Naturally Healthy Mexican Cooking: Authentic Recipes for Dieters, Diabetics & All Food Lovers

IN PRE-HISPANIC MEXICO, the only poultry available was wild game, such as duck, quail, and doves. The Spanish brought chickens and added another dimension to the developing cuisine.

Estofado de Pollo

A CHICKEN MOLE FROM OAXACA

4 servings

I learned to make this outstanding dish at Oaxaca’s Centro Cultural and, a few years ago, served it to raves at the San Antonio Heart Association formal gala event. Not your usual mole, the recipe is a perfect example of a dish that is naturally healthful, although I do use Splenda as a substitute for sugar, and it works very well in that role. Of course sugar can be used in equal amounts.

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1-3/4 cups chopped white onions

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 pounds tomatoes, very finely chopped (a food processor is a good choice for this)

4 ounces small to medium pitted green manzanilla olives (not stuffed with pimento), divided into 2 equal portions

2 ounces raisins, divided into 2 equal portions

2-1/2 teaspoons Splenda

2-1/4 teaspoons dried thyme

Scant 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, preferably canela

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 ounces blanched, slivered almonds, divided into 2 equal portions

4 canned pickled serrano chiles

1-1/2 tablespoons pickled serrano juice from the can

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring often, until the onions are nearly soft. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring often, until it is cooked through but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add half of the olives and raisins and cook for 2 minutes. Add the Splenda, thyme, cinnamon, and salt and continue simmering for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the contents to cool enough so they do not blow the top off the blender when you blend them. One way to prevent that is to remove the center piece of the blender’s top and cover it with a towel, which allows steam to dissipate. In any case, be very careful, as severe burns can result from the steam and hot liquid.

Blend, strain, and finish the sauce. Place the cooled ingredients and half of the almonds in a blender and purée. Strain the purée through the fine blade of a food mill or press through a strainer and pour it back into the pot. Bring it to a simmer and add the rest of the olives, raisins, and almonds. Add the chiles, chile juice, and parsley and simmer for 5 minutes.

Cook the chicken and finish the recipe. Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, then quickly brown the chicken on both sides. Add the sauce to the pan, stir, and simmer until the breasts are just cooked through. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it with a little chicken broth or water.

I like it served over steamed squash with corn tortillas on the side or with rice.

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Alambre de Pollo

NORTHERN MEXICAN SHISH KEBAB

4 servings

I found this delicious recipe in the northern Mexican village of Múzquiz in the state of Coahuila. It is really a splurge hidden in low-calorie clothing. The portions are ample, and it is good enough for entertaining. If you wish, you can leave out the small amount of bacon, but it adds a lot more flavor than fat to the dish. The result is most authentic and best when cooked over mesquite wood or charcoal on an outdoor grill. The sweet smoke turns it into something special. But it will also work well in a grill pan. If you choose the latter method, make sure your skewers are short enough to fit in the pan. This dish goes particularly well with Caesar Salad (page 96).

INGREDIENTS

For the marinade and chicken

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon pure chile powder made from ancho or New Mexico chiles

1 teaspoon salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons dried leaf oregano

3/4 cup canola oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 24 or 36 pieces

For the shish kebabs

1 large poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces, or substitute a bell pepper

1 white onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 pieces bacon, cut into 24 pieces of about 3/4 inch

4 small Roma tomatoes, cut into 3 pieces each

4 shish kebab skewers

DIRECTIONS

Make the marinade and marinate the chicken. Combine the lime juice, chile powder, salt, garlic, and oregano, then slowly whisk or stir in the oil until well combined. Pour the marinade over the chicken in a nonreactive bowl and marinate for 1–1-1/2 hours, but no longer, or the lime juice will begin to “cook” the chicken.

Parboil the chiles and onions. So that the chile and onion pieces will not be only partially cooked when the chicken is done, parboil them by immersing them in boiling water for about 5 seconds. Remove and rinse them under cold running water to stop the cooking. Drain and reserve.

