Saturday, August 16, 2008

Ensalada de Aji Con Mojo (Fireroasted Bell Peppers in Mojo Sauce)

We love this in my house, it's sooo good, we devour it, it one of those things we don't make very often because bell peppers tend to be expensive here (well from a Californian stand point I know other states that are poorer in agriculture pay a fortune for all vegetation haha), but this week Green Bell Peppers where on sale for 2 pounds for 1 dollar! I was like HOLY CR@P lets make some "Ensalada de Aji"

You can use any color of bell peppers, or any mixture of colors. Typically it's red or green or a mix of both.

Ingredients:
-4 large or medium bell peppers
-1/2 red onion, cut in half, thinly sliced julienned
-6 cloves of garlic
-juice of 1 fresh medium green lime
-1 teaspoon salt
-2-4 tablespoons olive oil more or less

Directions:
(
1)On medium heat blacken bell peppers skin all over on direct heat turning carefully with your hands or some tongs.
(2)Put them in a plastic or paper bag closed wrapped in a cloth/ towel around bag for about 5-10 minutes.
(3)Meanwhile make a lighter "Mojo de Ajo" sauce, in a mortar with a pestle crush garlic to a paste with 1 teaspoon of salt, squeeze in lime juice and stir well, now whisk with a fork and stream in extra-virgin olive oil until it has as much or as little as you like just enough to change the color a bit and give some richness, set aside.
(4)Remove from bag and peel by rubbing with a napkin and taking skin off.
(5)Now simple cut in half, remove insides DO NOT RINSE OR IT WILL LOSE IT'S FLAVOR. Cut into strips.
(6)Now set on a plate nicely, put purple onion thinly sliced over it, spoon over "Mojo de Ajo" until all over it.
(7)Enjoy as a side dish, it is kind of spicy from the garlic and onion but it's very tasty.

4 comments:

R said...

This sounds so good. I have bell peppers coming out my ears because I have six plants in my garden.

Nathan said...

That's cool, I wish I had a garden *sigh* but hey that's awesome that you have some now you can put them to good use by cooking my Cuban recipes and giving me feedback because they all use bell pepper (well most of em if you havent noticed yet all of them usually have bell pepper, onion, and garlic as a base sauteed in olive oil this is called a "sofrito" it's like our holy trinity or something)

Anonymous said...

Hey, nathan! Just found your site and i must say, for an 18 year old, you've got a great and diverse palate! great blog w/ some of my favorite types of food. this 'salad' looks absolutely delicious. i love the idea of the soft and smoky peppers mixed with the sharp and sweet (and crunchy) red pepper! add that mojo and i'm hooked. i'm goign to have to remember this one.

Nathan said...

we are never full,

When I said you can use a mixture of red and green I meant both fire roasted no one raw and the other cooked.

You'll get a slightly spicy crunch factor from the thinly sliced raw purple/red onions.