Mexican food?!
Answers: for my spanish class i have to make a mexican dish for day of the dead on tuesday(i think) but i dont know any. any suggestions? It can be anything like cookies to drinks to real food. Thanks
Pan de Muerto:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup water
6 cups flour
2 packets dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons whole anise seed
2 tablespoons orange zest
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
Glaze (see below)
PREPARATION:
Bring all ingredients to room temperature (except for the water which should be very warm) before beginning.
In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, anise, salt and 1/2 cup of the flour. In a seperate bowl combine the eggs and the water.
Add the egg/water mixture to the first mixture and add in another 1/2 cup of the flour. Add in the yeast and another 1/2 cup of flour. Continue to add the flour 1 cup at a time until a dough forms.
Knead on a floured surface for about 1 minute. Cover with a slightly damp dishcloth and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Bring out dough and punch it down. Remove about 1/4 of it
and use it to make bone shapes to drape across the loaf (see below.) Or divide the dough into smaller pieces to create other bone shapes. Let the shaped dough rise for 1 more hour.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes for smaller loaves and up to 45 minutes for larger loaves.
GLAZES(After glaze is applied you may decorate with additional colored sugar.)
Bring to a boil- 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup fresh orange juice. Brush on bread and then sift some additional sugar over the top.
Mix 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate and 1/3 cup sugar with 2 egg whites. Brush on bread during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Bring to a boil- 1/4 cup piloncillo, 1/4 cup sugar, 2/3 cup cranberry juice and 2 tablespoons orange zest. Brush on bread after bread has cooled.
BONES The most common bone decorations are very simple. Sometimes it's just a matter of forming ball shapes and pressing them into the loaf in a line. You could also take a piece of dough, roll it into a long cylinder and place a ball at each end. You can get much more detailed if you like, but even a slighly "knobby" looking loaf will get the idea across.
Atole~ (Drink Recipe)
1/3 cup masa harina blended with 1/4 cup warm water in blender
3 cups water
5 tablespoons brown sugar or piloncillo
1 pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons vanilla or one one vanilla bean
1/2 cup pureed fruit (optional)
PREPARATION:
Heat all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat while stirring. Bring to a simmer and continue to stir frequently for 20-25 minutes until thickened. If used, remove the cinnamon stick and/or vanilla bean.
Pour into mugs or thick glasses. Warm fruit puree in a small saucepan and drizzle on top of Atole. Serves 2-3
MOLE ESTILO OAXACA
For the Chiles
8 oz ancho chiles, tops removed Ancho / Pasilla Pepper.
8 oz guajillo chiles, tops removed Guajillo Pepper.
For the Spices
12 black peppercorns
6 cloves
1 piece (2 in) cinnamon stick Cinnamon Stick or 2 tsp ground cinnamon Ground Cinnamon
2 tbsp dried Mexican oregano Oregano
For the Nuts
? to 1 cup lard or vegetable oil
? cup sesame seeds
? cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
? cup slivered blanched almonds
? cup walnuts or pecans
For the Dried Fruit
? cup golden raisins
1 cup pitted dried prunes, sliced
1 cup pitted dried apricots, sliced
1 to 1 ? cups dry sherry, heated
For the Plantain
1 large, very ripe plantain, peeled and cut into ? inch slices
2 tbsp butter or lard
For the Vegetables
? head garlic (about 8 cloves), peeled and cut into ?-inch slices
1 large onion, unpeeled
1 lb firm ripe, red tomatoes (2 large or 3 to 4 medium)
? lb fresh tomatillos
For Pureeing
4 to 5 cups Caldo de Pollo
To Complete the Dish
1 tablet (3 ounces) Mexican chocolate, chopped Mexican Chocolate
Rinse chiles under cold running water, removing seeds, tops and veins. Cover with boiling water and let soak until softened, no more than ten minutes, while you prepare the spices. Drain and set aside.
Heat a small, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add peppercorns and cloves; toast, shaking the pan and stirring constantly, until their aroma is released, about one minute. Set aside in small bowl. Lightly toast the cinnamon in same pan for about a minute; add to the pepper and cloves. (If using ground cinnamon, do not toast; just add to other spices when you've finished toasting them.) Toast oregano in same pan until fragrant and add to spices. Set aside while you prepare nuts.
In a heavy, medium-sized skillet, heat 2 to 4 tbsp lard or oil over medium heat until rippling. Add sesame seeds and cook, stirring, just until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes; do not let them darken. Remove to a medium-sized heatproof bowl. In the same pan, cook peanuts in same manner, stirring, until lightly browned, adding a little more lard. Add to bowl with sesame seeds. Cook slivered almonds, then pecans or walnuts in same way, using a little more lard each time and adding toasted nuts to sesame seeds and peanuts. Set aside.
Combine raisins, prunes and apricots in a bowl and pour hot sherry over them. Set aside to soften.
Heat butter or lard in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat until hot and bubbling, then add plantain slices and cook, stirring, until golden on both sides. Set aside.
Heat griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Place unpeeled garlic and onion on griddle and roast, turning several times, until onion is blackened on all sides and garlic is dark brown and somewhat softened. Let cool slightly. Peel onion and garlic; coarsely chop the flesh of the onion. Set aside. On same griddle, roast tomatoes, turning several times, until blackened on all sides. Place in deep bowl to catch juices. Let cool slightly and peel. Drain canned tomatillos and set aside.
Now you are ready to puree ingredients in sequence, working in batches according to the capacity of your blender and adding chicken stock as necessary to facilitate blending.
Place as many of drained chiles and toasted spices in the blender as it can accommodate, with about 1 cup of chicken stock. Process until smoothly pureed, adding more stock if necessary. Repeat with remaining chiles and spices.
