Mexican: Mole Plantain Tacos

Before moving to Coatepec two years ago, I had heard of but never tried mole. Then one day, shortly after we had moved here, we were invited to the home of a local doctor who had given me my initial checkup. We went and his wife had just made a fresh batch of homemade mole. She smeared the thick paste onto a tortilla and offered us a taste. WOW!! Chocolate, spices, & dried peppers all fused to create an explosion of flavor in a single bite. Being the chocophile that I am, I was hooked! And my brain was buzzing with ideas on how to create veggie dishes with the sauce. As luck would have it, a locally owned company called Castizo produces & sells tasty, good quality mole. With an endless supply of mole and some experimenting, I created a winner! Even the locals love this dish.

Mole Plantain Tacos

2-3 ripe plantains, sliced & quartered

1 red bell pepper, cored, deseeded & diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped (stems & leaves)

1/4 c. Spanish green olives, chopped

1/4 c. mole paste

1/4 c. water

Add the cut plantains, bell pepper, olives. & cilantro to a large bowl.

Rinse & drain the black beans. Add to the bowl.

Prepare the mole sauce by blending the mole paste and water. Pour the mole over the plantains & veggies.

Stir well, evenly coating all the ingredients.

Spray an 8x11 baking dish with PAM and empty the contents of the bowl into it.

Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 min. in a 350°F preheated oven.

Remove the foil & let cool for 5 min before serving

Serve with salad, tortillas, guacamole, & salsa.

Have fun making tacos!

Asian: Sweet Chili Lime Veggie Stir-fry

Making tasty Asian stir-fries are easy when you find quality bottled sauces. In the U.S., I used Annie Chun's or the Whole Foods line of Asian sauces. Lucky for me, Chedraui, the largest Mexican grocery chain store, carries a line of Asian sauces: Teriyaki, Sczechuan, Orange, & Sweet Chili Lime.

Sweet Chili Lime Veggie Stir-fry

1 T. coconut oil

1 small carrot, cut into thin matchsticks

1 medium head of broccoli, cut into florets

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, & julienned

1/2 c. pineapple chunks

1/4 c. water chestnuts

4-6 baby corn cut to desired size

1 zucchini or yellow squash, sliced & quartered

1 c. bean sprout

3/4 c. prepared sweet chili lime sauce

1 T. toasted sesame seeds

In a wok or large skillet, heat coconut oil over high heat.

Add the veggies one at a time, stir-frying each for about 2 min.

Add the sweet chili lime sauce, stir to coat all the veggies, and turn off the heat.

Serve with rice and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Thai Yellow Curry Noodles

Thai food for dinner tonight, one of my faves :) I googled Thai yellow curry sauce for inspiration and after reading through a few recipes, I found a helpful idea. Add a pinch of allspice to the sauce. WOW!! What a great tip, the flavor just explodes!

Thai Yellow Curry Noodle Sauce

1 can coconut milk

2 T. Thai yellow curry paste

1/8 t. allspice

1 T. lime juice + 2 T. tamari (fish sauce substitute)

2 T. palm sugar

1/4 c. Thai basil (fresh from my herb garden)

2 T. natural smooth peanut butter

Throw all the ingredients into a blender.

Blend until well combined.

Transfer the sauce into a medium saucepan. Heat on low for 15-20 min, stirring frequently.

Ginger-mushroom stir-fry

1 t. toasted sesame oil

1 small onion, julienned

1 inch piece of ginger, cut into thin slivers

1 orange bell pepper, julienned

2-3 c. mushrooms, chopped to desired size (I used baby portabellas)

1/2 c. snow peas

2 c. bean sprouts

-Heat the sesame oil on high. Add onions, after a minute or so, add the ginger. Stir-fry for another minute.

-Add the snow peas, followed by bell pepper, then mushrooms, cooking each for about 2 min.

-Toss in the bean sprouts, stir-fry for about 30 sec, then turn off the stove.

Serve the veggies & Thai yellow curry sauce with noodles of your choice (rice, soba, etc). I used Eden Spelt Udon.

Mexican: Enchiladas rojas y verdes

Mari and I had great fun making enchiladas today. It's a dish she is well acquainted with, and she enjoyed learning about veggie fillings instead of the customary chicken or pork. I decided to make two distinct varieties of enchiladas: red and green.

