WINTER SALAD WITH PONCHE VINAIGRETTE BY GUEST CHEF MARLENE AGUILAR

I'm pleased to share this super-nutritious salad from Chef Marlene Aguilar.  However, let me begin by saying that the word "chef" can be a rather generic title for someone who tells such stories with her food.  So I asked Marlene what she prefers to call herself, and her answer was perfect: Community Cocinera with an Indigenous Plant-Based Sazón. Dang, now that's a title!

Cocinera Marlene Aguilar is one half of Cocina ManaKurhini, a mobile pop-up kitchen in Los Angeles, California where they state, "our dishes are humble renditions showcasing the fine culinary art of Mesoamerican/Indigenous foods through creative and ceremonial expressions that channel ancestral flavors of knowledge into your body and its genetic memory".  All I know for certain is that Marlene's creative dishes are thoughtful, visually stunning, and radiate with love.  This is why I'm so very appreciative she took time out of her busy work week to share that LOVE with a vibrantly-colored winter salad using one of my favorite edible flowers - hibiscus!

If you're in Los Angeles and crave seasonal dishes that honor the area and it's people, be sure to check out the links listed below - your body and spirit will be happy you did. 

"Community Cocinera with an Indigenous Plant-Based Sazón"

 

WINTER SALAD WITH PONCHE VINAIGRETTE

2-4 servings

WINTER SALAD

4-8 oz. romeritos*, rinsed 

1 lb. jicama, peeled, medium dice

1 lb. castilla squash, peeled, seeds removed, medium dice  

toasted pepitas, for garnish, to taste

sea salt, or your favorite salt, to taste

PONCHE VINAIGRETTE

Yields approx. 2-2 ½ cups

8 oz. guayabas (guavas) 

4 oz. tejocotes**

dried hibiscus flowers***, generous handful

1 garlic clove, peeled

1/4 cup water or more depending on desired consistency

1/4 cup agave syrup

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons oil (I used grapeseed oil)

sea salt, or your favorite salt, to taste

*Romeritos are a wild edible green native to Mexico.  You can substitute romeritos with any other winter green such as baby spinach.  

**Tejocotes are native to the mountainous regions of Mexico and are often used as the main ingredient in a punch (ponche) served at Christmas time.  You can substitute tejocotes with crab apples or regular apples if you are unable to source them. 

***Dried hibiscus flowers are sometimes labeled Jamaica Flowers.

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F and bring a pot of water to boil over high heat.  Meanwhile, prepare an "ice bath" by filling a medium sized bowl with cool water and ice cubes, set aside.  

2. Place romeritos in boiling water, and blanch them until they turn bright green in color.

3. Strain romeritos using a colander, then quickly place blanched romeritos in prepared ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Strain romeritos once again and set aside.

4. While oven continues to heat up, peel jicama and squash (discard seeds from squash or save for another recipe). Dice into cubes and place in mixing bowl.  Add enough oil to coat cubes, toss to evenly distribute oil.  Season with salt. 

5. Spread cubes evenly on a sheet pan. Roast in oven until cubes are tender and lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes.

6. Place guayabas, tejocotes, and hibiscus in a medium sized sauce pan and add just enough water to cover.

7. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer and cook until fruit is tender.

8. Reserving the cooking liquid, strain the fruit and hibiscus mixture using a colander set over a bowl, or, alternatively you can remove the cooked fruit and hibiscus using a slotted spoon.  Once the tejocotes are cool enough to handle, remove the pits.  Add the fruit and hibiscus mixture to a blender, using some of the reserved cooking liquid, and blend until smooth.  

9. Strain pureed fruit mixture using a fine mesh strainer to remove guayaba seeds.  Rinse blender pitcher to remove any remaining seeds before continuing on to the next step.  

10. Add fruit puree, garlic, agave syrup, apple cider vinegar, and ¼ cup of water to the blender. With the blender on, slowly pour in oil by removing blender cap from lid.  Add more water if needed, until desired consistency is reached.  Season with salt to taste.  Set aside to allow mixture to cool.  

