Vegetarian done Heavy Duty Mexican.... Amazing!

Spring break time means Lent is here and so are the very creative dishes that accompany it. Less emphasis on meats, more fish and certainly more vegetables and lighter fare. I've written extensively about the Lenten Traditions in my other blog http://belinadventures.blogspot.com if you care to look into the very interesting customs that Mexico practices during this time, or other countries, and even if you're not Catholic makes for an interesting read. But we'll limit today's post to the foods associated with Lent, specifically Mexican Food and how easily it adapts to this season's requirements. Mexican Food is ideally suited to a lighter diet, even if we are known for "heavy duty food", yet if we go back and review the vast assortment of non-meat ingredients it's not surprising we offer such a wide range of options; maybe it's because most people only know one dimension that the others are not taken into account, but in any case, a whole world of nutritious, filling and wonderfully flavored foods await. In all Mexican markets, the municipal ones mainly, the fruits and vegetables usually have their own separate market, alongside the meat markets, and they show off nature's bounty in very attractive displays that make you want to use these brightly colored and aromatic items in your food. The contrasts are amazing, from the bright greens of the leafy greens to the deep reds of tomatoes or even the green and pink of Dragon Fruits and more... more... more! Ripe, fresh produce that beckons you to wonderful delights. I love it and can get creative and inspired in any of the many, many markets I've visited over the years, it's usually one of my first stops whenever I find myself within Mexico since this tells me a lot about the region I'm in..... amazing! Let's take a look at the foods you might see during Lent, shall we? Plus also consider that many of the well known dishes can be easily adapted to be meatless as well, you won't even miss the meat, I guarantee. We'll start in the heart of Mexico where the complexity of the dishes are renown for their flavor and colors..... Tinga de Calabacitas.- Seared Zucchini with Roasted Tomato in Chipotle Sauce: Tinga is like Mole (just in it's applications and not it's preparation or ingredients, ok?) in that it's a "style" of dish or preparation method that can be adjusted to suit your taste. Usually made with Chicken or Pork, but wonderful made with Calabacitas too. Chipotle Sauce: 1-2 Chipole Chilies, stemmed (can be canned)- go slow, very hot! 2-4 Garlic Cloves, peeled 2-6 Roma Tomatoes, ripe 1/2 onion, in quarters Sat to taste Oil as needed, vegetable is fine 4 zucchini, chopped into med cubes 1 onion, medium, sliced 1/3 cup Prunes, seeded and chopped 1/4 cup Almonds, peeled, sliced 2-3 Roma Tomatoes, chopped into med cubes 1 tsp Oregano, dried and crumbled 1 tbl Cilantro Leaves, chopped 1/3 cup Mexican Cotija Cheese, or other grating cheese (optional) Make the sauce: In a pan with very little oil in it, roast the chiles (unless using canned), tomatoes, onion and garlic until it begins to color quite a bit. Turn frequently so all sides are equally roasted. Once done, place in the blender and process, add salt and the Chipotles if you didn't roast and make smooth. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings. You can add 1-2 tbl sugar if you need to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Reserve. In a large pan or cazuela, place some oil over med-high heat. When hot add the zucchini and onion and stir until nicely browned, about 5-6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the rest of the ingredients and stir them to mix well about 2 minutes more so everything comes up to temperature. Add the reserved Chipotle Sauce and blend well with the rest of the ingredients. Let cook for about 5 minutes as the sauce thickens a little. Top with cheese if desired and serve. NOTE: The zucchini can be replaced by other squash or practically any other vegetable you desire. If more tender ones are used, just don't cook as long. Potato and mushroom mix is especially tasty. You can also make more sauce and keep some in the fridge for other uses, like over enchiladas, tacos, in soup, lasagna, nachos, etc. ************************************* Pipian Verde de Verduras .- (Roasted Vegetables in Green Sesame Pipian): Pipian is a thick sauce made from seeds and can use Sesame or Pumpkin and is exotic and wonderful, just like the Moors who gave it us and which we made our own. It's found with Chicken, Pork or Beef too and again, versatile so you can use it other ways. Green Sauce: 1 lb Tomatillos, husked, rinsed 1-3 Serrano Chiles, stemmed 1 med onion, cut in quarters 3-5 Garlic cloves, peeled 1/3 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped salt & pepper to taste 1 tbl sugar 1/2 cup sesame seeds, extra for garnish too 1 sprig of Epazote, leave some leaves for garnish 1 Hoja Santa leaf (or 1/2 fennel tops or 1/2 tsp anise seed) Salt to taste 3-4 Nopal Cactus paddles, without thorns (or can use canned) 4 Red Potatoes, cut in med dice 2 Chayotes, medium sized, cut into med dice 1 onion, medium, cut into med dice 2cups Quelites (Lamb's Quarters), stemmed (or 3 cups Verdolagas (Purslane) or 3 cups Green Chard, sliced i 1/2 inch slices) In a pot, put the Tomatillos, onion, garlic and Serrano Chiles (you might want to start with 1 chile and blend. Taste and decide if you want another one. If you do, add the second one and blend, taste and see if you want the other one. Only this way