Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just a few days away?  November is just zooming on by.  I haven't even thought about what I'm going to make for Thanksgiving.  We'll probably have chicken, since I can never seem to find a turkey.  But other than that, the only thing I know for sure that I will be making is pie.  Lots and lots of super yummy holiday pies.  And that's exactly what Girlichef and I are making this month for She Made/Ella Hace.

Every year for Thanksgiving, and Christmas, I bake a pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie, a Pay de Cajeta (Cajeta Pie), and a Pecan Pie.  But not just any pecan pie, my Hubby's favorite Cajeta Pecan Pie!

This recipe came about quite by accident one year for Thanksgiving when I was preparing my traditional Pecan Pie, and realized I didn't have enough maple syrup.  Instead of heading out to the store to buy more maple syrup, I looked in my pantry to see if there was something, anything I could use as a substitute.  That's when I saw the big jar of cajeta, a goat's milk caramel sauce, that my suegra had taken us as a gift on one of her visits to the States.  The results were so good, that pie was the first to disappear that Thanksgiving.  Cajeta and pecans were made for eachother. I made another pecan pie with just the cajeta the very next day along with a creamier Cajeta Pie without pecans.  They've been a holiday tradition every since.

When you're done here, be sure to visit Girlichef's Spiced Maple Pecan Pie w/ Star Anise!  Doesn't that sound delicious?



Cajeta Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup Cajeta (dulce de leche or caramel sauce)
  • 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 prepared graham cracker crust or Maria's Cookies Pie Crust 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.


In a medium bowl, whisk together the cajeta, melted butter, eggs, and salt until well combined.


Pour the cajeta mixture into the pre-made graham cracker pie crust.  Place the pie crust on top of a larger cookie sheet.  (I do this for all the pies I bake in case the pie contents overflow.)  Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes or until the center of the pie no longer jiggles.


Remove from oven.  Let cool to room temperature; refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.  Enjoy!!!


And now for a special bonus, and because you can never have too much pie, and because I always bake these two pies together, here is my recipe for Pay de Cajeta (Cajeta Pie)


Pay de Cajeta 
(Cajeta Pie)  

Ingredients:
  • 1-1/2 cups Cajeta or dulce de leche
  • 1 (12 oz. can) evaporated milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pre-made graham cracker crust or Maria's Cookies Pie Crust
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, cajeta, eggs, and salt until well combined.

Pour the cajeta mixture into the pre-made graham cracker crust.  Place pie on top of a larger cookie sheet to bake.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until the center of the pie no longer jiggles.


Remove pie from oven and let cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.  Top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.  Enjoy!!!


Now head on over to Girlichef's blog to check out her amazing Spiced Maple Pecan Pie w/ Star Anise. 


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Holiday Pies: Cajeta Pecan Pie & Pay de Cajeta {She Made/Ella Hace}

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The Holiday Season is upon us, leaving many of us to ask that age old question...."What am I going to serve with the turkey, ham, or tamales this year?"  Freaketh not, my friends, because this month's Food of the Month Club theme is...Side Dishes!  


You can choose from: pasta, rice, beans, mashed potatoes, veggies, and even salads.

What are some of your favorite Side Dishes?



How to Participate:

1.)  Visit La Cocina de Leslie the 15th of each month to find out the Food of the Month.

2.)  Head to the kitchen and cook up a delicious Side Dish.

3.)  Post the recipe(s) on your blog.  You may submit more than one recipe, but no more than 3 can be included in the round-up.  All posts must be current.   

4.)  You must link to this page in your Side Dish recipe blog post(s).  You can also add the Food of the Month Club badge to your post and/or sidebar.  You can find the code for the badge here. 

5.)  Email your Side Dish entries to me at leslielimon@lacocinadeleslie.com no later than December 14th to be included in the round-up.  Be sure to  include:
~your name
~your blog name
~permalink to your post
~a photo of your recipe or permission to pull one from your post

6.)  Visit La Cocina de Leslie on December 15th for the Side Dish recipe round-up.  

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November: Food of the Month Club Announcement

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Welcome to Pumpkin-palooza!  This month's Food of the Month Club Recipe Round-Up is  collection of sweet treats and savory soups featuring my favorite fall veggie...Pumpkin!

To start things off, newcomer to the blogosphere Melissa B. from HungryFoodLove brings us this Creamy Roasted Squash Soup.


The fabulous Bren Herrera from Flanboyant Eats shares here recipe for this Pumpkin Spice Flan.


My good friend, Vianney, from Sweet Life has a very special treat for us...Pumpkin Pie Tamales!


And Vianney's daughter, Chuls, brings us these healthy, whole wheat Chocolaty Pumpkin Bars.


Ckay from Sweet and That's It made us a batch of yummy Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.


