Mango Salad
1 cup boiling water
1 package lemon gelatin
1 1/2 packages unflavored gelatine
1 large can mangos
8 ounces cream cheese
Fresh fruit of your choice
Dissolve lemon gelatin and unflavored gelatine in boiling water. Blend mangoes and cream cheese in blender. Mix all together and place in ring mold. Unmold and fill center with fresh fruit.
NOTE: You may serve with a side bowl of dressing consisting of 1/2 mayonnaise and 1/2 sour cream.
Jicama and Orange Salad (Pico de Gallo Naranjas)
2 cup jicama, peeled and cubed
4 oranges, peeled, sectioned, and cut into chunks
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice from the salad
1 tablespoon Mexican lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt
Mix jicama, oranges, onions and cilantro and allow to chill for several hours.
Before serving, remove the salad from the refrigerator and bring it to cool room temperature. Pour off excess liquid into a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine them well, then toss with the salad. Add only a small amount of salt to the dressing since the salad is primarily sweet.
Combine the dressing with the salad at the last minute so that more juice does not drain.
Ensalada de Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Salad)
2 medium oranges, pared and sectioned
2 medium bananas, sliced
1 (8 1/4 ounce) can sliced beets, drained (reserve liquid)
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained (reserve juice)
1/2 jicama, pared and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds or sliced radishes
1 tablespoon aniseed
1 tablespoon sugar
Place oranges, bananas, beets, pineapple and jicama in bowl. Mix reserved beet liquid, pineapple juice, the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons sugar and the salt; pour over fruit. Let stand 10 minutes; drain.
Arrange fruit on shredded lettuce. Garnish with lime, peanuts and pomegranate seeds. Mix aniseed and 1 tablespoon sugar; sprinkle over salad.
Yields 8 to 10 servings.
Ensalada de Coliflor (Cauliflower Salad)
1 whole large cauliflower, cleaned and trimmed, left whole
2 large ripe avocados, mashed
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 small onion, minced
2 canned whole green chiles, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 small head lettuce, shredded
Parmesan cheese, grated
Pimiento (for garnish)
Cook whole cauliflower in boiling salted water to cover until done but still firm. Refresh in cold water, drain thoroughly, and chill.
Remove seeds from the chiles. Mix together avocados, lemon juice, onion, chiles, salt and pepper.
To assemble: place shredded lettuce on a serving platter. Place whole cauliflower in center and cover with avocado mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, Decorate with strips of pimiento.
Ensalada Caesar (Caesar Salad)
This is truly a Southwestern salad. It was developed in Tijuana in the 1920s. It was created by an Italian chef for Americans who flocked into Mexico to escape Prohibition.
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups day-old French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 egg, unshelled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
3 small heads romaine, stripped of less crisp outer leaves
1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a heavy ovenproof skillet, warm 1/4 cup of the oil over medium heat. Sliver 1 garlic cloves, add it to the oil, and saute about 1 minute. Stir in the bread cubes, tossing them to coat well with the oil. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the bread cubes for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp.
In a small saucepan, bring 2 to 3 inches of water to boil. Slip the egg into the water and boil for exactly 1 minute. When broken the egg will still be runny. Or you can completely hardboil it and use the mashed yolk in the dressing.
In a blender, puree the remaining garlic with the remaining oil and pour the mixture through a strainer into a large bowl. Add the egg to the oil and, with a fork, blend in the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add romaine leaves, all laying the same direction in the bowl. Toss the romaine gently with the dressing. Scatter the cheese over the salad, and serve immediately.
Citrus Grove Orange Salad
3 large ripe tomatoes, cored
3 large navel oranges, peeled
2 bunches arugula or watercress
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons slivered fresh basil leaves
Halve tomatoes lengthwise, then cut into thin wedges; set aside in a bowl.
Thinly slice the oranges crosswise and set aside in another bowl. Place the arugula leaves in a bowl; just before serving, toss with 1 tablespoon each of the oil and vinegar, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle the tomatoes and oranges each with 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon vinegar, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Divide the arugula among 6 salad plates. Arrange orange slices in center of each salad. Surround with tomato wedges; sprinkle each salad with basil.
Cilantro Slaw
3 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
3 cups red cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves, minced
1/4 cup Mexican lime juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Salt and pepper
In a large non-reactive bowl, mix cabbages, cilantro, lime juice, water, honey and cumin seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Mexican Jell-O
Sweetened condensed milk has been used in Mexico for many years.
1 box strawberry Jell-O
1 envelope Knox gelatine, dissolved in a very
small amount of cold water
2 cups hot water
2 cups cold water
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Mix strawberry Jell-O, gelatine and 2 cups hot water. Add 2 cups cold water; slowly mix in can of sweetened condensed milk. Chill for 4 hours.