FUN AND EASY MEXICAN RECIPES

Tired of boring lunches?  It can be tough finding new ways to use familiar ingredients. So you have to try this easy lunchtime Poblano grilled cheese sandwich with Oaxaca cheese and Spanish chorizo. The rajas or strips of charred Poblano peppers provides a mild heat to this hearty grilled cheese sandwich while the smoked Spanish chorizo adds a rich savory element making this a decadent meal perfect for sharing…if you can.

CHECK OUT OUR AMIGOS AT LATIN FOODIE



Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Oaxaca Cheese, Poblano Peppers, and Spanish Chorizo
Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 Poblano pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
3 to 4 ounces of Oaxaca cheese, shredded
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
2 slices good quality sourdough bread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 link Spanish chorizo

Procedure:
1. Rub the Poblano pepper with 1 teaspoon olive oil and char over a flame on your stove until completely blackened. Place in a plastic bag for five minutes. Remove from bag and peel off the charred skin. Cut the pepper into thin strips and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small sauté pan; add the sliced red onion and cook until translucent about 3-5 minutes.  Reserve.

3. Thinly slice the Spanish chorizo lengthwise.

4. Lightly butter one side of the two sour dough bread slices. Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Place a slice of the bread with the butter down in the frying pan.

5. Assemble the sandwich in the frying pan, layering all of the ingredients. Top with the other slice of bread with the buttered side up.

6. Heat sandwich until the bread is golden brown and the cheese starts to melt. Be careful turning the sandwich over as you do not want all of the ingredients to fall out. Cut in half and enjoy. 

Fried Mexican Empanadas

Empanadas are a tradition in Mexico and across Latin America. These fried dough hot pockets can be filled with everything from Carne, Chicken to Pork. It's easy to make and you'll ove the flavor. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
Servings: 24
"These fried empanadas are the best! Raisins and eggs make this recipe extra delicious believe it or not!"
INGREDIENTS:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups water, or as needed
 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
1 quart oil for frying, or as needed
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender, or pinching into small pieces using your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Use a fork to stir in water a few tablespoons at a time, until the mixture forms a ball. Pat into a ball, and flatten slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.2.Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender. Crumble in the beef, and season with salt, paprika, cumin and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until beef is browned. Drain excess grease, and stir in the raisins and vinegar. Refrigerate until chilled, then stir in the hard-cooked eggs.3.Form the dough into 2 inch balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball out into a thin circle. Spoon some of the meat mixture onto the center, then fold into half-moon shapes. Seal edges by pressing with your fingers.4.Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees C). Place one or two pies into the fryer at a time. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning once to brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels, and serve hot.

Panaderia La Espiga Sweet Treats in Raleigh, NC

I've been to some great bakeries during my time on En La Cocina.Deleon's Mexican Bakery in Spokane, Washington has some of the sweetest treats in the Northwest. Owner Sergio Deleon prides himself on having the freshest pastries in Eastern Washington. The Salvadorean Bakery is a testament to the American Dream. Ana Castro has built a great following with an amazing work ethic and great food to match. But in Raleigh North Carolina there is a Mexican Bakery tucked away in a little strip mall in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood called La Panaderia La Espiga. It features everything Mexicana and more. I just happened to be in the strip mall off New Hope Road and Atlantic when the fresh smell filled the air and my nose took me right inside. I shot some video and a few pictures. If you're ever in Southeast Raleigh check it out. Raleigh is the fastest growing area to Hispanics in the nation!

For More Pictures visit www.hispanicfoodnetwork.com

CHECK THEM OUT ON OUR YOUTUBE PAGE

Cuban Arroz Con Pollo Recipe

This is a staple for people growing up in Miami in the United States and in Cuban this is pretty much the staple dish. We hope you enjoy this authentic recipe. Visit the Cuban Recipe section on The Hispanic Food Network.


Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook
time: 45 minutes
Total
time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield:
8 servings


Arroz con pollo is enjoyed by many Latin cultures. The
Cuban version is highly spiced -- but NOT spicy hot. It's a favorite Cuban
Sunday lunch dish,

FROM OUR AMIGOS AT ICUBAN

 INGREDIENTS:

4 strips
bacon
8
chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
To taste salt,
pepper, and cumin for chicken
1/2 cup olive oil for
frying
1 large onion, chopped
5 cachucha peppers, chopped
(Substitute 1 large green or red pepper)
4 cloves garlic, mashed
1 12-ounce bottle beer
3 and 1/2 cups chicken
broth
1 (8-ounce)
can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon Bijol
Powder
1
bay leaf
2 teaspoons oregano
2
teaspoons cumin, ground
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black
pepper
3 1/2 cups
parboiled rice
1/2 cup frozen green baby
peas

Sauté the bacon in a large frying pan. Reduce heat
to low and let the fat render out of the bacon -- about 10 minutes. Meanwhile,
season the chicken lightly with salt, pepper and a little cumin. Once the fat is
released, remove the bacon, increase temperature to medium-high and add the
chicken to the hot bacon fat. Remove the
chicken when it is browned on both sides.


Add a little olive oil to the same pan you fried
the chicken in, and sauté the onion and green pepper until the onion is
translucent. Add the mashed garlic and cook an additional minute or two,
stirring frequently.


Take the chicken broth and beer and pour into a
large covered pot. Add the browned chicken pieces, cooked onions and green
pepper, tomato sauce, Bijol, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. And
hey, why let all that delicious bacon go to waste? Chop it up and toss it in!
Bring everything to a rolling boil, reduce
heat, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes.


Add the rice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
When the rice has absorbed some of the liquid, cover and simmer on low for about
30-45 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and not soupy. Add the frozen
peas during the last five minutes of cooking only.


For a dinner, serve the whole chicken pieces with
the rice. For a party, you may remove the chicken, skin, de-bone and break it
into bite-size chunks. However, DO NOT try to substitute any boneless, skinless
chicken in this recipe -- unless you enjoy serving a disaster!

Mexican Meatball Recipe

Albondigas al Chipotle


Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs, plain
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped 
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 10 to 12 roma tomatoes
• 2 dried ancho chilies
• 2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo 

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the ground pork, ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, onion and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix ingredients until well combined.



 1 Shape meat mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls.  Place on a plate and refrigerate until ready to use.



 2 Place the tomatoes and dried ancho chilies in a medium saucepan or pot.  Fill saucepan with enough water to cover the tomatoes.  Bring to boil, over high heat.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.



5 Remove the stems and seeds from the chilies.  Place cooked chilies in a blender cup with the chipotles.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked tomatoes to the blender cup.  Puree the chilies and tomatoes until smooth. 

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4 Pour puree mixture into a 2 quart saucepan.  Add 1-1/2 cups of the liquid in which the tomatoes were cooked.  Season with salt and mix well.

5 Brink sauce to a boil over medium heat.  Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce.  Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes.  Serve over cooked spaghetti or Sopa de Arroz Blanco (white rice). Enjoy!



For a Torta de Albondigas al Chipotle (Chipotle Meatball Sandwich) serve meatballs and sauce over a toasted bolillo roll.  Top with your favorite cheese (I like queso fresco and/or Oaxaca cheese.) and broil in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts.  Top with fresh chopped cilantro.  Enjoy! 
VISIT THE HFNTV YOUTUBE PAGE TO SEE THE VIDEO
FROM OUR AMIGA AT LESLIE'S KITCHEN

Favorite Hispanic Food Blogs

These are some of my favorite Hispanic food blogs. Through extensive research I've compiled the best blogs on the web. Here you'll find everything from Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican and Spanish Recipes...to everything in between. If there's a food blog that you like please let us know in the comment box. Click here to find you next favorite Hispanic blog.

Taco Del Mar Mondo Burrito

CHECK OUT THIS LINK ON THE HISPANIC FOOD NETWORK
The Mondo Burrito is one of my favorite. Taco Del Mar is a chain restaurant in Spokane, WA and the Pacific Northwest. It's extremely popular because they don't cheat you on size. It competes with the other big chains and most of the times kicks their but. If you're in Spokane, Seattle or Washington state give them a try!