Recipes and Ideas
From new and innovative creations to cherished old favourites, we're constantly sharing mouth-watering recipes that will inspire your inner chef. If you have any of your own recipes to share, join us on Instagram @CoolChileCo and become part of our vibrant community.
Recipes
Carnitas Tacos
Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats" originated in the state of Michoacán. Carnitas is traditionally braised or simmered in its fat; here we cover the meat until liquid runs dry and the pork starts to cook it is own fat. The pork is tucked into warm corn tortillas and topped with white onion, coriander, a squeeze of lime and a roasted green jalapeno emulsion - this is a thing of beauty!
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Home style pork Carnitas with achiote rice
Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats" originated in the state of Michoacán. Carnitas is traditionally braised or simmered in its own fat, here we cover the meat until liquid runs dry and the pork starts to cook it is own fat. This recipe works particularly well with earthy achiote rice and an ideal one-pot celebratory dish. This recipe will have leftover carnitas, perfect for making carnitas tacos.
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Hogget-Lamb Barbacoa
Lamb or Hogget shoulder is marinated in Ancho in Adobo over night and slow cooked with Avocado Leaves, until pull apart tender. You will need a roasting tray with a rack and foil to wrap. Serve as as a main course with roasted potatoes, seasonal green and salsa borracha. Also tasty as tacos with toasty corn tortillas, diced, onion, coriander, green chile and lime.
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Rosca de Reyes
Mexican Rosca de Reyes (ring of kings) looks like a big round or oval shaped doughnut decorated with colourful winter fruit and that wonderful sweet pastry dough that is also used to decorate conchas (shell shaped pastries). This sweet bread is eaten with Mexican hot chocolate at family gatherings, on the 6th of January to celebrate Epiphany. Baked inside the dough, traditionally, is a toy to represent baby Jesus. Whoever is served the toy is blessed and has the honour of hosting a party on Ca...
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Ranchero Sauce – entomatadas with requeson
Entomatada means in a tomato sauce, like enchilada means in a chile sauce or enfrijolada in a bean sauce. These are light quesadillas filled with requeson which is herbed ricotta.
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Micheladas
Micheladas are made with beer, red or green tomato juice, Habanero Hot Sauce and plenty of ice and, this drink is refreshing for hot days, parties or perfect for a pick me up, drunk quickly it brings a sparkle to your eye and makes you belch. Always good. If you can find really a 1 litre glass that will fit all the ice, the fixings and a can of beer you are on to a winner, other wise serve half a can of beer with 1/4 cup of tomato mix.
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Salsa Macha by Monica Shaw
My salsa macha is based on a Rick Bayless recipe. I've been a long time fan of Rick's since first going to his restaurant, Frontera Grill, in my hometown Chicago, where I had some of the best Mexican food of my life. I've since relied on his recipes for inspiration, especially when it comes to dried chillies. The salsa macha intrigued me; this puree of nuts, seeds, dried chillies, garlic and oil seemed more akin to pesto than salsa, and indeed, it's proved a great dip, drizzle and baste for all...
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Oaxacan Mole Negro
Oaxaca is famous for it moles and maybe the most famous of all of their moles, is Mole Negro. It is a celebratory mole, because of the rarity and expense of one of the chillies used, the Chile Chilhuacle Negro and because of the process which involves burning the chillies and their seeds to obtain its beautiful colour and deep roasted flavours. So turn on the extract and open the windows, there is no way around it, this recipe makes you cough, however the delicious coffee notes obtained from...
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Classic Margarita - Jug
Our recipe omits the usual Triple Sec while doubling the tequila, which we feel gives you more tequila flavour. We like to use a strong flavoured but sipable 100% Blue agave tequila, either blanco or reposado. You can also make it with mezcal for a smokier taste. Use fresh-squeezed lime juice and simple sugar syrup, you can’t go wrong.
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HOW TO PREPARE MEXICAN DRIED CHILES
Dried chiles are an essential part of Mexican cuisine, they need to be toasted and re hydrated to release their flavour. At Cool Chile we stock 11 varieties of Mexican dried chiles which vary in heat and flavour. If you have a wrinkly-skinned or smooth skinned chile, follow the instructions below to achieve a rich and silky puree.
