Calabasitas
My cousin Mando recently passed away. This will be our first Dia De Los Muertos that my family will honor his spirit and it will be an especially hard day for my Tia. My cousins and I have decided that we will be the ones to build an altar to his memory and reflect on all the great times we had as children. I have one photo that I keep looking at and it is a photo of us cousins when we were kids standing in a group with my grandfather behind us (pictured below).
I look at the photo and remember how carefree we all were back then and how we grew up close knit and full of love for one another. My cousin Mando is front and off center in a motorcycle shirt happy and bursting with life in the photo, this is how I want to remember him. I will bring this photo to his altar on Dia De Los Muertos along with his favorite dish my grandfather made for us growing up. A big pile of cheesy calabasitas. He used to tell us “Voy hacer calabasitas” and it was the equivalent to him saying he was going to give us money for the ice cream man…. Pure joy. For us the selling point was the cheese. I am going to be sure to load mine up with Cacique’s Oaxaca cheese and Cacique’s Queso Quesadilla both will melt beautifully into the broth and all over the zucchini. It will be a feast for the body mind and spirit. RIP Mando…we love you.
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WHAT YOU NEED
- 2 – tablespoons olive oil
- 4 – large zucchini (sliced)
- 1 – large onion (sliced)
- 2 – large tomatoes (chopped)
- 3 – corn on the cob (shaved kernels only)
- 2 – cups vegetable broth
- 1 – teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 – teaspoons salt
- 1/2 – teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 – teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 – cup Cacique® Oaxaca cheese (grated)
- 1 – cup Cacique® Queso Quesadilla cheese(grated)
HOW TO MAKE IT
- In a large frying pan over a medium flame add olive oil and allow to get hot. Add in zucchini slices and onions. Cook turning occasionally for 10 minutes or until center of zucchini is translucent. Add in chopped tomato and corn kernels. Mix to combine. Continue to sauté mixture for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in vegetable broth, and raise the flame to high to bring to a boil. Season with garlic powder, salt, ground pepper, and chili flakes. Mix to combine. Once boiling, cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle top with both Cacique® Oaxaca cheese and Queso Quesadilla. Allow it to melt and mix in to zucchini. Serve hot and enjoy!
