Carrot Cake Capirotada {Bread Pudding}

Last Wednesday, marked the beginning of Cuaresma (Lent).   For those of us in Mexico, Cuaresma means two things: Meat-Free Fridays and Capirotada.

Capirotada is a traditional Mexican bread pudding made with sliced bolillo rolls, raisins, peanuts, cheese and a piloncillo syrup seasoned with cinnamon and clove.  My suegra (mother-in-law) makes a big batch of Capirotada every Friday during Lent to share with the entire family.  Every time Doña Esperanza delivers a piping hot bowl of her sweet Capritoada, I am reminded of when my grandparents used to make their Capirotadas to share with family and friends. 

Gramm's Capirotada was more along the lines of the classic American bread pudding using white sandwich bread, and baked in an egg and milk custard.  Pappy, on the other hand, prepared what I liked to call Kitchen Sink Capirotada. Pappy threw in everything he could get his hands on, except the kitchen sink.  He'd add raisins, orejones (dried apple slices), sliced bananas, crushed pineapple, coconut, shredded carrots, pecans, peanuts, cheese...  If it was in our pantry or fridge, it was going in the Capirotada.  The piloncillo syrup that the Capirotada was baked in was similar to what my suegra makes, except sometimes Pappy would add a little brandy or red wine para que le de un toque especial (to give it a special touch).

My Capirotada is a combination of the two Capirotadas I grew up eating.  I don't add as many ingredients to one Capirotada as my grandpa did, but all of those ingredient can be combined in different ways to make a unique and delicious Capirotada.  Carrot Cake Capirotada is what I make most often, but I also love the Banana Nut Bread and Apple Spice variations.



Carrot Cake Capirotada

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 bolillo rolls
• 2 cups shredded carrot
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• A pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Slice the bolillo rolls into 1-inch cubes.  You'll need about 6 cups of bread cubes.



Place the bolillo cubes in a generously greased baking dish.  Stir in the shredded carrot, the chopped pecans, and the raisins.  (You can also add a small can of crushed pineapple, drained, and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut.) 



In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, evaporated milk, regular milk, sugars, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.



Pour the milk mixture over the bread cubes.



Gently press down on the bread so that every piece can soak up the milk mixture.  Bake uncovered in a baño Maria (water bath or bain Marie) for about 45 minutes.  (For the water bath: Place the baking dish inside a large baking pan and fill the larger pan with about 1-inch of boiling water.)



Remove the capirotada from the oven and let cool slightly.  Prepare the Cream Cheese Glaze by combining the cream cheese with the powdered sugar with an electric mixer.  Stir in enough milk, one teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency.  Drizzle Cream Cheese Glaze over the capirotada.



Enjoy!!!



*Variations:  For Banana Nut Bread Capirotada, substitute 3 or 4 sliced bananas for the carrots.  The Cream Cheese Glaze is optional or just sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.  For an Apple Spice Capirotada, susbstitute 2 cups of chopped Granny Smith apples for the carrots, and 1 cup of walnuts for the pecans.  Omit the Cream Cheese Glaze.  Drizzle a little maple syrup over the top after it comes out of the oven. 



For more recipes to enjoy during Cuaresma, check out The Lent Club hosted by Presley's Pantry.

Horchata de Coco {Coconut Horchata}

I really wish I had taken time out from enjoying my tamales on El Dia de la Candelaria (Candlemas) and paid a little more attention to whether or not Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow on Groundhog's Day.  I don't think I can take much more of this cold, gray and rainy winter weather we've been having these past two weeks.  I know two weeks of 40 degree temperatures and scattered rain showers isn't really cause for complaint, but this unseasonable weather really has this California girl craving for a little sunshine.

Since I can't control the weather and make the sunshine come to me, I had to make something that would remind me of warm, sunny weather.  Enter Horchata de Coco!  Whenever I drink this creamy, coconut agua fresca, I feel like I should be relaxing on a tropical beach somewhere, soaking in the sun, listening to the waves crash upon the sand.  Throw in a couple of palm trees and a good book and all that's missing is a cute little umbrella in my drink to complete my summer fantasy.   (Sigh!) 



Horchata de Coco

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup sweetened coconut, shredded or flaked
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

In a small saucepan, simmer the milk and coconut over low heat for about 5 minutes or until very warm.  Be sure to stir constantly, otherwise the coconut will settle on the bottom and start to burn.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In a blender, puree the cooled milk and coconut until smooth.  Strain into a 2-quart pitcher.  Fill the pitcher with water and sweeten with sugar.  Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.  