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Mexican Birria
The word birria means something that is a mess or deformed, but it is an affectionate name for this beloved meaty rustic brothy stew. It is usually made from lamb or goat but can also be made from beef or a combination of all three. It is marinated in a red chile paste and then cooked in a pit barbeque with steaming liquid below. The juices from the meat fall into this and are used to make a wonderful broth that is served with the meat in a bowl. It is then garnished with a scattering of chopp...
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Pink Pickled Onions
Pink pickled onions are from the Yucatan, where they put them on dishes such as puerco pibil and panuchos. The flavour is as perky as the colour with a pleasing heat. Using a habanero would be more traditional but a Scotch bonnet will work too.
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Agua Fresca Flor de Jamaica / Hibiscus Flower Water
A classic Mexican agua fresca, flor de Jamaica has a beautiful colour and a tart refreshing taste.
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Mexican Hot Chocolate
Cool Chile Hot Chocolate are made with Mexican beans called the Tabasqueño bean which are grown in the Selva Zoque in the south. These beans are a wild hybrid of the Criollo bean originating from ancient times and the more modern amelonado bean. The beans are stone ground with cane sugar and spices to make two styles: Oaxaca Hot Chocolate and Maya Hot Chocolate.
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Pastel de Elote (Fresh Corn Cake)
The time to make this cake is when corn season is with us and corn is plentiful and fresh in its husks. It is a cake that can go three ways, as a pudding with a dusting of powdered sugar and berries or savoury with 'rajas con crema' which is a most delicious combination, but it is also very nice as it is as with a cup of coffee. No waste tip: save the fresh corn husks to make tamales or use them to wrap fish with for the barbecue.
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Pan de Muertos (Bread of the Dead)
The 1st and 2nd of November are days of remembrance for loved ones that have passed away. It is celebrated with a family get together, either at home or at the cemetery. All the favourite foods of the deceased are prepared to encourage the spirit to come back and visit! Pan de Muertos is a sweet bread that is served after the meal with a Mexican hot chocolate. The loaf is traditionally decorated with bone shapes on top with a generous sprinkling of sugar. The recipe is basically a brioche dough...
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Sweet Tamales
Steamed corn dumplings with various sweet fillings but can also be savoury.
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Masa Harina Pancakes
The delicate warm flavour of corn from the masa harina makes for really special pancakes – and of course they are also gluten free. Perfect with a simple dusting of sugar and a squeeze of lemon, or go all out and try them with homemade Cajeta (goat's milk toffee) or Mexican Chocolate Fudge sauce and whipped cream. Inspired by Delia Smith
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Tomatillo & avocado taco sauce
A delicious, super easy, fresh tasting salsa with a lovely heat, use with tacos or quesadillas.
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Roasted Tomato and Jalapeno Salsa
An easy, but very tasty roasted salsa for tacos, meats and grilled sandwiches (right bowl pictured in photo).
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Dried Red Chilli Salsa
A beautiful, earthy, deep red salsa made from ancho, guajillo and chipotle chillies, that goes with grilled meats, tacos and quesadillas (top bowl pictured in photo).
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Tomatillo & chipotle Salsa
You can use this salsa for dipping totopos or to serve on tacos, quesadillas or with steak / grilled cheese sandwiches. Add some finely chopped coriander and dilute with a little stock, to turn into a green sauce for chilaquiles.
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Guacamole
Guacamole is used as a dip but also as a ‘glue’ to hold ingredients on a tostada or torta, plus providing moisture and richness, much like we use butter or mayonnaise. This is a green and serene version of guacamole without garlic to keep that nice fresh crisp apply taste from the avocados, the onion makes it sing.
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Pico de Gallo
Pico de Gallo, also known as Salsa Mexicana, is used as a table condiment to sprinkle on tacos, soup or beans or as a dip. The idea is to cut all the ingredients to roughly the same small dice and to have a balance of colour, green (chilli and coriander), white (onion) and red (tomato), just like the Mexican flag.
