Have you ever had unexpected visitors and been caught with absolutely nothing to drink but water and juice boxes?  If you're anything like me, then the answer is yes!  This recipe for Agua de Limón is just what you need in a pinch. It's quick.  It's easy.  And best of all, it's made with the freshest ingredients.  (Bye-bye powder mix stuff with ingredients that we can't pronounce!)

For this recipe, you MUST follow directions. When I say to puree the limes and the water for ONLY 3 seconds, I mean it!!! If you puree them any longer, you run the risk of grating the white part of the zest, which will result in a very bitter Agua Fresca.  Don't fret about counting too fast or too slow, the old "One Mississippi...two Mississippi...three Mississippi" works perfectly for this!

I hope you will try this recipe, even if you aren't surprised by unexpected guests!


Agua de Limón
(Limeade)

Ingredients:
  • 6 limes, cut in wedges
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 12 cups water
Directions:
Place lime wedges in blender cup with 4 cups of water. (If your blender cup has a smaller capacity, reduce the water to 3 cups.) Turn on blender and count to 3; turn blender off. (DO NOT PUREE ANY LONGER THAN 3 SECONDS!) Strain puree mixture into large 1 gallon pitcher.  Stir in the remaining 12 cups of water and sugar.  Serve with ice and garnish glasses with lime wedges or slices.  Enjoy!!!


Easy Agua de Limón {Limeade}

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What exactly is a lonche? It's a Mexican sandwich served on a bolillo roll. In other parts of Mexico, these sandwiches are referred to as tortas, but in Jalisco, they are called lonches.

Lonches are quick and easy to make. Most of the ingredients are things that I always have on hand.

No measuring is required with this recipe, use as much or as little of any ingredient that you want.  Lonches are usually served for breakfast or lunch.  I love Lonches  for breakfast, especially with the freshly baked bolillos that are delivered to the local tiendita (general store) every morning. 

My hubby and kiddies love lonches de jamón (ham). But there are many kinds of lonches available, such as roasted pork leg, steak and my personal favorite is a lonche made with melted Mexican cheese, avocado and jalapeño peppers.

Lonche de Jamón

Ingredients:

  • Bolillo Rolls
  • Ham
  • Sliced onion
  • Sliced tomato
  • Slice avocado
  • Butter
  • Mexican crema or sour cream
  • Canned jalalpeños, whole or sliced (optional)

Directions:
Heat comal, griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, cut bolillo rolls in half, lengthwise. Place about 1 tablespoon of butter on griddle, let it melt. Place bolillo rolls, cut-side down on griddle. Toast the bollilo rolls until they turn a light golden brown; turn bolillo rolls over to toast the other side.


Place bolillo rolls on a plate; spread about 1 tablespoon of Mexican crema on cut-sides.


Add another tablespoon of butter to the griddle and let it melt. Lightly brown 2 or 3 slices of ham; place ham on one of the bolillo roll halves. Top with slices of onion, tomato, avocado and jalapeño.


Cover with the other bolillo roll half. Enjoy!!!




*Note: If you have a large enough griddle or skillet, save some time by browning the bolillo and ham at the same time.

With Love,
Leslie Limon

Lonche de Jamón {Mexican Sandwich}

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Earlier this week, one of our neighbors received a kilo of strawberries from a female admirer. Fearing that the strawberries might be "hechizadas" or cursed with black magic, our neighbor gave us the kilo of strawberries. All week long, I was busy making chocolate cupcakes for my children's class parties and had no idea what to make with the strawberries. I was leaning towards strawberry shortcake, but hubby and the kiddies decided on strawberry pie. (If the strawberries were hexed, we didn't notice!)

Pay de Fresa
(Fresh Strawberry Pie)

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds strawberries, hulled
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Baked Pie Crust, Graham Cracker Crust or Galletas Marias Cookie Crust

Directions:
Puree 1 cup of the strawberries with the 1/4 cup of water, until smooth; set aside. Slice remaining strawberries and place in baked pie crust.

In small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; mix well. Stir strawberry puree into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 15 to 20 minutes. Boil 1 minute: remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and salt. Pour over sliced strawberries. Refrigerate pie for atleast 3 hours. To serve, top with whipped cream. Enjoy!!!

With Love,
Leslie Limon

Strawberry Pie

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Today's post isn't a recipe. (But I will be posting the recipes for my Tres Leches Cake and Buttercream Frosting in the coming weeks.) It is only a picture of the cake I made my hubby for Father's Day. I wanted to decorate the cake to reflect my hubby's likes. That's a no-brainer...cycling, he loves cycling!

