San Lorenzo Zinacantan

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

Zinacantan is an Indigenous village outside San Cristobal. We recommend you tour this village with a guide (we suggest Alex and Raoul Tours). In combination with a tour to San Juan Chamula it will take about 3-4 hours. Just meet up with Raoul or one of his members at the cross in front of the church in San Cristobal. Be there any time between 8:45 – 9:30 in the morning and you can join in with a group. What is really impressive about this tour is that they are so respectful of the villages you are going to visit. We really enjoyed our time with Raoul Jr, and loved the way he interacted with the elders of the villages.

You might wonder how you will find one of the tour guides here ….. but you will.

Zinacantan is similar to San Juan Chamula only in that it is an autonomous village, exempt from the taxes, rules and laws of Mexico. This village is supported by the flower industry, and arriving in the village you see miles and miles of greenhouses, sometimes on the most impossible slope and you have to wonder about the logistics on managing those. Flowers are evident everywhere! They are all over their clothing and the buildings. It is such a colourful village. I wish I had been able to take photos inside the churches – they were absolutely beautiful with archways of flowers and banana plants. Slightly different from Chamula, these churches had altars and a few pews. Behind the altar though, was an astonishing array of flowers. You simply can’t believe the colourful display.

Part of our tour took us into a weaver’s home, where they showed us how labor intensive the weaving is. Literally days worth to create a shawl. THEN, they start the embroidery.

CORN. Part of everyday life, in all its varieties.

This is life in the village. We were so fortunate to have this family prepare a snack for us in their kitchen, Blue corn tortillas on the comal (flat cooking surface) over a wood fire. Can tortillas ever taste better? I don’t think so.

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If this is what the entry to church looks like, can you even imagine the interior? It was stunning.

We were in Zinacantan during festival days (no accident, you know Grant looks up all this extensively!)

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All in traditional clothing, they are chanting and dancing their way into the church for blessings before carrying on with the next stage of the festival. (All stages include lots of moonshine!)

Hard to imagine all the colour ….. these are the men involved in the ceremonies.

The flowers themselves are stunning, but the artistry in the arrangements really is amazing.

Just look at the embroidery on the clothing – this is everyday wear!

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The colours are brilliant. It’s hard to imagine how many hours of embroidery go into the daily clothing for both males and females.

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There were all sorts of activities going on for the festival that involved the horses, but we never did catch the race this year.

Residents of Zinacantan aren’t quite as upset about getting their photo taken.

This guy loved having his photo taken, wish I’d turned it to video as he and his horse danced around. See the school in the background & the cow grazing. No need for a lawn mower here.

All the guys with black painted faces are panthers, the beak guys with corn in their mouths are crows, and well…. the others are jaguars. The panthers climb that stripped tree, with the dissected squirrels (real ones, but stuffed) and throw them down to the hunters who race around trying to collect them. We waited for hours, but no one ever seems to know when something is actually going to transpire!

Look at all that embroidery, even the youngest wear the traditional clothing.

You know right away this family is from Chamula by the black wool skirts. (and the suspicious look at my phone)

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If you have time on your vacation to tear yourself away from Mexico’s amazing beaches, we heartily recommend you go inland …. the culture, food and sights you see are well worth it.

Mexico City bites

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

We arrive in Mexico City late, and won’t even be there for 24 hours before flying out to Tuxtla ….. this presents a real dilemma for us, requiring us to narrow down the places we eat. We’ve eaten our way through CDMX more than a few times, and on a restricted time frame, but this will be the shortest eating walking, walking in order to eat stop. EEK. I’m already dreaming of the places to quickly stop for a bite.

Churros are a natural start for us! This place, El Morro, is one of the oldest Churreria spots in the city, and they are delicious. It is usually easy to get a table early in the day, but you should see the lineups late afternoon and into the night!

Next head to a mercado – the food is always amazing in the markets, and once we’ve had our coffee and churro it is time for a savoury bite ….. how about carnitas? These tacos are mouth watering pork goodness.

Every bit of the pork is waiting to be chopped up and served in a taco. We loved the tortillas they made at this stand, they have fresh herbs in the tortilla masa and added so much flavour.

No shortage of amazing toppings for your taco.

It’s hard to only eat a couple of tacos at this place, but so many more steps and bites to come …

Time to lighten things up a bit …. how about some fruit? These cups of fruit and vegetables are available everywhere and bursting with freshness.

Look for these vendors on the streets – you can choose whatever you want in your cup!

Don’t miss the mango!

How about a little ceviche next? So refreshing and absolutely delicious.