And then she kicked that recipe up a notch by covering them in chocolate, turning them into Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!


Looking for a delicious start to a Fall breakfast?  How about these Easy Pumpkin Pancakes from Justice Jonesie.


The lovely ladies from Muy Bueno Cookbook have two special pumpkin treats for us today.  The first are these super cute Mini Pumpkin Pies.


And the second is this beautiful Pumpkin, Acorn Squash, and Tomato Soup.


Heather from Malice in Dunderland introduces us to Picarones (Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Doughnuts)


Girlichef shares these Pumpkin with Piloncillo & Cinnamon Empanadas


Speaking of pumpkin empanadas, I made these Mini Pumpkin Empanada Bites  with a flaky cream cheese pastry dough.  


As always, a BIG thank you to all who participated this month!  If you would like to be featured in next month's recipe round-up, be sure to check out the November announcement post for details.

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Pumpkin-palooza! Recipe Round-Up {Food of the Month Club}

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It's been quite some time since I've received a care package from the States, so you can probably imagine why I was as happy and excited as a little kid on Christmas morning, when Hubby brought home a box from the post office.  "The Box" was a care package from my BFF filled with lots of goodies that made this expat food blogger (and her 4 kiddies) very happy.   So happy that I just had to share some of the contents with all of you, since I'm pretty sure you'll being seeing some of it featured on the blog in the coming weeks. 

My care package included....

Candy!!!  We have a pretty decent selection of American candy here in Mexico, like Snickers, M&M's, Twix, and Milky Way.  But what we don't have are Reese's Pieces, red licorice, Peeps, or candy corn.  My kiddies have never had any of them and were excited to try them all.  Of course, not all at the same time.

Also in "The Box"...
Food & Holiday Themed Magazines! I absolutely LOVE this gift!  I love to cook.  I love food.  And I've never met a holiday that I didn't like, so this gift is just perfect for me in so many ways!  And they're in English!  I'm ready to get my Christmas craft on.  This is the first time I've ever read the Food Network Magazine.  I'm loving it so much, I've subscribed to the digital version.  I predict that you will see a few recipes from these magazines very soon.

And finally...
Assorted Chocolate Chips & Cupcake Liners! Out of all the awesome gifts I received today, the one I'm most excited about are all these chocolate chips!  White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Butterscotch, and Mint!  Oh my!  I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but chocolate chips are next to impossible to find around these parts.  And I can never find anything mint flavored.  Have I mentioned that I love all things Chocolate Mint?  I can't wait to start baking with these goodies.

And the bright and colorful cupcake liners are too darn cute.  My soon-to-be Quinceañera (15 year old) has already requested the patterned ones for her birthday party next month.  So you can expect to see a couple of cupcake recipes too.

Also in the box, but not pictured, was more candy, like Twizzlers and fun-sized Snickers, and a couple of handy-dandy hand held kitchen gadgets that I will be putting to good use in my cocina.

As Martha Stewart would say, Expat Foodie Care Packages are a very good thing.

What care package items would make you happy?

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How to Make an Expat Food Blogger Happy...

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When I was a little girl, my all-time favorite sandwich was the BLT -- Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato on toasted sandwich bread.  I ordered it almost every time I went to work with my mom at the bowling alley and/or honky-tonk bar where she was a bartender.  It remained my favorite for many, many years to follow. 

Then as a grown, married woman, I moved to Mexico.  It was here in this country I now call home, where I discovered the Lonche de Aguacate con Queso -- a special avocado and queso fresco sandwich served on a crusty bolillo roll, very popular during Lent.  It was love at first bite and quickly replaced the BLT as my favorite sandwich.  And for twelve years, that title remained uncontested.  

That is until very recently... 

It appears that a new contender has arrived on the scene, threatening to rip the title of "My All-Time Favorite Sandwich" from my once beloved Lonche de Aguacate con Queso.  The contender's name?  Torta de Rajas con Champiñones!  A spicy vegetarian sandwich made with sliced mushrooms and roasted poblano peppers, topped with oodles of ooey-gooey melted cheese.  And just a hint of tequila.  Yes, you read that correctly, TEQUILA!  

The combination of mushrooms, roasted poblano peppers, Mexican crema and that teeny, tiny splash of tequila is so incredibly delicious, I honestly don't know how I resisted the urge to eat all of the filling straight from the skillet, before I even finished assembling our sandwiches.

After just one round with this knock-out sandwich, I'm pretty sure I have a new champion.  Now it's your turn, what's your favorite sandwich?




Torta de Champiñones con Rajas (Mushroom & Poblano Pepper Sandwich)
(Recipe adapted from Muy Bueno Cookbook)

Ingredients:
  • 3 poblano peppers
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon tequila (optional)
  • 1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese (or your favorite Mexican cheese blend)
  • 2 bolillo rolls

Directions:
Roast the poblano peppers on a comal or griddle over medium-high heat, until the skin has charred.


