Vegetable Tostadas With Dark Chili Garlic Sauce Recipes

ROASTED VEGETABLE TOSTADAS WITH CHIPOTLE CREAM

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
• For the vegetables: Toss the zucchini, bell pepper, squash, oil, cumin, oregano and salt in a medium bowl. Spread the mixture in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until the vegetables are golden and tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• For the tostadas: Brush both sides of the tortillas with the oil using a pastry brush. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the tortillas until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
• For the cream: Mix the pepper, sour cream, lime juice and agave until smooth in a small bowl.
• Spoon the vegetables on top of the tostadas and serve with a dollop of the chipotle cream.

VEGETABLE TOSTADAS WITH DARK CHILI-GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the salsa. Place the ancho chilies in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Place a plate on top so that chilies stay submerged. Soak for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast the garlic cloves in their skins in a dry skillet, stirring, until there are black spots here and there on the skin, the flesh has softened somewhat, and your kitchen smells like toasted garlic. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and remove the skins. Cut away the root end of each clove.
• Drain the soaked chili. Transfer to a blender and add the garlic and chipotle, along with .5 cup of the water. Blend until smooth. Place a strainer over a bowl and strain the sauce.
• Heat a heavy medium saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add a spoonful of the purée to see if the pan is hot enough. If it sizzles loudly on contact, pour all of the purée into the pan; if it doesn't, wait a couple of minutes and try again. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and begins to stick to the pan. Add the remaining water, the vinegar, sugar, and salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until the sauce has the consistency of ketchup. Add more water if necessary. Taste, adjust salt, and remove from the heat.
• Steam the carrots, turnips and green beans until tender, about 5 minutes. Add to the sauce along with the sweet potatoes and corn, and stir gently until the vegetables are coated. Heat through in the saucepan and spoon onto the toasted tortillas. Sprinkle with the cheese, cabbage or lettuce, and optional onions, and serve.

GRILLED-VEGETABLE TOSTADAS

Steps:

• Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. In separate piles, arrange zucchini, mushrooms, and scallions on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Working in batches if necessary, remove each pile of vegetables from baking sheet. Grill, turning once, until lightly browned and tender, 2 minutes for scallions, 6 minutes for mushrooms, and 8 minutes for zucchini. Return all vegetables to baking sheet. Slice mushrooms into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Set aside.
• Brush tortillas with remaining tablespoon oil; grill, turning frequently, until browned and very crispy, about 2 minutes. Place 1 tortilla on each serving plate; cover evenly with mushrooms and zucchini. Using kitchen shears, snip scallions over vegetables. Top with salsa, and sprinkle with feta; serve with lime wedges, if desired.

GRILLED VEGETABLE TOSTADAS WITH TWO SALSAS

Steps:

• To make the tomatillo salsa:
• Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatillos; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tomatillos are soft, about 8 minutes.
• Blend tomatillo mixture and cilantro in food processor until almost smooth. Transfer to bowl. Mix in chili powder. Season with hot pepper sauce and salt. Cover; chill up to 2 days.
• To make the tomato-chili salsa:
• Place chilies in bowl. Cover with hot water. Soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain. Cut open; scrape out seeds. Cut off stems and coarsely chop chilies.
• Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain and peel. Cut in half; squeeze out seeds. Chop tomatoes.
• Combine chilies and 3/4 cup tomatoes in processor; puree until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Mix in remaining tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, garlic, sugar and cumin. Season with salt. Cover; chill up to 1 day.
• To make the tortillas:
• Line baking sheet with paper towels. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tortilla; fry until crisp and golden, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer tortilla to paper towels and drain. Repeat frying and draining with remaining tortillas.
• To make the grilled vegetables:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Mix olive oil, garlic, chili powder and salt in large bowl. Pour 1/4 cup oil mixture into small bowl and reserve. Add zucchini, bell peppers and eggplant to oil mixture in large bowl; toss to coat.
• Grill zucchini, bell peppers and eggplant in batches until light brown, about 3 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet. Cover with foil. Brush mushrooms and onion rounds with reserved 1/4 cup oil mixture. Grill until light brown, about 3 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet with other vegetables.
• Meanwhile, transfer tortillas to clean baking sheet and rewarm in oven until hot, about 5 minutes.
• Place 1 tortilla on each plate. Top with vegetables. Serve with salsas.

VEGETABLE MEDLEY IN GARLIC-CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• First prepare the vegetables: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Also, have ready a large bowl of ice water, with more ice in reserve. Add the potatoes and cook until barely tender, about 15 minutes (depending on their size). Lift out, drain, peel, and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Remove the strings from the green beans if necessary. Cut into short pieces (about 1/4 inch) and cook with the peas until barely tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Scoop out the beans and peas with a strainer or slotted spoon and at once plunge them into the ice bath to stop the cooking. Scoop out and drain. Peel the carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice, and cook until barely tender, about 3 to 5 minutes, chilling and draining in the same way. Separate the cauliflower into small florets; cook until barely tender, about 4 to 6 minutes, chilling and draining in the same way. Set the vegetables aside.
• Remove and discard the tops and seeds from the guajillo chiles. Rinse the guajillos under cold running water and shake off the excess moisture, but do not dry them. Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Place a few guajillos on the griddle and heat, turning occasionally with tongs, just until any clinging moisture is evaporated and the aroma is released, about 25 seconds. (The chiles should just become dry, hot, and fragrant; do not allow them to start really roasting or they will have a terrible scorched flavor.) Remove from the griddle as they are done, and repeat with the remaining guajillos.
• Place the guajillo and amarillo chiles in a deep bowl, cover generously with boiling water, and let soak for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, grind the canela in an electric coffee or spice grinder.
• Drain the chiles and place in a blender with the ground canela, garlic, thyme, vinegar, and enough water to facilitate blending (about 1 cup). Process to a smooth purée, about 3 minutes on high. With a wooden spoon or pusher, force the purée through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl.
• In a large non-reactive bowl, toss the cooked vegetables with the pruéed chile mixture and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably longer. It will be better if left overnight - or even better after two days.
• When ready to serve, combine the cheese, sliced onion, and oregano in a small bowl and toss to distribute evenly. Pour vegetable oil into a large, deep skillet to a depth of 1 inch and heat to 375° F. Fry the tortillas, 2 at a time, just until crisp (20 to 30 seconds on each side). Lift out to drain on paper towels as they are done. Top each with a few spoonfuls of the marinated vegetables and scatter some of the cheese-onion mixture over the vegetables. You may omit the fried tortillas and serve with fresh corn tortillas or fried tortilla chips.
• The chileajo mixture also makes a good side dish. Omit the fried tortillas and heap the marinated vegetables on a serving platter, topping with the cheese-onion mixture.