Mexican food

Summer Squash Goat Cheese Quesadilla

August 30, 2018 by Pilar Hernandez 1 Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mission®. All opinions are entirely my own.

This recipe is dedicated to all urban farmers who have planted zucchini. When Mission Foods, Inc. asked me to make a recipe using their Mission Organics® Whole Wheat Tortillas and be inspired by my garden and Harvest month, I immediately knew I wanted to share with you these Summer Squash Goat Cheese Quesadilla; they are quick to make, just four ingredients and amazingly tasty. I love when my gardens inspire our lunches or dinners.

Here in Houston, zucchinis are not so prolific, since they do not take well to humidity and are affected by some local pests, but there are weeks when I find myself with an overdose of zucchini. Since the typical zucchini here does not grow well, I usually plant varieties such as Zephyr (half yellow, half green), patty pan (like a flying saucer) or yellow summer squash (resistant and delicate flavor). I recommend any summer squash varieties, they can be used to replace the traditional zucchini in recipes.

I’ve been growing vegetables sustainably here in Houston for 10 years, and that concern has naturally shifted to other ingredients that I cook with. Lately, I have been testing organic products, especially flours and flours byproducts, that’s how my family came across the great Mission Organics tortillas, USDA certified and non-GMO project verified. Shelf/pantry stable and always ready to use.

At the beginning of the summer, I did my especial supermarket run to be ready for Hurricane season, and I stocked it with more than a couple of packages of Mission Organics tortillas. It gives me peace of mind that they do not have artificial colors or flavors. Plus, they taste so good! Mission Organics tortillas are the perfect combination of quality ingredients and traditional flavor. They are available in flour, whole wheat, and white corn.

Visit the Mission Organics website to see where to buy them. They are available throughout the country, and as you browse the site, you will find many delicious recipes that will inspire you to cook for your family and friends. Enjoy the convenience of having Mission Organics Tortillas always at hand in your pantry. And please remember that tortillas are best consumed warm or hot, cold tortillas make me sad. My favorite way to heat tortillas is in a skillet or Comal. In 10 seconds they are ready to use. I always start my quesadillas by quickly heating one side of the tortilla, turning it, add stuffing and then cook. It makes a BIG difference.

Summer Squash Goat Cheese Quesadilla

for 4 people
Ingredients:

4 Mission Organics® Whole Wheat Tortillas
2 zucchinis or any summer squash, cut into slices
3 huge or 4 medium poblanos
1 tube (220 grams) soft goat cheese
Salt, pepper, oil
Cilantro to serve

Preparation:

In a medium skillet, heat a teaspoon of oil and sauté the zucchini on medium heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
At the same time, burn the poblanos on the open flame until they are black. Rotate them with a pair of tongs. Place in a dish and cover for 10 minutes. Scrape everything burned; the easiest is to do it under the tap. Cut the top of the peppers and remove the seeds.
Dice the roasted poblanos, mix with the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place two tortillas on top, turn after 10 seconds and fill with a quarter of the goat cheese mixture, place 1/4 of the cooked zucchini and fold the tortilla.
Cook for 1 minute and turn, cook until the cheese melts and the tortillas are toasted and crispy.
Cut into triangles and serve immediately sprinkled with cilantro.

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Healthy Mexican Food: Pork Enchiladas with Spanish Rice and Refried Beans

July 28, 2017 by Pilar Hernandez 2 Comments

Versión en español

Healthy Mexican Food: Pork Enchiladas with Spanish Rice and Refried Beans is sponsored by the Transamerica Center for Health Studies. All opinions are mine. You may remember that in March I shared two recipes adapted from the cookbook Tradiciones Saludables from the Transamerica Center for Health Studies: Healthy Meatloaf with Chard and Healthy Cheesesteak Quesadilla. Today I want to share a full meal, very Mexican and healthy. Each traditional recipe has been adapted into a version lower in calories, saturated fat, and salt, but still retaining its original flavor.

For example, this Fiesta Pork Enchiladas, page 9 of the cookbook Healthier Traditions, a different cut of meat with less fat is used, and the enchilada salsa is homemade, to control added salt and fat. Furthermore, since my idea was to serve a full meal, I skipped the beans in the recipe. Another modification was to dip the warm tortillas in enchilada salsa and then to fill them. A tip shared by a Mexican friend.And of course, I had to include two classic sides: Mexican rice and refried beans. Please try these healthier versions with brown rice and no lard, and I hope you enjoy them, they are as delicious as the original recipes.

