Mexican food is a style of food that originated in Mexico:
By Nate.V and Negin.S
[monsoonJournal.com]
Mexican cuisine is known for its intense and varied flavors, colorful decoration, and variety of spices. Mexican gastronomy is one of the richest in the world: both with respect to diverse and appealing tastes and textures; and in terms of proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
When Spanish conquistadores arrived in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (the ancient city on which Mexico City was built), they found that the people’s diet consisted largely of corn-based dishes with chilis and herbs, usually complemented with beans and squash. The conquistadores eventually combined their imported diet of rice, beef, pork, chicken, wine, garlic and onions with the indigenous foods of pre-Columbian Mexico, including chocolate, maize, tomato, vanilla, avocado, papaya, pineapple, chile pepper, beans, squash, sweet potato, peanut and turkey. The totopo (a salted corn tortilla cooked in a fire oven) may have been created as part of this cuisine.
Most of today’s Mexican food is based on pre-hispanic traditions, including the Aztecs and Maya, combined with culinary trends introduced by Spanish colonists. Quesadillas, for example, are a flour or corn tortilla with cheese (often a Mexican-style soft farmer’s cheese such as Queso Fresco), beef, chicken, pork, and so on. The indigenous part of this and many other traditional foods is the chile pepper. Foods like these tend to be very colorful because of the rich variety of vegetables (among them are the chili peppers, green peppers, chilies, broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes) and meats in Mexican food. There is also a sprinkling of Caribbean influence in Mexican cuisine, particularly in some regional dishes from the states of Veracruz and Yucatán. The French occupation of Mexico also yielded some influences as well: the bolillo (pronounced bo-lee-yo, with the “o” as in “bore”), a Mexican take on the French roll, certainly seems to reflect this.
Mexican food varies by region, because of local climate and geography and ethnic differences among the indigenous inhabitants and because these different populations were influenced by the Spaniards in varying degrees. The north of Mexico is known for its beef production and meat dishes. Southeastern Mexico, on the other hand, is known for its spicy vegetable and chicken-based dishes. Seafood is commonly prepared in the state of Veracruz.
There are also more exotic dishes, cooked in the Aztec or Mayan style, with ingredients ranging from iguana to rattlesnake, deer, spider monkey, and even some kinds of insects. This is usually known as comida prehispánica (or prehispanic food), and although not very common, is relatively well known.
A distinction must be made between truly authentic Mexican food, and the Cal-Mex (Californian-Mexican) and “Tex Mex” (Texan-Mexican) cuisines. Mexican cuisine combines with the cuisine of the southwest United States (which itself has a number of Mexican influences) to form Cal-Mex and Tex-Mex cuisine. Another style of cuisine that is commonly mistaken for Mexican food is New Mexican cuisine, which is, of course, found in New Mexico, USA.
Chicken Enchiladas
with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and corn tortillas.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup oil
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers
1 large clove garlic, crushed and minced
1 large can (28 ounces) tomatoes, drained, reserve juice
2 cups chopped onions (2 large onions)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
15 corn tortillas
PREPARATION:
In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chile peppers and garlic; sauté until garlic is soft but not browned. Break up tomatoes and add to chile peppers along with the chopped onions, 1 tsp salt, oregano and 1/2 cup of the reserved tomato liquid. Simmer uncovered until thick, about 30 minutes.
If it thickens too quickly, add a little more of the tomato liquid or a little water, if necessary. Remove tomato sauce from heat and set aside.
In a bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Heat 1/3 cup oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Using tongs, dip tortillas in hot oil for a few seconds, just until they become limp. Drain the tortillas well on paper towels. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture. Roll up and arrange side by side, seam-side down, in a 9×13x2-inch baking dish.
Pour tomato sauce over enchiladas and bake at 350° until heated through, about 20 minutes. This casserole can be frozen then reheated in the oven until hot.
Serves 6.
Chicken Fajita Salad
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
1/4 cup lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 cup whole almonds, toasted
Shredded lettuce
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 avocado, sliced
DIRECTIONS
Combine 1 tablespoon oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and oregano. Toss with chicken; marinate at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat remaining oil on medium-high. Saute onion 2 minutes. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Add chicken to skillet; stir-fry until it begins to brown. Add red pepper, chilies and marinade; cook 2 minutes. Stir in almonds. Serve immediately over shredded lettuce and top with tomatoes and avocado.
Phoros: by tspauld