During Semana Santa in 2012, we took a road trip from Mexico City to San Miguel de Allende with José’s parents. I stumbled across a folder of photos from the trip recently and realized I’ve never written about it here. While I take some time to piece together some of my photos and journals from the trip, I wanted to share this photo. I can’t recall the name of this cafe, but San Miguel de Allende has a number of intriguing doorways that just make you want to peek inside. I can remember with such clarity how delighted I was to discover this little restaurant’s colorful and intricate papel picado hanging from the ceiling.

• Have you been to San Miguel de Allende? Tell me something about your visit in the comments below! Haven’t been there yet but dying to go? Let me know what you’re interested in doing there while visiting.

We’ve been making an extra effort to eat healthy in our house, especially since we moved across the country and have access to more local produce than ever before (hello, California citrus!). This crunchy, spicy, juicy citrus salad from the Yucatan area of Mexico is the perfect healthy snack. Ensalada xec (xec is Mayan for “mixed,” and is sometimes spelled as “xeec,” “xek” or “xe’ek” and is pronounced “shek”) is a staple dish in the region and is sometimes also made as a salsa without the jicama.

This past weekend, I served my ensalada xec for a salad-themed Food Bloggers LA meetup and it was a big hit. I love this recipe because it keeps crunchy in the refrigerator for a few days in the event that you have leftovers. I find this dish keeps best when refrigerated in a covered glass bowl. Some recipes for ensalada xec call for ground cayenne pepper, which is perfectly fine, but I prefer to use fresh chile. Habanero is frequently used in the regional cuisine in the Yucatan, so I used it in this recipe. If your tastebuds can’t handle the heat from an habanero, you can substitute a finely chopped serrano chile or just use a dried chile powder of your choice. You could also use  Tajín (the popular Mexican chile, lime and salt seasoning) sprinkled on top if you don’t want to use fresh chiles; if you use Tajín, remember to leave the salt out of the recipe.

•  LIKE THIS RECIPE? YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY: Pico de gallo

I’m excited to share that I’ve co-authored a bilingual recipe ebook, “Brunch With Mom,” that has 11 awesome brunch recipes for Mother’s Day by me and five other food writers. You don’t want to miss out on this cookbook full of drool-worthy photos and easy directions to make the perfect brunch!

I wrote two of the recipes in the book, which are pictured here below. If you make any of the recipes, share them on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #BrunchWithMom so we can see your masterpiece!

Trenza de huevo con chorizo | Egg and chorizo puff pastry braid

This fun and fancy variation on a traditional breakfast dish envelops the huevo con chorizo in a braided puff pastry dough to create a savory breakfast treat.

Latte Oaxaqueño | Oaxacan Latte

This spin on a regular old cafe latte uses Mexican chocolate for an Oaxacan twist. The secret: You don’t need a fancy coffee machine to make the foam! I teach you how to do it with a glass jar, milk and the microwave. Even your kids will be able to do this one.

My recipes and photos appear on pages 10-15 and 44-47. Get the whole ebook for FREE here (you need to create a free account to download or print it):

This ebook is a collaboration with Ericka Sanchez of Nibbles and Feasts, Nicole Presley of Presley’s Pantry, Vianney Rodriguez of Sweet Life, Luciana “Uchi” Davidzon of Latin Food Lovers and Leslie Limon of La Cocina de Leslie.

• Let me know in the comments which recipes you like best! And if you make any of my recipes, please share them on Instagram and tag me @MauraHernandez or tweet me @MauraHernandez and use the #BrunchWithMom hashtag so I can see them!

Chia seeds aren’t just for aguas frescas, and today I’m sharing with you a super easy, delicious and healthy dessert recipe for coconut milk and chia pudding.

I love chia seeds. Not in the way that some people mean when they say they love something… I mean I really LOVE chia seeds. I consume them nearly every day of the week and they’re a great source for fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids, and even have some protein. They have been used for centuries, including by the Mayans and Aztecs. In present-day Mexico, you’re most likely to notice chia seeds floating in an agua fresca.

