Red Pumpkin Seed Sauce Recipes

PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Roast the serrano pepper and garlic clove on a griddle over medium heat. Remove promptly and set aside. Remove the skin from the garlic.
• At low heat on the same griddle, roast the pumpkin seeds, making sure to not overcrowd the griddle. If necessary, roast them in two batches to have an even roasting. Once the seeds start popping, stir them frequently with a wooden spatula until they puff up. They will acquire a medium-golden color. Once they're done, place them in a bowl to let them cool.
• Place the Serrano peppers, garlic clove, roasted pumpkin seeds, one cup of water (or chicken broth), and ½ teaspoon of salt in a blender. Process these ingredients until you have a fine sauce. If needed, you can stop the blender to stir the mixture manually in order to make sure everything gets processed evenly. Once the sauce is ready, set it aside.
• Place a paper napkin on a plate and set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and lightly fry the tortillas. This is a very quick step, since it takes about 15 seconds per each side of the tortilla. You will only warm the tortilla enough to make it pliable. Place the tortilla on the already-prepared dish covered with the paper napkin.
• To assemble to your pumpkin seed sauce enchiladas, add 2 tablespoons of crumbled queso fresco on each tortilla and fold them. Place two folded enchiladas on a plate to make one serving.
• Heat two tablespoons of lard or vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once it is hot, pour in the pumpkin seed ("pipian") sauce. Gently stir it and reduce the heat; do not let it come to a boil since this will cause the sauce to curdle. Gently simmer it for 5-6 minutes; this last step will make the sauce thicker. If it looks too thick, add a few tablespoons of water or chicken broth. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.
• Pour some of the pumpkin seed/pipian sauce over the enchiladas, then top them with more queso fresco and some chopped onion.

CHICKEN IN PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a pot with just enough water to cover. Sprinkle with salt, and add the peppercorns, bay leaves, quartered onion and herb bundle. Bring to a low boil, and then reduce the heat and poach the chicken until cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, straining the stock, and then wipe the pot clean and return to the heat. Peel the skin off the chicken breasts and cover to keep warm until the sauce is ready. Dry toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until puffed and toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the toasted seeds for garnish. Puree the remaining seeds in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of the stock, the chopped onion, EVOO, cumin, epazote, if using, cinnamon, tomatillos, lettuce, garlic and chiles. Transfer the pumpkin seed puree to the pot with 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the reserved chicken stock and simmer to develop flavor and thicken, 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnishreserved toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with warm corn tortillas, for wrapping, and minced red onion, for topping. If you would like to serve with a vegetable, steamed or sauteed zucchini is perfect.

RED PUMPKIN SEED SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. In a dry medium skillet over medium heat toast the chile pieces until pliable and aromatic, 8 to 10 seconds. Put the chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak about 20 minutes or until softened. 2. In the same skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring, until they start to brown and pop around in the pan, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl to cool. When the seeds are cool, pulverize in a spice grinder to a fine powder. (I use a coffee grinder reserved for spices.) Reserve in a bowl. 3. Drain the chiles, discarding the liquid, and put in a blender. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 cup of the chicken broth. Blend until smooth. Add the reserved ground pumpkin seeds and blend as smooth as possible. 4. In a medium saucepan, heat the lard or oil over medium heat. Add the blended sauce, remaining chicken broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens to the consistency of thick cream, about 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning. The sauce is ready to use, or store in a covered container for up to 3 days refrigerated, or freeze up to 3 months. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.