs in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until nicely browned.

Turn the meatballs and cook for 5 more minutes.

How to Serve.

Serve the meatballs with a side of rice or refried beans and your favorite salsa if you wish. Decorate the meatballs with a few bits of the reserved cilantro.

Variations:

Here are a few variations on the meatballs that we like. The recipe is very adaptable. Mix and match add-ins to your tastes. Try these:

Spicy – Very finely chop ½ serrano pepper and mix with the other ingredients.

Garlicky – Very finely chop 2 cloves of garlic and mix with the other ingredients.

Cheesy – Crumble 3 ounces of queso fresco and mix well with the other ingredients.

Smoky – Chop two canned chipotle peppers in adobo and mix well with the other ingredients.

Prep Time: 8 minutes minutes.

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes.

Total Time: 23 minutes minutes.

Servings: 12 meatballs.

Serving:

Serve the meatballs with a side of rice or refried beans and your favorite salsa if you wish. Decorate the meatballs with a few bits of the reserved cilantro.

Notes:

We prefer standard ground beef to low-fat ground beef because it makes a juicier meatball.

Nutrition:

Serving: 3meatballs | Calories: 657kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 53g | Sodium: 162mg | Sugar: 2g

A lot is going on in a great taco. The filling contrasts with the salsa and the corn tortilla complements them both. When all parts are working harmoniously, you get a spectacular taco and these ribeye steak tacos are spectacular.

The fruity flavor and acidity of the salsa counterbalance the weighty beefy flavor and fattiness of the meat. The corn tortilla adds a complementary earthiness that ties the flavors together.

How to Make the Habanero Red Onion Salsa

Habaneros chiles are sneaky, but in a good way. Their flavor is light and delicate at first and then gradually the heat starts to build and the flavor pops.

You want to prepare the salsa at least 1 hour in advance which allows time for the lime juice and salt to soften the onion and chile and for the flavors to come together.

Salsa Ingredients:

2 habanero chiles.

½ large red onion.

juice of 2 limes.

½ tsp. salt.

Thinly slice the habanero chiles. Habanero chiles are very hot and will leave a residue on your hands that may burn your eyes. Wear gloves to protect your hands if prefer.

Thinly slice the red onion.

Put the chile, onion, and salt into a jar or a mixing bowl.

Squeeze the juice of the limes into the jar then stir to mix ingredients.

Taco Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs. ribeye steak.

12 small corn tortillas.

1 tsp. salt.

Ribeye is one of my favorite cuts of meat and it makes a great taco.

Tortillas are an important component of any taco. Always try to buy freshly made tortillas or make your own. They are preferable to the prepackaged tortillas on that you find on the supermarket shelf.

Salt both sides of the meat and allow to come to room temperature before cooking.

We chose to pan grill the steaks. Cooking them on a gas or wood-fired grill will excellent results too. If you are pan cooking, preheat your pan to medium-high. Cook for 4 minutes.

Flip the steak and cook for 4 more minutes. The steak will be done to medium. Reduce the cooking time by 1 minute per side if you prefer the medium-rare.

Allow the steaks to rest for 3 minutes then slice into ½″ strips.

How to Serve

Warm the tortillas on a griddle or comal for 30 seconds per side. Wrap the tortillas in a clean dish towel to keep them warm. Tortillas should always be served warm.

Place 3 or 4 strips of beef on each taco and top with the red onion habanero salsa. Serve 3 tacos per person.

This an easy weekend recipe that you will want to add to your dinner rotation. The prep work is minimal as is the cook time and the results and delicious.

Provecho!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes.

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes.

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes.

Servings: 12 tacos.

Calories: 411kcal.

Notes

Substitutions:

You can substitute any cut of meat that grills well.

Ribeye pairs well with any boldly flavored salsa.

Flour tortillas work really well too.

Nutrition

Serving: 3tacos | Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 20g | Sodium: 103mg | Sugar: 1g

What to Expect from This Recipe.

This salpicón recipe combines shredded beef, pickled chili peppers (or chiles en vinagre), lettuce, tomato, avocado, panela cheese and a squeeze of lime for just the right tang. Just cook and shred the beef, chop the veggies, and toss it in a bowl. It’s an impressive dish without all the prep time.

Learn How to Make Salpicón

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil.

1 ¼ pound skirt steak.

4 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped.

½ head iceberg or Romaine lettuce.

3 limes.

