“Traditional” and “simple” rarely belong in the same breath when it comes to Mexican recipes, but if you can find ancho chiles, this braised chicken recipe makes great weeknight fare without being light on flavor. It’s the antithesis to festive Mexican dishes that have several sub-recipes — you only need a few spices, pantry staples, and fresh tortillas.

When selecting ancho chiles, look for pliability and a shiny dark exterior. Holding it up against light will reveal a reddish-brown hue. Since poblano chiles are naturally mild and sweet, its dried version in ancho chiles lend a similar quality to sauces and moles.

View Chicken Recipe - Braised with Ancho Chiles, Garlic, and Cumin »

Calabaza en tacha is traditionally served during the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations but it’s never a bad idea anytime fresh pumpkins are available. Lightly spiced and intensely sweet, it can be enjoyed on its own as a light snack, as a breakfast item with milk, or as a dessert with plain vanilla ice cream.

In this version of calabaza en tacha from Michoacán, guavas and cinnamon give the dark brown glaze an unusual earthy character. The guava seeds also adds interest by embedding itself into the crevices of your teeth, a reminder that the rich sweetness of candied pumpkin is best savored slowly.

View Calabaza en Tacha - Candied Pumpkin and Guava Recipe »

The recent slew of pumpkin and squash posts is not some sort of misguided attempt to turn my year-round tan into a peculiar shade of orange. It’s all about collecting the slippery seeds within for making the pumpkin seed dip called ha-sikil-pak, which is Mayan for water-pumpkin seed-tomato.

I like guacamole as much as the next person but it lacks one thing that ha sikil pak has in spades — the complexity of several toasted and charred ingredients.

Raw pumpkin seeds are crisped and pulverized to serve as the pumpkin seed dip base. The chiles and tomatoes are then charred before mixing with a bit of water, herbs, and the fragrant pumpkin seed powder. Usually enjoyed with tortilla chips, ha sikil pak also serves well as a piquant condiment for grilled meat and seafood or as a substitute for fresh salsa.

View Mayan Pumpkin Seed Dip - Ha Sikil Pak Recipe»

Horchata de melón, a refreshing drink splashed with lime juice, uses parts of the melon typically discarded in the North American kitchen. The netted cantaloupe rind, you’ll be relieved to hear, won’t see any blender action here. The glistening seeds, however, encase delicately flavored kernels rich in protein and beneficial oils. Strained to remove the coarsest bits of the brittle outer shell, the resulting nectar makes the most of what melons have to offer within its rough exterior.

The melon seeds also thicken the drink slightly, just enough to be satisfying without being exceedingly heavy. Chufa or tiger nuts serve this purpose in the original Spanish horchata while rice and almonds followed in the Yucatecan adaptation. All three have the subtle and nutty sweetness of each respective ingredient but this humble version alone boasts of fresh cantaloupes and lime.

View Horchata de Melón - Melon Seed Drink recipe »

Chicago is home to several vibrant Latino neighborhoods, some predominantly of Mexican heritage. It follows that there is hardly any shortage of sources for Mexican ingredients. There are even several tortillerias open to the public that produce freshly made tortillas by the truckload and buying from these factories is easily the best option — the turnover will be high and the tortillas will be at their freshest. Since tortillas stale quickly, most store-bought varieties are pumped full of preservatives and could have been on the shelf for weeks.

It’s one thing to cook labor-intensive Mexican dishes in a city home to excellent Mexican restaurants — the options range from humble street food and taquerias to fine-dining establishments with elaborate tasting menus. New heights of obsessiveness are reached when one also makes the simple but somewhat finicky tortillas at home.

View Homemade Corn Tortillas using Masa Harina recipe »