Ooooh, I love this thread! Cultural foods are a wonderful way to imaginatively travel the globe!
I, myself, am quite of fan of Mexican food. There are so many delicioso recipes to try!
I'll share some of my favorites, that can be made as a meal, for anyone interested.
-Enchiladas!
Ingredients:
Sauce:
2 tablespoons canola oil, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, One 28-ounce can enchilada or Mexican red sauce, 2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Meat:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
The Rest:
Canola oil, for frying
10 to 14 corn tortillas
Two 4-ounce cans diced green chilies
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped black olives
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Cilantro, for garnish, sour cream, olives, up to you!
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour. Whisk together and allow to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
For the meat:
While the sauce is simmering, brown the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the fat, add the salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.
For the rest:
In a small skillet over medium heat, heat some canola oil. Lightly fry the tortillas just until soft. Do not crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the tortillas have been fried.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Next, one at a time, dip each tortilla into the sauce. Set the sauce-soaked tortilla on a plate. Place on some of the meat mixture, chilies, green onions and black olives. Top with a generous portion of grated Cheddar. Roll up the tortilla to contain the filling inside.
Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. End with a generous sprinkling of cheese and any other bits of chiles, green onions or olives you have left over from the filling.
Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.
-Basic Elote (corn side dish)
Ingredients: 4 corn cobs (or frozen corn, if needed), 100g butter , softened, zest 1 lime, 2 tsp chopped fresh chilli or 1 tsp chilli powder , mild or hot, depending how spicy you like it, lime wedges, to serve
STEP 1
Soak corn in cold water for 15 mins. Heat a griddle pan or barbecue and, when hot, place the corn directly on the bars. Cook for 30-40 mins, turning regularly, until the corn is tender and charred in spots.
STEP 2
Meanwhile, mash the butter with the lime zest and chili. When the cobs are done, top each with a knob of flavoured butter and serve with lime wedges. Add seasoning and cheese, if desired!
-Guacomole (easy!)... with Homemade Chips!
Ingredients: 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed, 1 lime, juiced, 1 teaspoon salt,½ cup diced onion, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced, 1 teaspoon minced garlic,1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (Optional)
In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.
-Tortilla Chips!
Ingredients: 1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt
Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 2 Cut each tortilla into 8 chip sized wedges and arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Step 3 In a mister, combine the oil and lime juice. Mix well and spray each tortilla wedge until slightly moist.
Step 4 Combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the chips.
Step 5 Bake for about 7 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes or until the chips are crisp, but not too brown. Serve with salsas, garnishes or guacamole!
Here's a great history on Mexican cuisine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_cuisine
Some popular Spanish/Latin music: Gloria Estefan, Selena, Grupo Niche, Enrique Iglesias, Jose Alfredo Jimenez
Olé!!!