Calabacitas capeadas rellenas, translates to stuffed squash in a batter. It’s a chilly and rainy day as I sit here and type up this blog post to share with you all. I am distracted by the fact that I know I have some calabacitas leftover in the refrigerator! The caldillo is just spicy enough for my liking and the thought of dipping a warm corn tortilla wrapped around one of those pillowy stuffed squash is making me hungry!
Some of my most favorite Mexican dishes are meatless!
What? Honestly, I crave nopalitos en salsa, mushroom quesadillas, huitlacoche, chile con queso and tacos de papa like nobody’s business! The meatless possibilities are endless, and this dish is just another one you can add to the list.
I love, love, love that caldillo sauce!
Caldillo de jitomate is a cross between a sauce and a salsa in my opinion. It’s perfect for chiles rellenos, tortitas de camaron, tacos ahogados, enchiladas, and delicious as a soup base with some added broth.
In a pinch, of course you can use zucchini!
Next time I will try some of those oversized zucchinis from the garden to prepare this dish. It will be amazing. Or how about some eggplant stuffed with a good melting cheese and fried with the batter? Amazing!
To shallow fry or deep fry?
I am not much into deep frying simply because I don’t want to waste the oil when preparing a small quantity. In general, I try to avoid most fried foods as a rule of thumb. But, now and then, I indulge in some.
What are some of your favorite meatless Mexican dishes?
Calabacitas Capeadas Rellenas- Cheese Stuffed Mexican Squash in a Spicy Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- Blender
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Saucepan
- frying pan or skillet
Ingredients
Caldillo
- 4 c water
- 5 Roma tomatoes, 500 gr
- 1 serrano peppers, 16 gr
- 3 chile de arbol, 2 gr for a milder caldillo, omit the chile de arbol
- 1/4 white onion, 68 gr
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, 18 gr
- 2 tsps tomato or chicken bouillon
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Pinch of oregano
- Salt to taste
Calabacitas
- 3 Mexican squash, 435 gr
- 6 c water
- 1 tsp Salt
- 6 oz Mexican panela cheese
- 4 large eggs, 194 gr, at room temperature separate the yolks from the whites
- 2 c oil for frying, vegetable or canola
Instructions
Caldillo
- I am going by weight of the ingredients, not by the number of tomatoes and chile de arbol. This is why it appears to be more in the video. Go by the weight when possible. On the day I recorded the video the Tomatoes were small.
- In a sauce pan at medium heat, bring 4 cups of water to a simmer.
- Slice an X on the bottoms of tomatoes. Roughly chop or slice the serrano pepper. Transfer tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and arbol peppers to simmering water. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove tomatoes from water and let them cool. When ready carefully peel skins away and discard skins.
- Transfer tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and arbol peppers to blender jar along with 2 cups of the cooking water from saucepan. Add bouillon, pepper, oregano and salt to taste. Blend on high until smooth.
- Preheat 1 1/2 tbsp of oil in a saucepan, at medium heat, for a few minutes. Once hot, pour in the caldillo sauce from the blender jar. Stir well. Cook at a steady simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste for salt. Turn heat to the lowest setting while you finish the recipe.
Calabaciatas
- Preheat 6 cups of water in a saucepan seasoned with 1 tsp. of salt at medium heat.
- Wash the squash and slice off the ends. Slice each squash into 4 equal thick rings. Using a smaller knife, carefully slice down into one side of the squash 3/4 of the way down. Don't slice all the way through.
- Carefully drop the squash into the water that is coming up to a simmer. Bring them up to a light simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the squash to a shallow bowl and let them cool completely.
- For the cheese, you will kind of have to eyeball it as far as the size. The slices should not be too thick, or they may tear the tender squash. Once you have them filled, cover and set them aside.
- At this time, you want to preheat the oil in a skillet at medium heat.
- Transfer the egg whites to the bowl of the stand mixer. Mix on high until you have achieved stiff peaks. If you can flip the bowl over without the egg moving, then it's ready. Mix in 1-2 of the reserved egg yolks, 1 tbsp. of ap flour and 3/4 tsp. of salt. Mix on low for 25 seconds.
- I found that using my hand to dip the stuffed squash was easier than trying to use a fork or spoon. Holding firmly on one side, dip the stuffed calabacitas into the egg batter to coat completely. Carefully transfer to the hot oil. Try to work quickly to fill the skillet. After a few seconds, gently spoon some hot oil over the tops of the calabacitas to seal the egg batter. To flip, use two forks to flip and fry the other side. Once golden brown, remove them from the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Quick tip! Cube up any extra queso panela and add it to the caldillo with the stuffed squash! Delicious!
- When ready to serve, transfer all of the calabacitas rellenas to the warm caldillo and cook for 3 minutes. Turn up the heat slightly. Ladle into shallow bowls or plates. Serve with rice, beans and tortillas.
Notes
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