Balché ~ A Traditional Mayan Drink

According to legend, balché was created as an act of love between a beautiful Maya girl Sak-Nicté (White Flower) and a brave young warrior. As the story goes, the young couple fled their tribe when a powerful cacique (indigenous chief) also declared his love to Sak-Nicté. After days of wandering in the Maya forest, the lovebirds found a honeycomb. Sak-Nicté and the warrior had a feast with the sweet honey, and decided to save some inside the trunk of a balché tree. That night brought rain and thunder, and the water blended with the honey inside the tree creating a luscious beverage. When the cacique found them, he ordered Sak-Nicté to return to her tribe. The young warrior was devastated and in a desperate attempt to keep her lover at his side, he offered to cook for the cacique a fantastic meal. He accepted and the couple served him a banquet, crowned with the sweet drink they had discovered. The cacique was so impressed with the balché that he let the two lovers go, under the condition that they share with him how to prepare it.

Because this inebriating drink had strong religious significance to the Maya people the Spaniards attempted to ban the drink in hopes of converting them to Christianity however; the Maya people convinced them that it had healing properties. The prohibition was finally removed when the Spaniards were convinced that the Mayan people were dying for the lack of the drink. Today it is still produced and enjoyed by the Yucatec Maya people.  

Did you know that the flower of May was used to fight bone problems, cure scars, asthma, itching and rheumatism?

It was also used in traditional dishes for Hispanic food.

Remember, if you are coming to the Cancun area for vacation please be sure to check out our online grocery store where you can make an order in the comfort of your home and we will gladly deliver it to you! Let We Deliver really deliver! 

This link will take you directly to the page that tells you how it all works, don't wait, go check it out! 

Gnarly Nachos

What you will need ~

• 2 bags corn tortilla chips

Pico de Gallo Salsa ~

• 4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped, for medium to hot heat level
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup, 2 handfuls, cilantro leaves, finely chopped ~ substitute parsley if cilantro is not to your liking

Directions ~ Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside for flavors to marry.

Recipe by Rachael Ray

Beef and Beans Topping ~

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground meat
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dark chili powder
• 1 1/2 ground cumin, half a palm full
• 1 can black beans, 15 ounces, drained

Directions ~ Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion and peppers to the pan and sauté 2 minutes, then add meat and crumble with wooden spoon. Season the meat with salt, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper sauce. Cook meat 5 minutes, then stir in beans and reduce heat to low.

Optional substitute to making your own.

Cheese Sauce ~

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 pound cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups

Directions ~ In a medium sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.

Optional toppings to choose from ~

Sour cream

Chopped black olives

Sliced avocado, dressed with lemon juice

Hot pepper sauces

Directions ~

Arrange a mixture of 2 varieties of corn chips on a very large platter or use your broiler pan as a platter. Pour cheese sauce evenly over the massive spread of chips and top evenly with beef and beans and the pico de gallo. Serve immediately as is or, garnish with your choice of extra toppings from the toppings list.

Not all of the hotels in Cancun are all inclusive which means that you have to go to the grocery store or eat at restaurants for every meal. Some people prefer to prepare their own food due to special diets, to save money or for the love of cooking. To get to the store is easy if you take the bus but once you've spent an hour or better of your vacation time shopping, trying to find everything you want and trying to wrap your head around the whole peso thing you will then need to take a taxi with all your goods back to the hotel, this is where it can get expensive. Some taxis can charge you up to $20 USD to take you there. Why waste your time and money when we can do all that for you? Take a few minutes to check out our online grocery store We Deliver Cancun. 

Tacos a Different Way

• We are always looking for quick and easy Mexican inspired recipes to share with you. You can find these products on our online grocery store website to make at home or while you are visiting us here in Cancun. Be sure to check out the We Deliver site to see all that we have to offer. Don't spend valuable vacation time shopping for groceries and goods. We have everything from wine and spirits, baby products, snacks and pharmaceuticals. Let We Deliver really deliver to you!

