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Spicy Avocado Sauce for Tacos

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This creamy and spicy avocado sauce is a great for dipping flautas or for topping your everyday tacos. It is traditionally served with flautas or taquitos, but it would also make a great addition to some vegan enchiladas. You can also use it as a salad dressing, or as a perfect pairing to your chips and salsa. The best part is that is has absolutely no dairy and it’s delicious.

This creamy and spicy avocado sauce for tacos is a great for dipping flautas, as a salad dressing, and over your favorite vegan enchiladas.

I’m taking over this recipe post to make an announcement. I’m pregnant!!! I’m 16 weeks along with baby #3. This pregnancy took us completely by surprise, but we are more than happy to receive another wonderful little one into our lives. This time around the nausea knocked me completely off my feet. It was bad, really bad, but I’m so glad that part is over. Otherwise the pregnancy is progressing normally.

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We are a bit concerned about having another premature baby. My son was born at 34 weeks and my daughter at 33 weeks. They were both in the NICU for a little over two weeks without any serious complications. We are hoping this baby will make it past 34 weeks, so please keep us in your prayers.

This creamy and spicy avocado sauce for tacos is a great for dipping flautas, as a salad dressing, and over your favorite vegan enchiladas.

As far as being vegan and pregnant I had a really hard time with the nausea. All vegetables and legumes completely grossed me out, so I ate mostly almonds, fruit, and some tofu. Once it subsided I started adding back in vegetables, starting with the greens and squashes, and then with the cruciferous vegetables. I wasn’t able to start eating legumes until week 14. Oh how I missed my beans! I’m hoping to keep the rest of my pregnancy as vegan as possible. I will keep you posted.

This creamy and spicy avocado sauce for tacos is a great for dipping flautas, as a salad dressing, and over your favorite vegan enchiladas.

The Recipe: Spicy Avocado Sauce for Tacos

This sauce is seriously easy to make and won’t take more than 5 minutes. When I make this for the kids I omit the pickled jalapeño, but if you like spicy you can add as much jalapeño as you like. For another variation, you can add 1 cooked tomatillo for a more salsa verde feel. Enjoy!

This creamy and spicy avocado sauce for tacos is a great for dipping flautas, as a salad dressing, and over your favorite vegan enchiladas.
Print

Spicy Avocado Sauce for Tacos

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Author Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 2 Avocados, large, seed removed, flesh scooped out
  • 1/2 cup Liquid from Mexican Pickled Jalapeños (see note)
  • 1 tbsp. Chopped cilantro
  • 1 Pickled jalapeño pepper (optional)

Preparation

  1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth. 

  2. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Chef's Notes

You can buy Mexican pickled jalapeños at almost any grocery store now. My favorite are La Costeña  or you can make your own.

 

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5-Minute Salsa

Have you ever found that you are making dinner and you realize you don’t have salsa? In a Mexican household this could almost be considered a sin. It doesn’t matter what’s for dinner, you need salsa! This is where this salsa comes in. It takes 5 minutes to make, no really, 5 minutes. It’s so simple I don’t know why I hadn’t thought about it myself. The recipe for 5-minute salsa is from my new brother-in-law, Polo. His grandmother used to make this when there was a salsa emergency and she also used it to flavor her arroz a la mexicana. This salsa is fresh, tangy, spicy and   just a bit sweet. It is a great way to use up your summer tomatoes.

This 5-minute salsa is fresh, tangy, spicy and just a bit sweet. It's a great way to use up your summer tomatoes. It only takes 5 minutes.

Polo married my little sister Gaby, the baby of the family. They have been married for 7 months now, but let me tell you, they really do love each other. It’s so nice to see a newlywed couple going through their first hardships, and adjusting to life with each other. You can just feel the love, you know, not like us “old” married couples that have kids in diapers who are in survival mode and have been sleep deprived for about 6 years now. At first I kind of felt jealous I guess, like Polo was taking my sister away from me, but I suspect Polo will soon conquer our hearts just like he conquered hers.