Place the roasted poblano peppers in a plastic bag and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.  This allows the peppers to sweat, which makes it easier to peel the peppers and remove the charred skin.


Remove stems and seeds from the roasted poblano peppers; cut the peppers into 1/2-inch strips.  Set aside.


Heat 1 tablespoon of the melted butter with the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Carefully add the mushroom and saute for about 10 minutes or until fully cooked and tender; season with salt and pepper.  (Pay no attention to my scratched skillet, it has survived many a battle in my Cocina.) 


Add the roasted poblano pepper strips.  Stir in the Mexican crema and tequila.  Let simmer for about 5 minutes; season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of the Manchego cheese.


Cut the bolillo rolls in half lengthwise; brush insides and out of bolillo rolls with melted butter.  Toast the cut-side (inside) of each bolillo roll on a comal or griddle over medium-low heat.  Spoon half of the mushroom and poblano pepper mixture onto the two bottom slices of bolillo roll.  Top with the remaining shredded cheese.  (I added a few extra thin slices of cheese, because you can never have too much cheese!)   Top with the top slices of bolillo roll.


Toast the sandwiches for a few minutes on each side, until the bread is slightly crispy and light golden brown, and the cheese has completely melted.  Enjoy!!!



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Torta de Champiñones y Rajas {Mushroom & Roasted Poblano Pepper Sandwich}

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I probably shouldn't complain about how cold it is here in Small Town, Mexico, since technically our daytime high's are somewhere in the 80's, which in some places is still shorts and flip-flops kind of weather.  But that's not the case here.  Our morning and evening temperatures drop drastically to somewhere between the high 40's and low 50's. For us that's practically freezing, so we bundle up with knit hats and gloves, and thick, woolly scarves.  And since Mexico uses the metric system, our degrees are in Celsius, which makes the temps seem even colder.  I'm sure you'll agree that 10 degrees Celsius sounds way colder, with visions of icicles dancing in your head, than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Thank goodness for hearty soups like Sopa de Lentejas (Lentil Soup), made with bacon, spinach, and a few extra veggies for added flavor to help keep us warm.    

Not only are lentils high in protein, my suegra (mother-in-law) used to say that lentils are also a great way to lose weight.  She'd then go on to tell the "story" of how a local doctor often prescribed a cup of lentils a day to anyone who wanted to lose weight.   But the catch is that you aren't allowed to actually eat the lentils.  You're supposed to just drop them on the floor, then bend over to pick them up.  One. at. a. time!  

Now, I don't know if that little trick actually works, but my suegra enjoyed telling that joke every time she cooked with lentils, and I remembered it the other day as I was preparing this Sopa de Lentejas that my family loved!  



Sopa de Lentejas (Lentil & Spinach Soup)
(Recipe adapted from Muy Bueno Cookbook)

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups dried lentils
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 10 cups water
  • 6 slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 serrano chile, finely chopped (optional) 
  • 1 cup roughly chopped spinach (espinacas) and/or Swiss chard (acelgas) (I used both.)
Directions:
Sort through the lentils to remove any rocks or debris.  Rinse lentils in a colander with cold water.

Fill a 3 to 4-quart stockpot with 10 cups of water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the lentils, celery ribs, and garlic; reduce heat to low.  Cover the stockpot and let simmer until the lentils are tender.  (About 20 minutes.)

While the lentils are cooking, cook the bacon in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.  Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.  Remove most of the bacon drippings from the skillet, leaving just enough to coat the skillet.

Add the carrots and tomatoes to the skillet and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion and serrano chile; saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onion has turned translucent.

Season the lentils with salt.

Using a potato masher, mash some of the lentils (to help thicken the soup) until desired consistency.  Stir in the cooked bacon, carrots, tomato, and onion.  Cover and let simmer about 15 to 20 minutes.  Once the lentils are fully cooked and the soup flavors have combined, stir in the spinach and/or Swiss chard.  Season with more salt, if necessary. Enjoy! 

Receta en español 



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Sopa de Lentejas (Lentil & Spinach Soup)

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lacocinadeleslie.com

When the weather starts to get a little chilly, I don't think there's anything more soul warming than a steaming bowl of chicken soup.  That's why for this week's Soul Warming #SundaySupper, hosted by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen, I'm sharing my recipe for Pozolillo Verde.  

For those of you wondering why it's called Pozolillo in Spanish and not Pozole, it's because literally translated, Pozolillo means "little Pozole".  The reason we call it "little Pozole" is because Pozolillo is made with regular corn kernels, which are smaller in size than hominy, which is what is traditionally used to make Pozole.  Another reason is because Pozolillo is made with chicken instead of pork, which makes the cooking time considerably shorter than Pozole.

