Entertaining in the Raw - Matthew Kenney [22]
Tamale
5 cups white corn kernels, divided
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1-1/4 cups pine nuts, soaked 1–2 hours
1-1/4 cups cashews, soaked 1–2 hours
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
Portobello
4 portobello mushrooms, cut in half and into 8 slices per side
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mole
6 dried ancho/chipotle chiles, soaked 2–3 hours and drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, soaked 4–6 hours and drained
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup raisins, soaked 20–30 minutes
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
2 tablespoons raw agave
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup cacao powder
Cornhusks
Soak 6 cornhusks in warm water for 1–2 hours
Guacamole
3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped
1 large handful cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 scallion, finely chopped
1/2 red chile, finely minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
Garnish
Cacao powder
Cilantro leaves
Tamale Place 1-1/2 cups corn, the tomatoes, and the bell pepper in a bowl; set aside. In a food processor, blend the remaining ingredients until very smooth. Pour into bowl with other ingredients and mix well with hands.
Portobello Toss mushrooms with olive oil, serrano, salt, and pepper, then spread on Teflex sheets to dehydrate for 12–24 hours. Mix corn filling with portobello or reserve and serve on the side with tamales.
Mole Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix until smooth.
Cornhusks Dry the cornhusks carefully. Lay cornhusks flat and place about 1/2 cup corn mixture onto the center of each. Fold the bottom up over the filling and then fold the sides over. Using the husk strips, tie the tops of each tamale. Place the tamales in dehydrator for 2 hours.
Guacamole Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mash well with a fork.
Assembly Spoon a generous amount of mole sauce on each plate, and set 2 tamales on sauce. Spoon Guacamole on top and garnish with cacao powder and cilantro leaves. Serves 4–6
Bitter Broccoli Ravioli and Pine Nut “Cheese” in Chocolate Wrappers with Orange Powder and Pinot Noir Sauce
One of the main dishes from a cacao dinner I hosted, this dish features ravioli where the “pasta” are made from cacao—it is one of the most straightforward preparations I have offered but so powerful and to the point that less is more. It has all of the elements—bitter, salty, sour, and sweet—that combine to create a complex harmony of flavor.
“Cheese”
1 cup pine nuts, soaked 1–2 hours
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1/2 scallion
Rabe
2 cups roughly chopped broccoli rabe
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Wrappers
2 cups young coconut meat
4 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sauce
2 cups Pinot Noir
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 small sprig rosemary
1/4 cup dried cherries
Juice of 1 lemon
Powder
1 cup orange zest
“Cheese” Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Rabe Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread on Teflex sheets and dehydrate 30 minutes.
Wrappers Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix until very smooth. Spread mixture in a thin even layer over a Teflex sheet and dehydrate 3 hours. Store in plastic wrap in refrigerator until ready to use. Remove from refrigerator and allow the mixture to adjust to room temperature prior to use. Trim edges and cut into 16 squares.
Sauce In a shallow pan, dehydrate Pinot Noir,