Lemon-Lime Pie for my Hubby

Last summer, I read about a blogger, Jennie of In Jennie’s Kitchen, who lost her husband Mikey unexpectedly. You can read the “for Mikey” post here. Mikey loved creamy peanut butter pie and so food bloggers worldwide made peanut butter pies for their loved ones to help in Jennie’s healing process. Such a bittersweet memory forever engraved in my mind. When I heard of Jennie’s story and the pie for her husband Mikey it made me think about my own husband and how I’d never made his favorite pie. 

I decided this would be the year I would make him his favorite pie – I guess Jennie’s story really hit home with me and her sweet words continue to ring in my mind. Hug them like there’s no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on. I did not have the courage to make the peanut butter pie for the man I love that day, but instead I promised myself I’d make his favorite pie one day. Well that day is finally here.

I have never made a key lime pie before, and it’s very sad because it’s my hubby’s favorite dessert. When I saw this Lemon-and-lime icebox pie with a chocolate graham-cracker crust recipe on the Homesick Texan blog I knew he would love it and I told myself I’d make it for his next birthday. I don’t know what I’d do without my husband. As corny as it sounds he truly does complete me. We are total opposites and yet we balance each other out, a ying and yang of sorts. We often forget to stop and smell the roses in this crazy thing called life. Often times it’s those who are closest to us that we take for granted and really shouldn’t. So this pie is a tribute to you babe. Te amo!

I dedicate this recipe to you on your 41^st birthday. Happy birthday sweetie!

What is your special someone’s favorite dessert or dish?

Lemon-and-lime icebox pie with a chocolate graham-cracker crust

8 servings

Ingredients
For the chocolate graham-cracker crust
1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 8 large rectangles)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
8 tablespoons butter, melted, still warm

For the lemon and lime filling
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream and fresh blueberries for topping

Directions
To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan. In a food processor or with a rolling pin, finely crush the graham crackers until they’re the texture of sand. Mix well the graham crackers with the cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt. Stir in the warm, melted butter until a dark dough is formed.

Pat the dough into the pie pan, using your hands, a measuring cup or a spoon to get it even. Bake for 7 minutes and then let the crust cool for one hour.

To make the filling, in a blender mix together the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lime juice, lemon zest, lime zest, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Pour into the cooled crust, and refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for at least 2 hours to set the filling.

Serve with whipped cream and fresh blueberries on top.

Muy Bueno Photographer

Who is our photographer? Have you noticed the majority of our photographs are pretty darn beautiful? I honestly wish I could take credit for them, but I can’t. In the beginning when I had this crazy cookbook/blog idea my talented photographer friend, Jeanine suggested she photograph our dishes. Sheesh! Talk about an amazing offer. I jumped on that offer so fast and Muy Bueno emerged. The photography on our site is what thankfully has caught the eye of many and for that we are eternally grateful to Jeanine.

Jeanine has taken pictures of my family for years, and even traveled with us to Mexico to photograph our destination wedding in Playa del Carmen.

My sister Veronica fell in love with her work too.

Here is one of my favorite pictures of mom, Veronica, and I last year during one of our holiday photo shoots.

She is an amazing photographer, friend, and now is more like familia. We truly love her and her family.

We love that she has a passion for Mexico just as much as we do. Throughout this post you’ll see photos from her recent family vacation to Todos Santos, Mexico. Her photography never ceases to amaze us.

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jeanine Thurston, our amazingly beautiful photographer in every sense of the word. She has a wicked sense of humor, loves Mexican food as much as we do, and has the ability to capture the essence of her photographic subjects, whether it is a wedding, portrait, fashion, or food. We love everything she captures. Who is Jeanine Thurston? Now let’s get to know the women behind the camera shall we.

How long have you been a photographer?

I’ve been photographing since I was a kid…with my first camera I purchased by selling greeting cards, of all things. Professionally I photographed my first wedding when I was 17 years old while still in high school. I then went off to college where I pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts & Photography, simultaneously working for a photography studio while attending college. I started my own business in 1992. So, it is hard to count ~ but professionally I’ve been photographing for 24+ years. Still love it.

What inspired you to become a photographer?

