Sponsored by Lunchbox.  Opinions are my own.

Earlier this week I had a chance to visit Northgate Market in West Covina for a cooking class with Chef Martin Guerrero.  Since the store was an hour away from me, I decided to take mi amiga, Mayra for the ride, company and well… we just love food!   We were excited about learning new things, but most importantly about eating!  Peeling a Chile Relleno by scraping the skin with a plastic spoon was a real “Aha!” moment for us.  We also learned how to make a quick “Capirotada.”  At the end of our class, we received a certificate naming us “Chiles Rellenos and Capirotada Experts”!  Ya nos podremos casar!  So if you want to learn how to make Chiles Rellenos, receive a free apron and a cookbook, visit a Northgate store near you! Sign up online and join in on the fun! Northgatemarkets.com/Cuaresma.  We had such a great time hanging out, tasting food and meeting new people.  All the employees were super nice and friendly.

We were so pumped that we decided we would cook something up!  Well, I would cook, Mayra would eat. LOL  Since we were already at the market, we grabbed a few items and were on our way.  Many of you have been asking for Lent dishes so I will be making a delicious dish with one of my favorite ingredients, Knorr bouillon cubes.  Knorr adds that authentic Latin flavor to our Lent dishes.  There are so many flavors to chose from.  If you have never used Knorr bouillon cubes, you should give them a try!

The next day, I hit the kitchen to make Pescado Primavera.  Below is the recipe.  Make sure you tag me and hashtag #KnorrCelebrations if you make this delicious recipe.

INGREDIENTS

·       1 1/3 cups whole almonds, peeled
·       2 tablespoons Spread Country Crock®
·       4 fillets of cod (about 2 lbs.)
·       1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
·       3 cloves garlic, minced
·       2 tablespoons of tomato broth Knorr Chicken flavor
·       4 cups water
·       3/4 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise or Best Foods®
·       2 tablespoons lemon juice
·       2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, sliced ​​(optional)
·       1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional) 

PREPARATION

1. Finely grind the almonds in a blender or food processor.

2.  Season fish with salt and ground black pepper to taste.

3.  Melt Country Crock® Spread in a nonstick 12-inch skillet over high medium heat and cold fish, turning once, until almost cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

4.  Fry onion and garlic in the same skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for two minutes.

5.  Mix water and Knorr Chicken flavor in a bowl or sauce pan.

5.  Add the tomato broth Knorr Chicken flavored water, mayonnaise, lemon juice and ground almonds to the onion and garlic. Lower the fire to medium heat and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6.  Return the fish to the pan and cook until fish flakes with a fork, about 5 minutes. If desired, serve with rice. Garnish with red pepper and parsley.

 Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 30 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Prueba el sabor de Knorr at Northgate this Lent!

Little side note for you guys: Buy one Northgate private label cooking oil and get a free package of Knorr bouillon cubes (one 3.1 oz package, 8 cubes total)!  Can’t beat that!

Picutres Credit: Mayra Ariza  https://www.facebook.com/mayrarizaphoto/?fref=ts 

…I headed to the back in hopes to see the familiar.  I was looking for the tree that always brought back so many wonderful memories. There it was (Mi Arbol) …dead.  It had fallen all by it’s self.  What once was full of life with stories and secrets of family past… was gone. It’s almost like it had given up and died of sadness.  No more kids to climb it, no more people to use it as shade, no more laughs, and no more tears.  It was left to itself and the memories of all who used it.  I was saddened to see it there laying on the land with vines growing all over it.  I had been looking forward to sitting under that tree like the generations before me and write until I could no longer think.  Now I have to find a new place to write.  I’ll tackle that problem tomorrow.

(Taken from part 5 of my trip to Purepero.  Video below)

My favorite salsa to make is in the molcajete my mother-in-law gave me.  This last time I went to Michoacan, I witnessed how  chile for the Carne Con Chile was made.  They actually mixed tomatillo and regular tomato.  So when I made my first batch of salsa after my trip, I decided to make my own version of chile de molcajete based on different things I have seen Abuela and my mom do.  So here is my version as many of you have requested.