Prepare the skewers. If using wood skewers, soak them in water for at least a half hour to keep them from burning. Thread the ingredients on the skewers in the following order (or any order you prefer): 1 piece pepper, 2 pieces onion, 1 piece tomato, 1 piece pepper, 2 pieces onion, 1 piece bacon, 2–3 pieces chicken (depending on how many you cut), 1 piece bacon, 2 pieces onion, etc.

Grill the shish kebabs. Prepare a wood or charcoal fire, start a gas grill, or put a grill pan on the stove to heat over medium-high heat. Grill the shish kebabs, turning them as each side browns, until the chicken is just cooked through.

Serve with Mexican Rice (page 61), Saffron Rice (page 62), or a Caesar Salad (page 96).

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Pipián Verde

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN STEW

4 servings

Pipianes are a perfect example of how foreign ingredients—in this case, chicken, sesame seeds, cinnamon, orange juice, and oil—were absorbed into pre-Hispanic dishes. These simple stews, thickened entirely with their own ingredients rather than flour or cornstarch, are similar to the more complex moles. Both rely for their depth of flavor on cooking the ingredients separately and then combining them. Although this dish has a fair number of ingredients and steps, the process is simple—and well worth it for its intriguingly exotic taste.

Although pipianes are usually eaten as stews with corn tortillas, they are extremely versatile. Mixed with a few handfuls of crispy tortilla chips and topped with a little grated cheese, they become a terrific version of chilaquiles. They can also be made into enchiladas or used as fillings for tacos and burritos, or as a topping for tostadas. Please note that usually, but not always, 1 jalapeño makes the dish reasonably mild, 2 will be delightfully piquant, and 3 will be quite hot.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup blanched, slivered almonds

1/4 cup raw pepitas (page 13)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

8 ounces tomatillos, cut in half

2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1–3 jalapeño chiles

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1 corn tortilla

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 heaping teaspoon cinnamon, preferably canela

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

Toast the ingredients. Toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat until they begin to brown. Place them in a blender. Toast the pumpkin seeds in the same skillet until they pop like popcorn and add them to the blender. Toast the sesame seeds and cumin seeds in the skillet until the seeds turn golden and add them to the blender.

Raise the heat to medium-high and place the tomatillos in the pan cut side down. Add the garlic, jalapeños, and onions. After 3-1/2–4 minutes, the bottoms of the tomatillos should be charred. Turn them and stir the garlic, jalapeños, and onions. Cook another 3-1/2–4 minutes, or until everything is soft and charred. You may have to remove the onions early and leave the jalapeños in a little longer than the tomatillos. Remove the garlic, allow it to cool, then peel it and add it to the blender jar. Remove the jalapeños, remove their stems and seeds, and add the chiles to the blender with the tomatillos and onions.

Brush a little olive oil on both sides of the tortilla and toast it in the skillet on both sides until it begins to turn golden. Cut it into small pieces and add it to the blender.

Add the pepper, oregano, salt, cinnamon, orange juice, and lime juice to the blender and blend to a rough purée. The mixture should still have some body and texture.

Brown the chicken. Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and brown half of the chicken. With a slotted spoon, remove it to a bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil and brown the rest of the chicken. Return the first batch to the pot, lower the heat to medium, add the sauce, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, raise the heat to produce a vigorous simmer, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened.

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Pollo Agridulce

SWEET-AND-SOUR CHICKEN

4 servings

This is my version of a superb alta cocina chicken dish I enjoyed at the Cien Años restaurant in Tijuana. If you like chile heat, you will love it! One caution: like all chiles, anchos come in differing degrees of heat. Although they are usually mild and slightly sweet, I once had some that brought tears. The only challenge is to finely chop the chiles. The older and harder they are, the more difficult it will be. Therefore, make sure you use very fresh, supple ones.

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup water

1/4 heaping teaspoon salt

5 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (3–4) very fresh and supple ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and very finely chopped

4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to about 1/2-inch thick

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Make the ancho chile sauce. Combine the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a cup and stir until dissolved. Heat a saucepan over medium to medium-low heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and chiles, and cook, stirring constantly, until the chiles begin to darken and stiffen, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the vinegar mixture and simmer until about 2/3 of the liquid has evaporated. Set the sauce aside until you are ready to prepare the chicken.

Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with the salt. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and sauté the chicken until it is just done. If necessary, do this in batches to avoid crowding the chicken. Place the cooked chicken on serving plates.

Finish the sauce and serve. Bring the chile sauce back to a boil and simmer until it has thickened to a sauce-like consistency. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with steamed vegetables.

PER SERVING

Pozole Verde

POZOLE WITH GREEN CHILE

4 servings. Nutrition calculations were made with homemade hominy.

Pozole is the Spanish word for hominy and refers to one of Mexico’s most delicious but lesser known dishes. Somewhere in consistency between a soup and a stew, pozole is often named for the color of the chiles it is made with, usually red or green. It is served in bowls accompanied by various garnishes, the most unusual of which is crispy shredded iceberg lettuce. It makes an unexpectedly delicious addition, so be sure to try it. This terrific green chile version is easy to make and freezes well. If your chicken broth has a higher salt content than the one specified, simply reduce the amount of salt you add. It is best made with Homemade Hominy, especially if you are concerned with sodium. The dish can also be made with plain water or vegetable broth and with medium-hard tofu substituted for the turkey to make a vegetarian treat.

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped tomatillos

2-1/2 cups low-sodium (80 milligrams per cup) chicken broth

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound very lean ground turkey (3% fat)

1-1/2 cups chopped white onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup jalapeño chiles, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1-1/2 cups cooked Homemade Hominy (page 11) or 1 (15-1/2-ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed

1/4 heaping teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 ounces queso fresco, shredded

1-1/2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

Purée the tomatillos with the broth. Place the chopped tomatillos in a blender, add the broth and blend until completely puréed.

Brown the turkey. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the ground turkey. Cook the turkey until it is just cooked through, stirring and chopping it constantly to break it into pieces as small as possible. Remove the browned turkey to a bowl.

Sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers. Turn the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then add the onion, garlic, jalapeños, and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft.

Complete the dish. Return the turkey to the pot. Stir in the hominy, the reserved tomatillo mixture, the salt, oregano, and cumin, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Ladle the Pozole into bowls, sprinkle with cheese, and serve with lettuce and limes on the side.

PER SERVING

Simple Mole

4 servings. Nutrition calculations are based on 6 ounces of skinless, boneless chicken breast per serving.

When thinking of mole, most people picture Puebla’s Mole Poblano, the most famous of all. It is a superlative dish whose only disadvantage, besides requiring difficult-to-find mulato chiles, is that there are over 30 ingredients, and most of them require several stages of cooking. In an attempt to make that type of mole more accessible, Mexican restaurateurs and cookbook authors Alicia and Jorge De’Angeli published a recipe entitled Mole Sencillo, Simple Mole. After meeting them on a food tour of Puebla and Tlaxcala, I tried the recipe. It was indeed simple and also very good. While the following recipe is slightly more complicated, I think it is even better and still very easy to prepare.

INGREDIENTS

3 ounces ancho chiles (5–6 medium to medium-large), weighed with seeds and stems, toasted, seeded, and rehydrated (page 15–16)

1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

3 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds

2 tablespoons raisins

1 cup chopped white onion

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably canela

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, approximately

2-1/2 tablespoons lard or olive oil, or a combination

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons Mexican chocolate, finely chopped

1-1/2 pounds cooked chicken, turkey, or pork

DIRECTIONS

Toast the sesame seeds and blend the sauce ingredients. While the chiles are soaking, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they just turn golden brown. Place the rehydrated chiles in a blender. Add the sesame seeds and then add the almonds, raisins, onion, cinnamon, oregano, and 1/2 cup of the broth. Blend the ingredients for 2 minutes, adding a little more broth if necessary for the blender to operate. If the mixture is not totally smooth, put it through the fine blade of a food mill or a strainer.