I’ve always been interested in the arts and was an oil painter first. Photography was something I could do and combine it with my love of being around people. While I always admired works from people like Ansel Adams, I really did it more for the pleasure I got out of photographing (and still do). But what pushed me was when I was taking photography into a local pro-lab and the owner came out one day and said “have you ever thought about doing this for a living?” It was really the first time it crossed my mind that I could actually do what I loved most and support myself with it. It was a huge trigger, that I immediately joined the local professional photography groups and Professional Photographers of America and started making more contacts in the professional community. I have to give a huge credit to Lenny Dixon who was one of the top wedding pros at the time for taking me under his wing and teaching me everything ~ and giving me the confidence that I needed to make it all happen.

How did you begin working with the Muy Bueno trio?

I photographed Yvette’s daughter Maya when she was only a year old, and Yvette’s wedding and well ~ you tend to just fall in love with her whole family. But I actually saw a post where Yvette mentioned something about a cookbook and I immediately said ~ “Let’s do it!” I love Mexican food enough as it is…and well ~ their food is amazing. Besides…they feel like family to me now, it is all too exciting to see this cookbook all come together.

Do you have a favorite Muy Bueno recipe you photographed?

This is a trick question I’m sure. There are way too many to narrow down…let’s see: guacamole, tacos, and well ~ every single drink they ever make. This is from someone that really hardly ever drinks. Seriously though…I couldn’t pick just one.

If you weren’t a photographer, what would you be?

I have been a photographer for so long; it is really hard to imagine what I would be without it. Of course I love working with children and a child psychologist is what I also went to school for. But, I love traveling and spending time with my kids the most.

When not photographing how do you spend your time?

I love movies, traveling (Mexico in particular), spending time in the mountains, and above all spending time with my two sons.

Any fun up and coming projects you’d like to mention?

2011 was filled with so many projects, including another cookbook I photographed called The Feed Zone Cookbook, and I also had the pleasure of working on a couple of bridal inspiration shoots. It has been so much fun.

2012 projects will be dedicating my time to Muy Bueno of course in addition to my portrait and wedding photography business, and preparing and photographing for a book I’m working on that is two years down the road. I’m not passing out too many details yet ~ but excited about getting things in the works.

Thanks Jeanine and be sure to check out Jeanine’s blog.

Stuffed Poblano Chiles in White Rice + IMUSA Caldero Giveaway

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – scroll down to the bottom to see who won!***

Guess what? We just spoke to one of our sponsors, IMUSA and they have offered to host monthly giveaways for Muy Bueno readers. Isn’t that fantastic? Not only are they gifting amazing products, but they are also sharing some of their delicious recipes with us too.

So without further ado here is the delicious recipe and prize…

Stuffed Poblano Chiles in White Rice
Arroz Blanco con Chiles Rellenos de Queso

4 Servings

Ingredients

8 small Poblano chiles or 4 large Poblano chiles

1 pound mild shredded white cheddar cheese

4 cups chicken broth or water

½ small white onion

2 garlic cloves

4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups long grain rice

1/2 cup of frozen corn

Directions

Place the Poblano chiles on any non-stick IMUSA comal on high heat and roast until the chile skin is completely and evenly blistered. Turn the chiles on a regular basis to create the even blistering. Do not char the chiles. Place chiles in plastic or paper bag for 10-15 minutes. Peel away the black skin. Make a cut lengthwise on your chile and take out the seeds and veins. Stuff with cheese.

Using a blender, pureé the chicken broth, onion, and garlic. Strain and set aside. On medium heat, add the oil to your IMUSA Caldero. Add the rice. Stir regularly for 3 minutes until the rice grains are white on the inside and transparent on the outside. Add the chicken broth mixture. Add salt.  Bring to a boil. Nestle the stuffed chiles into the cooking rice with the seam side up. Sprinkle in the corn and cover. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes or until the liquid evaporates. Do not uncover the rice for at least 15 minutes or it will not cook properly.

PRIZE

IMUSA Red 2-Piece Caldero Set (26cm and 30cm)

Create delicious gourmet meals or your favorite comfort foods with your IMUSA Caldero. The newly designed Caldero set is ideal for cooking rice, pasta, roasts, casseroles, chili, and even slow cooking your meals.

HOW TO ENTER

Just leave a comment here letting us know what your New Year’s resolution is.

And for extra entries….

