oaxacan

In Oaxaca, green mole (_mole verde_) is one of the seven famous moles—with fresh herbs giving it fabulous color. This version is sometimes called *mole pipían*, referring to the pumpkin seeds used in it.

Herbed Pumpkin Seed Mole (Mole Verde con Hierbas)

pumpkin seeds

cumin seeds

oregano

vegetable or olive oil

onion,

tomatillos,

garlic cloves, halved

jalapeño peppers, sliced

chicken broth

cilantro

parsley

epazote (optional)

salt

In Oaxaca, green mole (mole verde) is one of the seven famous moles. What makes this one different is not just the lack of chocolate, but also the fresh herbs, which give it a fabulous green color. Of course, every region or family has their own way of making mole. I learned this recipe from my friend from Puebla, who calls it "mole pipían," referring to the pumpkin seeds used in it. Whatever you call it, it's fantastic with chicken, fish, pork, or as a spicy sauce over a bunch of enchiladas.

Epicurious

In a large skillet with high sides or in a large saucepan, toast the pumpkin seeds, cumin seeds, and oregano over high heat. Toss to make sure they don't burn, but toast until fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender or spice grinder and process until ground. Set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, tomatillos, garlic, and jalapeños and cook until slightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes, tossing a couple of times, but not stirring too much. Carefully place the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Then add the broth, cilantro, parsley, epazote (if using), and salt and process until puréed. Pour back into the skillet and add the ground pumpkin seed mixture. Let simmer until flavors are well combined, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately. Any leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a couple of days.

These mushroom quesadillas are stellar with homemade tortillas, but you can also use store-bought corn tortillas for this delicious Oaxacan dish.

Oaxaca-Style Mushroom and Cheese Quesadillas

vegetable oil

unsalted butter

onion

jalapeño

garlic

mushrooms,

epazote leaves or cilantro leaves, chopped

instant corn masa ﬂour, corn tortillas

water if making homemade tortillas

Vegetable oil if making homemade tortillas

Salsa of your choice

During the rainy months in Oaxaca, market stands are filled with baskets of mushrooms picked by women before sunrise. They are always sold out before noon. Food stands also sell mixed-mushroom quesadillas, most of them made in the simple way, with a base of onion, garlic, fresh chile, and a fresh green herb like cilantro or epazote, a combination that brings out the earthy flavors of the mushrooms.
I use this technique with whatever mushrooms I find. Standard button mushrooms work great, but the quesadillas pack more punch when those are combined with more flavorful varieties such as criminis (baby bellas) or shiitakes.
Fresh quesadillas are incredibly easy to make with instant corn masa. That said, don’t hesitate to use ready-made corn tortillas. Either way, these are heavenly. Serve them hot with a salsa of your choice.
This recipe was excerpted from 'Pati's Mexican Table' by Pati Jinich. Buy the full book on Amazon.

To make the mushroom filling: Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter melts and starts to foam. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chile and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, less than a minute; do not let it brown. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their juices and the liquid begins to evaporate, about 5 minutes. Add the epazote and cook for 1 minute, or until the mushrooms are just slightly moist, neither wet nor dry. Remove from the heat.

If making homemade tortillas: Cut two circles about the size of the tortilla press plates (or at least 6 inches in diameter if using a rolling pin) out of thin plastic bags, such as produce bags from the grocery store.

In a large bowl, mix the masa ﬂour with the water and knead for a couple of minutes, until soft. Roll a piece of the dough in the palm of your hand into a ball about 1 inch in diameter. Place one of the plastic circles on the bottom of the tortilla press and place the ball on top. Place the other plastic circle on top of the ball and clamp down on the press to make a ﬂat disk about ¼ inch thick, jiggling the press a little as you get to the bottom (this makes for a rounder tortilla). (Alternatively, you can place the ball between plastic sheets or parchment paper and roll the tortillas out with a rolling pin into 5-inch-diameter circles.)

Remove the top piece of plastic and place a generous 2 tablespoons of the cheese and about 1½ tablespoons of the mushroom ﬁlling in the center of the dough. Use the bottom piece of plastic to fold the tortilla over the ﬁlling like a turnover. Firmly pinch the edges of the turnover together. Gently lift the quesadilla off the plastic and set aside. Continue with the remainder of the dough, cheese, and mushroom ﬁlling.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. The oil is ready if when you dip the edge of a quesadilla into the oil, it bubbles happily all around it without going wild. Add the quesadillas a few at a time, making sure not to crowd the skillet, and cook for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and lightly crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined platter to drain. Keep warm while you repeat with the remaining quesadillas.

If using store-bought tortillas: Heat a comal, a ﬂat griddle, or a 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. (If the pan isn’t hot enough, the tortillas will stick to it.) Lay a tortilla on the comal and heat for about 20 seconds on each side, until it softens and becomes pliable. Add about 2 tablespoons cheese and about 1½ tablespoons of ﬁlling in the center of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over, press down lightly, and let cook until the cheese has melted and the tortilla has begun to crisp lightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until the second side begins to crisp lightly, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter, cover to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and ﬁlling.

Serve the quesadillas hot, with the salsa.

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