Serves

4-6

2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño or serrano chile, including seeds, or more to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or ½ teaspoon fine salt
¼ cup chopped cilantro, divided

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or more to taste
1 large or 2 small ripe Mexican Hass avocados, halved and pitted
¼ cup coarsely chopped smoked almonds, divided
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, divided

Instructions

Mash the onion, chile, salt (the coarseness of kosher salt will help you make the paste), and half of the cilantro to a paste in a molcajete or mortar. You can also mince and mash the ingredients together on a cutting board with a large knife or a fork, and then transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the lime juice.

Score the flesh in the avocado halves in a crosshatch pattern (not through the skin) with a knife and then scoop it with a spoon into the mortar or bowl. Add the rest of the cilantro and most of the almonds and blue cheese, toss well, and mash coarsely with a pestle or fork. Season to taste with additional lime juice and salt.

Garnish with the rest of the almonds and blue cheese. This guacamole is best served right away.

Recipe courtesy of
Truly Mexican by Roberto Santibañez

Serves

4

Ingredients

1 lb small shrimp, poached and peeled
 1/2 cup fresh tomato juice
 3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
 2 clove garlic, minced
 3 slices sweet onion, finely diced
 1 small jicama, diced
 1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely diced (optional)
 2 lime, juiced
 salt and pepper to taste
 2 ripe Hass Avocados from Mexico

Instructions

-Thoroughly mix together all ingredients. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
-Just before serving, cut each Hass Avocado into halves and take out the seed.
-Spoon marinated shrimp into the Hass Avocado halves and serve.

Serves

6-8

Ingredients

3 ripe Hass avocados from Mexico
1 teaspoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
30 fresh corn tortillas
2 (6-8oz.) Sushi grade Ahi Tuna steaks, cut into small dice
1 teaspoon dark toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon Thai sweet soy sauce
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons of Thai Chili Sauce
½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon dark toasted sesame oil
½ bunch scallions
1 red bell pepper, brunoise
1 orange pepper, brunoise
1 yellow pepper, brunoise
1 TB. Finely chopped cilantro
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds

Canola or Grapeseed oil

Straight edge 3-4 inch Biscuit cutter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut corn tortillas into 3-4 inch circles. (Reserve trimmings for another use.) Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Brush corn tortillas with oil on both sides and place on parchment lined pan. Top with an additional piece of parchment and another sheet pan to weight down.

Continue preparing pans of tortillas in this manner until all are used. Place pans in oven and bake until tortillas are crisp and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven, remove top pan and top parchment, season with sea salt and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, take the ripe Hass Avocados from Mexico and puree them in a food processor with the rice wine vinegar. Remove from processor and place in a bowl. Season to taste with sea salt & freshly ground white pepper. Finely slice white part of scallions, leaving green lengths intact. Add in finely sliced white scallions and finely chopped cilantro to pureed avocado, stirring gently. Place one of the avocado seeds in the bowl of the prepared avocado puree, cover and chill.

In a separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, garlic, sesame oil and Thai chili sauce. Season to taste with Sea Salt and freshly ground white pepper. Place in a squeeze bottle and chill until use.

Place diced tuna in a medium bowl and gently toss with the sesame oil and sweet soy. Cover and chill until use. (Maximum 12 hours.)

Place green scallion lengths on a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, cut the scallion lengths into very fine lengths of scallion, about 1/16th of an inch wide and 5 inches long. Place lengths in ice water until service.

When ready to serve, remove seed from avocado puree. Mix 3 colors of pepper brunoise. Drain scallion lengths and place on paper towels to dry. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of puree on each tostadita and top with a teaspoon or so of diced tuna. Garnish each tostadita with tricolor pepper mix. Squeeze a decorative line of spicy mayonnaise sauce atop each tostadita. Garnish with black sesame seeds and scallion lengths.

Serve and enjoy!!

Serves

4 people

2 ripe Hass avocados
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat buttermilk and
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 seeded jalapeño pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

In a food processor or blender, process the above ingredients until smooth. Serve in chilled bowls with hot-pepper sauce, if desired.

