Cocida Salsa Roja Recipe

1 large sweet onion, diced
drizzle cooking oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
2 serrano peppers, seeds removed, minced
12 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, drizzle in a little cooking oil, add the onion and cook just until translucent.

Add the garlic and peppers to the skillet and cook briefly just until the garlic gets fragrant; be careful not to brown the garlic.

Immediately add the tomatoes, oregano, and cilantro - reduce heat to low - cover the skillet lightly and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Allow to cool slightly before serving as a condiment alongside grilled meats, poultry, or fish. May be chilled and served as a ketchup-like condiment, as well. This salsa may be left chunky or put through a food processor or blender to create a smoother salsa if you wish.

About The Mexican Day Of The Dead Celebration

A Mexican Celebration Of Life With An Unlikely Name

I think it's safe to say that death is not an event we think about celebrating. Although most cultures have some kind of funeral or memorial to say goodbye to their family member or friend, it's usually quite somber and often most painful. But, things are changing with the help of a very old Mexican tradition that has crossed many borders.

It has become more common these days to hear the term 'celebration of life' rather than the term 'funeral' when it comes time to honor our dearly departed, and I have to credit an ancient Mexican tradition. Yes, we can take a page from Mexico's rich history when it comes time to honor our dead. Let's take a look at how Mexico has designed an entire festival around this otherwise somber occasion.

Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead

Long before the Spanish people arrived in Mexico, the ancient citizens of the land had a religion which celebrated life and death equally. The Aztecs believed that spirits of the dead actually were an intermediary between this life and the hereafter, traveling between worlds to help and guide those left here on earth.

The Mesoamerican people did not bury their dead in cemeteries, but buried them under their homes. This ritual kept the living in close contact with the dead, both physically and spiritually. The living often visited their dead to show their respect on a regular basis and left food out for their dead to ease their travels. These rituals blended with Catholicism as colonization occurred, becoming what we know today as the Day of the Dead.

This festival may not sound like much of a celebration at first glance, but I think you'll change your mind as you read on. As the name indicates, this is a celebration to remember and honor those who have died. It's a three day celebration which begins October 31st and ends November 2nd. People gather together to pay homage to their deceased family and friends in a number of ways.

It is believed that the souls of the dead return during these days to visit their loved ones. To welcome them, family and friends decorate their homes with candles and flowers. Beautifully decorated cookies, cakes, breads, and candies are placed in baskets around the home since it is believed that the dead can enjoy food on this one occasion. Special altars are set up both inside and outside the home, at churches, and at cemeteries. If a child is being remembered, toys are added to the altar.

Of course, special foods are included in this celebration, and none more special than a sweet bread called pan de muerto, or 'bread of the dead.' This bread is made as an offering to the deceased, typically with a particularly favored nut or fruit baked into the bread as a way to honor their memory. The bread is then passed among the living in celebration. This bread may be shaped into forms that resemble skeletons, animals, or people. Another sweet treat, alfenique, is a sugar paste formed into figurines to decorate the elaborate altars.

Do the Mexican people celebrate death on Dia de los Muertos? Yes, in a manner of speaking. As much as life is a celebration, death is celebrated as the natural culmination of a life lived. By honoring their dead, they are celebrating the time they spent alive on earth.

Give it a try. Bake a cake in honor of someone you love and celebrate their life for three days. Decorate your home with flowers and candles. I think you may find out that this is a good way to celebrate someone's life.

Classic Shrimp Ceviche Recipe

1/2 lb tiny cooked shrimp (coarse chopped if you wish)
1 cup finely diced cucumber
1/2 cup finely diced ripe avocado
1/2 cup finely diced Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp Franks Red Hot sweet chili sauce, or similar
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced

Stir together all the ingredients in glass bowl, making sure the shrimp is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes for flavors to blend.

Serve room temperature or chilled. Be sure to stir again before serving. Use as a condiment or a light lunch served over a crispy plate of greens.

