Vegetarian Pozole-Rojo (Hominy Stew)

(adapted from food.com/recipe/authentic-mexican-pozole-196233)

Pozole (hominy) rojo is a stew of guajillo peppers and typically made with pork shoulder. I modified the re version to be quite tasty and is even better after sitting overnight. Makes about 8 servings. Instructions for making this with pork are at the bottom of the recipe.

EQUIPMENT

Colander

Cutting board

Filet knife

9” cast iron skillet

Cooking tongs

Small saucepan and lid

Glass 4c measuring up

Mesh strainer (colander will do)

Large stockpot

Food processor

 STEW INGREDIENTS

4 oz dried guajillo, ancho, or combination peppers (about 20 dried guajillo peppers) 

30 – 50 oz (drained and rinsed) or frozen pozole (white organic corn is a good alternative)

14-oz can of white beans and black-eyed peas, drained, rinsed, and dried

14-oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

5 Q (20 c) water boiling in stock pot

1 medium sweet onion (about 2 cups, diced)

8 cloves of peeled garlic – 4 whole; 4 minced

2 T butter + 2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T all-purpose flour

3 bay leaves

2 T dried oregano (Mexican oregano is great if you have it)

1 t Liquid Smoke

1 t salt

FRESH GARNISHES (Approximate amounts for full) 

½ cabbage, julienned

2 avocados, sliced or diced

4 limes, cut in wedges

½ white onion, diced

1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

12 radishes, sliced

1 cucumber, sliced

4 jalapenos, sliced

toasted tostada shells

** I grilled chicken breasts with coriander, cumin, salt and pepper then finished with a squeeze of lime and cut into slices for a garnish for meat eaters. 

1.    Prepare the soup pot: Bring 20 cups of water to a boil, covered, in your largest stock pot.

2.    Prepare the beans. Drain and rinse the white beans and black-eyed peas. Lay out a clean tea towel on the counter. Shake off the excess water from the beans, put them in a single layer on the tea towel and gently roll up the towel to absorb moisture. Leave the beans in the towel until you are ready for them.  

3.    De-vein and de-seed the dried chilis. I use my filet knife for this task. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly when done so chili oil does not get into your eyes. (This step can be done a day in advance if you like.)

     4.    Prepare the chilis for the stew: Heat your cast iron skillet to temperature over medium heat. Place the chilis gently into the skillet using your tongs. At the same time, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Heat the chilis gently to soften them and bring out the oils. Once they are all heated through, use the tongs to transfer the chilis to the boiling water. Turn off heat, make sure all of the chilis are immersed in the water, pushing them down with the tongs if necessary. 

     Cover, and let the chilis sit for 15-20 minutes. 

5.    Cook the beans: Use the same cast iron pan with any residual chili oils. Turn heat to medium and allow it to get hot. Add the butter and olive oil. Add the diced onion and bay leaf. Cook until the onion begins to brown. Lower the heat to med-low, then add the garlic, cumin and flour. Stir gently and regularly until the flour begins to brown a bit. Add the beans that have been drying in the towels. Cook, stirring occasionally while you go back to working with the peppers. 

6.    Create the red pepper sauce: Strain the liquid from the hot peppers into a glass 4-cup measure. Gently press the peppers down to extract more water. If you don’t have 3 full cups of liquid in the measuring cup, add enough tap or filtered water to ensure to total 3 cups. Place the strained peppers in a food processer outfitted with a cutting blade. Add 2 ½ cups of the strained chili water, the four whole garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt to the processor. Cover, and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into the stock pot with the boiling water. 

      7.    Assemble the soup: Once the beans have begun to brown a bit in the pan, turn off the heat. After you add the red sauce to the soup, carefully pour the hot beans into the stock pot. Return the skillet to the heat briefly, pour the remaining liquid from the hot peppers into the skillet and use the hot water to scrape off any bits from the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the bits and liquid to the soup. 

