MEXICAN EVERYDAY and MORE MEXICAN EVERYDAY - January 2023 COTM

NJChicaa · January 14, 2023, 2:21am

CREAMY ZUCCHINI, CORN, AND ROASTED POBLANOS (p. 52 More Mexican Everyday)
https://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/creamy-roasted-poblanos-corn-and-zucchini-three-ways-taco-filling-with-roasted-chicken-thighs-with-pasta/

To start you need to make the creamy rajas recipe on p. 47. Basically blister poblanos on a grill or gas stove, steam/peel, deseed and slice them up. Cook sliced onions down until soft, add chopped garlic and oregano, then add poblano strips and heavy cream or crema and cook until the cream coats the rajas.

In another skillet (I used the same one) you heat some oil and 4 diced up zucchini. When the pieces are starting to get a bit browned you add fresh or frozen corn. After a few minutes add the creamy rajas mixture and fresh chopped cilantro. Finish with some crumbled queso fresco on top.

I’ve made this several times and there is a good reason for that–it is delicious! I typically have it in small flour tortillas. Tonight I had 3 soft tacos with this filling. Soooo good. I didn’t have any queso fresco but I didn’t miss it at all.

hirsheys · January 14, 2023, 2:37am

Yum! That’s one of my favorite recipes from the book.

ScottinPollock · January 14, 2023, 4:54pm

Dunno if this one is in either of the books, but it looks way better than my current shredded beef. My only question is are the avocado leaves really needed (Rick sometimes goes a little overboard with the Mexicality of his ingredients)?

BTW, this is the first episode of his new series on traditional tacos, tortas, and tostadas!

hirsheys · January 15, 2023, 5:15pm

TOMATILLO-SAUCED CHILAQUILES p. 77 More Mexican Everyday

This morning I made chilaquiles using the book’s tomatillo base, which I made last night. It was quite easy to throw together this morning and tasted great, though I found the sauce a touch more sour than I personally prefer. I made a 1/4 of a recipe (just for me), which also meant that the timing of the recipe was a bit off, so my chips were a bit more soggy than I would have preferred. Next time, I’d let them sit in the sauce no longer than about 2 mins, rather than the 4 mins he calls for with the full 8 oz of chips. Still, this was a nice breakfast with a fried egg, crema, and cilantro on top!

chienrouge · January 15, 2023, 5:34pm

i’ve been veering away from tomatillos and using fewer of em and much more green chile in my verde, just altering the balance to about 3 to 1 chile tomatillos for me anyways. just personal taste. always found bayless recipes to have so many damn ingredients that they invite substitutions and free styling. i’ve never met a recipe i couldn’t improve or ruin.

personally i detest crema that is just mayotard in disguise. i do like the sour cream in moderation. nice dish with the chiliquiles and i agree with u about less soak cuz i like a bit of the crunch too.

also some good lookin verde enchiladas above !

Amandarama · January 15, 2023, 9:59pm

SALSA DE TOMATE VERDE ASADO - Mexican Everyday pp. 154-155
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (Poblano Variation)

This is similar to the tomatillo sauce base from More Mexican Everyday, described upthread by @MelMM . Tomatillos and garlic are browned well in a skillet and then zapped in a blender with white onion, chiles, cilantro and water. Season to taste and serve.

However, having done this before, I took liberties today and broiled two poblanos with the tomatillos and (tripled) garlic. I also added 4 fat, trimmed scallions to the broiler pan. I let everything get good and brown and then let them cool, removing the poblanos to a foil pack to steam for a half hour as everything else cooled. Then I blitzed everything with my immersion blender, adding the zest and juice of a lime, and salt to taste. This makes a very mild green salsa that is good for eating, as well as as a base for other dishes. Some of this will hopefully be used for the salmon in green pipian sauce later this week. Tonight it will be for chips and tacos.

