Mexican Cooking Class; How to Make Enchiladas Verdes

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

Making homemade Enchiladas is a bit of work, so make a big batch and freeze an extra pan for dinner on a busy night. The enchiladas we prepare in our Mexican Foods cooking class feature homemade sauces and fresh seasonal ingredients. The trick to producing firm not soggy enchiladas is to:
1. lightly fry the tortillas before dipping them in the hot prepared sauce.
2. Use day old slightly dry corn tortillas, not flour tortillas
3. Bake for 15 minutes, lightly covered, in a 350 degree oven just until cheese melts.

A Cook With Us recipe
Enchiladas Suizas / Enchillada Verde
In Spanish, enchiladas are literally tortillas enhanced with chile sauce; in enchilada suiza, often called enchilada verde, the green sauce is made with tomatillos. This Swiss version of the Mexican classic is a creamy variation introduced in the 50″s.

 Spring 2011 022• 1 lb. tomatillos, husked and washed
• 2-3 serrano peppers, seeded, deveined
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, rough chopped
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
• 1.5 cups chicken stock
• ½ cup Mexican crema or heavy whipping cream, whipped into soft peaks
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 cup melting cheese, ( Chihuahua, panela, or jack), chunked
• 1/3 cup aged Mexican cheese ( queso anejo, queso cotijo ), crumbled
• 1 dozen corn tortillas, day old and dry

Prepare sauce: Place tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet and broil until soft and blackened in spots. Toasting on a hot comal or cast iron skillet will work also. Scrape tomatillo and the juices into a blender. Add chiles and garlic, process to a smooth puree.

Heat oil in deep skillet; add onion, sauté until golden. Raise the heat to medium high and add the tomatillo puree. Cook for 5 min. stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and cook until sauce thickens a bit. (10-15 min.) Salt to taste. Stir the crema into the sauce. Keep warm over very low heat.

Prepare chicken: Season with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup of the sauce mixture to shredded chicken.

Prepare enchiladas: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat about ¼ inch of oil in a small skillet until very hot. Fry each tortilla, one at a time until slightly crisp. Lift the tortillas with tongs and quickly dip into the warm sauce, place on baking sheet.

Fill tortillas with a portion of chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in an oven proof dish. Spoon remaining sauce over the tortillas and cover with the melting cheese. Bake until heated through and the cheese is lightly browned. (15- 20 min.) Garnish with cilantro and the crumbled aged cheese (queso cotijo)

Serves 4 – 6

Posted in Recipes, Cooking Classes, Entrees (Platos Fuerte) | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mexican Cooking Class; How to Make Enchiladas Verdes

Mexican Cooking Class: Super good super easy Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

During our Mexican cooking class Monday night students tried their hand at making homemade corn tortillas and puffy little gorditas. This tomatillo salsa was a big hit, a perfect accompaniment to the Baja fish tacos and vegetarian gorditas that we feasted on after class.

Roasted Tomatillo-Serrano Salsa / Salsa Verde
The “green salsa” is very versatile; we love it with eggs, dolloped on fresh fish, or as the final accompaniment on a taco.

• 1 Lb. (10 to 12) medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 4 – 5 fresh serrano chiles
• 4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
• ½ cup white onion, diced
• ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• sea salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Lay the tomatillos in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil at high heat until tomatillos blister and brown on one side, approx. 5 min. Turn over and roast other side. Cool on roasting pan. Tomatillos may also be roasted on a hot comal or heavy skillet.

Roast chiles and garlic on a comal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Roast until the chiles are blackened in spots and the garlic is soft. Cool, then pull stems off chiles and scrape out the seeds. Peel the garlic cloves.

Scrape the roasted tomatillos and all juices from the baking sheet into a blender, along with the roasted chilies and garlic. Puree coarsely or pulse blender until the salsa is lightly pureed.

Scrape salsa into a serving bowl; slowly add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to give sauce a spooning consistency. Rinse chopped onion under cold water (deflame), drain well, and add to mixture. Add the cilantro, season with salt and sugar to taste. Refrigerate before serving.
Makes 2 cups

Another option for making the salsa is to char chunks of white onion ( about half of a large white onion) along with the chiles and garlic. This will result in a salsa that has more roasted flavor and less of a bite of raw onion.

*The natural pectin in the tomatillos will thicken the salsa if refrigerated for a few hours before serving.

