The Amazing, Delicious Tuna Fruit

Welcome to one of my favorite seasons in Mexico: Tuna Season.  And no, I am not talking about tuna-fish, I am talking about the fabulous Tuna Fruit, also called Prickly Pear.  In my mind, right now, it is just about the perfect food here in Mexico - delicious, cheap, nutritious, and available everywhere.  Really, what more could you ask for?

To make this amazing fruit even more special to me, it comes from the same plant as nopales (cactus pads), which I also adore eating.  (If you have not tried nopales, this is my favorite recipe.)

Before I get too carried away about the awesomeness of this fruit, let me show you a photo I took of the tunas still on the cactus.

A cactus full of fabulous tuna fruit

Beautiful "white" tunas for the beautiful price of $0.80 US for 6.6 lbs

The two colors available - purple and white

As we usually eat the "white tunas", the name for the tunas with a green peel, this day we decided to buy the rarer and more expensive purple ones.  Both types are delicious and sweet, with the white tunas having a more green, refreshing sweet flavor while the purple tunas have a flavor note reminiscent of beets.  

The flavor of tunas changes sharply according to their ripeness level.  If they are not quite ripe, they are slightly sweet with an acidic edge and, as they ripen, they get progressively sweeter until they remind me of candy.  For the most candy-like "white" tunas, purchase tunas with a yellow-green skin color. 

The texture of tunas is very similar to watermelon, with one important exception, tunas are full of small hard seeds.  As these seeds are too numerous to remove and too hard to chew, in order to eat the tunas, you need to carefully chew the fruit and then swallow all the seeds.  I know of no other fruit like them.

The most important thing to remember about preparing tunas is that they have very small, sharp thorns. I use a glove on the hand that I use to touch the skin on the tuna and an ungloved hand to pull the fruit apart from the peel.

Carefully cut off the two ends of the tuna

Stand the tuna up on one cut end and slice 1/4 in through the peel

Carefully pull the tuna apart from the peel

Lots of tuna peels

Delicious tuna fruit!

I hope that one day you have the chance to enjoy this amazing fruit!  The season here in Mexico in from June to October.   If you cannot find them in the States, feel free to visit me during the season.

Eat deliciously!
Kim

Mexican Quesadillas (Part 2)

The first time I came to visit my future family in Mexico, I was introduced to the simple deliciousness of a homemade cheese quesadilla.  I never knew something so easy to put together could turn out so amazing.  I would happily eat them for breakfast, a snack, or a light dinner.

When I went back to the US to finish my Master's, I would be intensely jealous of Ismael, when I saw him on Skype with a plateful of these quesadillas.  So please, don't cause relationship problems, make sure to prepare plenty for everyone.

This was actually the first recipe my mother-in-law taught me.  After that lesson, she sent me home with a pound of oaxacan cheese and told me to make them for Ismael.

There is one rather special ingredient that you will need to make these quesadillas.  It is a herb called Epazote, which has a peppery lemon taste that merges well with the cheese.  It takes these quesadillas from ordinary to simple culinary greatness. I have had good luck finding it in Mexican markets in the US, as it is rather important to Mexican cuisine, so I am hopeful you will be able to buy it without too much trouble.  If you want to read more about it, I found this article to be quite helpful.

The needed ingredients:
- Epazote
- Oaxacan or Chihuahuan Cheese (in a pinch, Mozzarella or Monterey Jack would work)
- Corn tortillas
- Salsa of your choice (Here I have My Everyday Salsa Verde)

Preheat your comal or large skillet.  Place 1 corn tortilla on the comal and top with 1 large or 2 small epazote leaves and a generous amount of cheese.

Once the tortillas heat to the point where they are pliable, fold them over and cook, turning them over as needed, until the cheese is nicely melted and the tortilla is slightly crisp.

Move to a serving platter and add your favorite salsa.

Don't be fooled be the simplicity of this recipe.  These are amazing!  I think it would be worth your time to find the Mexican cheeses - they have a slight acidic tanginess which is missing in American-style cheeses. And as you will need to go to a Mexican market for the epazote and the corn tortillas, it is not really out of your way to pick up some nice cheese as well.

