One late summer day, many years ago, I had found some nice fresh crab meat at the market and also some beautiful sweet corn. My original idea was to make some nice corn pancakes, and when I found the crab, I decided to combine the two and invent a crab pancake recipe. It was a great success, and for some reason I was thinking about them earlier today, and now I have to find some nice crab meat to make some over the weekend, as I suddenly have a craving for them…

This recipe can also be done with good quality canned or frozen crab meat, and I have made it successfully in the past with frozen corn kernels, and I am sure that canned kernels can be substituted without any problems. I like them by themselves, and they can be eaten with a nice tartar sauce, or even with salsa verde if you want to spice up things.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sweet corn kernels
3/4 to 1 cup milk
1 pound crab meat
2 eggs
2 tbs sour cream
2 tbs melted butter
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 grating nutmeg
Butter for cooking

Preparation

1. In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, white pepper and nutmeg, and mix until uniform with a fork.
2. Add the eggs, the melted butter, and enough milk to make a fairly thick batter, and whisk together.
3. Fold in the corn and the crab meat until well incorporated.
4. In a non-stick pan melt a bit of butter over medium-low heat.
5. Place large spoonfuls off the batter in the pan to make several thick patties and cook until the edges are dry, then turn over and cook until set.
6. Keep the cooked pancakes warm and repeat with the rest of the batter.

Lucito

Today we did some extensive food shopping at the Mercado de Jamaica as over the last 8 months the price of food in and around the area we have moved to, has increased dramatically. Now that we are finally motorized again we can easily go back shopping to that fantastic covered market that specializes in flowers, but also has a huge amount of fruits and vegetables, as well as some decent chicken merchants. We also know a good butcher in the area, so we can buy there about 80% of what we need, and Normita is doing the accounting and we saved about 50-60% compared to shopping in our neighborhood. It is well worth going there, and we will start going regularly every Saturday morning.

We bought a huge pair of chicken breasts and had them prepared into what is locally called ‘bistecs’. Each individual breast is cut in half and spread open then pounded between two sheets of plastic to make a nice large thin piece of meat. Today’s ‘bistecs’ were huge considering that that both came from only a single breast. Normally we like to prepare them simply by seasoning with salt, pepper, and herbs, then squeezing some lime juice on them. You can then cook the ‘bistecs’ on a hot grill pan and have a tasty light meal.

Normita was in the mood for ‘milanesa’, which is the local name for taking one of those ‘bistecs’ and breading them. It is then cooked by pan frying. Those ‘bistecs’ can also be made with beef, veal, pork, and other meats. I decided to surprise her and prepare a gourmet version of the common ‘milanesa’. I quickly invented a nice tasty breading and we came out of the table just a while ago satisfied by a very tasty meal that turned out fantastic. The ‘milanesas’ were juicy with an incredibly crisp breading. I served the ‘milanesas’ with simple side dishes, some nice mushrooms sautéed in butter, and creamy mashed potatoes.

To reinforce the philosophy of this blog, I want to remind our readers that all the recipes that we post are originals, family recipes, classic recipes that we have been doing for ages, or recipes contributed by friends that we have tested. A lot of effort goes into doing it like this, but I would not do it otherwise, as it is the only way for us to assure you that a recipe will yield good results. If we do not like cooking and eating it, we will not post it. I can safely say that we enjoyed this recipe that I just put together a few hours ago, and with a full belly tonight I bid you goodnight.

Ingredients

4 ‘bistecs’ of chicken breast
4 heaping tbs flour
1 heaping tsp onion powder
1 heaping tsp dried herbes de Provence, finely ground
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 tsp mixture of pink, green, white peppers, freshly ground
3 eggs
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs heavy cream
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 heaping tbs parmesan cheese, grated
2 heaping tsp Spanish smoked paprika
1 heaping tsp dried parsley
Enough extra virgin olive oil to pan fry the ‘bistecs’

