Plant-Based Sonoran & Mexican Recipes.

Vegetable-Forward Recipes from the Arizona-Mexico Borderlands

Plant based, vegetarian and vegan flavor filled Mexican and Sonoran style recipes showcasing Southwestern regional culinary influences from the Arizona-Mexico borderlands from Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.

“Sonoran food is plant-forward by its very nature. The Sonoran desert region is home to more varieties of plants that almost anywhere in the world. The region’s rich biodiversity is central to its food culture, with staples including indigenous foods such as beans, tomatoes, chiles, corn, squash, herbs and cactus, mixed with plants brought to the region by settlers from other regions. ” ~ Jackie Alpers for NPR

Sonoran food is summer food – year-round. Two of the world’s top health resorts are located in the region and their menus reflect and embrace the multiple health benefits associated with Sonoran-style Southwestern cuisine. Their chefs and nutritionists have taught Jackie many of their healthy culinary techniques which are incorporated into these vegetable-forward healthy recipes.

Homemade Sonoran-Mexican Taco Seasoning Recipe

This homemade Sonoran-Style Mexican taco seasoning uses ground dried chiles and Mexican oregano for a deeper flavor than store-bought packets or standard recipes. Ready in 5 minutes.

Cornbread Bread Pudding in Cast Iron Ramekins

Cornbread casseroles made with chunks of freshly-baked cornbread cooked in a rich custard sauce in individual cast-iron ramekins, making a decadent yet rustic dessert.

Michelada vs. Chelada: What’s the Difference?

Michelada vs. Chelada: What’s the Difference? Includes recipes for a michelada cocktail made with Ray Ray’s Sonoran Spirit and a spicy tomato mixer.

Spicy Deviled Egg Potato Salad with Chipotle and Capers

This spicy deviled egg potato salad gets a Southwestern twist with chipotle peppers, capers, and a creamy mustard-mayo dressing. Ready in 35 minutes — perfect for BBQs and potlucks.

Pumpkin Empanadas: Easy Baked Mini Hand Pies

These mini pumpkin empanadas are brushed with a buttery, warming aromatic coating are fun and super easy to bake (not fried) using pre-made sheets of pie dough and a spiced pumpkin filling.

Three Sisters Power Bowl

Let the power of these three sisters fuel your day! Corn, zucchini and tepary bean breakfast bowl with quinoa, corn, avocado, spicy green salsa and eggs.

Caldo de Queso Recipe: Sonoran Cheese and Potato Soup

Caldo de Queso is a Sonoran cheese and chunky potato soup with green chiles, onions, and tomatoes in a light broth. Recipe by Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.

Sonoran-Style Carbonara with Mushrooms

Witchy carbonara made with black pasta, purple basil, and exotic mushrooms inspired the by the modern gothic visuals in Tim Burton’s television show, Wednesday.

Cast Iron Skillet Roasted Mushrooms Recipe

Recipe for oven roasted mushrooms cooked in a cast iron skillet from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

Cranberry Brie Crostini with Sparkling Sugared Cranberries

Visually stunning sugared cranberries are a study in contrast. The tart, dark berries which appear to have been encrusted in tiny jewels, add a magical quality to these brie crostini.

Masa Versus Cornmeal: What’s the Difference?

What’s the difference between cornmeal and masa harina? How is masa used to make corn tortillas? Can cornmeal be used in tortillas? Get the answers and recipe for Sonoran corn tortillas from Taste of Tucson cookbook author Jackie Alpers.

Sonoran Mexican Chocolate Popcorn Treats

Sonoran-style no-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn treats made with pretzels, cashews, Sriracha sesame seeds, cinnamon and red chile spiced chocolate marshmallow cream Chile powder and cinnamon add some kick to these sweet and spicy no-bake Mexican chocolate popcorn and pretzel treats. Recipe developed for The Silicone Kitchen.

Mushroom White Pizza with Lion’s Mane, Ricotta, and a Crispy Tortilla Crust

Recipe for a tortilla crust mushroom pizza. This thin-and-crispy pizza is topped with lemon infused ricotta, garlic & parmesan, lion’s mane and blue oyster mushrooms. White Sonoran Wheat helps give large Sonoran-style flour tortillas their elasticity which makes a perfect pizza crust.