Recipe by MyRecipes

• What you will need ~
• 
  
• 6 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas
• 3/4 cup fat-free refried beans
• 3/4 cup jarred red salsa or 
•       you can make your own
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar (about 2 1/2 oz.)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup shredded Romaine lettuce
• 2 tablespoons sour cream

Preparation ~ 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mist every other cup of a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Press a tortilla into each sprayed cup, flattening out edges, and bake until golden, about 8 minutes.
2. Divide beans among tostadas, top with salsa and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake until warmed through, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Place each tostada on a plate and sprinkle with cilantro. Top with some lettuce and a small dollop of sour cream. Serve with extra salsa, if desired.

Of course you can add meat such as chicken or steak as a non-vegetarian option. 

Smokey Salsa

What it takes ~

• 2 cans of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce 
  
• 2 cups of canned tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• cilantro
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1/4 orange juice
• 1/2 salt

How to prepare ~

If you like it spicy just add chilies such as jalapeño or habanero.
Puree in blender until smooth.
In a saucepan bring mix to a boil, then lower heat to simmer until it's cooked to your liking (approx 5 mins)
*Great for burgers, chicken, tacos or only with tortilla chips. 

All of these ingredients you can find at our online grocery store called 
We Deliver Cancun. Be sure to check it out to see all of the items that we offer! 

Mexican Rice

Add this dish to your Mexican feast! Serves great as a side dish or as a filler for a burrito. Add meat such as chicken to make it an entree. 

Recipe by HIllbilly Recipes

What you will need ~

• 12 ounces of tomatoes, very ripe and cored
• 1 medium white onion
• 3 medium jalapenos
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (may omit if using canned tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 lime

How to make ~

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350.

Process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and smooth. Transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. Discard excess.

Remove ribs and seeds from 2 jalapenos and discard. Mince flesh and set aside. Mince remaining jalapeno. Set aside.

IMPORTANT! - Place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear- about 1 1/2 minutes. Shake rice to remove excess water. This step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick. IF YOU OMIT THIS STEP YOUR RICE WILL NOT BE DRY AND FLUFFY. Fluffy rice is good rice!

Heat oil in heavy bottomed oven safe 12 inch straight sided saute pan or over low-medium heat about 2 minutes. (The recipe is very specific about this.) Drop a few rice grains in and if they sizzle then it is ready. Add rice and fry stirring until rice is light golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Be careful that the oil doesn't get too hot too fast or the oil will splatter.

Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and 2 minced jalapenos and cook , stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Stir in broth, pureed mixture,tomato paste, and salt. Increase heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.

Cover pan and transfer pan to oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30-35 minutes.Stir well after 15 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, minced jalapeno to taste, and pass lime wedges separately.

Helpful Tips ~

• Do not skip any of the steps.
• If you can't get good fresh tomatoes you are better off using canned tomatoes. Don't use hard and under ripe tomatoes! Just be sure that the processed tomatoes and the one onion equals 2 cups. One the other hand- if you find that after processing your tomatoes and onions that you have less than 2 cups- simply add enough bottled salsa to make up the difference.

• Leftovers are just as delicious the next day so this is a perfect dish to make ahead time. This rice also freezes well. For Freezing Ahead: Cool, portion and freeze in a ziploc bag. To reheat from frozen: Place in a pyrex dish and warm in the microwave, stirring every 2-3 minutes until heated through.

If you are traveling to Cancun and would like groceries or goods delivered to you be sure to check out We Deliver Cancun!

Tequila Lime Shots & Fun Facts About Tequila

What a great idea and these make amazing party favors! Super easy to make and so fun to serve! Don't have enough shot glasses for all your friends? Don't worry this should do the trick!

These are just about as easy as it gets to make. All you need is a bag of limes, salt, and tequila along with a couple items from the kitchen. Begin with cutting the limes in half and use a small spoon to scoop out the inside of the limes. Save the inside of the limes on plate for later use. Using the juice from the lime, moisten the rim of the lime by putting the half upside down on a plate of lime juice then dip the half on a plate of salt. Fill the limes with chilled tequila and serve!