Preparation

1. Prepare 3 bowls wide enough to be able to dip the ‘bistecs’ in them.
2. In the first bowl place flour, onion powder, herbes de Provence, garlic powder, salt and peppers, and mix with spoon until well combined.
3. In the second bowl break the 3 eggs, the tbs of olive oil, and the tbs of heavy cream.
4. With a fork whisk the eggs gently until you have a smooth homogeneous mixture.
5. In the third bowl place the panko, the parmesan, the paprika, and the parsley and mix with a spoon until well combined.
6. Take a ‘bistec’ and place in the flour bowl until well coated on both sides.
7. Pass the ‘bistec’ through the egg mixture until well coated on both sides, then let drip the excess.
8. Place the egg-coated ‘bistec’ in the panko mixture until both sides are coated well.
9. Dip it in the egg mixture again and then in the panko a second time to create a thick coating.
10. Place on a wire rack to dry.
11. Rinse your fingers and repeat with the other ‘bistecs’.
12. Place the wire rack in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes for the breading to dry.
13. In a large frying pan, place about 1/4" of extra virgin olive oil and heat up on a medium fire.
14. Place the breaded ‘bistecs’ in the oil and cook about 3-4 minutes per side, until well browned.
15. Put on a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and then keep warm in a low oven until all the ‘bistecs’ are cooked.

Lucito

Last Wednesday I did not know what to prepare for my lunch for the next day as we did not have much time to go to the supermarket and we were running out of everything. I looked into the cupboard and found some cans of tuna and I decided to prepare one of my favorite dishes "Atún a la Vizcaína". This time I decided to invent a new version "Pasta with Atún a la Vizcaina"; I prepared my tuna recipe and I then boiled some pasta with salt and when it was cooked I drained it and served it with tuna dish and added some parmesan cheese, it really became a great dish.

This tuna recipe we can be served by itself or presented in a wide variety of ways. Our nice Alejandra really likes it in empanadas or as a pie. This can easily be done by rolling out some fresh or frozen puff pastry dough and for the empanadas you cut 5" circles out of the dough and place a large spoonful of the tuna dish in the middle and fold in half and pinch the edges to seal well. You then cut some slits on the top with a sharp knife and place them on a cookie sheet and bake in a medium oven until golden. You can do the same thing as a pie, by lining a pie dish with the puff pastry, then filling it with the tuna dish and then placing another sheet of dough on top. You then seal the edges and cut some vents in it and you might even decorate it with some nice fish shapes cut from the dough. You bake it like the empanadas, and if you prefer a shiny crust you can paint it with a beaten egg white. Another nice way of serving this dish is to cool it and then make a nice sandwich with a nice large crusty bread roll.

Ingredients

1 can of tuna in olive oil
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 chile jalapeño, finely chopped
1 tbs parsley, chopped
1 tbs soy sauce
5 stuffed olives, chopped
1 tbs capers, chopped
1 handful almonds, chopped
1 handful pine nuts
1 handful walnuts, chopped
1 tbs. olive oil

Preparation

1. Sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a pan over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the chile, parsley, tomato, and soy sauce.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and the tuna can without the liquid.
4. Let it cook some minutes until the flavors melt together and serve.

Normita

Last weekend I was reminded by Normita that we have not had cheese fondue in a long time, especially since we did not have a fondue pot until recently and we have not even broken-in it yet. It is a dish we both like, but we normally indulge in it only a few times a year, as it is somewhat heavy. Traditionally it is something that we have been doing on Christmas Eve for over 20 years, but the stories of Christmas traditions will have to wait for the proper season.

My recipe for cheese fondue is a bit non-traditional. More than 25 years ago, when I started preparing cheese fondue in the traditional way, I had relatively good success. I used to do it with a mixture of imported gruyère and emmentaler cheeses. After some years of success, the imported cheeses were getting very expensive, and the market was flooded by local very cheap similarly name varieties. I still remember the first time I tried a cheese fondue with them, and the horrible experience I had. For some reason the cheeses, instead of melting smoothly, started to release a huge amount of oily substance. You had the melted cheese at the bottom of the pot, and then a layer an inch or more thick of oil. I remember spending a long time pouring this oil down the sink, and then mopping up the excess oil with paper towels, then throwing some flour on it to try to absorb it as much as possible.