Mexican Rice

Serves 8 (per serving: 129 calories, 4 grams fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 240 mg sodium, 20 grams carbohydrates, 2.2 grams fiber, 3.4 grams protein)
Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups brown rice, long grain
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced
1 jalapeño pepper, no seeds and chopped small
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, low salt
2 1/4 cup chicken stock, low sodium
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

Preparation:

In a pan or large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the rice, onion, pepper, and jalapeño. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring until the vegetables are soft.
Add tomatoes, stock, cumin, salt, and pepper, stir and turn up the heat.
As soon as it comes to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes until the rice is cooked. Stir with a fork and serve.

Refried Beans

Serves 8 (per serving, no cheese: 217 calories, 4.8 grams fat, 0.9 grams saturated fat, 188 mg sodium, 33 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams fiber, 11.8 grams protein)
Ingredients:

2 slices of bacon, reduced in sodium, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ounce (1/2 kilo) beans or pinto beans (approximately 2 cups), rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup to 1 cup beef stock
Queso Fresco in crumbles and chopped cilantro to serve, optional

Preparation:

Place the bacon in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper, and cook, frequently stirring, until it starts to soften, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add 12 cups water, salt, and beans to the pot. Turn up the heat and allow to boil.
Lower the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, occasionally stirring until the beans are soft, about 2 hours.
Drain the beans. In the same pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add back the beans and brown while stirring. Add the beef stock 1/4 cup at the time and crush the beans. Continue until the mix thickens and all beans are crushed.
Serve warm with queso fresco and cilantro.

Pork Enchiladas

for the recipe visit the Healthier Traditions cookbook (page 9).

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Grilled Seafood Tacos

March 27, 2017 by Pilar Hernandez 1 Comment

Versión en español

Recipe sponsored by HEB.In Chile, Fall begins, while here in Houston we enjoy some beautiful Spring days and what better way to inaugurate the grilling season with some delicious grilled seafood tacos.

Again I have been inspired by the Primo Picks HEB magazine with its highlights of the month. HEB is a supermarket that I love and even more now that I am only 3 blocks away (lucky me!). I went there to buy some fun things for the grill. I had already seen the Himalayan Salt Cooking Slab in the magazine and was very intrigued. At home, we eat a lot of seafood and fish and they are not easy to make on the grill, so I thought this would be the perfect solution and I was right. The shrimp were cooked perfectly in 2 minutes and the scallops also. We’ll soon try a salmon on it.

I bought tortillas that I know are perfect on the grill, a rich Pico de gallo with mango, Mexican queso fresco, cilantro and we were ready for grilled seafood tacos. Serve with some delicious corn on the cob seasoned with Tin Star Foods Brown Butter Ghee (made in Austin), they were fabulous and so easy.

And for those who do not eat Pico de gallo I made an aluminum pocket with onions and peppers, remember to season and add oil before wrapping. So there was the option of grilled seafood fajitas.

We were lucky and the afternoon was perfect. The breeze on the terrace and the view always help. I’m already imagining when my tomatoes rippen and I can even make my salad right there.

One thing that comes hand in hand with living in a 4 story house. The kitchen is in the second and the terrace with the grill in the 4th, is getting very organized very fast. I put everything in my baking tray and I save a lot of trips back and forth.

I hope you are encouraged to give new functions to your grill and get the Salt slab, 100% recommended. For more inspiration visit HEB Grilling Guide website. It’s full of recipes, how-to and desserts, yes!

Do you like metal animals? The day I went to buy the ingredients for this recipe, I saw these metal goats (they are made by recycling the oil drums and I could not resist them). I have my little farm on the terrace between my vegetables and the goats. We named them Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy for Hamilton the musical. I’m in love! The flowers were also a last minute addition 🙂

Grilled seafood tacos

For 4 people
Ingredients:

1 bag of Texas Grow Shrimp (1 pound)
1/2 pound of scallops
2 tablespoons Brown Butter Ghee
1 teaspoon ground Ancho chile, use chipotle if you like it spicy
1/4 teaspoon cumin
8 tortillas, your choice, I used Mixta
Pico de gallo with mango
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco
cilantro
1 Himalayan Salt Cooking Slab
Texas Tough HEB Aluminum foil

Directions:

Heat the salt slab according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Clean the shrimp by cutting the shell over with a knife and remove the thread that goes from the head to the tail of the shrimp, and the whole shell.
Mix the ghee with the Ancho and cumin, stir.
Place the shrimp and scallops on the slab. Brush with ghee paste. Flip the shrimp past 1 minute or when it looks pink. For the scallops cook 2 minutes per side for the medium size. If they are bigger 3 minutes per side.
Heat the tortillas on the grill. Cut pieces of foil.
Place the tortilla on the foil, place the shrimp and cooked scallops, a tablespoon of pico de gallo with mango, queso fresco, and cilantro.
Serve immediately or keep warm.