Cook the sauce and finish the dish. Heat the lard or oil in a mediumsized pot over just above medium heat. Add the blended ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, until very thick and the paste becomes shiny as it releases its fat. Little by little, stir in the remaining broth and add the agave nectar. At this point the mixture should be thinner than you want the finished sauce to be. If necessary add some more broth. Simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes, until it is the consistency of a milk shake, add the salt and Mexican chocolate and serve over cooked chicken, turkey, or pork.

PER SERVING

Grilled Chicken or Fajita-style Chicken

4 servings

This recipe is about as easy as one this good can be, even if you decide to use the marinade and Rajas. If you plan to serve the chicken fajita-style—that is, sliced into bite-sized pieces—the breasts should be about 1/2-inch thick. If they are reasonably close to that, all you need to do is put them between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them with a meat pounder or the bottom of a small, heavy iron skillet until they are the proper thickness and uniformly thick all over. If the breasts are very thick, as many are these days, you will need to slice them horizontally into two thinner pieces and then pound them a bit to even them out. If possible, I suggest you at least try the marinade, as it adds an extra dimension to what is normally a fairly bland ingredient.

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

Marinade from the recipe for Grilled Top Sirloin (optional, page 174)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Black pepper, to taste

1 recipe Grilled Rajas (optional, page 71)

DIRECTIONS

If you are using the marinade, marinate the chicken for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. Whether you are using the marinade or not, season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill it over hot coals or on a hot gas grill until it is just cooked through. If serving the chicken fajita-style, slice the meat crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces and toss it with the Rajas, if you’re using them. Serve with hot tortillas, Guacamole (page 59), and salsa.

PER SERVING

Pollo Pibil

YUCATÁN PIT-STYLE CHICKEN

4 servings

This traditional Yucatecan dish was originally prepared in earthen pits. These days it is usually baked in ovens, at least in most restaurants, and that is what this recipe calls for. However, you can easily make it using the indirect method in a covered charcoal grill and you will get that extra kiss of smoke, although the fire-roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika do add some smoke to the flavor. Traditionally, individual pieces of skin-on, bone-in chicken are rubbed with the seasoning paste, wrapped in banana leaves, and then cooked. I tried making the dish with cut-up skinless, boneless chicken breasts and was pleasantly surprised with the result, so that is what the recipe calls for.

Two shortcuts are available. You could use packaged achiote paste instead of making the rub yourself, and you could forget the banana leaves and just use foil. However, the taste will be less assertive and less interesting with commercial paste, and if you leave out the banana leaves, you will miss an entire taste dimension. While most recipes include plain paprika, I have specified hot smoked Spanish paprika for the extra heat and flavor, but feel free to substitute regular sweet paprika and to add a little cayenne for heat.

INGREDIENTS

For the rub

1/2 tablespoon annato seeds, ground to a powder in a spice or coffee grinder

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably canela

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 heaping teaspoon salt

4 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

Reserved rub

For the sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped white onion

1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid drained and discarded

1/8 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 strips of banana leaf, 8–12 inches wide by 2 feet long, softened (page 6)

Butcher twine

Aluminum foil

DIRECTIONS

Make the rub. Combine the dry ingredients, add the garlic, and stir in the juices to make a paste. Reserve.

Marinate the chicken. In a nonreactive bowl, massage the rub into the chicken by hand. I suggest wearing rubber gloves, as the annatto seeds can stain. Refrigerate the chicken for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Make the sauce. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion until it just begins to soften, 3–4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and salt and simmer until the liquid is quite thick, 6–8 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool.

Wrap the chicken. Place the two softened banana leaves on a work surface, shiny side up, one across the other in the shape of a cross. Spread half the sauce in an 8-inch-diameter circle in the center of the cross. Mound the chicken over the sauce and top it with the remaining sauce. Fold the top leaf over the chicken as tightly as possible then do the same with the bottom leaf. Hold the package closed with one hand and slide a long piece of string under it with the other. Use the string to secure the package as you would wrap a gift, and then wrap the whole thing in a piece of aluminum foil. Place the package on a baking sheet in case it leaks. Bake 40 minutes. Remove the package to a serving platter, bring it to the table, and open it in front of the diners.

