Simple and delicious, traditional Mexican foods make nutritious and inexpensive

Simple and delicious, traditional Mexican foods make nutritious and inexpensive additions to your menus!

American cuisine is diverse, borrowing many dishes from cultures around the world. Aside from the meat-and-potatoes meal and apple pie, most of our everyday foods consist of recipes brought to this country by immigrants from almost every continent. One of the most popular of foreign cuisines hails from our neighbors in Mexico. Americans have embraced traditional Mexican food with unabashed enthusiasm and, with good reason. Unlike complicated French or Middle Eastern recipes, traditional Mexican foods are based on simple ingredients which are readily available here in the States, easily prepared and budget friendly.

Most traditional Mexican foods rely on spicy seasonings, which add punch to the taste of blander staples, such as rice, beans and cheese. At the same time, these spicy dishes help the diner stay cool in hot weather. Authentic Mexican dishes are often a bit spicy for the American palate unless you live in one of the hotter summer regions of the U.S. - in which case, you'll welcome that extra spice! Common seasonings of traditional Mexican food includes cumin, garlic, onions, cayenne pepper and oregano. Chocolate is used to make mole, a savory meat sauce, said to have been the creation of some imaginative nuns preparing a feast for a visiting bishop. This sauce may now be purchased in commercially prepared jars at any large supermarket.

Beef and chicken are the meats we most commonly associate with Mexican entrees. However, in the typical Mexican menu, relatively small amounts of meat are mixed with more generous quantities of other ingredients, such as rice and beans,.

Cinnamon is used in the famous Mexican coffee as well as desserts, such as 'wedding cookies', a simple puff pastry, baked in a triangular shape and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. For a delicious coffee treat, try adding a teaspoon of cinnamon to the coffee brewing basket and top each cup with a bit of whipped cream.

Let's see what you can do with just these basic staples in your cupboard to put a nutritious meal on the table at very little expense.

You can whip up a pan of chile rellenos with just four eggs, a little milk, a cup of Grated cheddar cheese and several fresh or canned Jalapeno peppers. Rinse and core the peppers, removing seeds and the bitter pith. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish. In a separate bowl, scramble the eggs, adding just a quarter cup of milk. Pour half the egg mixture into the pan, distribute the peppers evenly and cover with the remaining egg and all of the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the eggs are firm.

Enchiladas, perhaps the most traditional Mexican food, are a snap. Warm flour tortillas to soften. Fill with a few tablespoons of rice, finely diced tomatoes and cooked, shredded beef or chicken. Fold into thirds, securing each with a toothpick. Place the enchiladas in a baking pan, cover with canned enchilada sauce and top off with shredded Cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for just 30 minutes. For a restaurant style presentation, a dollop of sour cream or guacamole makes this an even tastier meal, while still inexpensive.

Refried beans may be purchased in cans, but it's cheaper to make this traditional Mexican food from scratch. Soak the dried beans overnight in water to cover. Salt and simmer as directed on the package. Drain well, then partially mash with a potato masher. Freeze in 2-cup containers for several ready home made future meals. Refried beans make a good side for almost any Mexican dish. When ready to serve, just fry and turn them frequently until heated.
Spanish style rice is another good side dish on our list of traditional Mexican foods. Add some finely diced fresh Jalapeno peppers and diced tomatoes to a batch of rice. Add a dash of cumin if you wish for extra spark.

Burritos make an easy and filling lunch. Fill a tortilla as you would an enchilada, but leaving a few inches open at one end, so you can fold this Mexican style wrap closed, once filled. Layer the ingredients, starting with a few tablespoons of refried beans, then shredded beef or chicken, a handful of grated cheese and another thin layer of refried beans. Fold the open end over in a half-moon shape and roll as you would an enchilada.

Tacos are an American favorite among the traditional Mexican foods. Purchased taco shells are easiest and quickest to assemble. Layer cooked ground beef or chicken, diced onion and tomatoes, a couple of fresh cilantro sprigs, shredded lettuce and cheddar cheese. Top it off with a tablespoon of sour cream.

Next time you're wondering how to stretch your food budget 'til payday, think traditional Mexican food dishes! In fact, making large batches of enchiladas, burritos, refried beans and Spanish style rice and freezing them can come in quite handy for a rainy day on the family budget, or be a ready-to-warm meal for a ravenous teenager!

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