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Mojo de Ajo
Mojo de ajo means dunked in garlic, this heavenly concoction is great with prawns, mushrooms or spinach plus you can make garlic mayonnaise with the extra oil.
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Cornbread with masa harina and chilli
Cornbread is typically American and very nice served on the side of stew or warmed and topped with butter and maple syrup. Using stone ground cornmeal is the best as the corn kernels are milled at a cooler temperature helping to retain the corns natural sweetness and leaving the germ intact. We have been using the Marino Brand stone ground organic fine maize from Bakery Bits with great results. The masa harina adds another corn dimension which we find very pleasing.
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Nacho's Special
A homage to Ignacio Anaya, who is said to have invented Nacho in the 1940s when hungry women came into the hotel he was working at out of kitchen hours. As there were no chefs in, he quickly put together some ingredients to make a snack: totopos topped with cheese and pickled jalapeños and threw it in the oven. The women loved it, asked for seconds calling it Nacho's Special, Nacho being a nickname for Ignacio. Our Nacho's recipe involves a little more, adding salsas, pink pickled onions, liqu...
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Homemade tortillas
There's nothing like getting your hands into masa and making tortillas – it feels, smells and tastes great.
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Tostadas, totopos & tortilla strips
Frying adds texture and flavour and is a great way to use of stale tortillas, waste not want not.
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Chilaquiles Rojos by Gicela Morales
Fancy being more adventurous with those leftover tortillas? This is the recipe for you. Chilaquiles rojos can be served with beans or shredded chicken, or add a fried egg and serve with a mug of coffee to make the perfect brunch. Buen provecho!
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Quesadillas
Quesadillas are the ultimate satisfying snacks: quick to prepare, all they need is some cheese and a little salsa on the side, but you can also get creative and fill them with whatever you fancy. Chorizo, garlic fried mushrooms, leftover roast veg... make your own creations and hit that snackable spot.
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Mojo de Ajo mushrooms with epazote
Mojo de ajo means dunked in garlic, this heavenly concoction is great with mushrooms and makes a great filling for quesadillas.
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Frijoles de Charro (Cowboy Beans)
‘Frijoles de charros’ are typical in north México where pinto beans are grown. We have translated this bean dish into 'cowboy beans' which doesn't really do justice to the horsemen of northern Mexico called charros, who wear traditional dress and a large hat. Serve this dish as a side to meat or fish. It is also delicious in a bowl with a poached egg on top, for a brunch dish, served with tortillas or toast on the side. Any leftovers can be made into refry.
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Frijoles de la Olla
Mexican black beans, known as ‘frijoles de la olla’ are common to central and south México, cook these beans with onion to make this dish, then add smoked paprika to any leftovers to make into refry.
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Chilli-cured fish tacos by Stevie Parle
The fish in these light, fresh-tasting tacos is 'cooked' by being marinated in citrus juice (what's known as ceviche), so it's important to use the freshest you can find.
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Mackerel tostadas with chipotle mayo by Valentine Warner
A twist on Valentine Warner's excellent tuna tostadas using our time-saving chipotle mayonnaise.
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Ceviche tostadas
This ceviche combines the sharpness of lime, the smell of the sea, and the richness of avocado on a crispy corn tostada base, that complements its flavours. Eat as an antojito (snack) with beer or a margarita. Delicious!
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Mexican chorizo
Mexican chorizo is typically made with pork, but beef or a meat substitute like firm tofu (or tempeh or seitan) work equally well as an alternative. Buy ready minced or grind your own, using equal parts of minced pork belly, neck fillet, shoulder and pork lardo. Use as you would chorizo and remember that a little of this flavoursome, spicy mixture goes a long way!
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Chiles en nogada
In Mexico they cook these delicious stuffed poblanos called 'chiles en nogada' to celebrate Mexican Independence day on September 15th. The seasonal ingredients used in this festive recipe represent the colours in the Mexican flag: dark green fresh poblanos, creamy white walnuts and red, jewel-like pomegranate seeds. If you can find fresh British walnuts this is a great recipe to use them in. Although the peeling is a little fiddly, it makes all the difference. ¡Viva México! Inspired by Rick Ba...