Will serve 2 to 4.

How To Prepare And Serve Jicama

Meet Jicama - The Healthy Mexican Veggie With The Funny Name

When it comes to finding healthy Mexican foods, you don't have to look much further than a humble looking little root vegetable with a funny name - jicama.  Pronounced 'hi-kamah,' this is a tuber similar in appearance to a potato or a rutabaga, but definitely not similar in taste to either. The texture and taste is much more like an apple - both crispy, juicy, and surprisingly sweet. The outer peel is quite woody and must be removed, not only because it is inedible but it is actually toxic.

Jicama can be found in most large supermarkets now. Look for medium sized tubers with a firm feeling. Avoid tubers that are large as they tend to be a bit dry and fibrous instead of moist and crunchy.
You may store whole jicama tubers in a cool, dry place for several weeks. Or, if you wish you may peel and slice them, then store in the refrigerator in a sealed container. However, they will not keep nearly as long after they are peeled, so plan to eat jicama pieces within the week.

Serving jicama is easy. If you want to try a favorite Mexican dish, all you need is sliced jicama, lime juice, chili powder, and salt. Mix everything in a bowl and put in the refrigerator until chilled. This makes a refreshing, healthy snack. Jicama can also be sliced very thin or grated and tossed with other vegetables to create a crunchy salad. You can add chopped jicama to soups or even stir fry dishes. This is a very versatile vegetable that is well worth getting to know.

Nutritionally speaking, you have hit the jackpot when you put jicama on your family's table. In just one cup you get 6 grams of dietary fiber, or about 25% of the daily recommended amount. Specific properties in jicama's fiber aid in the absorption of calcium from other foods, as well as providing good bacteria for the digestive system.

A cup of jicama also has a whopping 24 mg of vitamin C, or about 40% of the recommended daily amount. With powerful antioxidants to fight damaging free radicals, jicama can help protect against inflammatory illnesses, cancer, and infections. You'll also enjoy a healthy dose of potassium, riboflavin, folates, copper, iron, manganese, and a host of other vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain overall health and well being.

If all these healthy benefits weren't enough, jicama is also one of the best weight loss foods you'll ever truly love. Because jicama has a very low glycemic index and almost no calories, anyone interested in losing weight or controlling their weight can enjoy this tasty tuber. With no cholesterol, tons of fiber, and delicious taste and texture, jicama is the ideal snacking food for anyone watching their weight.

Low-carb dieters may also want to take a look at jicama. Even though jicama has about 11 grams of carbohydrates in a one cup serving, it also has 6 grams of dietary fiber, dropping the actual carb intake down to 5 net grams, which is a very respectable amount.

Isn't it amazing how much nutrition and delicious flavor one little humble tuber can hold? Now, if anyone says to you that all Mexican food is fatty, greasy, and unhealthy, tell them that they just haven't tried jicama yet!

Citrus Ceviche Recipe

1 lb raw firm white fish (tilapia, cod, haddock, etc.)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely diced
1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried oregano flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cut the raw fish up into small (1/2 inch) cubes and put in a large glass bowl or baking dish.

Add to the fish the next 8 ingredients; toss gently to combine, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 to 6 hours.

Remove and add the olive oil, avocado, and cilantro; toss and serve immediately with crackers, tortilla chips, on greens, or as a condiment or side dish.

The citrus 'cooks' the fish, similar to pickling but without a vinegar taste, so you are not actually eating raw fish.

Healthy Mexican Cooking Tips

Discover Healthier Ways With Mexican Foods At Home

Ask a group of people to describe Mexican food and the word "healthy" probably won't be used often. The fault doesn't lie with Mexican food itself, but more likely what we have become used to eating under that label.

All you have to do is look at how the fast food industry has changed our expectations of Mexican food over the years. Now, it is not enough to have a taco or burrito filled with seasoned meat, lettuce, beans, and a dab of salsa. That taco or burrito has to be double layered and double deep fried and usually smothered in sauce.