Serves

10 people

3/4 cup shelled walnuts
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 lemon
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 fully ripened Avocados from Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened and cut in pieces

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. In food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground. Add graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, anise seeds and salt; pulse just until combined. Add 2 tablespoons water; pulse until ingredients are thoroughly combined and resemble wet sand. Press into bottom of an 8 1/2-inch springform pan. Bake 20 minutes; cool completely.

In measuring cup or small bowl, combine gelatin with 2 tablespoons water; let stand for 5 minutes. With vegetable peeler, remove strips of lemon zest (yellow portion only). In saucepan, combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla and lemon zest; bring to boil. Add gelatin; simmer until gelatin has completely dissolved, about 1 minute; strain and discard lemon zest. In food processor, combine avocados and cream cheese. Pour hot milk mixture into processor; process until very smooth. Pour into baked crust; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set. Remove side of pan; cut cheesecake into 10 slices. Serve with raspberry sauce, if desired.

Cheesecake is best when served the same day; any leftover cheesecake should be securely covered with clear plastic wrap and refrigerated.

Serves

4

Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup cold club soda
1/2 cup ice water
pinch of salt
Oil for frying

Instructions

Heat oil in a deep pan. Combine the flour, egg, cornstarch, club soda, ice water, and salt in a bowl. Mix well. Dip the avocado pieces in the batter, then drop gently into the hot oil. Fry the avocado pieces until they are crispy. Remove and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Serves

8

2 avocados, peeled and mashed
3 cups white sugar
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
zest 1 lime (reserve a tsp for glaze)
1 cup sweetened flake coconut (plus a little extra for garnish)

Glaze :
1 cup confectioners sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
reserved lime zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Throroughly spray standard size bundt pan with baking spray. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together the avocado and sugar until thoroughly mixed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla, lime juice, sour cream, lime zest and coconut. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 1 hour or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, then invert onto another plate.  Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle on warm cake. Sprinkle with coconut.

Serves

6

Ingredients

3   ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons seeded and finely chopped chipotle in adobo
3 large flour tortillas or wraps (1 each plain, tomato and spinach flavor)
3/4 cup low-fat refried black beans
6 tablespoons pico de gallo salsa
1 1/2 avocados from Mexico, peeled, pitted and diced
3/4 cup cilantro leaves

Instructions

Mix together cream cheese and chipotle. Heat tortillas in microwave or oven to soften. Spread each tortilla with 2 Tbsp. chipotle cream cheese, 1/4 cup black beans and 2 Tbsp. salsa. Scatter one-third of the avocado and cilantro on each. Roll up tortillas tightly; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. To serve, unwrap and trim ends; cut each roll across into 6 pieces.

Serves

12

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 avocado well mashed

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffly and then mix in the avocado. The mixture will be creamy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add alternatively, the dry mixture and the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry. Finally stir in the poppy seeds and combine with a spatula. Pour the batter in a loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
These pound cake freezes and thaws perfectly and makes a great breakfast treat. Just freeze it cut and pop in the microwave for about 2 min before eating.

2 pounds pork shoulder, fat removed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
½ lb Mexican chorizo sausages
2 tbsp canola oil
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 pound tomatoes, chopped
2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo (or to taste), chopped
Salt, black pepper and sugar to taste
12 Corn tortillas
1 cup Canola oil
¾ cup cooked black beans, mashed into a paste
2 medium avocados sliced

Instructions

Place the meat in a medium stockpot and add water to cover. Season with salt. Bring to a boil and add onion and garlic. Reduce the heat and simmer until meat is fully cooked. Remove cooked meat, cool down, and shred. Set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and fry until cooked. Drain on paper towels. In the remaining fat, sauté onion, until translucid. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until soft. Add the drained chorizo and the chipotles. Let the flavors blend, then add the shredded meat and cook for 8 more minutes.  Season with salt, black pepper and sugar to taste.

Fry the tortillas in hot oil until crisp and golden. Spread the bean paste, arrange warmed tinga, and garnish with avocado slices on top.

