Aztec and Modern Recipes
 


San Felipe, Baja, Mexico

Avocado Dip

  1. Wash and dry the avocados. Cut around them down to the stone.
  2. Separate the two halves and remove the stone with a spoon. Peel off the outside skin.
  3. Chop up the flesh into small pieces and put it into a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork until smooth.
  4. Cut the limes in half. Take out the pips. Squeeze the lime juice into the mashed avocado and stir.
  5. Peel and finely chop the onion. Add onion with the chile powder to the mix.
  6. Stir the mixture well. Add salt to taste. Spoon into serving bowls.
  7. Rinse the fresh coriander leaves and dry them. Chop finely and sprinkle over the dip to decorate.
  8. Wash and dry tomatoes. Cut them into quarters and serve them separately with the tortilla chips.

 

Ingredients

  • 3 large ripe avocados
  • 2 limes
  • 1 onion
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • salt
  • 15g (1 tsp) freshly chopped coriander
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 packets of tortilla chips

 

Ingredients

  • 225g (8oz) canned sweetcorn or canned kidney beans
  • 1 large onion
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1 tsp chile powder
  • 15g (1 tbs) freshly chopped coriander


Corn or Bean Soup

  1. Drain the canned beans or sweetcorn. Weight them. Put the beans or the sweetcorn in a large saucepan and cover them with water.
  2. Peel and finely chop the onion.
  3. Wash the tomatoes, peel off the skins and chop coarsely.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes, onion and the chile powder to the saucepan and stir.
  5. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer gently for 15 minutes.
  6. Remove saucepan from heat and use potato masher to pulp mixture.
  7. Re-heat in the saucepan over low heat, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Add water if too thick. Add salt to taste.
  8. Wash and dry coriander leaves then chop finely.
  9. Pour soup into serving bowls and garnish with coriander.

Mexican Hot Chocolate (4 mugs)

  1. Weight the chocolate and then break into small pieces. Put pices in the top of a double broiler or into a heat-proof bowl.
  2. Fill bottom of double broiler or a large saucepan with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down to keep water gently boiling.
  3. Place the container with the chocolate over the one with the boiling water. Stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon until melted.
  4. Measure out the milk and pout it into another saucepan. Heat the milk gently; don't let it boil. Pour the melted chocolate into the hot milk.
  5. Add the cinnamon and vanilla essence to the mixture and bring it to a boil.
  6. Turn the ehat down and wisk the mixture for 2 minutes until it is foaming.
  7. Pour the chocolate into mugs and use a small wisk to foam the chocolate micture in each mug.


 

Ingredients

  • 225g (8oz) dark cooking chocolate
  • 1 litre (2 pints) of milk
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 drops vanilla essence

 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked nopales (nopalitos)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped white onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or vinegar

Topping

  • 3 tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco or añejo or Monterey jack cheese
  • 1/3 cup purple onion rings
  • 3 canned chilies jalapeños en escabeche, cut into quarters lengthwise
  • 1 avocado, peeled and sliced (optional)
  • romaine lettuce for the side of the serving platter

 

Ensalada de Nopalitos (Cactus Salad)

  1. Mix the nopalitos with the next four ingredients and set aside to season for 30 minutes. Stir well and adjust seasoning.
  2. Spread the nopalitos over the platter about 1 1/2 inches deep. Decorate with the tomatoes slices and top with cilantro, cheese, onion rings, chile strips, and slices of avocado (if used).
  3. Overlap the romaine leaves around the edges of the platter and serve at room temperature.

What are Nopalitos?
The plant is the genus Opuntia from the Cactaceae family, or what is commonly known as the Prickly Pear Cactus. Nopal means cactus in Spanish and Nopales is term for "cactus stem". The term Nopalitos refers to the pads once they are cut up and prepared for eating. There are two food crops derived from the prickly pear cactus. One is the "nopalitos" which are the cactus pads and the other crop is the prickly "pear" or fruit of the cactus.