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SIDE DISHES |
Just about anything that you serve as a main dish needs something to go along side it
on the plate. Naturally, you can open up a can of corn, beans or peas and serve them with
your nice piece of meat, but why not take that extra step and put something out which adds
a shot of enthusiasm to the meal. A small salad, some sliced tomatoes or half of an
avocado are fine, but here are a few ideas which you might want to try from time to time.
REFRITOS (Refried Beans)
There is a terrible old joke that goes, "Why do Mexicans eat refried beans?"
"Because they never get anything right the first time."
Actually, making refried beans shows that they have a lot more on the ball than one would
think. First of all, many of the vitamins and minerals are transferred from the beans to
the juice during cooking and this is a very good way to recover them. Secondly, only
during the past few decades has silverware been in common use in many of the households of
Mexico. Even today, it is not unusual to find people outside of the cities using tortillas
for eating instead of a fork. They bring out the silverware only when they entertain
gringos.
While most of the women of Mexico will use nothing except a terrazo pan called an asalejo
for making refritos, one can use most any skillet.
Into a skillet which has been used to cook some type of meat, then without washing, add
some diced onions to sauthref="/mailstuff.htm" in the remaining grease. As soon as the onions become tender,
add about half a cup of cooked beans for each person to be served. As they begin to
simmer, use a wooden spoon to mash them up while adding small amounts of bean juice to
keep them from getting too thick and sticking. It Is not unusual to toss in a chili during
cooking for added flavor and spice.
Many cooks purposely leave bits of the meat in the pan to add flavor to the refritos.
Refritos are used as a side dish in almost every meal in Mexico, as well as spread on
tortilla chips to make bocadidos.
SPANISH RICE
So called Spanish Rice is nothing more than rice which was flavored with tomatoes, onions
and chills while cooking to give it added flavor. The easy way to make Spanish Rice is to
add about a third of a cup of salsa picante while cooking a cup of either regular or
minute rice.
BAJA BAKED BEANS
1 Slice Bacon
1 Small Onion, diced
1/4 Cup Ketchup
1 T Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp. Prepared Mustard
1 Can Pork and Beans, drained
Cook bacon and remove when done. Cook onions in the bacon grease until tender. Add the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. When it begins to bubble, crumble and return the bacon and add the drained beans. Stir as little only as necessary to coat the beans and serve as soon as they are hot.
FRIED NOPALITOS
2 Fresh Nopal Palms
1 Cup Cornmeal
Salt
Oil For Frying
Nopal cacti grows wild in all areas of Baja and can be harvested at any time of the
year. Cut only the smaller, topmost palms or leaves. Handle carefully as the thorns are
very painful, especially the tiny ones. Using a knife with a sharp point, remove the thorn
bunches by cutting little circles around them and lifting them out. Finish cleaning by
trimming off about a quarter inch around the outer edge of the palm. Slice into 1/2 inch
squares. Sprinkle with water and then salt. Set aside for about half an hour to allow the
juice to come out. It will be rather slick and sticky. The best way to coat the nopalitos
is to shake them with the cornmeal in a paper bag.
In hot oil, almost smoking, fry only as many of the nopalitos at a time as will cook
without stacking on top of one another. As soon as they brown, remove and drain on a paper
towel. They taste almost exactly like fried okra.
CORN PUDDING
1 Can Cream Style Corn
2 Eggs, well beaten
1 Cup Evaporated Milk
1 T. Melted Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Use butter to grease a baking dish and combine all other ingredients. Pour into the baking dish which is then placed into a larger pan which contains half an inch of hot water. Bake half an hour in a 350 oven.
CARROTS AND PINEAPPLE
4 Carrots, scraped and cut in 1/2" slices.
1 Small Can Pineapple Chunks w/Juice
1 T. Sugar
Cook carrots until almost done and drain. Add pineapple, Juice and sugar. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and remainder is slightly syrupy.
STIR FRY VEGGIES
1 Each of 4 or 5 Kinds of Fresh vegetables
1 T. Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Wash and cut the veggies into bite size pieces. Heat the skillet first, then pour in the oil (olive or peanut oil is great for this). Add the vegetables and pour in two tablespoons of water. Cover and cook for about three minutes at high heat, stirring each minute. Leave the lid off long enough for the excess liquid to evaporate and it is done. The veggies should still be slightly crunchy.