Salsa will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Posted in Recipes, Cooking Classes, Salsa | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Mexican Cooking Class: Super good super easy Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Shrimp in Chipotle Salsa over fried Cheese / Camerones en Salsa de Chipotle sobre Queso asado

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

Mexican Food and Caribbean food is “IN”

When cooking authentic Hispanic dishes the food will taste and look so much better if it is prepared with traditional Mexican and Caribbean cheeses. Our spring inspired recipe today features Queso Oaxaca. Queso Oaxaca is a Mexican melting cheese that will not seperate into solids and oil when heated. This makes it perfect for quesadillas, chile rellenos, and any instance when you desire a softened but not a runny greasy cheese. It makes a great cheesy cheeseburger too!

Shrimp in Chipotle Salsa over fried Cheese / Camerones en Salsa de Chipotle sobre Queso asado This dish makes an impressive first course or luncheon entrée.

• 20 large shrimp, shelled ,deveined, and butterflied
• 3 chile chipotle in adobo, canned
• 1 white onion, charred
• 8 garlic cloves, charred
• 6 roma tomatoes, charred
• Salt and pepper
• 4 whole cloves crushed, or ½ teaspoon ground
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 teaspoons marjoram, dried
• 4 cups shrimp or fish broth
• 1 lb. Oaxaca cheese, queso Oaxaca
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 egg whites
• 8 green onions, cut in half, tops feathered
• 1 bunch cilantro

In a blender puree the charred onion, tomato and garlic. Add the chipotle chiles with salt, pepper, spices and half of the broth.

Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat in a heavy skillet or saucepan. Press the chile mixture through a strainer into the hot oil. Lower the heat to simmer and continue to cook salsa for 20 – 30 minutes adding the remainder of bouillon in intervals to keep a sauce – like consistency.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and brush with melted butter or olive oil. Place under a broiler for two to three minutes. Turn shrimp and cook another minute or so until done. Do not overcook the shrimp or they will be tough and rubbery. Remove from heat and keep warm.

While the sauce cooks divide the cheese into four square portions. Dip into flour and dust off excess. Submerge cheese into beaten egg whites and fry in hot oil until lightly browned and the cheese has softened. Drain on paper towel. Keep warm

Roast green onions on a comal, season with salt to taste. To assemble, ladle salsa onto center of plate, place cheese on top. Arrange 5 shrimp around cheese in equal manner, place green onions upright and crossed over the shrimp. Decorate with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped cilantro.
Serves 4

*Chopped green onions may be sprinkled over the cheese and shrimp instead of the whole roasted green onion.

*Mexican Oaxacan cheese is perfect for this dish; it softens but holds its shape and does not ooze and separate. The taste is mild, similar to Muenster which complements the flavorful chile salsa.

Posted in Recipes, Appetizer, Entrees (Platos Fuerte), Seafood (Pescado y Mariscos) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Shrimp in Chipotle Salsa over fried Cheese / Camerones en Salsa de Chipotle sobre Queso asado

Mexican Cooking Class; Hot Tamales

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

Tamales Learning to make tamales is fun and we are definetly having a great time making them in my cooking classes.  The Kitchen Engine in Spokane is filling my hands-on tamale classes with eager learners wanting to know more about authentic Mexican food. The students are awesom and the positive feedback I receive is very gratifying.  Preparing tamales is not difficult, but the job goes easier and faster when you make them with family or friends. Go ahead and host a  tamalada a fun filled tamale making gathering. Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican festival celebrated on May 5th is coming up, so let’s party.

Basic Masa Dough for Tamales
Learn this basic technique and then experiment with different spices to flavor or color the masa dough. My favorite tamale I learned from Yoli our Mexican neighbor. Inside the banana leaves cut from our trees succulent baked pork, potato wedges, poblano chile strips and the traditional olive steamed inside the masa. Heavenly! Tamales can be filled with anything you like, just use the appropriate broth when preparing the masa.

