Free México / México Libre

Photo by Ana Red

Free México!

Pozole is a hardy soup made with hominy. It is most commonly made with pork and red sauce but in some parts of México is also made with chicken and green sauce. It is very traditional to serve pozole for the celebration of Mexican Independence, my family usually prepares this on September 15 to proclaim independence. We all love a good pozole de puerco (the pork kind) however, today I'm presenting an alternative that I'm sure will be appreciated by our vegetarian friends. I have posted this recipe before but I think it is appropriate to bring it back during this holidays.

This pozole is an unconventional one. It was inspired by a recipe from the book, Al Calor del Sabor, but I use my own sauce and prepared my own nixtamal with blue corn. Using chanterelle mushrooms instead of meat makes this pozole a treat that even my vegetarian husband can enjoy. 

Chantarelle Pozole

1 lb. blue or white nixtamalized corn (I made my own nixtamal from dried corn but it can be bought already made; it is called hominy or pozole)

1 medium white onion

5 garlic cloves

2 sprigs fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano)

Salt to taste

3 guajillo dried chiles

5 red New Mexico dried chiles

3 garlic cloves, with peel

1/2 medium white onion

1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano

1/2 tsp. cumin

Salt to taste

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 lb. chantarelle mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

For garnish:

Sliced radishes (I used black radishes but any kind will be good)

Shredded green cabbage (or iceberg lettuce)

Chopped red onion 

Lemon juice

Hot Sauce (your favorite)

Clean the nixtamal, place in a large pot and cover with water. Add onion, garlic, fresh oregano and salt. Slow cook for approximately 2 hours or until the corn has grown in size and has become soft. Add water as needed to keep corn covered.

In the meantime prepare the sauce. Clean the dried chiles, cut in half and remove the seeds and veins. In a dry cast iron skillet toast the chiles about 3 seconds on each side until aromatic. Take care not to burn them or they will be bitter. Soak the chiles in a bowl of boiling water for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile roast the onion and garlic in the same skillet until they are blackened, about 3 minutes. Peel the garlic. Transfer the onion and peeled garlic to a blender, add the oregano, cumin and salt. With tongs lift the chiles from the soaking water and add to the blender. Taste the chile water, if is not bitter add 1/2 cup of this water to the blender plus 1/4 cup of plain water. If the chile water is bitter just add 3/4 cup of plain water. Purée to a smooth sauce. Pass the sauce thought a strainer or a food mill into a bowl and set aside.

In a large dutch oven heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and mushrooms until well caramelized. Add the sauce and cook for a couple of minutes. Removed the onion, garlic and sprigs of oregano from the nixtamal and discard. Add the cooked nixtamal with its water to the mushroom mixture. Correct seasoning and cook together for about 10 more minutes until all flavors had incorporated. 

Serve hot topped with desired garnishes.

La Cocina Mexicana de Pily

"México Lindo y Querido"

Natalia Charra

Mexican cuisine is very popular around the world and this is a testimony of the wonder and deliciousness of our food. People outside México appreciate our food not only for the constant process of searching for and discovering the right combination of ingredients, but also because our cuisine demonstrates the great imagination of our people.

Mercado

The richness of Mexican cuisine comes from far and wide across our country and it has been brought to the world by many of us who have left our homeland but have kept México close to our hearts through its food.  We specially remember and honor our food during our Mexican Independence holidays which are celebrated in the month of September.

Don Pedro's kitchen

During this month, I try to cook only Mexican meals for my family. Caldo, as we call soup, is one of my favorite things to serve. A caldo is more than a soup, it is a meal in a bowl and it’s very common in Mexican kitchens. Who does not remember the delicious sopa de fideo (noodle soup), or the incredible caldo de res (a hardy beef stew with chunks of vegetables), or the healing powers of a hot Mexican caldo de pollo (chicken soup)? Pozole is the soup most commonly prepared to celebrate Mexican Independence but this time I’m sharing my recipe for chicken caldo, a delicious chicken soup that brings me closer to my “México lindo y querido”.

Chicken Caldo with Pasilla Pepper 

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic clove, minced

6 cups of water

2 chicken breasts, cleaned

2 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped

Salt to taste

2 pasilla peppers, seeded and deveined
10-15 tomatillos milpero (I like the very small and purple in color), cleaned and halved.

3 small carrots, chopped

3-4 small zucchinis or summer squash, chopped

3 small potatoes, peeled and quartered

In a medium pot over slow fire, heat the oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the chicken, water, salt and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, soak the peppers in boiling water for 10 minutes. When soft, place in a blender with the tomatillos and a little bit of the soaking water and purée to make a sauce. Pass the sauce through a fine strainer to separate the solids and set aside. 

When the chicken is tender, remove from the pot and set aside to cool for a few minutes.  Add the carrots and potatoes to the pot. Cook until vegetables become fork tender. Shred chicken and return to the pot. Add the zucchinis and pasilla sauce. If needed, correct the seasoning and simmer until the chicken and all the vegetables are cook thoroughly. Serve hot.

Enjoy these picture of México lindo and don't forget to follow the link to Pily's blog to colaborate with her in showing the beautiful things México has to offer and to find great Mexican food recipes.

I love the clean streets of a small town

Tequila, Jalico

Santa Maria del Oro, Nayarit

Yaca Tree

Adobe House in Huaynamota. Nayarit

Delicious Mangos from Huaynamota Groves



Sombreros

México The Beautiful / México Hermoso

The sixteenth of September is Mexican Independence Day. This month Mexicans who live in and outside the country celebrate this joyful Mexican holiday - Mariachi sounds everywhere, the folklore of México is present all over and we especially enjoy the traditional food of the holiday  - antojitos Mexicanos, a variety of finger foods.

