Naturally Healthy Mexican Cooking: Authentic Recipes for Dieters, Diabetics & All Food Lovers

FEW IN THE United States are aware of the emphasis that Mexican cuisine puts on vegetarian dishes. It should not be surprising because before the Spanish arrived, the people relied principally on vegetables. Today, most Mexican towns of any size have at least one vegetarian restaurant. However, Tex-Mex and other branches of Mexican American cooking, where most of our experience comes from, put little emphasis on vegetables.

RECIPES FROM OTHER SECTIONS

In addition to the following entrée recipes, there are many recipes in other sections of this book that qualify as vegetarian or can do so with very little modification, including the following:

Drinks

Low-calorie Cactus Smoothie

Atoles

Champurrado

Aguas Frescas

Horchata de Melón

Margarita

Sangría

Sangrita

Tortillas

Corn Tortillas

Flour Tortillas (made without animal fat)

Hybrid Tortillas (made without animal fat)

Salsas

Salsa Fresca

Salsa de Tomatillos Asados

Roasted-Tomato and Pumpkin Seed Salsa

Jalisco-style Pico de Gallo

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

Salsa Ranchera

Mango Salsa

Salsa Habanero

Arizona-style Salsa

Pasilla Chile Salsa

Salsa X’nipek

Ancho and Chile de Árbol Salsa

Chile Pequín Salsa

The Ultimate Mojo de Ajo Sauce

Salsa de Chile

Cebollas en Escabeche

Pico de Gallo

Olive Salsa

Salsa de Molcajete

Yucatán-style Tomato Salsa

Romesco Sauce

Chimichurri Sauce

Cranberry-Jalapeño Jelly

Appetizers

Pickled Chiles and Vegetables

Hot Garlic Peanuts

Pepitas

Guacamole

Rice, Beans, and Other Side Dishes

Arroz a la Mexicana (use vegetable broth or water in place of chicken broth)

Saffron Rice (use vegetable broth or water in place of chicken broth)

Arroz Huérfano (use vegetable broth or water in place of chicken broth and omit the ham)

Brown Rice

Frijoles de Olla

Frijoles Charros (made without the bacon and chorizo or with vegetarian substitutes)

Quick Beans

Santa Maria–style Beans (omit the bacon and ham or use vegetarian substitutes)

Refried Beans (made with olive oil)

Mexican Street Corn

Roasted-Garlic Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes Mashed with Coconut Milk and Roasted Garlic

Calabacitas

Seared Rajas

Caramelized Rajas

Grilled Rajas

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Carrots

Pozole Side Dish

Savory Corn Fritters

Calabacitas y Nopalitos

Grilled Prickly Pear Cactus

Quinoa

Soups

Sopa Tarasca (use vegetable broth or water in place of chicken broth)

Caldo de Frijoles Negros (use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth)

Caldo Tlapeño (use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and tofu instead of chicken)

Gazpacho

Sopa de Lima (use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth and tofu instead of chicken)

Sopa Poblana (use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth)

Salads

Ensalada Tequilero

Ensalada Caesar (omit the anchovy paste and Worcestershire sauce)

Ensalada de Col

Egg Dishes

Tortilla Española

Huevos Tirados

Ojos de Buey

Chilaquiles Sencillos

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Beneficiosos

Antojitos Mexicanos

Relleno de Hongos

Spinach Filling

Huitlacoche and Mushroom Filling

Tacos Potosinos (omit the chorizo)

Enchiladas Verdes (use cheese instead of chicken filling)

Enchiladas Verdes Estilo Nuevo México (use cheese instead of carnitas filling)

Interior-style Enchiladas

Enfrijoladas

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Enchiladas Sonorenses (use olive oil)

Quesadillas de Elotes Asados y Rajas

Mushroom Quesadillas

Spinach Quesadillas

Huitlacoche and Mushroom Quesadillas

Tostadas (top with one of the vegetarian fillings)