• 2 c. masa harina
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup fresh lard at room temperature (really it makes all the difference!)
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 ½ cups warm broth
• 12 corn husks or banana leaf wrappers
• 2 tablespoons sauce from cooking meat (optional flavoring for masa)

Prepare the masa: in a large bowl beat the lard and shortening until fluffy. Mix the masa harina, salt and baking powder. Alternately add the dry ingredients and then the broth into the lard, beating the dough well after each addition, perhaps five minutes with an electric mixer. The point is to add air to the dough so it will have a light spongy texture. The optional flavorings can be added now. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is moist enough to spread easily. To test; drop a spoonful of masa into a glass of water, it should float. If not, add additional lard and beat more. Cover with a dish towel and let dough rest for at least 15 minutes to absorb all the liquids.

Preparing tamales: Spoon 2 tablespoons of masa onto a prepared corn husk. (One that has been softened by soaking in hot water) Spread the dough thinly into a rectangle shape within 1” of the sides and top of the corn husk. Place a large spoonful of filling of choice into the middle of the masa. Pick up the sides of the wrapper so the masa forms around the filling. Fold wrapper around the dough into a blimpy shape, twist the ends together and tie with thin strips torn from the corn husks. A water tight package.

Steaming tamales: Place water in the bottom of steamer, stand the tamales upright in the steamer basket making sure they don’t touch the water and are not packed too tightly. Extra husks can line the steamer basket to ensure the tamales stay dry. Place a tight fitting lid on steamer and cook over medium heat for about an hour. (If the steamer runs dry add more water) The tamales are done when they pull away from the wrapper.

Serving tamales: Slice open the corn husk and pull apart to show the tamale, serve with corn husk intact; or unwrap the tamale completely. Rustic tomato sauce is a nice complement to beef or pork tamales. Mole’ sauce is often served with chicken or turkey tamales.

Posted in Recipes, Cooking Classes, Masa and Mexican Snack Foods / Antojitos | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mexican Cooking Class; Hot Tamales

Our Caribbean inspired Chicken dish is fresh and light.

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

A CookWithUs.com Recipe
Tropical Chicken / Pollo Tropical
Our healthy Latin influenced dish packs layers of flavor; a luscious sauce sweetened with ripe mangoes and plantain is the perfect complement to savory chicken cutlets and colorful vegetables.

Pollo Tropical/ Tropical Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup hot chicken broth
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 mangoes, ripe
• 1 habanero chile, diced fine
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• 3 Tablespoons piloncillo or dark brown sugar
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 plantain, ripened*
• 20 cherry tomatoes
• 24 stalks asparagus
• Cilantro or parsley, chopped

Cut two mangoes into cubes. Mix the mango, habanero, sugar and chicken broth; set aside. Use other mango to make 4 pieces cut into fans to decorate plate.
Prep the chicken breasts by slicing horizontally through the center to make two pieces. Pound out each piece about ½ inch thick between pieces of plastic wrap. Season each piece well with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken with flour seasoned with smoked paprika. Set aside.

Make the sauce: In a sauté pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the red onion, thyme and salt, sauté until the onion softens. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Pour the mango mixture into the pan, simmer for 10 minutes, squeeze ½ fresh lime into the pan, stir the sauce, check for seasoning, keep warm while proceeding with recipe.

Cook chicken and vegetables: In another large sauté pan, heat oil over med-high heat. Add garlic and floured chicken cutlets, fry chicken until lightly browned on both sides. Remove chicken and garlic from pan; keep warm in a 300 degree oven. Wipe out pan, add a knob of butter and a little oil and heat until bubbly, add the plantain, the cherry tomatoes and asparagus spears, sauté until the plantain is browned and the tomatoes and asparagus are wilted.

To Plate: Ladle sauce onto the center of each plate. Place asparagus on sauce with the tips facing out, three on each side. Place chicken on top; add cherry tomatoes on one side of plate with the plantain angled over the chicken. Fan a piece of mango decoratively on plate. Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley.
Serves 4
*Ripened plantains will be sweet when they blacken and their starch has turned to sugar.

Posted in Recipes, Entrees (Platos Fuerte), Meats and Poultry (Carne) | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Our Caribbean inspired Chicken dish is fresh and light.

Traditional Mexican Pozole

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

My good friend Kris, owner of the Greenbriar Inn of Coeur d’ Alene, loves this soup. I introduced pozole at a Mexican soup class there and everyone enjoyed the rich robust flavors of this hearty meal in a bowl.      

Making Pozole with ancho chiles and tomatillos

 A Cook With Us recipe
Pozole (Pork and Hominy Stew)
Ask someone from Mexico what they miss most from their homeland and invariably they sigh and reminisce about their mom’s delicious Pozole.