After this fun experience, I decided to devise a way of doing fondues that would prevent this problem. After trial and error I came up with a different method that is both easy and will yield consistent results and a very smooth tasty fondue. The main thrust of the recipe is to prepare a white sauce with butter, flour, and wine, and then melt the cheese into that sauce. I still like the standard mixture of gruyère and emmentaler best, but in recent years I have played with local varieties with great success. I normally try to look for two or three firm cheeses with a complement of textures and tastes. For this Mexican Cheese Fondue I propose some local varieties and a locally made Dutch one. First I use Manchego that is made here with cow milk, not ewe milk like the original from Spain. It is a mild cheese with a neutral flavor. To add a bit more taste I chose next a cheese of similar texture, but with a slightly stronger taste, a locally made Edam. To add a bit more pizzazz the third variety is a Chihuahua, a more pungent type of cheese with a firm, slightly crumbly texture, and a bit of a salty aftertaste. They combine well together for a pleasant and tasty result. Dry white wine is used to make the initial white sauce, and most well-made cheaper varieties can be used. Of course to replace the traditional Kirsch I use tequila instead. I prefer a smooth, not too smoky reposado style for this. A nice side dish of Caesar salad is a great complement.

The fun of this is that you can experiment at length with cheeses, wines, and alcohol chasers to create an infinite variety of tastes. Please let us know your favorite combinations. The leftover fondue, especially the burnt part, is great to make dishes like French Onion soup, and is fantastic by itself melted over a piece of crusty breath in a broiler. Don’t forget that the tradition says that if you lose your piece of bread in the fondue, you have to kiss the person on your left, so plan the seating arrangement accordingly…

Ingredients

1 pound Manchego cheese, roughly chopped in small pieces
1 pound Edam cheese, roughly chopped in small pieces
1 pound Chihuahua cheese, roughly chopped in small pieces
1 garlic clove, peeled and slightly crushed
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 1/2 Oz reposado tequila
White pepper to taste
Firm textured bread cut into cubes for dipping

Preparation

1. In the fondue pot, on the stove, melt butter over medium eat and cook the garlic clove for 2-3 minutes until golden.
2. Remove and discard the garlic clove.
3. Add the flour 1 tbs at a time, and incorporate well into the butter to create a roux.
4. Cook 4-5 minutes until it slightly starts taking color.
5. Add 1 Oz of tequila and mix well with the roux.
6. Slowly add the wine, a bit at a time and stir well to make sure that no clumps are formed.
7. Bring the sauce to a low simmer and lower the heat to minimum.
8. Add of the 3 cheeses a bit at a time and stir until all melted and smooth.
9. When all the cheese is melted add pepper to taste and the remaining tequila, and stir well to incorporate.
10. Light the fondue burner and place it at lowest setting and bring the fondue to the table to serve.
11. Eat by dipping a piece of bread speared on your fondue fork in it.

Lucito

Yesterday morning, before we left for the tianguis, we were discussing what we would eat for supper. We had returned late the night before from some errands and only picked up some essentials for the week, and we had no real plans for the food for the day. Normita was thinking something along the line of a simple fish dish, but alas the fish merchant was not there so we could not get that. We looked at one of the many butchers and we finally decided for making some hamburgers as I had not made any for many many months, and it would give me a chance to test the mini-BBQ for which we had finally found the propane bottles for.

As I was walking through the tianguis thinking about how to prepare the hamburgers, inspiration struck and I thought of seasoning the meat with mole paste. Mole is an interesting Mexican specially, normally in paste form, and that is used as a pungent sauce with a variety of dishes. There are tons of recipes for it and Normita published one for Mole Poblano last fall. At the tianguis there are always a few booths, normally from San Pedro Actopan, a village outside of the city that is famous for his various moles and its mole paste industry. We stopped and tasted a few varieties and we settled for some mole almendrado, a spicy concoction with an almond base, and we found out it was also available in a dried format that keep much longer.

We also picked up about a pound of nice beef from the leg that we had ground twice for a nice smooth texture. After we finished our chores and we were ready for lunch, I setup the BBQ and made those nice juicy hamburgers that turned up stunning. I normally prepare my hamburger patties a few hours before and store them on a plate in the refrigerator, so that the condiments in them have time to mix well and marinate the meat a bit. We will certainly make some again in the coming weeks as we both enjoyed them tremendously.

