AGUACHILE VERDE

Serves 4

1 LB. JUMBO SEA SCALLOPS (ALSO LABELLED AS “U/10”)
2 OCTOPUS TENTACLES, COOKED
JUICE OF 6 LIMES (ABOUT ¾ CUP)
2 TABLESPOONS OF MIJENTA BLANCO
2 CHILES SERRANOS, STEMMED AND SEEDED
1 ENGLISH CUCUMBER, PEELED AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED
2 SPRIGS CILANTRO
2 SPRIGS PARSLEY
½ TEASPOON SALT

2 RADISHES, SLICED THIN
1 AVOCADO, CUBED
CILANTRO LEAVES, FOR GARNISH
TORTILLA CHIPS

SLICE THE JUMBO SCALLOPS THIN, ABOUT 3 OR 4 PIECES PER SCALLOP. SLICE THE OCTOPUS ON A SLIGHT DIAGONAL AS THIN AS YOU CAN. PLACE SEAFOOD IN A BOWL, ADD LIME JUICE AND TOSS WELL. REFRIGERATE FOR 10 MINUTES; YOU ONLY WANT A SLIGHT “PICKLE” HERE SINCE SCALLOPS ARE ALSO DELICIOUS RAW.

DRAIN THE LIME JUICE FROM THE SCALLOPS DIRECTLY INTO A BLENDER JAR. ADD 2 TABLESPOONS OF MIJENTA BLANCO. ADD CHILES, CUCUMBER, CILANTRO, PARSLEY, SALT, AND PURÉE UNTIL VERY SMOOTH, ABOUT 3 MINUTES. STRAIN.

DIVIDE SCALLOP/OCTOPUS MIXTURE AMONG SIX SMALL BOWLS, PILING INTO TALL MOUNDS. DIVIDE THE CUCUMBER LIQUID AMONG THE BOWLS. GARNISH WITH RADISH, AVOCADO, CUCUMBER AND RED ONION, AND SERVE WITH TORTILLA CHIPS.

CHILES RELLENOS

Serves 4

4 POBLANO CHILES
½ MEDIUM WHITE ONION, CHOPPED
1 GARLIC CLOVE, CHOPPED
6 PLUM TOMATOES, CHOPPED
1 PINCH DRIED THYME
1 PINCH DRIED OREGANO
1 CHIPOTLE MORITA
½ POUND QUESO OAXACA, GRATED (CAN SUBSTITUTE MOZZARELLA)
6 EGGS, SEPARATED
¼ CUP FLOUR
½ CUP VEGETABLE OIL

ROAST CHILES UNTIL BLACKENED OVER GAS BURNERS. LET COOL AND PEEL SKIN. THEN SPLIT OPEN, REMOVE SEEDS AND FILL WITH GRATED CHEESE.

HEAT POT OVER MEDIUM HEAT AND COAT WITH VEGETABLE OIL. ADD ONION AND GARLIC AND COOK UNTIL SOFT. ADD TOMATOES AND CHIPOTLE, THYME AND OREGANO, AND COOK UNTIL TOMATOES SOFTEN. BLEND WELL.

WHIP THE EGG WHITES IN A LARGE BOWL UNTIL THEY MAKE STIFF PEAKS, THEN MIX IN THE EGG YOLKS. PLACE FLOUR ON A PLATE. DREDGE CHILES IN FLOUR AND THEN PASS THEM THROUGH THE EGGS TO COAT. ADD TO THE OIL IN A SINGLE LAYER. COOK UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN ON BOTH SIDES, ABOUT 3 MINUTES PER.

TO SERVE, PLACE A GENEROUS SPOONFUL SAUCE ONTO PLATES, AND PLACE ONE CHILE ON TOP. SERVE WITH WHITE RICE AND BLACK BEANS.

