Category: Mexican

Black Bean Corn Salsa

An easy to make salsa that is big in flavor and colorful. Fresh tomatoes, corn, and chilis add crunch  Great served with Mexican favorites.  We also make a fresh-mex pizza with this salsa.

Ingredients

3/4 C black beans drained and washed

3/4 C corn*

1 roma tomato deseeded and diced

1 shallot diced

2 serrano chilis diced*

1/2 C cilantro chopped

1/2 lime juiced

1/8 t cumin

Salt

Directions

Mix all ingredients in small bowl and season to taste with salt. Can be used immdeiately but tastes better if marinated 4 hours to overnight. Serve as side, a dip, or use in burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and Southwest Pizza.

Note

*I use fresh roasted corn. Canned or frozen corn can be substituted. I also use fresh tomatoes and chilis.

*I am finding that sometimes the chilis I buy have no heat, that includes poblanos, jalapeños, and serranos. They taste like a green pepper, disappointing. I add cayenne when this happens.

Roasted Salsa Verde

Tomatillos are an incredibly veratile ingredient that really stand out in a simple salsa verde.  In this recipe, the tomatillos are roasted anf then pureed into a wonderful tangy sauce.  This recipe can also be made without the roasting, but the sauce should be eaten same day.  This salsa can be combined with avocado for a wonderful salad dressing or dip.

 

What is a tomatillo?

Tomatillo is a tart fruit that is native to Mexico.  It is bright green in colot and grows within a husk. When I was growing up, we had a gooseberry plant with produced tangy (mouth-puckering) berries.  The gooseberry plant is related the tomatillo.

Ingredients

6 tomatillos

3 garlic cloves

2 Serrano chilis

3 T cilantro

1 shallot diced

Directions

Husk, wash, and slice tomatillos.  Fresh tomatillos can feel sticky to the touch, but the stickiness washes off.

Remove skin from garlic cloves. No need to chop.

Place cut tomatillos and garlic cloves in non stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook about 7-9 minutes until browned and then turn them over and repeat step.

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Once browned and softened put ingredients into a food processor. Add diced serranos (or other peppers) and blend.

If using immediately, add cilantro and onion. If storing, add cilantro and onion when ready to use.  Cilantro or onion can be fresh choped and added or pureed in a belnder.

Notes

We add serrano peppers for some extra heat, but other peppers can be used for more heat, or peppers can be avoided for no heat.

Peppers such as poblanos can also be roasted and added to the sauce.  This changes the sauce flavor to a more earthy, savory and less fruity sauce.

Chilies in Walnut Sauce (Chili en Nogada)

Chile en Nogada

A stunning flavor packed entre that tastes good and looks good. There were no leftovers.

Ingredients

Filling

1 onion chopped

5 garlic cloves minced

3 T olive oil

1 1/2 pound ground turkey breast/ chicken*

2 pears diced

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

5 T cilantro chopped

2 T currants

2 T blanched almonds minced

Chilies

6 poblano chilies

Sauce

1/2 C walnut halves

3/4 C milk

1/2 C creme fraiche

1/4 C feta

1 T sugar

Directions

Walnut Sauce

Place walnuts in bowl of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Discard water and peel brown skin from the nuts. Place walnuts in small bowl cover with milk and soak for  4-6 hours

Drain the walnuts and reserve couple tablespoons of soaking milk. Place nuts in blender and add creme fraiche, Feta, reserved milk and sugar. Blend and refrigerate

Roast peppers

Place on foil lined baking sheet. Broil turning them once until skin blackened and place in covered bowl for 5-10 minutes. Remove as much blackened skin as possible and make a lengthwise slit and remove seeds and membrane. Set aside.

Filling

In large skill bring olive oil up to heat and add onions and cook for couple minutes and the add garlic. Cook until garlic fragrant. A meat and cook until brown. add tomatoes, cilantro, and pear and cook 10 minutes until mixture is thick. Add currants and almonds

Topping

1/2 C pomegranate seeds

Assemble

Place chilies on serving tray. Add stuffing without tearing the chili. Cover them with Walnut sauce and dress with pomegranate seeds.

Serve with a Mexican rice and a simple tomato avacado salad.

Notes

*Beef or pork can be substituted in place of turkey. We used chicken or turkey instead of pork, did not use all fruit, and did not deep fry them.

This is an adapted version of Chili en Nogada. I had the original recipe in Mexico City and it was one of my favorite dinners.