Gorditas de Papas (replace the lard with butter substitute)

Cheese Crisps

Mexican Pizzas

Fresh Corn Tamales

Chiles Rellenos (made with one of the vegetarian fillings)

Poultry

Pozole Verde (substitute hard tofu cut into bite-sized pieces for the turkey and vegetable broth for the chicken broth)

Queso Panela y Hongos

PANELA CHEESE AND MUSHROOMS, FILLING OR STEW

4 servings as a stew or filling for antojitos

This dish is a reinterpretation of a recipe for a popular Mexico City appetizer served in upscale restaurants. In the original, a roasted tomatillo sauce is combined with panela cheese, which is known for being slow to melt and relatively low in fat. They are poured into a fiery-hot molcajete and served with tortillas. In this version, sautéed mushrooms are added to the dish, producing a great stew and an outstanding vegetarian filling. It can be rolled in a hot corn tortilla for tacos or sandwiched between corn tortillas to make delicious flat enchiladas. The ingredients list may look a bit long, but the recipe is easily made in a few relatively quick steps and is well worth the trouble. As they say in Mexico, “Vale la pena.” It can also be made a day or two in advance and reheated in a microwave oven. Panela cheese is widely available in supermarkets, and the only substitute I can think of—and it is not a great one—is low-fat string cheese.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pound mushrooms, stems removed and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallots or white onion

1-1/2 tablespoons minced parsley

For the tomatillo sauce

3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

3/4 pound tomatillos, peeled and cut in half

2 tablespoons seeded and finely chopped serrano chiles

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1 cup fresh corn kernels

Reserved tomatillo sauce

1/2 pound panela cheese, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces

Reserved mushrooms

1/4 cup minced white onion

2 tablespoons loosely packed chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Cook the mushrooms and shallots. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Toss the mushrooms with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil, spread them on a baking sheet, and roast them for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool. Drain and discard the liquid. Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and sauté the shallots or onions until they begin to brown. Stir in the mushrooms and sauté until they start to turn golden brown on each side. Stir in the parsley, remove the pan from the heat, and reserve.

Make the tomatillo sauce. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the garlic and tomatillos, cut side down, in the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until they are charred. Turn them and cook on the other side until they are soft, another 3–4 minutes. Place the tomatillos in a blender and peel and add the garlic when it is cool enough to handle. Add the chile, salt, and water and purée. Reserve.

Finish the dish. Heat a skillet over medium-high to high heat and add the corn. Cook, stirring often, until the corn browns and blisters a bit. Remove the pan from the heat.

Pour the reserved tomatillo sauce into a medium-sized saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cheese, bring the pan back to a simmer, and continue cooking for about 1-1/2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and corn. Bring to a full boil and simmer for 1-1/2 minutes. By this time the cheese should be melting but should still maintain its shape, and the liquid should be fairly thick. If not, continue simmering for another minute or two. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the onion and cilantro. Serve with the hot tortillas, over rice, or as a dip with tortilla chips.

PER SERVING

Guiso de Camotes y Ajos Asados

ROASTED SWEET POTATO AND GARLIC STEW

4 servings

This savory stew combines the recipes for Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Garlic with the sauce for Salmon with Pomegranate-Chipotle Reduction and a few other ingredients for a delicious vegetarian stew.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup raisins

1-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped white onions

1/2 cup roasted, peeled, and chopped poblano chiles (page 16)

3 cups Roasted-Garlic Sweet Potatoes (page 73)

3 tablespoons Pomegranate-Chipotle Reduction (page 197)

4 ounces queso fresco, shredded

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Rehydrate the raisins. Put the raisins in a small container, cover with hot tap water, soak for 30 minutes, and discard the water.

Sauté the onions and chiles. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and onions, and sauté, stirring nearly constantly, until the onions are soft and beginning to char, lowering the heat if necessary to keep them from burning. Add the poblano chiles and continue cooking for a minute or 2. When the onions and chiles are done, put them into a medium-sized baking dish.

