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Soyrizo Tacos

I often find that when people think of Mexican food the first thing that comes to mind is Tacos.

Tacos definitely play an important roll of Mexican cuisine. However, from my experience, a large number of people in the United States have never enjoyed a real Mexican taco. Most of the tacos found in America are either Tex-Mex or Mexican-American involving some questionable “taco meat,” hard shells, and weird toppings like bottled salsa and lettuce.

A real Mexican Taco consists of a protein, chopped onion, and chopped cilantro in a corn tortilla; while a hint of lime juice and salsa finish it off. This is the type of taco that you will find all over Mexico’s streets with a variety of protein options.

Before turning vegetarian, my FAVORITE taco was a chorizo taco. I could seriously eat 10 of these little things in one seating. Therefore, I had to learn how to adapt chorizo as a vegetarian option.

I hope you enjoy these tacos as much as I do.

Yields: approximately 10 small tacos

Ingredients:
1 cup soyrizo – I make my own but a much easier option is to just buy it. After many tastings, my favorite is Trader Joe’s Soyrizo. It is super tasty and has the least preservatives.
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
10 small corn taco tortillas (I make my own)
1 lime
Salsa Roja

Ingredients for soyrizo:
1/2 cup texturized soy protein (TVP)
1 quart of boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons of guajillo sauce
1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1teaspoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons corn oil

To make soyrizo (skip if buying pre-made):
- Hydrate TVP in boiling water for about 7 minutes. When soft, drain water and rinse under cold water to remove bitter taste.
- Using a cheese cloth squeeze all of the water from TVP. Leaving as dry as possible.
- In an extended pan, heat oil under medium heat. Then add TVP and garlic and sauté for about 1 minute.
- Immediately after, add paprika, onion powder, cayanne, and guajillo sauce. Allow for sauce and spices to really incorporate with the TVP (about 1 minute).
- Lower your heat and add white vinegar.
- Cook your soyrizo until it begins to brown and become crispy.

Hint: Make sure to really spread your soyrizo out on the pan when cooking. Do not over crowd.

To serve, simply place soyrizo on top of corn tortilla and add, onion, cilantro, lime, and salsa on top.

That’s it!

Chilaquiles

Major Disclaimer: By any means this is not the most healthy meal, but it is delicious and very traditional non the less.

In my part of Mexico it is very common to wake up and drink a hot chocolate, an atole (cornmeal drink), a coffee, or tea along with a piece of bread or fruit; a very small desayuno (breakfast). Then, at about 10am to 11am you would sit down and have a great almuerzo (brunch) with your family. Obviously, this was easy because school often began later in the day and because almost everyone worked on their farms and they could come back home easily. Honestly, this was one of my favorite meals of the day. It meant getting together and enjoying life with a hearty meal, this way the rest of the meals of the day were very light. Between 2pm to 4pm you would have la comida (supper) and finally at about 8pm you would have a cena (a very light dinner). These eating habits were much healthier than the american version that I later became accustomed to. I attempt to stick to these meal times whenever possible, specially on a beautiful cloudy New York Saturday like today.

Enjoy one of my favorite Almuerzos!

Yields: approximately 2 plates

Ingredients:

10 corn tortillas
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped jalapeños
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 cup Salsa Roja
Or substitute any of the other salsas that I have on this site they all go great with this meal.
1/3 cup of corn oil
Eggs

Toppings:
I love to simply add some crema agria and little bit of lime juice to give it some acidity.
However, you could use:
Crema agria
Queso Fresco
Shredded cheese
Avocado
More salsa
etc.

An even easier way to make this dish is to use store bought Mexican Style corn chips. However, the authentic home taste will be lost.