1. Follow Muy Bueno on Facebook: Then leave another comment here letting us know.
2. Follow Muy Bueno on Twitter: Then leave another comment here letting us know.
3. Follow IMUSA on Facebook: Then leave another comment here letting us know.
4. Follow IMUSA on Twitter: Then leave another comment here letting us know.

THE RULES

This giveaway ends Friday, January 20, 2012 at midnight MST. One lucky winner will be randomly chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified via e-mail. Winner must respond within 24 hours or we will choose another winner.

You must have a valid U.S. address to enter.

Buena suerte! Good Luck!

Thank you IMUSA for sponsoring these giveaways and thank you for bringing joy into the cocina of Muy Bueno amigos.

Are you a subscriber to our blog? Subscribers will be notified via email about future giveaways hosted by Muy Bueno Cookbook. More to come this year so don’t miss out.

Note: This giveaway is provided to you by IMUSA. The views and opinions expressed on Muy Bueno Cookbook are purely our own and based upon our personal experiences with IMUSA products, which we love. 

******************************

Random.org has chosen our winner … Chris Ynzunza

Congrats!

Thank you all for your inspiring resolutions.  We wish you all luck with them and enjoyed reading them!

We look forward to hosting more giveaways and hearing more from you all.

Epiphany Dinner

I hope you all had a great Dia de Los Reyes (Three Kings or the Feast of the Epiphany). Our friends Lesley and Julio invited us over for an Epiphany dinner and I have to say that my amiga Lesley did an outstanding job with dinner and hosting.

Its funny because since starting our blog and cookbook journey my hubby and I are not invited to home dinners as often. Some friends have even confessed that they are intimidated to cook for me. Let me just say I am not a food critic. I love food, any and all food, especially food that is cooked for me. So bring on the invitations for 2012.

Lesley prepared caldo de res, a delicious Mexican beef and vegetable soup, which included chayote. Chayote is a type of squash that gave the soup a great mild flavor. She served the soup with warm corn tortillas, lime wedges, cilantro, and a salsa roja. I felt like I was sitting at mom’s kitchen table. It was the prefect comfort food for a chilly Colorado evening.

She also had some spicy tamales de puerco en chile colorado that Julio’s mother gave them from a tamaleria in Pharr, Texas located near McAllen and the Mexican border city of Reynosa. They were excelente! I hadn’t eaten tamales since our IMUSA tamale adventure and tamalada in El Paso in September (yes, shame on me), so I kinda devoured a couple.

She even had persimmons knowing that I love them so we just had to make persimmon margaritas.

For dessert we had my Rosca de Reyes, which turned out better than I had hoped. Although it was a tad over baked it was not noticed. I covered it in foil and reheated it in the oven, then drizzled some eggnog glaze all over it. Lesley and Julio also broke out a Venezuelan ponche crema, so I just had to add that to the glaze. The rosca turned out great and tasted like a cinnamon roll with a citrus twist. The citrus flavor in the dough and filling combined with the enduring holiday taste of the sweet eggnog glaze was the perfect dessert to end a wonderful Epiphany feast.

If all this wasn’t enough, Lesley also made Mexican hot chocolate with a splash of Kahlua, which complimented the rosca well.

Let’s recap the great drinks…We started off with some of my favorite Rioja Spanish wine before dinner, persimmon margaritas with dinner, the rosca had a Venezuelan kick, and finally a little Kahlua touch in our chocolate.

The kids even enjoyed a little bubbly with some non-alcoholic sparkling cider. It was a very cheerful evening to say the least as we all ate, drank, watched our children perform a “dance show”, and talked till midnight.

Thank you Lesley and Julio for hosting such a fabulous dinner and wanting to share the Dia de Los Reyes traditions with our children.

Salud! Here’s to 2012 and more dinner parties with family and friends.

And speaking of dinner parties – I will be hosting Dia de La Candelaria. Lesley’s daughter actually found the baby Jesus in her slice of bread, but I volunteered to host since they hosted Dia de Los Reyes. My plan is to open the invitation to a few other friends and make it a potluck style dinner.

I even invited some virtual friends to join us in on the potluck so stay tuned for some great recipes from some Latina blog amigas.

Will you be hosting or attending any festivities for Dia de La Candelaria?