Happy quesadilla eating!
~ Kim

Licuados - The Mexican Milk Shake

I have to say that I am ridiculously excited about sharing this recipe.  Liquados are easy, cheap, versatile and amazing delicious - which explains why they are available on every street corner in Mexico City.  You really have no reason not to made one!

I personally like to refer to them as "Mexican Milk-shakes" because they are rich, creamy and their main ingredient is typically milk (although juice or horchata are sometimes used instead).  It as if a milk-shake became literal, rather than being the "ice-cream shake" that it is.

Licuados are principally made of your choice of fruit, milk, and sugar to taste.  Almost any type of fruit will work: mango, guava, banana, papaya, cantaloupe, strawberry, etc, but banana is my current favorite.  I think that is because it goes so well with the two secret ingredients: vanilla and cinnamon.  These will take your drink from ho-hum to addictive.

First you, of course, need to gather your ingredients along with a trusty blender.

For 1 pint you will need:
- About 1 cup (not packed) of your choice of fresh fruit (mango, peach, apricot, banana, strawberry, mango, papaya, etc.)
- Milk (about 1.5 cups)
- Sugar (1-3 TB to taste)
- A few drops of vanila (no more than 1/4 tsp)
- A good shake of cinnamon

From watching people make licuados, I have noticed they fill the fruit to about half the total volume of licuado that they want.  For instance, if they want a 0.5 liter of licuado, they fill fruit (including some air pockets) to the 0.25 liter point on their blender.

Add milk to the total volume desired (0.5 liter), 1-3 TB of sugar, a healthy shake of cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla.  Blend 45 to 60 seconds until you have a nice, frothy mixture.  The froth is really important!  Taste and add more sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla as desired - until the flavor is amazing.  (You can also blend in a few ice cubes, if you like.)

Pour into a chilled glass and enjoy!
Kim

The Diet Food of Mexican Actresses

If you have spoken to me recently, you have probably heard me say that the food in Mexico is delicious, but not exactly on the healthy-side.  Sadly, Mexico has now beaten the US for the unfortunate title of having the highest obesity rate in the world.  So in this environment, I want to introduce you to an amazingly delicious and healthy snack (or if you are an actress, a very light meal.)

This snack is immensely popular here (proof of this is that my husband taught me to make it) and it took center-stage in a story related to my by one of my Spanish teachers.  Now, as this story was told to me in Spanish, you will have to be a bit generous with me as I do not have all the details that I would like.  (Or check back with me in about 3 years, I am hoping my Spanish will be amazing by then.)

My teacher and a group of her (teacher?) friends went to a very fancy and well know restaurant here in Mexico City.  As their meal was very delicious, they decided that this would be a great time to have dessert.  After ordering dessert, in walked at least two very famous people.  As they were described to be tall, thin, and very beautiful, I am assuming that they were actresses.  Everyone at my teacher's table was cranking their heads to get a look at these visions of beauty and they were wondering what they would order.  As my teacher's friends found out, the answer to that question was: Water, Cucumber, Carrots, and Jicama.  After seeing that, they very sadly went back to their desserts.

When I first heard that story, I thought that was the saddest meal I had ever heard of.  To go to a fancy, well-known restaurant and eat a meal you could have bought of the street.  But after trying it, I think those actresses were on to something...

Raw Vegetables with Lime-Chili Sauce
- 1 Lime
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Jicama
- 2 to 4 Carrots
- Dried Mexican Chili Powder for Vegetables (like Tajin)

Assemble your washed ingredients along with a cutting board, knife, peeler, and small bowl

Cut the lime in half and peel the vegetables

If you want to, you can cut the cucumber all fancy as Ismael did

Peel the carrots into nice strips and cut the jicama into thick slices, cutting some into "sticks"

Pour about 1-2 tb of chile into a small bowl, squeeze the lime on top, and mix

Make it look pretty and either dip the vegetables into the sauce or pour the sauce over them.  Enjoy!

Now honestly, when Ismael told me he was going to teach me this recipe - I was not expecting much in the flavor department.  I must say, this recipe completely blew me away.  It was awesome and very addictive.  I had a hard time stopping dipping my jicama in the lime-chili sauce!  Very low in calories (and if you have some nice fresh vegetables), amazing.  My only problem?  No protein.  Which meant that about 2 hours after gorging on jicama, I was hungry again.  Just something to keep in mind...