Rinse and drain the black beans. Add them to the pot. Add the pozole (be sure to rinse and drain the hominy if you are using canned), 1 t of Liquid Smoke, and 1 t of salt to the soup. 

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for three hours, stirring occasionally.  

8.    Prepare your garnishes: Cilantro, radish, and lime really makes the dish. The full list of traditional garnishes is above. Other garnishes are fantastic too, such as cheese, sour cream, yogurt with lime and coriander, etc.

9.    Assemble the dish and enjoy!

  

NOTE: If you want traditional pork-based pozole, do not add the Liquid Smoke and instead of any of the beans cut 3 lbs of pork shoulder into bite-sized cubes and brown each side in a cast iron skillet (along with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper). Pop the meat into the stock pot after you’ve added the pepper sauce. Use some of the pepper liquid to deglaze the pot, making sure all of the brown bits get into the soup. 

Taco salad

I've been making loaded nachos two or three times per week, which is terrible for the waistline.  I wrote this recipe to remind myself to do the healthier option - SALAD!

1 head romaine, chopped
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup corn on the cob, shaved off
1/4 green pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
Avocado, sliced
Shredded vegan cheese, if desired
Corn tortilla chips, broken, but not powdered
1/2 lime

Chipotle sauce:
1 tbsp powdered pepper/chipotle mix, usually available at Mexican grocery
Dash of cumin
Dash of garlic
Dash of salt
Water
Mix together.

Cook onion, pepper, black bean, and corn in pan in pat of butter until corn is browned.   Let cool.  Combine cold items then add warm mixture.  Place in fridge to cool.  Add tortilla chips and sauce immediately before serving. top with squeeze of lime. Serves 2.

Spicy Quinoa Salad

Spicy Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is by itself a tasty complete protein and should be a staple in anyone's whole-body healthy pantry.  This recipe features quinoa and is a tasty way to get your protein your veggies and have a tasty party in your mouth.  I've adapted the recipe for 2-3 servings.

EQUIPMENT
chef's knife
cutting board
fine-mesh sieve, 4-5 inches in diameter
mixing bowl
silicone spatula
saucepan that the sieve fits over
tea towel or other smooth, clean kitchen towel
timer

QUINOA
1/2 c quinoa (I've used Inca Red, but any color is fine)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (about 1Tbsp)

DRESSING
zest and juice from 1 lime
1 Tbsp cider or red wine vinegar
pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 tsp)
1 rounded tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey (optional)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne ground cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

VEGGIES
1 c black beans, well-rinsed
1 c chopped tomato
1 c chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped cilantro

RECIPE

First rinse the quinoa well.  Put it in a fine-mesh sieve and put the sieve in a bowl of water.  Add water to about an inch above the quinoa and shake the quinoa around.  The water will become cloudy as it removes a naturally occurring film from the surface of the quinoa. Lift the sieve to drain and repeat until the water is clear.  Bring a saucepan with enough water to cover the quinoa by an inch or two to a boil. While waiting mince about 1 tablespoon of garlic. Once boiling, use a silicon spatula or scraper to put the quinoa into the pot and add the garlic.  Simmer the garlic and quinoa for 10 minutes and then strain it through your mesh sieve. You may need to use your silicon spatula to get all of the wonderful bits out of the pot.

red and white quinoa with minced garlic 

Leave the quinoa in the sieve and place a clean tea towel (folded to a size that just covers and doesn't overhang the sieve much if at at) over the top of the sieve.  Add an inch and a half or so of water back to your sauce pan and place over medium-high heat.  Once the water is boiling, place the sieve over the water, supported by the rim of the pot.  If the pot has a lid, place the lid on top of the sieve to help trap steam.  It's alright if it only fits loosely. Steam the quinoa over a full boil for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the quinoa from the heat and allow to cool.

This process for cooking the quinoa makes it light, fluffy and tasty.  I can prepare whatever ingredients I want to add while I'm cooking the quinoa.

