Food 'N Flix: Eat. Pray. Love. {Spaghetti al Pomodoro}

For Food 'n Flix this month (January), hosted by The Law Student's Cookbook, the movie was Eat. Pray. Love.



For me, this was all the excuse I needed to finally finish watching this movie in its entirety.  I started to watch it when it was released here on DVD, but just when Julia Robert's character was arriving in India, company came over.  I don't remember what else happened that day, but for some reason I never finished the movie.

I love a good chick flick.  I'm a huge Julia Roberts fan.  And this movie was directed by Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy.  (I ♥ Glee!)  On paper, this should have been the perfect movie for me.  But the truth is, and I hope you won't hold it against me, I wasn't crazy about this movie.  (I wasn't all that crazy about the book either.)

Don't get me wrong.  There were parts I loved.  Hello, Javier Bardem!  But my favorite part was the whole Italy experience.  I would love to visit Italy.  Even though I'm pretty sure I'd never want to leave.  I'd love to learn the language.  But most of all, I would love to surround myself with all of that glorious food.  Aside from Mexican food, it's one of my all-time favorite cuisines.

That's why, before I even sat down to watch the movie, I headed into the kitchen to prepare a simple, yet absolutely satisfying Spaghetti al Pomodoro.  Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato.  So this dish is really just spaghetti in a simple tomato sauce.  But it sounds so much nicer in Italian.  And I'm pretty sure it's what Julia Roberts is eating in the  trailer above. (1:48)

If you like dinner and a movie, then you should join us for Food 'n Flix next month, hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.  The movie is one of my favorites...My Big Fat Greek Wedding!

Spaghetti al Pomodoro

Ingredients:

• 6 to 8 oz. spaghetti  (I used 200gr.) 
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 6 Roma tomatoes
• 1/2 medium onion (optional) 
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic
• Fresh basil
• Red Pepper flakes

Directions:
Cook the spaghetti according to package directions in a pot of boiling water.  While the spaghetti is cooking, chop the tomatoes, onion and garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  (I used my Chile de Arbol Olive Oil for extra flavor.)  Stir in the chopped tomatoes, onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Traditional Pomodoro sauce doesn't include onions.  But I love the added flavor and texture they bring to the dish.

Reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are completely cooked.  At this point, you can puree the sauce with an immersion blender OR if you're like me and you like a chunky sauce with bits of tomato, just mash the tomatoes with the back of a large serving spoon.

Drain the spaghetti, reserving a little of the cooking water in case your tomato sauce is too thick.  Toss the spaghetti with the sauce.  Season with salt (if needed) and red pepper flakes.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.  Enjoy!!!

*I apologize for some of the bright pictures.  I'm still adjusting to working with the new light fixture in my kitchen and I was forced to use my camera's flash. I am just so happy to have electricity once again!  



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Nachos

We're halfway through January already and there is really only one thing I can think about:  Football! The Super Bowl to be exact.

Every year, my older, college student nephews and one of their friends, whom we've adopted as another nephew, come over to watch the big game.

Now everybody knows that you can't have a Super Bowl party without delicious food and cheesy, spicy snacks.  One of our favorites, year after year, is Nachos.  

We could head downtown to buy a plate of bright, neon-orange imitation cheese sauce served on Nacho flavored Doritos for 10 pesos (less than a dollar) a plate, but there's nothing like a homemade cheese sauce made with real cheese.

Most cheese sauces are made with a roux (butter & flour) and milk base, but I prefer mine a little creamier, so I use Mexican crema.   My favorite is this thick and rich crema from Tototlan, Jalisco.   Isn't it gorgeous?

The secret to my cheese sauce is in the special little something I add to it to give it extra flavor....Jalapeño vinagre.  It's the liquid canned jalapeños are packed in.  It's not so spicy that it will burn your tongue off, but it does add that extra jalapeño flavor that gives you the illusion that you're eating jalapeños, even if you can't handle the heat of actually eating them.

I've shown you mine, now tell me what are your favorite football snacks?

