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Rompope French Toast, Horchata French Toast & Ponche Navideño

This post is sponsored by Cardenas Markets, thoughts and opinions are my own.

New Year’s is just days away, and it feels like we were just ringing in 2017. As my siblings and I have gotten older, we’ve all started our own traditions and New Year’s Eve has become a day for me to relax, and reflect on all of my successes and losses in the past year.

This year I’m planning on doing the same, and kick starting the year with one of my favorite breakfasts; french toast. Occasionally, when Billy and I both have the day off he’ll make breakfast for the both of us and I always ask for french toast. It’s so easy to make, and you can dress it up in so many ways, and infuse it with just about anything!

I’ve partnered with Cardenas Markets, to share 3 recipes with you to help you prep for a festive New Years breakfast! I’ve been visiting Cardenas for years, but now that I live just down the street from one of their locations, I’m a regular shopper now! Everyone is always so friendly there, they have a lot of specialty items you can’t find at other super markets, and their selections grow even more during the Holidays. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve featured their delicious conchas on my feed (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), they really are my one stop shop for everything I make on the blog.

Rompope French Toast, Horchata French Toast & Ponche Navideño

Today we’re going to be adding horchata and rompope to our french toast for a kiss of flavor and we’re also going to be making ponche navideño. I know what you’re thinking..ponche navideño, after Christmas? SI! In my family, ponche shows up on Thanksgiving and we have it up till el dia de los reyes magos! For those who are new to ponche, it is a tea infused with fruits and spices that we have in Mexico during the Holidays. Everyone has their own version, and the one we’re making today is a small-batch version with notes of tamarind, hibiscus and cinnamon! It’s sweet, it’s tart and you get to add your favorite fruits..and if you’re old enough, a shot of tequila!

I hope this new year brings you lots of love, laughter, good food and great memories.

Have a happy New Year!

Rompope French Toast, Horchata French Toast & Ponche Navideño

Ensalada de Fruta (Tropical Ambrosia Salad)

For as long as I can remember, my mom has been making her ensalada de fruta (or ambrosia) for Christmas. It’s become one of her signature dishes for the season, and if she brings some over, she will not leave me with any leftovers because she takes them all home–She loves it that much! I always enjoyed how every bite was different. You’d get the tartness from the pineapple, the crunch from the walnuts, and the sweetness from the peaches. I originally shared the recipe on Instagram for a sponsored post with Dole, but because I love the recipe so much and many of my Instagram followers also said this was also a staple during the Holidays I figured I’d share it on the blog as well! I have a few other recipes I’ve shared on Instagram, like the sopa de caracól and the cinnamon pineapple mezcal mule so I’ll be adding those to the site soon!

Have a great Holiday season!

How to Make Traditional Buñuelos de Viento

We’re less than a week away from Christmas, and I’m just about ready to finalize our menu!

For appetizers, I’m going to be serving: Sambal Chicken Skewers, Honey Mole Glazed Wings, Crema Mexicana Pickled Jalapeño Deviled Eggs, and pico de gallo. For dinner, I’m going to be making tamales (recipe coming soon!), my moms’ favorite beer braised ribs and some rice pilaf. For dessert, I’m going to make the Horchata Tiramisu, Ensalada de Fruta, and the buñuelos I’m sharing today!

Buñuelos de viento are these crispy, airy, fritters covered in sugar that are very popular during Christmas time in Mexico. There are two popular variations of buñuelos found in Mexico, buñuelos de rodilla which use a a dough, are flat and circular in shape and are typically drenched in a piloncillo syrup and then there are buñuelos de viento which use a batter and an iron rosette mold. (Be sure to head over to my instagram page for a chance to win a rosette mold!)

These fritters are pretty easy to make, you just have to remember to dip your mold into the batter about half way, so when it starts to fry, the buñuelo slips right off the mold. You also need to be aware of the temperature of your oil while you’re frying. If the oil is too hot, you run the risk of them browning on the outside very quickly and being raw in the center.

My mouth is watering just thinking about these fritters, so I’m going to fix myself a warm cup of chocolate abuelita and eat the rest of these buñuelos. Have a great Holiday season!

Find the recipe in my new cookbook Chicano Bakes!

Potaje de Garbanzo

This post is sponsored by USA Pulses and Pulse Canada, thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I was in High School, I was introduced to this cute little cafe in Old Towne Orange called Felix’s Continental Cafe. If you happened to watch American Horror Story: Cult, they actually used the empty building across the street from this cafe for the set of Ivy’s restaurant, which I thought was super cool! Felix’s Cafe has been a staple in the City of Orange, specializing in food from Cuba and Spain, dubbed as the “La Casa de Paella” and it is here where I fell in love with the flavors of Cuba and Spain!

Potaje de Garbanzo-Chicano Eats

When USA Pulses & Pulse Canada reached out to me to see how I added pulses into my diet, I had just the recipe in mind. I wanted to share something inspired by my many trips to Felix’s. If you’re not familiar with pulses, they are the delicious, protein-packed, sustainable foods known as dry peas, chickpeas, lentils and beans. If you’re looking to find ways to incorporate more pulses into your diets, sign up for the Half-Cup Habit, and see how easy it can be to add 1⁄2 cup serving of pulses to your diet just 3x per week for added nutrients.

Potaje de Garbanzo-Chicano Eats

Today we’re making my version of potaje de garbanzo (or garbanzo stew), which is one of my favorite soups from Felix’s–which is always served with every meal. Potaje de Garbanzo, is a traditional Cuban garbanzo stew that has roots in Spain. The stew we’re making today starts with an aromatic sofrito to which we add pureed tomatoes, longanisa, garbanzo beans and potatoes. Some of the ingredients Felix’s uses were not available/a little hard to find so I adjusted the recipe to be more budget friendly. This is the kind of soup you want to have on a cold winter night, because it’s a hearty feel-good soup. It fills your house with the sweet smell of onions caramelizing, sizzling garlic, and spicy longanisa as everything cooks. Although it takes some time for it to come together, the end result is so worth it! If you live in areas where you get snow, definitely save this recipe for days when you get caught inside with a snowstorm, you won’t regret it!

For more recipes using pulses, be sure to check out USA Pulses.

Potaje de Garbanzo-Chicano Eats

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