Paleo Mexican: Amazingly Good Tex-Mex Paleo Cuisines At Home! (100% Authentic Recipes) by Kat Samson

Introduction
    Mexican cuisine is a fusion of indigenous American cooking and European cooking, especially Spanish, since it is Spain who first discovered and conquered the Aztec empire. They were the first to come in contact with the indigenous people and influence them in many ways, including cooking. But despite all of the many influences and changes that the Europeans brought, the basic staple of the Mexican cuisine remains the chili.
     
    Basically, there is no recipe that without or other sort of spiciness in it, usually dried chili flakes or hot sauce. Apart from this, the Mexican cuisine also uses beans, corn, cheese and plenty of fresh herbs, and all of them are common ingredients in most Mexican dishes.
     
    Paleo on the other hand, is a modern diet based on the way our ancestors used to eat and that excludes beans, corn and wheat. However, what remains are the spices and herbs which are enough to give any dish a Mexican kick.
     
    Plus, native ingredients also include tomatoes, avocados, squashes, pork, chicken and beef, as well as many tropical fruits which can also be found in savory recipes sometimes. Most of these ingredients are Paleo and can be combined in a creative way they can yield delicious, rich, and flavorful dishes for the entire family.
     
    Mexican food has a reputation for being spicy, but the heat in most dishes is never overwhelming. Every dish is a delicate balance of spices and seasonings, fresh ingredients and herbs so you can taste all the flavors in the end, not just the heat. Of course, you are free to reduce the heat if that’s what you prefer, but never cut it off completely; because that is not Mexican at all. Heat is what defines Mexican cuisine.
     
    As expected, Paleo and Mexican in the same dish is a relatively hard task to master. The two of them have few common points, but there are recipes that don’t need beans or corn, and there are other recipes where you can easily replace them with other vegetables. Just keep an open mind throughout and be creative, and that way you can’t go wrong as long as you add the chili pepper first!

Ingredient List
     
    Chili Peppers
    The chili pepper is definitely the staple ingredient of the Mexican cuisine. If a recipe doesn’t have some sort of chili in it, either fresh or dried or in form of a hot sauce, then it’s simply not Mexican. Chili peppers were cultivated in America for centuries and they spread worldwide when the Spanish conquered the Aztecs. But not many people enjoy their heat, except the Mexicans, who are the remains of the indigenous people.
     
    There are many types of chili peppers, but the most common types are: cayenne, jalapeno, tabasco, piri piri, habanero, serrano, poblano, and chipotle. They can easily be found in stores either fresh, dried or in sauces, but you can also grow them at home from seeds, too.
     
    An interesting fact about them is that their heat is measured in Scoville heat units (SHU). Just to give you an idea, pure capsaicin which is the substance that gives chili peppers their heat, has 16 million SHU. Jalapeno peppers have from 2500 up to 8000 SHU; while habanero peppers have 10 times more. The pepper with the highest heat is considered to be the Carolina Reaper with more than 2 million SHU, but it is a hybrid pepper cultivated solely for industrial use.
     
    Apart from heat, peppers also have a high amount of vitamin C and small amounts of beta-carotene, but also vitamins B, potassium, magnesium, and iron.
     
    Tomatoes
    Fresh or canned, tomatoes are found in most Mexican recipes. Their tangy taste balances the heat well and they are easy to find all year around, no matter where you are on the globe. Not to mention that they are a bomb of antioxidants and vitamins, and they are very healthy and nutritious if consumed fresh. Canned tomatoes are a good alternative for when you can’t find fresh tomatoes, and I definitely recommend the canned ones when the produce is out of season.
     
    Avocado
    Avocado