- Using a small sauce pan place about 1/2 teaspoon of corn oil and add chopped onions. Using low heat sauté onions allowing them to caramelize (approximately 5 minutes).
- Once onions are caramelized, add your tomatoes and jalapeños. Sauté for about 3 minutes, then add onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Finally, add your water.
- Allow all of the ingredients to incorporate and for most the water to evaporate. When all incorporated add your Salsa Roja and simmer for about 4 minutes.
- Cut your corn tortillas into 1 inch squares. Making sure to cut the tortillas when cold to make it easier.
- In a deep pan, or deep fryer, heat your oil to 350 degrees.
- By a handful at a time, fry your tortilla chips. They fry really fast, so make sure to take them out of the oil when they turn golden. Don’t allow them to get brown or the taste will be awful. Moreover, don’t over crowd them or they won’t get crispy.
- Place your fried tortilla chips in a bowl with paper towels underneath, to remove any excess oil.
- Once all fried, in a new extended pan add about ½ tablespoon of oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Add your sauce to the pan and let the oil incorporate with it.
- Finally, mix your tortilla chips with the sauce and cover with a lid for about 2 minutes on low heat.
- Chilaquiles are done!!!
- Now all you have to do is make an egg however you would like, I highly recommend a fried egg.
- Don’t forget a sprinkle of lime juice.

Enjoy

Beans?

Now, this website could not continue without a word on beans. Nor could I claim my Mexican citizenship without teaching the art of cooking beans. So simple this dish is, yet it’s one of the major staples of Mexican cuisine.

Join me in learning how to cook beans at home from scratch; leave your cans at the register.

Yields: approximately 2 cups of beans.

Ingredients:
1 cup of dried Mayocoba (a.k.a Peruano) beans
5 cups of water
3/4 tablespoon of salt

Disclaimer: these beans cook fast and really don’t require you struggling to soak for a whole night. Also, although in the United States you often find Pinto or Black beans on the menu of Mexican food restaurants, please not that in different parts of Mexico we eat different beans. I grew up eating mainly mayocoba, sometimes rosa de castilla, rarely pinto, and almost never black beans. You are free to use any kind that you prefer but my recipe will show you what I grew up with and believe to be extremely tasty.

- Wash beans thoroughly
- Add beans to a pot with water on high heat and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to lowest setting and add salt.
- Cover pot. Beans should be ready in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Once cooked, here are some ideas on how to eat:
- Make a simple beans soup by adding fresh chopped onion, tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro on top. Eat with warm tortillas of your choice.
- Serve them as a side to any dish without the liquid.
Or

Make Refried beans:
- Using about 3 tablespoons of corn oil for every cup of beans heat oil in a pan.
- Add about 1/4 cup of chopped (or sliced) onion and 1/4 of a jalapeño (sliced).
- Allow onion and jalapeño to sauté in the oil for about 2 minutes.
- Remove oil from heat and allow to cool down for about 1minute.
- Introduce beans into oil with about 1/3 cup of cooking liquid. Cook under low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, mash beans if preferred. I grew up eating them not mashed but it’s all a matter of preference.

Yay! Our beans are ready. Enjoy!

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

Mexican Vegetarian Sushi Roll

In honor of his birthday, yesterday, here is the recipe of his favorite food that I make: Mexican Vegetarian Sushi.

I decided to become vegetarian to not support factory farming practices; secondly because I love animals and could never kill one myself; and lastly to be more healthy. As a result of this you would think that I miss meat, but I really don’t. The only thing I really miss is fish, specially in sushi! The only two reasons I choose to stay vegetarian and not become pescetarian is to not support the deterioration of our seas and because the alternative (fishing farms) is just too cruel and unhealthy. Luckily, I created a solution to my sushi craving: recipe for vegetarian sushi.

My vegetarian sushi won’t be found in a restaurant, has mexican ingredients, and it’s truly vegan, except for the spicy mayo. It is also a nice alternative for non-shushi-lovers. Trust me on this, this sushi has turned many non-shushi-lovers into sushi cravers. I hope you enjoy it!

Yields: approximately 4 maki rolls

Ingredients:
1 cup sushi rice
1 1/4 water
2 tablespoons of sushi vinegar (if you can’t find, use rice vinegar with a pinch of salt and sugar)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped jalapeño (seeds and veins removed)
1 avocado
1 medium sized cucumber
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
8 toasted nori sheets

For Mexican Spicy Mayo:
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (vegan mayo if preferred)
1/2 teaspoon of Sriracha sauce
3 tablespoons of my Salsa de Jitomate

Other topping:
Unagi (eel) Sauce
I’ve found that this sauce is actually not really made from eel, yay!