3 medium-large ripe avocados
½ medium white onion, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (2 serranos or 1 jalapeño), stemmed, seeded if you wish, and finely chopped
¼ cup soft sundried tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (patted dry on paper towels if oil-packed)

¼ cup (loosely packed) chopped fresh cilantro with stems cut off
Salt
1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese for garnish

Instructions

Cut around each avocado, from stem to blossom end and back again, then twist the two halves apart. Dislodge the pit and scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl. Using an old fashioned potato masher or large fork or spoon, mash the avocados into a coarse puree. Scoop the onion into a small strainer and rinse under cold water.  Shake off the excess water and mix into the avocado, along with the chiles, tomatoes and cilantro. Taste and season with salt and lime juice—usually about 1 teaspoon of salt, and lime juice is a matter of personal preference.

Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve (should be within a couple of hours). Scoop guacamole into a serving dish, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and queso fresco.

Pork:
3 tbsp achiote seeds
4 tbsp white vinegar
20 black peppercorns
1 tbsp dried oaxacan oregano or marjoram
8 whole cloves
8 whole allspice
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 pieces Mexican canela (1” each)
4 tsp coriander seeds
3 tsp Salt
5 garlic cloves minced
1½ cup bitter orange juice
(or 1 cup orange juice + ½ cup lime juice)
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 lb. Banana leaves
1 pork rib roast

Garnish:
2 red onions, sliced
3 habanero chiles (or to taste), diced
1½  cups bitter orange juice + 2 tbsp white vinegar
Salt to taste

Instructions

At least 2 hours before cooking, place the achiote seeds in a bowl, and cover with 4 tbsp vinegar.

In a spice grinder grind black pepper, oregano, cloves, allspice, cumin, canela and coriander. Place the achiote seeds, vinegar, all the rest of the spices, garlic, flour, salt and juices in a blender. Make a paste (strain if needed). Marinate the whole pork rack in the paste for at least couple of hours in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 300F.

Remove the meat from the marinade. Reserve the marinade. Heat a griddle or skillet with 3 tbsp oil. Sear the meat until golden brown.

Arrange the pork rack on banana leaves in a baking casserole or baking tray. Add the marinade on top, and cover with overlapping banana leaves. Roast the meat for about one hour. Check for doneness (the meat should be very tender and easy to slice). Remove meat from the oven and portion it among the serving plates.

Garnish: Combine all ingredients and let rest for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves

8 to 10 people

Chicken:
2 (3 ½-pound) whole chickens cut into serving pieces, or 7 pounds chicken parts
12 cups water
2 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into large pieces
1 small white onion, quartered
2 large parsley or cilantro sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fine salt or 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Pistachio Sauce:
2 poblano chiles (½ pound)
6 tablespoons unhulled sesame seeds
3 tablespoons chile seeds (from any non-smoked dried chile, like ancho or pasilla)
1 cup shelled unsalted roasted pistachios (4½ ounces), loose skins removed
2 small, fresh Serrano chiles, coarsely chopped, including seeds
2 small garlic cloves, peeled
¾ teaspoon fine salt, or 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon aniseed
2 tablespoons mild olive oil or vegetable oil
½ recipe Poached Chicken, including 4 to 5 cups of chicken stock
1 small avocado leaf

Chicken:

Put the chicken pieces in an 8-quart pot with the remaining ingredients. Bring the water to a simmer over high heat, skimming any foam from the surface as necessary. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken pieces from the stock. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the chicken, if desired. Strain the stock into a wide bowl, discarding the vegetables and herbs.

You can keep the chicken in the stock and refrigerate it up to two days. You can also separate the two and keep the stock in the refrigerator for up to five days, or in the freezer for three months. Be sure to let the meat and stock cool uncovered first.

Pistachio Sauce:

Turn 1 or 2 burners on the stove to high and roast the poblano chiles on the racks of the burners (or directly on the element of an electric stove), turning frequently with tongs, until they are blistered and charred all over, 4 to 6 minutes. Put the poblanos in a bowl and cover with a plate to sweat, 15 to 20 minutes.

