A 2021 Christmas Mexican Feast

Every year I try to mix up the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners by changing the cuisine. In 2020 Thanksgiving was traditional, and this year was a Steaksgiving. In 2019 Christmas was Greek, 2020 was traditional as it was a rough year, and this year it was Mexican. Additionally, since I am still healing from knee surgery, I decided to use a bit of store bought, with home made, to limit my time in the kitchen to just a few hours at the most. With added help from my son and spouse, we had a lovely, and very filling dinner for six (that could have fed 10).

—**—

Planning Mexican Cuisine for Christmas Dinner

A Mexican Dinner Idea

I have never been in Mexico during Christmas, so relied on others to describe the festivities. GVIUSA describes a Mexican Christmas as a full month of celebrations, marked with family feasts and lots of piñatas. Starting on 12 December and lasting until 6 January, Christmas celebrations in Mexico have their own flair. There are candle-lit processions, elaborate nativity scenes, Spanish Christmas carols, dancing and fireworks. All subsequent posts I read agreed with that description, and some mentioned very particular dishes that are served during the festivities.

So after all that research, here is what I decided my planned menu would be:

• Red Pazole Soup
• Chicken + Sweet Corn Tamales
• Taco bar with crispy corn tortillas + fillings
• Vegetable Enchiladas
• Ingredient bowls (meaning single items for taco toppings)
• Sides (meaning actual side dishes)
• Gingerbread cookies in the form of pigs, called Marranitos

After discussing with my spouse and son, we decided to invite 3 guests, for a total of 6 for dinner. As everyone asked what they could bring, we asked guests to bring dessert or a drink they would like to share.

Diet Restrictions

For these six people, here were the diet restrictions I was working with.

Oxalate Free: All veggies have oxalates, so I focused on those on the LOW oxalate list, and avoided items on the HIGH list. White corn is HIGH with oxalates, but yellow (and other colored) corn and corn flour, are listed as LOW.

Cranberries, onions, peppers, white rice, broccoli, and limes, were also LOW, but tomatoes were listed as LIMITED. So I chose heirloom tomatoes for the Salsa Fresca, and both deseeded and peeled them to make them have less of the oxalate ion. Beans were HIGH with oxalates, so those would have to be avoided. So to help with the taco filling, my son made a veggie filling with baby broccoli.

Lactose Intolerant: I chose not to have any dessert that had milk, but cheese would be everywhere. This time Lactaid was in the house, and cheese for tacos would be set to the side so people could add that to their own food if so desired.

Gluten Free: For the gluten free, we had all these corn-based foods.

Vegetarian: There would be no “meat only” dishes served.

Our Actual Mexican Menu

To not work my ass off this Christmas, I decided to order most of the time intensive foods (like tamales) from a local source, and only make the ingredient sides, and a couple of actual side dishes like guacamole, salsa fresca, vegetable taco stuffing, and so on. This turned out to be a very good idea, for it allowed me time to fully participate in the party; additionally, my spouse and son helped make food, set the table, and cleaned up.

On that day we did wind up with 6 people. But, my spouse was right, I had planned a menu that would feed 10+.

Red Pazole Soup

In the end, I decided not to cook this soup for it would be way too time consuming for just a small gathering. But this slow-cooker soup is so important to this holiday, I decided to share what I know in this post. This soup, some call a stew, comes in three variations: green, white and red. The red version seems to be the most common, but really it depends upon what region of Mexico you come from.

I would have made the Enchilada sauce the day before, by following my favorite recipe to date, which is from IsabelEats:

• This blended sauce becomes the base of the soup
• Dried deseeded Guajillo and Ancho, and smoky Arbol chiles that are soaked to reconstitute
• Blend until pureed: chiles + soaking water, raw garlic cloves, kosher salt, and Abuelita Mexican chocolate.
• Add more water if needed for consistency

Then, with that sauce in hand, I would have been ready to make what is usually a meat-based soup. My ingredient list would have included:

• Chicken broth (or for a vegetarian version, veggie broth)
• The pre-made red enchilada sauce
• Pork (or for a vegetarian version, mushrooms)
• Shallot
• Chili powder – Garlic – Cumin powder – Oregano
• Canned white hominy
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Various soup toppings: radish, lettuce, onions, cheese, etc.