Ingredients

Hamburgers
1 pound lean double ground beef
4 tbs mole almendrado powder
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs brandy
2 tbs sesame oil
Salt & pepper to taste
4 Hamburger buns
2 tbs margarine or butter mixed with garlic and onion paste

Potatoes
3 medium potatoes
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a large bowl break up the meat in a thick layer.
2. Add mole powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire, brandy, sesame oil, and salt and pepper to the top of it.
3. With a fork mix the seasoning with the meat until well incorporated.
4. With your hands create 4 large thick patties and put on a plate to rest. Refrigerate for a few hours.
5. Cut the potatoes in 1/4" slices and place on a large plate.
6. Add half of the herbes de Provence and olive oil as well as salt and pepper to taste.
7. Turn the potatoes and repeat the procedure.
8. Mix the margarine with a bit of garlic and onion paste and spread some inside the buns and on the top and bottom of them.
8. Heat up you BBQ grill and when hot, cook the potatoes on it until well browned.
9. Put the potatoes on an ovenproof platter and into a low oven to keep warm.
10. Cook the hamburger patties until your preferred doneness is reach and reserve in the warm oven.
11. Warm up the bunds on both sides and then assemble the dish. Serve with your favorite condiments.

Lucito

I was asked a few times in recent days about what to do with the marinated arrachera meat that I gave my recipe for some weeks back. The simplest dish that I have seen is grilled arrachera. This is normally served in a lot of restaurant with some Mexican-style rice and some refried beans as side dishes. Warm corn tortillas are served with it so that you can make some nice tacos and they are garnished with either ‘salsa verde’ or ‘salsa roja’. I will post recipes for both salsas tomorrow, and will prepare recipes for some other delicacies that can be made with arrachera meat. This recipe is best prepared on a real charcoal grill, but can be done easily on a gas grill, or in a grill pan on the stovetop.

Ingredients

1 pound marinated arrachera meat cut into 6" long wide pieces
12 ‘Chiles Serrano’
12 large green onions or ‘Cambray’ cut in 3" pieces
2 cups cooked Mexican-style rice
2 cups refried black beans
12 corn tortillas
‘Totopos’ (dried or deep fried corn tortilla triangles) for garnish
‘Salsa verde’ and ‘salsa roja’

Preparation

1. Over very hot charcoals cook the green onions and the whole ‘Chiles Serrano’ until tender and reserve on a cooler section of the grill
2. Cook the arrachera until the doneness you prefer. It is normally cooked a little more than you would normally prepare a steak.
3. Serve the arrachera on a wide oval plate with the chiles and green onions on top, and with a portion of Mexican-style rice and some refried beans on the side.
4. Top the refried beans with a few ‘totopos’ stuck into them.
5. Prepare tacos with the cut arrachera and garnishes and top with either salsa.

Lucito

As I mentioned a few days ago I was planning to post a few recipes using Oaxaca cheese. Here is another one that is a spicy version of the typical pasta with cheese sauce. It makes for a different taste experience and could also be served as a side dish with some arrachera to make a definitely innovative combination. ‘Epazote’ is a traditional Mexican dark green herb with a very peculiar smell. It is normally available in most Latin American grocery stores. It is used a lot in a variety of Mexican dishes.

Ingredients

5 quarts water
1 1/2 tbs salt
1/2 pound Oaxaca cheese torn into strings
1/4 pound cream cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup milk
2 tbs butter
3 egg yolks
2 sprigs of ‘epazote’ finely chopped
3 ‘chiles Serrano’ seeded and finely chopped
1 pound fettuccines
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a large pot bring the water with salt to boil and cook the pasta until tender.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, in a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the cheese in the milk, wine, butter, ‘epazote’, and chiles.
3. Remove from fire and add the yolks and whisk rapidly.
4. Return to fire at the lowest possible setting and heat for some minutes making sure it does not boil.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve on the cooked pasta.

