Mexican Delight

I love tacos.  I have always loved tacos.  Before moving to Mexico I would go to "authentic" restaurants (knowing what I do now, those authentic restaurants were no where close to being authentic) and even Taco Bell and LOVE the food -- tacos, mexican pizzas, chimichangas, nachos... you know, all those americanized Mexican foods.  Mexican food in Mexico is NOT like mexican food in America. 

Shea and I have our favorite taco stands around town.  Chemas Tacos, Arre Lulu, and Tacos Sonora are our current three favorites.  The accessibility and such amazing quality of tacos is most definitely going to be one of the biggest things I miss when the time comes to leave Mexico permanently.  The funny thing about where we live is that everybody eats seafood for lunch and tacos (of meat) for dinner.  If you want tacos at lunch, you go to a seafood restuarant and order the fish tacos.  If you want seafood for dinner, you're out of luck (unless you go to some of the none local restaurants and order something that is usually pretty plain and bland).  It is a really strange phenomenon that is accepted here by all the restaurants, each opening and closing at their appropriate hours for seafood or tacos.

One day we were craving tacos in the middle of the afternoon so I researched homemade fish tacos and came up with this recipe.  A lovely dill sauce accompanies the fish tacos.  Add on some fresh pico de gallo and this will become your next favorite taco stand -- all from home!

Fish Tacos with Dill Sauce

Ingredients for Beer Battered Fish

two small fish filets, cut into one inch pieces
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 beer -- We would recommend using Negra Modelo or Bohemia Obscura
extra flour
Crisco or oil for frying

1. To make the beer batter combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, blend the egg and beer.  Quickly stir into the flour mixture.

2. Dredge each piece of fish through flour and then dip into beer batter. 

3. Fry each piece of fish until golden brown. 

Ingredients for Dill Sauce

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. To make dill sauce, mix yogurt and mayonnaise together.  Add seasonings.  Chill before serving.

These fish tacos taste amazing!  Still a little on the Americanized side of things, but these will definitely satisfy our cravings for tacos in the future.  The dill sauce is a favorite of mine, but Shea will hardly touch the stuff.  We add pickled red onions, fresh pico de gallo, and a variety of hot sauces to the tacos. 

Bon appetit!

Chemas Tacos.  This is how they cook their meat, with a touch of pineapple from the top!  Each taco is prepared upon ordering.  Everything is so fresh!

Always a winner

THIS recipe is an all-time favorite and always a winner in the Mayfield household.  Traditionally prepared as an evening meal before my mother had her monthly Women's Euchre club meetings, this meal can be considered for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even dessert (nah, not really, but it is so good it should be allowed as a dessert)!  I began making this recipe on my own in my first year of college.  My best friend, our dorm RA and mutual friend, and myself all decided we wanted a fancy breakfast one Sunday morning so I called up my Mom for this recipe.  My first success as playing the role of hostess took place in a tiny dorm kitchenette.  My best friend and I continued making these on a regular basis throughout the remaining years at college.  Such a history with this dish!!  It is an old family recipe, passed down through several generations from my Dad's side of the family.  I asked my parents for permission to use on this blog and they both said it was fine. 

Swedish Pancakes (OH YEAH, BABY!!)

Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of baking powder
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 stick butter, melted
extra sugar
extra butter
2 packages frozen strawberries in a sugar sauce (ahhh. Not living in the US makes it difficult to describe this.  Hopefully my Mom or sister can leave a comment about brand and quantity and then I will edit here)

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and milk and beat until frothy. 

2. Add flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and melted butter.  Mix well.

3. Heat frozen strawberries over low heat.

4. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium-low heat.  Spray with PAM cooking spray.

5. Using a large ladle, scoop a spoonful of batter into skillet (about 1/4 cup).  Tilt the pan in a circular motion immediately so the batter spreads evenly to all edges.  The trick is to pour and tilt at the same time while evenly dispersing the batter.  If you need more batter to cover entire pan bottom, add it quickly.  These are supposed to be pretty thin pancakes -- think along the lines of a crepe.

6. Cook about 1-2 minutes until light brown.  Little bubbles start forming and you know it is time to flip it.  Brown both sides. 

7. Remove from pan.  Lightly butter and sprinkle sugar over the hot pancake.

8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 until enough pancakes are ready to serve (see sidenote below about portions)

9. When all 4 pancakes are finished, buttered, and sprinkled with sugar, place in a stack in middle of a plate.  Place spoonfuls of strawberries in middle and then roll like a burrito.  Place more spoonfuls of strawberries and sauce on the outside. 