Cadillac Margarita Recipe with a Sonoran Chile Rim

Cadillac margarita recipe that’s handcrafted using less sugar, freshly squeezed juice, high-end tequila and Grand Marnier. Add a slice of jalapeno to make it spicy.

Sonoran Cowboy (Charro) Caviar

Super-lucky flavorful Sonoran Charro Caviar made with black-eyed peas, bell peppers, serrano chiles, and onions, served on tortilla chips.

Crispy Tortilla Star Bites with Guacamole and Pomegranate Seeds

Topped with chunky guacamole and jewel-like pomegranate seeds, these crispy tortilla bites from The Unofficial Elf Cookbook by Jackie Alpers exude holiday joy. Use Jackie Alpers’ Sonoran-Style Chunky Guacamole Recipe or your favorite store-bought version.

Sonoran Green Chile Tamale Pie with Molé Cómodo

Sonoran-style vegetarian tamale pie recipe made with a creamy green chile and masa base and a rich, quick molé made with peanut butter, tahini, and cocoa.

Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls Baked in a Cast Iron Skillet

These dinner rolls which are baked and served in a cast iron skillet are right at home on the Dutton family table – a free bonus recipe from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

Homemade Chile Powder from Fresh Chiles Recipe

How to dehydrate and grind chile peppers, with recipes for chili powder and custom spice blends using fresh homegrown and/or exotic store bought chiles. Preserve expensive and/or hard to find chiles.

Arizona Cheese Crisp with Roasted Hatch Green Chiles and Ranch Drizzle

Tucson’s Sonoran-style Mexican Arizona cheese crisp made with flour tortillas, roasted Hatch green chile strips and a creamy green chile Ranch salsa. Thank you Fry’s Foods for sponsoring this recipe.

Jackie’s Famous Chunky Gazpacho Recipe

Cold gazpacho recipe with chunky fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions and peppers. The colors in the photo are a bit of an homage to Pedro Almodovar’s wonderful film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), which was the inspiration for me making gazpacho for the very first time, years ago. (Minus the pills and drama.)

Chipotle Lime Grilled Corn Recipe

Recipe for a lighter version chipotle lime grilled corn on the cob from the Sonoran Arizona-Mexico borderlands cookbook author Jackie Alpers

Lentil Charro Caviar

Sonoran Lentil Cowboy Caviar made with is made with lentils, chile peppers and red onion in a spicy citrus vinaigrette. It’s similar to Texas Caviar made with black eyed peas and the lentils do resemble fish eggs.

Arroz Verde: Sonoran-Style Spicy Mexican Green Rice

Spicy, Sonoran-style Mexican green rice (arroz verde) recipe made with tomatillo salsa verde, peas and cilantro from the Taste of Tucson cookbook.

Spicy Sonoran Coleslaw Recipe

This crunchy, salty, and spicy no-mayo Thai/Mexican coleslaw is an excellent companion to Sonoran style dishes. It’s inspired by Som Tum (green papaya salad).

Salsa Verde Recipe: Spicy Sonoran Tomatillo Salsa from Penca

Recipe for Sonoran Style hot green tomatillo salsa developed by Patricia Schwabe for her restaurant Penca. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

Sonoran-Style Charro Beans

Vegan recipe for the saucy, whole Sonoran-style pinto beans that you see cowboys (charros) eating in old Western movies, from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

Topopo Salad Recipe: Tucson’s Famous Regional Salad

The Topopo salad is Tucson, Arizona’s most unique regional salad. It’s is a visually stunning volcano of chopped lettuce and mixed vegetables piled high on a bean tostada. This monumental salad was first inspired by a volcano in Sonora, Mexico.

Sonoran Creamy Corn Chowder with Popped Amaranth

Recipe for a rich and creamy, Sonoran-style charred corn chowder made with ingredients local to the Arizona-Mexico borderlands and topped with popped Amaranth a gluten-free, ancient grain native to the Western and Southwestern United States that can be popped like popcorn which adds a nice crunch.