• 2 pigs feet, split ( optional but authentic)
• 1.5 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
• 3.5 lb. pork shanks, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 cans ( 29 oz.) hominy, rinsed & drained or 2 lbs. nixtamal*
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 white onions, chopped
• 8 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 8 tomatillos, husked & washed
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• condiments: shredded cabbage, chopped onions , chopped radishes,
lime wedges, dried Mexican oregano, ground red chile powder

Cover the pigs feet, pork shoulder, and shanks with water, (about 6 quarts) and bring to a boil in a large heavy soup pot. Add salt, garlic, and onions; cover pot and simmer for about two hours until very tender. Remove meat from broth, let cool, then separate meat from bone into small chunks. Skim fat and scum from broth, return meat to pot, continue to simmer.

While soup cooks place the ancho chiles and tomatillos in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil, then simmer for approximately 15 minutes until softened. Place the ancho chiles, tomatillos, and one cup of liquid from the saucepan into a blender. Puree until smooth. Strain the mixture directly into the soup pot.

Add hominy, salt to taste, and continue to cook for half an hour until stew has a soupy consistency. Add more water if necessary.

Prepare condiments and place in small bowls. Let each person garnish their own bowl of pozole. Serve with corn tortilla chips.

* Nixtamal (found in Mexican groceries) is a type of starchy corn that has been soaked in purified cal (calcium hydroxide). This alkaline process softens and enlarges the kernels and imparts a unique flavor and aroma. When the kernels are boiled in water they are called pozole, like this popular dish served throughout Mexico. When the corn is ground it becomes masa, the dough for tortillas.

Serves 8-10

Posted in Recipes, Soup (Sopas) | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Traditional Mexican Pozole

Quesadilla de Tinga de Nopal

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

CookWithUs.com recipe

Stewed Cactus Quesadillas / Quesadillas de Tinga de Nopal
This quesadilla has an unusual filling, stewed cactus; the stew or tinga is made with Nopals often referred to as prickly pear cactus. Once the thorns are carefully removed the cactus is quite edible tasting like a cross between a cucumber and zucchini. It can be cooked in soups and stews or used raw in salads.
Quesadilla de Tinga Nopal
Cactus( nopals) peppers and onions Frying the quesadillas

• 4 cups masa harina
• 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1 tablespoon achiote paste
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup grape seed oil

Tinga de Nopal:
• 4 nopales, julienne
• ½ white onion, julienne
• 2 tomatoes, seeded, julienne
• 1 chile chipotle in adobo, diced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
• 2 cups chicken broth, or more if needed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup crema, thinned with milk to a pouring consistency
• 1 cup hard cheese, grated ( queso anejo or queso cotijo )
• 1 avocado, sliced

Prepare the Masa: In a bowl pulverize the achiote with your fingers. Dissolve the achiote in the orange juice and grape seed oil; add the marjoram mixing just to incorporate ingredients. Add 1 ½ cups of chicken broth and knead the dough until it is soft and pulls away from the sides of the bowl and does not stick to your fingers. Masa is forgiving, if too wet add more masa harina and knead well. If too dry knead in more liquid. Form into a ball, cover with a dish towel and let rest while preparing the tinga.

Prepare the Tinga: Melt the butter and sauté onion for one minute, then add the nopal, garlic, oregano, and chile chipotle and continue to cook for another minute. Add the tomato, salt, pepper, ½ cup chicken broth and cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes. Cool and reserve.

Prepare Quesadilla: Roll the prepared masa into golf ball size pieces. Flatten with a tortilla press between circles of plastic wrap ( cut from sandwich or freezer bags) Open the press remove the top paper then lift off the tortilla. Flip the tortilla onto a work surface and remove the other piece of plastic film. Place about one heaping tablespoon of tinga de nopal in the center of each tortilla. Fold in half pinching the edges to seal. Fry in hot vegetable oil for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

To serve, drizzle the crema over quesadillas, top with grated cheese and avocado slices. Accompany with your favorite salsa.

