A double Recipe for Vegans!

 

Pico de Gallo de  Tofu

Tofu Pico de Gallo

I  rccently made a simple delicious shredded Oaxaca cheese salad and it suddenly occurred to me that, I could easily make it vegan, by using tofu instead of the cheese. You can make it one of two ways: make  a traditional  pico de gallo with tomatoes scallions, jalapeno chiles and other ingredients and serve  it with chips as an appetizer.  But before you serve it, set one cup aside, drained well.

Dice or crumble firm tofu into 1/4-inch squares and combine.  Set aside in the refrigerator.  Sprinkle with cilantro leaves and squeeze fresh lime juice to  brighten the flavor.

PICO DE GALLO NORTENO

(Uncooked Tomato Salsa)

 

This is an example of a salsa fresca or salsa cruda — “fresh” or “raw sauce,”  meaning an uncooked sauce to be used as a condiment at table or street stall. There are many variations on salsa cruda, but this simple version is known everywhere. Pico de gallo (rooster’s beak) is what we call it in northern Mexico — but don’t confuse it with the salad eaten under that name in Guadalajara and Mexico City (see recipe, p. 000). It can be served with almost any kind of dish — beans, eggs, tortillas and various antojitos, or meat, fish, or poultry. The two imperatives are that the tomatoes must be truly ripe and sweet and that the sauce should be eaten at once. If you must, you can hold it for up to two hours refrigerated and tightly covered, but it loses its magic fast. But all is not lost if some is left over; it can be quickly sauteed in a little lard, butter or vegetable oil to be served in a more durable reincarnation. In fact, it’s probably the sauce I use most in this manner.

 

For the right slightly coarse texture, the ingredients should be chopped separately by hand. The only thing I sometimes do by food processor is the chiles. Try to find fresh ones, by the way; canned jalapenos will work but aren’t ideal in a sauce supposed to be sparkling fresh. In a pinch, I have used the chiles from Asian markets or the South American ajis.  All these vary in hotness and must be added to taste.

 

2 – 4   jalapeno or  serrano chiles or use more or less to taste,   tops trimmed but not seeded

l   medium garlic clove

4   large, ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled but not seeded (about

2  l/2 pounds)

6 – 8   scallions with part of green tops

l/4   cup ( not packed down) fresh cilantro leaves, stripped from  stems

Juice of l large lime

Salt to taste

l   teaspoon Mexican oregano, or to taste

 

With a large sharp knife, chop chiles very fine and reserve. Mince the garlic. Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Finely chop the scallions and cilantro. Place all fresh ingredients except chiles in a large bowl. If tomatoes are very dry and juiceless, gradually add up to l/2 cup cold water to give a light salsa consistency. Stir to mix ingredients. Add chiles a little at a time, tasting, until it is as hot as you like. Add l teaspoon (or to taste) crumbled oregano. Squeeze lime juice into the salsa; gradually add salt to taste. Use at once.

 

Yield: about 4 cups.

Hopefully Watch Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFJOMzGqupg&index=8&list=PLBC152F3C8835741E