Lucito

Last week I posted some pictures of various dishes we like a lot and I mentioned that one of my favorite ones was a bavette de boeuf recipe that I have been making since our French butcher, Roger, showed us this inexpensive cut of meat. He worked in a little Italian butcher shop in St-Léonard, an eastern suburb of Montréal. I was raised in this neighborhood where a lot of Italian people resided. A bit over 20 years ago this butcher shop was recommended to us and we started to get our meat there regularly. Years after I moved up North to Mont-Tremblant, where I was born, I was still driving 100 miles to Montréal to go get my meat at that shop as they had the best beef, veal, lamb, and pork that you could get, and also great grain-fed chicken, turkey, pheasant and quails. Roger was from France and the only non-Italian in the shop. He was my regular butcher and was always recommending the best cuts to us. One day I was not sure about what to buy and I was thinking of maybe getting some beef tenderloin, and he suggested that I get some bavette as the taste is far superior. Bavette is not as tender as tenderloin by its nature, but well marinated its well marbled texture will melt in your mouth. I always liked meat with coarse texture like flank and the bavette is similar. If your butcher does not know this French cut, the North-American name is flap meat, or more exactly bottom sirloin butt flap. Its taste is very distinctive and once you have it, nothing else will compare.

I normally marinate it for some hours before cooking, or even overnight if you want it extra tender. I accompany it with a sturdy port wine sauce, and my favorite side dish is Salardaise Potatoes made with some nice Italian truffles and truffle oil. It is best grilled over real charcoals, but can be successfully made on a grill pan on the stovetop and finished in the oven. It is a cut that works greatly with the cook and hold methods. I like to entertain with this meal as everything can be cooked slightly ahead and held until you are ready to serve. It permits me to sit down with the guest and to have the first course with them while the main course is holding in a low oven. This way I do not have to do last minute cooking between courses. Leftovers are wonderful, and years ago, when the Padrino was visiting, we invented a wonderful lunch treat the day after one of our famous 6 hour meals. By the next afternoon we were getting a tad hungry and we looked at what we had for leftovers. We discovered some nice cooked bavette from the night before, some great Brillat-Savarin cheese from France, and my favorite Montréal style bagels. We made some incredibly satisfying sandwiches on the bagels with simply a thick layer of Brillat-Savarin, some nice slices of bavette, and a bit of honey mustard. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water…

Ingredients

Bavette and Marinade
2 pounds bavette in one piece
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs port wine
1 tsp crushed thyme
1 tsp crushed freeze-dried chives
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Sauce
3 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
1/4 pound of fresh chanterelles
2 tbs very finely diced sweet red pepper
2 tbs very finely diced French shallots
2 tsp fresh chives finely sliced
2 tsp finely crushed Herbes de Provence
2 tbs beef extract
1/2 cup port wine
1 1/2 cup beef bouillon
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Clean the bavette well and remove any piece of remaining fat.
2. On both sides of the bavette and with a very sharp knife, cut a pattern about 1/4" deep, an inch apart, in two directions 90 degrees from each other. One of the series of cuts should be with the grain and the others across.
3. Place the prepared bavette on a large bowl or plate and rub into it half of the marinade ingredients. Turn the bavette over and repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Cover and marinate for a few hours or refrigerate overnight.
4. On a very high heat BBQ or grill pan, sear the bavette for about 4-5 minutes, turn and repeat the process to the other side. Place the seared bavette in an oven-proof dish and place in a preheated very low oven (~250F) while you prepare the sauce.
5. In a medium saucepan put 1 tbs of the butter and sauté the mushrooms, red peppers, and shallots until tender and reserve.
6. In the same saucepan melt the remaining butter and add the flour to it. Mix well with a wooden spoon and gently cook the roux over medium heat until it starts taking color. Be careful not burning it.
7. When the roux reaches a light brown color, add 2/3 of the port wine and incorporate well.
8. Slowly add the beef stock while mixing until you have a nice thick sauce. Lower the eat to a very slow simmer.
9. Add the reserved mushrooms, shallots, and red peppers. Mix well.
10. Add the chives, Herbes de Provence, beef extract, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
11. When all the ingredients are well incorporated, add the rest of the port wine and blend well.
12. To server cut the bavette in thin slices on the bias across the grain and ladle a few spoons of sauce on the meat.