PER SERVING

Grilled Quail

4 servings

Grilled quail is popular in northern Mexican cooking, is easy to prepare, and makes a delicious, healthy meal. I particularly like it with the marinade used in the Grilled Top Sirloin recipe, but feel free to use your own—or none at all. For a knockout upscale meal, I serve the quail with the Cranberry-Jalapeño Jelly and the Quinoa. Nutrition calculations do not include the jelly or the quinoa. One tablespoon of the jelly would add about 35 calories, and a 1/2-cup serving of the quinoa, about 110 calories.

INGREDIENTS

8 quail, partially deboned, if possible

1 recipe of marinade for Grilled Top Sirloin (page 174)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cranberry-Jalapeño Jelly (optional, page 52)

Quinoa (optional, page 79)

DIRECTIONS

Marinate and grill the quail. Marinate the quail in a plastic zipper bag or a bowl, refrigerated, for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Prepare a charcoal or wood fire in the grill or heat a gas grill or a grill pan to high heat. Season the quail with the salt and pepper and grill it on both sides until just cooked through. Serve with a little of the jelly and the quinoa, if you wish.

PER SERVING

Sinaloa Chicken

4 servings

For some reason, the proprietors of food stalls in cities and roadside stands in the state of Sinaloa focus on preparing spicy grilled chicken, probably because it is incredibly popular. The dish usually consists of a whole butterflied chicken that is marinated and grilled. Often the marinade is a simple but spicy concoction of vinegar, orange juice, chile powder, and spices. But others, such as the one I tried on the outskirts of Mazatlán, are more complex—and interesting. Usually I rebel against recipes that are light versions of the original, and in this case the argument for the original is potentially strong. After all, isn’t the crispy skin the main attraction of roasted or grilled chicken? That would normally be so, but in this case, the light version has so much of the taste of the original and definitely provides that all-important reward that makes me look forward to having it again and again that I have no problem giving crispy skin a pass. Cooking a large, skinless, boneless breast with the thick marinade over very hot coals gives the chicken a charred, crusty exterior, while the interior remains tender and juicy. No, it’s not crispy golden-brown skin, but it’s very good and has relatively few calories and not much fat.

INGREDIENTS

For the marinade

4 ounces tomatillos (2–3), cut in half

5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 (1/2-inch) slices of white onion, about 2 ounces

1 Anaheim chile, roasted and peeled (page 16)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably canela

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1-1/2 tablespoons pure ancho chile powder

1-1/2 teaspoons piquín chiles

2/3 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1/2 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

Reserved marinade (with added canola oil)

1-1/2 pounds large (about 1/2 pound each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the sauce

2 tablespoons butter substitute

1/2 cup chopped white onions

Reserved 1/2 cup marinade (without added canola oil)

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

Make the marinade. Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add the tomatillos, cut side down, the garlic, and the onion slices and cook until the tomatillos are well charred on the bottom, 3-1/2–4 minutes. Turn the tomatillos and stir the other ingredients and cook another 3-1/2–4 minutes. Remove the garlic to a plate until cool enough to peel. Add the peeled garlic, tomatillos, and onions to a blender. Put the remaining marinade ingredients in the blender and purée. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade to make the sauce. Stir the canola oil into the remaining marinade.

Marinate the chicken. Marinate the chicken in a large zipper bag or nonreactive bowl, refrigerated, for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Make the sauce. Melt the butter substitute in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep them from scorching. Add the reserved 1/2 cup marinade and cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens. Stir in the chicken broth, raise the heat to medium-high, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to hold its shape.

Grill the chicken. Prepare a charcoal or wood fire or heat a gas grill or a grill pan as hot as possible and grill the chicken for about 2 minutes. Turn and continue grilling until the chicken is charred on the outside and no longer pink but still moist on the inside. Serve topped with a little of the sauce.

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