ELOTE BOWL
It’s almost this time last year last year we held our Green Flamingo salad bar pop up in Brick Lane. I've been looking back at the recipes we had on the menu I decided to little revamp of a couple of them. The elote bowl was a favourite for guests and mine alike. Made with black beans, sesame salsa, avocado, radish, leaves & fresh corn it was spicy, sweet, tangy and delicious, no ordinary salad. Now I am a big fan of elote, as you probably know, and I loved recipe then, I just wanted to try something a little different so this is what I came up with.
Using quinoa and pinto beans, I dressed it with the delicious Mexican aguachile dressing, added toasted seeds for some crunch. Then fresh coriander and topped with steamed corn and chipotle cashew crema and a sprinkle of arbol chile. A different take on elote, turning it into a healthy meal, but one that’s packed with flavour and super good for you!
Agucahile is one of my favourite and go to dressings to add a bit of fire and flare to a dish, even to something as seemingly simple as a salad. Charring the corn tortilla and habanero gives a nice smokiness and heat, if you don’t have an open flame to use you can toast in a dry pan to blacken slightly.
The freshness of the corn makes it such tasty summer salad so you have to try it when it is in season. Yes there’s a little more work involved making the extra dressings but they last for a week or more in the fridge so you can always make a little extra. The cashew crema is a great condiment for all sorts. You can also make the kale caesar with this, just leave out the chipotle only adding it to what you’ll use for this salad.
Elote Bowl
4 servings
120g quinoa
about 8 tbsp aguaclile
100g uncooked (soak overnight) or 300g cooked pinto beans
60g sunflower seeds
30g coriander
1 tbsp pickled onion
2 fresh corn on the cob
4-8 tbsp cashew crema to serve
Quick pickled onion
1 Red onion, finely sliced
Pinch salt
approx ¼ cup red wine vinegar - enough to cover the onions
Aguachile dressing
2 Tbsp.sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 white corn tortilla
1 habanero chile, seeds and ribs removed
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice
pinch salt
Cashew crema
50g cashews, soaked for 4 hours minimum
50g water
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 heaped tsp capers
1 clove garlic
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp chipotle
juice ½- 1 lime
Rinse and cook with 240ml water and pinch of salt, bring to the boil, cook for 15 minutes until liquid absorbed. Leave lid on for another few minutes and fluff with a fork.
If using dried beans, drain and rinse the pinto beans. Cover with water in a medium pan, bring to the boil, cook for about 40 minutes until the beans are tender.
While your beans are cooking prepare the rest of the ingredients. Make your quick pickle. Finely slice the onion, sprinkle with a little salt to help draw out liquid and soften them. After a few minutes cover with vinegar and leave to pickle for 30 minutes or longer. These will last for over a week in the fridge.
To make the dressing burn the chile and tortilla over an open flame until slightly scorched. If you don’t have an open flame a use a dry heavy fry pan. Deseed the chile, blend all the ingredients in a high speed blender, drain through a fine sieve.
For the cashew crema, drain your cashews and blend ingredients in a high speed blender for about a minute until smooth, adding more water if it's too thick.
Steam your corn, allow to cook and using a sharp knife slice the kernels off then cob. Set aside.
Drain your cooked beans, mix with the quinoa, cool slightly and add the rest of your ingredients. Don’t add all the dressing at once, a tablespoon at a time until dressed to your liking. Season and top each serving with about a tablespoon of the cashew crema, your fresh corn and a sprinkle or chile powder or paprika for colour.