Serve over ice or refrigerate until ready to serve.  Enjoy!!!  *For a grown-up version, pour a shot (or two) of rum into each glass before serving. 

How's winter treating you?  Are you ready for warmer weather?

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make Tamales de Puerco {She Made/Ella Hace}

Today, on this the second day of February, I have a very special treat for you!  It's Dia de la Candelaria (Candlemas).  In the Catholic faith, it's a Feast Day to celebrate the day that Mary presented Jesus in the temple.  It's also the day the person that found El Niño Dios (Baby Jesus) in La Rosca de Reyes to make the tamales.  And that's exactly what Girlichef and I are making this month for She Made / Ella Hace.

I can't think of a better tamal recipe to share with you than my grandmother's delicious shredded pork tamales.  Tender pieces of shredded pork in a spicy chile colorado sauce tucked inside a soft and billowy corn masa (dough).  And hidden inside each tamal, was Gramm's secret weapon ingredient...Black Olives.  Gramm had to fight me for the olives, because I was always putting the olives on my fingertips.

I knew that making Gramm's tamales would bring back a lot of happy childhood memories of watching her and Pappy assemble the dozens of tamales to be shared with family and friends.  My kitchen felt so warm and comforting as the tamales simmered away on the stove.  It felt and smelled exactly like my grandmother's cozy little kitchen.   I slid down to sit on the floor, just so I could bask in the familiar aroma for a few more minutes before the kiddies came home from school.  I closed my eyes, wishing I could hear my grandparents laughing and joking as they worked.  And that's when the tears rolled down my face.  Happy tears.  Yes, I miss my grandparents dearly and I'm still mourning the loss of my beloved grandmother, but I found comfort in realizing that I am keeping their memory alive by sharing and passing on these traditions to my children.  And hopefully one day, they'll share these same traditions with their families.

Tamales de Puerco con Chile Colorado
(Shredded Pork Chile Colorado Tamales)

Meat Filling:

• 2 pounds pierna de cerdo (you can use pork rump or shoulder roast) 
• 1 medium onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 dried ancho chilies
• 2 dried guajillo chilies
• 1 cup pork or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Masa (Tamale Dough):

• 4 cups masa harina (I use regular Maseca) 
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup manteca (lard) or shortening
• 3 cups pork or chicken broth

Additional Ingredients:

• 24 large dried corn husks
• 1 to 2 cans whole black olives, pitted

Preparing the Meat Filling:
Making tamales can be a little time consuming.  So to make it an easier and more pleasant experience, I like to prepare the meat filling a day or two in advance.

Cut the pork meat into about 4 large pieces, so that the meat cooks evenly.  Place the pork meat in a 4-quart pot with the medium onion and two garlic cloves; season with salt and pepper.  Fill the pot with enough water to cover the pork meat, about 6 to 8 cups.   Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer until the meat is completely cooked and very tender.

I used 3 small onions, because that's what I had on hand. 

Let the cooked pork meat cool slightly before shredding it.  Reserve the pork broth for making the masa (dough).  (If you're going to prepare the meat filling in advance, refrigerate the pork broth and reheat it just before starting to make your masa.) 

While the meat is cooking, cook the dried ancho and guajillo chilies in 2 cups of water.  Let cool slightly, then remove the stems and seeds.  Puree the chilies, 1 clove of garlic, the chili powder, and ground cumin with 1 cup of the water the chilies were cooked in and 1 cup of pork broth until smooth.  Pour the chile puree over the shredded pork and mix until well combined.

 Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preparing the Hojas (corn husks):
In a large bowl, cover the corn husks with boiling water.  Cover and let set for about an hour or until the corn husks are soft and pliable.

Rinse the corn husks with cold water to remove any dirt and residue.  Pat the corn husks with a kitchen towel until completely dry.  (Masa doesn't stick to wet corn husks.)

Making the Masa:
In a medium bowl, combine the masa harina, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the lard with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.  (Light and fluffy manteca makes for light and fluffy tamales.)

With your electric mixer still on medium-high, beat in the masa harina, one cup at a time until no dry bits of masa harina are visible.  (Mixture will be grainy.)   Reduce the electric mixer speed to low and stir in 3 cups of very warm pork broth until it has all been absorbed.   Using your hands, press the mixture together to form a dough.

