September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month — a time to celebrate and learn about Hispanic heritage, culture, and of course, food. Admittedly, I am not the person to tell you about the importance of, or the intricacies of Hispanic cuisine so that’s why we reached out to famed Mexican chef, Pati Jinich, to share some of her favorite Mexican recipes, tell us a little bit about the significance of the dishes and how to make them at home.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Pati Jinich is a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, three-time James Beard Award winner, and host of the Emmy-nominated PBS television series Pati’s Mexican Table — now on its twelfth season — and the docuseries La Frontera, which highlights the US-Mexico borderland communities. Before entering the food industry, Jinich got her start as a political analyst focused on U.S.-Mexico relations before making the tough decision to switch gears and trade her policy papers for cooking pots to make exploring and sharing Mexico’s cuisine her life’s work. Jinich now resides in Washington D.C. with her husband and their three sons.
Luckily, Jinich was kind enough to work us into her busy schedule and tell us all about the Mexican dishes and ingredients that are near and dear to her heart and how we can make them at home. One of the most important ingredients in Mexican cuisine? Eggs.
Pati says that eggs are a universal staple in Mexican culture because they offer such a great source of high-quality protein and nutrients, aside from being incredibly versatile, which is why she loves using them in her everyday recipes. From breakfast to brunch, lunch, and dinner, Mexican cuisine offers so many ways to cook them!
When it comes to her favorite choice, Pati recommends using Eggland’s Best eggs in recipes, not only because they taste great, but because they provide superior nutrition, such as 6 times more Vitamin D, 25% less saturated fat, and 10 times more Vitamin E compared to ordinary eggs – it’s a win, win. They make so many traditional dishes even more delicious and nutritious, just like the ones below!
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Big Brunch Enchiladas
Image Credit: Eggland's Best. “This is something you can make for yourself, for your family or for a big crowd and it’s something that you can make ahead of time. It’s the most beautiful way to dress a tortilla, you know, like enchiladas are the most beautiful way to honor and dress after tortillas. I love cooking my eggs in a soft scramble so that they don’t dry out and they are still like a little bit moist. My kids and friends love when I make them.” — Pati Jinich
Get the recipe from Eggland’s Best
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Hash with Corn Chorizo & Eggs
Image Credit: Eggland's Best. “This is really a one-stop meal. The Mexican chorizo is so savory and has so much flavor and typically has a little bit of vinegar so that it crumbles in delicious crunchy bites as it cooks.” — Pati Jinich
Get the recipe from Eggland’s Best
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Scramble with Queso Fresco
Image Credit: Eggland's Best. “So here we have bacon instead of chorizo and the great thing is that you cook the bacon until it’s crispy and then cook the rest of the dish with that bacon fat. That way, you’re not wasting anything or adding any other oil and you get all of that delicious flavor throughout the whole dish. Plus, by using Eggland’s Best eggs, which have superior nutrition compared to ordinary eggs, I know I’m feeding my family or friends a well-balanced meal that will fuel them for the day.” — Pati Jinich
Get the recipe from Eggland’s Best
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Chilaquiles
Image Credit: Eggland's Best. “If there’s any recipe that screams ‘I love Mexican food’, it has to be chilaquiles. It’s so festive and saucy and delicious. And like the enchiladas, you can easily make the sauce and the chips ahead of time and then just assemble when you’re ready to eat.” — Pati Jinich
Get the recipe from Eggland’s Best
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