When you welcome someone new into the family, you begin to share and integrate your beliefs and traditions. That’s why I’m very happy to introduce you to Polo in the most perfect way, a recipe. Hopefully as we get to know him, he will share more of his family recipes with us.

This 5-minute salsa is fresh, tangy, spicy and just a bit sweet. It's a great way to use up your summer tomatoes. It only takes 5 minutes.

I also want to take this opportunity to promote Polo and Gaby’s dental practice, Nu-Life Dental Clinic in Monterrey, Mexico. If you live near the border with Texas I recommend you check them out. They have affordable prices and great service. Gaby is an orthodontist and Polo is a DDS (doctor in dental surgery) with a specialty in endodontics. The practice offers orthodontic, endodontic, periodontal, and restorative services. (I just had to look all those up, so don’t feel bad if you have no idea what I’m talking about.) They’re good at their jobs, and they will take care of you. If you live in Monterrey you definitely have to go see them. Here they are, aren’t they cute.

This 5-minute salsa is fresh, tangy, spicy and just a bit sweet. It's a great way to use up your summer tomatoes. It only takes 5 minutes.

That ebook I’ve been working on is almost done, so be sure to subscribe a the top right so you can be the first to get it. Also don’t forget to follow me on pinterest. I have tons of vegan recipes on there. Enjoy!

The Recipe: 5-minute salsa

You can add some garlic, onion, and cilantro for extra flavor.

five-minute-salsa
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5-Minute Salsa

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 3 Tomatoes, roma
  • 1 Serrano peppers

Preparation

  1. Grate the tomatoes, using the large holes on your grater, into a bowl.

  2. Grate the serranos into the same bowl using the small holes in the grater. Mix well.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.

Chef's Notes

To increase spiciness, add more serranos. You can also grate some garlic in there, add cilantro, or get creative and add as many ingredients as you like.

 

 

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Watercress and Radish Salsa

I am in love with this watercress and radish salsa. I guess it’s more of a salad with the addition of the radish and watercress, but it pairs so perfectly with the slices if avocado and home-made tortillas. I made a batch if this and ate it all by myself!

This vegan recipe for watercress and radish salsa is spicy, crunchy, fresh and pairs perfectly with avocado slices and home-made tortillas.

I’ve adapted this recipe for watercress and radish salsa from a book called Memorias en Mole de Olla, Cocina y Revolucion en Tlaxcala. The author, Helena Hernandez de Valle Arizpe, has researched and gathered over 117 recipes of the cuisine of Tlaxcala during the time of the Mexican revolution (1910-1920). Her only intent is to promote her findings in the hope of preserving Mexico’s cuisine. Unfortunately, for you English speakers the book is in Spanish.

This vegan recipe for watercress and radish salsa is spicy, crunchy, fresh and pairs perfectly with avocado slices and home-made tortillas.

That’s where I come in. I have translated this goodness and adapted it slightly. I love recipes like these, because they reflect exactly what I want this blog to be. I don’t just want to veganize traditional Mexican dishes. I want to share with you recipes that although they may be accidentally vegan (meaning they don’t come from a vegan mindset, they just happen to have no animal products), they are part of the fabric of traditional Mexican cuisine. With the advent of Tex-Mex or the adaptation of Mexican food across borders we tend to forget that the basis of the whole cuisine is corn, beans, and chile.

This vegan recipe for watercress and radish salsa is spicy, crunchy, fresh and pairs perfectly with avocado slices and home-made tortillas.

Hopefully I will be able to share with you more recipes from this great book. In other news, I’m really excited about being featured in PETALatino this month. Head on over there and check it out. Look out for some classic lenten recipes in the following weeks, and don’t forget to email subscribe to receive a notification every time a new post is published and our monthly newsletter.

The Recipe: Watercress and Radish Salsa

Is it a salsa or a salad? It’s both! Four serranos make a very spicy salsa, so if you want it mild add a little bit less. Enjoy!

