Elote Particular

This variation of Mexico’s popular street food elote (roasted corn on the cob) uses freshly-ground chili powder,  pastured butter, lime, sea salt and homemade crema Mexicana with toasted cumin and cilantro..

Elote Particular

For the Chile Powder (all amounts may be adjusted according to taste)

2 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and split
2 arbol chiles, stemmed, seeded and split
1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon cacao powder

Toast the chiles on a dry comal over medium heat until fragrant, about 45 seconds per side. Take care not to let the chiles burn, or they will be bitter.

Once cooled, add the chiles and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse into a fine powder.  Store in an airtight container up to 3 months.

For the Cumin Crema

1/2 cup fresh heavy cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

Toast the cumin in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Allow to cool, then crush in a mortar or spice grinder and set aside.  Freshly-toasted cumin tastes nothing like that jar of powdered stuff that’s been in the back of your cabinet for 2 years..

Using an instant read thermometer, warm the cream on the stove to 98 degrees then remove from heat, cover and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.  Transfer the now  somewhat thickened cream to the refrigerator and chill 4 or more hours.  Stir in cumin, salt, cilantro and lime 20 minutes before serving.

For the Corn

Pull back the husks and remove the silk.  Put the husks back in place and tie closed with kitchen string.  Plunge into a pot of lightly-salted boiling water, cover and parboil 5 minutes.  Transfer the corn to a wood-fired grill and cook turning often until tender, about10-15 minutes depending on size, etc.

Peel back the husks and slather the corn with butter, chili powder and crema. Use the husks as a handle to eat the corn popsicle-style, offering cotija cheese and lime wedges on the side if desired.

This post is part of the Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Chocolate Maya Nut Cake

(you might also like this recipe for Mayan Banana Bread)

“With one tree able to produce as much as 400 pounds of food a year, using the Maya nut prevents rain forest clear-cutting to harvest other foods and increases populations’ food supplies. Dried, the Maya nut can be stored for up to five years — a lifeline for regions with frequent drought.

The Maya nut has high levels of nutrients including protein, calcium, fiber, iron and vitamins A, E, C and B…

It is also less susceptible to climate changes than the crops that had been brought in to replace it.”  -CNN

Chocolate Maya Nut Cake

Chocolate Maya Nut Cake

Adapted from a recipe by The Equilibrium Fund

1 1/2 cups sprouted wheat flour
1/2 cups Maya nut, ground
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-feee baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon true cinnamon
1/3 cup panela or other non-refined sweetener
1 cup strong coffee (use decaf if you prefer)
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons coumarin-free Mexican vanilla
2 tablespoons organic cider vinegar

Grease an 8″ deep-dish pie pan (or two 4-inch ramekins) with coconut oil.  Sift together the dry ingredients.  Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then slowly stir back into the dry ingredients.  Pour the batter into the pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Take care to not over-bake.  Allow to cool 15 minutes before inverting onto a large plate and glazing.

1 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coumarin-free Mexican vanilla
2 tablespoons warm, filtered water

Melt the chocolate in a pan set over steaming water. Whisk in vanilla and water, then spoon over cooled cake.  Garnish with coconut flakes, cinnamon and ground, toasted Maya nut.

The Equilibrium Fund in partnership with Alimentos Nutri-Naturales, BanRural, Rainforest Alliance, the Guatemalan Ministry of Education and the Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture started the Healthy Kids, Healthy Forests Program in September, 2008..

Please visit The Equilibrium Fund to learn more