Ejotes Guisados (Mexican Sauteed Green Beans)

This is a very simple, humble vegetable side dish that goes well with almost any meal. In Mexican cooking like I've mentioned in one of my previous posts vegetables sauteed with just onion, garlic, tomato and salt is very common. Any vegetable or combination of vegetable you have on hand can be used. Sometimes people like to spice up these types of dishes by adding chili peppers and freshly ground black pepper and or freshen it up with some freshly minced cilantro towards the end. The choice is yours.

Here I present the most simplest form, using some green beans, it is simple and goes well with almost any meal :)

Today I prepared this for dinner, along with some "Frijoles de la Olla" (mexican pinto beans), having my Cuban heritage I had to have my "Arroz Blanco" (white rice steamed with olive oil and salt), and my mom pan-fried some Bassa fish filets the same way she prepares her Salmon except she floured them and we served with Alioli (Spanish garlic mayonnaise ha ha yes my Spanish heritage came up in this meal too I'll share the recipe in the future). For dessert we had some "Camotes en Piloncillo" (sweet potatoes in unrefined cane sugar syrup) So the meal was a combination of Cuban, Mexican and Spaniard cooking much like myself ha ha ;)

Ingredients:
-1 1/2- 2 lbs. green beans (washed, ends removed and cut into whatever size you like)
-1/2 large onion minced
-2 cloves garlic minced
-3 small or 1 large tomato finely diced
-salt to taste
-extra-virgin olive oil

the optional ingredients:
-freshly ground black pepper (for some heat)
-1-2 green chili peppers finely minced (such as serrano or jalapeno) if you like spicy
-1/4 of a bunch of finely minced cilantro (to add some freshness)

Directions:
(1) Heat olive oil on medium high heat, sautee minced onions and if using the green chili peppers add them at this point, cook this down until onions are tender and translucent maybe 7 minutes, add garlic and continue cooking until fragrant and golden.

(2) Finally add diced tomato and let it cook down another 3-5 minutes (cooking the onion, garlic, and tomato with patience makes a big difference, this is a dish with very simple ingredients let them shine and be patient you can trim and clean the green beans while your cooking this down, just keep and eye on it so it doesn't burn and if it's cooking to fast lower the heat so you can have time to prep your green beans)

(2) At this point add your cleaned, trimmed green beans, and salt to taste and black pepper if using, stir well, keep heat at medium and cover for about 10- 15 minutes, Stir it every 4-5 minutes.
(3) This dish will be done when green beans are slightly tender or as tender as you'd like you may also garnish with cilantro. Enjoy :)
P.S.
I know I haven't blogged in awhile but I'll try to post more often, I've been cooking, but also been up to a lot more lately. But I have plenty new to share :)

Also... if you liked this recipe check out my post for "Espinacas Guisadas" (Mexican sauteed spinach), Verdolagas Guisadas (Mexican sauteed Purslane), and "Calabacitas Guisadas" (sauteed Mexican squash one of my favorites my mom makes)

Sopa de Elote (Mexican Corn Soup)

This is a quick and simple Mexican corn soup. My mom calls it literally " corn soup" (sopa de elote) but to me it's more of a stew, I can describe this soup as a rich creamy sauce enveloping sweet corn kernels.

I honestly never remember eating this growing up, but my mother told me she made it once when I was younger and this is the second time she's made it since I was born also that it's one of her favorite ways to use fresh sweet corn, but for one reason or another never gets to making it because she ends up throwing corn in soups and eating it just boiled and buttered or I'll use it before she does for other dishes.

But let me tell you now that I've tried it, I guarantee this stew will appear more often in my household when corn is in season :)

Ingredients:
-6 ears of corn
-3 Roma tomatoes
-2-3 cloves garlic sliced
-1 tsp. chicken bouillon
-water (as needed)
-1 onion minced
-any type of cooking oil or extra-virgin olive oil
-salt to taste
-1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican cream salted or unsalted or 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
(1) Peel corn ears, remove all the kernels and set aside. (With the corn hairs/ corn silk you can actually reserve it to make "Corn Silk Tea" see my post for it :)
(2) In a blender blend Roma tomatoes, garlic, chicken bouillon with enough water to submerge it/ cover.
(3) In a large deep-pan heat oil and sautee onion until golden and caramelized on medium high heat for about 5 minutes. When golden add the blend of tomatoes, garlic, water and chicken bouillon. Bring to a rolling boil about 1-2 minutes.
(4) Bring to a rolling boil, add corn, stir well, enough water to barely cover the corn and cover and simmer for about 30 minutes on medium low heat.
(5) When 30 minutes pass and corn is tender, scoop out about 1 cup of corn with some liquid and blend it and add back to soup. This will make it thicken and give it a nice body.
(6) Lastly whisk in or mix really well the heavy whipping cream or sour cream whatever you have to make it nice and rich :)
Enjoy, you can serve with a dollop of sour cream or unsalted or salted Mexican cream, my mother has a strong preference for unsalted Mexican cream but we ran out served it without :)
PLEASE NOTE:
-If your interested in this recipe or like it you may want to check out my post for "Guiso de Maiz Tierno" (Cuban Corn stew) I may re-do my post for the Cuban corn stew because I liked the technique my mother used in which she blended some of the corn kernels to thicken and make the soup richer. Or if not in a mood for a soup I really enjoy steaming yellow rice with corn "Arroz Amarillo Con Maiz" (Cuban Yellow Rice and Corn)

