Cold Avocado Soup

Cooking time with the family brings about family cooperation.  Time in the kitchen together sharing chores and following directions as a team to get the meals on the table help teach kids by example that dinner doesn’t just magically appear without effort and work.  Adults should do the chopping, but let kids help wash vegetables, gather utensils, make suggestions, and set and decorate the table.  It should be all hands and elbows, not just mom cooking dinner!

Easy and refreshing!  Flour or corn tortillas are a must for dipping!

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe Haas avocados (the small black avocados are much richer in taste and creamier in texture)
• 1 shallot or 2 green onions finely chopped
• 3-1/2 cups cold chicken or strongly flavored vegetable stock
• 2/3 c sour cream, plus extra to serve
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• few drops of tobasco sauce, or to taste
• juice of 1 lime, or to taste
• 1 tbsp tequila ( splash more?)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra to garnish, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise and twist the two halves in opposite directions to separate. 
2. Place your thumb under the pit and lift out gently.
3. Peel then coarsely chop the avocado halves and place in food processor or blender with the green onions, stock, sour cream, tomato paste, Tabasco, lime juice, tequila, chopped cilantro, and salt and pepper. Process until smooth, then taste and add more Tabasco, lime juice and salt and pepper if necessary.
4. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, cover, and let chill for about 2 hours or until thorough chilled.  Divide the soup between four chilled serving bowls and serve with various toppings such as extra avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro, peppers or green onions.

Warm flour or corn tortillas are wonderful as dippers or spread with soft butter.

Mexican Stew Pozole

The Pozole is a bit more trouble to make from scratch, but if you use this recipe with pre-cooked leftover chicken or pork, you’re ahead of the game!  Bringing kids in the kitchen to pull apart the cold meat is a great way to let them get their hands dirty! 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork (pre-cooked) roast pulled into chunks
• 2 cups diced or pulled into chunks cooked chicken
• 8 cups water or chicken stock
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 whole garlic bulb, divided into cloves but not peeled
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 bay leaves, not broken
• 1 lb (2 cups) canned or cooked hominy or chick peas, I prefer yellow hominy
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Heat the 8 cups of chicken stock, and add the bouillon cube, garlic, onion, and bay leaves and pork and chicken.  Simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for 30 – 45 minutes until the flavors are blended. 
2. Discard the bay leaves. With a slotted spoon, remove meat and set aside in a covered dish to keep warm.
3. Add the hominy, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil.

Serve in individual soup bowlsby spooning a bit of meat on the bottom of the bowl, and top with shredded cabbage, fried pork skins, oregano, chili pepper flakes, then spoon in the hot broth.  Add lime wedges to your plate and tortilla chips!  Chopped avocado is wonderful as well.

Mexican Vegetable Soup

Be sure and provide some toppers, as Mexican soups and dishes always expect to have sprinkles on top!  If not cheese, also onions, parsley, cilantro, cucumbers, peppers, tortilla chips, tomatoes, olives, and more!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped (no big chunks!)
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (it becomes very tender when cooked)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2-3 tsp mild chili powder
• 1 carrots, sliced or carrot matchsticks, very tender when cooked
• 1 waxy potato, diced small
• 12 oz diced fresh or canned tomatoes
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1/4 small cabbage, shredded (pre-packaged is fine)
• 1-3/4 pints vegetable or chicken stock (or water, but stock is best)
• 1 corn cob, kernels cut off the cob, or really good brand canned corn
• 10 fresh green beans, snapped and trimmed, or one can green beans, drained – may also add 1 cup red pinto beans, drained
• salt and pepper to taste, add red pepper flakes for extra heat if desire

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a skillet or pan.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until softened, then sprinkle in the cumin and chili powder.  Stir in the carrot, potato, tomatoes, zucchini, and cabbage and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the mixture occasionally.
2. Pour in the stock, cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Add extra liquid if necessary, then stir in the corn and veans and cook for an additional 5 – 10 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
4. Season the soup to taste with the salt and pepper.  Remember the tortilla chips added at the end are also salty.

To serve:  ladle the soup into soup bowls and sprinkle each portion with chopped cilantro, or parsely, or green onions.  Top with a little salsa and then add a handful of tortilla chips.  Guacamole, and sour cream are great as additional toppings or served on the side.

Yield:  4 – 6 servings

Mexican Tamales – Made From Scratch

I promise this is easy.  I love tamales but thought they were hard to make from scratch.  For years I avoided even attempting to make them.  I ran across this easy method endorsed by a lovely mexican friend and now I do love the preparation of these flavorful tamales.  The secret to delicious tamales is not to make the crust too thick, nor the filling too tough.  Use good tender pork, don’t over season, and make the crust just thick enough to cover the filling well.  Use shortening when it calls for it, no substitutions.

You’ll need a steamer for tamales, check your kitchen shops. 

Ingredients:

• 8 – 10 corn husks
• 6 tbsp shortening
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of sugar ( a must, don’t leave it out, use splenda if needed)
• pinch of ground cumin
• 8 oz masa harina
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup beef, chicken or vegetable stock

Filling: 

• 1 cup corn, mixed with grated cheese and chopped fresh green chili, or pork (or chicken or roast beef, shredded) simmered in mild chili sauce. 

Garnishes:

• shredded lettuce, tomato wedges, salsa

Procedure:

1. Soak corn husks in enough hot water to cover for at least 3 hours or overnight. 
2. To make tamale dough, beat the shortening until fluffy, then beat in the salt, sugar, cumin, masa harina, and baking powder until the mixture resembles very fine crumbs.  Add the stock very gradually, in several batches, beating until the mixture becomes fluffy and resembles whipped cream.
3. Spread 1 – 2 tbsp of the tamale mixture on soaked and drained corn husk.
4. Spoon in the filling.  Fold the sides of the husks over the filling to enclose.  Wrap each pocket in a square of foil and arrange in a steamer.  Keep your filling small and hour crust medium thick.
5. Pour enough hot water in the bottom of the steamer, cover, and boil.  Steam for 40 -60 minutes, topping up the waterin the bottomof the steamer when needed.  Remove the tamales and serve with your toppings! 

You’ll do this again and it will really impress your company!   Remember, practice makes perfect, so make them a few times before having guests.

Guacamole

The deceptively simple combination of avocado blended with the spicy fiesty compadres of onion, garlic, jalapenos, and tomatoes makes a sublime guac.  When you serve it with a frosty margarita, I think you’ve got 2 of your basic food groups covered!! 

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe Haas (only Haas!) avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1/2 c finely chopped white onion (no big chunks!)
• 1/2 c finely chopped tomatoes (Roma is good, you don’t want them to be too juicey or watery)
• 2 jalapeno peppers, minced (no large chunks!)
• 4 tsp fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp coarse seal salt or kosher salt, or 1/2 tsp regular salt
• 1/4 c finely chopped cilantro (optional) (chopped really well)

Procedure:

• Smash the avocados with a fork, leaving small chunks. 
• Stir in remaing ingredients.

Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap onto the surface of the guacamole, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. 

• Garnish with cilantro, if you like, just before serving, or chopped onions and tomatotoes.

Only serve with the freshest chips!