Tastes & Travels: Mexican Cuisine

¡Hola amigas! Lyndsay, Michelle, and I are excited to be continuing our journey around the world.  We had a great time in Italy (if you missed our trip, click here for a recap) but we can't wait to spend some time in the next stop of our trip.

¡VIVA MEXICO!

Frozen Margaritas

Ingredients

1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate

6 fluid ounces tequila

2 fluid ounces triple sec

Directions

Fill blender with crushed ice. Pour in limeade concentrate, tequila and triple sec. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Margaritas on the Rocks

Ingredients

2 cups sweet and sour mix

1 cup triple sec

1 1/2 cups gold tequila

1/3 cup brandy-based orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier®)

2 limes, quartered

Directions

Salt the rims of 8 glasses. To do so, pour salt onto a small plate, rub the rims of the glasses with lime, and press them into the salt. Fill the glasses with ice.

In a blender, combine sweet and sour mix, triple sec, tequila and Grand Marnier. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses, squeeze a quarter lime into each glass, and serve.

{recipes via}

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions:

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.
{recipe via}

Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 firm-ripe avocados, diced (1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss gently to combine.

{recipe via}

{recipe via the amazing Jenn at Peas and Crayons; she has tons of fab recipes that you should check out :) }

 {recipe via}

Tres Leches Cake with Mango

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, for greasing
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12-ounce can evaporated milk
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon dark rum
2 large ripe mangoes
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream
Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Make the cake: Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer until pale and slightly thick, about 6 minutes. Slowly beat in the melted butter, then beat in the vanilla and 1/4 cup whole milk.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Sift the flour mixture over the egg mixture, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula to make a thick batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Run a knife along the edges to release the cake from the pan.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 2 cups whole milk, the evaporated milk, condensed milk and rum in a bowl. Pierce the warm cake all over with a fork, then pour the milk mixture gradually and evenly on top, letting the cake absorb the liquid until all is used. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Before serving, make the topping: Peel, pit and dice the mangoes. Puree half the mangoes in a blender with 2 tablespoons sugar. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the remaining diced mango.In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar with a mixer until soft peaks form. Slice the cake; top each piece with the whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve the mango topping on the side.

¡Disfrutar mi amigas!  {Enjoy}

Be sure to check out Lyndsay's blog and Michelle's blog to see their favorite Mexican foods!   

Love and Tasty Travels! xo