Valadelphia · January 17, 2023, 9:35pm

SPAGHETTI SQUASH FIDEOS WITH CHIPOTLE, CHORIZO, CREMA, AND AVOCADO
More Mexican Everyday p.185
When I first glanced at this, I thought it was a halved squash with the ingredients piled on top, and that would actually work perfectly fine as well. It is the combo of the squash with the chorizo that appealed to me.
More with the microwave(!), which I just never use, so I baked my squash. It was a small one, so I rounded down the other ingredients slightly but pretty much made as described. You cook some chorizo (I used Abbot’s Butcher plant-based “chorizo”), whiz up a tomato-chipotle sauce that you add to the spaghetti squash shreds. Add crema (creme fraiche) and cheese (cotija) and you have a yummy lunch. Definitely top with avocado and cilantro.
fideo

NJChicaa · January 18, 2023, 11:47pm

CHIPOTLE MEATBALLS (p. 117 More Mexican Everyday and there is like the same recipe in Mexican Everyday)

As I wrote above I made this recipe back when Mexican Everyday was COTM on CH. I remember being underwhelmed with it due to the ground pork (instead of beef) and the mint but I figured I’d try it again using the MME recipe.

You combine a pound of ground beef or pork. I remembered it needing pork when I made it before so that’s what I ordered. (my bad for not paying attention that I could have used beef) You add an egg, chopped fresh garlic, salt, and chopped fresh mint. Mix it up and then add 1/2 cup of cooked rice or 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs. Combine everything, make 12 meatballs, and fry in a skillet in oil, bacon drippings, or pork lard until browned all over. While meatballs are frying you combine a 15 ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice, 1 or 2 canned chipotles with some canning sauce, dried oregano, and 2 garlic cloves. Pulse until coarse puree. When meatballs are fried you pour over the pureed sauce and cook for another 10 minutes or cooked through. You then remove the meatballs while leaving as much sauce in the pan, increase the temperature, and add some water, broth, beer, or wine and let the sauce cook for another couple of minutes. Add salt to taste.

So I used all pork and omitted the mint. I used it the first time I made this recipe and was skeptical. . . and I was right. Just not a flavor combination that I liked. I used cooked rice rather than breadcrumbs. I followed everything as written aside from using mint. I served over rice and was again underwhelmed. I brought some leftovers to work for lunch the next day but then threw out the remaining meatballs which hurts when groceries are so expensive these days.

I compared the MME recipe to the ME one. The Mexican Everyday recipe uses cooked bacon, more garlic/eggs/diced tomatoes/broth. Both recipes say they serve 4 but this one makes 12 and the Mexican Everyday one makes 16 “plum-sized” meatballs. I’d think that would serve more than 4.

Bayless claims that this is a very popular recipe. I’ve tried it twice and disliked it twice. Maybe I would like it better made with ground beef but if I’m going to make beef meatballs. . . I’m going Italian. haha I’ll be interested to see what others think of this recipe.

Amandarama · January 19, 2023, 1:09am

SALMON IN LUXURIOUS GREEN SESAME PIPIAN - Mexican Everyday pp. 235-237
Salmón en pipián verde de ajonjolí

I had made Bayless’s Roasted Tomatillo Salsa a few days ago, so I used some of it to make this dish tonight, as it starts with a tomatillo salsa (bought or prepared) as the base. You are to puree the salsa (mine was already there) and then fry it to reduce to a paste like consistency. Then add chicken broth (I used BTB lobster base and water) and tahini. Let reduce, balance with salt and sugar, and then poach salmon fillets for about 5-6 minutes. There are some peas that are supposed to be added at some point. I skipped that.

I agree that the dish does need some sugar. He says it is for the tartness of the tomatillos, but for me it was to counter the bitterness of the tahini. Using the BTB, I found I didn’t really need to add any salt. That being said, despite being described as a “lively quartet” (versus mole’s “exuberant symphony orchestra”), I thought the sauce needed more complexity upon tasting (see, for example, his pipian rojo). To that end, I added some pepper, cayenne (the chiles in my salsa were mild, mild poblanos), allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. I let that simmer for a bit before adding the salmon. My fillets were about an inch thick, so they took about 8 minutes altogether.

We had this with corn tortillas and some garnishes - tomato, jalapenos, scallions, radish, cilantro, and limes. With the additional spicing it was very good, but the salmon overwhelmed it a bit. I think it needs a milder companion, maybe halibut, or grilled eggplant/zucchini/fresh cheese. Something that doesn’t distract from the delicate flavors in the sauce. Do have it with good tortillas and build your bites favoring the sauce over other items (which I remembered a little too late).

Verdict - good, but needs some doctoring (for my tastes).

CaitlinM · January 19, 2023, 6:55am

Come on over to February voting?

biondanonima · January 20, 2023, 3:44pm

QUICK COWBOY BEANS, pg 86-87 (Mexican Everyday)

I’ve had this cookbook for years and this is one of my favorite recipes in it, despite me not being the biggest fan of beans in general. I initially tried it as a replacement for baked beans to take to a potluck (I despise traditional American baked beans) and it was a HUGE hit. Also super easy to throw together with ingredients I always have in the pantry/fridge.

