Authentic Mexican Calabacitas Recipes

CALABACITAS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add onions, poblanos, and jalapenos. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften.
• Add corn and tomatoes. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add zucchini, yellow squash, garlic, salt, black pepper, oregano and ground cumin. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
• Add water to skillet, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Uncover the skillet, add the shredded cheese and milk, and stir together until the cheese has fully melted.
• Remove from heat, garnish with chopped cilantro and cotija cheese, and serve.

MEXICAN CALABACITAS

Steps:

• Place oil and chopped garlic in a large skillet, over medium heat.
• Add zucchini and onion, cooking until onion is tender.
• Add corn and tomatoes.
• Cover skillet, and simmer over low heat 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• When mixture is well heated, add cheese, mix and serve.

CALABACITAS RECIPE (CON QUESO)

Steps:

• Set an extra-large cast iron cast over medium-high heat. Add the butter, onion, garlic, and poblano pepper. Saute and soften for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the ground cumin and oregano to the skillet. Stir and push the onions to the sides of the skillet.
• Add about a third of the chopped squash and bell peppers. Brown for 1 minute. Then push them to the sides of the pan and add another third of the veggies. Cook for 1 more minute. Then push the veggies to the sides and add the remaining squash and peppers. (This method allows each batch of squash and peppers to get a bit of color.)
• Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Brown another minute, then stir in the corn, cilantro, and juice of ½ a lime.
• Stir to warm the corn, then turn off the heat. The veggies should be just barely cooked and still firm.
• Serve warm with a generous sprinkling of crumbled queso fresco, a dollop of pico de gallo, avocado slices, and extra lime wedges.

CALABACITAS (MEXICAN STYLE ZUCCHINI)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook about two minutes.
• Add the zucchini, tomato, corn salt & pepper. Mix all ingredients well.
• Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle the shredded cheese.
• Replace the cover on the skillet and allow to sit until the cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Serve warm and sprinkle with some of queso fresco

CALABACITAS

Steps:

• Give the tomatoes a good rinse and let them roast in a 400F oven for 20 minutes or until you need them. I usually de-stem the tomatoes knowing that any juices leftover in the roasting pan will be used.
• Finely chop a small onion and get it cooking in some oil over medium heat. Let it cook until it's starting to brown, approx. 7-10 minutes. Add three minced garlic cloves and cook for 30-60 seconds.
• Take a couple spoonfuls of the onion-garlic mixture from the pan and add it to the blender -- this will eventually be combined with the roasted tomatoes.
• Give the zucchinis a good rinse and cut them up into 1/4" sized pieces -- be sure to cut off the ends of the zucchinis and discard. Add the chopped zucchini to the onion-garlic mixture in the pan, along with 3/4 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano. Stir well and let it saute for a couple minutes as you put the tomato mixture together.
• Rinse the jalapeno and chop it up into quarters, discarding the stem. Add the roasted tomatoes to the blender along with 1/4 of the jalapeno. (There should also be a couple spoonfuls of the onion-garlic mixture in the blender.) Combine well and take a taste. Add additional slivers of the jalapeno until the heat tastes right to you. I used a larger jalapeno for this batch and only needed about half of it.
• Add the tomato mixture back to the saucepan and let the zucchini simmer in it for a couple more minutes or until the zucchini is tender but still a little firm -- this batch cooked for a total of 7-8 minutes. If using canned corn you can add it in now as it doesn't need much time to heat up. If using fresh corn kernels you can add them in when you add the zucchini. (I usually drain and rinse canned corn but this is optional.)
• Take a final taste for seasoning. I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch.
• Serve immediately with your choice of garnish. Cotija cheese and freshly chopped cilantro are good options.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge where they will keep for a few days.

CALABACITAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Prep all the veggies, including roasting the corn for a few minutes.
• Make cauliflower rice or use store-bought.
• In a large pan on medium heat, add the avocado oil first and distribute across the pan. Add the chopped zucchini and squash, shallots and spices.
• Sauté for 10 minutes or until veggies are soft.
• Add in the red peppers, roasted corn and fresh herbs. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Next, layer the ingredients evenly between 4 bowls for serving: cauliflower rice, calabacitas mixture, and then spinach.
• Top each bowl with sliced lime, avocado and radishes, along with chickpeas and a poached egg.
• For the side dish version, simply omit the cauliflower rice and toppings.
• Serve warm.

'CALABACITAS GUISADA' (STEWED MEXICAN ZUCCHINI)

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook the onion and garlic in the hot oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini slices and stewed tomatoes and stir gently. Cover and cook until the zucchini is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt, and add the Cheddar cheese; allow to sit until the cheese has melted.

CALABACITAS

Steps:

• Warm olive oil over medium in a large pan. Add jalapenos and shallot, and cook until starting to soften - about 5 minutes.
• Add zucchini and squash. Season with salt and pepper, and stir. Cover with a lid and cook 5 minutes, until squash is starting to soften.
• Add tomatoes and corn, and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes or until warmed through. Serve immediately.

CALABACITAS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in onions and cook for about 3 minutes until translucent.
• Add the jalapeño, garlic, squash, corn, tomatoes, Mexican oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to just over low, cover, and cook for ~8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender.
• Add in vegan mozzarella shreds and cook with the lid on for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
• Top with vegan queso fresco or queso cotija. Serve warm as a side dish, on tacos, or as a light meal. Happy eating!

CALABACITAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Dice your onions and peppers and get them in the pan to begin caramelizing.
• Dice your calabacitas and add them once your onions and peppers are done caramelizing.
• Simmer until calabacitas are completely cooked
• Add some shredded cheese to the top of your vegetables.
• Enjoy!!!