As summer winds down and the harvest continues, in most of the country, many of us backyard gardeners find ourselves with a hearty supply of vegetables. Maybe you have tomatoes or peppers or squash in abundance. If that’s the case then you’ll love today’s recipe. Calabacitas translates to little squashes in Spanish. This is an amazing dish that is easy to prepare, full of flavor and pairs well with not only Mexican food but grilled meat or even as a vegetarian meal when rolled up inside a tortilla. The Indigenous Peoples of the Americas would grown corn, beans and squash together and this planting became known as the three sisters. This dish of Calabacitas uses two of the three ingredients, though I bet one could also add beans and it would still be spectacular. If you have someone in your family that doesn’t like squash, as I didn’t as a kid, the flavors and textures of Calabacitas may change their mind. Gather your squash, corn, tomatoes, onions, garlic and chilis and lets get cooking!
- Simple Calabacitas Recipe
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil or combo of both.
- 1 large Spanish onion chopped.
- 4-5 cloves of garlic chopped.
- 4 Cups cubed, zucchini , summer squash, patty pan squash or whatever squash you have! Be sure to remove large seeds. I used a giant Cucuzza squash from a neighbor, it’s like a baseball bat!
- 1-2 tomatoes diced or 1 can diced tomatoes.
- 2-3 jalapeños or serrano peppers diced.
- 2 cups fresh corn preferably cut from the cob or frozen kernels.
- 1 small can of diced green chili (optional)
- Cilantro chopped (optional, to taste)
- 1-2 teaspoons Mexican Oregano, you may not be able to find this in your markets.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large enough pot add the butter and olive oil over medium high heat.
- Add the chopped onions and garlic. Cook , stirring, until onions are translucent 3-5 minutes.
- Next add the cubed squash, stir and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, chili peppers, Mexican oregano and corn and blend well and let mixture simmer until squash is tender but not mushy. Be careful to not overcook this dish!
- If the mixture looks a little dry you can add 1/2 cup of vegetable or chicken stock or water.
- If you found it you may also add the Mexican oregano 1-2 teaspoons.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Optional can of green chilis and / or cilantro chopped.
- Many people like to make Calabacitas Con Quesso , just add shredded Colby Longhorn cheese.
- That’s all there is to it!
As you can see this is a pretty easy recipe to make and it’s done using mostly fresh ingredients. Trying to eat a minimally processed diet is very healthy for us, so let’s give it a go. I know cooking can be a little daunting to some but that’s one reason I like to focus on simple delicious dishes that anyone can make. This dish will also freeze well for a few months so make a big batch and enjoy some when the cooler weather sets in. You can add a roasted meat like chicken or pork and a few cups of broth to make a hearty stew. If you have a recipe for Calabacitas please let us know in the comments below. If you have any questions or comments please leave those in the box below and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Keep on cooking! Until next time Boone Appétit.
