Giving Thanks...and an Easy Recipe

Giving Thanks...and an Easy Recipe

by Victoria Challancin

Don't worry, Dear Reader, I'm not going to wax philosophical on you on this Thanksgiving Eve.  I will give a profound personal thanks for the many blessings in my life--the loving, extended family from whence I came, my own nuclear family that give my life meaning and for our good health, the loving and inspiring friends that surround me, the peace and prosperity in which I have my being, the travels that have fed me at so many levels, the Mexican people and culture which imbue my life with color, meaning, and inspiration, the students who make my work so gratifying.  My list could go on and on, as I know your own personal list could. For now let me say simply that I do give thanks for my world and my life, in large ways and small.  I do give thanks.  Daily.

I am wishing for each of you a blessed day of fabulous food, loving friends and family, and the time to remember all we have for which to give thanks.

Today I offer a simple Spanish recipe for potatoes with a simple cilantro sauce.  These potatoes are known as papas arrugadas, or "wrinkled potatoes."  If mine are not sufficiently wrinkled, it is only because I didn't allow enough time in the cooking process and in the evaporating of any liquid afterwards.  This simple recipe comes from the Canary Islands, as does the recipe for the green sauce.  While this recipe is certainly easy to prepare and gratifying to eat, I prefer the potatoes roasted in the oven with garlic and olive oil.  But if you avoiding the extra fat, or simply don't have the time, then this simple recipe is perfect as given here.

The fresh green sauce is called mojo cilantro.  The Spanish food section of About.com tells us that in the Canary Islands mojos are sauces made with vinegar and oil and served cold as an accompaniment to potatoes, meat, and fish.  Sometimes these sauces are red (made with red peppers) or green, resplendent with fresh herbs.  Sometimes they are spicy; sometimes not. 

Wrinkled Potatoes

Papas Arrugadas

(Recipe from About.com)

Makes 4 servings as a side dish, 6 to 8 as an appetizer.

2 1/2 pounds small potatoes

2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Remove any "eyes" from the potatoes and place in a large pot.  Add water to just cover.  Add salt.

Boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked and tender.

Remove from heat and pour off the water.  Return pot with potatoes to the stove, letting the steam evaporate.  You should see a layer of salt form on the dry skins.

Serve hot with the Mojo Cilantro sauce.

Papas Arrugadas with fresh cilantro sauce

I grew up in rural South Florida, where I was exposed to the wondrous and varied mojos, or wet sauces/marinades, from Cuba.  While these sauces are usually made with garlic and sour citrus juice, the mojo served with these potatoes comes from the Canary Islands.  There, the word mojo refers to several types of sauces which vary in both color and spiciness.  These sauces are easy to prepare and can give life to simple steamed vegetables, cheese, or even just a chunk of fresh bread!

Spanish Cilantro Sauce

Mojo Cilantro

(Recipe from About.com)

3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 bunch cilantro, stems trimmed

1/2 to 1 cup virgin Spanish olive oil

4 to 5 tablespoons (approximately) water

Spanish sherry vinegar to taste

Process the cumin, garlic, cilantro, and salt in a food processor or blender to create a paste.  While blending, drizzle in olive oil gradually.  Add small amounts of water until the sauce is thick, but not as thick as the paste.  Add 1 to 2 teaspoons vinegar or more, according to taste.

If not using the sauce the same day, store in a glass jar.  Seal tightly and refrigerate.

Note:  You could substitute a bunch of flat-leaf parsley for the cilantro for a different flavor.

Enjoy!

I'll be sending this to Brii, at briggishome.wordpress.com, who is hosting this week's Weekend Herb Blog event, begun by Kalyn Denny of kalynskitchen.com and taken up by Haalo of Cook Almost Anything .  Stop by Brii's blog to see what my fellow bloggers are doing with herbs--and vegetables!

Potatoes with Mojo Cilantro

©Victoria Challancin.  All Rights Reserved

All recipes are meant to be shared and passed along, but please don't use text or photo images without my permission. Thanks!