Quelites Mexicanos

Step 1

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the greens until nearly tender, about 30-60 seconds. Remove the greens and refresh in cold water, squeeze dry and reserve.

Step 2

Squeeze the seeds from the tomatoes and discard. Dice or chop 1/2 cup of the tomatoes. Reserve the rest of the tomatoes and their juice for another purpose.

Step 3

If using fresh tomatoes, core them, score the bottom with an X and blanch in boiling water until the skins peel. Remove the tomatoes to cool, discard the skins, squeeze the seeds out, and dice into medium cubes (1/2 inch).

Step 4

In a 10 inch saute pan or large skillet, heat the oil and sliced garlic until aromatic and starting to turn golden. Add the sliced onion and jalapeno and cook until wilted. Add the chopped peeled tomatoes and cook for a minute more.

Step 5

Add the cooked greens and mix/toss the pan to thoroughly combine. Season with salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Continue cooking the greens mixture until the pan is nearly dry and the greens are tender and taste good to you.

Step 6

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas on a comal, over a fire, or on a griddle as described in the video. Serve the greens with the tortillas on the side and allow guests to build their own tacos, or build the tacos and serve however you like, as with the queso tacos I describe below.

Step 7

One of my favorite things to do is make queso tacos. To make them warm the tortillas on a griddle with cheese, then flip the melted cheese side onto the griddle and cook until the cheese is golden and crisp.