Mexican Molcajete Shrimp Food

MOLCAJETE SHRIMP IN SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, place tomatillos and jalapeño with enough water to cover. Boil until tomatillos fade in color and skins begin to burst. Drain, set aside to cool.
• In a medium frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, shrimp and 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt. Cook until onion is translucent and shrimp is cooked thoroughly. Approximately 5 -7 minutes. Set aside.
• Place tomatillos, jalapeño, 1/4 cup cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt on molcajete and crush until desired chunky consistency.
• Pour shrimp mixture over sauce and sprinkle with Cotija cheese.
• Serve on warm corn tortillas with avocado slices and key lime juice and garnish with remaining cilantro.

MEXICAN MOLCAJETE SHRIMP

Steps:

• Start by boiling the tomatillos and chiles de árbol in two cups of water. Boil until completely cooked, then let cool for 10 minutes. Afterward, purée the tomatillos and peppers along with the boiled water. Season with salt as desired.
• Pre-heat the molcajete (stone mortar) in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit-this step isn't necessary, but I do it to keep the shrimp hot while at the table.
• Separately, in a medium-sized skillet add the olive oil and butter; place over medium-high heat and let the butter completely melt before adding the sliced onion. Sauté for one minute then stir-in the chopped garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds and incorporate the shrimp. Stir occasionally and cook until the shrimp have begun to turn orange in color. When ready, pour the tomatillo salsa over the shrimp and simmer until the sauce begins to boil.
• Using oven mitts remove the molcajete from the oven and place over a heat-proof surface or dish (to avoid burning your table!) To finish, spoon the cooked shrimp with tomatillo sauce into the molcajete and garnish with diced avocado and queso fresco. Accompany with toast or corn tortillas and enjoy!

MEXICAN STYLE MEAT AND VEGETABLE STEW - AZTECA'S MOLCAJETE

Steps:

• Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy; remove from pan, reserving drippings, cut into small pieces, and set aside.
• Add the oil to the bacon drippings over medium temperature, then sauté the chicken and beef strips until browned, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
• In another large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the boiling water and bouillon granules until dissolved.
• Add remaining ingredients (including reserved bacon) and the cooked meat strips, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Garnish, serve, and enjoy!
• Note: to make the seafood version of Azteca's Molcajete, omit the chicken/beef and instead have 1/2 pound shelled and deveined shrimp, 1/2 pound scallops, and as much skinned and deboned whitefish fillet pieces as you'd like (about 1/4 pound or more) which you will add in during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Note #2: we've also added a can of black beans to the recipe, to good effect. If the soup isn't as thick as you'd like it to be, try adding a can of refried beans - it works well! We've also served it with crisp tortilla strips and a dollop of Mexican crema instead of monterey jack. It's a versatile recipe, so experiment and enjoy yourself! :) If you have made the Rich and Delicious Enchilada sauce recipe of mine, you might recognize many of the soup ingredients - to make the sauce into soup, use 2 cups of the sauce, add 1 cup hot water and 1/2 teaspoon chicken stock granules, then add the cooked chicken and garnish ingredients as usual.