Students should make 1 of the following recipes (or bring a different one in for me to approve – it must be authentic!!!) by Monday, February 2. Some of these recipes are pretty easy and some are more difficult. I tried to accommodate all kinds of cooking ability and interest.
Ecuadorian Ceviche
This is one of the best ceviches you will ever taste. Done in the traditional style of Quito, Ecuador, this recipe is quick, healthy and exotic. Served with popcorn on top and tostones,.
Contains shrimp, limes, orange juice, tomatoes & more - absolutely delicious. Viva Quito!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 pounds of shrimp
1 large red onion 3 medium tomatoes
3 cups of fresh orange juice (preferably use sour oranges or you can use Tropicana pure natural orange juice with no pulp)
1 cup of lemon juice (fresh squeezed lemons)
3 tablespoons of ketchup
1 tablespoon of mustard
1 tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Boil water salt and pepper in a pan. After it boils, add shrimp. Let it boil for 3 minutes (or until shrimp becomes lightly red) and remove from heat. Pour out water and let shrimp cool. Don’t let them overcook! If they are overcooked, the shrimp will be a little chewy, but still delicious.
Cut the onion into long thing strips -julienne style-. Place them in a bowl with water and 2 tablespoons of salt and let it settle for 10 minutes. Then gently rinse with water. This will remove the bitter bite from the onion and make it sweeter.
Cut tomatoes into small squares.
In a large bowl, mix the onion, tomatoes, orange and lemon juice, ketchup, mustard, cilantro (or parsley), oil, salt and pepper. Once the shrimp has cooled, add shrimp and mix.
Serve with fried plantains (fried green bananas) or plantain chips, popcorn and maiz tostado (dry corn kernels). Enjoy the classic ecuadorian ceviche recipe, preferably with a light pilsener beer.
Mexican TresLeches Cake
Cake:
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
6 large eggs
2 cups granulate sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup of whole milk
Syrup:
1 (14-ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 (14-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 1/4 cups of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of light rum (optional)-When I made this, instead I used to teaspoons of vanilla extract
Frosting:
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup water1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
2. To prepare the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Beat the whites until very foamy and frothy. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer. As you continue mixing, slowly add the milk.
Then add the flour mixture, a little at a time, until all the flour is incorporated and the batter is smooth. Finally, use a spatula to gently fold in the beaten aug whites until completely mixed.
4. Pour batter into the baking dish. Bake for 35 to 44 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool on a wire for 20 minutes. Now it's time to get fancy. Invert the cake onto a jelly roll pan or a baking tray with a raised edge on it-something to catch the syrup. Use a fork to repeatedly pierce the top of the cake.
5. For the milk syrup, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and rum in a mixing bowl, until well blended. Slowly pour syrup over the cake a little at a time and let it soak in. Use your fork to help it along a little bit, piercing here and there through the syrup until most of the milk syrup is absorbed. If there is still a pool of syrup at the bottom of the cake, it will gradually soak in.
6. Cover the syrup-drenched cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours before frosting.
7. For the frosting, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl until they form stiff peaks. Set aside, then in a separate pan, mix the water, sugar and corn syrup. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer read 230 degrees F. Remove from heat. While beating the egg whites all at once; continue beating for 5 minutes. With the addition of the hot syrup, your frosting should "puff up" and thicken. Let the frosting cool at room temp. Use a wet spatula to spread a thick layer of the frosting on the top and sides of the cake.
8. To serve, cut individual squares, top with red maraschino cherry, and serve cold.
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
4-6 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar (taste to make sure it is sweet enough)
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Beat the cream and vanilla with an electric mixeruntil soft peaks form. Addpowdered sugar over the cream and continue to beat until thick with peaks that last. Do not to over beat the cream or it will be look curdy.
Mexican Milanesa de pollo
Milanesa de Pollo with Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa
Serves 4
This recipe is adapted from one of Richard's Frontera recipes and it's my favorite chicken dish. You can bread the chicken several hours in advance, cover it and refrigerate it.. The salsa can also be prepared several hours in advance.
Ingredients
For the Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa
1 ripe avocado (peeled and pitted)
3/4 cup tomatillo salsa (we prefer Frontera Tomatillo Salsa)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Chicken Milanesa
4 (about 1 ¼ pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, butterflied
½ cup all purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, plus ½ cup for frying (divided use)
Directions
Making the avocado-tomatillo salsa. Scoop the flesh of the avocado and place in a blender or food processor. Add the tomatillo salsa, lime, salt and 2 tablespoons water. Process until smooth. Remove and place in a serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, press against the surface of the salsa to seal out any air and place in the refrigerator. This salsa can be made several hours in advance. If made in advance, bring back to room temperature before using.
Prepare the chicken. Set up a 3 part breading station. In the first dish, combine the flour with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. In the second dish, beat 2 eggs with 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. In the third dish, pour in 2 cups of panko crumbs and mix with 1 ½ teaspoons salt.
Sprinkle salt over both sides of chicken and dredge each breast in the flour, shaking off the excess. Then, dip into the egg mixture, making sure that they are totally coated. Finally, place the chicken in the panko crumbs, pressing the crumbs into both the top and bottom surfaces. Move the coated breast to a wire rack to allow the crumbs to dry.
Place a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add ½ the frying oil to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, place two of the breasts into the pan and cook until both sides are golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Remove to a warm plate lined with paper towels. Add the remaining frying oil, and saute the last two breasts.
Serving. Spoon the salsa over the breasts and serve without delay.
