MAYAN CUISINE FROM GUATEMALA AND THE SOUTH OF MEXICO

Mayan cuisine is nowadays a blend of ancient Mesoamerican and European ingredients. The diet is based in four main ingredients: corn, beans, squash and chili pepper. Corn is eaten on a variety of ways, but mainly in the form of tortillas and tamales. Several different varieties of beans are grown; the most popular are the black ones. Different squash varieties provide flowers, leaves, fruits and seeds for the daily dishes. Chili peppers are used to condiment every dish, even some drinks.
The basic ingredients are supplemented with a variety of vegetables, mushrooms, fruits and spices like tomatoes, chocolate, vanilla, allspice, white cinnamon, avocado, peanuts, pineapples, guavas, papayas, yerba buena, honey, salt and many wild greens.
The combination of ingredients and the way that they are prepared, made the Mayan diet a very balanced, sustainable and healthy way to eat. Traditionally, the diet is mainly vegan, but for special events turkey, chicken, fish or pork are prepared with “recados” (a tomato based sauce thickened with pumpkin seeds). Broiling and stewing are the most popular ways to prepare dishes, but many vegetables and fruits are eating raw.
Enjoy!

TOSTADAS CHAPINAS
This appetizer is mainly eaten in the streets or at the farmer`s market.
Ingredients
-20 tortilla chips
-10 very ripe tomatoes
-5 chiltepe chili peppers
-2 big onions
- bunch of parsley
-1 bunch of yerba buena or mint
-Salt to taste
-Cooked black beans
-Farmer`s cheese crumbles if desired
-1 tbs of oil

Preparation
-Set the oven to broil.
-Wash tomatoes and parsley.
-Put the tomatoes and 1 onion in the broiler until the tomato peels separates from the flesh (about 10 minutes). Set the tomatoes and onion aside.
-Mean while cut 1 onion in very thin rings, diced the other one and chop the parsley and mint in very small pieces.
-Blend the beans.
-Fry half the diced onion until translucent in medium-low heat, add the beans and stir often until a paste is formed. The paste is called frijoles volteados. Set aside.
-Peel the tomatoes and grind them in the blender or molcajete, chop the broiled onion, add the chiltepe peppers, mint and salt to taste. This sauce is called chirmol.
-Put the frijoles volteados, chirmol, chopped parsley, onion rings, tostada chips and crumbled cheese in separate balls.
-Each person built its own tostada using the desired ingredients.
In the Guatemalan markets, they prepared them putting first the beans` paste over the tostada, then the chirmol, then the cheese, and finally the parsley and onions.

JOCON
Jocon or pollo en jocon is a party dish popular in Huehuetenango, in the western side of Guatemala. Some Guatemalan chefs are experimenting salmon jocon and other combinations. Today we are going to experiment by making it vegan.

Ingredients
-Water -- 2 cups
-Corn tortillas, chopped, soaked in water, drained -- 4
-Miltomates or Tomatillos, hulled and chopped -- 2 cups
-Cilantro, chopped -- 1 bunch
-Green onions, chopped -- 1 bunch
-3 garlic cloves
-3 Green bell peppers, chopped
-Jalapeño or serrano chile pepper, chopped -- from 1 to 5
-10 zucchinis or ronde de nice squash
-Green beans 1 pound
-Salt to taste

Preparation
-Simmer over medium heat the cilantro, green onions, miltomates, bell peppers and garlic.
-Steam the zucchinis, blanched the green bean, remove and set aside.
-Reserve broth and soak tortillas in it.
-Toast the squash seeds in a dry skillet over moderate to low heat until they turn a light tan color, about 10 minutes.
-Prepare sauce in blender.
*Add the cilantro, green onions, miltomates, bell peppers, garlic and hot chile pepper and 1 cup of the reserved broth.
*Add the soaked tortillas and process to a smooth paste.
*Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the sauce is reduced to a thick, rich, green consistency.
-Add the green sauce to the vegetables.
-Serve warm with tortillas, tamales or rice.

PLATANITOS EN MOLE
Platanitos en mole is a Guatemalan dessert that is also a party dish, but it is now often eaten even for breakfast.

Ingredients
-2 pasa or pasilla chile
-2 cups sesame seeds, divided
-2 cups pumpkin or squash seeds
-1 cup unsweetened chocolate
-1cup hot water
-1 cup ripe tomato
-2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces, or 1 tsp. cinnamon powder
-1 tsp. Allspice
-Sugar to taste
-1/4 tsp. Salt
-5 ripe plantains

Preparation
-Roast the tomatoes. Roast the plantains with the peel.
-Soak pasilla chile in water for 15 minutes, remove seeds, finely chop, and set aside.
-In nonstick or dry skillet over medium heat add the sesame seeds. Stir 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly roasted. Be very careful, don`t burn them. Remove to bowl and allow cooling completely. Do the same with the pumpkin seeds.
-In another bowl add chocolate to hot water and stir.
-Save half of the sesame seeds for the end. In a molcajete or food processor grind half of the sesame seeds and all the pumpkin seeds.
-In a blender or food processor mix chopped chile, dissolved chocolate and water, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, allspice . Add the grinded seeds, sugar to taste, and salt.Process several seconds until well blended.
-Peel the plantains and cut thin slices.
-In a pot stir in mole mixture from blender, add the plantains.
-Simmer uncovered, stirring continuously, over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
-Serve and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds.

GUACAMOLE

Ingredients
-5 ripe avocados
-2 limes
-5 Jalapeno chilies, washed and chopped
-1 ½ teaspoons natural sea salt, or to taste
-Tostada chips

Preparation
-Cut the avocados in half, then in half again, Remove the pits.
-Scoop out the flesh with a soupspoon and place in a salad bowl.
-Using a fork or the bottom of a glass, or one and then the other, smash the avocados until smooth.
-Add the juice of 2 limes, the chopped chilies, and salt.
-Blend well and serve with tostada chips of choice.

MEXICAN YAM PUDDING
(BUDIN DE CAMOTE CON LECHE DE COCO)

Ingredients
-4 pounds of orange yams (or sweet potatoes)
-2 cups brown sugar or grated piloncillo
-1 cup coconut oil
-1 Tablespoon powdered cinnamon
-3 cups coconut milk
-Zest of 1 orange
-1 cup of golden raisins
-1 cup pine nuts
-2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Preparation:
-Boil or bake the yams until tender, about 30 minutes and let cool.
-Peel and process with the brown sugar or piloncillo, coconut oil, cinnamon, and coconut milk until smooth.
-Add orange zest and half the raisins and pine nuts.
-Serve, sprinkled with the rest of the raisins and pine nuts and the brown sugar