Watercress radish salsa. Roasted tomatoes and serranos, watercress, and sliced radishes.
Print

Watercress and Radish Salsa

Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 3 Roma tomatoes, large
  • 4 Serrano peppers
  • 1 bunch Watercress, roughly chopped
  • 6 Red radishes, cut into matchsticks
  • 3 Mexican spring onions, white part only, chopped, cebollitas

Preparation

  1. Heat a griddle or cast iron pan to high heat. Place tomatoes and serrano peppers on griddle until they become soft and slightly blackened, about 5 min.
  2. Flip peppers, tomatoes, and continue to char for another 5 minutes.
  3. Remove ingredients from griddle and set aside.
  4. Start grinding the peppers in the molcajete one at a time. Once the desired consistency is reached, add the tomatoes one by one and keep grinding. Set aside
  5. If you do not have a molcajete you can use a blender or food processor. Simply place the charred tomatoes and peppers in the machine and pulse until the desired consistency is reached. Set aside.
  6. Add radish, watercress, and spring onion to the tomato and serrano salsa. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Serve with avocado slices and warm tortillas.

Chef's Notes

Yields about 2 cups. Mexican spring onions are very different from scallions. They have a bulbous ending and a very long green stem. See ingredient picture above. Feel free to add more serranos if you want this to be spicier.

 

 

 

 

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Chile Morita Salsa

Last week the hubby worked mornings and my schedule was thrown way off. Hence my posting until now. Baby Karina is refusing to nap for more than 20 min. at a time, that and cleaning. Ugh, does the cleaning ever end? What’s up with boys and not aiming? I can’t get the smell of pee out of my bathroom! It’s been a tough week guys, but look at this sweet face. She’s lucky she’s so cute.

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I think I’ve come to the realization I can only post one day a week. I’m trying, I really am, but life is kind of hectic when you have two little ones. Also, at the end of the night, after my kids are asleep, and the house is quiet, all I want to do is have a cold beer and watch some TV.

This recipe for chile morita salsa is a smoky and tangy combination of tomatillos, chile morita, garlic, and onion.

The Recipe: Chile Morita Salsa

Looks like I’ve gone on a bit of a rant there. What were we supposed to be talking about? Salsa, oh yeah, that’s right. We are really enjoying all the salsa making going on in this house. We’ve gone through 3 huge bags of chips in the last two weeks. This salsa is a little bit different than your average grocery store find. It’s a chile morita salsa and it is very smoky and tangy. When you smell these chiles the first thing you’ll think about is BBQ. So think sweet, smoky, and spicy. There’s also roasted tomatillos, garlic, and onion. Oh, and did I mention it’s super easy to make? Enjoy!

 

This recipe for chile morita salsa is a smoky and tangy combination of tomatillos, chile morita, garlic, and onion.

 

Chile morita salsa
Print

Chile Morita Salsa

Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. (about 8 ea.) Tomatillos, husks removed
  • ¼ Onion, white, peeled
  • 2 cloves Garlic (not peeled)
  • 6 -8 Chile moritas dried. seeded
  • To taste Salt and Pepper

Preparation

  1. Turn oven broiler on HI.
  2. Place tomatillos, onion, and garlic cloves on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
  3. Broil in oven for 10 min. The tomatillos will begin to blacken and soften. After the first 10 min. remove the garlic and set aside.
  4. Flip the tomatillos and the onion over. Put back in oven. Broil for 10 more minutes.
  5. Boil water in a small sauce pot. Take the stems off of the chiles and remove the seeds. Add chiles to the boiling water and turn down to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 min. Drain and set aside.
  6. If using a blender, place all the ingredients in blender until you have reached the desired consistency.
  7. If using a molcajete, start off by peeling the garlic and grinding it to a paste with the salt. Add the onion and continue to grind to a paste. Add the chiles and continue to grind. By now you should have a thick red paste.
  8. Add the tomatillos one at a time and keep on grindin’ until the skins dissolve. At this point if the salsa is too thick you can add a little bit if water to loosen it up. Season with salt and pepper.

