Coseppi Kitchen

Inclusive Vegetarian Cooking by Taylor Cook & James Seppi

Posts Tagged "Mexican"

Vegan Pozole Rojo

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Posted on by | Category: Entrees, Recipes, Soups and Stews | Tags: , ,

Pozole (sometimes spelled posole) is a rich, brothy soup from Central Mexico.  While it can be made with a variety of ingredients, hominy (a type of maize) is always a key component.  Pozole is garnished with lots of fresh vegetables, like cabbage, radishes, onion, and avocado.  The dried guajillo chilies in this vegan pozole rojo give it a deep red color and great flavor.

Pozole Rojo

Pozole Rojo

Ingredients

  • 5-6 dried guajillo peppers
  • 5 cups vegetable broth, divided
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 29-ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
  • Salt

Garnish

  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage
  • One bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 2 limes, quartered
  • A bunch of radishes, thinly sliced (or pickled radishes)
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • Corn tortillas

Preparation

  1. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and arrange tortillas on the sheet. Bake in an oven at 350 degrees until crisp, about 30 minutes. Prepare other ingredients while the tortillas bake.
  2. Discard the stems and seeds from the dried peppers. Roast in a large pot over medium heat until they begin to soften, about three minutes. Add two cups of vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and continue soaking for 10 minutes.
  3. Puree the chilies in a blender with the soaking liquid 2 1/2 cups or so of their soaking liquid, a pinch of salt, and of garlic. Blend until smooth and set aside.
  4. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ground cumin and continue cooking for another minute.
  5. Add oregano, bay leaf, and remaining broth. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to a simmer.
  6. Strain pureed peppers through a sieve and pour into the soup. Add hominy and return to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes and season with salt to taste.
  7. Serve the pozole with prepared garnishes and crisped tortillas.

Molletes

Posted on by | Category: Breakfast, Recipes | Tags:
Molletes - a hearty breakfast!

Molletes – a hearty breakfast!

The first time we had molletes I thought that our hostess was being creative on behalf of the vegetarians, but it turns out that this is an easy, tasty breakfast common around central Mexico. We have had them made with traditional bolillo bread which we can get hot and fresh at our local Hispanic supermarket, Fiesta. Bolillo are a lot like french bread rolls so I would recommend a hearty and crusty bread if you cannot find bolillos locally.

Ingredients

  • 2 bolillos, halved (or four thick slices of french bread)
  • 2 cups refried beans
  • 1/2 cup fresh cheese or grated Monterrey jack (optional)

Preparation

  1. Spread the refried beans evenly among the four slices of bread and top with the cheese. 
  2. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  3. Serve hot with guacamole, pico de gallo, or a salsa of your choice.

Coseppi Michelada

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Posted on by | Category: Beverages, Cocktails | Tags: , ,
Coseppi Michelada

Coseppi Michelada

As long as you have a healthy amount of lime juice and a beer, there is not a wrong way to make a michelada. We tried our fair share in around Mexico, and almost each one was different from the last, varying in spices, garnishes, and type of beer.  This is a very good version that James developed at home using nice dried Mexican chili peppers.

Ingredients

  •  3 dried chiles guajillos
  • 20 dried chiles de arbol
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
  • 4 key limes
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican hot sauce (such as Valentina)
  • a few ice cubes
  • splash of tomato juice (optional)
  • 1 cold bottle of Mexican lager or a beer of your choice (we used the Alt from Hops and Grains)

Preparation

  1. To make the rim spice, remove the tops of the dried peppers and shake the seeds loose. Toast the chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about two minutes. Process the peppers in a food processor until finely ground. Add salt and sesames seeds. This makes enough spice for a number of micheladas.
  2. Pour the rim spice in a saucer or small plate. Run a slice of lime around the rim of a pint glass and rub the moistened rim in the spices like you would with a margarita glass.
  3. Add the remaining lime juice to the rimmed pint glass. Mix in the hot sauce, a splash of tomato juice (if using), and add a few ice cubes.
  4. Top the glass with your cold beer and enjoy!  Store the remaining rim spice in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Michelada Rim Spice

