Sandra Alvarado

By Published On: November 14, 2018

Sandra Alvarado of Vardaman said her Thanksgiving will have a Mexican twist this year.

She plans to  marinate the turkey overnight with a Mojo-type brine, and “will use lots of garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper,” she said.

Usually for Thanksgiving or Christmas, she and her sisters and brothers and families (26 of them) from Texas, Florida and here,  try and get together. Sandra has been cooking since age nine, learning from grandmothers on both sides of her family, who told the girls if they didn’t learn to cook and clean, the husbands would bring them back, and the grannies didn’t want them back.

The first things she learned to cook from her grandmothers were tortillas, rice, and breakfast items. Also, she and her sisters, and female cousins, split the household chores. Sandra’s mother had a taco stand in Florida and they sold four varieties–pork, chicken, beef and cheese. Now when they grill out, she will sometimes make them.

Depending on her mood, she might prepare Mexican, Italian or American food for dinner. Son Alan, 14, will eat anything, but Aldo, 4, is her picky one. She watches a lot of Food Network–Ina, Pioneer Woman, Nancy Fuller. She has a lot of cookbooks and if she “gets a wild hair” she will take a look at Pinterest. She and sister, Gaby Tovar, sometimes exchange recipes.

“There’s nothing out there I can’t cook. I’ll put it together however I can,” she said. Sometimes she will just “throw it together,” she said. 

Her brother, Alex Gracia, tells her she should write a cookbook. She cooks every day, sometimes three meals a day. “My kitchen is never clean. My head is either stuck in the stove or the sink,” she said. She also bakes a lot and likes to make tres leches cake. Sushi is one of her favorite things to eat and she has made it before. Sandra calls all of her submitted recipes simple, with ingredients that are easy to find.

Chorizo & Cheese Quesadillas

4 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated

4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

8 oz. chorizo, cooked (remove casing)

4 scallions, finely chopped

2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (keep seeds for extra heat)

8 store-bought flour tortillas

1 stick melted butter for brushing tortillas

Place cheese, chorizo, scallions, jalapenos, salt and pepper in bowl. Mix together. Divide mixture into four equal parts for four quesadillas. Brush both sides of tortillas with melted butter. Place in nonstick pan on medium low heat to melt cheese or place on cookie sheet in 350° oven for 10 minutes until golden brown. Cut into fourths. Ready to serve. Garnish with sour cream, guacamole or your favorite salsa. Option: Oven baked chicken breast is a great option it you don’t like chorizo.

Corn & Red Pepper Salsa

1-1 lbs. bag frozen corn kernels (thawed and cooked)

1 larger red bell pepper, diced

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1-2 Tbsp. finely chopped jalapeno pepper

4 scallions, finely chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook and drain corn. Place in large bowl. Add red pepper, garlic, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, scallions, olive oil, cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour for all flavors to marry and it’s ready to serve. Great with homemade corn tortilla chips.

Rice with Lime

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 small chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup (6 oz.) long grain rice

2 cups (16 oz.) chicken or vegetable stock, your preference

Zest and juice of one lime

1 tsp. ground cumin

In medium saucepan, heat oil and add garlic, rice, salt, cumin and stock. Bring to boil for a minute. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes or until rice is tender or all liquid has absorbed. When rice is cooked, add lime juice and zest, and   fresh cilantro. Fluff up with fork and it’s ready to serve.

 Oranges & Strawberries with Lime Juice

3 fresh oranges

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

Zest and juice of one lime

1-2 Tbsp. sugar, depending on how sweet fruit is

Using sharp knife, peel oranges by cutting the top and bottom. Remove all peel and pith in downward direction all around the orange, following the shape of the orange for better results. Cut in between membranes of the orange, remove segments and discard membrane. Hull strawberries, pulling stems off or leave. Cut strawberries into quarters. Place strawberries and orange segments in bowl, nonmetallic is better. Sprinkle in lime juice, and add sugar to taste. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes. Garnish with sprig of mint and it’s ready to serve. Great on pound cake, over vanilla ice cream, or alone for refreshing summertime desserts.

Share This Story!