AYOCOTES WITH WATERMELON RADISH

Recently I had a recipe, which can be found below, featured in the Rancho Gordo Newsletter!  #grateful.  I l-o-v-e the Rancho Gordo bean selection and I especially appreciate the work they do with small farmers in Mexico for their XOXOC Project.   Be sure to go to their website so you too can sign up to receive their bi-monthly spread, spilling with heirloom bean recipes - it's a present in your mailbox every two weeks.  And, thanks to the owner/founder Steve Sando for sharing the recipe, I look forward to cooking with you in Napa soon! - Felicia

"Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz is a wonderful teacher in Phoenix, Arizona. She practices holistic healing, through food and energy, via her Kitchen Curandera. She loves cooking and teaching and this simple salad represents her commitment to indigenous ingredients and culture. I find what she does incredibly romantic and hope to meet her in person soon!" - Steve Sando

Kitchen Curandera Ayocotes with Watermelon Radish
Serves 6

Salad:
1 Watermelon Radish, sliced thinly, preferably with a mandoline
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, sliced thinly, preferably with a mandoline
1 pink grapefruit, segmented
1 cup cooked Ayocotes (such as Rancho Gordo Scarlet Runners, Ayocote Morado or Ayocote Blanca beans)
Spring Greens Salad Blend

Dressing:
1 large Meyer Lemon, juiced
2 T. olive oil
1 T. whole grain mustard
1 tsp. runny honey
¼ tsp. sea salt

On a large platter, assemble the salad by gently layering the salad ingredients.

To make the dressing, place all the dressing ingredients in a small jar with a lid, and shake well.  

To serve, using a spoon, drizzle half of the dressing over the salad, reserving the remaining dressing to be served at the table, if desired. 

You can read more about Ayocotes and purchase them from Rancho Gordo HERE. 

FIERY HARISSA

FIERY HARISSA

Thick, lusciously red, and rather addicting…harissa is one of my favorite condiments to have on hand! Harissa is found all across North Africa, prepared using a blend of chiles and olive oil. It can also include other ingredients such as preserved lemons, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and fragrant spices. Having travelled to Morocco long ago, my memory is that each restaurant had their very own paste just as I imagine each household would.

If you look at the ingredient list of store bought varieties, they are often made with canola oil — making this one condiment I will always make at home as I do my best to avoid highly processed, industrial oils like corn, soybean, and canola. Lastly, it really is food history in a jar as chiles of all varieties have been cultivated for thousands of years in Mexico and are believed to have made their way to North Africa via the Spanish colonizers. Here is my simple recipe using New Mexican red chiles with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes found in my book.

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 New Mexican chiles, stemmed, seeded, softened in hot water, drained

2 Guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, softened in hot water, drained

1 - 2 homemade or store-bought sun-dried tomatoes, in olive oil

½ tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ C. cold pressed olive oil

juice of one lemon

In a small sauce pan, gently warm olive oil, then add minced garlic. Stir just a minute or so, until garlic is fragrant, being careful not to brown the garlic. Take sauce pan off the heat to cool slightly. 

Using a food processor, combine the chiles, sun-dried tomato, sea salt, coriander, cumin, lemon juice, and garlic infused oil.  Pulse until the mixture is spreadable. 

BREAKFAST CHIA PUDDING WITH PECAN-AMARANTH MILK

GUEST CHEF VALERIE DUEÑAS

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of working with Valerie Dueñas of Cocina House - located in Pasadena, California.  She made the journey here to Phoenix to work with me and my team for an event showcasing Native foods of the Southwest.  Her gentle spirit speaks through her food, and I am grateful to her for sharing this recipe and information with us for my first guest chef contribution.  

"I chose this recipe, because as someone with autoimmune issues and lactose intolerance, it hasn't been easy finding breakfast foods that I can digest well. The SAD (standard American diet) typically includes sugary, high glycemic starch, milk, and fatty meats, so I've had to research protein packed, nutrient dense, yet light foods on my own. Along the way, I've learned that a lot of the ingredients on the health food market have their origins in a big part of my Mexican culture and ancestry and are Native Turtle Island ingredients. 

I consider this recipe healing firstly, because I feel tied emotionally to some of the ingredients. When I traveled to Mexico as a kid the flavors of amaranth and fresh pecans where present in sweet treats that I loved eating. The nutritional content comes next, for example there's: protein and omega 3 fatty acids in chia, and essential trace minerals in nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds contain the very important mineral magnesium), and energy and muscle building amino acid lysine which is found in amaranth, not to mention the antioxidants in berries and turmeric, and fiber in figs. Chia also helps with bowel movements, but it should be noted that a chia breakfast should be accompanied by drinking a healthy amount of water all day, as high fiber foods can sometimes cause you to feel bloated if you are not drinking enough water (however the bloat will go away for most as soon as you have a bowel movement)".  - Chef Valerie Dueñas

BREAKFAST CHIA PUDDING WITH PECAN-AMARANTH MILK (adapted from a recipe created for Golden Hour Herbal Company)

SERVES 1

AMARANTH - PECAN MILK

14 oz. Pecan milk*

1 T. amaranth flour

2 T. maple syrup

½ tsp. cinnamon

CHIA AND FRUIT BLEND

2 ½ T. white or black chia

1/8 C. chopped nuts (pre-soaked) or pumpkin seeds 

1/8 C. blueberries

Several slices seasonal low acid fruit 

(i.e. fig, banana)

Turmeric powder

STEPS:

*Pecan Milk: Prepare in advance by soaking 1 cup of pecans in warm water with ½ tsp sea salt, for 7-24 hours. When preparing the milk, drain and rinse pecans, add to high -peed blender with 4 cups spring water. Pour contents into nut milk bag and hand press milk. Yields about 3 ¾ cups milk.

Add 14 oz. pecan milk, amaranth flour, maple syrup, and cinnamon to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for about 10 seconds. Pour into saucepan and heat on medium until warm (slightly warmer than body temperature), but do not allow it to become hot or boil. Cool if needed, set aside. In a 16 oz. mason jar, add the chia, walnuts, and berries. Pour in the Amaranth Pecan milk. Whisk the chia blend slightly with a fork to ensure that no seed clumps are sticking to the bottom or sides of the jar. 

Close lid tightly and shake vigorously. Allow chia seeds to sit and expand for at least 20 minutes. There should be a clear gelatinous coating around each chia seed, and the overall texture will be not be too thick; it should be dense enough to spoon, but should slide off your spoon easily. Add fruit slices to the top of the jar (fruit may be diced as well to fit more easily). Top with a light sprinkling of turmeric. Close lid tightly. Can be served in a bowl as well, as pictured. Best served warmed or at room temperature, but will keep in refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Follow Valerie and learn more about her catering and personal chef services on instagram @cocinahouse and at cocinahouse.bigcartel.com.

SALSA DE MOLCAJETE WITH CHILTEPINS

SALSA DE MOLCAJETE WITH CHILTEPINS

MAKES 2 CUPS

4 medium tomatoes
8 dried chiltepins
½ white onion, peeled, sliced in half
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
Optional: Blue corn chips for dipping

Roast tomatoes and onion pieces over medium heat on a cast iron griddle, turning until tomatoes are blistered on all sides and onions are soft. Set aside to cool slightly. Using a molcajete or mortar and pestle, coarsely grind chiltepins with sea salt and Mexican oregano. Next, working in batches, add roasted tomatoes and onion pieces. Continue grinding ingredients until tomatoes and onion break down and you have a chunky salsa. Season to taste. Serve in the molcajete, with blue corn tortilla chips for dipping.