My First Rosca de Reyes

Happy New Year amigos!

Just when you thought the parties and food was over…it’s not! In Mexico the festive season continues. Here’s a breakdown of upcoming official holidays and the recipes found on dinner tables.

January 6: Día de Los Reyes or Three Kings Day

This holiday represents the day three wise men gave gifts to Jesus Christ. The day closes the Christmas festivities and is the day the people of Mexico exchange gifts. During Día de Los Reyes, Mexicans serve Rosca de Reyes, or King’s Cake. “Rosca” means wreath and “reyes” means kings. The Rosca de Reyes has an oval shape to symbolize a crown and has a small doll inside which represents baby Jesus. The doll figure symbolizes the hiding of the infant Jesus from King Herod’s troops. Traditionally roscas are adorned with dried and candied fruits like figs, quinces, or cherries to symbolize the many jewels that a crown would have. The person who gets the slice with the doll must host a party on Dia de la Candelaria in February.

You can read more about this holiday on this Dia de Los Reyes (King’s Day) we wrote last year.

February 2: Dia de la Candelaria or Candlemas

This is a religious holiday that includes processions, dancing, bullfights (in some cities) and a blessing of seeds and candles. Día de la Candelaria typically includes the Mexican drinks of Atole, Champurrado, and Tamales.

You can read more about this holiday here: Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas).

Last year, 2011 flew by and I had a long list of cooking goals. One of those goals was to make a Rosca de Reyes. Well, it never happened, and so this year I was determined. I told my children all about the special holiday and enlisted their help preparing the bread. They were very excited. They both love helping me in the kitchen, so when the day came to make the bread they woke me up extra early. We gathered all our ingredients, took turns pouring ingredients into the mixer, rolling and kneading the dough, and checking on the dough as it rose. It was an especially busy day because aside from baking we were also cleaning up all the toys that had exploded all over our living room floor. There was also the usual unpacking and washing piles of clothes from our holiday vacation. Ok, back to the baking…

Once the dough rose we took turns rolling it out and filling it with a bright and festive cranberry and almond filling. It was a blissful day and although there was a lot going on, there was this incredible sense of peace and joy. I enjoyed educating my kids about the significance of the bread and they enjoyed taking turns, it was a mother’s dream day with the kid’s en la cocina. Can you picture it?

We filled the dough and it was beautiful. The filling was delicately scented with dried fruits and nuts. I had originally planned to make a raisin and date filling, but in the end decided on a cranberry and almond filling. The filling we made was delicious and colorful.

After we filled our dough, we rolled it, and split it in half (lengthwise), and then twist it and let it rise again. It turned into a beautiful looking wreath and we were all feeling pretty proud.

We adorned it with cherries to represent ruby jewels and finally the moment came to put this beautiful wreath in the oven.

This part is making me sad just thinking about it. By this time I was very tired from a whole day in the kitchen and cleaning the floor after the kids had a little too much fun playing with the flour.

The wreath went into the oven and I set the timer. I went upstairs to fold laundry and asked my 9-year old daughter to let me know when the timer went off. As I folded laundry I was grinning from ear to ear as the smell of the bread baking wafted through our home. I was still feeling very proud and was enjoying my thoughts of my day with the kids. As my thoughts subsided the sudden smell of burnt bread brought me back to reality. I scrambled downstairs and heard the timer going off and saw my daughter hypnotized by the TV. I raced to the oven and pulled out the bread. As I pulled out the bread I quickly noticed parts of it had actually burnt. Now, here’s my confession…I screamed at my poor daughter. I told her that she ruined our bread and all of our hard work was all for nothing. I sent her to her room crying and I was crying looking at this burnt wreath. I was so torn about what to do. Do I throw it away? Do I scrape the burnt pieces and powder it with sugar or add a milky white glaze? As I pondered my ideas I could hear my daughter sobbing upstairs. Not only was I stressed about the bread but I was also mad at myself for being so hard on my daughter, who felt horribly about her mistake.