Note: If you are making Elotes or corn, they take longer, like the onion and green pepper package, so start cooking them while you are still heating the salt slab.

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Healthy Cheesesteak Quesadilla

March 24, 2017 by Pilar Hernandez 1 Comment

Versión en español

This is a sponsored recipe Healthy Cheesesteak Quesadilla by Transamerica Center for Health Studies. All opinions are mine.

Did this photo open your appetite? I hope so because these Healthy Cheesesteak Quesadilla were delicious. This is another of the recipes that inspired the recipe book by the TCHS: Tradiciones Saludables. This year they focused on USA classics. Download the complete recipe book as an inspiration for healthy cooking.

In this book you will also find detailed nutritional information for each recipe: calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, and fiber contribution. And on their website, they have videos explaining the preparation of each dish. Some must-try classics include Texas-style chili (thick soup made of ground beef and beans, one of my Winter favorites), clam chowder (sounds weird, but it’s fantastic), crab cake (croquettes that you can also make with canned tuna), shrimp Po-boy (sandwich with fried shrimp, traditional in New Orleans). And obviously, a healthy version of macaroni and cheese is also included.

The classic Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich is made of steak, golden onions, and peppers, all covered in a creamy cheese sauce in a soft bun. For this quesadilla version, I added spinach and made the cheese sauce with Oaxaca cheese. It was superb and very easy to make. The colors are also very appealing.

Remember to cut the meat (skirt steak) in thin slices across the grain, that way they will be more tender and easier to eat.

You may also be interested in another recipe I adapted from the recipe book Tradiciones Saludables: Healthy meatloaf

Healthy Cheesesteak Quesadillas

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 onion
1 yellow pepper
2 cups baby spinach
400 grams or 1 pound Flank steak (fajita meat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup melting cheese, I used grated Oaxaca
8 tortillas
Pico de gallo, limes, avocado to serve

Preparation:

In a medium pan, cook the onion in 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add pepper and continue to cook for 4 more minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add spinach, mix, and reserve.
In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil and cook steak seasoned with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, over medium-high heat, 2-3 minutes per side. Reserve.
In a small pot, stir milk and flour until dissolved. Cook over medium heat, always stirring until the mix thickens, 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, stir to form a thick sauce.
Wipe the pan with a paper towel and put together the quesadillas, place a tortilla, distribute a layer of veggies, 1/4 of the steak and 1/4 of the cheese sauce. Cover with the other tortilla, cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, turn and cook for 2 more minutes until the tortillas have slightly browned. You can also use a comal or griddle to be more efficient.
Serve immediately with pico de gallo, avocado and limes.

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Fishballs in Chipotle Tomato Sauce

March 21, 2017 by Pilar Hernandez 1 Comment

Versión en español

Since living in the US, I like to decorate the Easter table with flowers, as the spring is starting and my garden is usually full of colors and aromas. Other the years, I have also included figures of rabbits, but as you know our pet rabbit died (he was old) last year and my kids asked me not to have bunnies out, so I think it will be sheep, chickens, and, of course, eggs.

I set the table family-style for even less work on my part. To get the ingredients, I went to the Latin supermarket La Michoacana. I love the place; it’s full of our things, and everyone speaks Spanish. My kids enjoy the candies and drinks that are not sell in standard supermarkets.

I came home with a few things, not on the list. I have been inspired by the traditions that we have gathered here in the US to develop these recipes.

The recipe for the meatballs I learned it from a friend of a friend from Mexico, it’s her version of fish a la Veracruzana. I used chipotle in adobo La Morena, and I was thrilled with the intensity of the smoke flavor and robust marinade, with flavors that I haven’t taste in other brands like bay leave and sesame. Delicious and authentic.

Visit our collection of Chilean recipes here.

