Cooking & Entertaining > Dinner Menu

Dinner Menu #3 - Classic Mexican

Crab Quesadillas, Chicken Breast and Almond Soup (Sopa de Pechuga de Pollo y Almendras), Arroz a la Mexicana (Mexican Rice), Red Snapper a la Veracruzana, Pineapple Pudding

Quesadillas are a Mexican classic that are becoming more widely available in Mexican restaurants in the US. They are traditionally fried or grilled, but my version is easier and less attention-demanding.

Crab Quesadillas

4 flour tortillas
1 Tbs (15 ml) soft butter or margarine
1 cup (250 ml) shredded queso fresco, Monterey jack, or mild flavored, semi-soft cheese.
1-6 oz (170 g) can crab meat, drained and picked over
Hot sauce (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Grease a large baking sheet with the butter or margarine. Rub the tortillas on the greased surface so as to lightly grease one side of each tortilla. With the tortillas greased side down on the baking sheet, place one quarter of the shredded cheese on one half of each tortilla. Top this with the crab, a dash or two of the optional hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Fold each tortilla over and bake in a 350F (180C) oven for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown. Flip the quesadillas over and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer.

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Our Classic Mexican menu continues with a delicious and easy to cook soup. Its Spanish heritage is evidenced by the use of almonds and sherry, but it gets its Mexican flair from the spices used.

Chicken Breast and Almond Soup (Sopa de Pechuga de Pollo y Almendras)

1/2 cup (125 ml) blanched almonds
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 skinless and boneless chicken breast halves
8 cups (2 L) chicken stock or canned chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cumin seed
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/4 cup (60 ml) dry sherry (optional)
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped parsley

Cook the chicken breast halves by simmering them in the chicken stock for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them and set them aside. Sauté the almonds in the butter over moderate heat until golden. Place the almonds, onion, and one of the chicken breast halves in an electric blender or food processor, along with a little of the stock, and blend until pureed. Add this mixture to the remaining stock, along with the nutmeg, cumin, and cayenne. Add the second chicken breast half, cut into small pieces, and heat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Add the optional sherry just prior to serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the chopped parsley. Serves 6.

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Arroz a la Mexicana (Mexican Rice)

2 cups (500 ml) rice
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups (1 L) chicken or beef stock
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) canned tomatoes
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) frozen or fresh green peas, cooked
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional garnishes: chili pepper "flowers" (fresh, hot chili peppers, sliced from the tip to the stem into 4 or 5 sections and immersed in cold water until they curl back to form "flowers"), fresh coriander or parsley sprigs, 1 large avocado, peeled and sliced.

Puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and ½ cup (125 ml) of the stock in an electric blender or food processor. Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the rice until it turns golden. Add the tomato puree, remaining stock, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cover until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed (about 15 minutes). Mix in the peas and continue cooking until all the liquid has been absorbed. Garnish with the optional garnishes. Serves 6.

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"Classic Mexican" week continues with this world-class fish recipe. Many travelers to Mexico are surprised at the number of seafood items on restaurant menus. The abundance of fish in the gulf of Mexico and the Sea of Cortez account in part for this, as do the thousands of miles of coastline on two oceans. But the real clue to the popularity of seafood in Mexico is the love of fine food that the Mexican people have demonstrated in the creation and evolution of their unique cuisine.

Red Snapper a la Veracruzana

6 large red snapper fillets (or other firm, white-fleshed fish fillets)
3 Tbs (45 ml) all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil or canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups (500 ml) tomato puree
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cinnamon
A pinch ground cloves
3 fresh or canned jalapeño chilies (or other locally available hot chilies), seeded and cut into strips
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp (2 ml) sugar
12 small new potatoes, cooked and peeled
1/2 cup (125 ml) pimiento stuffed green olives, cut in half

Dust the fish fillets lightly with the seasoned flour. Heat 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the fillets until golden but not completely cooked. Set aside. Add the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the oil, the onion and the garlic to the skillet, and fry until the onion is transparent but not brown. Add the tomato puree, cinnamon, and cloves and cook over moderate to low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chilies, lemon juice, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the potatoes and fish fillets and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the fish is firm and flakes easily. To serve, arrange the fish on a hot serving platter and cover with the sauce, surrounded by the potatoes and garnished with the olives. Serves 6.

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This luscious dessert is the perfect topper to our "Classic Mexican" menu. You can make just the pudding, with or without the sherry, or you can dress it up as I have here. Either way, es muy delicioso.

Pineapple Pudding

12 ladyfingers, split horizontally (or pound cake, sliced ¼ inch (5 mm) thick)
Apricot jam
2 cups (500 ml) finely chopped fresh (if possible) or canned pineapple
1/2 cup (125 ml) blanched almonds, ground in a food processor or blender
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry sherry (optional)
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (125 ml) sour cream
1/4 cup (60 ml) toasted slivered almonds

Combine the pineapple, ground almonds, egg yolks, sugar, half (1/4 cup, 60 ml) of the optional sherry, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened. DO NOT BOIL. Set aside to cool.

Spread a thin layer of apricot jam on the ladyfingers or pound cake. Place half in the bottom of a serving dish and sprinkle with half the remaining sherry. Spread half the pineapple mixture on top. Repeat. Chill for at least one hour, and spread a layer of sour cream on top. Garnish with the toasted almonds. Serves 4 to 6.

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Reproduced by permission of World Wide Recipes.
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