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Throw a fiesta for Mexican Independence Day

Viva Mexico! Richard Sandoval, author of ‘Modern Mexican Flavors,’ cooks up some authentic south-of-the-border fare. Check out the recipes

NBC VIDEO
Throw a fiesta for Mexican Independence Day
Sept. 15: Richard Sandoval, author of "Modern Mexican Flavors," cooks up authentic Mexican dishes with the "Today" show's Al Roker.

Today Show Kitchen

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TODAY
updated 11:35 p.m. ET Sept. 17, 2006

Celebrate Mexican Independence Day with dishes from Richard Sandoval, author of “Modern Mexican Flavors” and owner of several restaurants across the U.S., including Maya and Pampano in New York. Check out his festive recipes:

Tacos de Camaron al Pastor
Chef Richard Sandoval

Serves 4 (3 tacos per person); Adobo makes 1 cup; Avocado Salsa Verde makes about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

Shrimp

1 cup Adobo (see recipe below)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
24 shrimp (26/30 per pound), peeled, cleaned and deveined

To Serve

12 flour tortillas (4 inches each)
2 ounces pineapple, grilled, julienned into 2- to 3-inch strips
1 cup chopped white Spanish onion
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Adobo Ingredients

3 guajillo chiles
1 pasilla chiles
1 chile de arbol
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 white Spanish onion, sliced
3 small garlic cloves, minced
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick (6 inch), broken into thirds
6 whole black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 tablespoon achiote paste
1-1/2 cups chicken stock

Avocado Salsa Verde Ingredients

1 fully ripened avocado
1 pound tomatillos, husked, washed, and roughly chopped
1/2 small Spanish white onion, chopped
1 Serrano chile, cut in half and seeded
3 cloves garlic, chopped
10 sprigs cilantro
Salt to taste

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

To make the Tacos de Camaron al Pastor
In a non-reactive bowl, mix together Adobo, orange juice, sherry wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp; toss to make sure the shrimp are covered with the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-1/2 hours.
Heat a sauté pan. Add the shrimp, turning occasionally until cooked through, about 1-1/2 minutes; avoid overcooking the shrimp to keep them moist. Keep warm until serving.

To make the Adobo
Remove the stems, seeds and membranes from the chiles. Break the chiles into larger pieces; set aside.
In a medium saucepan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin seeds, oregano and achiote paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and light golden brown, about 4 minutes.
Add the chiles and cook until darkened on both sides, about 1 minute.
Add the chicken stock, it should cover the ingredients about halfway. Gently boil until reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes.
Scrape into a blender and puree. Pour into a medium mesh sieve set over a bowl and press the solids with a rubber spatula or the back of a ladle to release the liquid. Discard the solids. Cool it down.

To make the Avocado Salsa Verde
Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Remove the pit. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh from both halves. Place avocado, tomatillos, onion, chile, garlic and cilantro in a blender. Puree until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

To serve
Warm the tortillas in a skillet. On each of 4 appetizer plates, arrange 3 tortillas. Spoon the shrimp in the center of tortillas, dividing evenly. Arrange one pineapple strip on each taco. Mix onion, cilantro and lime juice; sprinkle over tacos. Top each with some Avocado Salsa Verde and arrange one slice of avocado on each taco.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES


Chile en Nogada (Ground Beef Stuffed Poblano Chile with Walnut-Almond Sauce)
Chef Richard Sandoval

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Nogada sauce

1-1/4 cups walnuts (about 5 ounces)
1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds (about 1 ounce)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of milk

Chiles

4 fresh large poblano chiles

Stuffing

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup dark seedless raisins
1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds (about 1 ounce)
3 tablespoons pine nuts (about 1 ounce)

Garnish

Pomegranate seeds

DIRECTIONS

To make the Nogada Sauce
Place walnuts and almonds in a blender. Pulse to finely grind. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add 1/4 cup of milk and blend to puree. Add the remaining milk and blend until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and place in refrigerator. The sauce is served chilled.

Chiles
Preheat the broiler. Place the whole chiles on a broiler-pan rack. Broil about 4 inches from the heat, turning the chiles occasionally, until evenly blackened on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Place the chiles in a paper or plastic bag and seal. Let stand until cool enough to handle and the skins have loosened, about 15 minutes. Remove skins. Cut a slit from the top of each chile down the side. Remove the seeds and veins. Set aside.

To make the Stuffing
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. For the last 2 minutes, add the garlic. Add the ground beef and salt, and sauté, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, raisins, almonds, and pine nuts. Cook over medium heat until cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Spoon the stuffing into the chiles, dividing equally.

To serve
In the center of each of 4 large salad plates, spoon a little nogada sauce. Place a stuffed chile in the center of each, and spoon more sauce over the chiles. Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Serve room temperature.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES


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