Make the stew. Stir in the sweet potatoes, raisins, Pomegranate-Chipotle Reduction, queso fresco, pepper, and cilantro and bake, covered, for 15 minutes.

PER SERVING

Chiles Anchos Rellenos

STUFFED ANCHO CHILES

4 entrée servings, 8 as an appetizer

While chiles rellenos are usually made from roasted and peeled poblano chiles, delicious versions are also made with ancho chiles, which are dried poblanos. This recipe includes a little tamarind, which you can make by rendering the paste from tamarind peels, but it is much easier to buy it in Asian markets already processed. Some tamarind pastes contain seeds, but you can dissolve the paste in the 2 cups hot water, strain, and discard the seeds and other roughage. I like to use both Roasted Carrots and Roasted Sweet Potatoes in the filling, but feel free to use one or the other. The chiles can be softened and the filling made a day in advance then brought to room temperature and assembled just before serving. The nutrition information includes an estimate of the amount of syrup or sugar left from the soaking liquid, but feel free to leave it out.

INGREDIENTS

For the chiles

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 cups thinly sliced white onion

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tablespoons tamarind paste dissolved in 2 cups hot water

1 cup melao (cane syrup) or brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 medium to large ancho chiles, slit down one side, seeds removed

For the filling

4 cups Roasted-Garlic Sweet Potatoes (page 73), Roasted Carrots (page 76), or a combination

2 ounces queso fresco or panela cheese, grated

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Pinch salt

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons grated cotija cheese

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the chiles. Heat the oil over low to medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the onion and cook until it has browned slightly. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Stir in the tamarind-flavored water, melao, oregano, thyme, and salt. Add the chiles, cover, and cook at a bare simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, uncover, and cool for at least 10 minutes.

Make the filling. While the chiles are cooling, combine the sweet potatoes and/or carrots and queso fresco or panela. Whisk together the vinegar, salt, and oil and toss it with the vegetables.

Stuff and serve the chiles. Using a large slotted spoon, remove the chiles to a strainer and drain for 5 minutes. Carefully spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling into each chile and put 2 on each of four plates. Spoon a little of the onions over each serving and top with the cotija cheese. Serve at room temperature.

PER SERVING

Pasta Arriera

MULE DRIVER’S PASTA

4 servings

This dish gets its name from the mule-driven transports that supplied Mexico with goods in the days before the train and automobile. Among other things, they disseminated cultural traditions, including recipes, from one region to another. I first had this dish, made with spaghetti, many years ago at the Hacienda del Sol restaurant in Juárez. It was fairly simple, and over time I made several additions. I specify dried orecchiette because that is my favorite for this dish, but you could use nearly any pasta. The portions of pasta may seem a little small, but I think you will find that when the other ingredients are added, the result is rewarding.

INGREDIENTS

For the sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter substitute

4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon seeded and finely chopped serrano chiles

3 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not the kind packed in oil)

1 tablespoon finely chopped ancho chiles

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 heaping teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

To finish

9 ounces dried orecchiette pasta, or any other dried pasta

1/4 cup grated queso fresco

1/4 cup grated part skim milk mozzarella

2 tablespoons grated cotija cheese

2 tablespoons minced parsley

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

1 large avocado, chopped

Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

Make the sauce. Heat the olive oil and butter substitute over just under medium heat until the butter substitute is melted. Add the garlic and serrano and sauté until the garlic is just soft but not browned. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, ancho chiles, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper, and allow the pan to sit off the heat for at least 30 minutes.

Finish the dish and serve. Cook the pasta until al dente. Pour it into a strainer and shake to make sure all the liquid is drained. Off the heat, return the pasta to the pot, toss with the sauce, cheeses, parsley, and cilantro, and divide among four serving plates. Top the pasta with the avocado and serve with the lime wedges.

