Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie - lacocinadeleslie.com

Tomorrow Hubby and I will be celebrating 21 years of wedded bliss. And I can't think of a better way to celebrate than with this Pay de Queso y Calabaza. This Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie combines the fall flavor of pumpkin pie with the creamy goodness of cheesecake in one irresistible dessert. It's the best of both worlds, just like our marriage.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie (Pay de Queso y Calabaza)

Celebrate #MeatlessMonday with these flavorful Squash Blossom Tacos a la Mexicana with chopped onion, tomato, and serrano chiles.


Tacos de Flor de Calabaza - lacocinadeleslie.com

Homemade Mexican food doesn't have to be complicated. Some of the easiest Mexican recipes I know are made a la Mexicana, with chopped onion, tomato, and green chiles. These dishes are called a la mexicana because the red, white, and green ingredients represent the colors of the Mexican flag. Earlier this month I shared my Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza, stating that cooking with flores de calabaza (which are currently in season here in Mexico) doesn't have to be complicated either. Combining the simplicity of a la mexicana with freshly cut squash blossoms we get these flavorsome Tacos de Flor de Calabaza a la Mexicana that are super quick and easy to make. Enjoy these Squash Blossom Tacos on their own for a light lunch, or serve them with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans for a complete meal.

Tacos de Flor de Calabaza (Squash Blossom Tacos)

No-Churn Sweet Corn Ice Cream with a just a hint of cinnamon to bring out the natural sweetness of the fresh corn.

No-Churn Sweet Corn Ice Cream - lacocinadeleslie.com

Corn plays an important role in Mexican cuisine especially in dishes like tortillas de maíz, tamales, and pozole. So, it should come as no surprise that corn is also the featured ingredient in many Mexican desserts as well. One such dessert being Nieve de Elote. Believe it or not Nieve (or helado) de Elote is a very popular ice cream flavor here in Mexico. Traditionally Nieve de Elote is hand-churned in large garrafas and takes several hours to make. But thanks to this recipe you can make this sweet and creamy treat without all the hard work of churning by hand. And now you can enjoy it year-round because I'm including directions on how to make this recipe using fresh corn or canned/frozen corn kernels. The only difficulty you'll have with this recipe is waiting for the ice cream to freeze.

Helado de Elote (Sweet Corn Ice Cream)

Because it wouldn’t be fall (the greatest season of the year) without a few pumpkin desserts. My second fall comfort dessert to make this season, second only to Calabaza en Tacha, is this creamy Pumpkin Spice Arroz con Leche because unlike most of you who live in the US, I have not been bombarded with an overload of Pumpkin Spice Everything. This creamy Pumpkin Spice Arroz con Leche combines the creamy goodness of traditional Arroz con Leche with homemade pumpkin puree and a few fragrant spices. Who needs fall scented candles when you’ve got a pot of Pumpkin Spice Arroz con Leche seasoned with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves simmering on the stove?!


Pumpkin Spice Arroz con Leche - lacocinadeleslie.com

Pumpkin Spice Arroz con Leche (Rice Pudding)

Sopa de Fideo a los Cuatro Chiles is a traditional Mexican fideo soup in a tomato broth seasoned with four types of chiles.


Sopa de Fideo a los Cuatro Chiles - lacocinadeleslie.com

We are finally experiencing cooler temperatures here in Mexico which makes it perfect weather to enjoy a bowl of a comforting sopa (soup). You are never too old to enjoy a bowl of Sopa de Fideo. If traditional Sopa de Fideo can cure what ails you, this version made with four varieties of chiles is no exception. Each of the chiles adds flavor, earthiness, and a touch of smokiness. While we removed all of the seeds from the chiles, which is where most of the heat comes from, this soup still has some kick to it. Sopa de Fideo a los Cuatro Chiles is the perfect soup to nurse you back to health when you are feeling under the weather, or for those days when you’re just looking for something that’ll warm you up on a crisp fall afternoon.  

Sopa de Fideo a los Cuatro Chiles (Mexican Fideo Soup w/ Four Chiles)

Fresh zucchini takes center stage in these fluffy pancakes seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg.