While you are boiling your quinoa, make the dressing in a large mixing bowl.  Add together all of the ingredients aside from the olive oil and mix well. The mustard and honey serve as emulsifiers and help hold the dressing together.  Once combined well, add olive oil to taste.  Start with 1Tbsp, taste and add a little more if necessary. You want it a little acidic so that the flavor stands up to all of the ingredients.

Rinse and drain your black beans in a large colander. Shake them off and add to the dressing, allowing the dressing to give them great flavor.  Then chop and add the rest of your vegetables mixing everything carefully ensuring that the dressing covers every bit.

When your quinoa is cooler, add it to the veggies and stir completely.  Enjoy!

OTHER VARIATIONS

Lime-Chili Quinoa loaded with Veggies

Here I've made a lime-chili dressing (additional ingredients are the lime juice, 1-2 T sherry or cider vinegar if needed and 1 T extra virgin olive oil). If it's too dry when everything is mixed together, add splashes in equal amounts of your vinegar and olive oil until everything is just coated.  In this quinoa, I added artichoke hearts (quartered), tomatoes, black beans, edamame, peaches and cilantro. 

Dressing ingredients:

 

pinch of sea salt, 

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin, ground

1 tbsp dijon mustard

zest  and juice of of 1 lime 

1-2 tbsp cider vinegar

1-2 tbsp olive oil

Green Goddess Quinoa -- I've made a green goddess-type salad with white quinoa and a cilantro vinaigrette and the veggies were celery, scallion, garlic scapes, pea pods, zucchini and edamame beans. I've made it with grilled shrimp and asparagus making the dressing with fresh lemon zest and juice rather than lime (as well as a ton more garlic).  I've also added fruits such as peace and strawberry to my savory dishes.  Let your imagination be free!

Green Goddess Quinoa with Cilantro Vinaigrette

Mexican Frittata

A frittata is a great way to use leftovers from any meal.  Combined with fresh ingredients, it allows the flavors of your favorite dinner to be reinvented as a savory brunch.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced white button mushroom
1/4 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup grated cheese (I used sharp Vermont white cheddar)
6 eggs
freshly ground black pepper
1/2-3/4 cup "leftovers"
(in this case, I used Mexican black beans)

Toppings:
Mole Sauce
Coriander Lime Yogurt Sauce


To make the black beans:  Heat a dry heavy skillet to medium high and add a tablespoon of ground cumin allow the cumin to begin smoking and darkening while occasionally stirring.  Once it has uniformly darkened a shade, add about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, about 12-14 oz cooked black beans, 3-4 minced garlic cloves and 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced.  Heat through and cook until peppers and garlic are softened.  Toss with 1/4 cup fresh cilantro.  This makes an excellent filling for any kind of burritos or a side dish.  The hot pepper may be omitted or exchanged for a more mild pepper.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Begin making the frittata by putting a tablespoon of oil in a large oven proof skillet over medium heat.  once hot, add the red bell pepper and mushroom. Sautee until the vegetables soften and then add the beans and zucchini.    Crack the eggs into a bowl. Mix half of the cheese into the eggs, add some freshly ground black pepper and even a bit of garlic powder if you like.  Beat gently.  Add the mixture to the vegetables and mix to disperse the veggies evenly through the eggs.  Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes and sprinkle the remainder of the cheese over the top of the egg mixture.  Put the pan into the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  If the frittata begins to brown, cover with the lid or aluminum foil.  After 20 minutes, the eggs should be set.  If not, allow to cook longer, watching carefully so the frittata doesn't become overdone.

Cut into pie shaped wedges and serve.  Mole sauce and/or yogurt sauce are wonderful with this frittata, as would be salsa or hot sauce.  I serve my frittatas with a side of fresh berries!

Enjoy.

