Viva México!

Mexico’s food is as colourful as its art, as exciting as its music, as dramatic as its history and as welcoming as its warm-hearted people. Fresh tortillas are the basis of many Mexican specialities and, together with the chili, give the dishes their unique flavour. Tortillas can be used in many different ways. Here are some of our favourite recipes.

Tacos filled with meat

Tacos are tortillas that are filled and rolled. The filling can be meat (beef, pork or chicken), seafood, vegetables or beans.

Makes 8 tacos:

250 ml meat broth
350 g beef fillet
Salt
8 corn tortillas – white – fresh – 14 cm – “MiAdelita” from nixtamalised flour
8 large lettuce leaves
8 tbsp Frijoles – Negros – Refritos (refried beans)
2 small tomatoes
8 tbsp crème fraîche
8 tbsp cold tomato sauce
100 g Gouda or Gruyère cheese (medium mature)

Method

Cook beef fillet in meat broth over medium heat for approx. 30 minutes.
Pull or cut meat into small pieces and lightly salt.
Gently heat corn tortillas in pan or microwave (preferably in a bag).
Spread bean paste on corn tortillas and add one lettuce leaf to each. Scatter the pulled or chopped meat over the leaf.
Cut tomatoes in small cubes and place on warm corn tortillas. Add 1 tablespoon each of crème fraîche and tomato sauce.
Coarsely grate cheese over tortillas. Roll up and serve immediately.

Vegetarian burritos

(The secret of this Mexican recipe lies in its simplicity.)

Makes 8 burritos:

1 can sweetcorn
1 can Frijoles – Bayos – Enteros (whole) – 560 g – “La Costeña”, beans
1 pod Chiles – Chipotles – “La Costeña”
8 wheat tortillas – fresh – 20cm – “MiAdelita”
alternatively:
8 corn tortillas – white – fresh – 25 cm – “MiAdelita” from nixtamalised flour
3 medium carrots
2 small onions
2 tbsp cumin
1 large tomato
4 tbsp olive oil
1 green bell pepper
1 courgette
4 cloves garlic
Pepper, salt to taste

Method:

Peel carrots, onions and garlic, chop finely and mix well.
Wash Chiles – Chipotles – “La Costeña”, courgette and bell pepper, chop finely and add to carrot mix.
Heat olive oil in a pan and gently fry chopped vegetables for approx. 12 minutes (until still slightly crunchy).
Season with salt, cumin and pepper to taste.
Drain the corn and beans. Add drained corn and beans to vegetables. Cook over medium heat for another 15 minutes.
About 5 minutes before the vegetables are cooked, heat wheat tortillas in oven or microwave on low heat. Fill tortillas with the vegetables just before serving.

Chimichangas

Chimichangas are baked tortillas.

Makes 8 chimichangas:

600 g pork shoulder
2 tbsp cooking butter
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
Chiles – Chipotles (very hot!)
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cumin
Salt
8 corn tortillas – white – fresh – 14 cm – “MiAdelita” from nixtamalised flour
or 8 wheat tortillas – fresh – 20 cm – “MiAdelita”
150 g crème fraîche
50 g grated cheese (e.g. Gruyère)

Method:

Cut pork shoulder into small cubes, fry in cooking butter over high heat for approx. 5 minutes until crispy brown.
Add vinegar. Peel garlic and press over meat. Puree Chiles – Chipotles, stir in together with oregano and cumin, season with salt. Cover and simmer over low heat for approx. 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Spread tomato sauce over corn or wheat tortillas. Divide the meat filling onto tortillas, fold and close.
In a bowl, mix crème fraîche and cheese. Place the chimichangas in a greased baking dish, cover with cheese sauce and bake in preheated oven (middle) for about 15 minutes. Serve in the dish.
Serve with a variety of Mexican sauces.

Quesadillas

As its name suggests, a quesadilla is a tortilla filled with cheese. Quesadillas are the basis for countless imaginative creations. But the simple original quesadilla is still highly popular and very easy to make.

Makes 8 quesadillas:

4 corn or wheat tortillas 25 cm
150 g grated Gouda or Gruyère cheese (medium mature)
Salsa Verde (green Mexican sauce)
Optional chopped tomatoes, Chiles, onions or nopales (cactus leaves)

Method:

Sprinkle grated cheese over corn or wheat tortillas, fold into semicircle and pan fry, flipping repeatedly until cheese is melted.
Serve quesadillas with optional Salsa Verde, top with chopped tomatoes, chilis, onions or nopales.

Tostadas with chicken

Tostadas are crispy fried tortillas topped with ingredients of choice.

Makes 4 tostadas:

2 onions
4 cloves garlic
500 g chicken breast
375 ml chicken stock
1 kg tomatoes
A few Chiles – Jalapeño – Nachos (cut)
2 bunches fresh coriander
Salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
8 corn tortillas – white – fresh – 14 cm – “MiAdelita” from nixtamalised flour
8 large lettuce leaves
100 g crème fraîche
100 g Gouda or Gruyère cheese (medium mature)

Method:

Place chicken breasts in a pot with chicken broth, half an onion and one clove garlic, slowly bring to the boil, simmer over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, blanche the tomatoes in boiling water, skin and seed. In a blender, puree Chiles – Jalapeño – Nachos (cut) together with the remaining onions and garlic cloves. Finely chop coriander and mix into the puree. Season with salt and pepper.
Fry the corn tortillas until crispy. Chop up the chicken meat.
Spread half of the tomato sauce onto the tortillas and top with the lettuce leaves. Evenly distribute the chicken and the rest of tomato sauce on the tortillas. Add crème fraîche and grate cheese over tortillas. Dish up two tostadas on each plate and serve immediately to avoid them turning soft.

Enmoladas

Makes 8 enmoladas:

Corn tortillas – white – fresh – 14 cm – “MiAdelita” from nixtamalised flour
400 g chicken
300 g Mole “El Xiqueno”
150 g crème fraîche

Method:

Boil chicken in 500 ml water until tender.
Remove chicken from pot and cut into small cubes.
Dissolve Mole in water.
Add chicken and cook for another 20 minutes.
Briefly place corn tortillas in the Mole, arrange on a plate, place chicken on top and roll up.
Spread crème fraîche on top.