When you walk this much, your little 5 year old legs need a boost from big sister …..

La Docena – our favourite oyster bar. These blue crab tostada’s with habanero foam are the bomb! Served with a crisp white from the Baja region its a perfect bite.

Crunchy oyster croutons served with fresh greens and creamy avocado – love this salad.

Save room for dessert – these pastries are a great way to finish off a day.

Less than a day to eat, so many bites waiting …… we will get off that plane with an appetite and start walking!

Halibut Veracruzana

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

This is one of those recipes that is more a guideline. Inspired by the flavours of fish we’ve had served in the style of Veracruz in Mexico, this is so easy to prepare at home, and if you have a good source of fish, give it a try!

You will need:

enough fish to feed your family (I’ve used halibut here but any white fish will work)
green olives
fresh tomatoes
black olives
capers
roasted red peppers
fresh red peppers
your best olive oil
lemon
sea salt & pepper

Generously butter a baking dish (extra points for using a pretty one that you can also serve this dish in!)

Lay in your fish, cut in serving size.

Chop the olives, peppers and fresh tomato, and then cover your fish with all the toppings. Again, be generous with seasoning – liberally sprinkling salt and pepper over it all. Then – squeeze a whole lemon and drizzle olive oil over the top.

Roast at 375 just until fish flakes nicely. This will entirely depend on the thickness of your fish, so watch it carefully and check after 10 minutes.

Serve over rice, with a bright, crunchy salad on the side. Add crusty bread to soak up those juicy drippings and you’ve got a quick easy dinner good enough for company.

Fajita Seasoning

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Chatty Kathy

Fajita Seasoning 1

Having this seasoning mix on hand makes dinner easy breezy! (lemon squeezy??) Make a double batch and you can keep it for months in a cool, dry spot. Use it on vegetables, fish or meat alike, these flavours go so well together and make dinner quick and simple.

1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

How easy is this? just toss it all into a bowl and thoroughly mix. Do yourself a favour and make lots.

Just looking at this, you can tell it’s tasty, right??

This works with anything your imagination can come up with …. salad dressing or vegetable dip or seafood bake …. you let me know if you come up with more!

For fajitas:

protein (or not to make it vegetarian)
onions
peppers

To make fajitas, simply generously sprinkle slivered chicken (or any meat, seafood of your choice) and toss in fry pan until just cooked through.

Cook sliced peppers and onions separately so they don’t overcook.

Serve with:

lime crema (sounds fancy, but it’s just a squeeze of lime juice with sour cream and a bit of salt)
salsa
avocado
lime wedges
chopped cilantro
toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
tortillas

You can so easily turn this into what is crazy popular right now, power bowls! Just serve with cooked quinoa or grain of your choice.

Turn it into a sheet pan dinner, also featured everywhere right now, just generously sprinkle everything with the seasoning and toss it into a hot oven (?400?).

Yes, you are welcome, you didn’t know dinner could be so quick, easy, healthy and delicious, did you???

Taco Seasoning Mix

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Chatty Kathy

How pretty is this colourful group of seasoning?

Ever noticed how many ingredients you can’t spell or pronounce on those premade taco seasoning packs?? Stop the madness with this mixture. A little bit of flour makes the ground meat have a wee bit of a saucy texture. Don’t stop at ground meat for goodness sake (pun? word play?).. Sprinkle this over vegetables and roast them up – drizzle with a little lime crema and you’ve got an amazingly tasty dish.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne powder (use less if you aren’t keen on the heat)
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Mix all this up in a small bowl, and then have it on hand to season meat or vegetables. You’ll be so glad you took a few minutes to get this ready.

Taco Seasoning 2

To use this for ground meat tacos, brown your meat in a fry pan, then add 2 tbsp mixture for each pound of ground meat and add about 2 tbsp water, stir and cook just until meat is cooked through.

If you want to leave the flour out altogether that is just great, that makes it even more versatile:

Salad Vinaigrette: 1 tbsp mix to 2 tbsp lime juice and 7 tbsp olive oil.

Vegetable (or chip!) Dip: 1 tbsp (or to taste) with 1/4 cup each plain yogurt and good mayonnaise.

Grilled Shrimp: Sprinkle a generous amount over shrimp before grilling.

I like to mix up 3 x this recipe and just keep it on hand. Try it, you’ll do the same thing!

Summer Mexican Cobb Salad

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Chatty Kathy

Chipotle Chicken and Cilantro Vinaigrette give this one dish dinner a real taste of Mexico.

Combine the taste of cilantro dressing with fresh and lively salad crunch, and top it with grilled spicy chipotle chicken – you’ll have the best summer salad … this one will be on repeat.

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN MARINADE

3-4 chicken breasts, or 8 boneless, skinless thighs
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Blend all ingredients until smooth, and pour over chicken. Marinate for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight.

Grill until cooked through, and set aside. Do not slice until chicken has rested at least 15 minutes.

CILANTRO VINAIGRETTE

1 huge bunch cilantro – chopped up
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 loved garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dijon mustard

Put all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

This vinaigrette is delicious! Use it on a salad, or as a topping for your steak ….. dip your prawns into it …. the list is endless.

SALAD

include any number of ingredients to create texture, bright, crispy crunchy fresh vegetables as well as creamy avocado, tasty fruit and toasted nuts

salad greens
spinach
cucumber
sweet peppers
snap peas
corn, grilled and sliced off the cobb
avocado
sliced strawberries
cooked bacon
toasted nuts

Toss salad ingredients together, and drizzle with cilantro vinaigrette.

Top with sliced chicken and drizzle a little more vinaigrette over the chicken.

Crispy Crunchy Fish Tacos

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Chatty Kathy

Crispy, crunchy, spicy & creamy – fish tacos don’t get any better!

Flaky white fish (cod today), coated in the crispiest, craggiest of batters, and topped with creamy avocado, spicy chipotle cream, fresh & crispy peanut cabbage coleslaw and cilantro. Our favourite fish tacos in Mexico are found in Puerto Escondido at this amazing spot we just had to return to. La Olito, you do it best! No, I’m sure these are not exactly the same, but once you’ve had them you will also want to either hop a plane for Puerto Escondido or try my version.

BATTER

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup rice flour
2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp smoked paprika
sea salt
3/4 cup beer (maybe more if necessary)
1 egg

This works for about 1 pound white fish, (halibut, cod, snapper). Cut into 2″ pieces and dust with salt and pepper, then a light coating of flour.

Combine flour, paprika, pepper & salt and whisk to combine. Transfer half the mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add the beer & egg to remaining mixture and whisk until a smooth batter (it should be about the consistency of paint). Add a bit more beer at a time until it does. Set aside.

Heat oil in deep fryer or fry pan to 350.

Take fish that has been coated in the light flour and dip in the batter, then into the dry spiced flour mixture. Cook pieces a few at a time so that you don’t bring the temperature of the oil down by crowding the fish. Turn fish a few times so that the entire fish piece is crispy, crunchy and golden brown.

As fish is cooked, keep warm in a 200 degree oven until all the fish is cooked.

Fish tacos 2

Serve with:

Chipotle Aoili

To make chipotle aoili combine:

1/3 cup sour cream (feel free to use plain yogurt)
1 minced chipotle chili in adobo sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

This is a generalization really …… everybody has different spice tastes, and all products have different levels of flavour. Make this your own!

Peanut Coleslaw

roast 1/ cup peanuts lightly, chop and set aside

1-2 cups shredded cabbage (add carrot and red cabbage if you like)

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Mix dressing ingredients together and toss with cabbage and peanuts

Heat tortillas, and fill up with fish, top with coleslaw, crema, avocado and cilantro.

If you haven’t packed your bags for Mexico yet …. get out the napkins and try these fish tacos.

Korean Bibimbap

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Chatty Kathy

Quick disclaimer here …. this is unapologetically inauthentic! At Fat Boy Moves in Mexico City we ate Bibimbap a couple of times and this is my version of trying to replicate that in my own kitchen, minus of course the stone bowl to serve it in….

What’s missing you say? Any authentic Bibimbap will have a soft egg on top!

In terms of recipes, this is more of a guideline. I’m sure you can find lots of real, true Korean Bibimbap recipes out there, but for my own preferences, in my kitchen, this was pretty delicious. I think it is key to have either a cast iron frying pan or a stainless steel pan to get the rice nice and crusty.

First, make a sauce:

1/4 cup soya sauce
2 tbsp roasted sesame oil
1 tbsp chile garlic sauce
1 tbsp gojuchang

Taste the sauce, I can’t say that enough, make sure it is delicious …. each of those components will be slightly different by brand so hit a balance you like.

Second, make pickled cucumbers:

cut about a 4 inch piece of cucumber in half, lengthwise
scoops out seeds and slice very thinly

Put cucumbers in a bowl, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp each of salt and sugar. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp rice vinegar and mix well. Set aside.