I know you must be thinking there can’t be that many ways to use them, but trust me when I say there are so many great things you can do! One of my favorites is to use them to make this tapioca-like pudding with coconut milk. It’s a flavorful and not-too-sweet dessert that any coconut lover will enjoy. And a few bonuses: this recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan-friendly! Once the chia seeds develop their gel and you refrigerate the jar, it will get firm and set more like a traditional pudding. If you try to eat it too soon, it won’t be the right consistency.

A note about using canned coconut milk: First, make sure you’re using coconut milk and not coconut cream. Use a brand according to your personal preference if you already have one. I like to use Trader Joe’s canned light coconut milk because it doesn’t contain additives, has very little sugar, and doesn’t have a strong (almost fake) coconut taste that reminds you of sunscreen and being on the beach like some of the other brands I’ve tried. And it’s not expensive, either—I pay 99 cents per can here in California. One-third of a cup contains 4 grams of fat, 50 calories and 2 grams of sugar. If you like to use homemade coconut milk, that’s perfectly fine to substitute; but since it tends to be thinner, you may want to add some shredded coconut to help with texture and taste so it isn’t too light or thin.

We were visiting the Hawaiian island of Kauai last week for my sister’s wedding and look what we found: A taco truck with tacos al pastor! They had a proper trompo and everything. We didn’t get a chance to stop and eat there because we either were too early, too late or just passing through Kapa’a on our way to Lihue or Poipu to eat somewhere else. They were always busy when we passed by during business hours, so I figure they must be pretty good. I took it as a sign that we need to go back to visit again!

We were fascinated with the availability of taco joints on the island and the amount of Mexicans we met. We even found a lady selling authentic Mexican tamales on the side of the road one day.

• Have you eaten the tacos from this place? How were they? If you haven’t eaten there, tell me where you’ve encountered unexpected tacos while traveling in the comments below!

I love baked kale chips, but have you seen what they charge for them in the grocery store? It’s a crime! That’s why I started making my own baked kale chips at home with a Mexican twist: Spiced with ancho chile powder. It’s just enough spice to give the kale chips a little kick, but not too spicy. Trust me when I say you’re going to want to eat them all in one sitting… and it’s OK if you do, because these chips are healthy for you!

The chips are easiest to make with the flat leaf kind of kale (called dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale or lacinato kale, and called col rizada in Spanish), and you really don’t have to use that much cooking spray to coat them. I’ve been making my own kale chips for a few years and have experimented with other chile powders to make them spicier, using ground chile morita for a smoky chipotle flavor and even ground chile de árbol for a really spicy snack. Ancho chile powder is perfect for kids or anyone who doesn’t like very spicy snacks but still like a little chile flavor. I got a great deal on kale at the farmers market in Mar Vista this weekend, so I made a few batches of these spicy kale chips to snack on during the week. I hope you like them as much as I do!

• What’s your favorite flavor of kale chips? Let me know in the comments below!

In December 2012 during a visit to Mexico City for the holidays, I had a chance to once again visit La Casa Azul, the home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, which is now the Museo Frida Kahlo. I visited specifically to see a new exhibit called “Las apariencias engañan: los vestidos de Frida Kahlo” (which runs through January 31, 2014 and is a must-see exhibit for any serious Frida fan).

In the museum, there are several displays of Frida Kahlo’s personal journals, filled with artwork between the pages of her thoughts. There’s a famous quote of Frida’s from one of her personal journals which reads: “Pies para qué los quiero si tengo alas pa’ volar.”

It means: “Feet, what do I need them for if I have wings to fly.” As I flew over Ciudad Universitaria in early January on my way back home to Chicago, I snapped this photo of one of my favorite views of the city and added the words.

• Do you have a favorite Frida Kahlo quote? Share it with me in the comments below!