Chef's Notes

If you don't want to use the oven you can blacken the tomatillos on a comal or griddle.

 

 

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Pico de Gallo

Salsa month continues here at Dora’s Table. This is pico de gallo, a raw salsa that consists of jalapeño, tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. That’s it! This is one of the first things I learned how to make. It really isn’t complicated at all, just chop the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, add some lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Done! It is great on its own with chips or you can make it a meal by adding chickpeas and avocado. 

pico de gallo

Sometimes I wish I could convince everyone I meet to at least try going vegan (plant-based) at least for 30 days. I was the last person you could think of that would become vegan. I was a meat lover through and through, and don’t even get me started on cheese. In fact, I made fun of vegans and vegetarians. We once invited our one vegetarian friend to eat at Animal in L.A. Yikes!

Being vegan in the food and beverage industry is not perceived as cool, I would say most professionals would think it’s pretty lame. You know, because vegans don’t indulge in the foie gras, and chocolate dipped bacon wrapped everything that has been going on lately. I admit I thought about it that way too.

I was embarrassed to be a vegan at first. I tried to hide it or avoid mentioning it all together, but as I learned how to adapt in social situations and plan my meals better I began to care less and less what others thought of me. As you can see from my now very public vegan blog.
james beard quote

Honestly, I just feel better when I drop meat and dairy from my meals. I have more energy, I’m back to my pre-baby weight, and I can eat guilt-free. I was a bit chunky as a kid and eating was always associated with guilt. Even after a lost all my weight I couldn’t shake the guilt, not until going vegan. For me it’s not about being compassionate towards animals, thought that is a very important cause, it’s about taking care of my body and myself. Am I 100% vegan? no. I do have cheat days, but it’s about progress not perfection.

The funny thing is I don’t feel deprived at all because I can’t eat this or that. Just like James Beard says, “You can omit and still enjoy eating.” I enjoy all of my meals whether or not they are organic, non-gmo, raw, vegan, paleo, etc. Life is too short to eat bad food.

pico de gallo

Stop by my pinterest page for some vegan recipes from around the web.

Also take one look at Kathy Patalsky‘s Finding Vegan so you can see that you can eat healthy, delicious, and even indulgent meals without a trace of animal products.

Finally, subscribe to our email list (top right corner below the slide show) to receive updates, cooking tips and behind the scene photos. Enjoy!

The Recipe: Pico de Gallo

Add more jalapeño to this to make it extra spicy. To make this a quick lunch add 1 cup of chickpeas and some avocado.

A fresh salsa so easy to make.
Print

Pico de Gallo

Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 4 Plum tomatoes. diced
  • ½ White onion, chopped finely
  • 1 Jalapeño, do not remove seeds, minced
  • 1 Juice of lime

Preparation

  1. Combine all ingredients, add lime juice, season with salt and pepper.

Chef's Notes

Add more jalapeño to make it extra spicy.

 

 

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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I hereby declare February national salsa month! Wait, I just googled it and national salsa month is a real thing, and it’s in May. Oh well, here at Dora’s Table February is salsa month. This whole month I will be posting salsa recipes for you to enjoy. Let’s start with this roasted tomatillo salsa.

Mexican mortel and pestel

Ingredients for roasted tomatillo salsa.

The reason I decided to make this month salsa month is, because I bought a molcajete!! I am so excited about this. I’ve been meaning to purchase one for years, but every time I visit Mexico I decide not to. Those things are heavy and can break so I’ve never wanted to risk it. I finally just went to Williams-Sonoma and bought one. Why Williams-Sonoma? Well that’s another story that requires a blog post all to itself.

Tomatillos roasting for salsa.

Tomatillos roasting

I know it’s silly but every time I use it, I feel somehow connected to my past and heritage. I can’t stop myself at marveling at the fact that the indigenous cultures of Mexico used this exact same tool in their cooking thousands of years ago. I honestly didn’t expect a huge difference in flavor than when I use my blender, but I was pleasantly surprised. The result is a chunky, rustic salsa with bright and strong flavors. The recipes I will be posting will be made using the molcajete, but you can easily prepare them in your blender or food processor.