With a medium spoon, force puree through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl; discard whatever won't go through. Scrape puree into a large, heavy saucepan; rinse out the blender to wash away any hard or fibrous bits.
Puree sesame seeds and nuts in several batches with just as much chicken stock as necessary to help free the blades. Add to chile puree. Puree dried fruit and sherry along with sautéed plantain in same manner, adding a little stock if necessary. Add to saucepan with chiles and nuts. Puree onion, garlic, tomatoes and tomatillos. Add to other purees in saucepan, along with chocolate.
Bring sauce to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, for 30 minutes.
Serve with chicken (either cooked separately or browned in a little hot lard and added to sauce to finish braising) and sautéed sliced plantains. Mole is also good with turkey or beef. Can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for about 10 days or indefinitely in the freezer.
Tamales:
BASIC MASA DE HARINA FOR TAMALES
3 cups packaged Masa de Harina Tamales Mix
2 cups lukewarm broth (from beef)
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
Combine masa and baking powder in large mixing bowl. Mix in broth. Beat shortening in separate bowl with electric mixer until slightly fluffy. Add to masa mixture and beat until it develops a somewhat spongy texture.
BEEF FILLING FOR TAMALES
1 large package corn husks - about 24 Corn Husks
4 lb Chuck Roast
4 cups water
10 dried red Ancho chile peppers Ancho / Pasilla Pepper.
? cup ground cumin
? cup pepper
4 cloves garlic, peeled
? cup salt
Early in the morning, place the roast and water into a large pot or crockpot and slow cook four to six hours, or until it shreds easily with a fork. Remove the meat from pot. Place in large bowl, add salt and shred, reserving broth for the masa and the filling.
Remove the seeds (using gloves so you don't burn your eyes!) and stems from chiles. Boil in a pan with one cup water for about five minutes. Transfer chiles to food processor and add cumin, pepper, garlic and enough of the chile broth to make a paste when all spices are blended together.
Add spice paste to shredded beef and mix thoroughly. Add as much of the remaining broth as necessary to make a delicately moist, but not watery filling.
MAKING THE TAMALES
Now comes the fun part. Divide the masa into 16 balls. Open up the corn husks and tear 16 1/4 inch wide strips off husks for typing up the tamales. Lay a corn husk on your counter and pat dry with paper towel. Place a ball of masa on it and flatten into a square shape. Put a heaping spoonful of filling inside.
Pick up the two long sides of the husk, fold them over into the middle and enclose. Roll the flaps of the husk in the same direction around the tamale. Fold the small, pointy bottom end up to close off the bottom and secure the tamale by tying it up in a bow. Repeat for all 16 tamales.
These can keep in the refrigerator for a few days before being steamed. To steam, line a steaming pan (Mexican or vegetable steamer) with extra corn husks. Put about two inches of water in the bottom of the pan. Gently place tamales inside and cover pan. Simmer until steaming hot-about an hour. (Short cut: You can also microwave them, a few at a time for about three minutes.)
red beans and spanish rice....very easy & good too. or you can make some enchilados or quesadillas.....man i hungry now LOL
This is sooo easy and disappears fast!
Mexican Cheese Bake
Layer these ingredients in order in a lightly buttered pan.
12 oz. package sharp cheddar shredded cheese
1 - small can of sliced jalapenos , drained
12 oz package of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Pat all of this down lightly and then pour 7 beaten eggs over all of it.
Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before cutting it into serving pieces. This is very good served at room temperature... like for class. Have fun!!
Make it the night before and store in the frig.
Cheese Quesadillas!!!! Buy some shredded cheddar cheese and get flour tortiallas from the market (the large burrito size). put cheese on one side fold and put in the oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. make sure you use foil paper to catch the melting cheese. Also they can be made in the microwave. If possible ask your parents or an adult for help
Well I like the quesadilla's idea but y don't u do tostadas....they're really simple:
1 can of refried beans
1 washed diced tomatoe (into cubes)
1 iceberg lettuce washed and cut up into strips
1 pk. tostada shells
1 jar of hot sauce! (optional!)
1 pk. of shredded cheese
Cook the can of refried beans in a pot. After that's cooked spread the beans on the tostada shell! add the toppings: lettuce tomatoes, cheese, and hot sauce!
ALSO: u can also add ground beef or boiled chicken to make it more of a meal! Just cook the chicken or ground beef w/tomatoe, onion,a jalepeno, garlic powder, and cumin for flavor!
Nmac038- I like your recipes. I've copied them down. Thanks.
But anyway,
Festive Quesadillas
EASY/QUICK RECIPE
I can't think of anyone who doesn't like quesadillas...and they're easy too.
WHAT TO BUY
Buy Red and Green wraps at a grocery store (Whole foods has um). Buy a bag or two of grated monterrey jack cheese. Buy salsa on the chip aisle and a sprig of cilantro in the produce aisle.
MAKING QUESADILLAS
Make them like you would a grilled cheese sandwich in a frying pan. Use olive oil or butter in the frying pan if you want a nice, rich taste.
SERVING QUESADILLAS
Cut them into small pie shaped slices on a big serving dish. If you have a dip bowl, put it in the middle with the salsa. Cut up your cilantro and sprinkle it all over the plate and on top of the salsa for festive look!
Easyest thing to do:
Pico De Gallo with Chips.
Pico the galllo is
Chopped Tomatoe in small cubes
Chopped Onion small cubes
Finelly chopped cilantro
Chopped Jalapeno(Optional)
Add squeezed lime Juice and a little salt,
Mix and its a mexican appetizer dip/salsa.
Fast Easy and Cheap to make
You can also add avocado and call it Guacamole!!