2 avocados.

½ cup pickled chilis (chiles en vinagre).

4 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped.

⅓ red onion, finely chopped.

4 ozs panela cheese, grated.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare the Beef.

Slice the beef against the grain into 1-inch chunks.

Fill a pan halfway with water and add the sliced beef. Cook over medium-high heat for about 30 minutes or until tender.

Chop the Veggies.

While the beef is cooking, finely chop the garlic and put in a small prep bowl.

Finely chop the red onion and set aside.

Finely chop the parsley and place in a separate prep bowl.

Chop the lettuce and place in a large mixing bowl. You’ll use this bowl to mix the salad.

Chop the tomatoes and place in a separate prep bowl. Do the same with the pickled chilis.

Chop and Shred the Remaining Ingredients.

Cut the avocado in half, around the pit. Score each half into squares.

Scoop the avocado into a bowl.

Shred the panela cheese into a plate and set aside.

Shred the Beef

After cooking the beef, the water will reduce and the broth will darken. It should look like this in the pan.

Remove the beef from the broth and shred using a knife and fork. You can let it cool and shred with your hands, but it will be easier to shred while hot.

Assemble Your Salad

Start with your large bowl of shredded lettuce.

Add the shredded beef.

Add the chopped onion.

Scoop in the avocado.

Spoon in the chopped tomatoes.

Sprinkle on the shredded cheese.

Add the pickled chilis.

Sprinkle in the parsley.

Then the garlic.

Top With Spices, Lime and Oil.

Sprinkle in the pepper.

Then the salt.

Squeeze in the limes.

Finally, pour in the olive oil.

Toss and Serve.

Carefully toss all ingredients in the mixing bowl, being careful not to crush the avocado.

Can’t wait to taste that salpicón!

Serve as a side salad or on your favorite tostadas for a crunchy, tasty treat!

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 429kcal

Equipment:

Cutting board.

Kitchen knife.

Large mixing bowl.

Small mixing bowls.

Cheese Grater.

Plate.

Serving spoon or tongs.

Large pot.

Fork and Knife.

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 842mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 1109IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg

Learn how to make your own with our step-by-step frijoles puercos recipe.

What Are Frijoles Puercos?

Frijoles puercos is a flavor-packed dish made with refried beans, chorizo, cheese, and pickled jalapeño chiles. Like most Mexican food, you’ll find variations of these pork beans throughout the different regions in Mexico.

In some states, they use cheeses like queso Chihuahua (Chihuahua cheese), queso añejo (aged cheese), queso fresco (fresh cheese) or Cotija cheese. Others make this dish with avocado, bacon, chiles Serranos, and even sardines as they do in the state of Sinaloa.

One thing everyone can agree on is that frijoles puercos are delicious no matter how they’re prepared—and they pack a protein punch!

How Are Frijoles Puercos Different from Frijoles Charros?

While frijoles puercos are blended and smooth, similar to refried beans, frijoles charros (cowboy beans) is more like a soup or stew with whole beans in bean broth and larger pieces of meat and vegetables.

In frijoles puercos, the chorizo is broken into small pieces, whereas the chorizo in frijoles charros is in slices. Finally, frijoles puercos are typically served as an appetizer or side dish, while frijoles charros can be served as a main entrée.

What to Expect From This Recipe

This frijoles puercos recipe starts with bayo beans cooked in broth, so you’ll need to make a pot of frijoles de olla (beans in a pot) first. Then you’ll do some chopping and grating, blend the beans, cook them with the vegetables and chorizo, stir in the jalapeños and cheese, and it’s time to eat!

How the Frijoles Puercos Recipe Is Structured

These instructions are broken down into three simple sections:

Preparing Your Ingredients

Cooking the Veggies, Chorizo and Beans.

Serving and Eating.

Are you ready to make a creamy batch of Mexican pork beans?.

Learn How to Make Frijoles Puercos.

Prepare Your Ingredients.

Get started with your Mexican pork beans by dicing the onion, slicing the garlic, shredding the mozzarella cheese, and cutting the butter into pats. Remove any plastic casing or metal clips from your chorizo, and have your bowl of cooked bayo beans ready to go. (You can use our recipe for frijoles de olla to make your beans.)

Frijoles de olla.

Spoon cooked beans into the blender, adding broth as necessary. Be sure to blend in parts.

Continue to blend the beans until they reach a creamy consistency. Pour your blended beans into a separate bowl and set aside.