Nachos

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups Mexican crema
• 2 tablespoons jalapeño vinagre (the liquid jalapeños are packed in)
• 6 to 8 oz. Manchego cheese (I used 200 grams), cut in bite-size cubes
• 6 slices American cheese, cut in bite-size pieces
• Tortilla Chips
• Canned jalapeño slices

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir in the Mexican crema and jalapeño vinagre and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is warm.  

Stir in the cheeses.

Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses have completely melted.  Season with salt and pepper.  (If the sauce is still too thick, stir in more jalapeño vinagre, one tablespoon at a time.) 

Ladle cheese sauce over tortilla chips and top with jalapeño slices.  Enjoy!!! 

*If you have any leftover Cheese Sauce, it's delicious served on top of steamed veggies like broccoli and/or cauliflower! 


 

Cherry Tomato & Panela Cheese Salad w/ Chile de Arbol Infused Olive Oil

I usually only prepare this salad duing the summer, when I'm in the mood for something light and refreshing.  But lately, my favorite produce vendor has had these gorgeous little cherry tomatoes that are so full of flavor, I just had to try them in this salad.

Granted, this salad isn't a traditional Mexican recipe, but it is my Mexican twist on the Italian Caprese Salad, substituting Queso Panela and chopped cilantro for the fresh mozzarella cheese and basil.  And to top it all off, a spicy Chile de Arbol infused olive oil.

I can't remember the last time I had such great tasting tomatoes.  One of my fellow Mexpats described them best saying, "They're like little sugar bombs going off in your mouth!"  And I couldn't agree more.  I don't know how long these tasty little gems will be available at the markets here in Mexico, but for now, I can't get enough of them.

Cherry Tomato & Panela Cheese Salad w/ Chile de Arbol Infused Olive Oil

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 6 to 8 oz. Panela cheese, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• Chile de Arbol Olive Oil (recipe below) 

Directions:
In a medium bow, gently toss together the cherry tomatoes, panela cheese and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.

Just before serving, drizzle with Chile de Arbol olive oil.  Enjoy!!!

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Chile de Arbol Olive Oil is a fragrant, chile infused oil that can be used in salad dressings and vinaigrettes, to saute fish, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork and can be used in just about any savory recipe that calls for olive oil.

Chile de Arbol Olive Oil

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (you can also use canola oil)
• 3 to 5 dried arbol chilies

Directions:

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Toast the arbol chilies for about a minute.  Carefully pour in the oil and reduce heat.  Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes or until the chilies start to darken.  Remove from heat and let cool.  

Pour cooled oil into glass bottle and stir in 1 chopped arbol chile.  Cover tightly and store at room temperature.  Enjoy!!! 

Don't forget to join me this month as we celebrate Tomatoes for this month's Food of the Month Club.

 

Ejotes con Huevo {Green Bean Scramble}

When I was little, one of my grandpa's favorite breakfasts was Nopales con Huevo.  It was one of the few foods I refused to eat as a kid.  Fresh nopales weren't available at the local supermarket back then, so my grandmother always used canned nopales.  They were precooked and cut into long thin strips and packed in some kind of liquid.  I thought they were totally gross looking and refused to eat them, no matter how much my grandma tried to convince me otherwise.

"But m'ija, they taste just like ejotes (green beans)."

"Well, then make me ejotes con huevo, instead of nopales!"

Gramm didn't say much after that, but from that moment on, every time she made Nopales con Huevo for her and Pappy, she prepared a small skillet of Ejotes con Huevo just for me.  I was happy as a clam and thought my Ejotes con Huevo were a million times better than their Nopales con Huevo.

It wasn't until a few years later that I realized Gramm had tricked me.  She never made me Ejotes con Huevo.  I had been eating Nopales con Huevo the whole time!

More than being upset about being tricked, I felt silly for thinking that Ejotes con Huevo actually existed.

So, you can imagine my surprise, when many years later, my suegra (mother-in-law) prepared Ejotes con Huevo for breakfast one morning during Lent.   Remembering that Gramm had tricked me all those years ago, I asked my suegra if she had really made Ejotes con Huevo or if she was just saying that so the kiddies would eat nopales.  My suegra looked at me as if to say, "Estas loca!!!", and kindly explained that Ejotes con Huevo were indeed a real dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ejotes con Huevo have been an old family favorite ever since.