Ingredients for one molcajete
3 Tomatillos
1 Red Tomato
1-2 Serrano Chiles
1/2 Garlic Clove
Pinch of Sea Salt
Lemon or Lime
Cilantro
Onion

Instructions
1.  Roast tomatillo, red tomato and chile on a comal or pan until tender (low to medium heat to get a good roast).
2.  While everything roasts, sprinkle Sea Salt (as desired) on your molcajete.
3.  Add 1/2-1 garlic clove.
4.  Mash garlic and salt together until it turns into a paste (Add a sprinkle of water if needed.)
5.  Add serrano chile to the molcajete and mash as much as you can.
6.  Add one tomatillo and tomato at a time, mashing each one.
7.  Add chopped cilantro and slices of onion to the mix.
(For added flavor, mash some of the onion in the molcajete.)
8.  Mix and taste.
9.  Add salt or lemon if it needs more.

Enjoy!

My mom loves to be innovative in the kitchen.  She loves to experiment by meshing all sorts of ingredients.  Below I leave you the recipe of the Chile Poblano Sauce she used in the Crepes video.  Enjoy!

Chile Poblano sauce

Ingredients
1 Chile Poblano
¼ Chopped Onion
Small carton of Heavy Cream
2 tbsp. of Sour Cream
Salt

Instructions
Roast the chile.
Peel off the skin.
Cut the chile into little pieces making sure to take out the seeds.
In butter, fry the chile and the onion until soft.
Add heavy cream and sour cream to the pan.
Cook well until the sauce thickens.
Cool
After it has cooled, place in blender, and salt to personal preference and blend.

Our road trips through Mexico were always so much fun and full of adventure.  These were the kind of road trips where the things that happened are now almost unbelievable.  But I can sit back and reminisce about these trips, and only imagine what I experienced in those days–now in a full length movie.  We all have these memories about our families, because adventures with the family are priceless.

Not only were our trips to Mexico fun and adventurous, but they were full of learning.  I learned how to self entertain for hours at a time.  I didn’t have nifty gadgets like all the kids have these days where they watch movies for hours or play games till their eyes fall out.  My imagination grew as I looked out the car window, for countless hours observing and absorbing the landscapes before me.  I learned to read facial expressions and body language at first glance.  With one look I could tell when someone needed to use the restroom.  I was the first one to make everyone in the car aware we needed to pull over to relieve ourselves.  I could tell when my dad was about to get mad at the men in the “aduanas” (customs).  As soon as I saw my dad’s bushy eyebrows go up and down one at a time and began sniffing like a boxer, I knew I needed to pray to sweet Jesus and all the saints I’d ever heard my Abuela mention.  I didn’t even believe in religion at the time, but I knew not to mess with Mexican officials.  If I could have knelt to pray in the back of the van, I would have.  Luckily, we never did anything illegal, other than drip cold beer on my brother’s burnt back from too much sun exposure.

Another thing I learned was that even if the beach in La Paz, Baja California looked amazing after driving for hours through a road of black and grey volcanic rock on both sides in 120 degree weather didn’t mean it was safe to run through the sand into the beach.  OUCH!!! At first I couldn’t feel it from the excitement of finally reaching the water, but seconds into my run, my feet were scalding hot.  My brother who is 4 years younger than me ran right behind me.  Once I heard him crying, I picked him up and ran back to the car.  Our poor feet were hurting.

Our trips took about 3 days.  My dad loved to stop everywhere.  It’s like he had family or friends in every state and if he didn’t, he would make some.  When we finally got to our destination of Purepero, Michoacan, we were so happy to finally be able to stretch for long periods of time and sleep laying down.  I loved our 3 day travels but there was ONE THING I really really dreaded.  LAS VITAMINAS!!!!!