Let me just say that I am in no way a professional cake decorator. I wish I had the skills and equipment to do so. The equipment that I do have, is a plastic tube with maybe 5 decorator tips that I bought at the tienda de 10 pesos. (Mexican version of the dollar store) I'm a firm believer in making the best out of what you have on hand.

So, here is my version of a bicycle cake, for anyone who might be interested in decorating a cake.



With Love,
Leslie Limon

Bicycle Cake

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Sopa de Letras Recipe - lacocinadeleslie.com


If one food could be described as true Mexican comfort food, it would definitely be Sopa de Pasta. It is one of the first "real" foods introduced to babies in most Mexican homes. My Grandmother used to prepare a different sopa de pasta every day of the week. I have no idea how many times I've made sopa for my hubby and kiddies. Sopa de pasta isn't just for kids, adults love it too.

Sopa de Pasta is known as just sopa, or sopa de fideo, sopa de letras, sopa de estrellitas, depending on what type of pasta is used. A wide variety of pastas can be used such as elbow macaroni, shells, alphabet, or stars. I suggest that you use the smaller sized pasta. The most popular Sopa de Pasta is Sopa de Fideo, which is prepared using vermicelli. (For this recipe I used alphabet pasta but substitute it for the pasta of your choice.)

Sopa (de Pasta)
Mexican Pasta

Ingredients:

  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 1/4 or 1/2 of a medium onion
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
  • 1 cup small dried pasta

Directions:
Puree tomatoes, onion and chicken bouillon with 3 cups of water: set aside. In medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat: add pasta and saute until pasta turns a light golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Carefully pour puree mixture into saucepan: season with a pinch of salt. (DO NOT STIR AFTER THIS POINT.) Once your sopa begins to boil, taste the tomato broth: season with more salt, if necessary. Cover saucepan and reduce heat to low. Let sopa simmer until all liquid has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve and Enjoy!!!

Sopa de Letras - lacocinadeleslie.com


*Sopa de pasta is great served on it's own or as a side dish!

With Love,
Leslie Limon

Sopa de Letras

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Today I'm sharing what has to be my second favorite shrimp dish...Camarones a la Diabla (Mexican Deviled Shrimp).  Actually, whenever I make this dish I question why it's not my all-time favorite.  It's so incredibly delicious, and the sauce is finger lickin' good.  But then a couple of days later I'll make that other shrimp dish and remember exactly why it's my favorite.  But Camarones a la Diabla are a very close second favorite.  Maybe I should just say that they're tied for first.  It's like asking which of my children I love most.  That impossible!  I can't choose just one, because I love all four of them.  Same goes for Camarones a la Diabla.  

Camarones a la Diabla is shrimp cooked in a fiery red spicy salsa that some prefer to be hotter than Hades.  But the level of heat is totally up to you.  Not big on spice?  That's okay!  You can get away with adding just one dried chile de arbol just for a little flavor.  Or if you prefer something a lot hotter, add more chilies.  I like to add a couple of dried guajillos, which don't provide any heat of all, because they intensify the color of the salsa.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you don't have to peel the shrimp.  My suegra prepares her camarones a la diabla unpeeled and with the shrimp heads attached.  Sucking out the sauce from each individual shrimp is half of the fun of eating this dish.  Add some Arroz Blanco (white rice) and a salad and you've got yourself one delicious meal.


lacocinadeleslie.com

 Camarones a la Diabla

Ingredients:
  • 4 to 6 roma tomatoes
  • Dried chiles de arbol 
  • 2 dried guajillo chilies 
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 lb. shrimp, deveined

Directions:
Bring the tomatoes, 6 arbol chilies, and the guajillo chilies to a boil in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Remove stems from both chilies, and the seeds from the guajillo chile.  Puree the chilies and the tomatoes, along with the water they were cooked in, in a blender until smooth; season with salt and set aside. 

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and saute for about 1 minute.  Add the minced garlic and saute for an additional 30 seconds.  Add the shrimp and saute until fully cooked.  Reduce heat to low and pour the A La Diabla sauce over the shrimp and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly.  Serve with Sopa de Arroz Blanco and accompany with crusty garlic bread or tostadas.  Enjoy!!!

lacocinadeleslie.com


You might also like these delicious Mexican shrimp dishes: 










Camarones a la Diabla

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Pay de queso means cheese pie. It is the Mexican version of the cheesecake. It's a very easy recipe, with very few ingredients. You will notice that this recipe calls for 6 to 8 ounces of cream cheese. This is because in Mexico, the largest package of cream cheese available is 190 grams, which is roughly about 6 ounces. For those of you in the States, use the 8 ounce package if you want.

I have encountered many variations of this recipe. Some were very dry and crumbly. Other's were too soggy. This is my version of the pay de queso.

I've also included my recipe for a graham cracker crust, using Maria's cookies, for those of you who may not have prepared graham cracker crusts on hand.

Pay de Queso
(Cream Cheese Pie)

Ingredients:

  • 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
  • 6 to 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
  • 1 prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:
Pour milks into blender cup; add cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set.

Remove pie from oven; let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate pie atleast 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!!!


Maria's Cookie Crust

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup melted butter (90 grams)
  • 1 package Maria's cookies

Directions:
Grind Maria's cookies in blender or food processor. (Or place cookies in large plastic bag and crush with rolling pin.) Stir in butter until well combined. Press mixture firmly onto bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.

With Love,
Leslie Limon

Pay de Queso {Mexican Cheese Cake}

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Back in the States, I was famous for my guacamole. Wherever we went, I was always asked to make and take my guacamole. This is one of many recipes, that I learned to make by myself, by trial and error.

My guacamole has one "secret" ingredient that I'm going to share with you. I discovered it through necessity. My grandparents would take me camping EVERY weekend to a small "members only" campground in Oak Glen, California. Every Friday evening at the campground, a potluck was held. My grandmother would always take her sopa de arroz (spanish rice). But one Friday in particular, my grandparents were asked to take some guacamole.

Well, my grandparents kindly left this task to me. But we only had a few avocados. It wasn't nearly enough guacamole for the potluck. I checked the very small refrigerator in our camper and all we had was a container of sour cream. (Pappy liked to put sour cream on everything.) So, I thought I'd add a bit of sour cream to my guacamole, to make it seem like we had more guacamole. Sure enough, this was a hit, and I've been making my guacamole this way ever since!

Feel free to add as little or as much sour cream as you like!

Guacamole

Ingredients:

  • 4 avocados
  • 1 roma tomato, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • 4 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream

Directions:
Cut avocados in half lengthwise; remove seed. Spoon out avocado and place in medium bowl. Squeeze lime juice over avocado. (This helps prevent browning.)




Add remaining ingredients.



Mash with fork or potato masher until desired consistency. Season with a couple of pinches of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!!!





With Love,
Leslie Limon

Guacamole

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When it comes to making delicious Mexican food at home knowing how to make a mean salsa is a must! Today in my cocina I'm sharing two basic salsa recipes - Salsa Taquera Roja (a fiery red taco salsa) and Salsa Taquera Verde (a mild green tomatillo taco salsa) - both of which could also be titled as "The Easiest Salsa Recipes Ever".


Classic Red and Green Tomatillo Salsas - lacocinadeleslie.com

The reason I'm sharing both of these recipes together in one blog post is because the two salsas go hand in hand, and can be found served side-by-side in every taquería (taco stand) in Mexico, hence the name Salsa Taquera (taco salsa). The spicy red árbol chile salsa adds heat to your favorite Mexican dishes, while the mild green tomatillo salsa is a tasty option for those who aren't used to eating spicy foods.

Salsas Taqueras (Red and Green Tomatillo Salsas)

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Yes, potato enchiladas. I had never heard of them until my hubby told me about them. This type of enchilada is very popular in this region of Mexico. My family really enjoys them and I like that this recipe is meat-free, great for making during Cuaresma (Lent)

I usually make these enchiladas with fresh Mexican cheese that is delivered to my house every Sunday. You could use cotija or Monterrey Jack cheese. Originally, these enchiladas are prepared by first dipping the tortillas in the enchilada sauce, then frying the tortilla in oil. I for one do not like the texture, nor the mess, so I've switched things up a bit. I've included the recipe for my enchilada sauce and tomato salsa. For those of you living in the States, you can use canned red enchilada sauce. And for the tomato salsa, you could use a can of stewed tomatoes. (Plain, not the Italian kind.)

Be sure to keep a roll of paper towels or a wet dish towel nearby, so you have something to clean your hands with, while assembling these enchiladas.

Potato Enchiladas

Ingredients:

  • 2 dozen corn tortillas
  • 4 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and lightly mashed
  • Queso Fresco, crumbled
  • 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Tomato Salsa (recipe follows)
  • Red Enchilada Sauce (recipe follows)

If you haven't cooked your potatoes, do so now. Let them cool slightly, then peel them and lightly mash them up with a fork; season the potatoes with salt. Use this time to chop the onion and the lettuce and to crumble or shred the cheese. Make sure everything is ready and nearby, so you can assemble these enchiladas with ease.

Pour red enchilada sauce into medium bowl; set aside. In large skillet, heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Carefully, lay one corn tortilla in oil, fry it for about 30 seconds, then flip the tortilla over and fry it for another 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove the tortilla from the oil, letting the excess oil drip off back into the skillet.


Dip tortilla in the red enchilada sauce, making sure to cover both sides with sauce.  Place tortilla on plate.  Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of mashed potato and cheese onto center of tortilla.  Sprinkle with desired amount of chopped onion.


Fold tortilla in half, as you would with a taco or quesadilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Garnish enchiladas with shredded lettuce and top with tomato salsa. Sprinkle more cheese over the enchiladas. Enjoy!!!

Potato Enchiladas_Enchiladas de Papa



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Red Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:
  • 4 to 5 dried ancho chilies
  • 2 cups water
Directions:
In small saucepan, bring water and chilies to a boil. Let cool slightly. Puree in blender until smooth. Strain in to bowl. Season with a couple of pinches of salt. Enjoy!


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tomato Salsa

Ingedients:
  • 8 roma tomatoes
  • 3 cups of water
Directions:
In medium sauce pan, bring water and tomatoes to a boil. Let cool slightly. Puree in blender until smooth. Pour in to large bowl. Season with a couple of pinches of salt. The sauce should be a slightly thinner consistency than canned tomato sauce. If your salsa is too thick, stir in a little more water. Enjoy!

Tomato Salsa



Potato Enchiladas w/ Red Enchilada Sauce & Tomato Salsa

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The small town where we now call home is famous for producing the best chile de árbol in the world. Chile de Árbol Yahualica has a unique flavor, aroma, and spiciness unlike any other kind of chile de árbol available on the market. And it is just one of the dried chiles that I always have in my pantry. Now don't let the chile de árbol's small size fool you, this small dried chile pepper packs plenty of heat.

My favorite recipe (and probably the most popular recipe using chile de árbol) is Chile de Molcajete, a delicious roasted tomatillo and árbol chile salsa. Chile de Molcajete is one of two salsas that I make every week. (The other is my Homemade Tomato Salsa.) This salsa is called Chile de Molcajete because traditionally it's made in a molcajete (a Mexican pestle and mortar made of volcanic rock), although nowadays you can also whip this salsa up quickly using a blender or food processor. (Don't worry, I provide directions for both molcajete and blender methods in the recipe below.)

No matter how you choose to make this salsa, I'm sure it will quickly become a household favorite. The thing I love most about Chile de Molcajete, aside from it's intense and addictive flavor, is that it's super versatile. Chile de Molcajete is amazing all on it's own with an endless amount of Homemade Tortilla Chips, but you can also serve it atop eggs, quesadillas, tamales, or whatever else you can think of. I also use it to make recipes like Huevos Rancheros, Chilaquiles, and Carne de Puerco con Chile... just to name a few.    

Chile de Molcajete - lacocinadeleslie.com

Chile de Molcajete

Ingredients:
  • 12 tomatillos, husks removed 
  • 10 to 12 dried arbol chiles*  
  • 1 clove garlic (optional) 

Directions:
Heat a comal, griddle or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Roast dried árbol chiles and the clove of garlic, tossing occasionally, for about a minute. Remove from comal and set aside. Rinse tomatillos and pat dry. Roast tomatillos on the same comal over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, turning tomatillos occasionally, until the skin has started to char and the tomatillos have softened.

Molcajete method: Grind the roasted chiles de árbol in a molcajete with a couple of pinches of coarse salt, until the chiles resemble red pepper flakes. Add the roasted tomatillos and garlic, lightly breaking up the tomatillos with the pestle while also mixing them in with the chile de árbol until the mixture resembles a chunky salsa. Season with more salt, if necessary. 

Blender method: Puree the roasted chiles de árbol, garlic and half of the tomatillos in a blender until smooth. Add the remaining tomatillos and pulse for a few seconds until salsa is desired consistency. Pour into a bowl and season with salt. Enjoy!

 Receta en español
Roasted Tomatillo & Arbol Chile Salsa - lacocinadeleslie.com

*If super spicy salsa isn't your thing, try making this salsa with only 2 or 3 arbol chiles.

Update: I'm proud to announce that in 2014 this recipe was featured on Woman's Day Magazine's website!















Chile de Molcajete {Roasted Tomatillo & Arbol Chile Salsa]

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I was raised by my grandmother and my step-grandfather who was from the State of Chihuahua. (He's the reason I speak Spanish fluently.) He loved to cook, not specific Mexican dishes, but more like guisados. A guisado is any dish that can be prepared in one pot or pan, with many ingredients.

Pappy's favorite was his Guisado de Bistec con Papas. Being that we lived in the States, we had lots of convenience foods at hand. Pappy would always prepare this dish because it can be used as a main dish or as a filling for tacos and/or burritos. 

Guisado de Bistec con Papas a la Mexicana

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound thin cut steak, cut in 1-inch strips
  • 6 roma tomatoes
  • 2 to 4 fresh serrano chiles 
  • 2 cloves garlic 
  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons chicken flavored bouillon (I use Knorr-Suiza) 

Directions:
Coarsely chop 3 of the tomatoes, half of the medium onion, and 2 of the serrano chiles. In a blender, puree the remaining tomato, onion, garlic, and serrano chiles with the 2 cups of water; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thin-cut steak and the chopped onion, and serrano chiles. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the steak is no longer pink; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the potatoes, tomatoes, chicken bouillon, and the pureed mixture; season with salt and black pepper. Bring guisado to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Enjoy!


*This guisado is great on it's own with a salad or as a filling for tacos, burritos and/or gorditas.

With Love,
Leslie Limon

Mexican Style Steak and Potatoes

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Almost daily, I am reminded of when my hubby and I were newlyweds. Being from 2 slightly different cultures, differences were bound to arise. Most of our differences revolved around food. One such experience was when my hubby asked me to prepare him a plate of fruit, specifically mango. I peeled the mango, cut it up into bite-size pieces and served it to my hubby. Simple, yet hubby-pleasing!

My hubby, looked at me lovingly and asked if I had possibly forgotten something. To which I answered, "No, I didn't forget anything. Why do you ask?" My hubby explained that in Mexico, it is customary to prepare mango, and most fruits, with salt, lemon and some form of chile, be it a hot sauce or a ground chile and lemon powder. I returned to the kitchen and finished preparing the mango in the authentic Mexican way.

If you're trying to impress the Mexican in your life or just looking for authentic Mexican recipes, try serving this fruit platter.

Easy Fruit Snack

Ingredients:

  • Mango, pineapple, watermelon, papaya, coconut, cucumber and/or jicama
  • Salt
  • Tajin fruit and snack seasoning*
  • Limes

Directions:
Peel and chop desired fruit(s) into bite-size pieces. (Any combination of the above fruits will work.) Sprinkle generously with salt and Tajin seasoning. Squeeze lime juice over fruit. Enjoy!!!

*If you can't find Tajin seasoning in the latin food aisle of your grocery store, use either Valentina or Tapatio brand hot sauce.

With Love,
Leslie Limon

(P.S.) This recipe can be prepared with out the Tajin or hot sauce.

Mexican Fruit Snack

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Flor de Jamaica_Dried Hibiscus Flowers


This is Flor de Jamaica.  You might know it as dried hibiscus flower, but here in Mexico we just call it Jamaica.    Flor de Jamaica is mostly used to make a delicious and refreshing iced tea called Agua de Jamaica.  It's one of the most popular Aguas Frescas in Mexico and can often be found along side with Horchata and Agua de Tamarindo.  (I refer to them as the Aguas Frescas trinity.)

The very first time I tasted Agua de Jamaica was as a newlywed at a Mexican restaurant in the U.S. To be honest, I didn't care much for the taste.  It was very strong and extremely bitter.  My hubby agreed with me, but insisted that Agua de Jamaica tasted much better than what we had just had.  He also said it would be even better if we made our own, so we headed to our local Latin supermarket to purchase dried Jamaica to make our own Agua de Jamaica.

I still wasn't too convinced, but I'm a good sport and I trust my hubby.  With our newly purchased one pound bag of Jamaica, we went home, where we consulted with some of our Mexican friends and neighbors on how to prepare our Agua de Jamaica.  Every recipe our friends shared involved soaking the Jamaica in boiling water for about 30 minutes.  After that, all we had to do was let it cool, add  more water and sweeten it with some sugar and voilá...Agua de Jamaica!  Our first attempt was a huge success. Hubby was right, homemade Agua de Jamaica was absolutely delicious and it quickly became one of my favorites.  