Fresh, authentic Mexican food has 'left the building' years ago. Even restaurants that claim to be closer to true Mexican cooking tend to use less healthy ingredients that we have become used to. There are some exceptions, but the change is slow.

Perhaps it's time to return home. Mexican food, when done right, can be made faster and healthier right in your own kitchen. All you need to do is take a lesson from real Mexican cooks. Here are a few tricks for making those delicious dishes you love without sacrificing your health.

Frijoles Refritos

For the sake of our health, we should not be eating "refried beans." This is a misnomer and is not at all authentic Mexican food, nor is it healthy. Most refried beans you get in a restaurant or in a can have been processed and fried with lard (or other fat). This is not what "frijoles refritos" is. The word translates to "beans well fried" not "refried." In true Mexican style, beans are fried in a dry skillet until the beans themselves become almost dry.

They can then be spooned on top of any plate of Mexican food. In this case, you are not only eating healthier, you are eating more authentic. If the beans seem too dry, mix in some tomatoes or chopped onions or other vegetables for added moisture and nutrition.

Tortillas

Read the ingredient label on your bag of tortillas before you buy them. Are there things on there you don't want to eat? Are there things on there you haven't a clue what they are? Try your hand at making your own tortillas using masa harina, which is just a finely ground corn flour. The other ingredient needed to make the dough? Water. Making tortillas at home is easy and a great way to have a healthier alternative to packaged tortillas with those crazy additives.

Salsa

Probably the first, and easiest, way to create healthier Mexican foods at home is to make your own salsa. Again, read the label on most jarred salsa and you'll find lots of additives that you simply don't need if you make your own. Using fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime, and any other flavorings you want, you can chop or blend up a batch in minutes. Puree the same ingredients to make a sauce or just rough chop it for a chunky salsa that will put any bottled stuff to shame.

Queso Sauce

This is a tricky one. We love our cheese sauce and want it creamy, gooey, and delicious, right? But, there are ways to make even this decadent ingredient healthier. Start by using natural cheeses, such as sharp cheddar and Parmesan. The flavor is more powerful than blended cheese (such as Velveeta) so you can use less and enjoy it just as much.

Blend with fat-reduced milk if you're watching fat, but remember that sugars are often added to milk for flavor when the fat is removed. So, again, read your labels. Even with this added sugar in skim milk, you will still come out way ahead of the prepackaged queso sauce, which is loaded with sugar, salt, and additives we don't need.

With these four simple ingredient tweaks, you can make healthier Mexican meals at home in no time at all. And, once you taste the difference fresh, homemade ingredients make, you'll be ready to win the debate and say without a doubt; "Yes, Mexican food can be healthy and delicious!"

Cinnamon Churros Recipe

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cold water
1 cup flour
3 large fresh eggs
1 tsp real vanilla extract
sugar mixed with cinnamon for sprinkling

Turn your oven to 350 degrees and get out a pastry bag with a large 'star tip.' (If you don't have a pastry bag and tip, use a plastic food bag.) Also prepare a cookie sheet by lightly spraying with cooking oil.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the unsalted butter, salt, and the water; bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in the flour, continuing to stir until the flour thickens and forms a dough-like substance.

With an electric hand-mixer on low, start beating the dough in the saucepan. With the beaters running, add one egg at a time, blending them in totally before adding another egg.

When the eggs are all combined and the dough is thick, add the vanilla and incorporate it into the dough. Your dough should look somewhat like mashed potatoes but with a sticky feeling.

Now spoon the dough into the pastry bag (or plastic food bag).

Squeeze slender lines of dough into rows leaving at least an inch in between each row. Each line of dough should be about 4 inches long.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 to 18 minutes or until they are deep golden brown.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and immediately sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over the warm churros.

Enjoy while they are still warm or they may be served at room temperature.