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
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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Stuffed Ancho Chillies by Karla Zazueta
Stuff it! Stuff em! Anchos are dried poblanos and although poblanos are more commonly stuffed the ancho makes a tasty, rich vehicle for picadillo, mincemeat Mexican style-y. To make veggie replace the minced meat with finely chopped mushrooms.
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Garbanzo - Chickpea salad with homemade vinaigrette
Delicious, nutritious and colourful salad. Great as a main dish, but same can be served as a side. Improvise and have any leftovers you may have lying around, extra veg, cheese, etc!
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Jalapeno Cheese Balls
Jalapeno Cheese Balls make a perfect side dish and also looks great on your snack/cheese platter. You can make it from any leftover cheese in your fridge when having unexpected guests in your house.
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Albóndigas a la Mexicana
The Spanish brought this Moorish influenced dish with them when they conquered Mexico. The meat is poached in the sauce instead of being fried, and it's usually served as a stew with a little rice and corn tortillas to mop up any leftover sauce. Usually meatballs are bound with egg and breadcrumbs, but in this recipe we use raw potato (which makes them soft and tender) and crushed corn chips for extra flavour. Another Mexican trick is to stuff each meatball with a piece of hardboiled egg, an ol...
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Hibiscus iced tea by Kristina Urbonaite
Sweet cranberry-like tasting iced tea, that is just too easy to make. In this recipe we are using baking soda to reduce the bitterness, as boiling water releases the tannins of tea and makes it bitter. Alternatively, you can brew tea overnight with cold water.
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Salsa de Tomatillo Tatemada - charred tomatillo salsa
Roasted and charred fresh tomatillos and jalapeños make for heavenly salsa flecked with black bits of skin, it is smoky and delicious. Our preferred method for roasting is a hot pan on the stove and complete charring can be accomplished by using a blow torch to get into all the nooks and crannies. Plus there is an amazing smell when flame makes the chile skin go snap, crackle and pop. Roasting concentrates the flavours and natural sugars in the vegetables as they lose water when cooking. To max...
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Green Pozole
This recipe uses the left overs from a duck, the fattiness replicating the traditional pork very nicely, however you can make this recipe with chicken or turkey leftovers too. In fact you don't need any meat at all, it is great with a good vegetable stock and enriched by toasted pumpkin seed paste. The garnishes are inspired by El Pozole de Moctezuma a famous pozoleria in Mexico City, where they add raw egg yolk, sardines and mezcal to your bowl. This recipe is made easier with a pressure co...
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Nacho's Special
A homage to Ignacio Anaya, who is said to have invented Nacho in the 1940s when hungry women came into the hotel he was working at out of kitchen hours. As there were no chefs in, he quickly put together some ingredients to make a snack: totopos topped with cheese and pickled jalapeños and threw it in the oven. The women loved it, asked for seconds calling it Nacho's Special, Nacho being a nickname for Ignacio. Our Nacho's recipe involves a little more, adding salsas, pink pickled onions, liqu...
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Tacos de Tuetano (Bone Marrow Tacos)
Roasted bone marrow, often described as “meat butter” works a treat spread over a warm corn tortilla with a sprinkle of salt, you can add salsa but there is something delicious about the simplicity of the unctuous marrow, corn and salt.
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Homemade tortillas
There's nothing like getting your hands into masa and making tortillas – it feels, smells and tastes great.
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Chiles en nogada
In Mexico they cook these delicious stuffed poblanos called 'chiles en nogada' to celebrate Mexican Independence day on September 15th. The seasonal ingredients used in this festive recipe represent the colours in the Mexican flag: dark green fresh poblanos, creamy white walnuts and red, jewel-like pomegranate seeds. If you can find fresh British walnuts this is a great recipe to use them in. Although the peeling is a little fiddly, it makes all the difference. ¡Viva México! Inspired by Rick Ba...
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Huevos Rancheros with black bean refry
A classic Mexican almuerzo (brunch) dish. Make the ranchero salsa in advance if doing from scratch.
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Tostadas, totopos & tortilla strips
Frying adds texture and flavour and is a great way to use of stale tortillas, waste not want not.
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Mexican Fideos
In Mexico lunch is the main meal and is usually served from 2–4pm in the afternoon. Small restaurants will provide 'comida corrida' which is a set menu of 3–4 courses. Normally you will be served in sequence: sopa aguada (wet soup), sopa seca (dry soup of rice or pasta), plato fuerte (main dish), postre (pudding). Mexican fideos is a favourite sopa seca, but it can also be served as a main meal with salad. Leftovers make mighty fine tacos!
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Salsa Borracha
For a killer Salsa borracha (drunken salsa) we have turned to Alex Stupak who has an Oaxacan inspired recipe, which uses the smoky flavours of pasilla de Oaxaca and mezcal,
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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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Chamoy BBQ Sauce
Chamoy! Tart, sweet, salty and spicy, made into a smoky barbecue sauce with Chile Pasilla de Oaxaca, vinegar and garlic- perfect for ribs, chicken or fish.
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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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Pescado a la Talla by Karla Zazueta
This super delicious fish recipe is from the state of Guerrero in the south of Mexico. Chilli adobo is rubbed on butterflied fish and grilled over charcoal for maximum flavour. Our recipe uses seabass and our Ancho in Adobo Marinade, which gives a wonderful deep flavour. The fish can be eaten like a taco with different toppings or as a main dish with some roasted baby potatoes and green salad. An amazing dish for special occasions!
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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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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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Chocoflan with burnt sugar caramel
Chocoflan, also called 'el pastel imposible', has two layers - one a moist chocolate cake, the other a creamy flan - so it could also be called 2 in 1 cake as well! What makes it impossible is the fact the the cake and the flan swop places in the bundt tin when cooking. The cake rising to the top and the flan sinking to the bottom. It's a great dessert for a gathering and is appealing to all ages. The burnt sugar caramel is not essential but the bitter sweet taste compliments the sweet flan, an...
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Frijoles de Charro (Cowboy Beans)
‘Frijoles de charros’ are typical in north México where pinto beans are grown. We have translated this bean dish into 'cowboy beans' which doesn't really do justice to the horsemen of northern Mexico called charros, who wear traditional dress and a large hat. Serve this dish as a side to meat or fish. It is also delicious in a bowl with a poached egg on top, for a brunch dish, served with tortillas or toast on the side. Any leftovers can be made into refry.
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Cajeta Cream Cheese Brownie Tart
This is a a traditional brownie mix with cajeta cream cheese mix swirled on to the top and baked in a loose bottom fluted tart tin. We like the scalloped edged and the fact that when cut everyone gets an edge and middle to their piece of tart. This is also really good cold, so can be made the day before and served the next day for a gathering. Inspired by Estaban Castillo from Chicano Eats
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Quick chipotle butterflied leg of lamb with mint sauce
Inspired by Diana Henry. One of our favourite dishes at home is what we call ‘lamb on fire’. My husband, Fred, bones a leg of lamb and marinates it in lots of tasty things. We have a big fireplace in our flat that we can barbecue, so he fires it up and hunkers down with a beer whilst barbecuing the meat to pink perfection. Not everyone has or wants to barbecue in their living room and Diana Henry's recipe for butterflied lamb (in her book 'A Change of Appetite') showed me that you can cook la...
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Mexican chorizo
Mexican chorizo is typically made with pork, but beef or a meat substitute like firm tofu (or tempeh or seitan) work equally well as an alternative. Buy ready minced or grind your own, using equal parts of minced pork belly, neck fillet, shoulder and pork lardo. Use as you would chorizo and remember that a little of this flavoursome, spicy mixture goes a long way!
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Pambazo
A great way to use up any stale rolls, Pambazo is a Mexican sandwich in which the bread is dipped in guajillo salsa, fried, then stuffed with potato, Mexican chorizo, creme fraiche, salsa, cheese and lettuce. It's a mighty meal in itself and a messy thing to eat so have plenty of kitchen towel at the ready!