When my suegra (mother-in-law) visited us in the U.S. for the first time, she showed me an easier way to prepare Agua de Jamaica.  Instead of simmering the flor de Jamaica on the stove, she just added a handful of dried hibiscus flowers to my sun tea jar and let it sit on the counter all morning.  By lunchtime, our Agua de Jamaica was ready.  So easy and just as delicious!  And that's how I continue to make my Agua de Jamaica all these years later.

Making Agua de Jamaica


Easy Agua de Jamaica
(Hibiscus Flower Iced Tea)

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup dried jamaica flowers
  • 4 quarts water (about 16 cups) 
  • 1 to 1-1/2 cups sugar
Directions: 
Fill a 4-quart sun tea jar (or pitcher) with water; add the jamaica flowers.  Cover and let sit for at least 2 hours. Using a slotted spoon,  remove the Jamaica flowers.   Stir in the sugar until completely dissolved.  Refrigerate  Agua de Jamaica for 1 to 2 hours before serving.  Serve with ice.  Enjoy!!! 

Agua de Jamaica_Hibiscus Flower Tea




Agua de Jamaica {Hibiscus Flower Iced Tea}

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One of the first things I did when I arrived in Yahualica, was check out the local restaurants. It was then, that I noticed something on the menus, that I had never seen before. Sincronizadas. I immediately asked my hubby about them and he explained that sincronizadas are very similar to quesadillas. Well, this I had to try! It was really good and is now something that my kids ask me to make on a regular basis.

Sincronizadas are very easy to make. One of the main ingredients is cheese. The restaurants usually use American cheese and Oaxaca cheese. Today, I used queso fresco, because that's what I had on hand. For those of you in the States that might not be able to find Oaxaca cheese, mozzarella works well in this recipe.


Sincronizadas de Bistec

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb. thin boneless beef steak (atleast 6 steaks)
  • 6 slices American cheese
  • 1-1/2 cup shredded Oaxaca or Mozzarella cheese
  • 12 flour tortillas
  • butter
  • coarsely chopped lettuce
  • sliced tomato, avocado and onion
  • Canned jalapeño strips (optional)

Directions:
Prepare vegetables; set aside.


Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil on a griddle or a comal over medium-high heat. Brown steaks until thoroughly cooked. Remove steaks from heat; shred or chop into bite-size pieces.


Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place one flour tortilla in skillet. Top with 1 slice American cheese and 1/4 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese; cover with another flour tortilla. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until bottom tortilla is a light golden brown; flip sincronizada over. cook for another minute or 2, until bottom tortilla is also a light golden brown. Remove sincronizada from pan.


Place sincronizada on a plate. Place desired amount of chopped steak on half of the sincronizada. Garnish other half with lettuce, tomato, onion and a slice of canned jalapeño. Fold sincronizada in half and serve.  Repeat with remaining tortillas. Enjoy!!!




*This recipe yields 6 sincronizadas.

With Love,
Leslie Limon

Sincronizadas de Bistec

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I love all things lemon! Even my last name, Limón, is the Spanish word for lemon. With the warmer weather, comes an abundance of Mexican limes, which are very similar to Key limes. Both lime or lemon juice can be used in this recipe. Remember, FRESH is always best!

Like most of my recipes, I've had to make some adjustments, mostly because many ingredients aren't available where I live. This recipe calls for a graham cracker crust, but I make my crust with Maria's cookies.




Pay de Limón 
(Key Lime Pie)

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Maria's cookies, ground into fine crumbs
  • 1/3 cup melted butter (90 grams)
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
  • 3 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue topping)
  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 2 drops green food coloring (optional)
  • Meringue Topping (recipe follows)

Directions:
In medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press mixture firmly onto bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). In large bowl, beat egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest and food coloring with electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute or until well blended. Poor mixture into refrigerated pie crust. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until center is set; remove from oven. DO NOT TURN OVEN OFF!


Prepare Meringue Topping. Spoon onto HOT pie filling, spreading to cover filling completely. Bake pie for 12 to 15 minutes or until meringue is lightly golden brown in color. Remove pie from oven. Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate pie for atleast 4 hours. Enjoy!!!

Meringue Topping:
Combine 6 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch and a dash of salt; set aside. Beat 3 egg whites at medium speed of an electric mixer, until soft peaks form. Gradually beat sugar mixture into egg whites. Continue beating until egg whites are no longer gritty, or until sugar has dissolved.



With Love,
Leslie Limon

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