Mexican Chilaquiles for a Crowd
Chilaquiles (mexicanos)paraunaMuchedumbre
**You will probably want to cut this recipe in half (or more.)
Serves 12 to 16
Recipe From Season 6 of Mexico—One Plate at a Time
Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced (divided use)
3 16-ounce jars of salsa, preferably fire-roasted tomatillo salsa
1 quart chicken broth
24 ounces tortilla chips, preferably the rustic home-style ones from a local tortillería
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican melting cheese (such as Chihuahua) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar
2 to 3 cups (10 ounces to a pound) coarsely shredded cooked chicken—I use leftover grilled chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken (optional)
3/4 cup Mexican crema, crème fraiche or sour cream thinned with a little milk or cream
1/2 cup grated Mexican quesoañejo or other garnishing cheese such as Romano or Parmesan (optional)
A handful of cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions
In a very large (6-quart) Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high. Add about two thirds of the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until richly browned. Add the salsa and broth and bring to a boil. When the sauce is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat and stir in the chips and shredded cheese. Press the chips down to ensure that nearly all are submerged; a few on the top may still be sticking out. Strew the chicken over the top, cover and let stand for 3 or 4 minutes. Gently stir everything together, then drizzle with the crema, and sprinkle with the onion, optional grated quesoañejo and cilantro. Serve without hesitation.
Sopa Azteca
**This is a CLASSIC Mexican soup. My family made it at least weekly when I was in grad school. This is a recipe from Frontera Grill/Topolobampo that I like a lot.
Serves 4 to 6
Like guacamole, tortilla soup has a place, I feel, in practically every collection of Mexican recipes. It’s a filling, flavorful meal that can be made with little effort, but one that sings with an unmistakable Mexican harmony. Earthy dark pasillachile.The softening crunch of toasty corn tortillas. Soul-satisfying broth. And creamy-rich avocado and cheese.
A note about pasilla (sometimes called negro) chile: Its unique flavor defines tortilla soup in central Mexico. In Michoacan, it’s anchochile. In your kitchen, it might turn out to be another chile, like New Mexico or even a little smoky chipotle (be forewarned that chipotle will make the broth quite spicy). Though for these everyday recipes I’ve relied heavily on the easier-to-use powdered dried chile, finding powdered pasilla (negro) can be harder than finding the whole pod. Should powdered chile be at your finger tips (be it powdered pasilla (negro), ancho or beyond), add about 1 tablespoon to the pan about halfway through the cooking of the onion.
In Mexico, it’s more common to crush toasted chile pods over the soup than to add it to the base. You can follow that lead, or do both as we do in our restaurants.
Ingredients
1 large dried pasilla (negro) chile, stemmed and seeded
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced ¼-inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 quarts chicken broth
1 large epazote sprig, if you have one
4 (about 1 ¼ pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 large ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Mexican melting cheese (like Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar
A generous 4 cups (about 6 ounces) roughly broken tortilla chips
½ cup Mexican crema, sour cream or crème fraîche for garnish
1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges, for serving
Directions
Quickly toast the chile by turning it an inch or two above an open flame for a few seconds until its aroma fills the kitchen. (Lacking an open flame, toast it in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing it flat for a few seconds, then flipping it over and pressing it again.) Break the chile into pieces and put in a blender jar along with the tomatoes with their juice. (A food processor will work, though it won’t completely puree the chile.)
Heat the oil in a medium (4-quart) saucepan over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible, and transfer to the blender. Process until smooth.
Return the pan to medium-high heat. When quite hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly, until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and epazote, if using. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually about a generous teaspoon (depending on the saltiness of the broth).
Just before serving, add the chicken to the simmering broth. Divide the avocado, cheese and tortilla chips between serving bowls. When the chicken is done, usually about 5 minutes, ladle the soup into the bowls. Garnish with the crema. Pass the lime separately.
Tostada Topping: Avocado-Dressed Shrimp a la Mexicana
Camarones a la Mexicana con Aguacate
Makes about 4 cups, enough for 15 tostadas, serving 15 as a nibble or light appetizer
Recipe from Season 6 of Mexico - One Plate at a Time
Ingredients
12 ounces (about 2 ½ cups) medium-small, peeled-and-deveined cooked shrimp
1 medium white onion, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
1 large tomato, chopped into ¼-inch pieces (you should have a generous cup)
¼ to 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
Hot green chiles to taste (usually 3 serranos or 1 to 2 jalapeños), stemmed and roughly chopped
1 medium avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and chopped
1/3 cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, onion and tomato. Measure the lime juice into a food processor or blender. Cover and turn on. Drop in the chile(s) and, when chopped, turn off and scoop in the avocado and cilantro. Blend until smooth. Thin to a “creamy dressing” consistence with water (usually 2 to 3 tablespoons). Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon. (You will have about 1 ½ cups.) Mix the dressing into the shrimp mixture. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the shrimp a la mexicana and refrigerate. When you’re ready to serve, scoop into a serving bowl, decorate with a cilantro sprigs and it’s ready.
Enchiladas Suizas
Ingredients
9 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1/4 white onion
1 serranochile
1 yellow chile (guerito pepper)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Mexican crema
1/2 cup heavy cream
Vegetable oil, for frying
6 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
1/2 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Put the tomatillos, onion and both chiles in a medium heavy saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the tomatillos turn an olive-green color, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer the tomatillos, onions and chiles to a blender. Add the garlic and cilantro and blend until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Mix the Mexican crema and heavy cream together in a small bowl and season with salt. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas until golden but still pliable, about 10 seconds per side, using more oil if needed. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Place the tortillas on a work surface. Divide the shredded chicken evenly among the tortillas and roll up each like a cigar. Spread 1/3 cup of the sauce in a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the enchiladas in 1 layer, seam-side down, snugly inside the dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. Drizzle the cream mixture on top and sprinkle the cheese all over.
Bake until the cheese is melted and starting to brown in spots, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid