Breaded & Stuffed Flor de Calabaza

What do you do when a man suddenly gives you flowers?

A beautiful bunch of brightly colored flowers?

Okay, much more than a bunch.  More like a 1-pound bag of these delicate beauties.

Cook them, of course!

These gorgeous flowers are called Flor de Calabaza (Squash Blossoms).  They are part of the zucchini plant.  And they are totally edible!  (Not to mention absolutely delicious!)

Flor de Calabaza can be used in a number of dishes, including soup, quesadillas and even stir-fry.  But my favorite way to eat Flor de Calabaza is breaded and stuffed with cheese.  Lightly crisp and golden on the outside, filled with yummy melted cheese on the inside.  (Sigh!) 


Breaded & Stuffed Flor de Calabaza 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh squash blossoms
• 2 cups dry bread crumbs (plain or flavored)
• 3 eggs
• 6 to 8 oz. Manchego, Chihuahua or Asadero cheese

Directions:
Clean the squash blossoms with a moist paper towel to remove any dirt.  If you rinse the squash blossoms in water, you could end up with droopy flowers that just don't look all that pretty.  Remove the stamen from the inside of the squash blossom. 

Place the bread crumbs in a wide bowl.  Season with seasoning salt and pepper; set aside.

Slice the cheese into 3-inch sticks. (About a 1/2-inch wide.)  

Place a cheese stick inside of each squash blossom.  Fold the ends over the cheese and secure with a toothpick.  An important point to remember when working with flor de calabaza is that the cheese is heavier than the flower.  So do not lift the flowers from the stem to transfer them to the egg, bread crumbs and skillet.

Dip the squash blossoms in the beaten eggs.  (If you didn't secure the ends of the squash blossom in the previous step, you can twist the now moistened ends together to ensure that the cheese stays in it's place.) 

Roll the squash blossoms in bread crumbs until completely coated. 

Always the rebel...No toothpicks! :P

Heat 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Carefully lay the stuffed squash blossoms in the skillet.  Fry the flor de calabaza until golden brown on both sides.  Transfer to a heat-proof plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.  Remove the toothpicks before serving. 

Serve with your favorite salsa. 

Enjoy!!!

Yum!

*Important note: Squash blossoms are very delicate and don't store well in the refrigerator.  It's best to use your Flor de Calabaza within a day or 2 of purchase.

13 July 2011

Breaded & Stuffed Flor de Calabaza

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Creamy Mango Pie

I don't know if this ever happens to you or not, but when I have a bunch of mangoes sitting on the counter, some of them get too ripe.  Most of the time, I'll make a jarra (pitcher) of Agua de Mango with my ripe mangoes.  But sometimes, I like to surprise Hubby and the kiddies by whipping up a sweet and delicious dessert that's easier than pie to put together...Creamy Mango Pie. 

  
Easy-as-Pie Creamy Mango Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe mangoes (peeled and sliced into large chunks)
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 3 eggs
• Galletas Maria's pie crust (Or use a store bought graham cracker crust)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  In a blender, puree the mango, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and eggs until smooth. 

Slowly pour the mango puree into the pie crust.   Place the pie plate on top of a cookie sheet (to catch any possible spills). 

Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until center of the pie has set.  Let pie cool to room temperature on a wire rack.  Refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours before serving. 

To serve, garnish pie with whipped cream and sprinkle a little ground ginger on top.  Enjoy!!! 

Couldn't find any whipped cream! :(

12 July 2011

Creamy Mango Pie

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Maria's Cookies Pie Crust

I've mentioned this recipe many times here on La Cocina de Leslie, but always as part of another recipe.  I think it's high time it received a post of it's very own.

Galletas Maria's are just as popular in Mexico as graham crackers are in the U.S.  Maybe more so.  It's often the first cookie babies in Mexico eat.

Galletas Maria's are a thin, round cookie with a light vanilla taste that are delicious by themselves with a cold glass of milk.  But I love to use Maria's cookies as a base for my cookie crumb pie crust.  This is a delicious crust with just the Maria's cookies and the melted butter, but to really kick it up a notch, you could add a little ground cinnamon, nutmeg and/or ginger, depending on your pie filling.

Some of my favorite pies to bake in a Galletas Maria's Pie Crust include Key Lime Pie and Creamy Mango Pie.



Galletas Maria's Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 package Maria's Cookies
• 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

Directions:
In a food processor, grind the Maria's Cookies until very fine.  If you're like me and don't have a fancy food processor, place the cookies in a large ziploc baggie and flatten with a rolling pin until very fine. 

Pour the cookie crumbs into a medium mixing bowl.  Season with spices, if desired.

Stir in the melted butter and mix until well comined.

Pour the crumb mixture into a pie plate.  Press mixture firmly onto bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Maria's Cookies Pie Crust

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Outdoor Cooking {Choriqueso}

Once upon a time, not too long ago, our entire family packed everything but the kitchen sink into our trucks and headed to El Rancho for a 3-day camping trip during Semana Santa. 

Semana Santa is the Holy Week, including Good Friday, leading up to Easter Sunday.  We would be camping Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Good Friday and Holy Saturday!  The two days of Semana Santa, when Catholics refrain from eating meat and poultry.  We had two large ice chests filled with fish for our Fish Fry, along with shrimp and pulpo (octopus)  for a delicious Sopa de Mariscos.

But Thursday was another story.  We could eat all of the meat we wanted on that day!  And we definitely planned on doing so.  The menu for that day was a traditional Carne Asada with all of the fixings.

Before heading to El Rancho, one of my brothers-in-law picked up the 3 kilos of bistec (thin-cut steaks) he had pre-ordered that morning..

After settling in and setting up camp, we worked up quite an appetite.  We fired up the grill and were ready to start grilling the meat. 

But there was one little problem.

The steaks were frozen solid!  The butcher popped them into his freezer to keep them cold until my brother-in-law arrived to pick them up.

UH-OH!!!

We all looked around to see what we had on hand and quickly decided to use the chorizo we were going to grill anyway and the cheese that we were going to use for the Roasted Stuffed Yellow Peppers to make Choriqueso.

We all enjoyed a delicious meal and camped happily ever after.

And we learned a valuable lesson...When life hands you frozen steaks, make Choriqueso! 


Choriqueso

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chorizo
• 16 oz. asadero or adobera cheese
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions:
Cut the chorizo links into 2 to 3 pieces (or more), depending on the size of the links.  If you're in the U.S., be sure to remove the plastic casing.  If you're in Mexico, you don't have to remove the casing, because most of the time it's made from intestines.  (Chorizo is the ONLY instance where I can handle eating something that exotic!) 

Heat an olla de barro (clay pot) over a medium flame on the grill.  Add the chorizo and let cook until it's cooked through; drain off any fat.

Add the sliced mushrooms.  This is where you can get real creative.  You can add chopped tomato, sliced onion, sliced jalapeños or serrano peppers.  Let cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are slightly tender.

Layer the cheese on top of the chorizo.

Lots and lots of cheese!   Let simmer over a low flame until the cheese has completely melted. 

Serve with Totopos (tortilla chips) or warm corn tortillas.  Enjoy!!!

11 July 2011

Outdoor Cooking {Choriqueso}

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How to Peel & Slice a Mango

Mangoes

Today, we're going to talk about one of my all-time favorite fruits: Mangoes!  I know I throw around the L-word (love) a lot when referring to fruits, but mangoes really are one of my favorites.  They're high up on my list along with bananas, lemons and limes. 

Mangoes come in all shapes and sizes.  Pictured above is what we call Mango Petacon (big-bottomed mango). It's the mango I use most in my kitchen for just about everything: Agua Fresca, paletas (ice pops), Pico de Gallo and a couple more recipes that you will see later this week and next.  If you're going to cook with mangoes, use Mango Petacon!

Mango Ataulfo (Image via Fresh Mangos)

Another popular mango is the mango manila or ataulfo mango.  A smaller mango, which is best suited for individual consumption.  This is a great mango for kids because you don't need a knife to peel them.  You can peel them with your hands like a banana.  You can even choose not to peel ataulfos and eat them like an apple,  cascara (peel) and all.

Something new that I've found at el mercado (the market) this year are popcorn mangoes.  Teeny, tiny ataulfos that my kiddies love to eat...well....like popcorn.

Popcorn Mangoes

Mangoes are known for being a luscious, sweet fruit.  So much so, that they've even been incorporated into a piropo (compliment/pick-up line).  If someone says to you, "Que mangazo!", it means they think your absolutely gorgeous.

No matter how sweet and delicious mangoes are, their round/oval shape can make them difficult to peel and slice.  But not anymore!  I'm going to teach you two very easy ways to peel (and slice) a  mango.

How to Peel a Mango

Method Numero Uno:
The first method I'm going to show you is my preferred method.  This works really well when working with unripe mangoes, that are perfect for a salad or stir-fry.  My Hubby favors mangos verdes (unripened mangoes) to mangos maduros (ripe mangoes). 