Salsa in molcajete.

Roasted tomatillo salsa.

In other news, it’s been sick week here at the Stone house. Everybody has been taking turns getting sick, and we’re all exhausted. Hopefully baby Karina will be sleeping normally soon, and everything will be back to normal. Otherwise things are great. We finally went to Legoland with some friends, and we had a blast. My two little ones are growing so fast, and they are keeping me infinitely distracted with their cuteness.

karina

legoland1

 

I’ve been dedicating some extra time to grow my pinterest page, so stop by and check it out: http://www.pinterest.com/dorastable/

I’ve also started a Vegan Mexican pinterest board. If you would like to join, shoot me an email and let me know: dora.l.stone@gmail.com

One last thing. I will begin sending out a monthly newsletter with cooking tips, my favorite recipes, and other news. To receive this newsletter simply subscribe to the blog via email by clicking on the subscribe button on the right side of the home page. Enjoy!

The Recipe: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

If you do not have a molcajete to make this roasted tomatillo salsa you can use a blender or food processor. Also, if you do not have a comal or cast-iron pan you can use the broiler in your oven. Just put the tomatillo, onion, chile, and garlic on a tray and place under broiler until they are blackened.

Roasted tomatillo salsa. Chunky, rustic, spicy, and tangy.
Print

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. (8 medium) Tomatillos, husks removed, washed
  • ¼ Onion, white
  • 3 Garlic, cloves
  • 4 Serrano Peppers
  • 1 tbsp. Cilantro, chopped

Preparation

  1. Heat a comal, cast-iron, or heavy bottomed pan to medium-high heat. Place the tomatillos, garlic, onion, and Serrano peppers directly on the hot pan. They will become soft and slightly blackened, about 7 – 10 min.
  2. Flip tomatillos, peppers, onion, and garlic over and continue to char for 10 more minutes.
  3. Remove ingredients from griddle and set aside.
  4. Start grinding ingredients in molcajete one at a time. Once the desired consistency is reached, add the next ingredient and keep grinding. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
  5. If you do not have a molcajete you can use a blender or food processor. Simply place all the cooked ingredients in the machine and pulse until the desired consistency is reached.
  6. Season to taste.

Chef's Notes

If you do not have a molcajete you can use a blender or food processor.

 

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Creamy Vegan Chipotle Sauce

I’ve been trying to find a way to make a delicious plant-based baked potato, one that has the creaminess of one slathered in butter and sour cream, or stuffed with broccoli and that fake yellow nacho cheese. Remember when Wendy’s used to sell broccoli and cheese baked potatoes? I used to love those! I was also a little chubby in those days. This creamy vegan chipotle sauce is so perfect to pour on top of your baked potato.
This recipe for creamy vegan chipotle sauce is the perfect combination of spicy chipotle, almonds, and a hint of lemon.

 

This recipe for creamy vegan chipotle sauce is the perfect combination of spicy chipotle, almonds, and a hint of lemon.

I tried stuffing the potato with veggies and then topping it with salsa, but I wasn’t satisfied. I found a recipe for a creamy vegan chipotle sauce that would work, but it was made with soy mayonnaise which just didn’t sound appetizing. I refuse to try vegan cheese, because frankly I think it’s disgusting and highly processed. It’s not the flavor so much as the texture, it’s like eating slightly melted plastic wrap tinted with food coloring. So no vegan cheese for me! I gave up on the whole baked potato thing for a while until I remembered bitchin’ sauce.

This recipe for creamy vegan chipotle sauce is the perfect combination of spicy chipotle, almonds, and a hint of lemon.

I didn’t set out to recreate Bitchn’ Sauce I just took the basic principle of the sauce. Who new water, almonds, oil, chipotle, and lemon juice blended together could make such a wonderfully creamy dairy-free sauce?

