Queso Fresco

If there is a recipe that truly captures the scent and essence of Mexican cooking, this is it. There are so many reasons to love this soup. Besides being easy to make and healthful to eat, it offers deep, rich flavors brightened by fresh ingredients. This is a great soup to serve for company, because it is not only delicious, but the contrasting colors of the deep amber soup base and the bright green and white from the toppings make for a stunning presentation. It is also a conversation piece, because everyone can get involved in the assembly of their soup bowl.

There is a Mexican restaurant in my town that specializes in caldos, or Mexican broth-based soups like this sopa de ajo. Everyone goes there to get take-out caldo when they feel a cold or flu coming on, but most of the time, everyone goes there just because they like caldo!

I think of black beans in Mexican cuisine as an almost upscale replacement for pinto beans, but in actual fact, they have been part of the meso-American culinary repertoire for thousands of years. This is a simple, flavorful, nutritious one-pot meal.

The spaghetti squash gets its name from the fact that its insides, when cooked, separate into spaghetti-like strands that can be used in exactly the same way you would use spaghetti. You can either top the strands with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce (page 63) or toss it with your favorite Mexican spices. Choose a squash that will fit in the slow cooker insert. If need be, the squash can be halved to fit, but the cooking time will be shorter.

Amarillo means “yellow” in Spanish, and it is also the name of one of the seven classic moles, or sauces, from Oaxaca, known as “The Land of Seven Moles.” Though far from yellow (it’s more of a brick red), it can be used as a base for a delicious and very spicy vegetable stew that can stand alone or be served over rice to cut its heat.

Whenever I create a new dessert or want to reinterpret a classic one I am often inspired by other cuisines. During a visit to Italy I had a ricotta cheese granita and, although I have never seen one in Mexico, it inspired this raspado. I’ve incorporated apples, which are a classic pairing with cheese, to make a raspado that is unusual and unexpected—but certainly very, very tasty.

One bite and you’ll know why this sweet and spicy corn is one of the most popular dishes at my Beso restaurants. The smoky Chipotle Aïoli (page 162) was created especially for this and it absolutely makes the dish. You can pour it on heavy, like they do at the restaurant, or pour it on lighter, like I do here, but don’t skip it! The optional tortilla strips add crunch and heft. To cook the corn, grill or boil it.

Sweet bell peppers are stuffed with a very tasty beef filling and topped with queso fresco and pico de gallo, forming the green, white, red pattern that I love so much! This is a tasty and quick-to-make weeknight meal, which is also pretty enough to serve to company.

My friends request this recipe more often than any other. I am often asked if it’s a family recipe. I take it as a compliment that people always seem so surprised to hear that I found it in a magazine when I was about twelve years old. I’ve made it so many times since then and it has evolved into what it is today. I think it’s so delicious—and popular!—because of its clear but very flavorful broth. So often tortilla soup is heavy, but this one is hearty without being unpleasantly thick. In fact, I make such a large batch because everyone always wants seconds and thirds. On the rare occasions that I’ve had leftovers, I’ve discovered that the soup keeps very well, and even gets better, stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. The garnishes keep well stored in zip-top bags; keep the fried tortilla strips at room temperature and everything else in the refrigerator. When serving the second day, just place all the garnishes at the bottom of the bowl and ladle the soup over. I use two kinds of dried chiles—ancho and pasilla—because they add more depth and smoky notes to the broth. Use more or fewer chiles depending on how strong you want their flavor to be. For more on dried chiles, see page 96.

Billy Cotter devised this delicious meaty sandwich for his vegetarian wife, Kelli, at their restaurant Toast, in downtown Durham.

Oaxaca is a state in southern Mexico with a diverse and celebrated regional cuisine. One of Oaxaca’s best-known specialties is mole, a classic Mexican sauce that combines onions, tomatoes, chiles, fried corn tortillas, and often chocolate, which adds a rich, not sweet, deep note to the sauce. Traditionally, mole is time-consuming to make and involves many separate cooking techniques. This version is just as tasty as the original but is quick and easy to prepare. Tangy crumbled queso fresco, creamy slices of avocado, and pickled red onions provide the authentically Mexican finishing touches.

When using fresh herbs, be sure to dry them thoroughly after washing them so they are fluffy, not dense, when chopped. You not only get a more precise measurement, but they’ll also distribute more evenly in your dishes.

Watermelon takes on a nice char on the grill. Don't fiddle with the pieces; just flip them when it's time.

The combination of shrimp and root veggies is unexpected—and fantastic. For a vegetarian main, skip the shrimp.

It's not only nostalgia that makes me love arepas; it's also their versatility! These corncakes are hugely popular in many forms in my native Colombia and neighboring Venezuela (among other places) and have now actually caught on in many parts of the United States. What makes them especially wonderful is that they offer cooks fabulous flexibility as far as preparation. So here I'm giving you my basic recipe—and a serving suggestion—but please know you can add whatever you'd like (grilled corn, diced peppers, different cheeses, just to name a few possibilities). Here I'm suggesting that you smear a bit of farmer's cheese—or Mexican queso blanco—on top. Great as an appetizer, these arepas are perfect with any cocktail!

The earliest Mexican cuisine was vegetable-based, so in times past, before Spanish beef, chicken, and pork worked their way into every taco, there were no doubt plenty of satisfying vegetable taco recipes. Today most vegetables are consumed as salsas, in soups, or stuffed into quesadillas and empanadas, but there's no reason why a vegetable taco shouldn't be every bit as tasty and unusual as any other. This sumptuous vegetarian feast is based on the classic combination of roasted poblano chiles and mushrooms, with the addition of corn and mild-flavored, soft queso fresco. This taco is often favored by even the most committed carnivores. In other seasons, bits of diced cooked sweet potato, zucchini, chayote, squash blossoms, or golden winter squash would be welcome additions. Fresh epazote, used as a flavoring in this taco, has a minty-oregano taste and is often available at Mexican markets. (It is also hardy and easy to grow.) Fresh or dried mint or Mexican oregano may be substituted, but do not substitute dried epazote.

Heaps of leafy cilantro and the crumbly Mexican white cheese known as queso fresco update a classic side dish. Cornstarch thickens the cream quickly and imparts a velvety gloss.

Smoky grilled vegetables—not a cloying amount of meat or cheese—rule here. Instead of embellishing the enchiladas with a complex (and time-consuming) Mexican pipián (pumpkin-seed sauce), cook a few customary pipián ingredients and then purée them with cilantro for an easy enchilada that's herbaceous and fresh.

This addictive appetizer is a delicious combination of sour cream, cheese, and corn. A little minced jalapeño adds heat.

Ensalada de Nopales Do not be afraid of this salad. Nopales (cactus leaves) are quite delicious and may remind you of green beans or okra. In fact, you could make this salad with green beans perfectly well. But do try the nopales if you never have—you may discover a new favorite vegetable. You will find canned nopales at Latino markets, but fresh ones are much better.