BON APPETIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

When my family eats these, we pig out.  Nobody counts calories, watches portion sizes, etc....  One serving is usually 4 pancakes.  And then there are usually a few requests for seconds.  The only downside to this recipe is that one person is stuck at the stove cooking while everybody eats their portions as they are ready -- best eaten HOT.  My mom always made bacon and sausage links on the side. 

I have started making these down here for Shea.  He enjoys adding whipped cream and we have used both frozen strawberries and blackberries.  The strawberries are my personal preference, but I imagine that any type of frozen fruit could be used.  We have been watching our calories and portions down here lately, so I have been making 3 pancakes per serving (and no seconds!).  It is just as satisfying and you don't feel so awful afterwards.  =D

Action shot of pouring batter

Browned pancake

Finished product

The page in my recipe book from my Mom.  You can see how dirty and worn the pages have become for this recipe.  And apparently my mom thought I could figure out everything besides the ingredients on my own.  I think it took a little trial and error but is an easy recipe once you get the hang of cooking time for each pancake.

Pardon me, but would you have any Grey Poupon?

Creamy Chicken with a Dijon Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts or 6 chicken thighs
8 garlic cloves with skin on
herb of choice:  4 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, or 5 sage leaves (thyme and rosemary should be de-stemmed and chopped)
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup cognac (or peach juice)
1 cup chicken stock
1 container button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon flour
salt, pepper

1. In a large enough pan, add the butter, EVOO, garlic cloves, and seasoning of choice over medium heat.  When the butter starts to sizzle, add the chicken and let them get golden brown on each side.  They will be cooking later so you just want to get the golden brown now.

2. Heat the chicken stock in a small pot.

3. Remove chicken from pan.  Add the white wine and cognac (or peach juice) and deglaze the pan.  Let the alcohol evaporate completely, then add the dijon mustard and dissolve in sauce with a whisk.

4. Return chicken back to pan.  Add the hot chicken stock and sliced mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper and let simmer over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes.

5. Remove the cooked chicken and keep warm.  Let the sauce simmer over low heat to reduce as much as you like (hardly none at all, for me.  The more sauce, the better!).  Squeeze the garlics in the pan to release more flavor, then discard the flaky skins.  Also remove the sage leaves at this time if you chose sage as your seasoning.

6. In a separate bowl, dissolve flour in 3 tablespoons of the cream.  Add the remaining cream and stir.  Add a small spoonful of the hot wine/mustard/stock sauce.  Whisk together very well and slowly pour into the pan.  Keep stirring so the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. 

7. Let the sauce warm through and reduce slightly. 

8. Pour the sauce over chicken and serve immediately. 

Bon appetit!

This recipe is amazing!  (I know, you're thinking that anything made with a cream sauce can't be too shabby, right?!??)  I've made it twice in the last two weeks - once using fresh thyme and again using fresh rosemary.  The original recipe calls for sage leaves, but I don't have any available.  I do have some ground sage that I'm going to try next time.  I served rice pilaf and sauteed spinach alongside this.

Cream sauce with thyme

Changes Pho Sure

I remember quite well my first experience with ethnic foods.  Sure, I had been to some college town Chinese restaurants whose food was dumbed down to American styles, but I had never been to restaurants of authentic Thai, Indian, or Vietnamese.  Born and raised in the midwest, I was very much a meat and potatoes type of gal.  When my horn professor wanted to meet over lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant, I tried to be polite and agreed to the restaurant choice.  Once I stepped into the restaurant I realized that I had no idea what any of the menu items were or even what I might possibly find pleasing to my (then very restricted) palette.  Turns out that I hated it.  I got a soup and tried to stomach as much as possible.  I left the restaurant with a very judgemental view of not only Vietnamese foods, but also of all other ethnic foods - even though I had never tried foods such as Indian or Thai. 

Over the years I have grown to LOVE all types of food.  My food palette has matured.  I recently went through one of the earliest cookbooks that I received.  In that cookbook I had placed sticky notes on pages that contained a recipe of interest and I always rated the recipes once I did try them.  All the old sticky notes were still in place.  I found it very interesting how many different recipes sounded simply fantastic but did not have sticky notes!

This recipe is one that reminds me so so so very much of my first experience with Vietnamese food.  Everytime I make this, I think of my lunch meeting with my horn professor and always smile to myself.  I really hope you enjoy this Vietnamese style pho soup!!!

Hot 'N Sour Chicken Soup

Ingredients

tagliatelle noodles
5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt, pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 package button mushrooms, sliced
grated ginger root, about one inch
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
6 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 bunch green onions
1 cup bean sprouts
fresh cilantro, chopped
Sriracha hot sauce

1. Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and coriander.  Cook about 5 minutes on each side and set aside.