Makes 8- 12 quesadillas

Posted in Recipes, Masa and Mexican Snack Foods / Antojitos | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Quesadilla de Tinga de Nopal

Mexican Marinated Beef Salad featured on “In The Kitchen with Mike Gonzalez”

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

The Cook With Us kitchen was busy last Friday filming the latest TV episode of “In The Kitchen“. Mike Gonzalez made our excellent traditional Mexican Beef Salad. Afterwards the crew digs in hungrily and it gets thumbs up!

The show airs locally in the CD’A Spokane area. Catch us weekends on Channel 4 KXLY. Times vary so check out the schedule for the show “In The Kitchen” at www.hfntv.com (Hispanic Food Network)

A Cook With Us.com recipe
Marinated Beef Salad / Ensalada de Carne
Serve this salad when you have leftover beef and when you want an easy, satisfying fresh entree salad.
P1070873

• 2/3 cups vinaigrette salad dressing, bottled or homemade
• 1/3 cup prepared tomato salsa, bottled or homemade
• 3 cups cooked beef, sliced into strips
• 4 cups lettuce of choice, torn
• 2 tomatoes, cut in wedges
• 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
• 12 manzanilla olives
• ½ cup garbanzo beans
• 2 avocados, sliced
• Queso cotijo cheese, crumbled
• 1 red onion, escabeche*
Combine the dressing and salsa, add the sliced beef and combine. Cover bowl, refrigerate for several hours to marinate.
In a large bowl mix the lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, olives, garbanzo’s, and marinated beef. Mix well.
Mound the salad onto plates and garnish with slices of avocado and crumbled cheese. Surround the salad with homemade tortilla chips and a small mound of red onion escabeche.*
Serves 4- 6
*Red onions Escabeche / Marinated Red onions
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
Combine all ingredients; add enough vinegar to cover the onions. Cover and let marinate for several hours before serving.

Posted in Recipes, Salads & Vegetables (Ensaladas & Verduras) | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mexican Marinated Beef Salad featured on “In The Kitchen with Mike Gonzalez”

Diana Kennedy “The Matriarch of Authentic Mexican Cooking”

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

Diana Kennedy is a pioneer in her crusade to enlighten others about authentic Mexican food. This latest article in the Washington Post (read here) has caused quite a stir. Diana Kennedy is 87 years young, feisty and outspoken. I’d love to hear your opinions, was this a fair portrayal of Diana on her home turf?

Posted in Travel & Culinary News | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Diana Kennedy “The Matriarch of Authentic Mexican Cooking”

Mexican Meatballs with Chipotle / Albondigas con Chipotle

Posted on by Chef Lynne - CookWithUs.com

This hearty Mexican soup boasts big tender meatballs each with a little suprise inside, and a spicy chipotle tomato broth. Garnish with chopped cilantro and shredded Mexican cheese and you have a soul warming meal in a bowl.

P1070387P1070364 P1070384

A Cook with Us recipe
 Meatballs with chipotle / Albondigas con Chipotle
Succulent meatballs in a spicy broth made with chipotle chiles.

Prepare broth
• 5-6 lbs. fresh tomatoes, seeded and quartered
• 1 white onion, rough chop
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 chipotle chiles, canned
• 1 C. beef broth
• 2 Tbl. olive oil

Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic and chiles into a blender and puree. This may be done in two batches if necessary. Heat olive oil in a clay cazuela or soup pot. Strain the pureed mixture directly into the hot oil. Lower heat to medium, add the beef broth, and simmer the mixture for approximately ten minutes until it darkens and thickens a bit.

Prepare meatballs
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 slice bread softened in milk
• 2 T. fresh mint, chopped*
• 1 egg
• 2 t. salt
• 2 hard boiled eggs, cut into eight parts
• 3 chipotle chiles, canned

Combine the first six ingredients in a mixing bowl. Using hands combine thoroughly. Measure ¼ cup of meat mixture and form into a ball about 2 inches in diameter. Make an indentation in the meat using your thumb. Place a piece of the hard-boiled egg into the indentation. Reform the meatball so the egg is completely inside and covered. Place uncooked meatballs in the broth, add the chipotles and simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle the broth into a soup bowl, add two meatballs and garnish with chopped cilantro and a sprinkling of queso cotijo cheese or parmesan cheese.

Serves 6

* If fresh mint is unavailable use the contents of a mint teabag. Substitute one tablespoon of the dried mint leaves.

Posted in Recipes, Soup (Sopas) | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Mexican Meatballs with Chipotle / Albondigas con Chipotle