Zucchini Bread Pancakes - lacocinadeleslie.com

It's the first Monday of a new month which means it's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal. My assignment this month is Adventures in All Things Food written by Andrea, who keeps herself busy on her family farm along with her husband and their three adorable children. Andrea's blog has a little bit of everything: delicious recipes, tales of family and farm life adventures, crafts, book reviews, product reviews and giveaways. There's something for everyone to enjoy.

Secret Recipe Club: Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Buttery flour tortillas stuffed with fresh squash blossoms and lots of ooey, gooey melted cheese.




It's fall, ya'll! And with fall comes an abundance of freshly cut flores de calabaza (squash blossoms). Cooking with squash blossoms might seem intimidating, but trust me when I say that there is nothing easier than cooking with this beautiful and vibrant flower. One of the easiest squash blossom recipes I know is Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza. All you need are three ingredients; squash blossoms, cheese, and flour tortillas. It's that simple. Of course, I like to add a little butter to mine to give the quesadillas their golden hue. Squash Blossom Quesadillas make for a light and delicious meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Dress them up with your favorite salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.

Squash Blossom Quesadillas (de Flor de Calabaza) #ThrowbackThursday

Dip into the creamy goodness of a spicy homemade bean dip made with chorizo, pinto beans, green chiles, cumin, and cream cheese.


Homemade Chorizo Bean Dip - lacocinadeleslie.com

There's nothing my kids love more on a Friday night than eating dinner huddled together in the living room watching a movie on Netflix. Some nights we order pizza, and other nights we only want to snack on bowls of buttery popcorn topped with lime juice and bottled hot sauce. But every once in a while I like to surprise Alf (Hubby) and the kiddies with a big tray of tortillas chips and an array of our favorite dips like Chile de Molcajete (roasted tomatilla & arbol chile salsa), Guacamole, and this creamy Chorizo Bean Dip.

If you like the classic combination of beans and chorizo, then you'll love this homemade bean dip made with green chiles, Mexican chorizo, and cream cheese. You'll never buy canned bean dip again once you see how easy it to make your own.

Chorizo Bean Dip with Jalapeños - lacocinadeleslie.com

Chorizo Bean Dip 
lacocinadeleslie.com

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 fresh serrano chiles, finely chopped  
  • 6 to 8 oz. Mexican chorizo, casings removed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 roma tomatoes, finely chopped 
  • 3 cups cooked pinto beans, drained 
  • 1 cup bean broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream  
  • 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded queso Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
  • Chopped pickled jalapeños (optional) 
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Tortilla chips  



Directions:
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and serrano chiles for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and transparent. Add the chorizo, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, and let brown until fully cooked. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, cooked pinto beans, and bean broth. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to low. Using a potato masher, mash the pinto beans until desired consistency; season with the ground cumin and salt as needed. Stir in the cream cheese, Mexican crema, and mild cheddar cheese until completely melted. Remove from heat.

To serve, ladle dip into a large serving bowl; top beans with shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, chopped cilantro, and pickled jalapeño peppers. Serve with plenty of tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Receta en español 

Pinto Bean Dip with Chorizo - lacocinadeleslie.com

















Chorizo Bean Dip

Classic BBQ Chicken Sandwiches filled with tender pieces of shredded chicken in a tangy vinegar-based North Carolina style barbecue sauce.




Happy Labor Day to my friends (and family) in the US! But that's not the only thing we're celebrating today. The first Monday of a the month means it's also time for another installment of The Secret Recipe Club. Every month I'm assigned a new food blog from which I choose a recipe or two to cook and share here in my cocina on reveal day. This month my assignment is Cupcake Muffin, written by Sara who has been blogging for 8 years. One thing that really stood out to me about Sara's well-written blog is a list of menus that she's currently cooking her way through. The list of menus was recently given to her by her mom, but they were originally written by her great-grandmother, and has been passed down from generation to generation. Isn't that incredible?!

Secret Recipe Club: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

If you're a fan of Irish cream, then I have quite a treat for you. Crema de Tequila is Irish cream's Mexican cousin made with tequila, and a hint of chocolate and coffee. It's sweet, creamy, and super easy to make at home with just a handful of ingredients. Crema de Tequila is a rich and decadent dessert cocktail that can be served on ice, or add a splash to a steaming mug of hot coffee or a tall glass of Iced Coffee Agua Fresca for a grown-up treat. Double or even triple the recipe to give as gifts to family and friends.