Now let's make some tamales! 
Spoon about 1/4 cup of masa (dough) onto each corn husk.  You could spread the masa with a spoon, but I think it's much easier to flatten it with your fingertips.  A good rule of thumb is to flatten the masa to about a 1/4-inch thickness across two-thirds of the corn husk, leaving a 1/4-inch space on one side and the top, and about a 3-inch space at the bottom.

Spoon a couple tablespoons of the meat filling down the center of the masa and top with 2 to 3 black olives.  (This is when Gramm would say, "Don't be stingy with the filling, no las estasmos haciendo para vender!") (Translation: We're not making them to sell!)  

Starting at the 1/4-inch edge, gently fold your tamal in thirds, then tuck in the ends.  (This is the easiest way to wrap tamales. The process will get easier with each tamal you make.  Practice makes perfect!)  Place the tamales seam-side down on a large plate, until you've finished  with all of the tamales.

Fill the bottom of an 8 to 10-quart tamale steamer (or larger if you are doubling the recipe) just to the bottom of the ridge where the steamer insert rests.  Place the insert inside the tamale steamer and arrange the tamales loosely so the steam can circulate.  Cover and cook over high heat for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer for 45 minute to an hour.  (If you don't own a tamale steamer, don't worry.  My grandmother cooked her tamales in a large roasting pan on the stove with enough water that covered the tamales about 1/3 of the way.)  

For a complete meal, serve with Mexican Rice , Refried Beans, and a delicious Atole.  (And remember to remove the corn husks from the tamales before eating them.)  Enjoy!!!  (Yields 18 to 24 tamales) 

Now head on over to Girlichef's to check out her recipe for sweet Tamales de Fresa!  

Food of the Month: February

Being that February is known here in Mexico as el mes del amor (the month of love), I've chosen an ingredient that is synonymous with love and Valentine's Day...Chocolate! 

Photo Credit 

Sinfully delicious chocolate, in all it's glorious forms.  Dark Chocolate.  Milk Chocolate.  Bittersweet.  Semi-sweet.  Chocolate Chips.  White Chocolate.  And my personal favorite, Mexican Chocolate.

The possibilities are endless.

How to particpate:

1. Cook up something delicious using the Food of the Month as one of the main ingredients.  
2. Post the recipe(s) on your blog, making sure to link to this page in your blog post(s).  You can also add the Food of the Month Club badge to your post and/or sidebar.  (Current recipes only.)
3. Since February is a shorter month, please email your entries to me at leslielimon@lacocinadeleslie.com no later than February 26th.  Be sure to  include:

*Your name 

*Your blog name 

*Permalink to your blog post 

*Photo of your recipe or permission to pull one from your post

       4.  Visit La Cocina de Leslie on February 29th for the recipe round-up.  

Food of the Month Club: Tomato Round-Up

If you love tomatoes, then you're in the right place!  Today, I'm rounding up the recipes from the first ever Food of the Month Club.  

If you're anything like my friend (and birthday girl), Ericka from Nibbles & Feast, who wasn't really a fan of tomatoes, this gorgeous Heirloom Tomato Salad with Pasta, Watercress, Pine Nuts and Basil Oil is sure to change your mind.     

Sarah from Kitchen Procrastination cooked up a delicious plate of Smothered Chicken with Bacon and Burst Cherry Tomatoes.

Rory from Mamá Contemporanea, introduced us to a special Venezuelan treat called Bollitos Pelones.  

Girlichef brought us two truly tantalizing tomato recipes, starting with Slow-Roasted Golden Yellow Cherry Tomatoes with Garlic & Marjoram.

And this Smoky Tomato Rissoto, that just looks SO comforting.  Perfect for this cold winter weather.  (Or anytime of the year.)

Jennifer, a fellow expat living in El Salvador, inspired by the shrimp cocktail she used to enjoy at her favorite Mexican restaurant in Georgia, created these Shrimp Tostadas, on her blog, Life in the Armpit.

Nicole from Presley's Pantry is a girl after my own heart with  her easy to make Homemade Pizza topped with slices of tomato.

Vianney from Sweet Life, shares her recipe for Salsa Cruda, made with refreshing pieces of jicama.  I think I might have to make this for my Super Bowl party this weekend.

And last but not least, my contribution to the Food of the Month Club.  Taking advantage of the beautiful and tasty cherry tomatoes that were available here in Mexico in early January, I made this Cherry Tomato & Panela Cheese Salad with Chile de Arbol Infused Olive Oil.

Before sitting down to watch Eat Pray Love, I cooked up a plate of Spaghetti al Pomodoro.

And I had to include this recipe for Tomato Cobbler, which was one of the first recipes I thought of when I was dreaming up with the idea for Food of the Month Club.

Thank you to all of my wonderful foodie friends for joining me for the first edition of The Food of the Month Club.  I really enjoyed cooking with all of you and can't wait to see what deliciousness you're going to come up with next month.

If you would like to be included in the next Food of the Month Club Round-Up, be sure to tune in tomorrow to discover February's Food of the Month.

Name That Fruit

Cue the kitschy 70's game show music, friends.  It's time for another edition of your favorite game and mine....

NAME.  THAT.  FOOD!!!

(Applause!)

Today's mystery fruit is brought to you by my 12-year old son, Nick.  He brought it home from the market yesterday just so I could share it with all of you.  The only bad thing is that both Hubby and Nick forgot the name of our mystery fruit on their way home, so it's really up to you to tell me the name, because I have no idea.  And it's raining today, so I can't walk to the market and ask my favorite fruit vendor.

As you can see, our mystery fruit looks like a rather large date with a dull tan color on the outside, with just a hint of orange.

Once I sliced into it, which was just like slicing into an avocado, I discovered it's brightly colored flesh with 2 medium-size seeds.

As adventurous as I like to think I am, smelling and tasting new foods makes me a little nervous, because I'm always afraid they're going to taste and smell like old gym socks.  But then I remind myself that I've eaten far more exotic things, and that it's only a fruit.  How bad can it be?

Lucky for me, it wasn't bad at all.  It smelled like a freshly cut pumpkin.  The flavor was mild and slightly sweet.  And the consistency was like cooked sweet potatoes.

My suegra doesn't remember the real name of this fruit, but she does remember that some people call it "Miguelito".   She also said that this particular piece of fruit was still verde (unripe) and that eating it could make me sick.  Uh-oh!  I really hope that last part doesn't turn out to be true, because it really was quite tasty.

I consulted with Señor Google looking for Miguelito fruit and found something called pifas and/or chontaduro, also known as bactis gasipaes.   It kind of looks like my mystery fruit, but then again, not really.

So...can you name this mystery fruit?

Tomato Cobbler

When I started dreaming up the idea for The Food of the Month Club, I made a mental list of all of the tomato recipes I wanted to try.  The first recipe on that list was Tomato Cobbler from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain.   It just sounded like something I would love.  So when my hubby brought home this gorgeous clay pie plate as a "Get Well Soon" present two weeks ago (I had the flu), I knew exactly what I wanted to make with it.

For me, this gift was better than flowers.  I'm crazy about all things made of clay.  My dream is to one day have a kitchen full of clay pots, plates, bowls, cups, pitchers and whatever else I can get my hands on. 

Now, about that cobbler.  When I think of cobbler, I automatically think of peach cobbler.  I think I've mentioned before that my Southern great-grandmother made the best peach cobbler I've ever tasted. Okay, so maybe I'm a little biased.  But I do love me a good cobbler.  I've made cobblers with a variety of fruits, but it never crossed my mind that I could make a savory cobbler.  Now that I've tried one, all I can say is, "Wow!  I was really missing out on something good!"

As the title implies, the most important part of this recipe is the tomatoes.

Fresh is always best, but Lisa says you can also use canned, diced tomatoes.  The serrano chilies add a little heat, while the ground cumin adds a light, smoky flavor.  The garlic, cilantro and lime juice just bring it all together and really enhances the flavor.  I could have eaten the whole bowl of tomatoes.

The cobbler itself was like a light cornbread, but it also reminded me of a tamale pie.  (Probably because I used masa harina instead of cornmeal.)  This Tomato Cobbler turned out to be a big hit with all of us, including Hubby who wasn't too convinced when he first saw what I was making.  But after one bite, he quickly changed his mind.

Tomato Cobbler
(recipe adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain)

Ingredients:

• 4 medium tomatoes
• 2 serrano chilies, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup Maseca (masa harina) 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk

Directions:
Slice the tomatoes to about 1/4 inch thickness.

Toss the tomatoes with the serrano chilies, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice.  Season with the ground cumin, salt and pepper.  Let set for 5 to 10 minutes, then drain the excess water.

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, masa harina, baking powder and salt.  Stir in the milk until well combined and no lumps remain.  Set aside.  

In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter.  Remove from heat.  Pour the batter over the melted butter.  DO NOT STIR.  Arrange the tomato slices over the batter, pressing down gently.  Bake uncovered for  30 minutes. 

Enjoy!!!