Healthy Chilaquilas from Guatemala

Chilaquilas (wich is not to be confused with the Mexican traditional dish Chilaquiles) is one of my favorite Guatemalan dishes. Guatemalan Chilaquilas are like a tortilla or güisquil (knows as chayote in Mexico or pear squash in the US) grilled cheese. They are perfect as a snack and the güisquil version is loaded with amino acids and vitamin C making it a delicious and healthy snack or veggie option for the whole family.

As Christmas gets closer I start getting nostalgic and missing my family and my Guatemala. This time of year I am always craving the delicious traditional dishes that accompany so many wonderful costumes. I dream of tamales, tostadas, chuchitos, chilaquilas, torrejas, rellenitos de platano, buñuelos and so many other dishes that bring back memories of childhood and make me feel closer to my family and to mi tierra.

Chilaquilas (wich is not to be confused with the Mexican traditional dish Chilaquiles) is one of my favorite Guatemalan dishes. Guatemalan Chilaquilas are like a tortilla or güisquil (knows as chayote in Mexico or pear squash in the US) grilled cheese. They are perfect as a snack and the güisquil version is loaded with amino acids and vitamin C making it a delicious and healthy snack or veggie option for the whole family.

Guatemalan Chilaquilas Recipe

• 6 tablespoons oil, divided
• 6-6 inch corn tortillas (I bought mine fresh at a Mexican grocery store but you can use Olé or similar)
• 3 güisquiles (you can find them at Mexican or Latino grocery stores as chayotes, in Eglish they are known as pear squash)
• 6 eggs
• ½ pund of queso fresco
• ½ pound queso Oaxaca
• queso seco or queso frijolero for garnish (crumbling cheese)
• 1 medium onion, sliced in ¼ inch half rings
• 1 teaspoon adobo
• 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped or a 28 ounce can
• ½ teaspoon salt, if adobo is salt free; otherwise to taste
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Directions for Chilaquilas

• Add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil to a large sauté pan and heat over medium flame until hot.
• Wrap tortillas in damp towel and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.
• Wash and slice the güisquiles.
• Beat eggs in a medium bowl until thickened, 3-5 minutes.
• Slice the queso fresco and the Oaxaca cheese into ¼ inch thick pieces.
• Take a tortilla and place a slice of each cheese to one side of it and fold other half of tortilla over it. Take two thin slices of güisquil put a slice of each cheese between them. Dip tortilla wrapped cheese and the güisquil slices in the eggs, one by one. Make sure that some of the egg gets inside. Slightly scoop the tortilla out of the bowl so that some egg is scooped up and place in the pan do the same for the güisquil.
• Cook until both sides of Chilaquilas are golden brown, about 5 minutes each side. Remove tortillas and güisquiles to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and güisquiles. (You may need to lightly beat the eggs again to re-thicken them.)

Directions for Tomato Sauce
• Let pan cool a bit and then wipe clean. Return to burner and add remaining 2 tablespoons of cooking oik over medium flame.
• Sautee onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add adobo and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add tomatoes and simmer until tomatoes have broken down into a nice thick sauce about 10 minutes, making sure to break up any big chunks of tomatoes.
• Return tortillas and/or güisquiles back to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes until heated through. Serve over rice and garnish with queso seco.

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Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz

Paula moved from her native Guatemala to SW Florida with her husband and two children and together they are discovering what it means to live life between two languages.

Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .

When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.

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