1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
teaspoon sea salt
1 cups vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
IN A small saucepan over low heat, saute the garlic and jalapeno in oil until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomatillos and salt, saute until the tomatillos begin to soften and release moisture, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, bring to a slow boil, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat, let cool until it is not steaming, then add the cilantro and lime juice. Pour into a blender and blend until relatively smooth, about 30 seconds.
GREEN PUMPKIN-SEED MOLE.
MAKES A LITTLE OVER 2 CUPS.
TIME: 20 MINUTES.
A thick diplike sauce made from pumpkin seeds, herbs, tomatillos and peppers, this mole will turn any Mexican type of meal into a revolutionary uprising. Canned tomatillos makes this thick sauce a snap to prepare; the only cooking required is the toasting of the pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas). It's wonderful with rice and beans, and especially delish with Corn Pudding (page 15).
1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
4 whole black peppercorns
1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
1 cup lightly packed fresh parsley
1 (7- to 8-ounce) can tomatillos
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, coarsely chopped
2 scallions, white part discarded, chopped coarsely
2 lettuce leaves (such as romaine or green leaf), torn into pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
cup olive oil
Tomatillos are readily available in the "ethnic" section of most supermarkets. If you can't find them, you can use salsa verde; just check that the ingredients list contains nothing more than tomatillos, garlic, and cilantro.
HEAT A large skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the pumpkin seeds, turning occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a food processor or blender (a food processor works better). Add the peppercorns and pulse into a coarse powder.
Add everything else save the olive oil and grind into a thick paste. Add the olive oil and blend for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the processor to incorporate all the ingredients. Add salt to taste (it may not even be necessary).
CHILE-CHOCOLATE MOLE.
MAKES 3 CUPS.
TIME: 30 MINUTES.
Not authentic by any means, this spin-off of traditional mole poblano takes a few modern shortcuts to whip up a thick, rich sauce with a complex blend of hot, sweet, bitter, and nutty flavors. Highly versatile, this mole can be used for any number of Mexican specialties, such as enchiladas, tamales, tostadas, and so on. The simplest way to enjoy it as a hearty entree is to simmer vegetables and other foods on the stove-top, as in Vegetables or Seitan in Mole Sauce (page 185).
Spice mixture: cup sliced almonds
cup crushed tortilla chips
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon aniseeds
3-4 teaspoons chile powder, preferably a mix of ground ancho and chipotle
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
teaspoon ground cumin
teaspoon ground allspice