Recipe calls for you to cut four slices of thick bacon into small pieces and cook until crispy, then add two finely chopped/crushed cloves of garlic and saute for a minute. Add half a 15oz can of diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted) and simmer for a few minutes, then add two 15oz cans of pinto beans with their liquid. Simmer 15 mins - during that time, chop and add 1-2 (or more) canned pickled jalapenos. Season with salt (if necessary, he claims it may not be) and garnish with chopped cilantro for serving.

The first time I made this I followed the recipe and found it a tiny bit bland/dull - definitely in need of more acid. Also, I was annoyed at having half a can of tomatoes leftover. So, the next time I used the whole can of tomatoes, double the bacon and three cans of pinto beans, plus a chopped onion and more garlic (to which I add some salt during the saute step to help soften). MUCH BETTER. I don’t love the flavor of canned pickled jalapenos so I use the jarred slices along with a good glug of their juice, which further amps the flavor (a hit of lime juice to finish would also work). As with all beans, don’t be shy with the salt. IMO his claim that you might not need it is completely insane.

Great served as a side dish or scooped up with Fritos.

biondanonima · January 20, 2023, 3:55pm

I have made this a couple of times, with both salmon and chicken thighs (using his tomatillo salsa as well). I dislike peas, so I tried using diced roasted red peppers in their place the first time I made this. It was fine this way, but I found the peppers extraneous so now I just make it with no additional vegetables. I don’t find that it needs sugar, either - but then again, I low-carb so my palate has adjusted to more bitter/sour flavors. I serve it with roasted broccoli or Brussels sprouts, both of which are delicious dipped in the sauce.

biondanonima · January 20, 2023, 4:25pm

I love this recipe (I make the version on pg 287 of Mexican Everyday) even though it is poorly written, IMO. First, it makes enough sauce to fill a swimming pool - way more than you need for the quantity of meatballs unless you are serving these over copious amounts of pasta or rice. I also find the beef/chicken broth completely extraneous for my purposes.

Second, it makes NO sense to dirty your food processor with meat before processing the tomato sauce. Do the tomatoes first and pour off, then do the meat (leaving behind some tomato/chipotle juices to flavor the meatballs).

Third, you are not getting 16 plum-sized meatballs from this as written. 8-10 TOPS, and they will end up WAY overcooked if you follow his baking instructions. I double or 2.5x the meatball ingredients for the amount of sauce in the recipe, make 16-20 large meatballs (maybe a little closer to tennis ball size) and brown for just 5 minutes or so at 400 before adding the sauce and braising for the remaining 15-20 mins.

Anyway, I also make some alterations to make these low carb. After whizzing the tomatoes, I add an onion to the food processor with the bacon, salt and garlic and whiz that to a paste, then add pork rinds instead of bread crumbs. I use half the eggs called for because they have a tendency to make things tough if you don’t add bread, and if I have ricotta that needs to be used up, I’ll toss in a scoop or two of that to tenderize. THEN the mint so it can actually get minced small and fully incorporated. That mess gets added to a 50/50 ground beef/pork mix, kneaded in thoroughly (not quite to primary bind stage, but not that far off), and then I shape and bake as indicated above.

If you don’t like the flavor of mint with the other ingredients, try using parsley or cilantro in these. Personally I love the mint, but I have made them with other herbs as well and they are still good.

LulusMom1 · January 20, 2023, 5:37pm

CREAMY CORN SOUP w/ CHICK AND POBLANO CHILE (p. 121)

My FP is broken, so I had to use my hand blender. Not ideal in this situation, and I was also feeling rushed so didn’t strain it. As you can guess, this meant it wasn’t as luxurious as it would otherwise have been. On top of that, I just don’t love things thickened with flour or corn starch. Maybe some day I will learn this and stop trying, but every once in a while a recipe like that comes along that I do like. This was … fine. Lulu wouldn’t even finish her bowl of it. I thought it was like a very, very mildly spiced chicken pot pie filling. Just sort of meh.

I also just want to say that I do not see 1 /12 cups of soup as being a generous serving (it says “makes a generous 6 cups, serving 4”). This with rolls was our full meal, and it wasn’t a very satisfying one.

