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Mote Pillo
Mote Pillo
Mote pillo is a traditional Ecuadorian dish of hominy sautéed with onions, garlic, and achiote, with scrambled eggs. While typically eaten at breakfast with slices of queso fresco and black coffee, mote pillo also makes a great side dish with grilled and roasted meats.
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked hominy
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup white onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 tsp ground achiote
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp chives finely chopped
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, garlic, achiote, and salt for 5 minutes.
- Add in the hominy and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the milk. Cook until the hominy has absorbed all the liquid; about 3 minutes.
- Pour in the eggs. Scramble and cook for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the green onions, chives, and cilantro.
Blackberry Lemonade Blondies
Blackberry Lemonade Blondies
Blackberry lemonade blondies are something special. While a typical blondie is vanilla flavored and kinda boring, these are about as blackberry-flavored as it gets; with a simple lemon glaze. What’s great about this recipe is that the fruit flavors can be changed. Instead of blackberries and lemon glaze, you can try combos such as pina colada(pineapple cake with coconut milk glaze), orange julius(orange cake with heavy cream glaze), mojito(mint and lime cake with lime glaze), etc. Just use your imagination…
Equipment
- standing mixer
- 8” springform pan or 8”x8” cake pan
Ingredients
- 1 pint blackberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup flour + 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- In a standing mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and salt for 2 minutes.
- Add in the blackberries, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Continue mixing for a minute.
- Add in the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Mix for 2 more minutes.
- Pour the batter in a greased springform pan. Place in a preheated 350° oven for 30-35 minutes until cooked through.
- Let rest at room temp for 20 minutes.
- Mix the glaze ingredients together in a bowl.
- Pour the glaze over the blackberry lemonade blondie.
Cauliflower Vadai
Cauliflower Vadai
Vadai are fritters made out of cauliflower, much like pakora, but with a multitude of ingredients like curry leaves, cilantro, green chilies, mint, cashews, onions, ginger, and white poppy seeds added to the mix. Unlike pakora, the Vadai are shallow pan fried instead of deep fried, using significantly less oil.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower broken into florets
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 liters water
- 4 green chilies finely chopped
- 6 sprigs mint finely chopped
- 4 sprigs cilantro finely chopped
- 3 sprigs curry leaves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger finely minced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground fennel
- 1 1/2 tbsp white poppy seeds
- 10 whole cashews finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in the turmeric, salt, and cauliflower florets. Simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from the pot and let cool.
- In a large bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the cauliflower to the bowl. Using a potato masher, mash the cauliflower into very small pieces.
- Mix the cauliflower into the rest of the ingredients.
- Form the dough into small patties; about 1/4 cup per patty.
- Heat up 1/4” deep of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the patties into the pan, making sure to not overcrowd.
- Fry for 4-5 minutes a side until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