Fishballs in Chipotle Tomato Sauce

4 people
Ingredients:

1 pound (450gramos) whitefish, use catfish, tilapia or hake
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 egg, beaten
1 chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chipotle sauce and 1 finely chopped chipotle
1 can (14.5 oz – 411 g) diced tomatoes
2 cups water or fish stock
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and pepper
oil

Preparation:

Chop the fish mall. Place in a bowl with breadcrumbs, cumin, oregano, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
Mix everything and add the beaten egg. Stir well with hands and form fishballs the size of a golf ball. You will get 20. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the chopped onion and cook for 5-8 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add cubed tomatoes with their juice, chipotle and water. Stir and wait until begins to boil.
Carefully place the meatballs in the skillet, cover and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
Serve hot with rice.

For the jalapeño rice, I keep it very simple, mixing the rice with the cooked corn and La Morena sliced jalapeños and carrots. I used some to decorate the dish too. This rice is inspired by a salad that another of my Mexican friends usually made with poblano rajas (strips of roasted poblano pepper). This version is perfect for when there is less time, but you do not want to sacrifice authentic flavor.

Rice with corn and jalapeños
4 people
Ingredients:

4 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked corn
1 jar (7 oz.) Green Pickled Sliced jalapeños La Morena

Preparation:

In a bowl mix the rice with the corn and one teaspoon of pickle oil.
Separate four pieces of jalapeño and chop finely. Do the same with some carrots if desired.
Mix everything, taste, and adjust the seasoning.
Garnish with slices of jalapeño and carrot as seen in the picture.

What recipes does your family eat during Lent and Easter?

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #VivaLaMorena #CollectiveBiasToday is a special day with two recipes. I was inspired by La Morena products to suggest a delicious dinner for Lent or Easter.

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Calabacita Tacos with Habanero

July 15, 2016 by Pilar Hernandez 1 Comment

Versión en español

Recipe sponsored by TABASCO. All opinions are my own.

The love for our Calabacitas or Zapallos is shared all across Latin America. Squashes are present in all the traditional cuisines from Mexico to Chile. These Calabacita Tacos are vegetarian, simple to prepare and so delicious. We love them.

As you know, we recently moved to a new house and neighborhood. We now live walking distance from one our my dearest friends, who happens to be a vegetarian and has been a great inspiration. And to be quite honest, during the summer I feel like eating more vegetables and light meals.

For this recipe I used TABASCO Habanero Sauce, you probably know their sauces, they are amazing. The habanero is spicy, especially for untrained palates, but very tasty. It gives a spectacular flavor to this Calabacita taco filling. One teaspoon is not enough to feel spicy, but provides a trace of tastiness.

Calabacitas are also known as Mexican zucchini that is widely consumed in Mexico, it has the same taste. You can find it at Latin markets.

These tacos are a pre-test for the Taquiza party I want to organize soon to inaugurate the house. Taquizas are Mexican fiestas where everyone brings something and the hostess usually provides tortillas and accompaniments: cilantro, limes, onions, salsas, pico de gallo, guacamole, etc. Guests bring a taco filling: carne asada, chicken tinga, Cochinita Pibil, and soon there is a line where each guest is making their favorite taco combinations. It’s delicious.

Watch the video (in Spanish) to see the ingredients I used for this recipe. I went shopping at my neighborhood store HEB.

As it is meant to be shared, this recipe is abundant.

Calabacita Tacos with Habanero

8 servings

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped into small cubes
2 cans (14 ou.) diced tomatoes fire roasted
1 teaspoon TABASCO Habanero sauce , if you want the filling spicy use 1 tablespoon
4 zucchini or squash cut into cubes
1 corn ear or 1 cup frozen corn
1 cup cream (used Crema Mexicana if possible)
1 leaf of epazote (Mexican herb) or 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
salt, oil

to serve,

16 corn tortillas
Queso Fresco
Crema Mexicana
limes

Preparation:

In a large skillet or saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
Add tomatoes and TABASCO Habanero sauce, stir and cook for 6-8 minutes until all the juice has evaporated from the tomatoes.
Add the zucchini, corn, cream and salt, stir. Cook for 8 minutes, until vegetables are “al dente”, not mushy.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To serve, heat the tortillas in a skillet or comal, slightly browned on each side.
Fill with Calabacita , add queso fresco, crema mexicana, a dash of lime and TABASCO of course.
Enjoy.