Menu for the plant-based palate - Southwest cooking recipes

Spirited and earthy, Southwest cooking is best characterized as a cuisine of complex flavors produced with simple ingredients. Beans, corn, avocados, tomatoes, chiles, jicama and squash--all native to the New World--come together in this lively and satisfying meal. Originally called burros or burras, burritos--which include a wide assortment of savory ingredients rolled in a tortilla--are native to Sonora in northwestern Mexico. Our distinctive burrito is filled with creamy cannellini beans, sliced mushrooms and soy "chicken" strips in a tasty dish that can transform a casual summer supper into a fiesta.

Tortillas make a tasty and pliable wrap and are commonly used as eating utensils. Purchasing these wholesome, heart-healthy flatbreads is not the daunting task it once was. Most of us can easily find whole-grain tortillas, made without lard or hydrogenated oils, in health food stores and supermarkets. Note that foods whose labels list hydrogenated oils contain trans fatty acids, which, studies indicate, elevate the level of LDL ("bad" cholesterol), increasing the risk of heart disease.

Salsas have surpassed ketchup as America's favorite condiment. We dip into salsa for an appetizer or snack, to add a piquant accent to the food we cook and even enjoy it on sandwiches. Although countless varieties of salsa are widely available, nothing compares to the fresh goodness of one made in your own kitchen, such as our delicious Chunky Avocado Salsa. Mingling flavors and textures, this snappy salsa is a delightful mix of creamy avocado, crunchy red bell peppers, celery and jicama. Adding a luscious, rich mouth feel, avocados are high in monounsaturated fat like that found in olive oil, which can help lower blood cholesterol.

A summer standard, potato salad is best made with thin-skinned, waxy varieties of potatoes. When cooked, this type of potato maintains a moist flesh with a waxy sheen that won't fall apart when sliced. The addition of fresh lime juice and diced chiles gives this potato salad its unique flavor.

Southwestern cuisine isn't all hot and spicy, and mild chiles can add a distinctive flavor to many dishes. Roasting chiles intensifies the flavor, and I often use the convenient, whole, fire-roasted red and green chiles packed in 12-ounce jars found in many supermarkets. You can also use whole, canned green chiles, which are also mild.

Savory Burritos with
Chunky Avocado Salsa

SERVES 6

Chunky Avocado Salsa
Makes about 4 cups

1 large, ripe Hass avocado, unpeeled
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium-sized scallions,
  thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup diced jicama
Juice of 1 lime
1 14 1/2-oz. can (1 3/4 cups) Mexican
  stewed tomatoes, sliced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Hot pepper sauce to taste

Savory Burritos
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced scallions
2 bell peppers, 1 red and 1 yellow,
  cut into 2-inch strips
2 6-oz. pkg. soy "chicken" strips
1 6-oz. pkg. sliced cremini mushrooms
3 medium-sized zucchini, sliced in
 half lengthwise and cut crosswise
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans
6 8-inch whole wheat, fat-free
  tortillas, nonhydrogenated
Sliced jalapeno chiles, optional

1. To make Chunky Avocado Salsa:
Peel and dice avocado, and set aside.

2. Combine garlic, scallions, celery,
red bell pepper, jicama, avocado and
lime juice in nonreactive bowl. Add
tomatoes and cilantro. Season with
hot pepper sauce to taste. Cover,
and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. To make Savory Burritos: Heat oil
and red pepper flakes over medium-high
heat in electric frying pan, 5-quart
saucepan or wok, about 1
minute. Add garlic, scallions and
bell peppers, and saute 3 minutes.
Add soy "chicken" strips and mushrooms.
Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add zucchini and beans,
reduce heat to low and cook mixture
8 minutes. Heat tortillas 5
minutes in tortilla warmer or
wrapped in foil in oven set at 325F.

4. Spoon filling onto warmed tortilla,
and add jalapenos, if using.
Fold tortilla over filling to make parcel.
Secure with toothpick. Use up
remaining tortillas and filling, and
serve with Chunky Avocado Salsa.

PER SERVING: 322 CAL; 18G PROT; 7G TOTAL
FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 51G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
798MG SOD; 15G FIBER; 7G SUGARS

Mexican Potato Salad

SERVES 6

2 1/2 lb. small red-skinned potatoes,
  skins on, quartered lengthwise
1 cup frozen white corn, thawed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
  (about 3/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 plum tomato, diced
1/2 cup canned, whole, fire-roasted
  chiles (about 5), diced and seeded
1/2 cup soy mayonnaise
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lime (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. dried cilantro

1. Cover potatoes with lightly salted
water in 5-quart saucepan. Bring to
a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium, and cook
for 20 minutes, or until tender.
Drain and cool.

2. Place potatoes in large bowl,
and add corn, onions, garlic,
tomatoes and chiles. Stir with a
large, slotted spoon. Make shallow
well in center of potato mixture,
and add soy mayonnaise, mustard
and lime juice. Mix thoroughly,
and add fresh cilantro and sea salt.
Sprinkle with dried cilantro, cover
and chill one hour, or until ready
to serve.

PER SERVING: 231 CAL; 4G PROT; 5G TOTAL
FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 45G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
418MG SOD; 5G FIBER; 5G SUGARS

Heart Healthy

Avocados are rich in phytochemicals, and they contain the antioxidant glutathione and a cholesterol-lowering phytosterol called beta-sitosterol. Evidence suggests that these valuable subnutrients may help prevent certain types of cancers and heart disease.