Vegetarian Pozole de Frijol - Quick and Hearty Soup with Hominy and Pinto Beans - Recipe

Vegetarian Pozole de Frijol
Pozole (also spelled posole) is a soup or stew made all over Mexico, dating back to pre-Columbian times. Vegetarian pozole is almost a non-sequitur, because the original is heavy on the pig, but this version is delicious and filling so I don't think you will miss the meat. It makes a terrific one pot meal on a cold day.

There are more variations of pozole than you can count, but as long as it has hominy and some kind of red chili in it, you are in the ballpark. Actually that is for pozole rojo. (There is another version, pozole verde that involves ground pumpkin seeds; I've never tried it but it sounds amazing).

For this particular batch I added pinto beans, which makes it pozole de frijol. I like to use tomatoes and a lot of lime juice to make a somewhat sour broth.

Much of the fun comes with the accompaniments, which you can put out on a big platter and let everyone choose for themselves. Popular options include: avocado slices, cilantro, lime wedges, tortilla chips, shredded cabbage or lettuce, onions and radishes. If you want to make a true feast, fry up some homemade tostadas and make a batch of guacamole.

The recipe below calls for canned hominy and beans for simplicity. Made this way, it can even be a weeknight supper. But if you want a more leisurely and even better soup, you can cook them both from scratch. Hominy corn is available dried, in which case you would soak it overnight and boil it for several hours, very much like with dried beans. Or if you are really motivated, you could try to find maiz para pozol and soak it yourself in lye water and then remove the end of each kernel. Sounds like fun!

Vegetarian Pozole Rojo de Frijol
Serves at least 4 as a one-pot meal
Vegetarian and gluten-free; vegan if you don't offer cheese as a condiment

• 1 or 2 (or more, if you are a chili head) dried chilis de Arbol, ancho, or guajillo chilis to suit your preference
  
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• optional: 6 cups mild vegetable broth
• 1/2 15 oz. can diced tomatoes - those "fire roasted" ones would be good if you have them
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 15 oz. cans hominy, drained and rinsed
• salt
• juice of 2 limes
• garnishes: see the list in the discussion above

1. Soak the chilis in a bit of boiling water for 20 minutes or so, then puree in a mini food processor.
2. In a large soup pot, saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 2 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of salt, the oregano, and 6 cups of vegetable broth or water and bring to a simmer.
4. Add the pinto beans and hominy and bring back to a simmer. Allow to simmer for ten minutes.
5. Add the pureed chilis, lime juice, stir, then add salt and more lime juice or more of the tomatoes as needed to produce a piquant broth. You might like to add the chilis a little at a time and taste to make sure you are't exceeding your heat preference. You can always serve the remainder of the chili sauce on the side.
6. Serve it forth, with a good selection of garnishes.

Easy Eggplant and Ricotta Rolls with Ajvar (or Tomato Sauce)

These little rolls of roasted eggplant with a ricotta filling and a simple sauce are minimal work and make a satisfying appetizer or side dish.

I sauced mine with ajvar, a mild spread of roasted red peppers that is popular throughout the Balkans. Ajvar is fairly easy to find at gourmet grocery stores (or from the Amazon link above). There are also spicy versions if that is how you roll. It has been a favorite of mine for years, because it very inexpensive and has a ton of flavor. I've been known to eat it on eggs, on toast with melted cheese... and by the tablespoonful.

Of course, if you don't have ajvar or don't care for roasted peppers, you could also use a simple, slightly thick tomato sauce. (This five-minute tomato sauce from Heidi has become my favorite).

I wish I'd taken a picture of the eggplant I used for this dish. It was the same size as a typical globe eggplant, but a little flatter and lighter in color. The amazing thing was how dense it was. It felt twice as heavy as you would expect. That is a good characteristic to look for in most vegetables, and especially in eggplant, where it means the flesh will be firm, not spongy.