Lucito

Sorry for the lack of postings in the last few days, but works has been hectic combined with major power problems in the neighborhood bringing down the server on a regular basis. We blew up more equipment with the power surges and this is not making work any easier. I hope that the electricity company manages to fix their problems as we have had power failures daily for the last few weeks. Hopefully on my side I will manage to catch up with work on Wednesday so that we can start posting on our regular schedule.

Tonight’s recipe is a creation that I did for Valentine’s Day. Normita wanted to have a cheese fondue, and we could not find a fondue dish in time. Of course a week and a half later there was one on promotion at the local supermarket so we will have our fondue one of these days when we are in the mood again. These cannelloni are easiest to make with the type or pasta that does not require pre-cooking. If you prefer you can use the regular pasta and pre-cook it.

Ingredients

4 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 pound brown button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 pound portobellini mushrooms, sliced
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
1 1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 parmesan, grated
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup gruyere, shredded
3 1/2 ounces prosciutto, finely chopped
1/3 pound sliced emmental
1 large egg
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/3 tsp nutmeg
8 cannelloni

Preparation

1. In a heavy pan sauté the green onions and the mushrooms in the butter until the mushrooms are nice and soft. Reserve 2 tbs of the mushrooms.
2. Lower the heat and add the flour and cooked until it slightly starts taking a bit of color.
3. Slowly add the white wine and stir until very thick then add the cream.
4. Season with half the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
4. Once the sauce is nice and smooth add half the gruyere and parmesan and stir until nicely melted into the sauce. Keep warm while preparing the rest of the recipe.
5. In a bowl mix the remaining parmesan and gruyere, the ricotta and mozzarella, the egg, the remaining salt pepper and nutmeg, the herbes de Provence, and the prosciutto.
6. Fill the cannelloni shells with the mixture.
7. Place a bit of the sauce at the bottom of an ovenproof dish and place the cannelloni on top of the sauce.
8. Poor the remaining sauce on the cannelloni and top with the sliced emmental.
9. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and golden.

Today Normita had a craving for a Mexican dish she likes a lot ‘Tinga de Pollo’. It is an easy-to-make chicken dish that is very tasty and normally it is prepared very spicy. She prefers to tone down the heat so that the flavors shine through. She first cooked a whole chicken breast bones and all, but without the skin and fat. She prepared at the same time a nice batch of her famous chicken soup and we enjoyed a large bowl first. After picking the cooked chicken into small shreds with her fingers, she prepared the Tinga. We ate it with some tostadas, so the dish became ‘Tostadas de Tinga de Pollo’. The normal way of preparing those is to put a nice coating of refried beans on your tostada (we used chipotle ones), then the tinga, then a layer of heavy cream, some ‘queso fresco’ (grated fresh cheese), top it with some pieces of avocado and it makes a succulent meal. After a few of those you will not need dessert. We did not have refried beans at hand and did not want to open a can of them just for a few tostadas, so we skipped them, and we replace the ‘queso fresco’ with parmesan as we did not have the former. It was a nice filling meal and now I think that it is time to go rest and watch some TV, but first I will go and prepare a lime pie for desert tomorrow as the in-laws are coming to visit.

Ingredients

2 chicken breast halves cooked, then cooled and picked with fingers into thin shreds.
1 medium red onion cut in thin slivers
2 tomatoes seeded and cut into thin slivers
1 clove garlic
2 tsp chipotles in adobo sauce puréed in a blender or to taste
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp chicken stock powder

Preparation

1. Boil the chicken until tender and set aside to cool. Follow our recipe for chicken soup.
2. Once cooled pick the chicken apart with your fingers to create thin shreds.
3. In a saucepan put the olive oil and heat at medium-high.
4. Sautee garlic and onions until the onions are translucent.
5. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
6. Add the chicken stock powder, the chipotle purée, and the chicken and heat through.
7. Serve as a main dish or as tostadas.

Lucito