The Mexican Focus Blog

Cumin, oregano, onion, chili powder, cumin,cilantro and garlic are among the most common spices that you will find in Mexican Cooking.

The highly aromatic and flavorful seed Cumin (cuminum cyminum) is used both ground and whole in a range of Mexican soups and meat stews as well as being used in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes.

Mexican oregano is different from its English counter part and has a different taste altogether. Unlike Mediterranean oregano, Mexican oregano is best if used dry. You can normally purchase it in either powder or flake form, and be careful because the powder is generally stronger than the flakes so you may need to adjust accordingly. You should be able to find Mexican oregano in the spice aisle of your local store.

Cilantro (coriandum sativum) is also better know as Coriander and is a self-seeding annual that has a tangy flavor. Used in a great range of Mexican dishes Cilantro is the main ingredient that makes the dish taste like Mexican.

Make your next Mexican meal authentic and try some of tasty Mexican Recipes.

When it comes to making tortilla skins the key to ending up with soft skins is by first of all creating as thin and round a patty from the dough as you can. The longer you continue to work it the further you will dehydrate the mixture, so the trick is to make sure that you only lose a little amount of water at this stage. The next step involves the baking of each side of the tortilla for 30-60 seconds on a hot griddle and again minimizing the water loss is important here as well.

You are aiming for a water content of around 40% moisture when completed - this is crucial to ensuring the tortilla skins will be soft and pliable. When you eventually bake the tortilla make sure that it puffs as it bakes. If air bubbles begin to form in the dough or if it is overly wet and pasty - or even to dry and burns the tortilla will be ruined.

You can see that it is not easy to create the perfect tortilla, the best way is to get lots of practice, over time you will begin to be able to pick the perfect timing on the various steps.

If you are a turkey around this time of year its a good time to keep a low profile - Turkeys however are not the smartest creatures and unfortunately for many of them their days are numbered!

If you live in the United States lets try and put some extra taste into your thanksgiving turkeys this year so why not try something a little different - we have found a great Mexican thanksgiving dish and of course it includes turkey!

Some call this one of Mexico’s finest dishes - it is known as Mole Poblano de Guajolote which loosely translates to Turkey in Chocolate Chile Sauce.

Mole poblano is a popular sauce and one unproven story about how it came about suggests that it was created by the nuns of Santa Clara and was intended to impress visiting officials to Mexico back in the 17th century. There is no proof of this however and there are plenty of other stories that suggest there were other events around the creation of this tasty recipe.

One of the most popular meals that uses the Mole sauce is of course the mole de guajolote which is now widely regarded as Mexico’s national dish.

The taste of this dish is so great that rumor has it that people have been known to make a special trip to Puebla (The home of this delicious dish) just to sample it.

Well to save you a long journey we have a Mole Poblano de Guajolote recipe - why don’t you try it. Rice, beans, tortillas and Guacamole are the traditional accompaniments.

What is Guacamole?

Guacamole is a snack food native to Mexico, however popular around the world. Often served with meat servings to enhance the flavor of foods like Arepas and potatoes.

Although avocados are the primary ingredient, additionally Guacamole normally includes tomatoes, salt and occasionally Lime juice which can be added for further flavor.

Health Benefits of Guacamole

Avocado being the main ingredient is where we look to when establishing the health benefits of Guacamole and the news is good. They are fatty, yes, but it’s UNSATURATED fat….the good stuff.

Avocados are an excellent source of vitamins C and A,potassium, and folic acid. Additionally avocados contain oleic acid which is a monounsaturated fat that may help in the lowering of cholesterol levels.

There is also evidence that Avacados may help in combating and prevention of cancer, especially oral and prostrate cancer. The news just gets better all the time!

Why don’t you try out our delicious Guacamole recipe!