LulusMom1 · January 21, 2023, 3:30pm

ZUCCHINI MUSHROOM TACOS w/ CHORIZO (soyrizo)

Amanda has described how this is made. I added soyrizo for the chorizo, and was shocked that my family was absolutely all over this (LLD doesn’t tend to love veg entrees or “fake” meats). Used feta for the cheese. Very tasty and pretty easy. Here’s a link to the recipe: http://cookingclaire.blogspot.com/2010/04/rick-bayless-zucchini-musrhoom-tacos.html

LulusMom1 · January 25, 2023, 5:14pm

CRUSTY BLACK BEAN-CHORIZO (SOYRIZO) SUBS (p225)

Another one that was a bigger hit than expected. LLD, who does NOT love beans, was very skeptical looking as I was putting this together, and Lulu said “a bean sandwich??” But - it was great. I used soyrizo in place of the chorizo with no problem (although I had to add some oil). Basically cook the chorizo, then add 2 cans black beans and cook and mash together. Toast your rolls and scoop a bit out. Add the bean/chorizo mix, add sliced avocado and cheese (I used feta - queso fresco always tastes like dirty socks to me), and a bit of tomatillo salsa. This was hearty and delicious, and I would have no problem serving it again. Got a discussion going over dinner - bean sandwich? To which I replied “beans on toast” and Lulu then said “falafel!”

CaitlinM · January 25, 2023, 6:27pm

That’s how I experience blue cheeses, but queso fresco is innocuous to me. Funny how taste works.

Rasam · January 25, 2023, 6:57pm

Sounds like a win! Do I detect LLD thawing towards beans - you seem to have had success with a few bean dishes lately?
Plus, this sandwich kind of sounds like a cousin of sloppy Joe?

MelMM · January 25, 2023, 11:04pm

CHIPOTLE MEATBALLS - More Mexican Everyday, p. 117

Prep for this has already been described, so I’ll just make a few notes. I used Impossible ground in place of beef. I omitted the egg, and used a smaller quantity of breadcrumbs (the Impossible is pretty tender without). I did use the mint, as I like mint in meatballs.

We thought these were fine. Didn’t blow us away, by any means, but pleasant enough. I mean, they are meatballs! Served with some potatoes that were tossed with leftovers of the sweet and sour dark chipotle dressing from the eggplant dish reported above.

MelMM · January 25, 2023, 11:28pm

RED PEANUT MOLE WITH CHICKEN - More Mexican Everyday, p. 105

There are two variations on this recipe, for a sweeter mole and a more savory mole, and I made them both. For both dishes, you start out by frying some ancho chiles, onion, and garlic in oil. This goes into a blender with some canned fire-roasted tomatoes, dry- or oil-roasted peanuts (mine were blister fried), bread, chipotle en adobo, allspice, cinnamon, and chicken broth. This gets blended until smooth. I used a Vitamix, so no need to pass through a sieve. You then heat some oil in a pot and add the paste, and cook it down until significantly reduced and darkened in color. At this point I divided the paste in half. I saved one portion to make the savory version of the mole on another day, and proceeded to make a half recipe of the sweet version. To the mole paste, you add more chicken broth, Mexican chocolate, salt, and a bit of sugar. He then suggests ladling this sauce over chicken thighs and baking. I was using Daring chicken, so figured I just sauté the “chicken” pieces, then add the sauce and simmer on the stove. But this sauce really wanted to scorch during simmering, so instead of watching it like a hawk and constantly stirring, I did end up putting the pot, covered, in the oven.

A few days later I made the savory version. To this version of the sauce, instead of chocolate, you add red wine, bay leaves, and a touch of vinegar. It still gets the salt and sugar same as the sweet version. I used the same Daring “chicken” pieces, but this time baked them uncovered (after sautéing the chicken on the stove, because the texture of this product is best if it gets browned a bit before going in a sauce).

Both of these were better than expected, considering how simplified they are. My usual mole is a black mole that takes all day to make and is incredibly complex, so I tend to be pretty skeptical of simplified moles. But it was pretty good. I preferred the savory version slightly. I also got better results baking the dish uncovered, so the sauce reduced a bit and the chicken pieces weren’t swimming. First pic is sweet version served with leftovers of the herby green chile rice reported on above. Second pic is the savory version (yeah, I know they look pretty much identical) served with the garlicky tomato rice variation of the creamy rice and beans (p. 250).