mexican zucchini & poblanos, calabacitas poblanas

Recipe by
Juliann Esquivel
Florida City, FL

This recipe is a family favorite. Clabacitas look a lot like zucchini but they are different. Calabacitas have light green skin. Use young tender zucchini if you cannot get calabacitas. The taste is very similar to zucchini. I always fry 3/4 strips of thick bacon to flavor my calabacitas This dish is delicious. Bacon is optional as is the bacon grease and for health reasons you can use olive oil or canola oil. Either way you make it if you like zucchini you will love this recipe. You can add any veggies you have on hand but I will post as we have made it for years. Enjoy Buen appetito

yield 6 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 45 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For mexican zucchini & poblanos, calabacitas poblanas

  • 2 md
    zucchini's sliced in rounds about a 1/4 thick. if the rounds are large cut each in half.
  • 2 lg
    ears of fresh corn cut from the cob scrape as much milk from the cob as possible
  • 1/2 lg
    viadalia or sweet onion diced
  • 2 lg
    fresh roma tomatoes diced
  • 1 lg
    jalapeno cored & seeded, and diced fine
  • 1/2 c
    diced cilantro or parsley (some people dont like cilantro)
  • 1 lg
    mirlitron or chayote squash, medium diced, optional
  • 2 lg
    poblano peppers chared, sweated and skin removed, remove seeds and diced
  • 1/4 c
    bacon drippings or your oil of choice
  • 3 lg
    strips of thick cut bacon cut in small pieces and fried remove bacon to a seperate dish.
  • 1/2 c
    nestle's crema media mexican crema or cream fraiche or light cream.
  • 4 clove
    fresh garlic smashed or put through a garlic press
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1/2 tsp
    black pepper
  • 1 tsp
    ground oregano

How To Make mexican zucchini & poblanos, calabacitas poblanas

  • 1
    If you choose to add bacon to you dish start by frying the pieces of bacon remove pieces to a separate dish. Pour out all but 1/4 cup drippings.
  • 2
    Add your garlic to the bacon grease or oil and sauté just enough to flavor your fat or oil. Next add the onions, jalapeno, corn, zucchini and merlitron or chayote to the hot oil and sauté for about 4/5 minutes stirring until the onion is somewhat translucent.
  • 3
    Next add the tomatoes, and cilantro continue cooking until the tomatoes break down. Add seasonings salt, black pepper, and oregano continue to cook until your zucchini and chayote squash are al dente.
  • 4
    Add your diced poblanos, and bacon mix well and pour your crema over everything mix again and serve as a side dish. Or do as I sometimes do. I heat a flour tortilla and serve a nice scoopful inside with a little salsa on top and sprinkle some bacon on top. It's Killer Good. Enjoy, Buen Appetito
  • 5
    Above I have pictured the calabacitas as a side dish to my yellow rice and beef dish.
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