To assemble you will need:

cooked rice
protein (if you like, easy to just make it vegetarian also)
stir fried veg
pickled cucumbers
sesame seeds
cilantro
slivered chives

Thinly sliver nori sheet and toast until crispy

If you are using a protein, cover your steak, chicken or prawns with a light bit of gojuchang and allow to marinade for an hour. Grill, and once rested, slice into bite size pieces.

Prepare the vegetables you are going to use, today I used coloured sweet peppers, onions, snow peas, bok choy and cabbage.

Heat fry pan until very hot, add neutral oil and sauce some ginger and garlic. Add in vegetables and stir fry just until tender. Set aside.

Reheat the pan, barely cover the bottom with sesame oil and then cover the bottom with the rice. Allow to sit undisturbed until the rice is heated through and the bottom develops a nice golden brown crust.

Centre your cooked vegetables on the rice, scatter the protein around the edge and garnish with the pickled cucumber, toasted nori and sesame seeds. Drizzle over the prepared sauce and enjoy!

Tacos al Pastor (at home!)

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Chatty Kathy

I was able to find a recipe from Rick Bayless, Frontera Grill, and when you get a great recipe like this one, don’t mess with it! I’ve tried to make tacos mimicking the tacos al pastor from Mexico before, but without that upright spit to grill it all on, it is very difficult to achieve. We found this to be the closest thing I could do at home.

Serve it with Mexican Pickled Vegetables, Pickled Red Onions and it is a real hit.

Pickled Vegetables

Pickled Red Onions

INGREDIENTS

A 3 1/2ounce packageachiote paste
3canned chipotle chile en adobo, plus 4 tablespoons of the canning sauce
1/4cup vegetable or olive oil, plus a little more for the onion and pineapple
1 1/2pounds thin-sliced pork shoulder (1/4-inch-thick slices are ideal—the kind Mexican butchers sell for making tacos al pastor)
1medium red onion, sliced 1/4- inch thick
Salt
1/4of a medium pineapple, sliced 1/4-inch-thick rounds
20 warm corn tortillas
About 1 1/2cups raw tomatillo salsa

If you have a great butcher, have him slice the meat super fine – you’ll be thankful!

INSTRUCTIONS

In a blender, combine the achiote paste, chiles, canning sauce, oil and 3/4 cup water. Blend until smooth. Use 1/3 of the marinade to smear over both sides of each piece of meat (refrigerate the rest of the marinade to use on other meat or fish). Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Marinate for at least an hour, but I did this overnight. The flavour gets right through the meat.

Light a charcoal fire and let the coals burn until covered with gray ash but still very hot; bank the coals to one side and set the grill grate in place. Or, heat one side of a gas grill to high. Brush both sides of the onions slices with oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay in a single layer on the hot side of the grill. When richly browned, usually just about a minute, flip and brown the other side; move to the cool side of the grill to finish softening to grilled-onion sweetness. Oil and grill the pineapple in the same way. Finally, in batches, grill the meat: it’ll take about a minute per side as well. As the meat is done, transfer it to a cutting board and chop it up (between 1/4- and 1/2-inch pieces). Scoop into a skillet and set over the grill to keep the meat warm. Chop the onion and pineapple into small pieces as well, add them to the skillet and toss everything together. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Serve with the tortillas and salsa for your guests to make soft tacos.

Pickled Mexican Vegetables

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Chatty Kathy

Pickled Veg

I don’t know if any dinner featuring the tastes of Mexico would be complete without this dish … in Mexico it is often found sitting on tables just waiting for you to nibble.

This keeps for weeks in your fridge and is a great accompaniment to sandwiches or burgers and always perfect for tacos.

Like many pickled recipes, this is just a guide. Use whatever vegetables are fresh and ready at hand. Today’s version included garden fresh cauliflower, zucchini, green & yellow beans, carrots and sweet Walla Walla onions. Prepare vegetables in bite size portions, i.e., cauliflower florets, wedges of zucchini, carrots sliced on diagonal … you get the idea. I like to prepare everything ahead of time, and have them ready on the cutting board so I can see the colours and shapes together to make sure it is a pretty picture. (yep, I’m that weirdo) If you like a bit of spicy kick, slice up a jalapeño or two as well.

Start by heating up some good olive oil, (a generous portion – more than you would normally use to sauce) sauté onions until soft. Add garlic, carrot, and any veg you think might take a while to soften. You are only looking for crisp tender as your finished product, not soft and overcooked veg.

Add:

2 1/2 cups white vinegar

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp peppercorns

1 tbsp dried mexican oregano

4 bay leaves

Simmer just until heated through and remove from heat. Store in glass jar (or non reactive container) in the fridge for weeks!

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