Michelada Rim Spice

How to Make Corn Tortillas

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Posted on by | Category: Recipes, Tips and Techniques | Tags: , ,
Fresh homemade corn tortillas

Fresh homemade corn tortillas

Ingredients

  • 2 cups masa harina
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ cups warm vegetable stock

Preparation

  1. In a medium bowl, combine masa, salt, and baking soda. Stir in oil and water. Knead until  a thick dough forms. Add additional masa harina or stock to adjust the consistency.
  2. Roll the dough into golf ball-sized balls and set aside.
  3. Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat.
  4. Start pressing and cooking tortillas. Press the dough between two sheets of wax paper in a tortilla press, or between two heavy, flat plates.
  5. Use a flat spatula to peel the flattened tortilla off the wax paper and place in the hot skillet. This is when it is handy to have a friend help with the cooking while you continue pressing.
  6. Cook the tortillas about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
  7. Transfer to a plate and cover with a dish towel. Continue until all of the prepared masa is used.
  8. Use immediately in enchiladas, tacos, or as a side, or store in an airtight bag at room temperature. If the tortillas become stale before you can use them consider making chilaquiles or migas.

 

Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde

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Posted on by | Category: Breakfast, Recipes | Tags: , ,
Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde

Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde

Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast that use leftover or stale corn tortillas. There are hundreds of different ways to make chilaquiles in as many different sauces –  our recipe cuts down on some of the oil that may typically be used and boosts the flavor with a fresh, tangy salsa verde.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound tomatillos, husked, washed, and halved
  • 2 key limes, juiced
  • 1 dozen stale corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground cumin
  • 1/2 jalapeno, diced
  • 1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
  • Salt to taste

Preparation

  1. To make the sauce, place the halved tomatillos on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until the skin of the tomatillos is starts to brown, about 20 minutes. Scrape the entire contents of the baking sheet including any juices into a blender and puree with the lime juice. Season with salt to taste then set this salsa verde aside.
  2. In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Saute the tortilla pieces, stirring constantly, until they begin to crisp, about two minutes. Add onion, cumin, and jalapeno to the fried tortillas and continue to saute until the onions are tender, about three minutes.
  3. Stir the salsa verde and cilantro into the saute and bring to a simmer.
  4. Serve immediately with avocado slices, refried beans, additional salsa, or a sprinkle of cheese.

Enchiladas Mineras

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Posted on by | Category: Entrees, Recipes | Tags: ,

Enchiladas Mineras are a special Mexican dish originating in Guanajuato.  Mining was and is still a large part of the economy of the city and state of Guanajuato, and miners need hearty food to replenish themselves after a hard day’s work.  These enchiladas filled with potatoes and carrots and covered with a rich red sauce certainly fit the bill, though you don’t have to be a miner to enjoy them!

Enchiladas Mineras

Ingredients

  • 1 batch Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Corn tortillas
  • 1 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Monterrey jack cheese (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound golden potatoes, cubed
  • 1/2 pound carrots, sliced
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 Persian lime)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground cumin
  • 4-3 pickled jalapenos, sliced
  • salt to taste
  • 2 cups sliced cabbage or lettuce

Preparation

  1. Bring potatoes, carrots, stock, and bay leaves to a simmer in a large soup pot. Cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the vegetables, removing the bay leaves, and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil and saute the onions and garlic with cumin until fragrant and tender, about three minutes. Mix in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.
  3. Combine the potatoes and carrots with the sauteed onions and cheese.
  4. Pour the enchilada sauce in a shallow dish, like a pie pan. Prepare the enchiladas by coating the tortillas with sauce and then filling each with about 1/2 a cup of filling. Roll the filled enchiladas and place in a rectangular baking dish.
  5. When the dish is full, pour the remainder of the sauce over the enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees until the sauce begins to bubble, about 15 minutes.
  6. Remove the enchiladas from the oven and allow to cool for about five minutes.
  7. Serve the enchiladas over a bed of lettuce or shredded cabbage, and garnish with pickled jalapeno slices and cheese, if desired. Consider serving with fresh tomatillo salsa and refried black beans.

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