Watch CBS News

Best Recipes To Celebrate Mexican Independence Day In OC

sol-cocina 610 mexican tacos
(credit: SOL Cocina)

Mexican Independence Day falls on Sept. 16. This year, thousands will celebrate in Orange County with live music, folkloric dancers and mariachi bands at the Anaheim Marketplace from Sept. 17-20. Like most commemorations, food is an essential part of the holiday. Deborah Schneider, award-winning chef and author of five cookbooks, believes the most important item on any table at a Mexican Independence Day fiesta is the salsa. As Executive Chef and partner of SOL Cocina in Newport Beach, Schneider supports local farms and sustainable fisheries in California and Baja.

Nightlife & Music Summer Time, SOL Cocina
(redit: SOL Cocina via Facebook)

Deborah Schneider
Executive Chef / Partner of SOL Cocina Restaurant Group
SOL Cocina
251 E. Coast Highway
Newport Beach, CA 92660-6131
(949) 675-9800
www.solcocina.com

Inspired by a personal and adventurous journey throughout Baja California, Deborah Schneider learned to take culinary chances. At SOL Cocina, where she is Executive Chef, she works with both modern and traditional ingredients resulting in authentic Mexican presentation and a contemporary palate. Her latest book, "Salsas and Moles: Fresh and Authentic Recipes for Pico de Gallo, Mole Poblano, Chimichurri, Guacamole, and More," is a recipe collection of salsas, which is everyone's favorite condiment.  Schneider's book is perfect when entertaining guests on Mexican Independence Day.
This recipe is reprinted with permission from Salsas and Moles, by Deborah Schneider.

Chips and Salsa
(credit; Thinkstock)

Yucatecan Tomato Salsa With Hananero
Makes 2 cups

"The Yucatán Peninsula has a completely unique cooking style. It began with the Mayans and developed in isolation from "the neighbor" (as the locals refer to Mexico), influenced more by France and the Caribbean than by the Spanish. The most common table salsa in the Yucatán is this plain, smooth and unassuming tomato salsa, which usually packs quite a wallop from a habanero or two."

  • 1 habanero chile (green, if possible) or serrano chile
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups water

Directions:

  1. Stem the chile. Place all the ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a fast simmer over medium-high heat.
  2. Cook until the tomatoes are very soft, about 7 minutes.
  3. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Place in a blender and puree until very smooth. Add the reserved cooking water to thin the salsa if you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

Serving Ideas: Excellent with any kind of tamale.

"Emerald-green and unapologetically garlicky, chimichurri is South American in origin and fabulous on meat. I prefer this salsa minced and mixed by hand so it is chunky, but you can also toss everything in a mini food processor or blender and puree it to a mostly smooth salsa with flecks of emerald green and bits of garlic." 

  • 1⁄3 cup light-flavored olive or vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime or lemon juice
  • 8 cloves garlic, very finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon very finely minced white onion
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 large sprigs flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and finely chopped
  • 12 large sprigs cilantro, stemmed and finely chopped

Directions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. 
  2. Or place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth, scraping down often.

Serving Ideas: Great with any grilled meat taco, especially carne asada or steak.

jicama_and_radish_salsa
>(Credit: Maren Caruso)

Jicama And Radish Salsa With Orange And Chile
Makes 1 ½ cups

"This combination is sometimes called 'pico de gallo' because of the chile con limón sprinkled over the top. For more heat you can substitute ground chile pequín or chile de arbol for the chile con limón. Radishes are another much-loved vegetable in Mexico, and they bring both color and another kind of zip to this salsa."

  • 1 cup prepared jicama, diced into ¼-inch pieces or cut into matchsticks
  • 2 radishes, diced like the jicama
  • 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon chile con limon*
  • 1⁄4 cup roasted, salted peanut halves (optional)
  • 2 sprigs cilantro, stemmed and roughly chopped (optional)

* Chile con limón is a mixture of dried lime juice, ground chiles, and sometimes salt. It is sold in shakers at all Mexican markets.

Directions:

  1. Combine the jicama, radishes, juices, and salt in a bowl and mix well.
  2. Place on a small plate and sprinkle with the chile con limón.
  3. Sprinkle with the peanuts and cilantro.

Serving Ideas: This is like a little salad. It is terrific served alone, with tostadas and on pork carnitas

Related: Best Taco Trucks In Orange County

Torta De Tamal Aka Tamal Pie
Serves 6
sopa_azteca
(Credit: Maren Caruso)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 package dried corn husks, soaked or 4 (12-inch) squares fresh banana leaf, toasted Masa for Tamales
  • 4 cups of your choice of tamale filling

Directions:

  1. With the shortening, liberally coat the bottom and sides of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker insert.
  2. Line the bottom and two-thirds of the way up the sides with the corn husks or banana leaves, slightly overlapping the edges.
  3. Place half of the masa in the bottom of the cooker and spread evenly to the edges and 1/2 inch up the sides of the insert. Cover evenly with the filling. Spread the remaining masa over the filling.
  4. Cover the masa with a layer of corn husks or a piece of banana leaf.
  5. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. The torta may be served at once or kept warm for several hours on low heat.
sopa_azteca
(Credit: Maren Caruso)

Sopa Azteca (Chicken Soup With Tortillas And Avocado)
(serves 4 to 6)

  • 2 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 2 tomatillos, husked and washed
  • 2 Roma tomatoes
  • 1/2 small white onion, diced
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds total)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 5 cups Caldo de Pollo
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, or 12 fresh epazote leaves, shredded

To serve:

  • 3 corn tortillas
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Diced Hass avocado
  • Lime wedges

Directions:

  1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the chiles and toast on both sides, turning occasionally and pressing down with a spatula, until they soften and blister.
  3. Remove from the pan.
  4. When the chiles are cool enough to handle, tear them into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.
  5. Add the hot water and soak the chiles, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
  6. While the chiles soak, line the skillet with a piece of aluminum foil. Add the tomatillos to the skillet and roast over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and softened. Remove the tomatillos from the skillet.
  7. In a blender, combine the chiles and their soaking liquid, the tomatillos, tomatoes, onion, and garlic and puree until very smooth. (For a smoother texture, you can press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, if you like.)
  8. Transfer the puree to a 5-quart slow cooker. Add the carrot, chicken, salt, broth, and water and stir. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender.
  9. While the chicken is cooking, cut the tortillas in half, then cut the halves into strips 1/4 inch wide (or cut them into small squares.) Heat the oil in a small skillet and fry the tortillas until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
  10. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and discard the skin and bones.
  11. Shred or dice the chicken into 1-inch pieces and return to the broth.
  12. Add the cilantro. Heat through, taste, and adjust the seasoning.
  13. To serve, divide the fried tortilla pieces among the serving bowls and ladle the hot soup over them, including some of the chicken in each bowl.
  14. Garnish with a few pieces of avocado and serve very hot with the lime wedges on the side.

Variations

  • Scatter a bit of grated Monterey jack cheese or queso fresco over the tortillas before you pour the hot soup on top.
  • Add 1 cup cooked garbanzo beans to the cooker for the last hour of cooking.

Related: Best Winter Soups In OC

Sheryl Craig is a writer with a passion for interesting finds and treasures in Los Angeles. She has a background in journalism and public relations. A mother of two daughters, Sheryl integrates her healthy lifestyle into raising her children. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.


View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.