Yay! Success!!

I stuffed my baked potato with tri-colored quinoa and a sauté of kale, swiss chard, and mushrooms. Now that spring is here, and summer is fast approaching you can fill your potato with roasted summer squash, corn and tomato and top it off with the pinche sauce. You can also try it as a sauce for pasta, to dip your chips in, or drizzled on those quinoa bowls that are so popular with vegans.

This recipe for creamy vegan chipotle sauce is the perfect combination of spicy chipotle, almonds, and a hint of lemon.

The Recipe: Creamy Vegan Chipotle Sauce

This sauce is truly unbelievable. Who would of thought that a couple of ingredients could make a delicious vegan cream sauce. Chipotles en adobo are a canned product that can be found in the Mexican aisle of the grocery store. Enjoy!

Print

Creamy Vegan Chipotle Sauce

Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Almonds, whole, raw
  • 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil (optional) see note
  • 1 Chipotle pepper in adobo (only 1 pepper)
  • 1 Garlic, clove
  • 3/4 cup Water
  • 1 tbsp. Lemon juice, fresh

Preparation

  1. Put all ingredients in the blender and blend on high until smooth.

Chef's Notes

* If you would like to make this without oil, substitute it with unsweetened almond milk.

 

 

 

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Salsa Molcajeteada

It seems every time I go home I see Mexico in a different light. Last time it was Christmas and everything seemed so beautiful under the twinkling lights, our traditions so rich, and our heritage great. This time, under the sweltering heat of summer things seemed a bit more bleak. Nevertheless, the company and the food were as good as always.

I’m from a small border town in Mexico called Acuña. [I have written about it in previous posts.] I try to visit as often as I can, but this year for some deranged reason I decided to go in August. Due to the 106F weather, going around town delighting in street food was not at the top of my list of priorities. Instead I ate at the family restaurant as often as I could, where there was air conditioning and delicious free food. What else could a girl ask for?  However i did manage to visit a couple of street vendors before the trip was over.

My first stop was at Chilakas Burger. (Yes, Mexicans eat burgers too!) Their signature sauce is made from chile chilaca, which is a mildly spicy green pepper. The chile sauce and the mashed avocado smeared on the bun, gave the burger a unique Mexican touch.

Next I stopped at Helados Aguirre for a mango popsicle. This was not an ordinary mango popsicle, it had mango, chamoy, lime juice, and a touch of cucumber. It was cold, sweet, tart, and a bit salty. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. What amazes me the most about this place is the variety of flavors that they offer and the way they use fresh fruit in their preparation. Some of their flavors include coconut, tamarind, rice pudding, banana, cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple, and strawberry.

I made a quick stop at Loncheria el Lechon which serves roast pork sandwiches with avocado, onion, mayo, mustard, pickled jalapeños, and tomato.

Finally after a long hot day what could be better than a yuki? Yuki is just another word for snow cone or shaved ice. I really enjoy this particular stand, because they use fresh fruit to make their syrups. My favorite is the tamarind yuki topped with lime juice and chile powder.

So there you have it, another trip to my hometown described mostly in food. This time around I tried to savor the small details of the trip, like the smell of chiles roasting on the comal (cast iron griddle), the joy felt when Mexico won the gold medal in soccer at the Olympics, kids having fun in the sun, and honestly just relaxing. It was nice to be able to take a break from the routine, spend time with loved ones, and eat.

making salsa

The Recipe: Salsa Molcajeteada

This salsa molcajeteada combines pan roasted tomatoes, garlic, and peppers to make a spicy and hearty salsa. They are pureed in a molcajete.

Print

Salsa Molcajeteada

Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 cups
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 5 Plum tomatoes, small
  • 1 Beefsteak, tomato
  • 1/2 Banana pepper chile güero
  • 1/2 Chilaca pepper
  • 3 Serrano Peppers
  • 1/2 Poblano Pepper
  • 3 Jalapeños
  • 1 Garlic cloves

Preparation

  1. Heat a griddle or cast iron pan to high heat. Place all of the peppers, tomatoes, and garlic on griddle until they become soft and slightly blackened, about 7-10 min.