Step 1:
The problem with trying to cut into a mango is that it rolls all over the cutting board.  To prevent the mango from moving and possibly cutting yourself, cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of the mango.  The cut on the bottom creates a flat base to keep your mango in place.  The top cut reveals part of the hueso (pit), which will act as a guide to slicing your mango.

Step 2:
Using a knife or vegetable peeler, remove the cascara (peel).  

Step 3: 
Slice the mango parallel to the pit and as close to the pit as you can get.  Be sure to also cut around the sides of the mango.  Listo! (Ready.)

OR

Method Numero Dos:

The second method I'm going to show you've already seen on TV, by many a celebrity chef.  This method works best when working with ripe mangoes.  If you were to use the first method, you run the risk of losing a lot of the sweet juice that ripe mangoes have. 

Step 1:
Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of the mango.  This step isn't really necessary for this particular method, but I like having a steady base so that my mango is rolling all over the place, plus it gives a better view of the hueso (pit).  

Step 2:
Slice the mango parallel to the pit and as close to the pit as you can get.  You don't want to waste any of that delicious mango.

Step 3:
With the tip of your knife score the mango into cubes, being careful not to cut all the way through the skin. 

Step 4:
Gently scoop out the mango with a spoon. Voilà, chopped mango! 

So...now that we've peeled our mango, here's a quick and easy snack that's very popular in Mexico.   I don't know if there's an actual name for this recipe/snack, we just call it Mango Preparado, which means prepared mango.

Mango Preparado

Ingredients:

• 2 large mangoes (peeled and chopped)
• Bottled Hot Sauce (Valentina or Tapatio) 
• 2 limes

Directions: 
Arrange the chopped mango on a plate.  Season lightly with salt and bottled hot sauce (if desired).  Top with freshly squeezed lime juice.  Enjoy!!! 

10 July 2011

How to Peel & Slice a Mango

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Rustic Cactus, Shrimp & Fish Soup

I have another treat for you today from my suegra's kitchen...Caldo Rustico de Mariscos made with fresh cut nopales (cactus), fish and shrimp.

A few simple ingredients.  Easy to prepare.  And oh-so-delicious!

The cactus is what really gives this soup it's flavor.  


Caldo Rustico de Mariscos con Nopales
(Rustic Cactus Shrimp & Fish Soup)


Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh cut nopales, whole or sliced
• Cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound Tilapia fillets, cut in 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Directions:
Place the nopales, a sprig of cilantro and the salt in a 4-quart stockpot.  Fill the stockpot with 8 cups of water.  Cook over medium heat until the nopales are tender to the touch. (About 15 to 20 minutes.) 

Add the rest of the ingredients to the stockpot.  Cover and continue to simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes.  Season with more salt, if necessary.

Serve with corn tortillas and Chile de Molcajete.  Enjoy!!!

08 July 2011

Rustic Cactus, Shrimp & Fish Soup

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Homemade Pork Carnitas

One of the greatest and tastiest foods I discovered soon after moving to Mexico has to be Carnitas. The first time I encountered them at a large family gathering, I had no idea what they were. They were presented on a large serving platter in rather large pieces along side large piles of tacos dorados (fried tacos) and chicharrones (fried pork skins). When I asked Hubby what kind of meat they were he simply responded, "Carnitas."

"Honey, I can see that it's meat, but I want to know what kind of meat?" Turns out Hubby wasn't just being cute calling the meat the Spanish word for "little meats", Carnitas was the actual name of the fried pork meat.

Traditionally Carnitas are fried in manteca (lard) in a large copper cazo (pot) over a wood burning fire. The meat is fried to a golden crisp on the outside, but inside it's tender and juicy. The taste is out-of-the-this-world delicious. Carnitas are so good that I've come up with an easier (and healthier) version so we can enjoy them at home.

I use vegetable or canola oil to "fry" my carnitas, but if you're looking for that authentic Mexican Carnitas flavor, you can use lard. The choice is entirely up to you. These finger-lickin' good Carnitas are delicious on their own, or you can use them as a filling for tacos, tostadas, burritos, and/or enchiladas.

07 July 2011

Homemade Pork Carnitas

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Comfort Food Classics: Mole de Olla

You're probably thinking that it's a little hot this summer to be making soup. Summer in my rinconcito (little corner) de Mexico means cool breezes, cloudy skies and lots of rain. Some days, I forget that it's summer. That's when I cook up a big pot of soup to help warm us up. My soup of choice? Mole de Olla! A comforting spicy chicken and vegetable soup seasoned with ancho and guajillo chilies. We like to serve ours with Sopa de Fideo Seco and Ensalada de Nopales (Cactus Paddle Salad).

06 July 2011

Comfort Food Classics: Mole de Olla

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