Enjoy your veggies!
~Kim

Feasting on Scraps: Cantaloupe Seed Water

When I first moved to Mexico, I, of course, was trying to cook delicious and fabulous meals for my new husband.  As cooking is my sweet spot (and the one thing I really felt I was contributing to the relationship - as I did not speak Spanish, understand the culture, nor was I making money), I would get rather annoyed when Ismael would come into the kitchen and ask me why I was throwing away parts of the food.  I, of course, felt like he was questioning how I was preparing the meal.

The first time this happened, I was trying to make a mock BBQ Loaded Potato that Ismael had fallen in love with in Texas.  The cut of meat I had cooked had a lot of chewy bits in it and, as I was not used to eating those parts, I had picked them off to throw into the "Organic Waste" (yes, in Mexico City you need to separate your waste into organic and inorganic items.)

The conversation went like this:
Ismael: "What are you doing with this part of the meat?"
Kim: "I am throwing it away - it is not good."
Ismael: "That is the best part of the meat!"

We ended up adding the nerves back in and I had to agree with my husband - it was delicious.

The second time, I was preparing mashed potatoes for dinner.  Ismael came by and asked what I was doing with the potato skins.  I told him that I wanted a smooth version of mashed potatoes and so had removed them.  He was still staring at the pile of potato skins, asking what I was going to do with them.  I told him I was going to throw them away (once again into "Organic Trash.")  He just replied that his mom made a really delicious dish with them that he would show me sometime.

Seriously - I thought was were having a communication problem.  Potato skins do not really equal delicious meal in my mind.

The third time, I had cut up some cantaloupe as part of our breakfast.  Ismael asked me what I had done with the cantaloupe seeds.  I looked at him blankly and said I had thrown them away - he said "Oh, my mom makes a really, really, really delicious aqua fresca (fruit drink) from them.  It is so delicious - I will show you how to make it sometime."

You would think that by now I would have caught on to the trend, but really - I just could not imagine something delicious made from cantaloupe seeds.  Anyone else have any great recipes for Cantaloupe Seeds?  (Silence.)  That is what I thought.

But eventually my husband did show me how to make the Cantaloupe Seed Agua Fresca (Horchata de Semilla de Melon) and it was really, really, really delicious.  So if you happen to love cantaloupe and are looking for something delicious to do with the seeds (after all, I know you do not want to waste any perfectly good food), this recipe is for you.

The first few times I made this drink I figured it would really make a difference in the drink if I added a little bit of the cantaloupe's flesh along with the seeds.  I have since realized that it is really just the seeds that are so rich in cantaloupe flavor giving this drink it it's deliciously fresh flavor.

Horchata de Semilla de Melon (Cantaloupe Seed Aqua Fresca)
1 Cantaloupe
4 Cups Water
3 to 6 TB sugar

Assemble your ingredients along with a cutting board, large knife, blender, sieve, and bowl.

Carefully cut the cantaloupe in half.

Scoop out the seeds and any juice into a small bowl.  If don't want to make the Aqua Fresca now, it will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for a few days.

Add the cantaloupe seeds, your initial level of sugar, and water to the blender.

Blend for several minutes to pulverize the cantaloupe seeds.   Taste and add more sugar as needed.

Strain through a sieve into a pitcher or other container that is easy to pour from.

Pour the aqua fresca into tall glasses filled with a few ice cubes to enjoy this very, very, very delicious drink.

As for the cantaloupe flesh, might I suggest serving it with lime wedges?  This combination has vastly increased how much I enjoy this type of melon.

I love this drink for breakfast, but it is also tasty for lunch or whenever you want a slightly-sweet, fruity treat.

~ Kim

My Everyday Salsa Verde

As I think anyone who visits Mexico (or even a Mexican restaurant) knows, salsa is very important to this cuisine.  In fact, my mother-in-law makes a very special salsa from chilies only grown in her hometown.  This salsa is legendary in the family, so much so, that my sister-in-law claims that that salsa was part of why she originally fell in love with my brother-in-law.  I am hoping that one day my mother-in-law will want to pass on the tradition to me, and when she does, I will make sure to share it with you.