Enchiladas rojas

1 t. olive oil

1 small zucchini, cut into cubes

1 red bell pepper, cut into cubes

1/2 c. of frozen corn

1 c. chopped spinach

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1 can Rosarita red enchilada sauce, doctored with cumin, chile powder, & cayenne for extra flavor

1 cup of shredded cheese of your choice (I used extra sharp cheddar)

10-12 yellow corn tortillas

1/4 c. sliced black olives

1/4 c. finely chopped green onion

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the bell pepper, corn, zucchini, spinach, & cilantro one a time, cooking each for about 2 min. Empty the sauteed veggies into a bowl.

2. Warm up the corn tortillas for rolling. We bought local, handmade corn tortillas- YUM!

3. Prepare an 8x11 baking dish by spraying the inside of the dish with Pam (non-stick spray) and covering the bottom with a thin layer of Rosarita sauce.

4. Spread a spoonful of the Rosarita sauce on a tortilla. Add a tablespoon of veggies at the end of the tortilla, sprinkle cheese atop the veggies, and roll. Place in the baking dish.

5. After the dish is filled with rolled tortillas, pour the sauce over them, covering well. Sprinkle the grated cheese, green onions, and black olives on top. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 min. Take out of the oven, remove the foil, and let cool for 5 min before serving.

Enchiladas verdes

2 cups chopped mushrooms (I used baby portabellas)

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into cubes

1 c. chopped spinach

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1 jar (or can) of green enchilada sauce

1 cup of shredded cheese of your choice (I used extra sharp cheddar)

8-10 blue corn tortillas

1/4 c. sliced green olives

1/4 c. finely chopped green onion

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, spinach, & cilantro one a time, cooking each for about 2 min. Empty the sauteed veggies into a bowl.

2. Warm up the blue corn tortillas for rolling.

3. Prepare an 8x11 baking dish by spraying the inside of the dish with Pam (non-stick spray) and covering the bottom with a thin layer of green sauce.

4. Spread a spoonful of the green sauce on a tortilla. Add a tablespoon of veggies at the end of the tortilla, sprinkle cheese atop the veggies, and roll. Place in the baking dish.

5. After the dish is filled with rolled tortillas, pour the sauce over them, covering well. Sprinkle the grated cheese, green onions, and green olives on top. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 min. Take out of the oven, remove the foil, and let cool for 5 min before serving.

Diego also made crock pot black beans & brown rice while Mari made a simple salad and guacamole to accompany the enchiladas.

Absolutely delicious!!

Enchiladas rojas w/ guacamole salad, brown rice, & black beans

Enchiladas verde w/ guacamole salad, brown rice, & black beans

Indian: Madras Curry Sabzi

Madras Curry Sabzi

1 T. ghee or vegetable oil

1 onion finely chopped chopped

2 T. finely chopped cilantro stems (leaves removed)

1 inch ginger root finely chopped

1 large garlic clove crushed

1 large tomato finely chopped

1 T. Madras curry powder

1/2 t. sea salt

4-5 c. of chopped veggies of your choice (I used potato, cauliflower, green beans, carrot, & red bell pepper)

1 jar Patak's Madras Cooking Sauce

1/4 c. chopped cilantro leaves

Heat the ghee/oil in a deep skillet. Add the onions & cilantro stems and fry for about 2 min.

Add the ginger & garlic and fry for another 2 min.

Add the tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and Patak's Madras Sauce. Mix well, reduce the heat to low, and cook covered for about 15 min.

Stir in the veggies (I precook the harder veggies) and simmer on low for another 15 min. If you haven't precooked the veggies, then add 1/4 c. water and cook covered for 30 min or until veggies are cooked.

Sprinkle with cilantro & serve with rice.

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I also made raita to serve with the sabzi. I LOVE raita. It's oh so easy to make and a childhood favorite.

Raita

1 large cucumber, peeled, halved, & deseeded

1 c. plain yogurt

1/2 t. mustard powder

1/8 t. kala namak (black salt)

1/8 t. sea salt

Shred the cucumber with a large grater. Strain excess water from shredded cucumber. Place cucumber in a medium bowl.

Stir in the yogurt & spices. Let sit in the fridge for at least 30 min before serving.

Brown rice, raita, mango chutney, Madras curry sabzi