Chocoflan/ Pan Impossible

Chocoflan I believe is a Mexican dessert because I've only heard of it and seen it prepared among the Mexican community. It's basically a chocolate cake with a layer of flan (caramel custard).

The first time I made this was on my stay in one of my aunt "Mari's" house where she introduced me to this wonderful cake which she calls "Pan Imposible" translates to "Impossible Bread". It is usually done in a large bundt pan that has a 12 cup capacity because the regular bundt pans can't fit all the cake batter and flan batter without overflowing.... my aunt is lucky to have a giant bundt pan she received as a gift :(

Any who, usually the solution a lot of people have to this problem is they use a regular bundt cake pan and then make a smaller chocoflan with the leftover batter or throw away the excess, however I for one am not one to waste food. I simply divide the batter evenly in two and use 2 bread loaf pans. You can pretty much use any type of mold/ pan to bake this, just work with what you have, that's what I do.

By the way this cake has become a hit in my home, it's my Tata's favorite dessert lately :D and I baked this for my boyfriend's birthday and it was a hit once again.

Ingredients for cake part:
-1 prepared chocolate cake recipe (I used a devils chocolate food cake mix)
Ingredients for flan:
-1 can condensed milk
-1 can evaporated milk
-5 eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 cup cream cheese (optional I do add it because I am SINFUL ha ha)
Ingredients for caramel:
-1 cup sugar
-1/4 cup water

Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius), get a shallow dish that is oven proof. Any baking dish, cake pan or mold that can fit the pan you are going to use to make the "Chocoflan" and fill it with water about 1/2- 1 inch and put in oven. This is what we call the "water bath" you'll see what I mean later.
(2) Prepare your caramel, get a sauce pan, throw in your sugar and water and bring to a rolling bubble on high heat, stir occasionally whisking with a chopstick (yes this is how I do it and it always works the water acts as a stabilizer and it wont let it burn or clump and it will still thicken and turn into a caramel) when your caramel is done, add it carefully to the cake pans or mold your gonna use and swoosh it around to coat everything. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IT'S HOT!!!! It will harden quickly as well so work fast. Set aside the mold/ pan
(3) Follow the directions on a Store bought box of chocolate cake mix, or make your own from scratch. Add the prepared batter to the mold/ pan that has caramel coating (in my case I had two molds I use and divided the batter evenly)
(4) Prepare the flan batter, in a large blender or bowl with a whisk or blender combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla and the optional cream cheese to a smooth mixture. Pour them evenly over the chocolate cake batter. DO NOT WORRY IF THEY MIX! They will separate during baking.
(5) Cover the cake pan/ mold with aluminum foil and put in carefully into place them on top of the larger pan that has the water in it in the pre-heated oven. Close and allow to cook in the middle rack for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
(6) When you think it's done, uncover and insert a toothpick or knife if it comes out clean it's done, if not continue to bake covered a little longer, but if done remove, uncover and allow to cool
(7) Once ready to serve loosen edges with a knife, place a plate on top and flip over :) Slice yourself a piece and enjoy. The result will be this delicious moist chocolate cake with a flan layer, most of the chocolate cake will absorb the delicious caramel syrup and be oh so sinful ;)
NOTE (If interested):
*I know it sounds weird, but the flan and the chocolate cake for some reason, I don't know why will never combine they separate, the flan ends up in the bottom of the pan and the chocolate cake on top. I'm guessing sometype of osmosis or something and when you flip it you get this :D

*Some people use a store bought type of Mexican caramel milk syrup made from goats milk or cows milk called "Cajeta" and they will coat the pan with this instead of the caramel sugar syrup I make.

*The easiest way though and guaranteed is using a chocolate cake mix. store bought Cajeta/ caramel sauce or just know how to make a good caramel, and make a flan batter that is rich doesn't need the cream cheese but gives it oomph.