Crema is a great condiment for nearly every Mexican dish. Here are a couple recipes moving crema from the role of condiment to main ingredient.
So now you have made gallons of crema and have no idea what to do with it all. Worry not. This is not simply a condiment for tamales and tlayudas, but also a great main ingredient in the following recipes.
These two recipes are simple and delicious ways to use crema in both a main dish and a desert.
Warning: Though listed as a substitute for crema, sour cream will not work in these dishes and will actually taste pretty awful if used.
Rajas en Crema
This is sort of like a loose cheese sauce not entirely dissimilar to one you could make for macaroni and cheese. You might even want to add extra cheese and make this a sauce for macaroni. What follows is the traditional recipe using green peppers, but you could easily substitute any vegetable in season in your area: zucchini, corn, pearl onions, etc. You could probably even use up that bag of mixed vegetables sitting in your freezer.
Ingredients:
4 green peppers, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
2 cups crema
1/2 cup sliced Queso Asedero (or substitute)
Fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Process:
1) Fry peppers and onions in a large skillet. For extra flavor, you may even want to grill the vegetables a little beforehand.
2) Add crema and asedero. Stir until the cheese melts.
3) Stir in a small handful of fresh parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.
4) Serve over rice or with tortillas.
Fresas en Crema
This desert uses fresas, or strawberries, but like the previous recipe, you could easily substitute the strawberries for other fruits that macerate well. Peaches, blueberries, even apples would all be fine substitutes, or you could even make different combinations. Fresh or frozen does not matter. Just allow for thaw time with frozen fruit.
The final product tastes a lot like the topping for strawberry shortcake, and could be served over biscuits. Right out of the bowl is the preferred method of consumption.
Ingredients:
1 pound of strawberries, stemmed and halved
3 cups of crema
Fresh chopped mint
Sugar to taste (sugar was not needed during the testing of this recipe, but it will depend on the time of year and the sweetness of the fruit)
Process:
1) Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. You want the fruit completely covered in crema, but not swimming.
2) Refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours until the fruit has softened.
3) Add extra sugar if needed.
4) Garnish with mint leaves and serve with sugar cookies.