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Pork Pozole by Christine McFadden
Pozole is a traditional Mexican soupy stew made with a special type of hard-husked dried white maize (also known as hominy), meat (usually pork), vegetables, chillies and other seasonings, plus the all-important garnishes. The secret of success lies in the rich meat stock. This rich gelatinous stock includes a pig's trotter, which gives it a jelly-like consistency when cold. You can find them in traditional butchers and some large supermarkets. The stock can be stored for 2-3 days in the fr...
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Pozole – three ways
Pozole is a celebratory broth-y stew that traditionally combines cooked maize kernels with pork and sometimes chicken. It can be served 'verde' (with tomatillos and pumpkin seeds), 'rojo' (with chillies) or 'blanco' (without) and comes with an array of garnishes so you can pimp your bowl. However, pozole doesn’t need to be made with meat: there is a delicious version that combines pinto beans and maize or indeed make pozole verde with vegetable broth, the pumpkin seeds add a lovely richness a...
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Albóndigas a la Mexicana
The Spanish brought this Moorish influenced dish with them when they conquered Mexico. The meat is poached in the sauce instead of being fried, and it's usually served as a stew with a little rice and corn tortillas to mop up any leftover sauce. Usually meatballs are bound with egg and breadcrumbs, but in this recipe we use raw potato (which makes them soft and tender) and crushed corn chips for extra flavour. Another Mexican trick is to stuff each meatball with a piece of hardboiled egg, an ol...
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Chilorio de pato by Adam Pawlak
Chilorio is a dish from Sinaloa in northern Mexico in which meat – usually pork, but sometimes beef or chicken – is simmered in an ancho chilli sauce. Adam Pawlak, Head Chef at Taqueria, has created a delicious, richer version substituting duck and using Cascabel chillies instead of Ancho. Chilorio can be used as a filling for tacos and burritos or as a main dish served with white rice, black beans and guacamole.
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Quick chipotle butterflied leg of lamb with mint sauce
Inspired by Diana Henry. One of our favourite dishes at home is what we call ‘lamb on fire’. My husband, Fred, bones a leg of lamb and marinates it in lots of tasty things. We have a big fireplace in our flat that we can barbecue, so he fires it up and hunkers down with a beer whilst barbecuing the meat to pink perfection. Not everyone has or wants to barbecue in their living room and Diana Henry's recipe for butterflied lamb (in her book 'A Change of Appetite') showed me that you can cook la...
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Chicken panuchos with pickled pink onions
Panuchos are regional Yucatecan snacks. Handmade small tortillas are cooked, then split and filled with refried black beans. These are then fried, before being topped with lettuce and various other ingredients. The crispy fried tortilla contrasts nicely with the cooling lettuce and sour pickled onions. Add a splash of habanero hot sauce if you want to sweat!
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Mole Poblano Chicken Taco
Mole Poblano has always played a star role in Mexican Cuisine. It's a dish many Mexicans continue to make for special occasions and parties. By using Cool Chile Mole Poblano Paste you can now rustle up a mole poblano taco in a flash, to make any occasion special.
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Pambazo
A great way to use up any stale rolls, Pambazo is a Mexican sandwich in which the bread is dipped in guajillo salsa, fried, then stuffed with potato, Mexican chorizo, creme fraiche, salsa, cheese and lettuce. It's a mighty meal in itself and a messy thing to eat so have plenty of kitchen towel at the ready!
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Mexican Fideos
In Mexico lunch is the main meal and is usually served from 2–4pm in the afternoon. Small restaurants will provide 'comida corrida' which is a set menu of 3–4 courses. Normally you will be served in sequence: sopa aguada (wet soup), sopa seca (dry soup of rice or pasta), plato fuerte (main dish), postre (pudding). Mexican fideos is a favourite sopa seca, but it can also be served as a main meal with salad. Leftovers make mighty fine tacos!
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