a friend's Mexican fiesta
Inspired by Nopalito: A Mexican Kitchen, this month's cookbook from my club held at SubText, I gathered some friends for a fiesta of our own. The morning of, I awoke with a taste for smothered chiles and spiced beans between sliced bolillo (Mexican bread), avocado, with that undeniably-satisfying crunch of cabbage. Images of dancing tortas appeared between my eyes as I tried recalling my dreams. That's when I knew what I was going to prepare for the feast. Others told me they would bring Mexican rice, guacamole, cheese dip, homemade hot sauces (including a new method of clarified hot sauce, more on that coming soon), mango salad, and a tomato black bean salad to accompany. Conditions were perfect.
....and, purely for fun because it crossed my mind, and because I'm a fan, I couldn't help but include this Flight of the Concords clip where conditions were also perfect: Sorry for the random video. It just felt right. Anyway, back to tortas. Rather than make individual tortas, I prepared all the components separately. Everyone chose their own salsas, protein, and stuffings to build individual, customizable sandwiches. Here's a look into the creation of my vegetarian version of a torta. It's loaded with fiber, lean protein, and has a wonderful smoky flavor from the homemade adobo sauce with just a touch of brightness from the tomatillo & jalapeño salsa. A nutritious take on a classic Mexican sandwich that will have you begging for seconds. Diner tested, dietitian approved. vegetarian adobo black bean tortasServes 4 large tortas, or 8 (more manageable) halves Ingredients: 1 cup adobo sauce (recipe below or store bought) 2 cups black beans cooked 2 cups cabbage, shredded 1 tsp salt 1 cup cotjia cheese (optional) salsa jalapeño (see recipe below) 1/2 cup crema* 1 avocado, sliced 4 bolillo (Mexican sandwich rolls) cut in half lengthwise and widthwise *can substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream Directions: Heat the beans in the adobo sauce and keep warm until ready to use. In a small bowl, combine the cabbage with salt. When ready for assembly, in the following order, layer your sandwich in this order: bread bottom, beans, cotjia cheese, salsa, crema, avocado, bread top. adobo sauceThis recipe makes 1-2 cups, which ultimately depends on your desired consistency. Ingredients: 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded 2 dried mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded 6 cloves garlic 1 white onion, cut into thick wedges 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/2 cup parsley with stems 1/4 cup oil 2 teaspoon cumin, ground 1 teaspoon coriander, ground Directions: In a 2 quarts boiling water, add the chiles, garlic, and onion. Cook for 30 minutes and puree in a blender with the remaining ingredients. Adjust with chile water until you reach desired consistency. salsa jalapeñoIngredients: 2 jalapeños, stemmed 8 tomatillos, husked and rinsed 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 bunch cilantro 1/4 cup white onion Directions: In a blender, combine all ingredients and allow to chill until ready to serve. Sometimes the end result may be bitter. Feel free to experiment here and adjust the flavor using agave or a pinch of sugar to offset the bitter notes. And be sure to check out my recipe for black beans and burdock for more plant-based protein goodness.
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