Excerpted from Veracruz All Natural: Fresh Mexican Recipes from Our American Home. Copyright © 2026, Reyna and Maritza Vazquez. Photo: © 2026 by Mackenzie Smith.
The story behind Veracruz All Natural is as inspiring as the recipes it contains.
Sisters Reyna and Maritza Vazquez grew up helping their mother run a restaurant from the family home in Veracruz, Mexico. Years later, after immigrating to Austin, Texas, they found themselves longing for the fresh, vibrant dishes of their childhood. What began as a small food truck selling fruit cups, smoothies, and tacos has grown into a celebrated culinary brand with multiple locations and national recognition.
Their new cookbook, Veracruz All Natural, shares more than 100 recipes inspired by family traditions, including Calabacitas con Queso, Veracruz-Style Snapper, and fresh Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa. Alongside the recipes are personal stories of perseverance, entrepreneurship, and the flavors that continue to connect them to their roots.
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Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa (Tacos de Pescado con Salsa de Mango)
Makes 4 servings
For the Mango Salsa:
3 Roma tomatoes, minced, juices reserved
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and minced
1 small red onion, minced
3⁄4 packed cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
For the Tacos:
Kosher salt
2 pounds boneless tilapia fillets, cut into 8 roughly equal pieces (or substitute another firm white fish, like snapper)
1⁄4 cup vegetable oil, plus more as needed
8 Corn Tortillas or flour tortillas
8 ounces Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or cheddar cheese, grated
1⁄4 head green cabbage, shredded
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into 8 slices
Creamy Jalapeno Salsa (Found Below), optional
To make the salsa, in a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, mangoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and stir well. Taste and adjust any ingredients to taste, then set aside.
To make the tacos, lightly salt the fish on both sides. In a large skillet (preferably nonstick), heat the oil over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the fillets in a single layer and cook for about 4 minutes each side, or just until cooked through. The fish should flake easily with a fork. Transfer each fillet to a plate once cooked. Add more oil as needed if cooking in batches.
While the fish cooks, heat the tortillas on a large comal or griddle. Divide the cheese among the tortillas and heat until the cheese has melted. You can also make a “costra” by flipping each one, cheese-side down, on the comal until the cheese turns brown and starts to crisp, at which point it will slightly pull away from the comal and allow you to flip it back cheese-side up.
Assemble each taco on a tortilla with fish, cabbage, mango salsa, avocado, and the jalapeño salsa, if using.
CREAMY JALAPEÑO SALSA (Salsa Cremosa de Jalapeño)
Makes about 2 cups
1 1⁄2 cups vegetable oil
5 large jalapeno chiles, stemmed
1 small white onion, quartered
1 teaspoon kosher salt
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches between 175°F and 200°F (a thermometer is ideal here, but if you don’t have one, heat until the oil starts to ripple or shimmer slightly without smoking). Add the jalapeños and onion and cook for 10 minutes, then use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the jalapeños and onion to a blender.
Add the salt and blend until smooth, and then slowly add the hot oil in a thin stream until the mixture comes together as a uniform, emulsified sauce. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
Serve immediately, or store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
