20 fresco recipes

Melon fresco, a Latin American blender drink made from fresh cantaloupe, lime juice, and a whisper of sugar. Four-ingredient summer refresher that's halfway between juice and smoothie.

Smoky chipotle mushroom tacos: sauteed mushrooms and onion cooked down with chipotle in adobo and garlic, piled into warm corn tortillas with queso fresco and salsa. A quick, vegetarian taco night winner.

Fresh salsa fresca with tomatoes, tomato juice, jalapeno, serrano chile, cilantro, and garlic. A double-heat Mexican salsa that needs 2 hours to chill for the flavors to meld.

Chilled avocado soup with lime juice, chicken broth, and Mexican crema, served cold with salsa fresca. A silky, no-cook Mexican soup with rich, creamy avocado flavor.

Smoked sausage and lentil gumbo with a dark roux, celery, onion, carrots, and cayenne. A hearty, protein-packed Cajun-style soup where lentils stand in for okra with rich, smoky depth.

A buttery, moist and delicious cake, whoever has it will definitely give you a big "wow".

Chilaquiles verdes with fried corn tortilla strips simmered in tangy salsa verde, topped with shredded chicken, sour cream, queso fresco, and raw onion. Classic Mexican breakfast.

Homemade refried beans mashed to a creamy, lard-kissed puree with queso fresco crumbles and crispy tortilla chips. A 35-minute Mexican side dish that puts the canned stuff to shame.

Authentic Mexican refried beans cooked with caramelized onions and garlic, mashed to a creamy puree and topped with crumbled queso fresco. A 30-minute side dish that belongs next to every taco night.

Inspired by the chicken tortilla soup I had at Crocodile Café this tortilla soup comes together quickly and delivers loads of fresh Mexican recipe flavor.

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Speedy fried beans, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and bagged coleslaw make this a speedy weeknight main dish a welcome change.

Authentic enchiladas verdes with poached shredded chicken, fresh tomatillo-serrano salsa verde, Monterey Jack, and sour cream. A from-scratch Mexican classic.

Roasted poblano peppers stuffed with shrimp, rice, corn, queso fresco, and three cheeses, then breaded and baked golden. A Mexican-inspired stuffed pepper that's hearty, cheesy, and loaded with flavor.

So to start off with the first post, I decided to make a meal that screams of comfort food. Whilst it does take a bit of a while to get the meal done, once you take that first bite, heaven couldn’t seem closer if you were Adam trying to touch God’s finger in the “Creation of Adam” fresco created by Michaelangelo. The meal I speak of is Cottage Pie. There is much debate as to what exactly a cottage pie is and how it is different to a Shepherd’s pie...I don’t know. The dominant theory is that Sheperds pie uses lamb mince, whilst a cottage pie uses beef mince. I don’t know about you, but the term “Sheperds Pie” does not get my tastebuds going quite as well, so I prefer the term cottage pie. Besides, comparing the price of ground (mince) beef to ground lamb, a student would pick up the beef mince in a heartbeat without even so much as glancing at the lamb in the meat section. This cottage pie that I made is full of flavour, and just makes you want to cuddle up next to a fire and watch TCM movies all day either by yourself, or with a significant other. Here is the recipe:

Molletes - Mexican open-faced sandwiches with refried beans, melted Oaxaca cheese on toasted bolillos, topped with fresh salsa fresca. A classic Mexican street food breakfast or snack.