My Great-Aunt had 3 kids around my age group.  Some how the vitamins topic always came up.  She would recommend my mom and dad the vitamins she was giving my cousins at the time.  She would tell them all the benefits.  But my parents were convinced as soon as they heard, “Y les da mucha hambre!”.  I was such a picky eater and didn’t have a good appetite according to them.  They thought if I took these vitamins my appetite would for sure increase, eat all the veggies in the world and gain weight!  Ayyyyyyyy!!!!!!  What was wrong with being a thin kid? LOL

There was this one time my mom went straight to “La Farmacia” to buy the vitamins.  From a distance I saw her approaching me–vitamins in hand.  My heart began to pound so hard, I could see my pulse over my shirt.  As she walked into the door, she went straight to the “garrafon”to get a glass of water and then walked towards me.  As she walked to me, she was opening up the vitamins box to pull one out.  They were HUGE!  She gave it to me and said, “Tomatela”.  I took the pill, put it in my mouth and quickly chug the water.  As quick as I took it down, was as quick as it came back up.  I could taste the “disgusting-ness” of the pill.  I can’t even begin to describe it–something between rotten Bacalao and old sewage water.  Every time I would try to take it down, I would practically through up.  When my dad heard all the fuss he came to see me take them.  After 30 minutes of crying, gagging and a red face, by some miracle of God, the pill slipped down my throat as I used my fingers to pretty much push it down my esophagus.  I wish I could say this was the only occasion this happened, but those pills went home with me to California!

Till this day, I don’t take pills very well.  I don’t take any medicine very well.  Something has to be pretty extreme for me to even take Tylenol.  Call me whatever you want, I ain’t taking that pill!  Y Vitaminas?  Ay no!!!

***Not advertising these pills or endorsing them.   Consult a doctor.

It’s December 1st!!!  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?!?!? It’s a crazy month and on top of that both of my kids have birthdays in December. Aaaaaah! As if that isn’t crazy enough, we will be doing daily random acts of kindness through the Inland Empire until Christmas.  Check out this link for more info ( https://youtu.be/XJjuV6Csajk ).

In the hustle of the month, the challenge isn’t if we can buy presents in time– the challenge is to make time to extend ourselves to others, to put others first.  We have made so many wonderful memories during the Christmas season in the past– working together as a family sharing love and the Christmas Spirit to those around us.

On behalf of everyone involved with Abuela’s Kitchen, we want to wish each and every one of you a very special holiday season.  May your homes be filled with smiles, joy, laughter, family and great food! I’ve compiled a list of Christmas recipes we have done in the past to make it easier for you to find.  So hustle on over to the kitchen!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Jesus is the reason for the season.

Feliz Navidad!

Buñuelos with piloncillo:  https://youtu.be/z9oGRbE2woY

Champurrado:  https://youtu.be/vBIMHPi6WIo

Pan Dulce: https://youtu.be/h8SrSzNN1B8

Ponche De Fruta:  https://youtu.be/ujcWhKw2i4w

Pozole:  https://youtu.be/nEpCwPfXaeU

Menudo:  https://youtu.be/Rw69DzP7IsM

Tamales de res:  https://youtu.be/Rw69DzP7IsM

Tamales de Chile Verde:  https://youtu.be/6Gqp4KvXJE4

Atole de Guayaba:  https://youtu.be/D_Z6p5-KPd8

Pierna de Puerco en Adobo: https://youtu.be/5QtyErsHMiw

Extras:

Birria:  https://youtu.be/IvxnSJ48fUg
Mexican Donut Bread:  https://youtu.be/bIctmj-yKhI
Arroz Con Leche:  https://youtu.be/cv0zvHD6RXA
Flan:  https://youtu.be/tIe-6HEmhzE
Gelatina De Leche:  https://youtu.be/O9ux7ZaeVbE

Diary Entries

Sept. 23, 10:45 pm

I’m sitting here at the airport next to a floor plug making sure all my gadgets are fully loaded for my midnight flight. I have 30 minutes before I have to board for my trip to Mexico, Guadalajara to be exact. I”ll be staying with some friends in Guadalajara and from there I will be taking a drive to Purepero, Michoacan.  I’m headed on this trip for a few reasons. Initially, I only had 2 reasons to go to Michoacan, but as I have been thinking about this trip and the way things have unraveled, this trip has turned out to be much much more.

Reason number one: I want to go document the house Abuela grew up in and the town. I’ve been going to that town since I was a baby and have so many amazing memories and want to share them with everyone even if it’s through video vlogging. I want to capture the beauty of the town. It has so much to offer and the way things are in Mexico (I’m sure you have all heard the rumors), who knows when any one of us will ever have the chance to go back. This might be the last time I get to go and I want my kids to experience it. I know Abuela doesn’t want to go back, and so this is my way to bring her home land to her, by capturing what I can first hand and taking it back to her.