11. Place blanched romeritos and roasted vegetables in a serving dish, gently combine.  Garnish with toasted pepitas and add vinaigrette to taste.

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Marlene Aguilar on IG

Vegan Meal Service by Marlene Aguilar

TRI-DOSHA MUNG BEANS WITH GOLDEN BEETS

I'm not going to lie, it's super nice in Phoenix right now.  Like 80 degree nice and it's the first week of January.  However, the nights do dip down into the 40's and 50's, and for us Desert People, that is cold!  I wanted to put together a simple dish with plenty of spices to warm up my digestive system and get my juices flowing!  

This aromatic dish is easy to digest for me using green mung beans - which are protein rich and have a detoxifying effect on the body.  Ayurvedically speaking, the blend of spices in the dish help balance all three doshas making it beneficial for everyone. The coconut  can increase the kapha dosha in excess, so if this is something you are trying to mindful of, you can simply omit the coconut.  I do, however, like the slight sweetness of the coconut in this small amount. 

TRI-DOSHA MUNG BEANS WITH GOLDEN BEETS

SERVES 4

1 C. green mung beans

1/4 C. shredded unsweetened coconut

3 - 5 C. water

1 T. ghee (you can substitute coconut oil)

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

1 tsp. turmeric

5 cardamom pods

1 tsp. coriander seeds

1 cinnamon stick

pinch of asafoetida powder

1 tsp. sea salt

1 lime, cut into wedges

1 large golden beet, diced small, or other organic chopped seasonal vegetables

Pour mung beans into a bowl, rinse thoroughly and drain. Add 3 cups of water and soak
for at least 3 hours. Drain. 

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt ghee.

2. Add the cumin, mustard, coriander, cinnamon, and cardamom to the pan and listen for the “pop” sound that the mustard seeds will make when they are heated to the appropriate temperature. This should take about 1 minute if the pan is hot. (Watch carefully so you don't burn the spices.)

3. Pour the soaked mung beans in the saucepan with the the garlic, turmeric, asafoetida powder, and coconut.  Add 3 cups of water, adding more when needed.  Add golden beets.  Stir.  

4. Cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes, or until the mung beans are soft and the beets are cooked through.  Add sea salt to taste.   

Serve with basmati rice, brown rice, or quinoa and a fresh squeeze of lime. 
 

BLUE CORN MAIDEN WAFFLES

This family favorite recipe was made for the Forks Over Knives site, I am so happy they loved them!

“Blue Corn is an absolute staple to Pueblo Peoples diets and something that I grew up eating since I was a small child,” says Cocotzin Ruiz. Her blue corn waffles get their fluffy-crunchy texture from a combination of blue cornmeal and whole wheat flour. “They are quite light, and I enjoy eating them without any syrup as the sweetener is already in the batter,” she adds. Look for blue cornmeal, which tastes a little nuttier than yellow cornmeal, in the bulk bins at health food stores or Whole Foods Market. Bob’s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills both sell it packaged. If you can’t find blue corn, these waffles will still taste great made with yellow cornmeal.

The FOK team loved them with frozen blueberries, but you can also substitute the same measure of fresh or dried blueberries.

Instructions:

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. In a large measuring cup, use a spoon to stir together almond milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, blueberries, and walnut pieces.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients, mixing with a spoon until smooth.

5. Cook waffles according to waffle iron instructions.

Photo by Lindsay Moe

VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SQUASH FIDEO SOUP BY GUEST CHEF CLAUDIA SERRATO

Guest Chef Claudia Serrato from East Los Angeles is a woman who walks her talk.  She is a Ph.C. mama who works as a chef and educator, raising awareness on the benefits of an indigenous plant-based diet. In 2015 she interviewed me on being a Xicana in the kitchen, in which she shared her thoughts on womb ecology and the taste memories of our community.  It was a profound moment for me because I was just finding "my people" in this indigenous foods movement, and she was one of the few women chefs in the same arena.  I'm grateful we have stayed connected and I look forward to seeing what upcoming projects she has in store for the future, including her work with Cocina Manakurhini.  See her delicate and beautiful recipe below for her take on a family favorite - Sopa de Fideo. 

