Recipe: Traditional Mexican Christmas Recipes (8)

What a good idea Kathryn! Here you have several traditional Mexican recipes, besides dear Marilyn's one.

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TEQUILA SUNSET

3 or 4 ice cubes
1 measure of tequila
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 jiggers orange juice
1 jigger grapefruit soda
salt for the edge of the glass

In a tall glass, wet the rim of the glass with some lime juice and dip it into the salt.

Place all the ingredients in the above order in the salted glass, garnish with an orange slice and a straw.

Serve immediately

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PONCHE NAVIDENO - PUNCH

12 quarts water
10 oz tejocotes*
6 oz walnuts
5 oranges juiced
8 guavas
4 sugar canes
10 oz prunes
3 sticks cinnamon
2 lb. sugar
1 quart brandy (optional)
Wash fruit. Cut the sugar cane into strips. Cut guava.

Boil everything together, except the sugar. When cooked add the sugar and brandy.

*(Tejocotes are like teeny golden apples, though the colour can range from reddy-orange to a translucent golden yellow. They have a sweet and sour taste, which is reminiscent of something between a plum and an apricot. They are grown in Mexico and in China. In North America and in the UK, they are very hard to find fresh, though you may find them canned in ethnic stores. Tejocotes are used in making a traditional Mexican Christmas punch, served hot.)

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BUNUELOS DE NAVIDAD -CHRISTMAS SWEET FRITTERS
Servings: 10

2 cups water
1 lb. flour
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp anisette
9 oz. lard
9 oz. piloncillo -raw sugar

Boil one tablespoon anisette in a cup of water and leave to cool. Mix and sift the flour, baking powder and salt.

Mix in the eggs, the yolk and the anisette in water, as required, and knead until the dough stiffens. Form into small balls and roll out on a floured board until very thin. Continue flattening by hand on a napkin and place on a floured table. Heat the lard .Fry one by one in the lard.

Heat the piloncillo in one cup of water with the remaining tablespoon of anisette. This mixture will thicken to a light syrup. remove from heat and strain.

Serve the fritters, broken into pieces, in bowls and pour the syrup over them.

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ENSALADA DE NAVIDAD - CHRISTMAS SALAD
Servings: 10

2 small cooked beats, peeled and diced
1 large cooked carrot diced
1 orange, peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/4 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and diced
1 large banana, diced
1/2 cup unsalted nuts, almonds or peanuts
seeds of 1/2 small pomegranate
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
3 tbsp salad oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
dash of salt

Mix all the fruits. Put lime or lemon juice, salad oil, sugar and salt into a screw top jar. Shake until blended and sugar has dissolved. Pour the dressing over the fruit salad and toss well.

Pile the salad into a salad bowl and garnish with the nuts and pomegranate seeds. Let it stand in the refrigerator until chilled.

Serve chilled.

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PORK AND HOMINY STEW (POZOLE)
Source: Ana Mar a Flores Ssnchez
Serves 10

A traditional dish served for comida or supper at large family gatherings.

1 kilo of hominy (large kernel white corn available in Mexican markets or canned in your local supermarket)
2 kilos pork leg
4 clean pork bones
3 chilacate peppers
1 head of garlic
6 quarts of water
1 head iceberg lettuce, washed and cut in thin strips
1 bunch of radishes, washed and sliced
1 chopped onion
8 limes sliced in half
20 tostadas
Picante sauce

In a large stockpot bring the water to a boil, add the hominy and the head of garlic. Let this simmer for 4 hours over a low flame, the hominy will burst.

In another stockpot or a pressure cooker, cook the pork meat with water to cover and salt to taste until tender (about 50 minutes in the pressure cooker).

Once the hominy has burst, add the pork bones and simmer for another hour.

Meanwhile, remove the seeds and veins from the chilacate peppers and cook in one cup of water until tender. Once cooked, blend the peppers with enough water to make a smooth sauce, strain and set aside.

Once the bones have simmered in the hominy for an hour, add salt to taste, the pork, and the chilacate sauce and let it all simmer together for a further fifteen minutes.

Remove and discard the head of garlic before serving.

Serve in bowls and top with lettuce, chopped onion and radishes as desired. Let everyone add picante sauce to their liking and serve tostadas on the side.

NOTE:
NEVER add salt to the hominy before it bursts, otherwise it never will.

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PECHUGA DE PAVO A LAS BRASAS
(GRILLED TURKEY BREAST)
Source: Karen Hursh Graber

4 turkey breast filets, about 8 ounces each
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 large, sweet apple, thinly sliced
3/4 cup apple brandy (applejack, Calvados, etc.)
1 cups apple cider
1 cup Mexican crema, cr me fra che or heavy cream

Rub the turkey filets with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper them to taste, and set them aside while you light the grill.

Grill the filets for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they no longer give off pink juices when pricked with a fork.

Avoid drying out the meat by overcooking.

Place the filets on a platter or serving plates and begin making the sauce by melting the butter and sauteing the apple slices just until crisp-tender.

Place the apple slices over the turkey, add the brandy to the pan and cook until it has reduced by half.

Add the cider, bring to a boil, turn off heat and stir in the cream.

Pour this sauce over the turkey and apple slices.

The traditional accompaniments with this dish are buttered small boiled new potatoes and grilled corn on the cob.

Serves 4.

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MEXICAN RED RICE

1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 plum tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
3 1/4 cups water or chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas, carrots, corn or a mixture of all of these (optional)
Salt to taste

Clean rice, removing any stones or bad grains, place in a bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside until cooled to room temperature, approximately 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, core tomato, cut into large chunks and place in a blender or food processor along with the garlic, blend until smooth and set aside.

Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well.

Heat the oil in a 2 qt saucepan, add the rice stirring to coat each grain, then add the onion. Saut the rice and onion until the rice is golden and the onion soft, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess oil, add the tomato mixture and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the tomato mixture is absorbed. Add water or stock and adjust seasonings.

Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, then add the frozen peas, lower the flame, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to sit, covered, for 20 minutes.

Fluff with a fork before serving.

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CAPIROTADA
Source: Ana Mar a Flores Ssnchez

4 "salty" bolillos or 20 slices of white bread
8 oz. lard or butter
2 large tomatoes, boiled until soft
1/4 medium onion
2 lbs. "piloncillo" or dark brown sugar
3 (2-inch long) cinnamon sticks
1 clove
4 black peppercorns
3 cups water
1/2 lb. grated Chihuahua cheese (you may substitute a mild cheddar)
3.5 oz. raisins
3.5 oz. chopped pecans
3.5 oz. slivered almonds
GARNISH:
5 green maraschino cherries, chopped
5 red maraschino cherries, chopped

If using bolillos, slice them in 1/4" thick slices. Brown the bread in butter or lard, a few slices at a time.

Grind the tomatoes with the onion in a blender. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp. oil and add tomatoe mixture, saute for approximately 2 minutes. Add the water, piloncillo or brown sugar, cinammon, clove and peppercorns. Simmer for 7 minutes or until thickened. Remove the cinnamon, clove and peppercorns.

In a large, greased baking dish, place a layer of toasted bread, sprinkle with raisins, pecans and almonds, cover with sauce and sprinkle cheese over top. Add another layer of bread and repeat process ending with cheese.

Bake at 325 F. for 35 minutes. Garnish with cherries and serve warm.

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MORE RECIPES AND INFORMATION:

Christmas in Mexico Cultural Articles