Homemade Crema de Tequila - laoocinadeleslie.com

DIY Crema de Tequila

Easy semi-homemade peach cobbler with a flaky biscuit topping using canned peaches.


Easy Peach Cobbler with canned peaches - lacocinadeleslie.com


Happy "Eat a Peach" Day! It's a real food holiday that I had no idea existed until Heather (girlichef) suggested it as our theme for this month's She Made/Ella Hace. I'm all for celebrating food holidays so I was more than happy to make one of my favorite peach recipes. Heather whipped up a swoon-worthy Fresh Peach & Whiskey Ice Cream while I've serving up an Easy Peach Cobbler.

Easy Peach Cobbler w/ Biscuit Topping {She Made/Ella Hace}

Wake up your taste buds with this refreshing Iced Coffee Agua Fresca!

Coffee Agua Fresca - lacocinadeleslie.com

After updating my Chile de Huevo recipe back in June for #ThrowbackThursday, I thought it would be fun to make it a monthly series to show a little love to some of my older blog posts. This month we're showing love to my Iced Coffee Agua Fresca.

I've been a coffee drinker for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl I liked waking up extra early with my grandparents because that meant one of them would make me a cup of Cafe con Leche to drink while they enjoyed their first cup of coffee of the day. Once I got a little older Gramm would make a simple Iced Coffee with instant coffee granules, water, milk, and sugar. Whenever she did, it was always a special treat that I absolutely loved.

Iced Coffee Agua Fresca (Agua de Café) #ThrowbackThursday

An easy no-bake dessert made with Galletas María, dried cranberries, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk, with a subtle hint of orange.

No-Bake Coconut Cranberry Cookie Bars - lacocinadeleslie.com

Hi friends! It's the first Monday of the month, which means it's time once again for The Secret Recipe Club. My assignment this month was Chit Chat Chomp, written by Melbourne based blogger Leigh, who loves to cook, loves pots of tea, twinkling Christmas lights, and all things French. That latter part explains the chic, French vibe I got while reading through Leigh's blog. One thing that I really caught my attention was her 2013 Cookbook Challenge that she started to motivate herself to cook more recipes from the books in her collection. I for one need to really consider starting my own cookbook challenge, because my cookbooks have been long neglected and could use some love and attention.

Secret Recipe Club: No-Bake Coconut Cranberry Bars (with Galletas Maria)

Crispy corn tortilla flautas stuffed with refried black beans seasoned with caramelized onion and ground cumin.


Black Bean Flautas - lacocinadeleslie.com

Because sometimes you get a craving for something crispy and fried. Black bean flautas are a meat-free alternative perfect for any night of the week. The kiddies love them because they can eat them with their hands, and Hubby loves the rich flavor the caramelized onions add to the beans. Serve these flautas with Mexican Rice and a simple green salad for a complete meal. Cut the flautas in half to make mini-flautas to serve as appetizers at your next family get-together.

Black Bean Flautas

All the flavor of hot wings in a creamy, cheesy, and spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip made with Valentina Hot Sauce.


Buffalo Chicken Dip with Salsa Valentina - lacocinadeleslie.com

I'm so excited about this month's Secret Recipe Club because I've been a long-time admirer of my blog assignment for this month. Daily Dish Recipes is written by Nicole. Nicole is a mom of 5, writer, food blogger, and she has one heck of a green thumb. (I have major garden envy!) Because Nicole and I got to know each other through another food blogging group I have pinned and made a few of her simple, down home, feel good recipes. Like her Jolly Rancher Vodka. A must try! Other recipes I've wanted to try are Nicole's Pumpkin Donuts, Corn Cob Jelly, Crockpot Curry Chicken, and Summer Berry Cinnamon Bread Pudding.

Secret Recipe Club: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip w/ Valentina Hot Sauce

Homemade Chili Beans made from scratch with cooked pinto beans and five varieties of chiles.


Homemade Chili Beans - lacocinadeleslie.com

This weekend the US will be celebrating Independence Day. Now that I live in Mexico the 4th of July always makes me a little homesick for fireworks, American flags flying high, and all the yummy food being served at the cookouts. When I was younger the 4th of July always meant that Gramm was going to open a can of chili beans and ladle them over hot dogs, because for Gramm nothing was more American than hot dogs and chili beans.

Homemade Chili Beans