can you tell what your level for heat is) and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the Tomatillos change from bright green to dull green, about 5-10 min. Once done, reserve liquid while you place the vegetables in the blender. Add about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and make smooth. Add salt, pepper and cilantro and process well. Taste and judge if you need to add the sugar to balance out the acidity a little. Reserve. Don't wash the blender. Turn the oven to 375 degrees F. Make sure your Nopales are free of spines, if not, carefully cut them off with a knife. Cut into 3/4 inch squares. Spread some oil on a baking sheet and place the Nopales in the sheet. Toss with about 1 tbl of oil and 1 tsp of salt and bake until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Don't worry about the sticky liquid, it will evaporate as it bakes. Remove the Nopales and reserve. Now roast the remaining vegetables: Scatter the potatoes on the baking sheet, drizzle with oil an salt and toss. Do the same with the Chayote. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. Finish off with the zucchini and stir it into the potato mixture, roast everything or 8-10 more minutes until it's all tender. In a small ungreased skillet over med heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Don't burn. Set aside. Now in a large pan with some oil in it, over med high heat, bring it up to temperature so it's hot. Add the green sauce and allow to bubble so it begins to darken and thicken. If you need to, add some of the leftover tomatillo cooking water to dilute. Add the sesame seeds to the bubbling sauce along with the epazote & hoja santa. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring often. After that time, put the sauce into the blender and process until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, taste to adjust seasonings and if needed, add a little of the cooking water to bring to sauce to a thick cream sauce consistency. Make sure the sauce is hot, add the Quelites, simmer 5 minutes. Add all the roasted vegetables to the sauce and reheat them well. To serve, top with some sesame seeds, and epazote leaf. NOTE: You could replace the Nopales with more Chayote or Spinach, but it contains many nutrients so I wouldn't. The sauce can be made ahead and reserved. You can use as a braising sauce for other dishes too. ****************************************** Chayote con Rajas y Elote.- (Chayote Casserole with Poblanos and Corn): Is there anything better than the combination of Poblanos, Corn, Cheese and Cream? I don't think so.... here's a dish that will give you the authentic flavors of Puebla. 3 1/2 lb Chayote Squash, about 5 medium 3-4 Poblano Chiles Oil as needed 1 onion, sliced fine 2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1/2 tsp Oregano, crushed 1/4 tsp Thyme, dried 2-3 Corn ears, husked and kernels cut from the cob, about 1 1/2 cup 2/3 cup milk (can be Cow, Goat, Almond, Soy) Salt to taste 1 cup Mexican melting cheese, your choice 1 cup Bread Crumbs -or- 3/4 cup bread crumbs and 1/4 cup Queso Anejo Chopped Cilantro for garnish Peel the chayotes and then cut in half through the stem end and take out the pit. Cut into medium cubes. In a steamer, steam them until crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Stir them around every 5 minutes so they steam evenly. Roast the Poblanos over a flame so the skin blisters, place in a plastic bag to sweat and once cooled, peel them. Cut the stems off and slice into strips about 1/8 thick and then cut in half lengthwise. In a large pan with a little oil in it, cook the onion, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, herbs and chiles and mix well. Turn the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the corn, milk and cooked chayote to the pan with the Rajas (chile strips) and bring to a boil. Taste and add salt. Place half the mixture into a prepared square baking dish (or your choice), top with half the cheese or just half the bread crumbs, the remaining chayote mix and more cheese (or finish of the bread crumbs) Bake about20 minutes. You can put some oil in the pan and add the bread crumbs, mix with the grated cheese and use as a topping or combine the bread crumbs with oregano, thyme, salt and pepper and use it without cheese too. Top the casserole and bake for another 10 minutes to brown. Top with the cilantro (cream if desired) and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving. ************************************** This is but a sample of the many dishes that are available in the Mexican kitchen which use vegetables as a main ingredient but could use meats instead too. What counts here are the flavors infused by the sauces and herbs and not so much the absence of meats since you won't miss them at all. Kind of nice if you want to limit proteins, watching your budget or just don't want to load up with system with heavier fare. We have these because we like them and my family doesn't even consider them "vegetarian" at all, just plain good eats. You can also see some of the influence the Moors and Spaniards had on our traditional dishes in these examples. The contrasts of ingredients is amazing and will introduce you to another side of our very extensive flavor patterns, maybe now you can begin to see how different influences, regions and styles can offer such variety in tastes we can all enjoy. Hope your spring break is a good one and everyone gets a chance to relax and recoup. Dr. Christine Promin, this one's for you, hope you enjoy. Talk soon!