The dish is simplicity itself. Just peel, slice and roast the eggplant, fill it with good ricotta, and drizzle with the sauce and some parsley. Feta would be another choice if you wanted to continue with the Balkan flavors.

Eggplant and Ricotta Rolls with Ajvar
Serves 4
Vegetarian and gluten-free; not vegan

• 1 large eggplant, ends trimmed, peeled, and sliced lengthwise into 8 slabs; they should be about 1/3 to 1/2" thick
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup fresh ricotta
• 1 jar ajvar or 1 cup thick, flavorful tomato sauce
• salt and pepper
• flat-leaf parsley (or fresh basil)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Convection is great if you have it. Oil the eggplant slabs, place on a baking sheet (lined with a Silpat if you like), and lightly salt them. Roast until thoroughly tender, checking every few minutes after 15 minutes or so. There is nothing nastier than undercooked eggplant, so if in doubt, go a little farther. 
2. Season the ricotta with salt and pepper.
3. Carefully (so they don't rip), transfer the eggplant slices to a serving platter one at a time. Fill each one with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture and fold in half. Arrange in a line.
4. Pour a good amount of the ajvar or tomato sauce in a line down the middle of the rolls. Hit the whole thing with a bit more salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a generous amount of parsley. And more extra-virgin olive oil if you are so inclined.
5. Serve at room temperature.

Polenta With Sauteed Chard and Gorgonzola

As fall closes in on winter, the cold weather greens and warm, filling grains figure more in our cooking. A lazy weekend day meant I had time to make polenta the slow way instead of using the quick cooking (but not instant) de La Estancia brand. I followed Marcella Hazan's "no-stir" method, which really isn't no-stir, but definitely low maintenance, you just need to have an hour. Both the quick-cooking and slow-and-low methods make delicious polenta, but they are very different. The de la Estancia is bright yellow and tastes more of fresh corn, with a slightly rougher texture. Hazan's technique leads to polenta which is very mellow, creamy, soft and soothing.

Whenever I make polenta, I almost always double the batch and chill the rest on a oiled baking sheet. The next day I cut it into squares and cook it in a skillet with a bit of oil. The fried pieces with soft insides are delicious with a simple tomato sauce. The recipe below is for four, but will work fine to double or triple as long as you use a big enough pot.

The polenta is definitely the main event in a dish like this, and we don't want to overwhelm it. Strong flavors are fine but they should be in moderate amounts. I'd say the amount of blue cheese in the picture above is too much by half. I added just a few slivers of garlic and a pinch of chili flakes to the chard, and a drizzle of good balsamic on the side to round out the dish.

Polenta With Sauteed Chard and Gorgonzola
Serves 4
Vegetarian and gluten-free; vegan if you omit the cheese

• 7 cups water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 2/3 cup polenta (medium to coarse grained yellow cornmeal)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• optional: 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
  
• 1 large bunch Swiss chard (any color is fine), leaves pulled from stems, washed, and chopped coarsely
  
• 6 tablespoons gorgonzola dolce or other blue cheese
• Maldon or other finishing salt
• black pepper
  
• optional: balsamico tradizionale

1. Bring water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Whisk the polenta in a thin stream into the water, stir for 2 minutes being sure to reach the bottom of the pot, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover. Every ten minutes, uncover the pot, stir for whole 1 minute, and re-cover until 40 minutes have elapsed. Then uncover and cook five more minutes, and stir in the grated parmesan. Turn off the heat.
2. Heat a large skillet over a medium-high flame. Add the garlic and optional chili flakes. Fry for 10 seconds, then add the chard and 1 teaspoon of salt. Saute for a minute, add a little water, cover, and steam until thoroughly tender, about 7 minutes. Remove top and allow water to evaporate.
3. To serve, ladle 1/4 of the polenta into a bowl. Top with 1/4 of the chard and 1.5 tablespoons of gorgonzola. Finish with salt, pepper and optionally a drizzle of balsamico.