After having sent her to her room in tears I felt so guilty about how I over-reacted. Our rosca was not perfect and after apologizing to my daughter I realized it was my fault. I never should have left her in charge of listening for the timer knowing how mesmerized she gets while watching TV. All I can hope and pray for now is that she remembers how much fun we all had making the bread and not my screaming and over-reacting to the slightly burnt rosca. After giving this a lot of thought I think my kids taught me a lesson — The importance of spending quality time together. The time well spent taking turns, measuring and just being together in the kitchen. I hope they remember that moment and not the burnt bread. After all was said and done it wasn’t that burnt. I hope I can find a way to make it up to her somehow.

The recipe below has some added precautions on how to make this bread in your home ensuring it doesn’t burn.

Here is hoping you have peace in your home making this rosca.

Rosca de Reyes with Cranberry-Almond Filling and an Eggnog Glaze
adapted from TheKitchn

12 servings

Ingredients
1 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 cup warm water (about 110° F)
3/4 cup warm milk (about 110° F)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

For the Cranberry-Almond Filling:
3/4 cup organic dried cranberries, soaked in 1/2 cup brandy
8 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
1 teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Eggnog Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
4 to 6 teaspoons eggnog

Garnish:
Maraschino cherries

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and let it foam up for a minute or two. Blend in the milk, sugar, butter, salt, eggs and lime peel. Stir in two cups of the flour, a little at a time. Beat for 2 minutes. Add remaining flour until you have soft, workable dough. Note: Your dough will be sticky.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Place in a lightly oiled mixing bowl large enough to accommodate dough when doubled in size. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours).

Meanwhile, prepare the Cranberry-Almond Filling. Drain the dried fruit of its liqueur. In a small bowl, combine the drained fruit with remaining filling ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.

When dough has risen and doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured board, kneading just enough to release any air bubbles. Roll out the dough into a 9- by 30-inch rectangle. Crumble the filling over the dough to within 1 inch of the edges. Starting along a long side, tightly roll up the dough, pinching edge against loaf to seal.

With a sharp knife, cut roll in half lengthwise, carefully turn cut sides up, and loosely twist ropes around each other, keeping cut sides up.

Carefully transfer the bread to a greased and floured baking sheet or pizza stone and shape into a wreath, pinching ends together to seal. Let it rise, uncovered, in a warm place until puffy, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place the cherries (cut in half) on top of the wreath to decorate.

Bake wreath until lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes, covering the wreath loosely with foil after the first 15 minutes, as it will brown quickly.

While wreath is baking, prepare eggnog glaze.

Combine sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg. Stir in enough eggnog to reach drizzling consistency.

When wreath is done, transfer to a cooling rack with wide spatulas or a pizza peel. Cool for a few minutes then drizzle the glaze and grate a little bit of fresh nutmeg over the icing.

I chose to add the plastic doll to the wreath after it was baked and cooled and slipped it into a secret slit. I completely cooled my wreath and wrapped it tightly in foil on a cookie sheet and refrigerated it.

We have an epiphany dinner we are attending Friday night, so I plan to store the wreath at room temperature a few hours before the party and then re-heat it (covered) at 350° F for 10 to 15 minutes and then I’ll drizzle the glaze right before serving. I’m hoping the glaze will hide some of the imperfections and give it a yummy sweet flavor.

I’ll post epiphany dinner photos later, and taste results of this bread with the eggnog glaze.

Remember…The custom is that whoever finds the doll must host a party on Candlemas (February 2nd).

Isn’t this baby doll adorable? I bought a package of them at Hobby Lobby.

Feliz Día de Los Reyes!

Salud! To great things in 2012

We are really looking forward to ringing in the New Year tonight. We have quite a bit of celebrating to do. We just turned in our 232-page cookbook manuscript (aka our baby) to our publisher today, yes TODAY. WOW! We can’t believe our due date is already here. We have labored for months and we did it. It’s been many a late nights writing, editing, cooking, and more editing. We have spent countless hours preparing for each and every photo shoot, shopping for props worthy of each dish and lots of testing and re-testing of every recipe. Our biggest challenge was making sure everyone could replicate our family’s recipes without too much fuss. The intense photo shoots were exhausting, to say the least, but all the eating and drinking afterwards was like one big fiesta. We gained a few extra pounds along the way too but it was all worth it (somebody had to do it).

