Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Back on Track with the Taco Light!

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

big-taco1Hola! I promised you a recipe this week so here it goes. This is so simple, so delicious, very healthy and so perfect for this time of year. Summer tends to get me and my son (the rat) terribly off track. He goes to bed and wakes up way too late, I don’t get to exercise properly because of his summer camp hours and we eat out a lot more than I’d like.

It’s September already and it’s time to get back on schedule! If you have kids you know what I’m talking about. Next week, hopefully, everything settles down a bit as the school year starts. Enjoy the taco! Beso, ciao!

Taco Light (Beer-marinated Flank Steak Lettuce Wraps)

Ever since that South Beach Diet came to be, poor little tortillas (and pasta) have been through hell. This is not my attempt to convince you of not using tortillas, my other religion, for tacos. This just happens to be a really light dish that is great for food network cooking and happens to taste really good. This little guy started showing up in “taquerias” a few years ago and has become a staple at my house and my family get-togethers. Instead of the traditional salsa, a light lime-and soy sauce pair perfectly with the beer-and-orange marinated steak. And what to drink? An ice-cold cerveza.

1 cup light-colored beer (preferably lager style) 1/2 cup soy sauce
1 orange, thinly sliced with peel
½ onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, halved and smashed
1 2 1/4-pound flank steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon minced, seeded Serrano chile
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated for wraps

Scatter half of the orange slices, half of the onion slices and half of the garlic pieces on the bottom of a glass dish large enough to hold the flank steak. Sprinkle the flank steak all over with salt and pepper and placed in the prepared baking dish. Scatter the remaining orange, onion and garlic over the flank steak and pour the beer over. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

Prepare barbeque (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade. Grill steak to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Meanwhile mix soy sauce and remaining ingredients except butter lettuce in a small bowl. Transfer the grilled flank steak to a cutting board and cut crosswise into strip. Make tacos using slices of flan steak and avocados and drizzle with soy salsa.

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Slow Cooked Ribs in Easy Mole Sauce

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

ribsWhen I tested this recipe it disappeared from the platter before the platter made it to the table. You need a slow cooker for this one and it’s especially easy if you forgo making the Easy Mole sauce from my book and purchasing the paste. The natural oils from all of the nuts in the mole sauce tend to separate so you can take the ribs out, give the sauce a whisk and season, then put the ribs back in.

4 servings

2 ½ cups Easy Mole from Fresh Mexico book
Or 1½ cups low-salt chicken broth and ½ pound purchased mole paste
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 disk Mexican chocolate, diced
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
Mexican crema
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Corn tortillas

Heat Easy Mole over low heat or Whisk broth and mole paste in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until paste is dissolved.

Place flour on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle ribs all over with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat (or if you have a heatproof slow-cooker insert you can heat the oil there). Add ribs in two batches and sear until brown, about 6 minutes per batch. Place ribs in slow cooker insert (or place insert in slow cooker base) and pour mole sauce over. Cook according to manufacturers instructions.

Spoon fat from atop the ribs and discard. Stir in chocolate until it melts.

Transfer the ribs to a platter . Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and drizzle with crema and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with warm tortillas for soft tacos.

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Isabella’s Chile-BBQ Ribs

Friday, April 17th, 2009

marcela-selects_dsc9667bMy niece Isabella happens to be one of my favorite persons in the whole wide world. She’s a finicky eater so I was ecstatic to find that she loved these ribs. They are fairly simple to put together. Add half or none of the chile to keep them simply sweet.

4 servings

1 cone piloncillo
1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoons asian sesame oil
1 california, stemmed, seeded, finely minced (by hand or in a spice grinder)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 pounds St. Louise-style pork baby back ribs
¼ cup minced green onions

Whisk piloncillo, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile, garlic, ginger and ¼ cup water in a heavy medium saucepan over low heat until piloncillo dissolves. Transfer to bowl and cool completely. Add ribs and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

Heat oven to 450 F. Remove ribs from marinade and place curved-side up on a rack set over a rimmed foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the marinade in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat 20 minutes or until thick and syrupy.

Flip the ribs and cook, basting frequently with reduced marinade, until ribs are tender, about 20 mire minutes. Transfer ribs to platter and sprinkle with green onions.

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Date and Mexican Chocolate Ricotta Fritters

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

marcela-selects_dsc98913/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated mandarin peel
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
¼ cup minced pitted dates
¼ cup minced Mexican chocolate
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Vegetable oil, for frying

Confectioners sugar for dusting mixed with a little bit of grated Mexican chocolate to taste

Whisk together flour, baking powder, zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Whisk together ricotta, eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla in another bowl, then whisk in flour mixture. Mixture will be coarse.

Preheat enough oil in a heavy medium saucepan to come half way up the sides to 360 F.

Working in batches, gently drop tablespoons of the batter in the oil and fry, turning occasionally, until deep golden, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

Dust generously with confectioners sugar-grated chocolate mixture.

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Huitlacoche Raviolis with Poblano-Corn Relish

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

marcela-selects_dsc9654bThese are a show stopper. Huitlacoche is an acquired taste so substitute with sautéed wild mushrooms if you can’t find or don’t want to use huitlacoche. Basically it a fungus that attacks corn kernels making them swell and turn charcoal black. They are absolutely delicious when paired with poblanos and this browned butter-pepita sauce. Pair with a dry Riesling.

Makes 6 servings

4 poblano chiles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
Cornmeal for sprinkling
1/3 cup canned or fresh huitlacoche 1/3 cup sauteed wild mushrooms
2 tablespoons grated queso fresco plus additional for sprinkling
36 wonton wrappers
1 small egg, beaten to blend
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
Toasted pepitas
Chopped fresh green onions

Char poblanos over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Place in paper bag; seal and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Peel and seed peppers; chop.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn and cook until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook until vegetables are very soft and onion is brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add chopped poblanos. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly sprinkle rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal. Mix huitlacoche and queso fresco in a medium bowl. Arrange 10 wonton wrappers on work surface. Place 1 heaping teaspoon huitlacoche filling in center of each wrapper. Using pastry brush, paint edges of wrappers with beaten egg. Top each with an additional gyoza wrapper. Using round cookie cutter, cut raviolis into rounds. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Cook butter in large skillet over medium heat until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in pepitas.

Cook ravioli in pot of gently boiling salted water until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain well. Transfer ravioli to skillet with browned butter. Toss over medium heat.

Meanwhile, re-warm bell pepper mixture; divide among 6 plates. Using slotted spoon, top peppers on each plate with 3 ravioli. Drizzle with any remaining browned butter. Sprinkle with additional queso fresco and green onions and serve.

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