Variations:

Greek:  Feta cheese, olives, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke
Italian: Tomatoes, italian sausage, fennel seed, parsley and asiago cheese
Spaghetti: tomatoes, cucumber, garlic and left over noodles
Simple:  Your favorite cheese

Use your imagination, anything goes!

Spicy Bean Soup.... a crock pot dish

So, I'm trying to work with my crock pot... here's the first go at it.

2 cups dried beans
1 head of garlic
4 cups water
1-2 cups additional water
........
1 cup sliced cooked carrots
1 cup salsa
1/2 -3/4 cup sofrito
2T ground cumin
1t cayenne pepper
........ OPTIONAL
1/2 lb frozen raw shrimp (or any green veggie you like)
3-4 garlic cloves minced
3 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced

RECIPE
Rinse 2 cups dried beans of your choice, removing any rocks or poor quality beans.  The bean can be any type; they can be mixed.  It is best that all the beans be the same size for even cooking.  Put them in a crock pot with 2 cups of water and a head of whole, peeled garlic cloves.  Turn the crock pot on high for one hour, then turn down to low until the beans are thoroughly cooked (12 hours or so and by so I mean so... keep adding water until the beans are thoroughly cooked.  It could take 16 or 18 hours).  Check the beans periodically to ensure they are completely covered with water.  Add water as necessary.  Add more than you think you need as you can always remove excess when the beans are cooked.

Once cooked add the sofrito, salsa, sliced cooked carrots and spices.  Stir through.

If you like (and you could actually do this with canned garbanzo's that are washed and drained, edamame beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts... anything green would work)...

You could also add shrimp to the dish.  Thaw and peel about 1/2 pound (2 cups) of raw shrimp.  Cut into bite sized pieces and place the shrimp (or veggies) into a bowl with 3 cloves of sliced garlic, a couple of sliced chives (including as much of the greens that look healthy) and 2 thinly sliced jalapeno peppers add about a tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper and enough olive oil to coat everything lightly.  Sautee until the shrimp just starts to turn pink (or until the veggies are cooked to your desire).  Add to the crock pot on low for about 5 minutes and then you are ready to serve.

Top with cheese, lime-coriander yogurt or a little hot sauce.

Enjoy!

Jen's quinoa/black bean/corn/tomato/avocado/cilantro/lime salad

This recipe is from friend and yogi Jennifer Lenhart and is simply terrific.  Simple-y.  ; ) 


1 cup quinoa; 2 cups water; 1 can black beans drained & rinsed; 2 cups fresh or frozen corn; 1 pint grape tomatoes halved; 1/2 cup onion diced; 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro minced; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 TBS red wine vinegar; 1 TBS lime juice and zest of 1 lime; 1 avocado cubed; salt & pepper


cook quinoa; meanwhile, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, & cilantro; add salt & pepper; allow quinoa to cool a bit then add to the veggies; add oil, vinegar, zest and juice from the lime and mix. Fold in avocado. 


YUMMO!


(Next day left-overs are delicious and savory by adding ground cumin and a healthy portion of chopped garlic)!


[Namaste].

Spicy Summer Linguine

When cooking for one or two people, I often make too much food to be eaten in one meal.  One of my favorite things to do is create new dishes from leftovers that allow me to enjoy the flavors in a new way.  So, here's one of this week's combinations that turned out terrific.

whole wheat linguine
mole sauce (here is the recipe for Mole Elena, a very light mole sauce)
salsa fresca (here is the recipe for Mexican Rice with Salsa Fresca)

Top one serving of linguine with 1/2 cup each of mole sauce and salsa fresca.  Top with a little sharp white cheddar (or better queso blanco) and freshly chopped cilantro.

This is a surprisingly delicious pasta.

Grilled Lemon Shrimp in Mole Sauce

Yes, you know it -- in my kitchen the fresh taste of citrus plays a major role in much of my cooking.  This is recipe is no different.  I use the bold taste of fresh lemon zest and juice to give the mole sauce a new life.

