Recipes and Ideas
From new and innovative creations to cherished old favourites, we're constantly sharing mouth-watering recipes that will inspire your inner chef. If you have any of your own recipes to share, join us on Instagram @CoolChileCo and become part of our vibrant community.
Recipes
Hogget-Lamb Barbacoa
Lamb or Hogget shoulder is marinated in Ancho in Adobo over night and slow cooked with Avocado Leaves, until pull apart tender. You will need a roasting tray with a rack and foil to wrap. Serve as as a main course with roasted potatoes, seasonal green and salsa borracha. Also tasty as tacos with toasty corn tortillas, diced, onion, coriander, green chile and lime.
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Rosca de Reyes
Mexican Rosca de Reyes (ring of kings) looks like a big round or oval shaped doughnut decorated with colourful winter fruit and that wonderful sweet pastry dough that is also used to decorate conchas (shell shaped pastries). This sweet bread is eaten with Mexican hot chocolate at family gatherings, on the 6th of January to celebrate Epiphany. Baked inside the dough, traditionally, is a toy to represent baby Jesus. Whoever is served the toy is blessed and has the honour of hosting a party on Ca...
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Ranchero Sauce – entomatadas with requeson
Entomatada means in a tomato sauce, like enchilada means in a chile sauce or enfrijolada in a bean sauce. These are light quesadillas filled with requeson which is herbed ricotta.
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Micheladas
Micheladas are made with beer, red or green tomato juice, Habanero Hot Sauce and plenty of ice and, this drink is refreshing for hot days, parties or perfect for a pick me up, drunk quickly it brings a sparkle to your eye and makes you belch. Always good. If you can find really a 1 litre glass that will fit all the ice, the fixings and a can of beer you are on to a winner, other wise serve half a can of beer with 1/4 cup of tomato mix.
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Salsa Macha by Monica Shaw
My salsa macha is based on a Rick Bayless recipe. I've been a long time fan of Rick's since first going to his restaurant, Frontera Grill, in my hometown Chicago, where I had some of the best Mexican food of my life. I've since relied on his recipes for inspiration, especially when it comes to dried chillies. The salsa macha intrigued me; this puree of nuts, seeds, dried chillies, garlic and oil seemed more akin to pesto than salsa, and indeed, it's proved a great dip, drizzle and baste for all...
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Oaxacan Mole Negro
Oaxaca is famous for it moles and maybe the most famous of all of their moles, is Mole Negro. It is a celebratory mole, because of the rarity and expense of one of the chillies used, the Chile Chilhuacle Negro and because of the process which involves burning the chillies and their seeds to obtain its beautiful colour and deep roasted flavours. So turn on the extract and open the windows, there is no way around it, this recipe makes you cough, however the delicious coffee notes obtained from...
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Classic Margarita - Jug
Our recipe omits the usual Triple Sec while doubling the tequila, which we feel gives you more tequila flavour. We like to use a strong flavoured but sipable 100% Blue agave tequila, either blanco or reposado. You can also make it with mezcal for a smokier taste. Use fresh-squeezed lime juice and simple sugar syrup, you can’t go wrong.
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HOW TO PREPARE MEXICAN DRIED CHILES
Dried chiles are an essential part of Mexican cuisine, they need to be toasted and re hydrated to release their flavour. At Cool Chile we stock 11 varieties of Mexican dried chiles which vary in heat and flavour. If you have a wrinkly-skinned or smooth skinned chile, follow the instructions below to achieve a rich and silky puree.
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Mexican Birria
The word birria means something that is a mess or deformed, but it is an affectionate name for this beloved meaty rustic brothy stew. It is usually made from lamb or goat but can also be made from beef or a combination of all three. It is marinated in a red chile paste and then cooked in a pit barbeque with steaming liquid below. The juices from the meat fall into this and are used to make a wonderful broth that is served with the meat in a bowl. It is then garnished with a scattering of chopp...
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Pink Pickled Onions
Pink pickled onions are from the Yucatan, where they put them on dishes such as puerco pibil and panuchos. The flavour is as perky as the colour with a pleasing heat. Using a habanero would be more traditional but a Scotch bonnet will work too.
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Agua Fresca Flor de Jamaica / Hibiscus Flower Water
A classic Mexican agua fresca, flor de Jamaica has a beautiful colour and a tart refreshing taste.
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Mexican Hot Chocolate
Cool Chile Hot Chocolate are made with Mexican beans called the Tabasqueño bean which are grown in the Selva Zoque in the south. These beans are a wild hybrid of the Criollo bean originating from ancient times and the more modern amelonado bean. The beans are stone ground with cane sugar and spices to make two styles: Oaxaca Hot Chocolate and Maya Hot Chocolate.
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Pastel de Elote (Fresh Corn Cake)
The time to make this cake is when corn season is with us and corn is plentiful and fresh in its husks. It is a cake that can go three ways, as a pudding with a dusting of powdered sugar and berries or savoury with 'rajas con crema' which is a most delicious combination, but it is also very nice as it is as with a cup of coffee. No waste tip: save the fresh corn husks to make tamales or use them to wrap fish with for the barbecue.
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Pan de Muertos (Bread of the Dead)
The 1st and 2nd of November are days of remembrance for loved ones that have passed away. It is celebrated with a family get together, either at home or at the cemetery. All the favourite foods of the deceased are prepared to encourage the spirit to come back and visit! Pan de Muertos is a sweet bread that is served after the meal with a Mexican hot chocolate. The loaf is traditionally decorated with bone shapes on top with a generous sprinkling of sugar. The recipe is basically a brioche dough...
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Sweet Tamales
Steamed corn dumplings with various sweet fillings but can also be savoury.
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Masa Harina Pancakes
The delicate warm flavour of corn from the masa harina makes for really special pancakes – and of course they are also gluten free. Perfect with a simple dusting of sugar and a squeeze of lemon, or go all out and try them with homemade Cajeta (goat's milk toffee) or Mexican Chocolate Fudge sauce and whipped cream. Inspired by Delia Smith
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Tomatillo & avocado taco sauce
A delicious, super easy, fresh tasting salsa with a lovely heat, use with tacos or quesadillas.
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Roasted Tomato and Jalapeno Salsa
An easy, but very tasty roasted salsa for tacos, meats and grilled sandwiches (right bowl pictured in photo).
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Dried Red Chilli Salsa
A beautiful, earthy, deep red salsa made from ancho, guajillo and chipotle chillies, that goes with grilled meats, tacos and quesadillas (top bowl pictured in photo).
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Tomatillo & chipotle Salsa
You can use this salsa for dipping totopos or to serve on tacos, quesadillas or with steak / grilled cheese sandwiches. Add some finely chopped coriander and dilute with a little stock, to turn into a green sauce for chilaquiles.
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Guacamole
Guacamole is used as a dip but also as a ‘glue’ to hold ingredients on a tostada or torta, plus providing moisture and richness, much like we use butter or mayonnaise. This is a green and serene version of guacamole without garlic to keep that nice fresh crisp apply taste from the avocados, the onion makes it sing.
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Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo, also known as Salsa Mexicana, is used as a table condiment to sprinkle on tacos, soup or beans or as a dip. The idea is to cut all the ingredients to roughly the same small dice and to have a balance of colour, green (chilli and coriander), white (onion) and red (tomato), just like the Mexican flag.
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Mojo de Ajo
Mojo de ajo means dunked in garlic, this heavenly concoction is great with prawns, mushrooms or spinach plus you can make garlic mayonnaise with the extra oil.
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Cornbread with masa harina and chilli
Cornbread is typically American and very nice served on the side of stew or warmed and topped with butter and maple syrup. Using stone ground cornmeal is the best as the corn kernels are milled at a cooler temperature helping to retain the corns natural sweetness and leaving the germ intact. We have been using the Marino Brand stone ground organic fine maize from Bakery Bits with great results. The masa harina adds another corn dimension which we find very pleasing.
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