Notes about Recipes in this book

• Black beans and rice (Moros con Cristianos)

  • WaterPenny on October 02, 2024

    Definitely add the Mexican oregano and the cumin. So good, we've made this a few times already!

• Ham and cheese quesadilla (Quesadilla de jamón)

  • swiand on January 16, 2026

    The quesadillas were good but the family thought they were plain. My teenage son added jalapenos and we all added a bit of white onion. We pan fried the onion and ham first. Good but the family wanted more. Dipping in homemade salsa and source cream made them better.

• Basic picadillo (Picadillo sencillo)

  • ShayLRoss on May 10, 2026

    I really loved how this turned out! I used turkey with a bit more oil as indicated in the nota, and I also added some ground chipotle pepper to the turkey with the other seasoning. I didn't quite have enough liquid from the tomatoes to finish cooking the potatoes, so I did have to add a little more water, and it turned out fantastic. I had some leftover black beans from making Frijoles Colados, and threw them in at the end. It's great!

• Beef shank stew

  • imaluckyducky on February 19, 2025

    4 stars. I had 8lbs of center cut beef shank, so I split it in half and followed the directions as written for one batch - cook the meat in water separate from the stew ingredients and combine at the end (recipe is unclear if you take the meat out of the water and put into strew or combine the water and meat with the stew, judging by the picture and how thick it is I think it’s the former). As predicted, the recipe as written makes a stew that is devoid of all the beefy goodness that comes with using beef shank — all that marrow cooks out into the water and the meat is rendered tender but unsatisfying. Also, the cook time for tender beef shank on the stove is closer to 3 hours than the 1 hour 30 mins in the recipe. Instead: season and brown both sides of the beef shank and combine them in the pot with the cooked onions and garlic,the cans of tomatoes, bay leaf and oregano. Add enough water to cover. Cook until tender then add the rest of the stew ingredients. Much richer flavor.

  • imaluckyducky on February 19, 2025

    Flavor profile reminiscent of ropa vieja.

• Creamy chipotle chicken

  • cheryl_9rgvpq on January 26, 2026

    Made with shrimp (instead of chicken). Added red bell pepper, onion, & mushrooms. Delicious!!

  • Countesschicklington on February 21, 2026

    Very easy to make and absolutely delicious. Creamy with a bit of heat, and a sauce which will make you want to lick your plate! As in the recipe picture, recommend serving with long grain white rice and peas. The slight sweetness of the peas balance the sauce beautifully.

• Charro beans (Frijoles charros)

  • alysekstokes on February 06, 2025

    I made this using Rancho Gordo's rio zape beans. It's a hearty, filling dish, and we had it as a main with corn tortillas and lots of fresh cilantro on top.

  • cheryl_9rgvpq on January 26, 2026

    Made with soyrizo.

• Yucatan fried beans (Frijoles colados)

  • ShayLRoss on May 10, 2026

    I liked this recipe, it is straightforward and easy to follow. I ended up not doing the puree through a fine mesh strainer as it would have taken more time. I found the end result to be good, although I would add more seasoning. I used serrano as I did not have habanero, and the spice was a good amount for me.

• Mexican-style corn and zucchini

  • cheryl_9rgvpq on January 26, 2026

    Added black beans. Loved it!

• Creamy poblano potatoes (Papas con rajas y crema)

  • gamulholland on March 06, 2025

    My husband loved these— russet potatoes were all we had, so I correctly figured this would be like fancy mashed potatoes, and I was right. And it was delicious. I’ll use more onions next time.