Rub off the skin from the poblano chiles with a paper towel or your fingers, then cut them open lengthwise. Cut out the seed pods, veins, and stems, and lay the chiles flat. Wipe the chiles clean of seeds, discard the seeds, and tear the chiles into large pieces.

Heat a small heavy skillet over medium heat and toast the sesame seeds and chile seeds, stirring and tossing constantly, until they’re fragrant and a shade darker, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the poblanos and toasted seeds to a blender.  Add the pistachios, serrano chiles, garlic, salt, aniseed, and 2 cups of the chicken stock, and blend until very smooth, about 3 minutes.

Heat the oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot (this will give you enough room to add the chicken later; if you’re making just the sauce, a 3- to 4-quart pot is fine) over medium heat, then add the blended mixture and simmer, stirring frequently, until it has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. As it’s simmering, swish a little liquid around the blender and add it to the pot.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, uncovered (use a splatter screen so the sauce doesn’t make a mess of the stove), stirring frequently, until small pools of oil appear on the surface of the sauce, about 45 minutes.  As the sauce simmers, add more stock, as necessary, to maintain a velvety consistency that thickly coats a wooden spoon, but isn’t gloppy.

Heat a comal, griddle, or heavy skillet over medium-low heat, and toast the avocado leaf, turning it frequently with tongs, until fragrant and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Crumble the leaf into the blender. Add 1 cup of the sauce, and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the remaining sauce in the pot and cook for 5 minutes more. Season to taste with additional salt.

Add the chicken to the sauce, reduce the heat to low, and cook until it’s just heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Marinade:
5 ounces black pasilla chiles (about 20 large chiles), stemmed
2 1/2 cups chopped red onion
2 1/2 cups loosely packed, coarsely chopped cilantro
10 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup mild olive oil
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
5 teaspoons coarse salt (or to taste)
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

Skewers:
50 slices bacon
5 lbs beef tenderloin, flank steak, or flat iron steak, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
200 6-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

Instructions

To make pasilla chile marinade, toast chiles on a heated dry skillet over low heat, turning often and pressing down with tongs, 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and pliable. Tear into pieces and place in blender jar with remaining ingredients. Blend about 2 minutes or until smooth.

To make skewers, place bacon on a microwave-safe plate between 2 sheets of paper towels and microwave for 2 minutes to par-cook (bacon should still be pliable). Cut each strip into eight 3/4-inch pieces. Alternately thread 2 pieces bacon and 2 pieces beef onto each skewer and arrange on parchment or plastic wrap on a tray in one layer.

Generously brush pasilla chile marinade on all sides of beef with and refrigerate 10 minutes to 2 hours. Heat a grill or griddle and brush with oil. Grill skewers 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on both sides. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with Monster Dip (1 tablespoon per skewer).

½ head garlic, cloves broken apart
2 to 3 fresh serrano chiles
1 medium bunch cilantro, stems cut off
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stems cut off
½ cup olive oil
Salt

¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 ½ pounds “sashimi-quality” skinless, boneless fish fillets
2 small “pickle” or baby cucumbers, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 large, ripe avocados, flesh scooped from skin and cut into cubes
Lettuce leaves for garnish

Instructions

Set a dry skillet over medium heat. Lay in the unpeeled garlic cloves and chiles. Roast, turning frequently, until soft and blotchy brown in spots (about 10 minutes for the chiles and 15 minutes for the garlic). Let cool and slip the skins off the garlic, pull stems off the chiles. Roughly chop (no need to remove the seeds). Place in a food processor along with the cilantro (about 1 cup packed), parsley (about 1 cup packed), oil and 2 generous teaspoons salt. Process into a paste. Scrape into a storage container and refrigerate until serving time.

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice and ½ cup of the herb seasoning (cover and refrigerate the remainder for another preparation). Add the fish and cucumber, and stir to combine. To blend the flavors, cover and refrigerate for a half hour (for best results, no more than an hour). Taste and season with more lime juice or salt if needed. Gently stir in avocado (save some for garnish), and serve on lettuce leaf-lined plates or martini glasses.