Black Radish Latkes

Ingredients

• 1 pound black Spanish radishes, grated
• 1/2 pound white potatoes, grated
•  2 sprigs of green garlic, minced
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon black cumin, ground
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil based spray

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Form patties using about 1 cup of the mixture. Space the patties on a well oiled cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 375 degrees until they begin to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the patties and cook another 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Serve hot with apple sauce or any other condiment of your choice.

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

Pickled jalapenos

Ingredients

• 2  pounds fresh jalapeno peppers, halved
• 3-6 whole large cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tablespoon whole cumin seed
• 3 cups distilled white vinegar or cider vinegar
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

1. Divide peppers among 6 one-pint canning jars. Divide the garlic evenly among the jars.
2. Combine vinegar, water, cumin, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Carefully fill jars with brine to within 1/2 inch of the rim, covering the peppers completely.
4. Place the lids on the jars and process in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
5. Carefully remove jars from water using a jar lifter.  Allow the jars to cool to room temperature then test the lids. If they are not set consider reprocessing (or making refrigerator pickles).
6. Store in a cool dark place until you are ready to use. Refrigerate once opened.

Note: if you want to make more flavorful Mexican-style pickles consider adding a couple carrot and onion slices to each jar in step 1.

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.

This red sauce is made mainly from dried Mexican guajillo chili peppers, which have an amazingly rich flavor, especially when fried a little.  Also, this sauce isn’t just for enchiladas – it also goes great as a dipping sauce for tortilla chips or as a table condiment for your next Mexican meal.

Red Sauce for Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 8 large dried guajillo chilis
• 2 dried chipotle peppers
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 large white onion, diced
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium red tomatoes, diced (2-3 canned whole tomatoes can be substituted)
• 1/2 tablespoon Mexican oregano

Preparation

1. Boil dried guajillo and chipotle peppers in a pot of water until softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Drain the water and, when the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the steams.
   Tip: If you are making broth from Better-than-Bouillon or a cube, reserve some of the pepper water for the broth!
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Fry the softened peppers for a minute on each side on high heat until fragrant. Remove from heat.  Leave the leftover oil in the skillet and remove the skillet from heat.
4. Transfer peppers to a blender. Add the broth and puree until smooth.
5. Reheat oil in the skillet and saute bell pepper, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and oregano until the peppers are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the pepper puree and continue cooking for another minute or two.  Season with salt to taste and serve!

Note: If desired, you can blend the sauce again for a completely smooth sauce, but I like it with the strips of pepper and diced onions.

The first rum balls we ever had were made by friend we made while traveling in Peru who wanted something festive to contribute to our very international Thanksgiving feast. This version is both vegan and gluten-free, and is sure to be a hit at your next holiday gathering.

Rum Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup dates
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup Jamaican rum
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened grated coconut

Preparation

1. In a food processor, grind the nuts, dates, cocoa powder, and oats.
2. Place the mixture in a bowl and add the rum to make a dough.
3. Use your hands to roll the dough into small balls and then roll them in powdered sugar and coconut.

Rosettes are delicate Scandinavian fried cookies often prepared for the holidays.  They are typically made with a simple funnel cake-like batter that has eggs and milk, so we crafted this vegan version that tastes just as good and has the added benefit of making more well-defined rosettes.

To make rosettes you’ll need a special tool called a Rosette Iron. We used this Norpro Rosette Iron and found it to work quite well, though we’ve heard old-school cast iron ones work better than aluminum.

Vegan Rosettes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 6 tablespoons of water
• 1 1/2 cups of soy or almond milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed (optional)
• 1 liter of vegetable oil
• powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation

1. Soak flax seeds in water for about 10 minutes. Combine in a blender with soy milk and lemon juice until smooth. Pour the liquid ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.
2. Combine sugar and fennel seed (if using) together in a medium bowl. Stir in baking powder and flour.
3. Whisk dry ingredients into the wet ingredients 1/2 cup at a time to make the batter.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Move the batter to a heat-resistant, shallow dish (a bread loaf pan works well).
5. To make the cookies, heat three to four inches of oil in a large stock pot to 350-360 degrees Fahrenheit — this is the ideal temperature range  for frying these, so we suggest using a candy thermometer to monitor and adjust the heat throughout the cookie making. Place the rosette molds into the oil while it heats.
6. When the oil reaches 350 degrees remove the molds from the oil, taking a few seconds to allow excess oil to drip off, then place the hot molds in the batter, being careful not to let the batter come up over the molds. Quickly move the batter-covered molds to the hot oil.
7. As the cookies fry, they will slip off the molds.  If they stick, you can carefully tap the handle of your mold on the side of the frying pot to enourage the cookies to drop off from the molds.
8. Once the cookies are off the molds they will need need to be carefully turned with a pair of heat resistant tongs or chopsticks. Leave the iron in the hot oil while you are doing this so it maintains its temperature (see picture below)
9. When the cookies have browned, use the tongs to remove them from the oil, carefully shaking off excess oil, then place them on a paper towel to cool.
10. While they are still a bit warm, dust the warm cookies with powdered sugar or colored sugar crystals.
11. Continue frying cookies until all the batter is used.
12. Store completely dried cookies in an airtight container.

This recipe makes about two dozen delicious rosettes.

Frying Rosettes

This is our vegan take on Imbibe’s Malted Hot Cocoa Mix. The mix has a higher cocoa to sugar ratio so it is more flavorful than almost anything you can get in the store. Since the cocoa is so prominent it is important to use a nice powder like Valrhona.

Hot Cocoa Mix

Ingredients

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups powdered soy milk
• 2 tablespoons corn starch, tapioca flour, or potato starch
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• pinch of fine sea salt
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

Preparation

1. Gently combine ingredients in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk.
2. Sift the ingredients into a large bowl to thoroughly combine.  You can store this powder in airtight containers and give it as gifts to your friends and loved ones.
3. To prepare the hot cocoa, combine 1/4 cup hot chocolate mix with 8 ounces of hot water.
4. Top with your favorite gelatin-free marshmallows or, if you are Colombian, a slice of fresh cheese, or, if you are in the Christmas spirit, add a splash of whiskey or rum.

Not long ago, we won Michael Natkin‘s cookbook Herbivoracious at an Austin Food Bloggers‘ event. The book starts with a great introduction to ingredients and equipment, and its collection of recipes includes many international dishes with tons of variations and side suggestions. James and I have really enjoyed reading it and tonight we finally got around to trying a couple dishes.

Kimchi Stew sans Kimchi with Spicy Stir-Fried Squash

It finally dipped below freezing in Austin last night so we decided to tackle Natkin’s Kimchi Stew with Shiitake and Daikon. Thanks to JBG and some luck, we had nearly all of the ingredients in the refrigerator except for the title Kimchi! James loves to make this all-important fermented Korean staple and, surprisingly, we were out. Even more surprisingly it does not appear kimchi is stocked at Central Market!

Working with what we had, we doubled down on the ginger and garlic and added a bunch of broccoli rabe  to to the soup to stand in for the kimchi. It turned out really well and I can only imagine how delicious the more authentic soup is. We paired the soup with a side of Natkin’s Spicy Stir-Fried Zucchini (or in our case, calabaza) and cold soba noodles. Even without the kimchi, I think Psy would have approved (maybe).

Here is James’s Variation:

Kimchi Stew with Shiitake and Daikon (sans Kimchi)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 cups daikon radish, sliced into thin half moons
• 1/2 cup baby carrots, sliced into thin rounds
• 5 or 6 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into chunks
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 large cayenne pepper (or other hot red pepper), diced
• 4 large cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 4 cups water
• 3-4 tablespoons Sriracha (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Better-than-Boullion paste
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
• 1 pound hard tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
• salt to taste
• diced spring onion for garnish

Preparation

1. In a large pot, saute the daikon, carrots, and mushrooms in the sesame oil over high heat for about 2 minutes.
2. Add onion, cayenne, garlic, and ginger and continue to saute until the onions are soft, 2-3 minutes more.
3. Add the water, Sriracha, Better-than-Boullion, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the tofu and broccoli rabe, bring back to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes more.  Season with salt to taste.
5. Serve garnished with diced scallion.