Mexican-Style Noodles (Fideos Secos)

From Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibañez, John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

I had recently used part of a can of tomatillos and wanted to use up the remainder so decided to make these Mexican noodles. It looked like an interesting dish with four different kinds of dried chillies.

The first stage was to make the sauce. I turned on the oven grill and placed two arbol chillies in to roast while I prepared the tomatoes and tomatillos (interesting plurals there: tomatoes adds ‘es’ while tomatillos makes do with just ‘s’). The chillies needed watching as they can burn quickly. When they had changed colour and added a few bits of burn tp them they were taken out. The tomatoes were now added. They had been cored and given a small cross on the base. They went under the grill top-side up. The tomatillos went in as they were. When the tomatillos had browned somewhat they were taken out. The tomatoes were left until they had blackened and the skins had split.

While the tomatoes were roasting 4 guajillo chillies and 2 ancho chillies were split open, seeded and placed in a bowl of water to soak.

It was now time to blend all of the ingredients to make the sauce. The roasted arbols, the soaked guajillos and anchos went into the blender with the tomatoes and tomatillos. With them went 5 garlic cloves, a chopped white onion, a small piece of cinnamon stick, a little over a teaspoon of cumin seeds, a teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon sugar. A cup of stock was added and the mixture was churned until smooth. It then went through a sieve to remove any small pieces. The sauce was ready.

Noodles after they have been shallow fried.

For the noodles I had purchased spaghettini. A large saucepan was placed on the heat with about ¼ cup vegetable oil. Two pasillla chillies were added and sautéed until they had puffed up and become crisp. They were removed. The spaghettini was broken into halves and added a small amount at a time to the heated oil. It was cooked until it changed colour. Once done it went into a large bowl with kitchen paper to drain excess oil.

Now I made a tomatillo salsa to go with the noodles. In a blender I placed 5 tomatillos, 2 chopped red chillies, about 2 tablespoons of chopped white onion, a goodly amount of chopped coriander, a garlic clove and some salt. These were all churned until reasonably smooth. The salsa was made. I had a taste and it was great.

Fried noodles, fresh herb bouquet garni, tomatillo salsa, crisped pasillo chillies,  and sauce ready for the final stage.

It was now time to cook the noodles. In the saucepan in which the noodles were cooked there was a few tablespoons of oil left so the sauce was poured into this and cooked for a few minutes more. This helped alleviate the rather harsh taste of the raw garlic. Now 4 cups stock were added together with the noodles. They were stirred to fully mix and then brought to the boil and turned to a simmer to cook. A bouquet garni was made of 4 stems coriander, 2 stems fresh mint and 2 stems parsley. This was added to the mixture. It took about 10 minutes for the noodles to be cooked. The bouquet garni was removed and the noodles were served in bowls.

The noodles were now dressed with crumbled feta cheese, some crème fraîche softened with a little water so that is was a pouring consistency, slices of avocado, the tomatillo salsa, some of the crisped pasillo chillies crumbled and chopped coriander.

Though a bit of work to put this all together it was worth the effort. There was a wonderful depth of flavour to the sauce and a warmth that was totally satisfying—not hot but a cheery warming heat. And then there were all the additional tastes from the dressings: creamy cheese, smoky dried chilly, the bite of the salsa.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔

Vegetables in Modern Yellow Mole

From Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibañez, John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

This recipe was really for lamb to be cooked in the mole but I thought I could readily make the mole separately and serve it with vegetables for myself and with the lamb for my partner. This is the method I followed for my vegetable dish.

I took 2 guajillo chillies, sliced them in half and took out the seeds and veins. They were then put in a bowl and covered with water to soak for about half an hour.

In the meantime I took 2 dried arbol chillies and toasted them in a hot pan until they had changed colour and developed the odd black spot.

The guajillos and the arbols them went into the blender with 3 tomatillos (I used tinned as fresh were unobtainable), a good half cup of chopped coriander, ¼ cup masa harina, 2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon aniseed, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 6 black peppercorns, 2 cloves and ½ teaspoon salt. A cup of vegetable stock was added (the recipe called for the liquid from the braising lamb but I used stock instead). The mixture was churned until it was smooth and then put through a sieve.

I used half of this sauce in the lamb that was braising but the other half was for my vegetable dish. I added a carrot cut into pieces and a medium-sized potato peeled and cut into pieces. The mixture was brought to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes. I now added a zucchini cut into pieces and ½ cup peas to cook for another 10 minutes. I checked for seasoning and added a little salt.

I found this was a very acceptable vegetable dish. The rich velvety sauce of a mixture of spices and chillies served the vegetables really well. I had it with warmed tortillas rolled up and dipped into the sauce. There was enough left for the next evening when it was eaten with Mexican white rice. Now that I have tried this easier mole I’m ready to try some more involved ones and see where it leads me.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔

Fruit Guacamole (Guacamole con frutas)

From Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibañez, John Wiley, 2012.

I wanted something to go with quesadillas so settled on this fruit guacamole. It sounded a little unusual but somehow I rather liked the idea of combining fruits with chilli and a bit of salt.

I had bought a little roasted flaked coconut so did not have to roast my own as per the recipe. The remainder of the recipe was just to chop and mix. Into the mix went a little less than a quarter of a finely chopped white onion, a finely chopped hot red chilli, salt, half a peach peeled and chopped, 8 white grapes and 8 red grapes quartered and a handful of pomegranate seeds.

An avocado was now cut into small pieces and added to this mixture. It was all tossed well with a fork and the avocado squashed lightly to combine the ingredients a bit more. It was now ready.