This dish is great as the basis for fajitas, served with mexican rice with salsa fresca, or rolled up into a tortilla with a nice helping of tahini slaw.

INGREDIENTS
1 bag of raw frozen shrimp (I use 41-50 count), thawed and peeled
4-5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 T chopped cilantro leaves
zest from one lemon
extra virgin olive oil
pinch of course grey salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
juice from one lemon to deglaze
2 cups mole sauce

RECIPE
Thaw and peel the shrimp, removing tails. (The shells may be reserved and frozen to include in a homemade seafood broth if you like).  Rinse and drain them, squeezing out water and set in a clean bowl.  Add enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the shrimp.  Add the sliced garlic, lemon zest, cilantro salt and pepper and set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.  Juice the lemon and set aside for later use.

Bring about 1 1/2 - 2 cups mole sauce to a gentle simmer in a large sautee pan.  In a separate sautee pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shrimp and marinade 8-10 pieces at a time, without over crowding.  Sear on one side and then move the shrimp to the mole sauce to continue cooking.  Continue until the entire batch is cooked.  When you are finished searing the shrimp, there will be a nice glaze on the pan.  Reduce the heat and pour in the reserved lemon juice.  Quickly scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the residue.  Add a splash of water if you don't have enough liquid.  Turn off the heat at add the remaining marinade.  Pour the released glaze and the marinade into the simmering mole with shrimp.

This is great served in a multitude of ways.  Enjoy using your own creativity.  I love to garnish it with a few sprigs of fresh cilantro!

Mushroom & Black Bean Enchiladas

This fourth of July was a difficult day for me, spending the holiday by myself.  Certainly, I wasn't going to fire up the grill, but I wanted something new and tasty and decided to make enchiladas and a great salad.  I started thinking about a nice rich dish and made a light but delicious mole sauce.

I rummaged through the pantry and found my some delicious ingredients that made this a wonderful and unusual treat.



INGREDIENTS:
1 package mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 12-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
3-5 T crushed tomatoes, tomato puree or tomato sauce
1 T extra virgin olive oil
black pepper to taste; pinch of salt (optional)
6 soft tortilla shells (I used wonderful spelt shells)
1 cup mole sauce 
1 package goat cheese, crumbled

RECIPE
Preheat oven to 400F.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and beans and a pinch of salt and saute.  Add the garlic when the vegetables begin to soften.  You will notice that the mushrooms absorb liquid rapidly.  The salt will help them to weep, keeping the mixture moist.  If it gets to dry, don't hesitate to add as much tomato sauce as you need to maintain a nice consistency as they cook.

Once the vegetables are cooked, your filling is finished.  Place about 2-3 T of the mushroom-bean filling in the center of your tortilla shell and roll it up.  Place the rolled tortilla in a glass baking dish.  Continue until all 6 tortillas are filled.  Top with mole sauce and goat cheese (white cheddar would be great here, too).

Bake in the oven at 400F until the cheese is slightly melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Mole Elena

While working around the yard on the 4th of July, I developed a taste for enchiladas.  I wanted a homemade sauce and decided to develop my own version of a mole sauce.  The sauce has a decidedly Mediterranean flair, as does the finished dish (Black Bean and Yam Enchiladas with Goat Cheese).

This is particularly spicy; you may reduce or omit dried chilis to suit your taste or your biology.  ; )

INGREDIENTS
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped
15 dried chilis
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 28-oz can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
40-oz water
2 t chili powder
1/2 t unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 t cinnamon

RECIPE
Bring a heavy-bottomed stock pot or large sauce pan to heat over medium flame.  Do not use a plain cast iron pan due to the acidity of this dish.  Once hot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.  Once the oil begins to shimmer add the onion and chilis.  Breaking the chilis will increase the spicy heat of the sauce, so, if you are cooking for an audience that doesn't tolerate heat, be sure to use only intact peppers. Stir as needed allowing to the onions to sear a bit.  They will stick somewhat to the pot.  Once the onion and dried peppers begin to soften and slightly carmelize, add the garlic.  Allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Turn up the heat to high and immediately add the tomato.  Quickly scrape the bottom of the pot, to deglaze it.  Now, add the water and remainder of spices and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat to medium and allow the mole to simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the chilis and discard them if you want a mild sauce.  Leave a few in if you want it hot. Using a sieve or a blender, you are going to puree the sauce.  I use my immersion blender for this (as well as for pureeing soups.  I find it to be a much safer choice with less risk of being burned.  If you are going to use a standard blender, allow the sauce to first cool to nearly room temperature before blending.  Then ill the blender to no more than half full, puree the sauce and pour the puree into another dish.  Continue until you have pureed all of the sauce  until the entire pot is nicely pureed.

This sauce will make a great topping for enchiladas or a wonderful marinade for any meat you might like to cook.

Here is a way to make it into a wonderful fresh pasta sauce adding salsa fresco.  Also, you can make use it as the base for a sauce for grilled lemon shrimp to serve over pasta, rice, quinoa, shredded cabbage or zucchini ribbons.  Sometimes, I'll even warm it serve it with a mexican-style frittata.

Quesedillas!

1/3 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed and minced
1 corn on the cob, with kernels shaved off
3-4 large white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 tomato, chopped
jalepeno, minced, if desired
2 heaping Tbsp of refried black beans
1/4 tsp cumin
salt to taste
quesedilla cheese
1/2 avocado, chopped
cilantro, chopped
Quesedilla in package

Take onions, garlic, mushrooms and corn and cook in pan until onions are cooked and corn is golden. Place in a bowl, and add mushrooms, tomato, jalapeno, black beans, cumin and salt. Mix together.

Place quesedilla on warm pan, add about 1 Tbsp cheese. let cheese begin to melt, and then add mixture from bowl. Cover and let cook until quesedilla is crunchy. Before serving, add avocado and cilantro, fold in half and serve immediately. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Serves 4. I recommend serving it with homemade salsa and chips and guacamole.

Corn and Edamame Salsa

This salsa is great with any Mexican style food (I make it in the winter when fresh corn on the cob isn't available).  Leftovers are terrific mixed into scrambled eggs the next day.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 cup frozen edamame beans
1/4 cup onion, diced to 1/8 inch pieces
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced to 1/8 pieces
1/4 cup cabbage, diced to 1/8 pieces
1 jalepeno pepper, finely minced
1 1/2 t chili powder
1 t garlic powder (NOT garlic salt; and not fresh garlic either if you are going to cook it by the method below)
1/2 t dried thyme
zest from 1 lemon
..--..--..--..--..--..--..--
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
..--..--..--..--..--..--..--
juice from 1/2 lemon

RECIPE
Put the frozen veggies in a bowl.  Add the remaining vegetables and lemon zest.  Mix thoroughly.  Coat lightly with olive oil and mix.  Add the spices crunching the time into the veggies, freshly ground pepper and a tiny pinch of salt if you like.  Mix thoroughly, set aside until all of the beans and corn is thawed, allowing the flavors to meld together. A half hour should do.  Longer, even overnight, will not hurt the dish.

Bring a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil to temperature over medium-high heat.  Add the salsa and cook, stirring nearly constantly until the edges of the vegetables begin to brown.  Deglaze with freshly squeezed lemon juice.   Remove from pan as soon as the lemon juice is reduced to avoid burning.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  It's great along side fish tacos, as a filling for quesadillas, or even chilled as a dip with chips.

My Favorite Yogurt Sauce

This is a very good sauce for spicy dishes...it replaces a dollop of sour cream and is more refreshing.