Today, however, I want to teach you the simple, everyday grilled salsa that is so indispensable to my life here in Mexico.  I think it was the second recipe my mother-in-law ever taught me and it is a constant in our house.  Whenever we are getting low, I start planning when I can make the next batch.

The only problem with this salsa is that it was taught to me basically as a technique - I have few hard and fast rules for how much of the ingredients you are going to need.  So the following amounts are more or less correct.  More on that later... (see Notes at the bottom)

Roasted Salsa Verde
Makes about 1 cup
5 Medium Tomatillos (The ones in the pictures are very small)
1-2 Small Serrano Peppers
1 Garlic Clove
Salt (to taste)

Remove the hulls of the tomatillos and wash off their sticky coating.

Assemble your ingredients.  You will also need a blender and comal or skillet (cask iron works well.)

Heat up the comal or skillet and place the tomatillos and serrano pepper(s) on it to grill.

Carefully turn the vegetables over until they are spotted with charred-spots and the color of the tomatillos has turned from green to more of a yellowish color.

When most of the serrano pepper looks charred, remove it from the heat and set aside to cool.

When cool enough to touch, carefully peel off the skin and cut off the top of the pepper.

As the tomatillos soften and become more yellow, remove them to cool.

Place the pepper, garlic clove, and 2 or 3 small tomatillos into a blender.

Blend well.  You want to make sure the pepper is well chopped into the salsa.  Add the rest of the tomatillos and blend to your desired consistency.  Add a nice pinch of salt.  Taste the salsa and add more salt if needed.

Pour the salsa into a bowl for serving.

Here is a typical breakfast at our house - two eggs over easy with queso, salsa, and lightly salted avocados, all served with warmed tortillas.

This salsa is also my salsa of choice for Sopa de Pasta.

Notes:
It can be difficult to obtain your preferred level of spiciness.  You may want to grill extra serrano peppers and only add them in as needed.  Or if it is too hot, add in more grilled tomatillos.  Just keep in mind that the flavor of the salsa tends to mellow out after being put in the refrigerator overnight - so something that is perfect the day you make it, my be a bit dull the next day.


Also, if your salsa tastes very acidic, you may not have grilled the tomatillos enough - in this case you may want to put the salsa in a pot and simmer it a bit to cook it a little more.

~ Kim

Molletes with Pico de Gallo

When Ismael and I have a few more minutes to spare for preparing breakfast, we like to have molletes, a typical and very simple to dish prepare for the start of the day.  While on their own, I find molletes to be a bit bland, but with their traditional accompaniment of pico de gallo - they are very delicious and worth the five extra minutes they take me in the kitchen.

For the molletes you simply need:
- Rolls (one per person)
- Refried Beans
- Cheese (Here I used Chihuahua - a cheese very similar to Monterey Jack)

And before we get started, I would recommend you go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 F.

Simply slice the rolls in half (as those are on the left) and remove some of the fluffy inside (as on the right.)

Smear a thin, but somewhat generous, layer of beans into the hollowed out roll.

Place slices of cheese over the beans, just enough to cover them.  Place the molletes on a baking sheet and hop them into the oven for about 5 minutes - until the cheese melts.

Meanwhile you can make the Pico de Gallo.

Assemble 1 or 2 tomatoes, a small amount of onion, and the smallest serrano pepper you can find.

Honestly, this recipe is basically "to taste"...   Love onions?  Add them on in.  Like your mouth on fire?  Use more serrano pepper.

Finely chop the onion (about 1 Tb), the tomato, and about 1/2 to 1 tsp of the serrano pepper.  (This salsa can go from dull to too-hot-to-eat within the space of 1/4 tsp of serrano.  Of course, if that happens, just fish some of the pepper out of the salsa.)

Mix the onions, tomatoes, and serrano pepper in a small bowl.  Taste and carefully add more serrano, if desired.

Remove the toasted molletes from the oven.

Serve the molletes with plenty of pico de gallo.  Yum!

If this recipe seems familiar, it may be because many of the same ingredients and techniques were used in the Tortas de Pavo recipe.  I will admit that I decided to make molletes because I had refried beans and bread leftover from that meal.  And because I really like molletes.

Happy breakfasting!
~ Kim