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Carnitas Tacos
Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats" originated in the state of Michoacán. Carnitas is traditionally braised or simmered in its fat; here we cover the meat until liquid runs dry and the pork starts to cook it is own fat. The pork is tucked into warm corn tortillas and topped with white onion, coriander, a squeeze of lime and a roasted green jalapeno emulsion - this is a thing of beauty!
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Tacos Al Pastor
Traditionally grilled on a vertical spit, similar to a shwarma or gyro, Tacos Al Pastor is one of Mexico’s most famous – and tastiest – street foods. Although pork is traditional, chicken can also be also used – the key is the secret sauce it's marinaded in.
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Beef Barbacoa
This recipe is so easy and so good. Meat and a marinade is baked in a casserole dish with a lid in the oven for about 3 hours until the meat is fall apart tender. The marinade couldn't be simpler to make, add everything to the blender and blend, no toasting or soaking of chillies! Serve as tacos with corn tortillas, diced onion, green chilli and lime or serve as a meal with Potato Tostones and seasonal greens.
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Mojo de Ajo mushrooms with epazote
Mojo de ajo means dunked in garlic, this heavenly concoction is great with mushrooms and makes a great filling for quesadillas.
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Roadside Chicken with grilled green onions
One of the best street food offerings in Mexico is Roadside Chicken, simply marinated and cooked slowly over coals for a juicy flavoursome bird, perfect for tucking into toasty corn tortillas, anointing with salsa and serving with grilled green onions. The chicken is spatchcocked so that it cooks evenly. Serve family-style by placing in the middle of the table and let everyone make their own tacos. This recipe can also be cooked on a rotisserie spit or in the oven too.
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TRES LECHES CAKE
Tres Leches (three milk's) cake, is a super light sponge made by whipping egg whites into the batter mix. Once baked the sponge is soaked in sweet milk and topped with whipped cream and fresh seasonal fruit.
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Sweet Tamales
Steamed corn dumplings with various sweet fillings but can also be savoury.
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Caldo de camarón by Sofia Craxton
This delicious, warming soup is spicy and extremely moreish, a bit like a Tom Yum soup. It is served at many cantinas in Mexico for free, either as a welcoming gesture for choosing to visit a particular establishment or just to whet your appetite. This soup is fantastic on a cold day and like with any hot and spicy soup, it is quite comforting for those who also happen to have a hangover! My late father was a real foodie and he loved this soup, so much so that he became such good friends wit...
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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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Smoky Black Bean Dip by Daniela Villanueva
This Black Bean Dip with Pasilla de Oaxaca and Epazote is perfect as a dip for Totopos! It has a strong smoky taste and is perfect for chilli lovers!
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Chilli-cured fish tacos by Stevie Parle
The fish in these light, fresh-tasting tacos is 'cooked' by being marinated in citrus juice (what's known as ceviche), so it's important to use the freshest you can find.
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Home style pork Carnitas with achiote rice
Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats" originated in the state of Michoacán. Carnitas is traditionally braised or simmered in its own fat, here we cover the meat until liquid runs dry and the pork starts to cook it is own fat. This recipe works particularly well with earthy achiote rice and an ideal one-pot celebratory dish. This recipe will have leftover carnitas, perfect for making carnitas tacos.
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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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Potato Tostones with Sour Cream and Tomatillo Salsa
Squished and fried baby potatoes serve with a little sour cream, diced onion and a dribble of Tomatillo Salsa. These are a great side to meat dishes such as Beef Barbacoa.
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Tetelas with Refried Beans & Ricotta By Karla Zazueta
Tetelas are delicious triangular antojitos (little nibbles) made from masa dough. They are very popular in the south of Mexico. Typically stuffed with refried beans, they make a wonderful starter for a Mexican dinner or lunch.
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Chiles Rellenos
Classic Mexican dish, made from poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, coated with eggs, deep-fried and served with Ranchero salsa. In this recipe we will use our own made Ranchero salsa, however you can always make your own.
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Mole Poblano Chicken Taco
Mole Poblano has always played a star role in Mexican Cuisine. It's a dish many Mexicans continue to make for special occasions and parties. By using Cool Chile Mole Poblano Paste you can now rustle up a mole poblano taco in a flash, to make any occasion special.
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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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