2. Bring large pot of water to a boil for tagliatelle pasta.  If the pasta is in little balls of noodles, I usually do about 4 balls per person.  Only make enough for that current meal.  When making leftovers, I always do the noodles fresh.  Cook tagliatelle according to package directions (usually a fairly short amount of time).

3. In a large, deep skillet, stirfry mushrooms in vegetable oil.  Add fresh ginger and garlic.  Stir until fragrant.  Be careful not to let the garlic burn. 

4. Add in rice vinegar.  Stir.  Add tamari soy sauce and chicken stock.  Stir.  Bring to a boil.

5. Slice cooked chicken thighs into bitsize pieces and add to soup. 

6. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl.  Mix well.  Add to soup and let thicken for a few minutes.

7. Add chopped green onion and beansprouts to the soup just before serving.

8. Place one serving of cooked noodles in a bowl.  Add desired amount of sriracha hot sauce.  Then place ladles of soup into bowl.  Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Bon appetit!

I tried to be sneaky and stretch a buck and make this a bit healthier by using only 4 cups chicken stock and 2 cups water, but Shea immediately knew something was different.  He insists that only chicken stock should be used in this recipe.  And, as stated above, I always boil the tagliatelle the day of eating, never pre-cook and store.

Be careful with your amount of Sriracha!  The first time I used WAY too much and learned to scale back.  My bowl is on the right, Shea's bowl on the left.

The finished soup

Let's go shopping!

Tuesday afternoon is the worst time to go shopping.  This is the second or third time that we've gone at this time and realized what a mistake it was -- the shelves are not stocked, the produce is old, and there is definitely not an abundance of cashiers.  Shea and I try and plan out four days of meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for each shopping trip.  But when half the items you are looking for aren't there, it is extremely frustrating for planning!!!  For example, today these items were not available:  chicken broth, eggplant, broccoli, lemons, refried beans, and monterrey jack cheese.  How can a store run out of refried beans in MEXICO?  Boggles my mind.  What makes this extremely frustrating is that the last time we were at the store, eggplant and broccoli were stocked in multitudes and there were blocks of monterrey jack cheese (it had been missing for over one month prior to that trip.  We bought two blocks.).  Going to the grocery store here is like going on a scavenger hunt that hasn't been pre-planned.  You never know what will be there and what will suddenly be discontinued.  The limited product selection in Mexico is already frustrating, but teasing customers with good products for two weeks and then taking them away is awful!!  The dissapointment of failed shopping trips sticks with me for several hours and always leaves me aching for the United States. 

While shopping today I also managed to take several photographs of the store.  Apparently this is forbidden in most stores?  Shea was freaking out the whole time and then somebody (another customer) approached me and asked if I had permission from the store to take photos.  I said "no" and she went on to say that I couldn't do that and then immediately went over to the deli meat counter and told them "some muchacha" was taking photos.  I had no clue that there was anything wrong with taking photos.  I googled this when I got home and realized that it really is a problem, especially in the United States.  Huh!?!!!  Anybody know about this?  I've been wanting to show you my readers what shopping is like in Mexico.  Here are the few photos I managed to snap.  (In case you haven't figured it out yet, you can move the mouse cursor over each picture and click to get a closer view).

The selection of body soap is limited to two shelves, both women's and men's.  Everything to the right of this photo is bar soap.

Supplies for pets??? Practically nonexistent.  This is the setion for cats.

The row for dogs is an entire aisle. 

An example of the fish department.  There are fresh markets around town, but if you're in a hurry, the Walmart selection isn't too bad. 

Salsa and hot sauces.  All mexican brands.

Literally HALF of one aisle is Ramen noodle soups, primarily the shrimp kind.  Another aisle is composed of vegetable oil, bags of "Crisco" type stuff, and rice.  The entire aisle.  Unbelievable. 

The tiniest section of the entire store: brownie and cake mixes.

Today there were no boxes of brownies.  <sad face>

The previously mentioned fresh herbs. 

Sigh.  The cheese.  There are tons of blocks of cheap, not-so-good mexican brands of gouda, chihuahua, and manchego, but this is all there is when it comes to cheddar, mozzarella, and colby jack (it's represented by the fiesta blend of cheeses).  This picture GREATLY saddens Shea. 

While we are standing here, I snagged a picture of the bacon selection.  It is the bottom shelf.  These are not good brands.

This is where I got told to put away the camera.  But I hope from these few pictures you can get a sense of what shopping here is like.  One of the biggest reasons I have been so proud of my accomplishments in the kitchen is because our resources here are so little.  It is challenging.