Feast savoury on Mexico’s flavours
There’s something about the heat of summer that kick-starts my cravings for spicier, zestier foods. Here are four recipes, inspired by the bright and sophisticated flavours of Mexico, to serve at your next backyard dinner party.
Chiles en Nogada (Stuffed Peppers With Walnut Sauce)
Ricardo Tested These delicately stuffed poblano or cubanelle peppers are a gorgeous way to start a meal. Filled with a mix of generously seasoned pork or turkey simmered with aromatics, raisins and diced apple, banana and tomato, they pack a punch. A dynamite walnut sauce, fresh pomegranate seeds and crumbled cheese put the dish over the top. Try to get your hands on genuine queso fresco when you tackle this recipe — it makes a huge difference.
Stuffing:
1 onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 1 lb (450 g) lean ground pork or turkey 1 apple, peeled and diced 1 banana, diced 2 tomatoes, diced 1/4 cup (45 g) toasted almonds, chopped 1/4 cup (35 g) raisins 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Peppers:
6 poblano or cubanelle peppers (see note) 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
Walnut Sauce:
1 cup (250 mL) sour cream 1/2 cup (50 g) walnuts 1 cup (115 g) crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese (see note) 1/4 tsp sugar 1 pinch cinnamon
Topping:
3/4 cup (135 g) pomegranate seeds 1/3 cup (40 g) crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese For the stuffing, in a large non-stick skillet over high heat, heat oil. Add onion and garlic, and cook until softened. Add meat and cook until cooked through, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
Add remaining ingredients. Simmer over medium heat until stuffing mixture is thick. Season with salt. Remove from heat and let cool. To make the peppers, with the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
With a knife, cut and remove the stem of each pepper, if desired. Cut down the length of one side of each pepper and remove the seeds. Fill each pepper with the stuffing and close. Lightly oil and place in a baking dish.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, purée all the walnut sauce ingredients until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the sauce on plates.
Place stuffed peppers on sauce and top with the pomegranate seeds and crumbled cheese. Makes 6 servings. *Note: Poblano peppers bring a smoky heat to this dish, while cuba- nelles are more mild and sweet. Queso fresco is a creamy, mild white cheese made from cow’s milk (or a combination of cow’s and goat’s milk). It is widely used in Mexican cuisine and can be found in many Latin American markets.
Tostadas de Pescado (Fish Tostadas)
Ricardo Tested Put a spin on fish tacos with these tasty haddock tostadas. You can find the flat, crunchy corn shells in Latin American grocery stores and most supermarkets. Here they’re topped with baked fish boosted with salsa verde and a zingy salad made with red onion, lettuce, cucumber, cilantro and Fresno chili, and dressed with lime juice and olive oil.
Fish:
1 lb (450 g) haddock fillets 1/4 cup (60 mL) store-bought salsa verde
Salad:
1 red onion, thinly sliced 1 cup (250 mL) ice water 1/4 cup (60 mL) lime juice 1/2 tsp salt 4 cups (220 g) thinly sliced iceberg lettuce 1 English cucumber, julienned 1 cup (30 g) chopped cilantro 1/2 Fresno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil
Tostadas:
8 tostadas (see note) 1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream With the rack in lowest position, preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place fish fillets on prepared sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon salsa verde onto the fillets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through. With a fork, break fish into large flakes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cover onion with ice water. Add 2 tbsp (30 mL) of lime juice and salt. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the marinated onion, lettuce, cucumber, cilantro, pepper, olive oil and remaining lime juice.
Place the tostadas on plates. Spread with sour cream and top with fish. Garnish with salad. Makes 4 servings. *Note: Tostadas are flat crunchy corn shells about 5 inches (13 cm.) in diameter. They can be found in the Mexican products section at most grocery stores. If unavailable, replace them with wheat tortilla shells toasted on both sides in a hot skillet.
Aguacate con Camarones y Tortillas Fritas (Grilled Avocado With Shrimp and Crispy Tortilla Strips)
Ricardo Tested The first time I grilled an avocado it was a total revelation. The fruit takes on a heightened, buttery dimension when you char it that I just love. Here, the rich, warm flesh mixes beautifully with tender, grilled shrimp and crunchy tortilla strips to make a perfect side dish for your backyard barbecue. The easiest way to cook shrimp or other seafood on your grill is in a grill wok — it’s an indispensable tool at my house.