In recognition of this patriotic month, my fellow blogger, Pily, has invited us to share our Mexican recipes and show the world the beautiful cosas buenas of our México. Throughout the month of September, every Friday, Pily will be publishing Mexican food recipes in her blog. The recipes will come from everyone who wants to collaborate with her in showing the beauty of México. Follow the link to La Cocina Mexicana de Pily to see in more detail what this initiative is about. I recommend Pily's blog because there you will find very good recipes for authentic Mexican food.

Mexican food is vast and varied. There are simple dishes with few ingredients or with unusual ingredients less well known but no less tasty. Today I present a dish with the ingredient that represents my country better than any other. Although it is now known worldwide not too many people other than Mexicans dare to eat it.

I'm talking about cactus or nopal and nopalitos salad. It's a very simple dish but full of tradition and great taste in addition to its nutritional properties, as Mely pointed out in her blog.

Nopalitos Salad

4 fresh nopalitos (cactus pads)

1/2 c water

1/2 onion

3-4 sprigs of cilantro (flat leaf parsley can be a good substitute)

1 garlic clove

1 small lemon, sliced

1 green or red jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 small white onion, diced in small pieces

3 small radishes, diced in small pieces

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced in small pieces

1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

2 T lemon juice

1 T olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Holding each cactus pad with one hand (use gloves or kitchen tongs), cut off the bumps that contain the thorns with a sharp knife. Rinse the cactus well and then dice it. Place in a saucepan over the stove, add 1/2 onion, sprigs of cilantro, garlic clove, and lemon slices. Pour in the water, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the cactus changes color. Drain and rinse a couple of times with cold water, discard the onions, garlic, cilantro and lemon slices. Place the cooked cactus in a large bowl, add the jalapeño, scallions, white onion, radishes, tomatoes and cilantro. Mix to combine all ingredients. Stir in lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on tostada shells as a main dish or use as a side dish or salad.



Nopalitos Tostada

Note: Fresh nopales can be bought in Mexican grocery stores and sometimes in Farmers' Markets. Canned nopalitos can substitute for fresh. They come in a jar, packed in water or vinegar and are sold in most major supermarkets.

Apart from the recipe I want to show a bit of the Huichol Indians. These Indians are descendants of the Aztecs and most live in the highlands of Jalisco and Nayarit. Many have settled in cities like Guadalajara and Tepic. The Huichol struggle every day to keep their traditions alive. Their colorful beading work with chaquira and beads and embroidery are beautiful handicrafts. These craft techniques are passed down from elder to younger, teaching new generations and the world the reverent and symbolic value that their art has in relationship with nature.

On my trip to México last year, I had the opportunity to visit an indigenous Huichol community in Tepic, Nayarit, and learn a little of their crafts and enjoy their simple and delicious cuisine. Here are the photos. Enjoy the richness and beauty of México!

 Nopalitos and pot beans

 Nopalitos accompanying a blue corn quesadilla

The Tomato / El Tomate

Tricolor Tomato Salad

The tomato originated in South America but was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown.

Potato Dumplings in Tomato Sauce

Tomato Bruschetta with Basil and Parmesan Cheese

Technically a fruit rather than a vegetable, tomatoes are, however, use mostly in savory dishes. This fruit is consumed in diverse ways, including raw, as an ingredient in many dishes and sauces, and in drinks. Tomatoes are the based on many Mexican dishes and they are indispensable in Mediterranean cuisine. They are beautiful, colorful and the source of all kinds of inspirations for the home cook, the well known chef and the great poet, Pablo Neruda, who dedicated an ode to tomatoes.

Stuffed Pimentos with Tomatoes and Green Beans

Ode To The Tomatoes

(By Pablo Neruda)

The street
filled with tomatoes
midday,
summer,
light is
halved
like
a
tomato,
its juice
runs
through the streets.
In December,
unabated,
the tomato
invades
the kitchen,
it enters at lunchtime,
takes
its ease
on counter tops,
among glasses,
butter dishes,
blue salt shakers.
It sheds
its own light,
benign majesty.
Unfortunately, we must
murder it:
the knife
sinks
into living flesh,
red
viscera,
a cool
sun,
profound,
inexhaustible,
populates the salads
with Chile,
happily, it is wed
to the clear onion,
and to celebrate the union
we
pour
oil,
essential
child of the olive,
onto its halved hemispheres,
pepper
adds
its fragrance,
salt, its magnetism;
it is the wedding
of the day,
parsley
hoists
its flag,
potatoes
bubble vigorously,
the aroma
of the roast
knocks
at the door,
it's time!
come on!
and, on
the table, at the midpoint
of summer,
the tomato,
star of earth,
recurrent
and fertile
star,
displays
its convolutions,
its canals,
its remarkable amplitude
and abundance,
no pit,
no husk,
no leaves or thorns,
the tomato offers
its gift
of fiery color
and cool completeness.

Summer Salad

1 red radish, thinly sliced

1 small raw golden beet, peeled and thinly sliced

1 small pickled red beet, peeled and julienne 

1 cup small red, yellow and purple tomatoes, halve

1 handful of pea shoots

1-2 table spoon olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Arrange all vegetables on a plate, sprinkle with olive oil, add sea salt and  black pepper to taste.

This is the focaccia I prepared with Ajonjoli's recipe, it was delicious!