Cook the Veggies, Chorizo and Beans.

Heat a pot over high heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.

Next, spoon the onions into the pot and give it a quick stir.

Add the chorizo to the pot with the onions and break it up using a wooden spoon.

Cook the chorizo until it darkens in color and becomes slightly crispy. Then lower the heat to medium.

Pour the beans into the pot.

Cook the beans for 10 minutes, stirring constantly so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Sprinkle in salt to taste and stir to combine.

Pour in the pickled jalapeños, along with the liquid. You can use as many jalapeños as you like for this recipe, either whole or chopped. Here, we used six whole jalapeños. Stir the chilis and liquid into the beans and cook for 5 minutes, continuing to stir constantly.

Now, turn off the heat and sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese onto the beans.

Stir well to melt the cheese into the beans.

Serve and Eat

Garnish with grated mozzarella cheese and whole jalapeños. Can’t wait to dig in!

Serve with a stack of hot, fresh tortillas, tortillas chips, tostadas, or as a side dish to any tacos. Either way, you’re going to love these frijoles puercos!

Buen provecho!

Frijoles Puercos

Frijoles puercos is a savory, creamy dish made with refried beans, chorizo, pickled jalapeño chiles, and mozzarella cheese. Enjoy as a dip, appetizer, or side dish for your favorite Mexican entrée.

Course Beans.

Cuisine Mexican.

Total Time 30 minutes minutes.

Servings 8.

Sometimes referred to as Mexican charro beans or Mexican cowboy beans, this tasty stew delivers authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine with every spoonful.

What are Frijoles Charros?

Frijoles charros is a hearty, traditional Mexican dish named after Mexican cowboys, or charros. It is said that, after a long day on the ranch, charros would gather together to share a meal of beans, vegetables, sausage, and anything else they had on hand, cooked over an open fire. Reward your own hard day’s work with a delicious bowl of frijoles charros using our step-by-step recipe.

What to Expect from This Recipe

This frijoles charros recipe uses bayo beans cooked in broth as its star, so you’ll need to whip up a pot of frijoles de la olla (beans in a pot) first.

Frijoles de olla

Once the beans are cooked, all you need to do is chop the veggies and meat, sauté, add the beans and garnish with a bit of cilantro. Heat up some fresh corn tortillas or a nice, crusty bread and you’re ready to eat!

How the Frijoles Charros Recipe Is Structured

This recipe is broken down into three simple sections:

Chopping the Vegetables and Meat.

Cooking the Veggies, Meat and Beans.

Serving and Eating.

Are you ready to make a steaming pot of Mexican charro beans?

Learn How to Make Frijoles Charros

Ingredients:

6 cups cooked bayo beans in broth.

¼ onion, diced.

2 cloves garlic, chopped.

9 ounces chorizo.

14 ounces sausage for grilling.

9 ounces bacon, diced.

2 ½ cups tomatoes, diced.

2 serrano chilis, finely chopped.

1 cup cilantro, finely chopped (for garnish).

Chop the Veggies and Prepare the Meat.

The first step to great-tasting Mexican cowboy beans is to prepare the veggies and meat. Dice the bacon, remove the casing and shred the chorizo, and slice the sausage into ¼ inch rounds. Then, dice the tomato and onion, and finely chop the garlic and chilis.

Cook the Meat, Veggies and Beans.

Heat a pot over high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is released.

Next, add the chorizo to the bacon and grease. Stir and cook for two minutes.

Stir the sausage into the pot and cook for two to three minutes.

Sprinkle the onion into the pot, stir, lower the heat to medium, and cook for one minute.

Add the serrano chilis to the pot, stir to combine, and cook for one minute.

Next, sprinkle in the garlic, stir, and cook for a minute.

Spoon the diced tomatoes into the pot and simmer until the tomatoes release their juices and the liquid reduces slightly.

Our Mexican charro beans are shaping up nicely! Here’s what your dish should look like after the juice has reduced slightly.

Next, spoon in the beans, stir, and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. No need to cover, but be sure the liquid doesn’t reduce down too much

This is what your Mexican cowboy beans should look when they’re ready. Mmmm!

Looks so good!

Serve and Eat.

Ladle your frijoles charros into a bowl and top with freshly chopped cilantro.

Heat up a stack of fresh corn tortillas for dipping, and enjoy!

Provecho!

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Equipment:

Kitchen knife.Frijoles de olla

Prep Bowls.

Cutting board.

Serving spoons.

Everybody loves cream cheese dip. This one has the added kick of chipotle peppers in adobo added to the sweetness of strawberry jam. Did you know that chipotles are just smoked jalapeños? Serve it the next time you need a quick appetizer for a get-together. It’s a guaranteed hit.

How to Make

Preparation is super simple. Blend the strawberry jam with 1 or 2 chipotle peppers and 3 tablespoons of water until the chipotle is fully incorporated into the jam.

Place the cream cheese on a serving plate and pour the blended sauce over the cream cheese.

Adorn with a sprig of parsley if you like. Serve with your favorite crackers or bread.

Enjoy it!

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 1612kcal

Notes

1 chipotle pepper makes the dip moderately spicy. 2 makes it quite hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 4crackers with dip | Calories: 1612kcal | Carbohydrates: 175g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 94g | Saturated Fat: 48g | Cholesterol: 249mg | Sodium: 1610mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 97g | Vitamin A: 3795IU | Vitamin C: 14.9mg | Calcium: 367mg | Iron: 5.3mg

If you’ve ever tasted Mexican Shrimp Soup (or Caldo de Camarón), you know what Sundays in Mexico taste like.

My mother used to cook this soup almost every Sunday. Even in the middle of summer! Her theory was that drinking something hot on a hot day—like shrimp soup—regulates your body temperature, making you feel cool. She was right!

More than tasty, this shrimp soup recipe can cool you off on a hot day!

What to Expect from this Mexican Shrimp Soup Recipe.

This Mexican shrimp soup brings together fresh shrimp, dried shrimp, guajillo and cascabel chilis, and tender vegetables all in one spicy bowl of comfort food. The dried shrimp adds a distinct salty flavor to this dish, which you can have as an appetizer or a complete entrée.

Shrimp Soup a la Mexicana.

The ingredients in our shrimp soup are similar to the Thai version, which uses bell pepper, vegetable broth, coconut milk and cilantro. But of course, it has an entirely different taste. The chili base, made with guajillo and cascabel chilis, makes our recipe uniquely Mexican and uniquely flavorful. A squeeze of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of onions will send your taste buds soaring!

How to Make Caldo de Camarón.

Ingredients:

For the Soup

1 lb tomatoes.

½ white onion.

2 cloves garlic.

3 lbs Cambray potatoes, unpeeled.

1 branch epazote.

2 lbs fresh shrimp.

1 lb dried shrimp (camarón seco) (small or medium).

8 guajillo chilis.

1 cascabel chili.

1 ½ cups carrots, peeled and diced.

1 to 2 bay leaves.

1 tablespoon olive oil or other cooking oil.

1 tablespoon dry oregano.

6 cups of water.

Salt and black pepper to taste.

For the Garnish.

Limes.

Onion, finely diced.

Oregano.

It’s time to make some Mexican shrimp soup!

Soak the Chilis.

To create a flavorful base for our soup, we’ll need to soak the guajillo and cascabel chilis. While ground, dried chilis make powerful spices, soaking chilis takes off some of the heat to provide a smoother-tasting broth.

Start by washing the chilis. Cut off the tops and then slice lengthwise. Cut off the veins and remove the seeds. These are the hottest parts of the chili. Discard tops, veins and seeds.

Fill a sauce pan with water. Over medium heat, soak the chili peppers for 15 minutes.

The chilis will go from brittle to soft, and will take on a deep red color. Once the chilis have soaked, remove them from the pot into a separate bowl and reserve the water.

Make the Broth.

Place the onion, tomato and garlic in a pot on the stovetop with water and bring to a boil.

As you cook, you’ll see the skin of the tomatoes begin to peel away. Once the vegetables have changed color and softened, remove from the heat and drain the vegetables.

Add the tomato, onion, garlic and chilis to your blender. Pour in some of the reserved water from the soaked chilis to make blending easier. Take a look at the beautiful color of those chilis!

Purée for about a minute to a minute and a half until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a separate bowl and reserve.

Prepare the Veggies.

Wash and dice the Cambray potatoes into ½-inch to 1-inch pieces. Do not peel! Most of the nutrients from the potato is just under the skin, so keeping it on makes for a healthier soup and adds a little flavor and texture lift.

Peel the carrots (or zanahorias) and dice into ¼-inch pieces.

Perfectly diced veggies!

Grind the Dried Shrimp (Camarón Seco)

For this shrimp soup recipe, we’ll grind the heads only of the dried shrimp, and add the body to the soup in a later step. First, remove the heads of the dried shrimp by gently pulling and twisting with your fingers.

Place the heads only into the blender.

Ground the heads to a fine powder.

Make the Soup

Heat the cooking oil in a soup pot over high heat. Then add the potatoes to the pot.

Reduce to medium-high heat and stir the potatoes constantly so they don’t stick to the bottom. Then add the diced carrots and continue to stir. Sauté vegetables for two minutes over medium-high heat.

Continue to stir. Sauté vegetables for two minutes over medium-high heat.

Using a fine mesh sieve, slowly strain the chili mixture into the soup pot with the veggies. You can use a spoon to stir the mixture inside the sieve to make it drain faster. Discard the contents of the sieve.

Cook the broth for about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add 6 cups of water to the broth and bring to a boil.

Sprinkle in the ground shrimp heads and stir.

Add the bay leaves and salt to taste. Be sure not to add too much salt because the dried shrimp is already very salty. If you need more salt, you should add it just before the soup is ready.

Sprinkle in the oregano.

Then the dried shrimp.

If foam forms on the surface, skim it off with a spoon and discard to ensure you get the cleanest broth possible.

Sprinkle in the black pepper.

Add the epazote.

Keep watching the foam. If more rises up, skim it off!

Add the fresh shrimp prawns, shrimp shells and all!

Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. When you can easily pierce the carrots and potatoes with a fork, your caldo de camarón is ready!

Be still my heart. This looks delicioso! (That’s “delicious” in Spanish). I could eat this shrimp soup right out of the pot!

Serving Mexican Shrimp Soup.

Serve this delicious shrimp soup with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a sprinkle of onions and a chunk of crusty bread or warm corn tortillas.

¡El Mejor Caldo de Camarón! (The Best Shrimp Soup!)

This is the best shrimp soup you’ll ever taste, and the perfect meal to wrap up your weekend. Whether you’re eating it for the first time or the thirty-first, we’re sure you’ll love it as much as we do!

Buen provecho.

This Mexican shrimp soup brings together fresh shrimp, dried shrimp, guajillo and cascabel chilis, and tender vegetables all in one spicy bowl of comfort food.

Prep. Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 people

Author: Andrés Carnalla

Equipment:

Cutting board.

Blender.

Sauce pan.

Soup pan.

Bowls.

Kitchen knife.

Spoon.

Fine mesh sieve.

Notes:

Substitutions and Additions:

Green onion for white onion.

Cilantro for epazote, although the taste will slightly change.

Sweet potatoes for Cambray potatoes.

Add in chipotle for a smoky flavor.

Include other fresh vegetables like zucchini.

Throw in some scallops for an even heartier seafood soup.

Spice it up with sliced jalapeños, cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.

Bacon Potato Egg Breakfast Tacos / Tacos de huevo con tocino y papa

How to Make

Ingredients:

Start by gathering your ingredients. All are pantry staples.

8 eggs.

8 strips of bacon.

2 white potatoes.

6 ounces of queso fresco.

2 avocados.

1 red onion.

8 flour tortillas.

your favorite salsa.

Dice the bacon and fry it over medium heat until nicely browned.

Once it is browned, remove and set aside.

Peel and dice the potatoes. Cook in the fat that remains in the pan from frying the bacon.

Once the potatoes have browned, add the bacon back into the pan.

Beat the eggs and pour them into the pan. When they start to set, turn the eggs until they are just cooked through. Break up the eggs with a spatula.

While the eggs are cooking. Heat the flour tortillas in a dry pan until they start to puff up and brown. Some people I know, heat their flour tortillas in the microwave which is not the ideal way to warm tortillas. Don’t do it. You want to heat them in a pan. Lightly browning them makes the flavor authentic and the texture is far superior. Microwaving gives them a mushy chewy texture.

To Serve.

Spoon the cooked potatoes, bacon and eggs onto a hot flour tortilla. Top with crumbled queso fresco, diced red onion, 2 or 3 slices of avocado, and a few spoonfuls of your favorite salsa.

Buen provecho!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes.

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes.

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes.

Servings: 8 tacos.

Calories: 771kcal.

Notes

Substitutions

You can substitute 6 ounces of Mexican chorizo for the bacon.