Wild Mushroom and Onion Soup with Acorn Flour

Recipe for wild mushroom and caramelized onion soup thickened with acorn flour and topped with broiled Gruyère. Inspired by Sonoran regional traditions.

Berry Tinted Irish Soda Bread Inspired by Yellowstone

Recipe for Irish soda bread with blueberries and currants inspired by 1923 from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook author Jackie Alpers.

Green Smoothie Recipe: Roarke’s Naked Yoga Drink from Yellowstone

This green smoothie recipe is a tribute to a scene in Yellowstone where the villain Roarke drinks a green smoothie after naked yoga. The recipe was developed from carefully analyzing all of the ingredients shown on Roarke’s kitchen counter and my conclusion is that he (or the Yellowstone prop person) can make a pretty decent green smoothie. I even used the same smoothie glass used in the show.

Garlic Butter Green Beans: Sheet Pan Roasted with Parmesan

After a hard day’s work at the 6666 Ranch in Texas, Jimmy devoured a plate of Country Fried Steak smothered with gravy and a side of green beans. I’m sharing my recipe for Sheet Pan Roasted Green Beans to whet your appetite… you’ll have to wait for The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook for the main course.

Dry-Fried Asparagus

Dry-fried asparagus is charred and crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. It has direct contact to the pan without oil or butter. Asparagus grows wild in Montana where the Yellowstone TV series is filmed.

Tri-Colored Ranch Smashed Potatoes

These tri-colored smashed potatoes utilize heirloom varieties of produce, which help restore diversity to local agriculture. This recipe is an outtake, cut for space from The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook by Jackie Alpers

Montana Whiskey Mule Cocktail Recipe

The Montana Whiskey Mule cocktail is made with whisky and sarsaparilla and served in a copper mug.

Campfire Corn on the Cob Recipe

The secret to perfectly grilled corn in the husk for campfires or cookouts is soaking the ears first.
The photos are gold winners of the London Photography Award for Food Photography.

Authentic Sonoran Hot Dog Recipe from El Guero Canelo

Authentic Sonoran Hot Dogs recipe from El Guero Canelo Restaurant, winner of the James Beard American Classic award. This recipe was featured in Taste of Tucson: Sonoran-Style recipes inspired by the rich culture of Southern Arizona.

Tortilla Snowflakes

Sweet and sparkly tortilla snowflakes – an edible version of the popular Mexican folk art, papel picado which will brighten any winter holiday table.

Spicy, Smoky Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Spicy Sonoran mashed potatoes recipe made with a chile broth technique that flavors the potatoes and gravy. Butter-rich. Featured on Eat This Not That.

Mexican Street Corn Cups (Elote en Vaso)

Recipe for Elote en Vaso, Mexican street corn in cups. Pan fried corn kernels tossed in a creamy sauce seasoned with chile and lime. From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

Old West Style Vegan Chili Recipe

Old West style spicy vegan chili recipe made with plant-based meat, black beans and mushrooms. Served with vegan shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Roasted Whole Baby Cauliflower with Herbs & Parmesan

I’m fascinated by the idea of roasting an entire head of cauliflower, so when I came across these adorable baby cauliflower at the market the wheels started turning. They make a visually stunning side dish, perfect on cold winter nights. You can substitute one large cauliflower if you can’t find the little ones.

BLT Lettuce Wraps | The Perfect Summer Meal

Tomatoes are at their best, and something about the heat and humidity of the Arizona monsoon season makes me almost totally inert and immobile. This is about all I can muster dinner-wise, so I’m lucky that it’s fairly healthy… It turns out that mayo and bacon are better for us than expected, and my versions is also low-carb.

Parmesan and Pepperoni Crustless Pizza

If you bake a layer of Parmesan cheese in the oven it will crackle and pop after a while, turning into a crispy, cheese cracker that’s much tastier than any pizza crust I’ve encountered. I topped this baked cheese crisp with pizza spices and toppings before sliding it into the oven. The results: crustless pizza!

