Just the Recipes

Alright, last night this year for Cinco de Mayo talk. Below are most of the recipes from Saturday’s mini shindig. Not included, already in my archives, are the Mexican Wedding Cakes and the Guacamole. If you only make one recipe, go for the Mexican Roast Chicken. You won’t be disappointed.

Juicy Margaritas
Recipe courtesy of Food & Wine magazine

ingredients
1 cup tequila (preferably 100% blue agave)
1/2 cup Cointreau
1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup superfine sugar
4 teaspoons honey, warmed

Combine all of the ingredients in a large pitcher and stir to dissolve the sugar. Refrigerate until chilled or serve immediately over cracked ice.

NOTES Cooking Club Tip: To be called tequila, the liquor must be made from at least 51% blue agave, a Mexican succulent plant. It can then be combined with liquor distilled from sugar cane or other raw materials. The finest tequila is distilled from 100 percent blue agave and categorized by how long it’s aged. Plata tequila, also known as white or silver, isn’t aged at all, and its clean, peppery flavor is ideal in margaritas. Reposado tequila is aged in oak for between 2 and 11 months, so it’s mellower and sweeter. Añejo tequila, the most refined, is aged for at least 1 year in oak, making for a smooth, aromatic tequila that’s best served neat, like good whisky or brandy.

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
Recipe courtesy of Food & Wine magazine
TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN
SERVES: 4

ingredients
1 1/4 pounds shelled and deveined medium shrimp
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons drained prepared horseradish
1 large Hass avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

directions
In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the shrimp for 1 minute, or until they are opaque throughout. Drain the shrimp and spread them on a baking sheet. Let the shrimp cool in the refrigerator, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the ketchup with the cilantro and horseradish. Fold in the cooled shrimp and the avocado and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the shrimp cocktail to bowls and serve right away. SERVE WITH Tortilla chips and fresh lime wedges.

(Cate’s Notes: To save time, we bought cooked shrimp. Instead of mixing everything together, we kept the shrimp separate, and mixed everything else, using it as a chunky dipping sauce.)

Kahlua Flan
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Viva Mexico

3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
Mexican chocolate shavings and cocoa powder, garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat until it starts to melt. Lower the heat and cook until caramelized to a golden brown. (Do not stir or touch the sugar, but swirl the pan to melt evenly.)

Pour into a metal flan mold or 9-inch cake pan. Turn the dish and swirl to evenly coat the bottom. Let caramel cool and harden.

Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the condensed and evaporated milks and Kahlua and whisk well to blend. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until set and just firm in the center but still jiggles slightly, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

To serve, run a thin sharp knife around the rim of the flan. Place a platter or large plate on top of the flan and gently flip over so the plate is on the bottom. Lift away the mold. Garnish with powdered cocoa and top with Mexican chocolate shavings.

Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Green Chile Bites
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light Bulletin Board

8 ounces can whole green chiles
10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3 eggs, beaten
1 Tablespoon prepared mustard
dash Worcestershire sauce
dash hot pepper sauce
paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×9″ pan. Remove seeds from green chiles, rinse and drain well. Mix cheese, egg, mustard, Worcestershire and hot pepper sauce. Mixture will be thick.

Line pan with green chiles. Spread cheese mixture over the top. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake 25 mintues. Cut into small squares and serve hot.

Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salad
Recipe courtesy of Blue Mesa Grill
A great side dish to eat with tacos, burritos or with grilled steak, pork or chicken.

Serves 6

4-5 ears corn on the cob
4-5 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 – 14 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced red onion
1 cup diced jicama
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 4 limes
1 TB. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Preheat outdoor grill. Remove husks from corn, rub with small amount of vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 8-10 minutes turning frequently. Remove from heat and let cool. Cut roasted kernels off the cobs using a sharp knife. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Mexican Roast Chicken with Olive Salsa
Recipe courtesy of Lindsay Olive Company

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
1 (5 to 6 lb.) roasting chicken
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 cup sliced Lindsay(R) Black Ripe Pitted Olives or Lindsay(R) Stuffed Manzanilla Olives, or a combination
1 cup chunky salsa
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or green onions

Heat oven to 400oF. Rub oil over chicken; sprinkle chili powder, cumin and garlic salt evenly over chicken. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast in oven 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until internal temperature of thigh reaches 160oF and juices run clear.

Meanwhile, for olive salsa, combine olives, salsa and cilantro. Transfer chicken to carving board. Tent with foil; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Carve chicken into pieces. Transfer 4 servings (4 pieces) to serving plates; serve with 1 cup of the olive mixture. Refrigerate remaining chicken and olive salsa mixture up to 4 days for Easy Chicken Tacos. Makes 4 servings plus leftovers.

Mexican Rice III
Recipe courtesy of AllRecipes

“This is an excellent authentic Mexican rice recipe (not to be confused with Spanish rice) that I make as a side dish with all of my Mexican dishes. The key is cooking the rice properly and using good quality chicken broth or stock.”

6 servings

1 cup long grain white rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used a little more)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped (I skipped)
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cube chicken bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, halved

In a medium sauce pan, cook rice in oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Stir in onion, green pepper, jalapeno, and diced tomato. Season with bouillon cube, salt and pepper, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.