PER SERVING

Nopal Stew

4 servings

This is the vegetarian cousin of the recipe for Shrimp and Nopalitos. It is at least as good and makes a delicious and nutritious meal. Panela cheese resists melting, and that is why it is used, so serve the dish when the cheese is warmed through.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped white onion

2 cups chopped mushrooms

4 cups nopalitos, about 1 pound, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch dice (page 12)

2 cups Chile Sauce (page 45), made with guajillo chiles if possible, but any of the others will do

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 ounces panela cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Cook the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the chopped nopalitos, cover the pot, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot. The nopalitos will have released their viscous liquid, and there will also be some liquid from the mushrooms. Raise the heat to medium-high and continue cooking, uncovered, stirring almost constantly, until all the liquid is gone and the onions are continuing to brown. The crackling and sizzling sound will increase as the liquid boils off. This usually takes about 6–9 minutes.

Finish the dish. Stir in the Chile Sauce, tomatoes, oregano, and salt, cover the pot, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the cheese, and cook, stirring frequently, until the cheese is warmed and just beginning to melt. Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately with hot corn tortillas.

PER SERVING

Papadzules

4 servings

So unusual is this traditional dish from Mexico’s Yucatán state that it is difficult to categorize, although it’s probably closest to being an enchilada. No literal description can do it justice, so please trust me when I say that it is one of the most delicious foods there is. Although at 520 calories per serving, the dish is not as slimming as most others in the book, over 200 of those calories come from pumpkin seeds, which, with large quantities of omega-3 fatty acids, are a nutritional superfood. And the recipe makes a complete meal with no need for side dishes.

I have taken a few mild liberties to make the preparation easier, but I do not believe they change the outcome in any material way. For example, cooks traditionally extract the pumpkin seed oil by squeezing the seed paste, something that is time consuming and often only partially successful. Since pumpkin seed oil is readily available, it is much easier to just use a few teaspoons of it.

INGREDIENTS

7 ounces (about 1-1/3 cups) hulled green pumpkin seeds

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 recipe Yucatán-style Tomato Salsa (page 49), tomato cooking liquid reserved

8 corn tortillas, softened with cooking spray (page 17)

4 large hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

4 teaspoons pumpkin seed oil

DIRECTIONS

Toast the pumpkin seeds and make the paste. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat, add the pumpkin seeds, and toast, stirring frequently, until most of them have popped, 2–3 minutes. While they are still hot, grind the seeds to a powder in a coffee or spice grinder and put the powder into a bowl with the salt. Add enough of the reserved tomato cooking liquid to make a medium-thick paste, about 2/3 cup. It should be easy to spread but not too runny. If it thickens before you use it, add more liquid.

Make the papadzules. Bring the Tomato Salsa to a simmer and hold while making the Papadzules. Place 2 hot tortillas each on four plates. Spread the tortillas with a thin layer of pumpkin seed paste. Divide the hard-boiled egg equally among the tortillas and roll as for enchiladas. Spread more of the paste over the rolled Papadzules. Pour the Tomato Salsa down the middle of the papadzules, leaving about 1-1/2 inches at each end covered with only the pumpkin seed paste. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin seed oil over each serving.

PER SERVING

Mushrooms Stuffed with Huitlacoche

4 entrée servings, 15 as an appetizer

This dish uses the exotic flavor and texture of huitlacoche in a very simple way to great effect. It can be made as an entrée with large portobello mushrooms or as an appetizer using medium-sized button mushrooms. Nutrition amounts are for one small stuffed mushroom; the entrée analysis can be calculated by multiplying the numbers here by 7.5.

INGREDIENTS

4 very large portobello mushrooms, gills removed, or about 30 medium-sized button mushrooms

Cooking spray

1 recipe Huitlacoche and Mushroom Filling (page 124)

1/3 cup grated cotija cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Fill the mushrooms. Spray the outside of the mushroom caps with cooking spray. For the portobellos, spoon about 4 ounces of filling into each one and top with an equal amount of the cheese. For the button mushrooms, spoon about 1/2 ounce of the filling into each one and top with about 1/2 teaspoon of the cheese.

