Pozole Verde

Pozole Verde

Feeds 4-6

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs tomatillos, husk removed and rinsed

• 1 bunch cilantro, plus more to garnish if desired

• 1/4 cup toasted pepitas

• 1-3 serrano chiles

• 6-10 cloves of garlic

• 3 lbs bone in chicken thighs and legs

• one 30oz can of maiz pozolero (white hominy), rinsed

• 3-4 white onions, quartered

to serve

• sliced radish

• diced white onion

• sliced serrano pepper

• limes

• dried oregano

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

• cilantro stems

Process

• Add rinsed hominy, chicken, chopped onions, and 1/2 bunch of cilantro to a large stock pot. Cover with water, season generously with salt and cook for about 1 hour or until chicken is completely cooked and easily shreds off the bone with a fork.

• While the chicken is cooking prepare the salsa. Add 1.5 lbs of washed, chopped tomatillos, 1/2 bunch of cilantro, 1/4 cup pepitas, 1-3 serrano chiles, 1 chopped onion, 6-10 cloves of garlic, salt to taste, 1-2 cup water to a blender (blend in batches if necessary to not overload the blender).

• Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large pan and fry the blended salsa for 15-20 minutes or until the salsa has darkened in color. Taste for seasoning and adjust if desired.

• Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the salsa into a bowl and set aside.

• Remove cooked chicken and shred the meat with two forks. Strain stock into a clean bowl, reserving the hominy and removing the onions and cilantro. Return reserved liquid to the stock pot along with the strained salsa, shredded chicken meat, and hominy. Continue cooking at low heat for an additional 10 minutes to meld flavors together.

• Serve in bowls and top with desired garnishes.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Even if you say you hate it, you love it: Pumpkin Spice. Pumpkin Spice is just warm, fall spices so honestly what’s not to love? I made a version of this recipe back in the very early days of this blog in 2016 but have reinvented it here. I’ve simplified and adjusted the recipe to make it more approachable, have more uses, and last longer after it’s made. You can add this syrup to your coffee, oatmeal, baked goods, or anything else you want to add a little fall flavor to. Let me know how you like it!

Pumpkin spice syrup

makes about 1 1/2 cups of syrup

ingredients

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

• 1 tsp whole cloves

• 1tsp all spice

• 1/2 cinnamon stick (or a few large pieces)

• 2 cups water

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup piloncillo (or brown sugar)

Process

Toast all spices in a dry pan over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside. Spices can be ground in a spice grinder if you want to use them in other dry applications, otherwise this step is not necessary.

Add water to the same pan and bring to a boil. Add sugars, reduce heat to a simmer, and stir occasionally until dissolved.

Add all toasted spices (or 1 tablespoon of the ground spice blend) to the syrup and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Strain out the mixture with a sieve or a coffee filter and discard solids. Syrup will keep in an air tight bottle for several months. If you would like a thicker syrup you can simmer the liquid until reduced by half.

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

In this video I show you how to make a simple, yet elegant dish: mussels in white wine sauce. I love this dish because you make it all in one pot (easy clean up) and with the cooler months at our doorstep the warm broth is satisfying yet light. Watch the video below for step by step instructions.

Mussels in white wine

Feeds 2-4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs mussels

• 1 bunch fresh parsley + sage

• 3-5 gloves fresh garlic, chopped

• Olive oil

• 2 tbs butted (optional)

• 1 cup white wine

• Salt to taste

Process

Chop herbs and clean mussels then set both aside, be careful not to cover the mussels as they need to breathe.

Add about 1/4 cup of olive oil or enough to cover the bottom of your pan and heat on medium high. Add butter if desired for a creamier, smoother broth.

Add chopped garlic and cook until golden brown (this happens very quickly so don’t go anywhere).

Add white wine, and then mussels. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until all mussels have opened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Any mussels that do not open up should be discarded and not eaten.

