Matzoh Molletes Rancheros

This crispy matzoh based breakfast is a cross between molletes and huevos rancheros. I used beans from a can and my homemade chiltepin salsa.

Nuttier and less sweet than its chocolate based cousin, this version of Molé Amarillo is the personal creation of Chef Suzana Davila of Tucson’s Cafe Poca Cosa. She specializes in these complex sauces, and her recipes are longtime local favorites which is one reason why I wanted to feature the recipe in my upcoming cookbook Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona. Serve this dish with tortillas and a pretty, salad, as Suzana would.

Sonoran Style Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Molé Marinade

Sonoran-style grilled chicken made with sweet Hungarian smoked paprika mixed with hot New Mexico chili pepper, unsweetened chocolate (inspired by molés), and red wine.

Chelada Recipe and How It Differs from a Michelada

This super-refreshing citrus beer cocktail is served in a chile and salt rimmed glass over ice. It’s kinda like a beer margarita. I love it because it’s a big drink that lasts a long time and it has considerably less sugar and calories than a margarita.

Hibiscus Agua Fresca Recipe

This hibiscus agua fresca isn’t too sweet, so you can drink it all day long and even into the night (perhaps with vodka!) It’s healthy too.

The Whisky Smash: Sonoran Mexican Cocktail Recipe

A Tucson Sonoran craft cocktail made with Earl Grey tea and whisky muddled with pomegranate seeds, finished with bitters and fresh ground pepper.

Sonoran Street Corn Hot Dogs (Elote Hot Dogs)

I’m pretty sure I invented the Elote Dog when I first developed this recipe for The Food Network in 2018. Since then Elote Hot Dogs, inspired by Sonoran-Mexican Street Corn have become a sensation with hot dog enthusiasts all over the word coming up with their own version. Here’s my recipe for hot dogs topped with elote, mayo, lime and spices and served in a bolillo roll.

Arizona Cheese Crisp: No Tortilla Recipe

Keto recipe for Arizona cheese crisp that’s the perfect comfort food. A cross between a Mexican pizza an an open-faced quesadilla, Southern Arizona restaurants started selling the dish more than 50 years ago and it’s become a staple of our local Sonoran style cuisine.

Quinoa Burrito Bowl with Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette

Healthy burrito bowl recipe with quinoa, black beans and avocado tossed in a chipotle lime vinaigrette dressing.

Sweet Corn Paletas Recipe: Sonoran Atole-Inspired Ice Pops

Why isn’t corn used in more desserts? It’s naturally sweet, and the kernels add a nice pop. These paletas are made with sweet corn, cinnamon and Tajin.

Masa Crust Pizza Recipe Featuring the Three Sisters

Corn, beans and squash are three of the earliest domesticated crops grown by Native Americans in the Sonoran region. For this recipe, prepared corn masa, which is usually used to make tortillas or gorditas, is pressed into a cast iron skillet for the crust. If you’ve never tried tepary beans, this recipe is an excellent way to experiment with them, but you can substitute black beans instead if you want.

Sonoran Style Breakfast Taco Cups

Recipe for healthy breakfast taco cups. Low-carb tortillas filled with eggs, bacon, pinto beans, cheese and salsa.

Cincinnati Chili-Cheese Nachos: Cincinnachos!

Ohio meets Arizona! Cincinnati chili cheese nachos. “Cincinnachos” are the best of everything for snacking season. Cincinnati Style Chili, tortilla chips, kidney beans, cheddar cheese, raw onions and jalapenos.

Sweet and Spicy Sonoran-Style Grilled Chicken Wings

These Sonoran grilled chicken wings are more spicy-hot that sweet. The heat index will vary greatly from the chili flakes and bbq sauce used.

Haunted Dia de los Muertos Gingerbread Houses

Haunted Halloween gingerbread houses including a Dia de los Muertos house inspired by the sugar skulls that typically signify the holiday.

Chicken Liver Pate Bites on Chicharrones with Cornichons

A crunchy Sonoran and Jewish deli snack mashup. Chopped liver pate smeared onto pork rinds and topped with cornichons! (Chicken liver pate bites on pork rinds with pickles.)

Mexican Shakshuka Recipe: Eggs Simmered in Tomato Crema

Recipe for Sonoran-style Mexican Shakshuka made with eggs simmered in a spicy tomato cream sauce and topped with melted cheddar.

Salsa Scrambled Eggs With Gorgonzola

Eggs scrambled with Gorgonzola and Salsa. A salty, spicy twist on a traditional breakfast dish.

No Mayo Potato Salad: Sonoran Style with Chile Lime Vinaigrette

Here in Southern Arizona, our famous Sonoran style Mexican food is often garnished with pickled red onions and Mexican limes. I’ve incorporated those flavors into this mayonnaise-free spicy potato salad tossed with a chile-lime vinaigrette.

Chunky Guacamole Recipe: Sonoran Style with Cotija and Serrano

This chunky guacamole recipe from the Taste of Tucson cookbook is spicy, salty and creamy – yet crisp and bright with lots of citrus and a tiny bit of crunch.

Rolled and Baked Breakfast Tacos Recipe

Wake, roll and bake for breakfast with these crispy rolled and baked sausage, egg and cheese breakfast tacos, with instructions on how to make rolled tacos.