  2. Flip peppers, tomatoes, and garlic and continue to char for another 5- 7 minutes.

  3. Remove ingredients from griddle and set aside. Peel most of the dark burnt skin off of the tomatoes and chiles. You can leave a little bit for the smoky flavor.

  4. Start grinding ingredients in molcajete one at a time. Once the desired consistency is reached, add the next ingredient and keep grinding. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

  5. If you do not have a molcajete you can use a blender or food processor. Simply place all the cooked ingredients in the machine and pulse until the desired consistency is reached. I prefer it on the chunky side.

Chef's Notes

Polita has been working for my parents for years. In fact, she was my nanny for some time. This is her recipe, and she likes her salsas hot so be careful!

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Chile de Arbol Salsa

conos de cajeta

         I’m beginning to think maybe I should call this a Mexican food blog. It’s my last couple of days in Mexico and I’m sad to leave, but sooo looking forward to Cali. Everytime I come home I try to eat a little bit of everything, like the tacos al pastor they sell on the corner in front of Merco (a grocery store), the yukis (shaved ice) in front of the car wash on Hidalgo street, the mangonadas (mango and chile popsicles) at the Paleteria Aguirre (ice cream shop), and the elote en vaso (steamed mexican corn served with a chile mix, crema, butter, lime juice, and cheese), they sell outside of the Narvaez Hospital. Well, you get my point, I could go on and on. It’s not a coincidence that all the foods I just named are street foods, street food is king in Mexico. In fact, some of the best food in Mexico is street food. Of course there are nice restaurants, cafe’s, and taquerias (taco shops), but there’s just something about simple, hot, just made, delicious food, that’s hard to resist. It’s the ultimate non-processed fast food.

Mexican corn

Food truck assembling my corn deliciousness

 

Chicharrones

Once I leave Mexico, it seems that I spend the rest of the year, in my kitchen, trying to recreate every Mexican dish possible. This week’s recipe is a simple salsa and a couple of cocktails. Chips and salsa in Mexico are not quite like chips and salsa in the U.S. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like both versions, but they’re just different. You can make your own authentic chips and salsa in less than 20 min. or as they’re called in Mexico: totopos con salsa.

Fruit cups sold on the street.

Sweet potato candy

 

Man in crutches pushing and ice cream cart

 

Carnitas sold by the kilo

For the chips, buy a pack of corn tortillas, not the frozen ones please, and cut into quarters. Fry them in 350F oil until golden brown. Remove the chips from the oil and sprinkle them with salt.

chile de arbol salsa

The Recipe: Chile de Arbol Salsa

chile de arbol salsa
Print

Chile de Arbol Salsa

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Author Dora Stone

Ingredients

  • 8 Tomatillo, husks removed
  • 3 Garlic, cloves, unpeeled
  • 1/2 oz (3/4 cup) Chile de Arbol
  • 1/2 Onion. white chopped
  • 2 tbsp. Cilantro, chopped

Preparation

  1. Heat cast iron pan or griddle to high heat. Place tomatillos and garlic cloves in pan. Let the tomatillo’s skin burn and blacken on all sides. The garlic needs to be only lightly toasted on each side, about 1 -2 min.
  2. Remove garlic from pan, peel, and set aside.
  3. Once the tomatillos are soft and mostly black, remove them from pan and place in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 min.
  4. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a small sauce pan.
  5. Remove the stem and seeds from the chiles. Place them in the pot of boiling water and simmer from 5 to 7 minutes or until chiles are soft.
  6. Drain the chiles from the water.
  7. Place the tomatillos in the blender with the garlic, onion, cilantro, and chile de arbol. Blend, season, and add water is necessary to thin out sauce.

Chef's Notes

As an alternative you can place the tomatillos under the broiler in your oven for 15 to 20 min. until blackened and soft all over.

 

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