Bake the mushrooms. Bake the mushrooms on a baking sheet for 15–20 minutes, or until they are soft but not falling apart and the cheese is melted.

PER SERVING

Breakfast Corn Cakes

4 servings, 2 fritters each

Just south of Monterrey, during its fiesta, food stalls in the town of Santiago serve the most delicious corn cakes I have ever had. The only problem is that, like fresh corn tamales, they are made from high-starch field corn rather than the sweet corn found in our markets. They also come with a fair amount of sugar. In an effort to re-create them with sweet corn and very little sugar, I modified Jacques Pépin’s recipe for corn fritters. While my adaptation is slightly different in texture from the Mexican version, the general effect is so similar and so good that I decided to include the recipe in two versions: Breakfast Corn Cakes, and Savory Corn Fritters (page 77). Thinking that using dried corn flour instead of all-purpose flour would enhance the corn flavor, I tried it and was surprised at how little difference it made. In fact, both tasters liked it less than the one with all-purpose flour. In a pinch, the dish can be made with thawed and dried frozen corn.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cold water

4 teaspoons agave nectar, plus extra for serving

3 cups fresh corn kernels, from about 4 medium-sized ears

6 tablespoons butter substitute

DIRECTIONS

Make the batter. Mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Beat the eggs, cold water, and agave nectar together and stir it into the dry mixture just until combined. Finely chop the corn or process it until finely chopped, but do not purée it, as it should still have some texture. Stir it into the batter and allow it to sit for 15–20 minutes to make sure the flour is completely hydrated and to allow the gluten to relax.

Preheat your oven to 150°F. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat (350–375°F) and add 2 tablespoons of the butter substitute. Scoop 4 slightly heaping 1/3-cup measures of the batter into the skillet and pat them flat with a spatula. Cook the cakes until they are golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the cakes and cook them until they are browned on the other side, about another 3 minutes. Put them in the oven to keep them warm while you make the remaining 4 cakes. Serve the cakes topped with the remaining butter substitute and agave nectar.

PER SERVING

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes with Black Beans and Avocado

4 servings

I do not know if this dish originated in Mexico or exactly what to call it except “my favorite vegetarian meal.” I found it in a terrific vegetarian restaurant in La Jolla, California, called (oddly enough) The Coffee Cup. I use this version (which to me is very similar to the original) for everything from brunch to supper, and it never fails to delight. The best way to seed and devein the jalapeños is, wearing gloves, to cut them in half and scoop the seeds and veins out with a small spoon.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

2/3 cup water

Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

12 ounces russet or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces and thoroughly rinsed to remove the starch

2 jalapeño chiles, seeds and veins removed, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

1 cup cooked and rinsed black beans

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (measured after thawing)

1 large avocado, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

3/4 cup shredded, part skim milk mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as sriracha

1/4 cup sour cream or Tofutti

DIRECTIONS

Make the flavored oil. Put the oil, garlic, and rosemary in a microwave-safe container and microwave for 30 seconds on High. Wait 15 seconds and repeat. Allow the dish to sit, covered, at room temperature for 2–3 hours, and then strain the oil into another dish, discarding the garlic and rosemary. Stir in the water and salt and reserve.

Roast the potatoes. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the potatoes in a 9-inch cast iron skillet or similar oven-safe dish, add the oil-water mixture, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Put the skillet in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the jalapeño rounds, turn the potatoes, and roast for an additional 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are a crusty golden brown.

Mix the vegetables. While the potatoes are roasting, in a bowl combine the black beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado, and cilantro, and reserve.

Finish the dish. Divide the potatoes among four plates, top with equal portions of the vegetable mixture, and garnish with the cheese, hot sauce, and sour cream or Tofutti.

PER SERVING