The history of this dish is gruesome.

• PrepScholar writes: Pozole originated with the Aztecs and other indigenous tribes in Mesoamerica. Historical texts state that the pozole of the Natives was made with sacrificed human flesh, and it was eaten on special occasions. … After the Spanish arrived and cannibalism was banned, the human flesh was replaced with pork.
• However, some others claim it was originally made from the famous Mexican dogs, xoloitzcuintles.

Regardless of its origin, this is an historically sacred dish that is shared during special days, festivals or celebrations.

Chicken + Sweet Corn Tamales

Now I already knew that tamales were time intensive dishes, and since I have no one to show me the ropes on making these, I bought a dozen. After some thought I chose to have 6 vegetarian versions and 6 chicken.

This food originated ~3000 – 5000 BCE. Wikipedia writes that a tamale is a traditional Mesoamerican dish, made of masa or dough (starchy, and usually corn-based), which is steamed in a corn leaf or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamales can be filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, chilies or any preparation according to taste.

Like the dish above, Tamales are also considered historically sacred food. Wikipedia goes on to say tamales were seen as the food of the gods. Aztec, Maya, Olmeca, and Tolteca all considered themselves to be people of corn and so tamales played a large part in their rituals and festivals.

Vegetable Enchiladas

Wikipedia once again provides information on its history, enchiladas originated in Mexico, where the practice of rolling tortillas around other food dates back at least to Aztec times. The people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico traditionally ate corn tortillas folded or rolled around small fish.

GGrill writes about making your own enchilada, done with a variety of fillings (meat, cheese, veggies), wrapped in a tortilla and covered with a sauce. In its original form as Mexican street food, it was a simple corn tortilla that street vendors would roll up and dip into a chili sauce. The modern stuffed version of this wrapped tortilla is often smothered in sauce and topped with cheese, then baked to perfection.

Tacos

I made a taco bar and have explored its history in a prior post: A Taco on Tuesday. So here are the dishes and side ingredients we prepped for our guests.

• All-corn tortillas cooked and formed
• Shredded chicken, minced beef, and a veggie-based taco filling
• Bowls of black beans and rice
• Guacamole
• Sliced onions
• Chopped lettuce and cabbage
• Sliced radishes
• Chopped cilantro and parsley
• Bowls of hot sauce (from mild to hot)
• Diced jalapeños
• Salsa Fresca + Salsa Cruda
• Cheeses

Vegan Taco Filling (Broccoli Recipe)

One of my guests asked if I could cook something with broccoli rabe, which is a favorite veggie of hers. We could only find broccoli and baby broccoli so we got one bunch of the baby version and brought it home to make a veggie taco filling. Once home my son looked on line and found what looked like a good recipe for cooking the baby broccoli, called Vegan Crack Broccoli Tacos. This turned into the base recipe, that he changed it up to match what he wanted to serve. Below is how he cooked the veggies.

• Wash and dry baby broccoli, prep by cutting 1/2” off the stem end, heat oven to 425F.
• Dredge the veggie
  • Add 1C oat milk and 2t apple cider vinegar to a bowl and whisk.
  • Add 1C any flour, 1/2t salt, 1/4t pepper to another bowl and stir.
  • Add 1C Diamond brand “pecan and walnut nut coating”.
• Add parchment to a baking sheet and place the dredged baby broccoli on the sheet
• Bake 25 min, by then the veggie should be cooked, brown and crispy.
• Flip half way through the baking process. 
• Meanwhile, make the sauce in a small sauce pan.
  • Heat a 1/2C salsa augmented with 1/4C brown sugar, and cook on medium low.
  • Whisk and bring to a simmer, reduce heat, taste and adjust as necessary.
• Toss the broccoli in the sauce coating completely and serve.

Our guests loved the taste of this dish.

Sweet Corn Tamalito

This dish is a combination of cornbread and tamale dough flavors that makes a sweet side dish I usually eat as a dessert. It is not an authentic Mexican dish as far as I can tell, but is a wonderful side with this menu. The only place I have seen this served is at Chevy’s Restaurant and so I ordered it from them for this dinner. The dinner guests liked it too and everyone took a bit of this home with them.