And that my friends, concludes today's Spanish lesson.  Now back to the soup...

What I love most about Pozolillo Verde is that it's made with what I think is one of the greatest flavor combinations ever invented: chicken, corn, and roasted poblano peppers.  The roasted poblano pepper offers just the right amount of spice to make the broth flavorful, but not overly spicy, making this soup a wonderful addition to your menu when you're looking for something to warm you up when the weather outside is frightful.  Or if you're like me, this soup is also delightfully soothing and soul warming when you're feeling under the weather.

lacocinadeleslie.com

Pozolillo Verde
(Green Chicken & Corn Pozole)

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in large bite-size pieces
  • 2 cups yellow corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
  • 1 medium onion, cut in half 
  • Fresh cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 large Poblano pepper
  • 8 tomatillos, husks removed
Garnishes: 
  • Shredded cabbage 
  • Finely chopped onion 
  • Thinly sliced radishes 
  • Limes
  • Tostada shells or corn tortillas


Directions: 
Fill a 3-quart pot with 8 cups of water.  Add the chicken, corn kernels, the medium onion, one clove of garlic, and a couple of sprigs of fresh cilantro; season with salt.  Cover pot and bring soup to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for  about 45 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion, garlic and cilantro.

 While the chicken is cooking, roast the poblano pepper over an open flame for a few minutes on each side, until the skin has charred.  (You can also roast the poblano pepper on top of a griddle or comal, or in the broiler.)  Place the roasted poblano pepper in a plastic bag and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.  (This allows the poblano pepper to "sweat", which will make removing the charred skin much easier.) 

 In a medium saucepan, boil the tomatillos with two cups of water over medium-high heat until fully cooked.  Let cool slightly.

 Peel the poblano pepper by removing the charred skin.  Remove the seeds and stem.  (*Important note: If you are not accustomed to working with chile peppers, please wear disposable gloves when peeling the poblano pepper. And as a precaution, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and baking soda afterwards.)  

 Puree the roasted poblano pepper with the remaining clove of garlic, the cooked tomatillos and about 1 cup of the water they were cooked in.  Pour the puree into the chicken soup; season with salt.  Cover and let simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the corn kernels are fully cooked, if using fresh.

Ladle Pozolillo Verde into bowls.  Top with shredded cabbage, chopped onion, thinly sliced radishes, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.  Serve with tostada shells or warm corn tortillas.  Enjoy!!!

lacocinadeleslie.com

*You might also like Pozolillo Rojo and Traditional Mexican Pozole.  

For more Soul Warming dishes, be sure to check out what my #SundaySupper friends have cooked up this week.


Main Entrees: 
Chili/Stews:
Soups:
Desserts/Beverages:
Join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat. 
All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.
We’d also love to feature your Sunday Supper Soul Warming Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.


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Pozolillo Verde {Green Chicken & Corn Pozole} #SundaySupper

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I am SO excited about Food 'n Flix this month!  One, because I'm hosting.  And two, because the movie I've chosen is Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.  Maybe you've heard of it.

I absolutely LOVE (and adore) this movie!

There are just so many elements in this movie that I identify with.

On one hand we have  Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep), who before she was THE Julia Child, was just an American expat living in Paris, immersing herself in the culture, learning the language, and mastering the art of French cooking.

And on the other hand we have Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams), a frustrated writer turned "pencil pushing bureaucrat", who turns her love of cooking into a highly successful food blog by cooking her way through Julia Child's masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

But the real star of this movie is the food!  Fabulously rich and exquisite French food that I can't help but crave (and drool over) every time I watch this movie: Beef Bourguignonne, Artichokes in Hollandaise sauce, Chocolate Layer Cake, Raspberry Bavarian Cream, Bruschetta, and Apple Tarte Tatin, just to name a few.

Ooh. La. La!

So, who wants to try there hand at French cuisine and cook alongside me, Julie & Julia this month?



How to Participate:

1. Watch the chosen film (Julie & Julia). Taking inspiration from the film, head into the kitchen and cook or bake or make something.

2. Post about it on your blog with a link back to THIS post and a link to Food 'n Flix. Use of the logo is optional.

3. Your post must be current (during month of film). And of course we don't mind if your post is linked to other events...the more the merrier.

4. Have fun with it!

5. Email your entries to me at: leslielimon@lacocinadeleslie.com and include:

~Your name
~Your blog's name
~The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you're submitting
~Attach a photo of any size (or just give me permission to "pull" one from your post)
~Indicate "Food 'n Flix Submission" in the subject line

Deadline for submission is: Wednesday, November 28th (11:59 pm Eastern)
*watch for the roundup to be posted on November 30th!

Food‘nFlix



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Julie & Julia {Food 'n Flix Announcement}

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