We are thrilled to have this blog as our refuge for all good things to eat, drink, and worth celebrating. So today we want to thank you our readers who came, hung out, and are still with us today. We’ve done a lot in the last year. Thank you for reading our stories, reliving our adventures, and making our recipes. We love it that you take the time to leave us your comments; it makes us feel all warm inside. It’s a big world out there, this cyberspace, so we’re sending out a virtual abrazo (hug) to each and every one of you for embracing all that is muy bueno. Simply stated, without you, our blog would be a very lonely place.

Thank you Grandma, who is up in heaven…Thank you for having been an extraordinary mother and an even better grandmother. We love you, and all our lovely memories of you will live on in our hearts.

We are thankful for each and every one of you who read our blog and we are eternally grateful to those who leave us your thoughts and comments. We raise our glass to you and we look forward to 2012 with great anticipation. From our casita to yours we wish you all a new year filled with many blessings.

Happy New Year y Próspero Año Nuevo!

What are you most thankful for in 2011 and what do you look forward to the most in 2012?

recipe > Sparkling Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail

Photography by Jeanine Thurston

Seared Scallops with Avocado Mousse and Chipotle Sauce

I’m a sucker for anything made using avocados and Avocados from Mexico reign supreme. Avocados are high in potassium and rich in monounsaturated fat, the heart-healthy kind and eating avocados can promote healthy skin and hair. So this appetizer is not only delicious but good for you, bonus!

So here’s the skinny on avocados. Mexican avocados have a minimum of 21% fat, an average of 25%, and some even reach 30%. So in a nutshell, the higher the fat percentage, the creamier, and richer the avocado. So that means you can feel great about eating this light and festive appetizer for the holidays.

While working in the Muy Bueno test kitchen, Jeanine and I came up with this very gourmet appetizer, a delicately seared scallop dipped in a light and luscious avocado mousse. Wait, and then dipped in a chipotle sauce. Madre mía, is this appetizer screaming out your name yet? If you like seafood, you’re going to fall in love with these melt-in-your-mouth scallops bathed in the scrumptious avocado mousse and spicy sauce that accompanies them.

Avocados from Mexico are available year-round, with the peak of the season being September to May. So wherever you live, you should have access to them.

This gourmet appetizer would be perfect for your upcoming Posada, Noche Buena, or Navidad menu. As a bonus this tasty appetizer bears the traditional Christmas colors of red and green, with the green avocado mousse and spicy red chipotle peppers.

During the holiday season we are so busy decorating, shopping, and gift wrapping so we also wanted something that was delicioso and yet simple to make. We only want it to look like we worked hard. If you can whisk, sear, and assemble you will love the end result.

Skewer them before serving for easy handling and charming presentation. For another serving idea you can serve them on miniature fried corn tortillas topped with the avocado mousse. The presentation is up to you.

Enjoy!

5 to 10 servings

Avocado Mousse

Ingredients

4 ripe Avocados from Mexico, halved, pitted and peeled

1 lime, juiced

½ cup crème fraiche

½ cup crema Mexican

Salt to taste

Directions

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh into a blender or food processor. Puree the avocado with the limejuice and season with salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whip crème fraiche and crema Mexicana until soft peaks form. Fold avocado puree into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.

Chipotle Sauce

Ingredients

1 whole chipotle chile, with 1-teaspoon sauce from can of chipotles in adobo sauce

¼ lime, juiced

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Scallops

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

10 large sea scallops

Directions

Drain and rinse scallops thoroughly, pat them dry with paper towels and set aside.

Sprinkle both sides of scallops with salt.

Heat a nonstick pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. The oil needs to be very hot before you add the scallops.

Place the scallops flat-side down in the hot pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan, or you’ll lower the pan temperature, causing the scallops to be steamed rather than seared. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden and caramelized. Make sure they are caramelized before turning. Turn only once. Do not overcook or they will be rubbery.

Assembly

Spoon the avocado purée into cocktail glasses.

Fill some small serving bowls with chipotle sauce.

Place one skewered scallop across the rim of each cocktail glass and serve.

Photography by Jeanine Thurston

Note: Avocados from Mexico compensated us for this post but the recipe and opinions are our own. Avocados from Mexico make good food better. 

Tamalada ~ Con Mucho Amor

We were in El Paso a couple of months ago testing IMUSA tamale steamers and decided it was the perfect opportunity to host a tamalada (a tamal-making party) with our mother, tias, and a couple of cousins. Thankfully our cousin Ericka graciously opened her home and cocina for all of us, and our other cousin Leah documented it all with her amazing photography skills. You can check out her photography blog here.