1 C plain or fat free yogurt (I only use organic dairy)

1 lime; zest and juice

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

pepper to taste

Place a metal sieve that can hold your yogurt over a bowl. Insert a cheesecloth, large flat coffee filter or a couple of paper towels over the sieve. Put the yogurt on top of the cloth to drain, refrigerated, for at least 1/2 hour.

Zest and juice a lime, making certain to strain out any seeds. With a mortar and pestle, grind the coriander seeds. The grindings don't have to be very fine; what you have the patience to do is okay. Mince the cilantro if you plan to add it.

Once the yogurt is strained (and anything really between unstrained and overnight is good depending on your preferred thickness and application), discard the residual liquid. Use a spoon or silicone spatula to transfer the thick yogurt to a bowl. Add your lime juice and spices and mix thoroughly. Add freshly ground pepper to the top and fold in.

Enjoy this on chili, Mexican rice, fish tacos, biryani, or any other dish that you would like a cooling influence.

Greek Variation (Tsatsiki)

Tsatsiki is often used as a condiment for gyros and other spicy Greek dishes, and includes:

1 cup yogurt

1/4 cup shredded cucumber, drained

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/8 cup fresh mint leaves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Indian Variation (Raita)

1/2 seeded, towel dried and diced cucumber

1/2 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced cilantro leaves (mint or italian parsley are fine if you don't prefer cilantro)

Mexican Rice with Salsa Fresca

Red Rice

2 T canola oil (or other high heat oil)

1T annato (achiote) seeds

1 sweet yellow onion (diced)

2/3 cup brown rice

Salsa Fresca

1.5 -2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (whichever variety look best t you)

4 scallions, sliced

1/2 cucumber, seeded and sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2-3 hot peppers, finely minced (option: if you cannot eat spicy food, mince 1/2 red pepper)

2 T cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

pepper to taste

Garnish

Very thin lemon slices

Avocado slices

sharp cheddar cheese

The Rice

In a small sauce pan (the smallest one you own) add the oil and annato on medium high heat. You do want the oil to be deep. Add a bit more, need be. Watch carefully as the oil turns a very dark bright red, but doesn't burn. After about 5-7 minutes of cooking, it will be done. Take the mixture off the heat and carefully strain the annato out of the oil through a small metal sieve into a pyrex measuring cup.

Once drained, transfer the very red oil into a saucepan big enough to cook the rice. It can be the same saucepan you used before. On medium heat add the diced onion. Once cooked, add the rice and turn the heat up to high. Continuously stir and sear the rice for 3-5 minutes. Add two cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat and set aside until room temperature.

The salsa

Chop tomato, cucumber and onion and place in a big bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly. Salt will cause this vegetables to weep and create a beautiful liquid. Add the remaining ingredients and mix at each addition. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour if you have time or allow to sit at room temperature depending on your preference.

Place the rice into a casserole dish or large bowl. Add the salsa and mix through. Top with your favorite garnish.

For a complete protein, add a can of black beans or a cup of reconstituted dried black beans to the rice.

Yogurt Coriander Sauce

Strain 1 cup of yogurt through a coffee filter for 1/2 hour. Add the zest and juice from 1 lime. Add 1 tablespoon of freshly crushed coriander seed. Top this or any chili, indian or mexican style dish with this yogurt sauce.

Tofu/Veggie Mexican Scramble

aka "Scrambled Eggs"

1 Tbsp oil

8 oz extra firm tofu, pressed and drained

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tomato, chopped

feta, to taste

salt/pepper to taste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric

avocado

salsa

cilantro

Heat oil, cook onion until starting to brown. Add garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and stir vigorously (you may wish to add oil more oil at this time). Add green pepper and crumble tofu in hands before dropping it into the pan. Continually stir, coating the tofu with spices. Any excess water will sweat out, and you can drain the pan if you need to. When tofu seems cooked, add tomatoes, feta and salt/pepper. Serve garnished with avocado slices, salsa, and cilantro (I like to serve it in a toasted pita).