Some Mexican Favorites

Mexican restaurants can be tricky for vegetarians because of the frequent use of lard. But restaurants are becoming more sensitive, and you can usually get a straight answer when you ask about ingredients. Here are some of my favorites to make at home.

This one is from Rachel Ray on the Food Network. It's a quicky. When you have more time you could make your own refried beans.

Bean and Vegetable Tostadas

Vegetable oil, for frying
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 pinches coarse salt
1 (14-ounce) can spicy vegetarian refried beans (vegetarian beans contain no lard)
1 cup shredded smoked Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper Jack
1 heart Romaine lettuce or 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 small plum tomatoes, diced
1 small white skinned onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (a palm full) chopped cilantro or parsley

Heat 1/8 to 1/4-inch oil over medium high heat. Fry tortillas 30 seconds on each side to light golden, 1 tortilla at a time. Drain tortillas on brown paper sack. Season with a little coarse salt while hot.
Heat beans in microwave or small pan over moderate heat. Spread hot beans on tortillas and top with a handful of shredded smoked Cheddar or Jack cheese. Top cheese with shredded lettuce, diced tomato bits, and chopped onion. Garnish tostadas with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley and serve.

Here's a basic mole paste. Moles are complicated with lots of ingredients, but you can make a lot ahead of time and freeze. Though these sauces are usually used with meats, they can be used for dishes using vegetables or tofu. The best thing about tofu is that it works with just about any kind of sauce. I've dried many of my smaller chilis. These various kinds of dried chilis are usually available in the supermarket.


Basic Mole Paste
10 dried ancho chiles
6 dried pasilla negro (or negro) chiles
4 dried guajillo or mulato chiles
6 T black raisins
1/2 cup almonds
6 T raw sesame seeds
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 slice French bread, toasted
1 corn tortilla, toasted
1 three-inch piece ofMexican Canela (soft-bark cinnamon) OR 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1 t black peppercorns
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1 round of Ibarra Mexican Chocolate (3.1 oz.)

Wash the dried chiles under cold running water (hot water will increase the chile fumes). Shake out the chile seeds and break off the stems. Heat a griddle or even a nonstick skillet and toast the chiles in batches. The chiles should soften and slightly brown, but not blackened. Place them in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave them to steep for 30 minutes. Add the raisins to the hot water so they will plump up. While the chiles are soaking, place the almonds, the sesame seeds and the pumpkin seeds all in separate pie tins. Toast them in a 350 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes. Remove them as they begin to turn golden brown.
Break up the cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns in a mortar or in a spice grinder.

Grind the chilis, almonds, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds in a blender in at least three separate batches . Add some soaking water for the desired consistency of thick gravy (if soaking water tastes bitter, use plain water instead), so that the mole paste will puree smoothly. When grinding the last batch, add the raisins, crushed spices, tortilla, bread, oregano and chocolate, broken into small pieces. Makes about 1 quart of mole paste or enough for 2 recipes of Mole Sauce

Mole Sauce

3 large tomatoes
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 t olive oil
2 cups (1/2 recipe) Mole Paste #1
1 to 2 cups vegetable broth

Place tomatoes in a small pan and roast in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Wrap the onion and garlic up in aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 45 minutes in the 375 degree oven. Place tomatoes, their juices, onion and garlic in a blender and puree. Add the puree to the Mole paste along with 1 cup of vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer in a 3-quart pot. If the Mole seems too thick, add more broth in small amounts until it is the consistency of heavy cream.

Makes about 6 cups.


Mole Negro Oaxaqueno
From the Old Mexico Grill in Santa Fe, NM
Courtesy of Judy Howle

Ingredients:
4 oz pasillas chilis
4 oz. mulatos chilis
1/2 lb. tomatoes
1 cup hot water
1/8 oz. whole cloves, toasted
1/8 oz whole allspice, toasted
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/8 oz. majoram, leaf
3 Tbsp. oregano
3/4 cup corn oil
2 oz. sesame seeds, toasted
2 oz. peanuts, toasted
2 oz. almonds, sliced, toasted
1/4 cup raisins
8 oz. yellow onions
1/2 oz. garlic, whole, peeled
1/8 oz. cinnamon sticks, toasted
1 lb. plaintains
1/2 oz. corn tortilla chips, fried and ground
1/8 orange bread (recipe follows)
2 oz. Ibarra chocolate

Soak chiles in hot water until soft. Seed and stem and grind into paste.
Grind tomatoes, onions and garlic
Toast spices. Cool. Grind in spice grinder
Toast nuts and seeds and orange bread until golden brown. Grind together in food processor. Set aside.
Heat oil and cook chiles carefully for 5 min., stirring constantly. Add veg. mixture and cook for 10 minutes.
Add spices to mixture and cook for 5 min. Add herbs, nuts and seeds, plaintains, raisins, and tortilla chips. Cook for 10-15 min.
Add chopped chocolate slowly and stir constantly so it does not sink to bottom of pan and burn. Cool on low heat until oil comes to the top. Remove from heat and cool. Puree mixture.

Orange Bread

1 cup brown sugar
4 oz. granulated sugar
8 oz. butter
zest of 2 oranges
4 eggs
1 cup orange juice concentrate
1 cup water
1-1/2 cup whole milk
3 tsp. vanilla
6 cups plain flour
1 Tbs. baking powder

Measure all ingredients
Cream sugar, butter, and zest. Add eggs and cream again.
Sift flour and baking powder together.
Mix orange concentrate, water, and milk together. Milk may look curdled.
Add flour and milk mixture alternately. Add vanilla. Mix gently and do not overmix.
Pour evenly into 2 well greased loaf pans.
Bake 325 degrees for approx. 1 hr. Check. May need more time. Toothpick will come clean when done.
Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pans to cool completely


Carrots in Quick Mole
Adapted from: The Border Cookbook by Cheryl & Bill Jamison

Quick Mole Sauce:

1 Tbsp Pure Olive Oil (or other vegetable oil)
4 Tbsp minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced (or more to taste)
8 Tbsp ground dried chiles (best with 1/2 Ancho & 1/2 Pasillas; add 1 Tbsp Cayenne Powder or 1 tsp ground Habanero for increased heat).
1 cup vegetable stock
1 Oz. Ibarra Mexican Chocolate (or substitute bittersweet chocolate with 1 tsp. ground Mexican canela or cinnamon).
1/8 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of ground Mexican canela or cinnamon

10 medium carrots, sliced in rounds and steamed until soft
2 tsp. toasted white sesame seeds
cilantro sprig (for garnish)

1. Sautee onion and garlic in oil until tender but not brown, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
3. Toast sesame seeds on a baking sheet in a 325 degree oven for approx. 15 minutes, or until golden. Watch carefully so you don't burn them.
4. Stir in carrots and simmer for a few minutes until the carrots are well heated and coated with sauce.
5. Serve warm, sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds and topped with a sprig or two of cilantro.