After a very hectic schedule of testing several tamale steamers, where we made and steamed literally hundreds of tamales we were crazy enough to think we could host a tamalada. We figured why not, we’re already in the groove. We had one day left in our busy schedule to squeeze in one more event so we coordinated a tamalada with those who are the closest we have to grandma, her daughters (our tias), and our mother.

If you’ve ever taken part in a tamalada you understand the energy surrounding it. It must be the fumes in the masa or something about making hundreds of little gifts in an oja (corn husk) because once we all sat around and started wrapping and making the tamales the best stories from the past resurfaced. A tamalda leads to all sorts of chit chat and remembrances of some of our familias history, which normally doesn’t happen at any other time. That day we all talked, we laughed, we cried, and then we talked some more. Wrapping tamales with our mother, cousins, and tias was immeasurable. We are eternally grateful to have spent that beautiful October morning with mom, Ericka, Leah, Tia Natalia, and Tia Ernestina. Gracias y un gran besote for taking the time to spend it with us making tamales. We wouldn’t trade that day for anything in the world.

That day really solidified the importance of documenting our family’s recipes. Our mother is the youngest of all her siblings, and was always with grandma in the kitchen. Thankfully for us she memorized all of our grandma’s recipes including her legendary tamales. We were surprised to hear that our tias had not made tamales in years, so mom teaching all of us grandmas tricks and techniques was priceless. Traditionally our grandma made red chile and pork tamales and sweet raisin tamales for the kids. Through the years our mom has made additional fillings including green chile and pork and a new favorite, rajas con asadero cheese. Grandma’s old tried and true tamale recipes and mom’s new recipes are truly invaluable. I hope one day we too can add to their list of tamale filling recipes.  

As we wrapped each tamal we talked about our late grandma and all the special family gatherings we used to have when we were little kids. It was a walk down memory lane but most of all it was a day filled con mucho amor.

We encourage you to host a tamalada, a cookie party, or something in the kitchen. These moments are truly precious and more often than not, only come but once a year.

Many of you have asked us for our tamale recipe, and we hope you understand how dear it is to us. We are saving our tamale masa recipe and the variety of filling options for our cookbook and hope that you are excited to see them in print as much as we are.

Photography by Leah Audrae

Last IMUSA Giveaway for 2011

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – scroll down to the bottom to see who won!***  

Thank you to all our wonderful subscribers. We love you and all the sweet comments you have left us throughout the year. All your comments are read and make us feel very special. We look forward to 2012 with great anticipation.

As we reach Christmas and the end of 2011 we have teamed with IMUSA for an amazing giveaway. Thank you IMUSA for this generous giveaway! One lucky winner will receive the following gift package.

IMUSA Covered Steamer,
16 Qt. Orange Tamale Steamer with Glass Lid
This aluminum steamer features tall sides and a perforated metal divider that keeps tamales, seafood, veggies, and other culinary creations out of hot water. The hassle-free way to get great steamed flavor right away.

IMUSA 8-Inch Tortilla Press
The cast iron, tinned Victoria tortilla press is perfect for making your favorite corn or flour tortillas. It is heavy and sturdy allowing for easy handling when pressing. The long pressing handle is reinforced at the base. The unique design allows for various thicknesses of tortillas.

IMUSA lime squeezer
The IMUSA cast aluminum lime squeezer is ideal for squeezing limes and lemons. Sturdy construction, great for the kitchen or bar. Stylish design is ergonomic and easy to handle.

Now you can host that tamalada in style for your posada or Christmas festivities, make some tortillas or sopes for all your amigos, and squeeze some limes for some great cocktails.

HOW TO ENTER

Leave some comments. There are lots of ways you can do this.

To earn entries, leave a separate comment for each of the steps listed below. You can leave one comment (entry) or many comments (entries). The choice is yours. If you don’t leave separate comments, we will not be able to include them.