- Wash your sushi rice very well under cold water, until water runs clear.
- Place rice in a pot and add water. Bring water to a boil under high heat and immediately lower heat to lowest setting and cover.
- Cook rice for about 10 minutes until water is dissolved then turn off heat and leave covered for about 20 minutes. IMPORTANT: NO Peeking!!! You want all of the steam to finish cooking the rice until soft.
- In the meantime, chop your onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Set aside for later.
- Cut your avocado in half and remove the pit. Now using the tip of your knife slice your avocado while it’s still in the skin. Once sliced, take a spoon and gently push it in closets to the skin and scoop it out. This will allow you to remove the avocado from the skin and the slices will be perfect. Do the same with the other avocado half.
- Cut your cucumber in half (long ways) and remove all the seeds with a spoon. Now julienne them a little thick.
- Your rice should be ready by now. Open the lid and move to a large container, preferably a wood bowl where you can spread out your rice.
- Add the sushi vinegar over the rice and mix. Fan out your rice until cooled (don’t let it become cold).
- Now you are ready to make your maki rolls:
- Place a nori sheet on top of your sushi mat.
- Wet your hands with cold water so rice doesn’t stick to you.
- Add rice and press onto your nori sheet covering almost all of it. Make sure you get all the edges too. Leave a 1/4 of an inch section on the bottom without rice (will help adhere when rolled).
- Sprinkle sesame seeds all over your rice.
- Add your ingredients: avocado, cucumber, cilantro, onion, and jalapeño.

- You are now ready to roll! Make sure you are rolling tightly. When you get to the end, add water with your finger to the 1/4 inch of the nori with no rice. Roll all the way and tighten with your sushi mat.
- Cut your roll into pieces
- For the Mexican Spicy Mayo: Mix mayo, Sriracha, and Salsa de Jitomate all together until completely blended.
- Top your sushi pieces with eel sauce and your spicy mayo.
Provecho!

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

Enchiladas Placeras

When I was a child my mom would always allow me choose the meal to be served ay my birthday parties. Since I knew that the meal I chose would be cooked by my mom I always asked for her Enchiladas Placeras.

Enchiladas Placeras, which are potato enchiladas, are the enchiladas you will find all over Guanajuato, Mexico. On rare occasions, you will also find some enchiladas made with chicken and salsa verde but these are the enchiladas you will find in my part of Mexico. To be honest I didn’t know what cheese enchiladas drenched in sauce were until I came to the United States; must I say I was I disappointed.

So without further-a-do here is the recipe for my favorite Enchiladas Placeras:

Yields: approximately 10 enchiladas

Ingredients for guajillo sauce:
6 chiles guajillos
2 garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup of chiles boiling liquid

Ingredients for stuffing:
10 corn tortillas
2 large potatoes or 4 small (I prefer yellow potatoes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons of corn oil

Ingredients for garnishing salad:
1 vine ripe tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped cabbage
1 lime
Salt to taste

Toppings:
Salsa de Jitomate
Crema Agria

Before we get started I must state this: please do not substitute any of the ingredients as you will loose the unique flavor (specially in the corn tortillas as opposed to flour tortillas)

- First, mix your diced tomatoes, onions, and cabbage in a bowl. Add the juice of 1 lime and salt to taste. Set aside and allow lime to pickle the ingredients while you cook.
- Remove all stems from guajillo chiles. Open up and remove all seeds and veins while cutting up into pieces with your hands.
- Boil about 1 quart of water and add the dried chiles. Hydrate for about 5-7 minutes and remove from heat.
- Place all chiles in blender and add garlic, cumin, black pepper, salt, and liquid from the chiles. Blend until very smooth.
- Once sauce is very smooth, strain in a fine mesh strainer to remove all chile skins.
- While creating the guajillo sauce, boil your potatoes, with the skin, in water until fully cooked.
- Once potatoes are cooked, remove skins, add salt, and smash like mashed potatoes. Consistency should be soft and fluffy.
- Heat your tortillas in a skillet, comal, or direct heat, however you prefer. Make sure not to steam them as you want them to be a bit tough. Otherwise, your tortillas will break when in oil.
- In a deep skillet or wok (yes we have wok like pans in Mexico made from both metal and terracotta, they are called Cazos) heat about 2 tablespoons of corn oil. Leaving the other 2 tablespoons for replenishing the oil as you cook. There should only be enough oil to coat the bottom of the wok.
- Dip one tortilla at a time into the guajillo sauce, making sure to coat both sides evenly.