Nutrition.

Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 771kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 44g | Sodium: 1172mg

If you are not familiar with it, it’s shredded chicken in a rich and spicy tomato broth balanced with avocado, sour cream, and tortilla strips added for crunch. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Looks good too!

Step-by-Step Instructions.

We have broken down the preparation process into easy to follow steps so that you get perfect results the first time. To make, you will do the following:

Prepare the Chicken Breast – Cook and Shred.

Prepare the Tomato Broth.

Make the Tortilla Strips.

Assemble the Soup and Serve.

And of course, eat and enjoy.

First, Gather Your Ingredients.

Tortilla soup doesn’t require any exotic ingredients. You probably have most everything you need in your pantry. The recipe calls for a morita chile but a perfect substitute is canned chipotle chiles in adobo, available in almost every supermarket, which gives the soup a similar and equally delicious flavor.

Ingredient List:

12 ozs. uncooked chicken breast.

3 cups chicken broth saved from when you cooked the chicken.

2 lbs. Roma tomatoes (plum).

1 medium white onion (sliced in half).

3 cloves garlic.

1 morita chile (or 1 canned chipotle in adobo).

2 small avocados or one large ripe but not mushy.

4 ozs. sour cream or crema.

8 corn tortillas to make tortilla strips or 3 cups of pre-made tortilla strips.

4 cups water.

1 tsp. salt + to taste.

Prepare the Chicken and Chicken Broth.

Place your chicken breast in a pot with 4 cups cold water, the white onion and 2 cloves of garlic.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through. Save the cooking liquid. You will use it to make the tomato broth.

Remove the chicken from the pot and allow it to cool to the touch.

Once the chicken is cool use your fingers to pull it into thin strips.

Set the chicken aside until you are ready to serve the soup.

Prepare the Tomato Broth.

The broth is the most important part of tortilla soup. Don’t rush it. Take your time to do it right and you will be rewarded with a deeply satisfying soup.

If you are using a dried chile morita remove the stem and seeds and discard.

Blend the ingredients for the tomato broth: Roma tomatoes, clove of garlic, morita chile, chicken broth, and salt. You don’t have to slice the tomatoes or anything, just chuck them into the blender whole. You will probably have to blend in two batches. Blend for at least 1 minute until the base for the broth is very smooth.

Once you have blended the ingredients, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot. Pour the soup base into the hot oil then reduce the heat to low. Notice in the picture below how the hot oil forms a circle around the outer edge of the pot. This step develops a deeper flavor in the broth and helps to keep the broth from separating.

Simmer the broth for 30 minutes until it takes on a deep red color and has reduced approximately 1 inch. You want the broth to have some body but not be as thick as a salsa. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and adjust as needed. If your broth is too thick just add water or chicken broth a ¼ cup at a time until it reaches the consistency you want.

The finished broth will look amazing.

Make the Tortilla Strips

While the soup base is simmering make the tortilla strips. Homemade tortilla strips are the best and they are not difficult to make. Store-bought work fine too if you are short on time.

Start by cutting the tortillas into ¼” to ½” strips. Separate the strips if they are sticking together.

Preheat 4 tablespoons of cooking oil to medium-hot in a wide frying pan. Place the tortilla strips in the hot oil. Let them fry for a few seconds and then turn to coat the remaining tortilla strips in oil. Keep turning the tortilla strips until they are golden brown. A pair of kitchen tongs makes the job of turning much easier.

Drain the tortilla strips on napkins or paper towels to remove any excess cooking oil. Look good, don’t they?

Assemble and Serve

Now the fun part, serving your soup. Pour approximately 1 cup of the tomato broth into a wide shallow bowl then add some shredded chicken. Top with a generous dollop of sour cream and some chunks of avocado. Garnish with a few tortilla strips. Serve immediately.

A perfect bowl of authentic Mexican tortilla soup! Dig in!

Provecho!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 6 bowls

Calories: 918kcal

Notes

Substitutions:

If you are unable to find morita chiles you can substitute 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo. Canned chipotles are available in the Hispanic section of most grocery stores.

Optional:

Many people like their tortilla soup with a squirt of lime. Give it a try if a little lime sounds good.

Nutrition:

Calories: 918kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 104g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 299mg | Sodium: 923mg | Potassium: 2581mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1610IU | Vitamin C: 34.8mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3.2mg