"As a youth, Sopa de Fideo was part of my staple diet. My mother and grandmother always made sure to have a warm pot on the stove. This soup was a symbol of love and represented what I understood at the time, my "Mexicanness." I was and still am very proud of my cultural heritage and enjoyed it more when I was able to taste it. I looked forward in eating Sopa de Fideo even as I grew into my teens and young adulthood as it too brought comfort and a feeling of home. Once I birthed my own children, I wanted to continue sharing love through food with them and despite the stigma placed onto soups like Sopa de Fideo (poverty food or food for the poor), it represented the richness of memory, the richness of my culture, and the richness of family. Today, both my children (son is 20 and daughter is 6) crave these flavors and together we make this food from scratch and alter it every time by adding vegetables that are accessible to us. It brings us together as a little family. The rewards in making this soup is when I hear my children say "yum" and when they taste it and smile." - Claudia

VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SQUASH FIDEO SOUP

Ingredients: (serves 10)

2 Spaghetti Squash 

2 Zucchinis

3 Tomatoes

4 Corns

1/2 Onion

1 Garlic clove

10 cups of Vegetable broth

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Cut Spaghetti Squash (length) in half and scoop out seeds. Then coat in grapeseed oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Place faced down on baking sheet and once oven is ready, please on top shelf for 40-45 minutes. (should pierce with a fork). Take out of oven and let cool by flipping squash over. Once cool to touch, take a fork and scrape meat of squash out unto a plate.   

3. Cut tomatoes in 1/4 pieces and blend with onion, garlic, and 3 cups of vegetable broth. Once blended place inside a soup/stock pot with remaining 7 cups of broth and heat over medium heat until boil. Then, drop heat to a low simmer.  

4. Dice Zucchini and Cut corn off cobs. Place a sauté pan on medium heat and lightly sauté zucchini and corn until tender. Add salt to taste. Set aside. 

5. Combine spaghetti squash, zucchini and corn into soup pot and let simmer together for about 10 minutes. You may raise heat to medium low. 

6. Serve into bowls

7. Can be eaten with tortillas and can add a squirt of lemon with a scoop of home made salsa. Provecho! 

You can find Claudia on three different IG platforms, spirit_plate, cocina_manakurhini, and wombyn76, or, you can connect with her via email at wombyn@gmail.com. 

BORANI YE BADEMJOON - PERSIAN EGGPLANT YOGURT DIP

This is the recipe for the delicious eggplant dish that Mahfam prepared during our meeting in her home.  You can read about that visit HERE and learn more about her growing business, M.A.H.F! 

BORANI YE BADEMJOON BY CHEF MAHFAM MOEENI-ALARCON

1 lb. eggplant (Mediterranean eggplant)
1-2 red bell peppers
2 medium onions, sliced thin (julienne)
2-3 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves garlic (smashed, minced)
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh herbs for garnish (mint, parsley)

Preheat oven to 400

Prick the eggplant with a fork a few times and place on a sheet pan. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the skin is charred.

Add the red peppers 15 minutes before the eggplant is done to the sheet pan and roast till skin is charred (the longer it roasts the smokier the flavor). Once roasted, place the eggplant and peppers in a bowl and cover in plastic wrap.

While the eggplant is roasting, caramelize the onions with 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Stir occasionally. Caramelize until dark, golden color. Set aside.

Once the eggplant and peppers have cooled, peel off the skin. Put the flesh in a separate bowl and mix the garlic with a fork, rustically smashing the eggplant with the garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. De-seed the peppers, slice the peppers thinly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Assemble:  place the yogurt in a shallow bowl. Top with eggplant mixture, add the slices of peppers and caramelized onions and rustically tear the fresh herbs and scatter on top.

Enjoy as a dip with fresh, warm pita or baguettes.