Blog / 2 min read

This salsa has a sweeter tone than other chili salsas. Use this salsa to accompany fish, shellfish or any of your favorite tacos or totopos!

 Ingredients:

2 Casa Mexicana Pasilla chiles

2 tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove

1/2 onion

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Start by cleaning and removing the chile seeds.
2. In a pan, start the tatemado process by adding the pasilla chiles first until they’re becoming aromatic about 2 minutes, remove the chiles set them aside, chop the onion in four and add to the pan with the tomatoes and the garlic for about 8 minutes. Move constantly, every 40-60 seconds to avoid burning, we want to achieve a nice char on the vegetables.
3. Once the tatemado is ready, add all the ingredients to the molcajete or food processer/blender. For a classic chunky consistency pulse for less than 3 seconds three times. For a smooth consistency allow food processer to work for at least 30 seconds continuously. Your first salsa is ready to serve!

Are you tired of the same old, dry turkey every Christmas? Our Mexican twist on the classic will have you making this turkey year round!

What does Christmas mean to you? Absolutely and under all circumstances for us at Casa Mexico it means food!

In Mexico we have our pre Christmas food, our post Christmas food, we even have a whole Marathon of celebrations and of course more eating named Guadalupe-Reyes all with its own dishes and traditions. So let's get started with the best of Mexican Christmas foods that will inspire you to start cooking!

Tamales

As if we already don't spoil each other enough during Christmas, the wonderful cooks in our families also make edible little gift wrapped food, parcels of joy called Tamales. Depending on the region in Mexico you will find different kinds, for example the south will have theirs wrapped in banana leaves because of their abundance in their tropical climate, the north will have more meat based tamales wrapped in corn husk but all made with the spongiest tamal masa that melts in your mouth. My favorites would have to be the chicken in mole and the pork in salsa verde, see the recipes and ingredients available here!

Pozole

A Pozole is a hearty soup that warms your innards and perhaps your frozen cold heart into loving the Christmas spirit. This very special dish is the king of the plates served during this season, wether it be made of chicken, pork or vegetarian, it can't be served without its Mexican oregano, tostadas, radish, onion and accompanying chili oils, see the recipe and ingredients needed here!

Los Romeritos

Romeritos is a traditional dish from Central Mexico, a romerito is a tender sprig of the sepweed boiled and served with a dark mole sauce, this can be served with potatoes, shrimp or nopales (cactus paddle). The story of the romeritos is a special one with a beginning with the Aztecs, which used to eat them mixed with a small egg variety called ahuautles, which curiously have a very similar taste to the shrimp. During colonization this ingredient formed part of the gastronomy of the convents, one of the reasons why it is eaten during Christmas is because like during Lent it wasn't customary to eat meats during Christmas, resulting in the Romeritos staying in our holiday table! See the recipe and ingredients needed here!

Atoles

Of course our Christmas would not be complete without it's own special drinks, an atole is a thick corn based drink that can be spiced with cinnamon, chocolate, or seasonal fruits like tamarind and guayaba. See the recipe and ingredients needed here!

El Turkey

Yes we also have a turkey or huajolote at the table, but being Mexican and lovers of spice we have beautiful preparations and presentations to the sometimes boring, mostly dry regular Christmas turkey. Have you ever heard of a tequila - Guajillo chili - apricot glazed turkey for Christmas? or a Turkey al Adobo? We have endless ways to make our turkey more exciting, see the recipes and ingredients available here!

Since viceregal times, in New Spain milk sweets based on the Iberian tradition have been made. This was thanks to the easy adaptation and proliferation of goats and the difficult coupling of cattle.

At first, it was in the "Bajío" region, as well as in the old "Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Celaya" that the use of goat's milk was substituted in the original recipes that were based on cow's milk. This resulted in a recipe and a different sweet that acquired the name "cajeta" due to the wooden boxes in which it was originally stored.

"Mexico is the only place in the world where there is cajeta made with goat's milk."

Since you are crazy for Salsa Verde and tomatillo, I thought we should share an easy favorite of chicken in green sauce recipe. Tomatillo the base of Salsa Verde is such an intoxicating flavor that we completely understand the obsession and why it's selling out as quickly as we can restock it!

In this recipe, traditional Bloody Mary (made with vodka) meets tequila. That single change in the recipe makes a whole difference in the flavor. Unlike vodka, which gets lost in this heavily flavored, spicy drink, the tequila in the background stands out. It adds a smoky earthiness that can only be found in tequila.

Though it shares a name with a Spanish dish, it is nothing like the Spanish tomato soup we generally associate with the term gazpacho.

Morelia is the capital city of Michoacán, a central Pacific state in Mexico, where this delicacy was developed.

Gazpacho, like other fruit salads, is a common street food consisting of a mix of different fruits, hot sauce and chili powder. When the sun out and it is hot outside, your mouth is going to crave this, so please give it a try!

