CINCO de MAYO at CIELITO LINDO with Santiago Zaragoza
Meatball Stew (Caldo de Albondigas)
Meatballs: Ingredients
- 1 1/3 pounds ground beef
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves, finely chopped
- ½ cup uncooked white rice
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tomato, cut into wedges
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup water
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 whole cloves
- 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, finely chopped tomato, mint, rice, eggs and 1 teaspoon of salt. Form the mixture into balls and set aside.
In a blender, combine the tomato wedges, garlic clove and ½ cup of water and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the bouillon, 1 teaspoon of salt and the whole cloves. Add the potatoes and carrots to the boiling water. Lower the meatballs into the water and return it to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the meatballs and vegetables for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
To serve, ladle the meatballs, vegetables and broth into shallow bowls. Serves 4 to 6.
Chicken with Cream (Pollo con Crema)
Ingredients
- 8 chicken legs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 7-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (use 1 or 2 chipotle peppers)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/1/2 cups media crema*
- ½ cup chicken broth, cooled to room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken legs and 1 tablespoon of salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the chicken until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken legs from the pot and cool briefly. Remove the skin and bones and shred the meat. Reserve the broth.
In a blender, place 1 or 2 chipotle peppers, 1 garlic clove, media crema and ½ cup of the reserved chicken broth. Blend until smooth.
Heat the butter in saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the media crema mixture and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and cook for 1 minute more. Serve over Mexican-Style Rice (recipe follows). Serves 6.
*Media Crema, also called "table cream," is a canned dairy product. It can be found in grocery stores where Mexican or international products are sold.
Mexican-Style Rice (Arroz Blanco)
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2 cups rice
- 4 cups chicken broth, warmed
- ¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 1 minute, until softened. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes more. Add the chicken broth, mint leaves and bouillon and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil, stir and cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 13 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Serves 6.
Mexican Fruit Salad (Ensalada de Fruta Mexicana)
Ingredients
- 4 apples
- 30 ounces sliced, canned peaches, drained
- 30 ounces canned, crushed pineapple
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 7-ounce cans media crema*
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Peel, core and chop the apples into small dice and place them in a large bowl. Chop the peach slices into small dice and add them to the bowl along with the crushed pineapple and walnuts. Stir in the media crema and the condensed milk until well combined. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Serves 8 to 10.
*Media Crema, also called "table cream," is a canned dairy product. It can be found in grocery stores where Mexican or international products are sold.
Recipes by Santiago Zaragoza, Cielito Lindo Restaurant & Cantina.