1. How or where do you plan on celebrating the holidays? Are you hosting a tamalada, celebrating Las Posadas, or gearing up for New Years Eve? Leave us a comment and give us a sneak peek into your traditional holiday celebration and just like that you’re entered to win this great IMUSA cookware package.
2. Follow Muy Bueno on Twitter
3. Follow Muy Bueno on Facebook
4. Follow IMUSA on Facebook

THE RULES

This giveaway ends Saturday, December 17, 2011 at midnight MST. One lucky winner will be randomly chosen through Random.org. The winner will be notified via e-mail. Winner must respond within 24 hours or we will choose another winner.

You must have a valid U.S. address to enter.

Buena suerte! Good Luck!

Thank you IMUSA for sponsoring this giveaway and thank you for bringing Christmas joy into the Muy Bueno cocina.

Are you a subscriber to our blog? Subscribers will be notified via email about future giveaways hosted by Muy Bueno Cookbook. More to come in 2012 so don’t miss out.

Note: This giveaway is provided to you by IMUSA. The views and opinions expressed on Muy Bueno Cookbook are purely our own and based upon our personal experiences with IMUSA products, which we love.

******************************

Random.org has chosen our winner and he is… El Torero

Congrats!

Thank you all for your heart warming comments. We enjoyed reading them!

We look forward to hosting more giveaways and hearing more from you all.

Ponche Navideño

(Mexican Christmas Fruit Punch)

Ponche Navideño is a hot punch served with or without alcohol during the holiday season and most generally during Las Posadas. On those chilly nights this warm and fragrant infusion warms you from the inside out. I plan to make this often during the winter months here in Colorado.

Since starting this blog, I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with holiday drinks and learning about traditional Mexican ingredients. My grandma made a very similar calientito (warm drink) around the holidays but it did not have all of the unique ingredients listed below. This recipe was adapted from one created by Fany Gerson in her My Sweet Mexico cookbook. Below is the final outcome after some experimenting. I wanted a touch of citrus and spice, hence the addition of the orange and cloves. Thank you Fany for the inspiration.

It was exciting to learn about some of the unique ingredients that are commonly used in a traditional ponche. Tejocotes was an ingredient I had never purchased before. At $9/pound I know why. I figured I’d buy half a pound and see what they were all about and I’m so happy I did. They have a sweet and sour taste, which is reminiscent of something between a plum and an apricot. If you do not have access to this fruit you can substitute with crab apples.

Another unique ingredient I had never purchased before were guavas. The ones I used were yellow, over ripened, soft, and very sweet, but that was perfectly fine because they dissolved in the water and added a uniquely sweet taste to the ponche.

My mom sold tamarind in our family’s neighborhood grocery store and although all the barrio kids loved it, it never appealed to me. I can’t believe I lived this long without ever trying it. It has a very unique tart flavor and gives the punch its rich warm color.

Here’s hoping you will venture out to your nearest Mexican grocery store and purchase some of these exotic ingredients to make your ponche Navideño. The intoxicating aroma and perfumed air in your home will certainly entice your guests to give the drink a try. After that, they’re hooked.

Brandy or tequila can be added, making it ponche con piquete (punch with a sting).

20 Servings

Ingredients

4 quarts water

2 cinnamon sticks

8 whole cloves

5 long tamarind pods, husk removed, and seeded or boil the entire pod to make removing easier

½ pound tejocotes or crab apples, left whole

6 large guavas, peeled and cut into large bite-size chunks

2 red apples (of your choice), peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks

1 pear (of your choice), peeled, cored, and cut into small bite-size chunks

2 (4-inch) sugarcane sticks, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 cup pitted prunes

1/2 cup dark raisins

1 orange, sliced

1 cone piloncillo, chopped or 1 cup dark brown sugar

1 ounce brandy or tequila per cup (optional)

Directions

In a large pot, over high heat, boil water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, tamarind, and tejocotes. After it starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the tejocotes are soft.

Remove the tejocotes from the heat, peel, remove hard ends, cut in half, and deseed. Return them to the pot.

Add guavas, apples, pears, sugar cane, prunes, orange slices, and piloncillo.

Simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring gently. Discard cinnamon sticks and cloves.

Ladle into cups, making sure each cup gets some chunks of fruit.

Add brandy or tequila to each cup (optional).

Tejocotes / Source / Daniel Manrique
Guava / Source / photodoris
Tamarind / Source / The Brazilian Foodie
Ponche Photography by Jeanine Thurston