Serving: 2

Hot level: Low

Ingredients:

1 cup diced pineapple

1 cup diced cucumber

1 cup diced mango

1 cup diced jicama (jacatupé)

1 ½ cup fresh orange juice

Tajin Chili Powder

Instructions:

** Chef's Tip: Jacatupé or jícama is a crispy and sweet edible root, similar to the turnip. It is originally from Mexico. It has a paper-like skin and a whitish interior with a texture similar to that of a potato or raw pear. It tastes a little like green apple. You can find it at international markets that sell exotic roots in Europe. Alternately, if you cannot find jícama you can simply skip this ingredient in the recipe and still enjoy a delicious fruit salad that is worth trying any season.

Last summer we had a fun pop up idea for a fresh Mexican food concept from Baja California called Lola's Baja Cuisine, just amazing food from our home state, we served fresh ceviches, aguachiles, tostadas, baja fish tacos and even Puerto Nuevo style lobster! Recipes for all that coming soon! but one of the standouts was definitely the Spicy Paloma that kept our friends coming back for more!

Have you ever heard of a crunchy, sweet, buttery dessert called Buñuelos? Well you are in luck because at Casa Mexico we are in the Christmas spirit and that means rolling out the dough and making buñuelos!

Pibil is such a mouth watering word for us Mexicans, we immediately transport ourselves to the beautiful Yucatán Peninsula, where this dish originated, also one of Mexico's most important cuisines, known for its assertive, pungent flavors. Pibil traditionally involves centuries-old traditional methods of cooking which include digging underground pits known as pib in the Mayan language, and burying a full pig wrapped in layers and layers of banana leaves, spices and achiote paste goodness.

Unfortunately we don't all have the privilege of being in the beaches of the Yucatan enjoying a traditionally made pibil, but we do have most everything we need for this Pibil Rapidín recipe below, it can be made with any regular chicken as well as with turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 5 people

1/4 red onion

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/3 tsp kosher or sea salt

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons canola or sunflower oil

1/4 cup grapefruit juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup cane sugar vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons achiote paste

6 cups cooked shredded chicken, leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken

Picked Purple Onions with cane sugar vinegar (for serving)

Shredded Cabbage (for serving)

Warmed Komali Tortillas (for serving)

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. Line small baking sheet or roasting pan with foil and place the tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves on the foil, set the broiler, 3 to 4 inches from the heat, broil for 4-5 minutes, until charred on one side. Flip over and broil for another 4-5 minutes, until the skin is blistered and completely charred; the tomatoes should be very soft with the juices beginning to seep out. Remove from the heat.

2. Once everything is cool to handle, quarter the tomatoes and place in a blender, with the juices in the pan. Peel the garlic cloves and add to blender, add the onion, salt and 1 cup of the broth, puree until smooth.

3. In a casserole or soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Pour in the puree, stir occasionally for 7-8 min, until it thickens and darkens considerably.

4. Meanwhile, combine grapefruit, orange and lime juice with vinegar, oregano, allspice, cumin, pepper to taste, achiote paste, and remaining 1 cup of broth in the blender and puree until smooth.

5. Stir the juice mixture into the tomato sauce, bring to a simmer for 5 min

6. Add the chicken, stir together and cook uncover until the meat has absorbed most of the sauce about 5 min, the dish should be very moist but not soupy.

7. Serve the Pibil with a side of lime, pickled purple onions and cabbage, make into tacos, or serve with rice or for quesadillas with our homemade flour tortillas!

Recipe Courtesy of “Mexican Today” Cookbook.

*All products available for purchase are tagged in the recipe.

#PibilRapidito #LeftoverIdeas #Everythingbutthekitchensink #EasyRecipes #RecipeoftheWeek

Rompope is a custardy mixture of eggs, milk, sugar and alcohol (usually a sugarcane alcohol or rum), basically the Mexican equivalent of the American eggnog but better!

The most famous Rompope is made by the nuns or monjas of the Santa Clara Convent in Puebla, because in addition to evangelizing the local population, nuns in convents all over Mexico made the most delicious sweets, mixing European techniques with Mexican ingredients. Convent kitchens were bustling with activity the nuns usually competed with one another for culinary prestige!

As we are in the festive spirit, we hope you enjoy your drink with history!

Ingredients

Serves 10 to 12

6 cups of milk

3 whole cloves

1 stick of cinnamon

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1 tsp Mexican vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/3 cup sugar

12 large egg yolks

3/4 pure sugarcane alcohol like rum, cachaça, brandy or grog to taste

Directions

Combine the milk, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and baking soda in a large saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 - 20 min. Remove from heat, add the sugar but don't stir, allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes.

These beer-battered fish tacos are served just how we remember them from childhood, with the tangy crema, vinegary jalapeños and amazing tortillas it will immediately transport you to the magical beaches of my dearest Baja.

For the recipe you can use any type of white flaky fish, cod stands up well to frying but halibut is our favorite. You can also try it with shrimp! For vegetarians you can also replace this with banana blossom or jackfruit which are known to be the best options for replacing fish in this occasion.