An after-school snack recipe from the cookbook Sobremesa
and my latest recipes published on the blog ...
My teens come home hungry after school. Especially since both have been playing sports this season - the girl in the tennis team and the boy playing flag football. They are growing kids and I am always looking for after school snacks that are almost like mini meals to suffice them until dinner time.
Recipe from the cookbook SOBREMESA
My friend Susan aka Suzy who lives in London, came out with a gorgeous Mexican cookbook this Spring, called Sobremesa linked here. The recipes are easy, super tasty and seasonal just like the food in Mexico. Suzy has a culinary background. She went to culinary school in Monterey, the Instituto Culinario of Mexico and got a degree in gastronomy. She has worked in restaurants in Mexico and Barcelona as well as catering gigs in London. Her blog, linked here, is a plethora of beautiful recipes that I have made several of, and enjoyed thoroughly! I WANT to eat her food, or BE at her house as a guest for dinner!
I was looking for an easy snack that my kids would devour. They love flautas, so I decided to make these easy black bean and ricotta flautas. I did not have ricotta at that time, so I used Queso Cojita and Queso Oaxaca, a blend of a salty crumbly cheese and a bit of a melty one as well. The process is easy. They are served with this absolutely lip-smacking crema verde, that I WANT to use on everything!
I served it with a fennel slaw, which is on Page 48. Again I did not have fennel so I used red cabbage and green cabbage to make this addictive slaw. I ate the whole thing just by itself - it is that good! My kids were happy and satisfied and wanted me to make them again the next day. Luckily I had the black bean filling leftover and the crema as well so they were lucky, twice!
Sobremesa has a ton of everyday meals, light meals and sides, cremas, and also HOW tos on making tortillas from scratch. I have made them several times and they are really not that hard to make and turn out so much better than the store bought ones. There is a ton of seasonal recipes, which I am a huge advocate of. EAT LOCAL, EAT SEASONAL!
Here is the recipe:
Black Bean and Ricotta Flautas:
For the refried black beans:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 3/4 cups (300 grams) cooked black beans
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable or chicken stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Flautas:
1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil
12 x 5-6 inch corn tortillas
5 1/4 oz (150 grams) ricotta
To serve
3 ox (80 grams) mixed salad greens
1 red onion, finely diced
1 quantity of Crema Verde
Crema Verde:
2/3 cup (150 grams) full- fat Greek yogurt, sour cream or homemade cashew cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (regular or vegan-friendly)
1 3/4 oz (50 grams) spinach, washed
1 oz (30 grams) cilantro (leaves and stems)
Juice of half lime
2 jalapenos
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon tamari
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
For the fried black beans:
First prepare the fried black beans. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, when hot, add the onion, garlic and coriander seeds. Stir and fry gently for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent, then add the black beans and stock and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let it simmer briefly and then remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the bean mixture to a blender and process until smooth. Set aside in a bowl.
Now are you are ready to make the flautas. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, warm the tortillas briefly in a separate dry frying pan until they are soft and malleable. Add a spoonful of the beans and a bit of ricotta to one of the soft tortillas, then roll up the tortilla to make a flute-like shape. Repeat with a second tortilla and then secure these 2 flautas together with a toothpick, pinching through the middle and holding the flappy ends in. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
Once the oil is hot enough, fry the flautas until golden and crispy. Remove them carefully from the oil and drain on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Remove the toothpicks from the flautas. Serve them warm, with a handful of fresh salad on top, a sprinkle of red onion and a drizzle of crema verde, with the remaining crema on the side.
Crema Verde:
Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until you have a smooth, bright green crema. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container or jar with a lid. This will keep well for up to 3 days and is especially good with flautas.
New Recipes on the BLOG
I posted two more Diwali recipes or simply recipes for the holidays, especially my pinwheel cookies which are SUPER delicious and I have been enjoying them with my morning tea.
Date Nut Roll Pinwheel Cookies
The Date Nut Roll Pinwheel Cookies are inspired by a sweet or mithai that my mom used to make for us all the time. It was a healthy snack that we ate after school, when we were hungry. The mithai she made was essentially a Date (Khajur) and Nut roll, rolled in dried desiccated coconut. Recipe Link.
I made a riff of these rolls in the form of a pinwheel cookie. The Date Nut Roll Pinwheel Cookies start off with a sugar cookie dough with orange zest. The dough is formed into a square and set in the fridge for a bit. I make a date paste with dates, almonds, pistachios, dried unsweetened shredded coconut, nutmeg and cardamom, that is sort of spreadable by adding water and sugar and cooking it on the gas stove. Spread it on the rolled out cookie dough, roll it, freeze, slice and bake. Make them extra by dipping in chocolate. These cookies are super delicious and addictive!
Gujarati Chakris
Chakris were a staple Gujarati snack that my mother made during the Diwali holidays. The dough is essentially made with rice flour, chickpea flour and spices like carom seeds, sesame seeds, turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, green chilies and ginger paste. Sugar is added to balance the flavors. Recipe link.
On my last visit to India, I brought my mother's chakri maker or sancho, back to my home. It's a beautiful heirloom brass piece, about 40+ years old, and it still has the sticker on it. It is special to me, because I have the fondest memories of making chakris during the Diwali holidays with my mother. I loved the therapeutic process, but mostly being with her in the kitchen, and watching her work her magic. So I had to make it for Diwali this time around. What makes these chakris Gujarati is ofcourse the addition of sugar, and the green chili and ginger paste or aadu-marcha as we call it.
I used the chakri maker to make spirals of the dough, fry them till golden brown and cool completely, prior to storing in an airtight container. It is super crunchy and fun to eat, and goes perfectly well with a cup of masala chai. Do not worry about getting the spirals all perfect, mostly enjoy the process and make it with your loved ones and create new memories.
Hope you enjoyed today’s post. I always love to hear what you are looking for, what recipes that I can entice you with.
In the meanwhile, Happy Diwali and Happy New Year to you, from us.
XO
Amisha