I did enjoy this guacamole. The chilli heat and the salt seemed to add a wonderful tang against the mildness of the avocado and the sweet flavours of the fruits. One to have more often and one to try out with other fruit combinations.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔✔

Adobo de Guajillo

From Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibañez, John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

To make the adobo I took 6 guajillo chillies, split them and deseeded and deveined them. They were then dry roasted in a pan for a few minutes until the odours came through. As I did this I turned them frequently and pressed them down to make sure as much of the chilli as possible made contact with the pan. They were then soaked in water until soft, about half an hour.

Into the blender went the softened chillies together with a peeled garlic clove, salt, sugar, ground cumin, a splash of cider vinegar and about 1/3 cup of water. This was churned until smooth. It turned out to be a wonderfully red sauce, thick and well-flavoured.

I used it to make scrambled egg tortillas, and then, because it looked and tasted so good, I used it to marinate some chicken pieces for my partner who is not vegetarian.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Fresh Tomato Salsa with Parsley, Mint and Olive Oil (Salsa Libanesa)

From Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibañez, John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

I enjoyed this variation on the straight tomato salsa. It was easy to make and had the kick that I always enjoy in a salsa, and the occasional bits of mint were pleasing.

I cut up two tomatoes, removing the seeds. Also into the mix went about a third of a red onion, some olive oil, lime juice, sherry vinegar, chopped parsley, chopped mint leaves, sugar, cayenne pepper (in place of the Arbol Chile Powder which I did not have), salt, and a pinch of dried oregano. This was left for about an hour to let the flavours infuse and it was ready.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Zucchini and Corn with Cream

From Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibañez, John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

Before getting into the main part of this dish you need to prepare the tomatoes. Take about two, core them, then cut a small X on the other end of them. Place them cored side up in the oven under the grill and cook them until they are blackened and cooked through.

You can begin on the rest of the dish while the tomatoes are cooking. Chop a white onion, a couple of garlic cloves and a serrano chilli and cook them in a frying pan until they have softened.

Now add corn (about two cups), a teaspoon of dried oregano, a pinch of nutmeg and some ground black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the corn has lightly browned (about 5-7 minutes).

Next add chopped zucchini, about 3 cups, and cook until it starts to become tender.  The tomatoes can now be added, skinned and chopped roughly. About half a cup of double cream goes in as well and a cup of grated cheese. I used a tasty cheddar cheese. It is now stirred until it is ready to eat. Season it and add some chopped coriander before serving.

 

This was served with Mexican white rice and a heap of guacamole on the side.

The cream and cheese made this a richly smooth creamy dish, pleasant enough to eat for a casual type meal. I think I would add another chilli if I make it again.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Guacamole Típico (Classic Guacamole)

From Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibañez, John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

Whenever I have a meal out and order something that has guacamole in it I always feel that the guacamole is no more than mashed avocado. I had to try this recipe to see what the real guaca might actually taste like.

It began with work in a mortar and pestle. A little white onion, a chopped Serrano chilli, some salt and a heap of chopped coriander were pounded into a paste. An avocado was then defleshed and mixed in with the paste and some more chopped coriander. It was mashed lightly with a fork and it was ready to take a squeeze of lime juice and be eaten.

It was easy to see the difference between what I had eaten before and what I had now made.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔✔

Simple Roasted Tomato Salsa (Salsa Roja de Molcajete)/Super-Simple Enchiladas

From Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibañez, John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

The last salsa, a fresh one, I made from this book had an amazing punch to it so I was keen to see what a cooked salsa would be like. I chose a simple one to match the simple fresh one.

It was all very easy to do. The tomatoes and the chillies were roasted under the grill until blackened and cooked through. The chillies came out a lot earlier than the tomatoes.

The chillies were peeled and added with garlic and salt to a mortar and pestle and pounded into a paste. The tomatoes were skinned and added to the paste and pounded to become a rough puree. It was tasted and seasonings added.

I did not find this salsa had quite the bite that the raw one had, though it was still pretty good.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

I had a sauce made so I needed something to use it with. I decided on super-simple enchiladas.

Some tortillas were warmed up one by one in the frying pan. Then they were, one by one, dipped into the warm sauce until fully covered. They were folded in half while they were still in the sauce. Again they were folded and then put in the oven to keep warm while the others were done.

It was then simply a matter of placing the enchiladas on the plate for serving with some chopped onion, some sliced avocado, some grated cheese and some sliced greens. Tasty and easy.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔✔

Tomato Salsa with Quesadillas and Spinach and Mushroom

From Truly Mexican, Roberto Santibañez, John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

I am very fond of Mexican food. I occasionally try to cook it but never quite seem to be able to achieve anything near the real taste. So this book, I hope, will be able to help me master something nearer to proper Mexican cuisine.

The book concentrates on the sauces and condiments giving instructions on how to achieve the best results with these. So the book is arranged into sections according to these elements: salsas, guacamoles, adobos, moles and pipianes. In each section the reader goes through a series of instructions on making the sauce or condiment. The section then ends with some recipes for using these elements in particular dishes. The author hopes that once a person has achieved success with the sauce or condiment they will be able to construct their own recipes.

The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. I began with a salsa, a pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa). This was the easiest salsa to make. All of the ingredients were mixed together, it was seasoned and served.

This was a salsa with a great tang to it and one I think I would go back to whenever I am preparing a salsa dip for other occasions.

The recipe ends with suggestions for what to serve it with. These were generally not vegetarian so I settled on having it with quesadillas, the instructions for which were in a later section of the book. Again these were simple to make, though once again I should mention the difficulty in Sydney of obtaining corn tortillas.

As a side I made sautéed spinach and mushrooms, again from the end section of the book.

This turned out to be a very satisfying meal (salsa, quesadillas and spinach with mushrooms) with lots of flavour and spicy bite that I like.

I’ll be back into this book again soon, I think.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