lunaticsinge.com - Mexican Sides & Salads

Victor's Caesar Salad

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon steak sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1/2 cup corn oil

salt and ground black pepper

4 romaine lettuce hearts, leaves separated

1/4 cup cotija or Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and boil for 5 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and set aside until cool enough to handle, about 7 minutes.

2. Peel the eggs and cut in half. Spoon the yolks, which will still be slightly soft, into a blender; reserve the whites for another use. Add the mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, hot sauce, and vinegar. Pulse until blended. With the machine running, drizzle in the oil and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Put the lettuce and cheese in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and generously toss to coat. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Roasted Cauliflower with Avocado-Cilantro Dip

Ingredients:

1 (2 lb.) head cauliflower, cut into 1 1/2 inch florets

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican preferably

Salt and ground black pepper

1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 serrano chile, stemmed and seeded

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon lime juice

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Put the cauliflower oil, and oregano in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss to combine. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool and then transfer to a platter.

3. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, cream cheese, serrano, cilantro, and lime juice and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl and serve with the cauliflower for dipping.

Creamy Mexican Corn

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn

2 1/2 teaspoons lime juice

2 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Salt and ground black pepper

1/2 cup queso fresco or feta, crumbled

Chili-lime powder (optional), for serving

1. Preheat a griddle over moderately high heat. Roast the corn on the dry griddle until slightly blackened in spots, about 5 minutes per side. Let cool slightly.

2. Cut the kernels off the cobs. Mix the lime juice, crema, mayonnaise, and butter in a large bowl until combined. Add the warm corn kernels, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

3. Divide corn between 2 cups. Top each with queso fresco, dividing equally. Sprinkle with chile-lime powder and serve. Serves 2.

Corn and Zucchini Saute

Ingredients:

2 strips bacon, chopped

1/2 cup white onion, finely minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped

2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)

4 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

1. Preheat a heavy medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring to render the fat, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pan.

2. Saute the onion in the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add the tomatoes, corn, and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the bacon and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

Foil-Wrapped Onions

Ingredients:

1 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Maggi seasoning sauce

6 tablespoons lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

6 large white onions

12 small yellow chiles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Mix the Worcestershire sauce, Maggi sauce, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl. Peel and quarter onions, leaving the root ends together so the layers won't fall apart while cooking. Toss the onions and chiles in the marinade until well coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.

3. Cit twelve 6-inch squares of aluminum foil. Put 6 pieces of foil on a flat work surface and top each with another piece of foil for double wrapping. Place 2 chiles in the center of each piece of foil and top each chile with 4 onion wedges. Fold up the foil of each packet to form a cup. Divide the marinade among the foil packages. Enclose the onions tightly with foil and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.

4. Roast until the onions are caramelized and the chiles are tender, about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes. Open the packages slightly before serving. Serves 6.

NOTE: Maggi sauce is a popular seasoning in Mexico that can be found in most supermarkets and in Latin markets.

Caramelized Yams with Marshmallow and Streusel

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. small yams, peeled and halved lengthwise

3/4 cups almonds, coarsely chopped

5 oz. Maria cookies (32) or graham crackers (18)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons(3/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, diced, plus more for the dish

6 firm-ripe bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise

1 (10.5 oz.) bag mini marshmallows

1. Put the yams in a heavy medium pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the yams until tender, about 10 minutes. The color of the yams will turn brighter and a knife will be able to pierce them easily.

2. Meanwhile put the almonds, cookies, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine until coarse, not fully ground. Add the butter and pulse a few times until the mixture comes together. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and, working quickly, rub the mixture between your fingers until the streusel is in lumps slightly larger than peas. Refrigerate the streusel until ready to use.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking glass dish with butter.

4. Spread half of the bananas and yams in one layer in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with half of the streusel and half of the marshmallows. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make one more layer. Bake 25 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden. Serve warm. Serves 8.