Reason number 2: At the beginning of 2015 I decided to finally put my dream into action, to write a book. The way life’s circumstance and God have been leading me, the book I am currently working on is a cook book/story book. Recently, (more like in the past months) I’ve been having writers block and I felt I needed to go to this nostalgic, utopian place and be inspired by it’s natural beauty. I just want to sit in the big patio, under “the tree”, reminiscing of all the family that has ever stood under it. Some would sit and eat there, some would cross stitch and others would just sit and talk. I want to do the same somehow and have all those memories come back and even close my eyes and visualize my Great-Great Uncles and Aunts, my Great Grand Parents and everyone in between.  How or why I have been able to have met so many ancestors is beyond me. But in this trip I intend to find out… or at least relive some memories. (Rereading 10/29—reason—continue the history? Keep the family alive?)

I am nervous. I don’t know why. I already have this sense of wanting to shed tears and I don’t even know why. I have been there so many times. But this time it’s different. Why? Because the relationship between my Abuela and I have grown so much that anything I can do to be more connected and relatable to her has become somewhat my mission.  But I ask myself, “Why have I always had such a huge interest in my ancestry? ”  I can give you some random answer but honestly, I’m not sure why.

SEPT 24, 2015

Guadalajara

We got to Guadalajara at the break of dawn got picked up and went straight to sleep for a few hours.  We stayed today with our friends in beautiful Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara to regroup and visit before driving inland. It is such a completely different experience staying in the city. They have a nice little flat/condo in a private gated community with a lush park. It even has grass! It’s pretty rare to have yards with grass in Mexico. It was such a difference even from where I live in California.   It was such a nice change from California since we are in a drought and in most places the grass is pretty brown or non existent. But the city is definitely different than the rural cities in Mexico. I arrived at the break of dawn so I haven’t really gotten to see the city yet. I have been to Guadalajara before but I’m anxious to see if there are any changes or what the feel is like. One thing for sure, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into some good food. Is that really all we think about when traveling to Mexico? The food?! YES! YUM!  So we showered, got ready and headed to have lunch.  We had lunch at a nice, indoor torta restaurant.  It wasn’t just any regular torta restaurant.  They had specialty tortas, tortas ahogadas.

(Rest written at home)

That night our friends took us out to eat in the downtown area.  It was pumping!  Music was high energy all around with nightclubs in full swing on a Thursday night.  They took us to one of the best taco joints in the area.  It was a sit down restaurant in the open air and had a waiting list to sit.  They had the largest al pastor display I had ever seen in my life!  The waiting felt like forever even though it wasn’t because the meat display was staring at you no matter where you looked or turned, kind of like the Mona Lisa painting.  The smell was so amazing that there was no escaping it.  It was secretly calling your name no matter how much I tried to concentrate on the conversation I was having with our friends.  We finally got to sit.  I sat exactly where la carne al pastor was piercing my being.  There was several of us, so we decided to order a bunch of dishes that we could all share, buffet table style.  Once we got our food, I didn’t know where to start, but being the cheese lover that I am, I aimed for el queso fundido con chorizo plate.  My mouth is drooling just thinking about it.  They brought freshly made tortillas and all I could do was dig in like a cave woman.  My teeth sank right through my first bite as the cheese melted to perfection.  What a mix… it was truly a party in my mouth.  Next, I went for the carne asada, mushrooms and cheese.  I don’t know what kind of cheese it was and I should have asked, but MY-OH-MY, definitely something my taste buds won’t forget anytime soon.  There were so many different plates of carne asada or meats mixed with so many different ingredients.  When babies or puppies are full and you lift their hands or paws, it’s like they have transferred to another dimension of sleep, that is where I was after I was done eating.  I needed to be carried back to the car.  Clearly I had died and come back to earth once I needed to use the restroom.  But it was worth it. 🙂
Video to go along with blog:

During the time my Abuela lived in Tijuana,  the holidays were a for sure trip across La Frontera.  It was like an adventure for our little family of 5 when my dad would join us.  Most of the time it was just my mom, my sister, my brother and myself.  On many of those trips, my aunt Mela would join us.  We would wake up at the crack of dawn, pile up in the car and make our way down the 405 FRWY.  We always made a stop in San Clemente at the rest area.  There were food trucks with all the junk food I was never allowed to eat.  My sister Eloisa (AKA Eli), loved the nachos with jalapeños they sold.  The mornings were so cold and the hot, melted cheese would hit the spot. NACHOS FOR BREAKFAST!?!?!   My mom was and still is a health freak and to this day I wonder why on earth she would allow us to have nachos for breakfast.  But boy were they disgustingly good!

After the short pit stop, we were back on the road knowing we were half way to Tijuana.  Once I could see the huge Mexican Flag and the “MEXICO” sign from the distance, I would get so excited and anxious.  We would get the hand gesture to cross and my mom (usually the driver) would switch into a ferocious-agressive Tijuanera driver.  We held on to our chonis for dear life.  We managed to always get safely to our destination by the grace of God!

Most Thanksgivings, my mom would cook the turkey the night before and we would take it to Tijuana and take extra ingredients to make some side dishes.  As my aunt’s family grew, they would all make their way to Tijuana as well and each family would bring something to add to the feast.  They were great times.  My Abuelo was alive, my sister was alive, my uncle Jose was alive, my dad was still living at home and we all gathered to say a prayer of Thanksgiving and enjoy a delicious feast with an extensive variety of trimmings.  Even my Tio Jose and Abuelo would join in on the cooking.

This year not only will my Abuelo be missing but my sister and my Tio Jose will be added to that list.  We will always have those wonderful memories in our hearts and minds for years to come and will always be able to retell of our fun, adventurous and sometimes unbelievable stories because in the kitchen and on the dinner table we all made tons of personal memories.  May this Thanksgiving be filled with joy, laughter, blessings and family as you make your own memories.

Con mucho amor,
Silvia Salas-Sanchez

Mi Familia
(My sister missing and a few cousins)

*** I’ve compiled a list below of all of our Thanksgiving recipes for you to consider as you plan your meal.  Enjoy!

Green Beans With Chorizo:  https://youtu.be/C1fbLVM_WFQ

Chorizo Stuffing: https://youtu.be/wjztMwRhIFI

Candied Yams:  https://youtu.be/mmflJbA8z30

Pumpkin Empanadas: https://youtu.be/4tTocllSvKk

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole:  https://youtu.be/_xNHZa15oSc

Juicy Turkey:  https://youtu.be/_xNHZa15oSc

Pumpkin Bread Pudding:  https://youtu.be/4Z9thl1y2-g

Calabaza Enmielada:  https://youtu.be/RTnxseBMuR0

Pumpkin Tamales:  https://youtu.be/L5OJgWgTx5E

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:  https://youtu.be/1zC5VemXF3Y

Turkey Tamal:  https://youtu.be/ifZ2qALNrEM

Pork Leg in Adobo: https://youtu.be/5QtyErsHMiw

Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Casserole:  https://youtu.be/PSED223gKlQ

White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Bread Pudding:  https://youtu.be/gBnmudEOfKI

Mashed Potatoes Con Longaniza Y Queso Oaxaca:  https://youtu.be/vXIiR-9ATFY

BBQ Meatballs:  https://youtu.be/GX316QK0MJY 

Pie De Camote:  https://youtu.be/DFpwdvwf728

Pavo En Adobo:  https://youtu.be/GCa9pb2f2FA

Pumpkin Cupcakes:  https://youtu.be/YEMG9tjipZk

Chicken and Apple Salad: https://youtu.be/ek7jc4na0TY

Turkey in Adobo Sauce:  https://youtu.be/GCa9pb2f2FA

Pumpkin Cake:  https://youtu.be/5IltbIp8Cd8

ChocoEnchiladas Popcorn:  https://youtu.be/lPC0I0mXqwM

Pineapple Upside Down Cake:  https://youtu.be/7CJ1Se501R0

Chicken Pibil:  https://youtu.be/4ZdCiktxjag