Crispy Tortilla Strips:
2 small soft wheat tortillas, about 7 inches (18 cm.) in diameter, halved 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 1/4 tsp chili powder
Grilled Avocado and Shrimp:
1/2 lb (225 g) small shrimp (91-110), peeled and tail removed 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil 1/4 tsp chili powder 2 large avocados, ripe but firm, unpeeled, halved and pitted 1 green onion, chopped 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped Salt and pepper To make crispy tortilla strips, with rack in middle position, preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a work surface, julienne tortilla halves into thin strips. Place on prepared baking sheet. Add oil and chili powder, and toss to coat well. Spread evenly on baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
For the grilled avocado and shrimp, place a grill wok on the grill (see note). Preheat grill, setting burners to high. Oil grate.
In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. In hot grill wok, cook shrimp for about 3 minutes or until shrimp are cooked. Transfer to another bowl. Lightly oil avocados and grill, flesh side down, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.
Slightly trim base of each avocado half so they lie stable. Place on a plate.
In the bowl with the shrimp, add green onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and remaining oil (2 tbsp/30 mL). Season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Spoon the mixture onto avocados. Top with tortilla strips. Makes 4 servings. *Note: A grill wok is the perfect tool to cook all kinds of small vegetables and seafood on the barbecue. Its perforated shape helps contain and keep foods from falling through the grate. If you don’t have a grill wok, thread the shrimp on a skewer and grill.
Torta de Milanesa con Frijoles y Aguacate (Breaded Beef Sandwich With Refried Black Beans and Avocado)
Ricardo Tested Move over burgers, there’s a new sandwich in town. Torta de Mi- lanesa is a popular Mexican sandwich built around a glorious centrepiece: a breaded cutlet of beef, chicken, pork or veal.
Layered with fresh avocado, refried black beans, tomato, cilantro and chipotle paste, the end result with this torta — as with any good sandwich — is more than the sum of its parts. The kids, in particular, will want you to whip this up every weekend, guaranteed. A note about the bread for this recipe: I recommend kaiser rolls but if you can find fresh Mexican bolillo or telera rolls, go for it.
Refried Black Beans:
1 red onion, chopped 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 19 oz (540 mL) can black beans, rinsed and drained 3/4 cup (180 mL) water 1/4 cup (10 g) chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Steaks:
3 eggs 1 tsp dried parsley 2 cups (250 g) bread crumbs 6 beef sandwich steaks, about 2-1/2 oz (75 g) each 3 tbsp (45 mL) canola oil
Toppings:
6 kaiser rolls, halved and toasted, if desired 2 avocados, cut into small dice and lightly drizzled with lemon juice 2 tomatoes, sliced Chipotle paste, as desired (see note) In a skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until softened. Remove from heat and add black beans. With a potato masher, crush beans.
Add water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat or until mixture thickens. Add cilantro.
Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and cover to keep warm. Add a bit of water to soften, if needed.
In a shallow dish, lightly beat eggs with parsley.
In another large dish, add onethird of the bread crumbs.
On a work surface, place the steaks between two layers of plastic wrap and slightly flatten with a smooth meat mallet or rolling pin. Cut each cutlet in half. Season with salt and pepper.
Dip cutlets in egg mixture and shake to remove any excess. With a fork, firmly press each side of the cutlets into bread crumbs. Set aside on a large plate. Repeat with remaining cutlets, adding bread crumbs as you go.
In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat canola oil. Brown 2 or 3 cutlets at a time, adding oil, if needed. Drain cutlets on paper towels and keep warm.
To assemble, spread each roll with 1/4 cup (60 mL) of refried beans. Layer with cutlets, diced avocado and tomato slices. Garnish with cilantro, if desired. Close the rolls. Serve with chipotle paste, if desired.
*Note: Chipotle paste is sold in many grocery stores in the Mexican products section. If unavailable, purée canned chipotle peppers in a small food processor. Keep the remaining purée in an airtight container in the freezer.