Red Pumpkin Seed Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a pot with just enough water to cover. Sprinkle with salt, and add the peppercorns, bay leaves, quartered onion and herb bundle. Bring to a low boil, and then reduce the heat and poach the chicken until cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken, straining the stock, and then wipe the pot clean and return to the heat. Peel the skin off the chicken breasts and cover to keep warm until the sauce is ready. Dry toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat until puffed and toasted, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the toasted seeds for garnish. Puree the remaining seeds in a blender or food processor with 1 cup of the stock, the chopped onion, EVOO, cumin, epazote, if using, cinnamon, tomatillos, lettuce, garlic and chiles. Transfer the pumpkin seed puree to the pot with 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the reserved chicken stock and simmer to develop flavor and thicken, 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnishreserved toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with warm corn tortillas, for wrapping, and minced red onion, for topping. If you would like to serve with a vegetable, steamed or sauteed zucchini is perfect.

Steps:

• In large skillet, toast pumpkin seeds, almonds and cumin seeds over low heat, shaking pan, until almonds are golden brown.
• In blender or food processor, grind toasted mixture.
• Add onion, garlic, chilies, cilantro and 1 cup broth. Blend until smooth.
• Pour mixture into medium saucepan. Stir in remaining broth and lemon juice.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper.
• In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken until browned.
• Reduce heat to low, pour pumpkin seeds sauce over chicken and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink and sauce is thick.

Steps:

• 1. In a dry medium skillet over medium heat toast the chile pieces until pliable and aromatic, 8 to 10 seconds. Put the chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak about 20 minutes or until softened. 2. In the same skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring, until they start to brown and pop around in the pan, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl to cool. When the seeds are cool, pulverize in a spice grinder to a fine powder. (I use a coffee grinder reserved for spices.) Reserve in a bowl. 3. Drain the chiles, discarding the liquid, and put in a blender. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 cup of the chicken broth. Blend until smooth. Add the reserved ground pumpkin seeds and blend as smooth as possible. 4. In a medium saucepan, heat the lard or oil over medium heat. Add the blended sauce, remaining chicken broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens to the consistency of thick cream, about 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning. The sauce is ready to use, or store in a covered container for up to 3 days refrigerated, or freeze up to 3 months. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• 1. In a dry skillet toast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat, stirring, until they pop around in the pan, start to brown, and release their aromas, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. When they are cool, grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. (I use a coffee grinder reserved for spices.) Put the ground pumpkin seeds in a blender. Add the cilantro, tomatillos, serrano chiles, onion, oregano, cumin, salt, and 1/2 cup of the broth. Purée as smooth as possible. If the sauce is too thick, add enough broth to make the mixture the consistency of heavy cream. 2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sauce and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, uncovered, stirring frequently, 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning. The sauce is ready to use, or store, in a jar or plastic container, cover and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.