- Gently place the tortilla with sauce in the wok with oil and allow it to fry for about 10 seconds. Flip the tortilla with a spatula (don’t use tongs) and fry the second side for another 10 seconds. Remember, you are not deep frying the tortilla you are just allowing it to touch the oil gently to adhere the sauce and change the flavor.

- Remove the tortilla and place in a plate. Fill the tortilla with the mashed potatoes and roll tightly but gently.
- Continue doing this until you have completed all 10 enchiladas.
*HINT* I find it easier to make all the tortillas first, place them one on top of the other as you gently fry them, and then stuff them one by one. It’s also much faster.
- Once you have your tortillas you can plate them as you wish using making sure to add the garnishing salad, salsa de Jitomate, and crema agria. If you would like to use sour cream instead of Mexican crema agria, I would suggest that you dilute it with a touch of whole milk and add some salt to it first.

Enjoy!

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

Salsa Taquera

This salsa is my favorite for a delicious simple bean and cheese burrito. However, it’s great on all tacos, hence the name.

Yields Approximately: 2 cups

Ingredients
- 5 tomatoes (very ripe)
- 8 Puya chillies
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 teaspoons of cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of oregano

- On a medium hot skillet, roast tomatoes. Making sure that you are cooking the tomatoes as well as roasting. Do this by rotating them and roasting on all sides.
- Boil about 2 quarts of water and hydrate the puya chiles for about 5 minutes.

- Once tomatoes are roasted remove from heat.
- Remove most of the blackened tomato peel.

- Place all tomatoes and chiles in blender. Add peeled garlic, cumin, and oregano and blend until smooth or desired consistency.
- Add salt to taste

All done!!

Feel free to post your comments or questions,.

Salsa de Jitomate (Roasted Tomato Salsa)

Try this salsa on grilled tofu or for non-vegetarians on carne asada or any steak.

Yields Approximately: 2 Cups

Ingredients
- 5 large tomatoes (make sure they are perfectly ripened)
- 4 jalapeños
- Salt to taste

- On a medium hot skillet, roast tomatoes and jalapeños. Making sure that you are cooking the tomatoes as well as roasting. Do this by rotating them and roasting on all sides. Otherwise you end up with a raw tomato on the inside.

- Once roasted, peel tomatoes and jalapeños as much as possible leaving some of the roasted skin.
- Blend all until smooth and all salt to taste.

Can it get any easier? It sounds crazy to only use those ingredients, I know, but trust me it doesn’t need much else. Using simple ingredients is what makes a difference between an Americanized salsa and real homemade Mexican food.

Feel free to post your comments or questions.

Salsa Verde

- Remove husks from tomatillos and wash to get rid of sticky film.
- Boil about 1 quart of water water and add tomatillos and jalpeños.
- Once tomatillos and jalapeños are cooked through (7 to 10mins) remove from heat.
- Place all tomatillos and jalapeños in blender and blend until smooth or desired consistency.
- Add salt to taste

Another easy salsa!!

This salsa is great as a topping for food or you can sauté with a little bit of corn oil and add it to proteins. Perfect for pork carnitas.

Yields approximately: 2 cups

Ingredients
6 tomatillos (medium to large)
3 Jalapeños
Salt to taste

To add some more dimension chop some:
- White onions
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Mix it all in and now you have an amazing Chunky Salsa Verde.

Salsa Roja

Yields: approximately 2 cups

Ingredients:
6 Tomatillos (12 if small)
7 Chiles Puya
1 Garlic
Salt to taste

Instructions:

- Remove husks from tomatillos and wash to get rid of sticky film.

- Boil about 1 quart of water and add tomatillos and dried chiles.

- Once tomatillos are cooked through (7-10mins) remove from heat. Chiles will be hydrated enough by this time also.

- Place all tomatillos and chiles in blender and add peeled garlic and blend until smooth or desired consistency.

- Add salt to taste

That’s it!!!

You have just made a delicious salsa roja! You can eat it with chips, use it as a sauce to sauté with proteins, whatever you want!