LA FESTA AL FRESCO - MOJO VERDE

The lovely Yvonne of "Cream Puffs In Venice" from Toronto (Canada) and Lis of "La Mia Cucina" from Ohio (USA) are hosting the blog event "LA FESTA AL FRESCO". They are in desperate need of help as they want to organize an outdoor feast, but have no clue regarding the food that should be served...

I was asked to participate to this event and share my recipe for a dish that features fresh ingredients. Well, to tell you the truth, I had to do quite a lot of brain-wracking in order to find something that was not totally "mainstream" and that was a little different (at least, as different as possible)! But I did come up with a simple, yet delicious speciality that I readapted (from many different sources) for our biggest gustative pleasure...

So, after hours and days of brain-sweating, I came up with an idea hailing from Spain and more specifically from the Canary Islands: "Mojo Verde" or "Green Sauce".

The genuine local Canarian culinary tradition reflects Spanish, Portugusese, North African and Latin American influences that can be found within many different dishes. Vegetables, fruits and fishes are the basis of this highly interesting cuisine which is far away from the Spanish standards...

The "Salsa Mojo" is a typical Canarian speciality that is made with olive oil, vinegar, a lot of garlic and either green or red bell peppers. It comes in two basic versions: red and green ("Mojo Rojo" & "Mojo Verde"). Generally, the red one is eaten with "Papas Arrugadas" ("Wrinkled Potatoes") which are ovenbaked new potatoes having previously been cooked in sea water. This special treatment gives the potatoes a wrinkled aspect and a wonderful taste. The green sauce is traditionally served with grilled fish "A La Plancha".

~ A "plancha". ~

A traditional meal in the Canary Islands consists of grilled fish and "Papas Arrugadas" accompanied by the fresh coriander sauce "Mojo Verde" or the fiery chilli sauce "Mojo Rojo". In fact, those sauces are so good that they go with just about everything!!!

We particularly loved this sauce as it reminded us a bit of the Italian pesto and it's great versatility. The fresh aspect of "Mojo Verde" is just what one needs during the hotter season. Taste-wise, it was incredibly delicious as all the ingredients' aromas mingled together in order to give a round, garlicky and slightly spicy green flavor that became very fastly addictive!

Try this "Mojo Verde" now and you'll see that it will be a winner on your table and in your kitchen!...

~ Papas Arrugadas. ~

Makes one medium bowl.

Ingredients:
6 Cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tsp Cumin seeds, toasted
2 Tbs White balsamic vinegar
4 Tbs Virgin olive oil (+ 2 Tbs if you fry the garlic, optional)
2 Tbs Fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 Tsp Dried oregano
1/4 Tsp Paprika powder
1 Tsp Green Tabasco
1/4 Tsp Red Tabasco
1 Big green bell pepper, cubed
3 Tbs Sliced almonds, slightly toasted
3 Slices toast bread, slightly toasted and cubed
2-5 Tbs Water
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Put the garlic, cumin seeds, vinegar, oil, cilantro, oregano, paprika, green Tabasco and red Tabasco in your blender and pulse until well blended.
2. Add the bell pepper, toasted almonds, toast bread and water and pulse until smooth.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve.

Remarks:
If you don't want to use raw garlic, then I recommend you to fry the slices in 2 Tbs olive oil until golden brown. That's what I did...
You can add more cilantro if you wish.
Add as much water as needed until your "Mojo Verde" paste reaches a thickish pesto consistency.

Serving suggestions:
Eat with steamed, boiled or roasted new potatoes, pasta, over bread or salads, as a dip or in any way you find fit.

(Plancha -Pic by www.lacanche.com)
(Papas Arrugadas -Pic by Thomas Carlen www.expressen.se)
(Canarias -Pic by Irina Mordakina www.trekearth.com)