From its taste, here is what I think is in this dish, although I should note upfront I am not sure. Additionally, I would split the dish in two and make one with some small diced jalapeños to the dish for a slight heat.

• Masa Harina + Cornmeal
• Butter and I think water and/or milk to moisten the dough
• Cream-style Sweet Corn 
• Whole kernel corn
• Sugar most likely white
• Most likely it also had baking powder
• Salt

Salsa Fresca + Salsa Cruda

Salsa, just like the other foods above, has been traced back to the times of the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans. TwistedTaco writes that the native people created their own versions of salsa using tomatoes, chilies, and squash seeds, however “official discovery” to the rest of the world did not occur until after the Spaniards conquered Mexico in the 1500s.

There are all sorts of Salsas, but what I wanted for my dinner was Salsa Fresca or “fresh sauce” which means it is raw. It is also best to make a bit ahead of time so the ingredients can marinate together.

• Diced red Heirloom Tomatoes (which I skinned and deseeded)
• Chilies (I used diced jalapeños)
• Diced yellow or white onions
• Lime juice (can also use zest)
• Chopped cilantro

Salsa Cruda is similar to the above, only more roughly chopped. I made bowl with:

• Diced red Heirloom Tomatoes (which I skinned and deseeded)
• Chopped deseeded cucumber
• Chopped scallions
• Finely chopped parsley
• Some oil, apple cider vinegar, hot sauce
• And salt and pepper to taste

Black Beans + Rice

I find Mexican black beans perfect as a side dish for any Mexican dish, but it also goes for Jamaican or Latin American cuisines as well. They are a very nutritious, and are easy to make from a can. Cheaper would be to use dried beans, but for time savings I used well-rinsed, canned black beans heated up on the stove and mixed with:

• Diced white onion
• Garlic
• Salt – Oregano – pinch of Cumin
• Chopped cilantro on top for serving
• Some salsa for seasoning 

Rice is not a New World food and reports are it was introduced to Mexico from the Philippines. Later the Spanish found a region of Mexico perfect for growing rice and it took off. Mexican rice, aka Spanish rice in the USA, became a favorite Mexican side dish. But I have been told that Mexican rice we get in restaurants in the USA is not a close approximation of the rice dish you can actually get in the country. So this is my best approximation.

• White rice (I use a medium grain rice) sautéed a bit in a frying pan with oil like you would a pilaf.
  • In Mexico they use a long grain rice that has a bit of germ on it, and this is not readily available near me.
• Blend tomato + garlic + onions + cumin in a blender with a bit of the rice cooking water.
• Then combine rice with the sauce.

Sometimes if I need to get rid of some “ready to turn” veggies I will add finely diced carrots, peas, or other diced veggies to the rice.

Margarita

I have heard this story before, but am quoting Wikipedia for its telling: One of the earliest stories is of the margarita being invented in 1938 by Carlos “Danny” Herrera at his restaurant Rancho La Gloria, halfway between Tijuana and Rosarito, Baja California, created for customer and former Ziegfeld dancer Marjorie King, who was allergic to many spirits, but not to tequila. Another story is from Jose Cuervo, who stated the cocktail was invented by a bartender in 1938, in honor of Mexican showgirl Rita de la Rosa. However it was created and when, we can note that the first published Margareta recipe was in 1953.

• Tequila
• Triple Sec
• Lime juice
• Simple syrup
• Salt for the glass rim

These days the drink comes in several forms, either served shaken with ice, blended with ice, or without ice. It also can have several flavors based on what type of tequila is used, but also what flavoring is added. 

End of 2021 Parties

This was a successful dinner party and a wonderful way to celebrate. We all sat around the dining table talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. We ate and had seconds, and there were plenty of leftovers to send home with everyone; and had lots left to fill our fridge. These guests only knew of one another peripherally, but by the end we were all warm friends. It was an absolute pleasure to host everyone.

This is the last dinner party of 2021 and “phew” has it been one hell of a year. The world continues, but I hold both fear for the future of our planet and nation, and joy that my near and dear friends are currently healthy and doing fairly well given our circumstances.

In heart-felt gratitude, I thank and extend my love to my spouse, son, and dogs.

— Patty

—**—