Helpful hints - You can shave off a bit of the bottom of the lime with your knife so that they sit level preventing them from toppling over. Once filled, try not to move them around too much or you will spill the tequila, that would be no bueno. You can use the leftover insidesto put a few drops into the shots or mix fresh lime juice with your favorite soda such as Sprite for chaser.

Here is some interesting information about tequila. - Tequila, made from the blue agave plant, can only be produced in the state of Jalisco, Mexico and surrounding regions dictated by Mexican law. The surrounding states that are also permitted to produce this traditional Mexican drink are Michoacán, Tamaulipas, Guanajuato and Nayarit. The soil in these areas are comprised of rich, blue volcanic soil that is ideal for growing the blue agave plants and over 300 million plants are harvested per year. There are two types of agave plants that are grown and the outcome of the crop depends on the elevation of the land. The blue agave plants that are grown in the lowlands are more herbaceous in flavor and fragrance. The plants that come from the highlands are sweeter in taste and aroma and tend to grow much larger. Mexico has been granted the right to the use of the word “tequila” but has an agreement with the United States that bulk amounts may be shipped to be bottled there. The origins of tequila are thought to come from the Aztec people that called this concoction octli and later became known as pulque, which has been produced and consumed still to this day.  As the brandy of the Spanish conquistadors diminished, they began to distil the agave plants which gave birth to North America’s first indigenous distilled spirits. Though some tequilas are still family owned names, the most popular brands are owned by multinational corporations. As of the last statistics taken in 2009, there are over 100 distilleries making over 900 brands of tequila and more than 2,000 brand names have been registered. Because of this each bottle is required to display a serial number corresponding is birthplace.  According to The Guinness World Records the most expensive bottle of tequila ever sold brought a whopping $225,000 in July of 2006.
Don't end the party while on vacation to make trips to the store! Let us deliver the goods to you! Be sure to check out our online grocery store at We Deliver Cancun. You can also find us on Facebook and Google +  Looking for fun things to do in Cancun? Check out our page of tours at Cancun Best Discounts. 

Spiked Gummy Bears

Recipe by Erin Kennedy

Here is a fun and easy treat to add to any get together. The original recipe calls for vodka but pretty sure you could use your beverage of choice. It's pretty simple to make and very easy to enjoy...just be warned they could be dangerous!

To make these tasty treats just empty a bag of gummies into a glass bowl. Fill the bowl with enough vodka to cover all the gummies. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Since the gummies act like sponges the longer you leave them the bigger they get. You should leave them to chill for at least 12 hours and up to 4 days. After 12 hours the gummies will have soaked up quite a lot of the vodka and you will still be able to taste the vodka. After 48 hours the gummies are even bigger and you shouldn't taste the vodka as much. 

If the gummies have soaked up all the vodka in the dish but you still want more....

don't worry they can handle it, just add more to the dish and return to the fridge!

Thinking of coming to Cancun? Be sure to check out our online grocery store, We Deliver Cancun,  where you can order your goods online before you leave home and we will deliver it to where you will be staying at the time of your choice. Need airport transportation? We can pick you up and deliver you and your supplies at the same time! 

Be sure to check us out on Facebook as well! 

Killer Kesadillas

Here is a great recipe to make at home or when you are visiting Cancun. Be sure to check out our online grocery store to see all the items that we offer and to find out more about how We Deliver works. 

What you will need:

• Tortillas
• Cheese of your Choice 
• Avocados
• Red Onion
• Tomato
• Olive Oil
• Weber's N'Orleans Cajun Spice
• Adding chicken or ham is a non-vegetarian option.
• Garnish options: sour cream, guacamole, or pico de gallo.

Put a few drops of olive oil in a hot pan. Saute sliced onion to desired softness but add sliced tomato just a minute before to warm tomato if you keep them in the fridge. While onion is cooking prepare quesadillas on a plate. Place cheese on entire tortilla then add avocado, onion, tomato and spice. Fold in half and place in pan to crisp the tortilla and melt the cheese.

To make pico de gallo: 

Dice tomato, onion and chopped cilantro then mix with lime juice. Add jalapeño for an extra kick.