Ejotes con Huevo
(Green Bean Scramble)

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups cooked green beans (or canned), cut into 2-inch pieces 
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 to 2 serrano chilies, sliced
• Queso Fresco (optional) 

Directions:
Break the eggs into a medium bowl and beat with a wire whisk for about a minute until well combined; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil in a large skillet, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat.  Sauté the green beans, tomato, onion and serrano chilies for 2 to 3 minutes.  Pour in the beaten eggs and cook, stirring occasionally, until the egg is completely cooked.  Season with salt and pepper.

Top with grated queso fresco and serve with your favorite tomato-based salsa.  Enjoy!!! 

 

Crema de Frijol {Creamy Bean Soup}

Very seldom do I make something so incredibly simple and delicious that I am at a loss for words.  But that's exactly what has happened to me with this creamy and silky Crema de Frijol (Creamy Bean Soup).

I will say one thing about this soup... I wish I had made more!  Actually, every time I make it, I wonder why I don't make it more often.

Crema de Frijol is a creamy bean soup made with beans, Mexican crema, chile de arbol and butter.

It's so easy that it doesn't matter what kind of bean you use.  Any bean will work in this soup.  (I used a combination of Peruano and Flor de junio.)  The only "must" in this soup is the chile de arbol.  I've tried making it with other chilies, like canned chipotles en adobo and dried ancho chilies, both of which I love, but their flavor outshines that of the beans.   But with chile de arbol, this soup becomes a whole different story.  A love story, of sorts, because the two flavors complement each other so well.  They bring out the best in each other and you can't imagine one living without the other.

Crema de Frijol
(Creamy Bean Soup)

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 Arbol Chilies
• 3 cups Cooked Beans (with broth) (Canned beans will work too!) 
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup Mexican crema

Directions:
In a skillet or comal, toast the chiles de arbol over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, just until they release their aroma.  Remove the stems from the chilies.

Puree the beans with the toasted chiles de arbol in a blender or food processor until smooth.  If the mixture is too thick, add one cup of water.

Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Pour the bean puree into the saucepan.  Let cook, stirring occasionally, just until it begins to boil.  Reduce heat and stir in the Mexican crema.  Let simmer for about 2 minutes.  Season with salt, if necessary.

Garnish with chile de arbol flakes.  Enjoy!!!

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Atole de Nuez {She Made/Ella Hace}

It's beginning to feel a lot like Winter here in Mexico!  Even though the cold weather and I don't really get along, I love all of the hearty, comforting foods we crave to keep us warm, like soups and atoles.

Atoles are a traditional Mexican hot beverage made with milk and/or water and thickened slightly with cornstarch or masa harina.

In most tienditas and markets, you can buy little packets of flavored cornstarch to make atole.  But atoles taste even better when made from scratch with plain, unflavored cornstarch.  And they're just as easy to make.  And that's exactly what Girlichef and I decided to make for She Made / Ella Hace this month.

Atoles can be made in a variety of flavors like strawberry, guava, coconut, pineapple, cookie, cajeta (caramel) and even pumpkin pie.  My  favorite is Atole de Nuez (Pecan Atole).  A simple, creamy and frothy atole blanco (white atole), flavored with tiny pieces of toasted pecans.

Drinking a cup of Atole is like curling up on the couch with your favorite blanket.  It instantly warms you up inside and leaves you feeling happy and relaxed, oblivious to the cold, dreary weather outside.  The ultimate comfort beverage.

Atole is also the perfect drink to serve alongside your Rosca de Reyes.

Atole de Nuez
(Pecan Atole)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pecan halves
• 5 cups milk
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch (aka cornflour)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond or pecan extract (optional) 

Directions:
Toast the pecans in a small skillet over medium heat or 2 to 3 minutes, being extra careful not to burn them.

Puree the pecans in a blender with 4 cups of milk.

Heat the pecan milk in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until very warm.  (If you don't stir the atole constantly, the pecans with settle at the bottom of the saucepan and burn, which will result in a horrible tasting atole.)  Reduce heat to low and stir in the sugar.  Combine the cornstarch and the remaining cup of milk and pour into the hot milk.  Continue to simmer, still stirring constantly, over low heat until the mixture thickens.  Remove from heat.  If you want a stronger, nuttier flavor, stir in the almond or pecan extract.

Ladle into mugs and garnish with a pecan half.  Enjoy!!!

Be sure to check out Girlichef's Vanilla-Almond Atole!

Rosca de Reyes

Tonight, my kiddies are expecting visitors.  Royal visitors.  Royal, gift bearing visitors from far away.  The Orient, to be exact.

Los Reyes Magos: Melchor, Gaspar & Baltazar
My son Jack (in the red robe) with his two friends

Tomorrow (January 6th), is El Dia de los Reyes Magos (3 Kings Day).  In some parts of Mexico, El Dia de Reyes is an even bigger gift-giving holiday than Christmas.  And like Christmas, the celebration starts the night before.  The entire family gathers together at my suegra's house for Mexican Hot Chocolate and Rosca de Reyes.  (For more about how my family celebrates this holiday read Three Kings & a Full House and watch the fun family video.) 

Rosca de Reyes (King Cake/Bread) is a traditional pastry served just for this holiday.  It's an orange-flavored, wreath shaped loaf, decorated with dried and candied fruits to resemble a king's crown.  Tucked away inside each Rosca de Reyes, is a plastic or porcelain figure of El Niño Dios (the Christ child).  The hidden figurine is symbolic of when the Baby Jesus was hidden from Herod's decree to kill all male babies.

The real fun is watching to see who will find the Niño Dios hidden in their slice of Rosca.  A Rosca de Reyes can have anywhere from 1 to 5 figurines.  Most have about 3.  We order ours with extra monitos (dolls/figurines).

Whoever finds El Niño Dios in their slice of Rosca has to provide the tamales for the celebration on El Dia de la Candelaria on February 2nd.  It's also believed that whoever finds El Niño Dios will be blessed all year long.

Not bad for my first Rosca de Reyes! 

Rosca de Reyes
(Dough recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Sponge:

• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant or quick active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Dough:

• All of the sponge
• 3/4 cup Mexican crema or plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 5 cups all-purpose flour

Sugar Topping:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Garnish:

• Candied Citrus Peel
• Dried Fruits
• Pecans
• 1 to 3 Plastic Niño Dios figurines

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sponge ingredients (water, sugar, yeast and flour) and mix well.  Cover and let set for about 10 minutes or until the yeast has bubbled.



Add the dough ingredients to the sponge.  Mix by hand, just until the dough forms a ball.  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and turn dough greased side up.  Cover and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. 




Divide the dough in two.  Shape one half of the dough in to a circle.  Cut a slash into the center of the circle.  Carefully stretch and shape the dough into a oval and place in a lightly greased 11 x 15-inch baking sheet.  Cover and let rise another 30 to 60 minutes.  (The only thing I recommend is not stretching it so far that it touches the edges of the pan, because the dough is still going to expand.)



Tuck the Niño Dios figurines into the Rosca, making sure to cover completely.  Preheat oven to 375°F.



Prepare the Sugar Topping by combining the powdered sugar, flour, butter and vanilla until it forms a dough.  Divide the sugar topping into 6 to 8 pieces, depending on the size of your Rosca.



Decorate the Rosca with Sugar Topping, Candied Citrus Peel and/or Dried Fruits and pecans.  (Note:  Learn from my mistake.  Just place the sugar topping on top of the Rosca, because it will melt down the sides in the oven.  I didn't do that and had to scrape burnt sugar topping off the baking sheet.) 



Bake the Rosca at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown.  Serve with Mexican Hot Chocolate or Atole.  Enjoy!!!  (I only used half of the dough, but I'd recommend using all of it for a bigger Rosca.)



Remember: whoever finds the Niño Dios in their slice of Rosca, has to provide the tamales for the El Dia de la Candelaria (February 2nd.)  Looks like I'll be making tamales very soon!