Toss in chopped herbs and serve with a toasted baguette.

Flan

This recipe is a variation of a flan that I often make for friends and family year round. A lot of people have had flan made from instant flan mixes or that use gelatin and dislike the texture. This flan has a much creamier texture and is always a crowd-pleaser.

Apron courtesy of Labarrère Mexico City

Ingredients

• 6 eggs

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 can evaporated milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp whiskey

• ½ cup sugar

PROCESS

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place ½ cup sugar into a 9in round aluminum baking pan and set aside. Add remaining ingredients into a large bowl and beat with a whisk or electric mixer until fully combined into a homogeneous mixture. Place the aluminum baking pan with sugar directly onto the stove over medium-low heat and carefully rotate the pan as needed until sugar melts and caramelizes, turning a deep golden brown color. Be careful not to overheat the sugar as it can burn easily. Remove from heat and add the mixture. You will hear the sugar crack as it cools upon contact with the cold liquid. Cover the top of the baking pan with aluminum foil and place onto a baking sheet. Add enough hot water to the baking sheet to create a shallow water bath around the pan. Carefully place the baking sheet and pan into the oven and bake at 350ºF for 60 minutes or until set, rotating the pan after the first 35 minutes. Jiggling the pan slightly, the flan should wiggle freely but hold its shape. You can also insert a thin blade into the center of the flan, if it comes out clean it’s ready to come out. Remove the pan from the sheet tray and allow to cool at room temperature for at least one hour. Once cool, run a thin blade or spatula around the side of the flan to loosen it from the pan. Place a large plate on top of the pan and quickly turn the pan upside down. Drizzle any remaining caramel on top. Serve immediately at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator for an additional hour. Flan can be made one day ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. NOTE: In the video you will see me place the baking pan on an induction burner, it will actually not work with induction because it is aluminum so I had to use the glass top stove.

Dalgona Cappuccino

The second of a series of cooking videos from my home while under quarantine. The audio was kept raw as I find the sounds of a kitchen relaxing, soothing, and familiar. My take on the dalgona (whipped coffee) trend. Since I'm not a big fan of iced coffee I wanted to keep this beverage hot and decided to go the cappuccino route replacing the ice and cold milk with frothy, steamed milk. If you don't have an espresso machine you can easily heat the milk on the stove.

All aprons worn in this video series are courtesy @_labarrere_ Mexico City.

Ingredients

• 1 packet Nescafé Clásico instant coffee

• 1/3 cup hot water

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 6 oz milk

Process

Combine instant coffee, sugar, hot water, and vanilla extract into a bowl and whisk vigorously until light and foamy. Steam milk with your espresso machine creating a decent amount of foam. Add warmed milk to your mug and top with coffee mixture.

Gambas al Ajillo

Gambas al Ajillo is a Spanish style garlic shrimp, usually treated as a tapa, you can also serve it as a standalone dish.

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• ½ lb shrimp

• 5 cloves garlic

• ¼ white wine

• ¼ tsp (or ⅛ tsp depending on desired spice level) Cayenne pepper 

• ½ tsp paprika or pimentón

• 2 tsp dried parsley

• 1 tsp red peppercorns or red pepper flakes

• 1 lemon to serve

• Bread to serve

PROCESS

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact and setting the peels aside. Season the raw shrimp with salt and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Thinly slice the garlic cloves and set aside.

Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When the oil “shimmers” it is ready to go. Note: If it starts to smoke, it is too hot. Turn down heat and add a splash of oil to cool it down. 

Add the shrimp peels and garlic to the oil and stir occasionally until the garlic starts to turn brown (it will go quickly so stay close!). 

Remove the shrimp peels and discard. Add all the spices to the pan, stirring rapidly to incorporate into all the oil and release the aromatics. 

Add the shrimp and white wine and cook until opaque and slightly firm (about 1-3 minutes). Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a crusty bread to sop up all the sauce.