TUNA TOSTADA

Serves 4

12 SLICES OF SASHIMI GRADE TUNA, SLICED THIN

1 TBSP SALSA VALENTINA
1 TSP OF JUGO MAGGI
1 TSP OF SOY SAUCE
1 TSP OF LIME JUICE
1 TSP OF AVOCADO/OLIVE/GRAPESEED OIL

2TSP OF CREAM CHEESE
2TSP OF MAYONAISE
½ AVOCADO
½ CHILE SERRANO FINELY CHOPPED

1 TOSTADA
1 RED ONION, SLICED VERY THIN

MIX VALENTINA, MAGGI, SOY AND LIME JUICE AND PLACE OVER THINLY CUT SLICED TUNA TO MARINATE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES.

MIX CREAM CHEESE AND MAYO UNTIL DISSOLVED TOGETHER AND THEN ADD AVOCADO, SERRANO MIX TOGETHER. SEASON WELL WITH SALT.

FRY RED ONION INTO CRISPY OVER LOW HEAT IN A SMALL FRYING PAN, FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES.

ON THE TOSTADA SPREAD A LAYER OF THE AVOCADO MIX. THEN TOP WITH MARINATED TUNA, TOP WITH A CLOUD OF RED ONIONS AND SERVE.

MOLE MIJENTA

Serves 4

3 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
1 WHITE ONION, THINLY SLICED
3 CLOVES GARLIC, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
6 ANCHO CHILES, STEMMED AND SEEDED
3 COSTEÑO CHILES, STEMMED AND SEEDED
3 GUAJILLO CHILES, STEMMED AND SEEDED
2 ANCHO CHILES, STEMMED AND SEEDED
2 TABLESPOONS SESAME SEEDS
1 TEASPOON DRIED OREGANO
1 (3-INCH) PIECE CANELA (MEXICAN CINNAMON)
1 TEASPOON GROUND ALLSPICE
½ TEASPOON GROUND CLOVES
1 TEASPOON DRIED THYME
¼ CUP BLANCHED ALMONDS
¼ CUP PEANUTS
1 TSP OF ANISE SEEDS
2 CORN TORTILLAS, TORN INTO SMALL PIECES
5 PLUM TOMATOES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
½ CUP RAISINS
4 OUNCES DARK (SEMISWEET) CHOCOLATE, PREFERABLY MEXICAN CHOCOLATE, CHOPPED ROUGHLY
8 CUPS CHICKEN STOCK (OR VEG STOCK)
ROAST CHICKEN SEPARATELY AND ADD THE MOLE. FOR VEGETARIAN OPTION, IT CAN BE REPLACED BY WILD MUSHROOMS OR ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

ROAST CHILES UNTIL BLACKENED OVER GAS BURNERS. LET COOL AND PEEL SKIN. THEN SPLIT OPEN, REMOVE SEEDS AND FILL WITH GRATED CHEESE.

HEAT A DUTCH OVEN (OR OTHER LARGE HEAVY POT) OVER MEDIUM-LOW HEAT AND ADD OIL. ADD THE ONION AND GARLIC AND COOK TO JUST SOFTEN.

ADD ALL THE CHILES AND COOK UNTIL AROMATIC, THEN ADD THE SESAME SEEDS, OREGANO, CANELA, ALLSPICE, CLOVES, THYME, ANISE, ALMONDS, AND PEANUTS AND COOK FOR ANOTHER 5 MINUTES TO TOAST THE NUTS AND BLEND FLAVORS. ADD THE TORTILLAS AND COOK FOR ANOTHER 3 MINUTES, SO THEY SOFTEN AND ABSORB THE SPICES. THEN ADD THE TOMATOES AND RAISINS AND COOK FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES MORE TO HEAT THROUGH. ADD THE CHOCOLATE AND CHICKEN STOCK, SCRAPING UP ANY BROWNED BITS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN.

RAISE THE HEAT TO MEDIUM HEAT AND BRING TO A SIMMER AND COOK FOR ABOUT 1HR.

BLEND WELL AND RETURN THE MOLE TO THE POT AND COOK OVER LOW HEAT FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, STIRRING FREQUENTLY TO AVOID STICKING.