Vegan Tostadas with Crispy Tofu in Chile Colorado Sauce

Crispy tofu adds just the right amount of heft and bite to Chile Colorado served on crunchy baked tostada shells.

Molletes Recipe: Open Faced Mexican Breakfast Sandwiches

Molletes are open-faced breakfast sandwiches made by slathering refried beans onto toasted bolillo rolls and then heaping avocado slices, a fried egg, hot sauce, and lots of cheese on top.

Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe: Nachos Supreme Style

Roasted bell peppers stuffed with creamy nacho cheese, avocado, pickled jalapeños, black beans and crunchy tortilla chips.

Strawberry Habanero Infused Tequila

This infused Strawberry-Habanero tequila makes a mean margarita or straight-up sipper.

Chiltepin Salsa Recipe: Spicy Sonoran Hot Salsa

Chiltepin salsa is an all-purpose salsa that can be used for dipping, for seasoning, and as a taco sauce. A little goes a long way, so if you prefer a milder salsa, cut the amount of chiles down by a half or a third. This recipe is from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers.

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.

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.

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.

Sriracha Salad Dressing: Lime Vinaigrette Made in the Bottle

This super easy salad dressing recipe is especially good on a Greek salad, cucumber salad or Asian Chicken salad and you can make it right in the bottle if you only have a little bit of Sriracha left.

Wheat Berry Breakfast Bowl with Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Egg

Sweet and creamy butternut squash hash, hearty wheat berries and protein rich eggs merge into the perfect breakfast bowl.

Sweet Pepper Poppers

MIni Sweet Mini Pepper Poppers stuffed with jalapeno cream cheese and topped with panko bread crumbs. Recipe development and food photography for the Food Network.

Dark Chocolate Chia Pudding With Frozen Berries

This healthy, dark chocolate chia pudding has Omega-3 packed chia seeds, antioxidant rich frozen berries, dark chocolate, and a 5-minute prep time. Fun fact: Chia seeds are native to the Sonoran Desert region of the Arizona-Mexico borderlands.

Sonoran Style Breakfast Taco Cups

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

Savarin Chantilly: French Bundt Cake with Apricot Glaze

Savarin, a rich airy cake soaked in a simple syrup and topped with apricot glaze and whipped cream. It’s traditionally served as a feast-day dessert in France. This is her recipe. It’s a little more complicated than the recipes I usually post, but I think it’s worth the effort.

Chocolate Coffee Paletas: Mocha Pudding Pops

Looking to kick start a hot summer day? These chocolate and coffee frozen pudding pops are just the ticket.

Postmodern Art Popsicles

What is the nature of art? Can it exist in popsicle form? Is it still art after the popsicle has been eaten? How does the process of melting affect the piece? These are some of the questions that I pondered while creating, and then ingesting this popsicle. made it from diamond shaped sprinkles in primary colors and Sno-Caps candies.

Crustless Southwestern Quiche With Five Kinds of Peppers

A simple and satisfying crustless quiche that has all 5 things to love; peppers (both hot & sweet), onions, Swiss, Gruyere, eggs, and cream.

Marinated Baby Artichokes: Italian Style with Lemon and Herbs

Recipe for boiled baby artichokes in an easy citrus marinade.

Iceberg Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Iceberg wedge salad with bacon bits topped with a smashed bleu cheese vinaigrette. Recipe and food photography by cookbook author Jackie Alpers. The Wedge salad is one of these very classic, simple recipes that’s accessible to everyone. One that’s been loved for generations and modified along the way to accommodate changing tastes. This version is topped with a lighter vinaigrette.

Figgy Pudding Cakes with Dark Chocolate & Coffee

I want some figgy pudding! How could I not after hearing that song year after year. So, I came up with this recipe for Chocolate & Coffee Figgy Pudding. Make your Christmas past a Christmas present.

Northern Style Southern Biscuits

Until recently, the only biscuits I ever made at home came from a Pop n’ Fresh can, so when friends from overseas asked me for a real American biscuit recipe, I scoured every book I could find, starting with the biscuit tome Southern Biscuits by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart, and ending with Alton Brown’s always insightful analysis in I’m Just Here for More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking.