Roasted Calabaza with Mojo Cruollo
Our friend Manny brought over a big, ripe calabaza (Puerto Rican squash or Caribbean Pumpkin) that his dad had grown in the yard.
I decided to roast big chunks of it with a traditional Puerto Rican marinade called Mojo Cruollo. You can buy bottles of that in the Latino section of the grocery, but the commercial stuff is less tasty than the stuff you can make at home.
Mojo Cruollo is a citrus based garlic sauce that goes well on just about any vegetable. You can toss it in a salad. And, if you're cooking for carnivores too, it is a good marinade for their poison of choice.
There are quite a few ingredients, but the prep work is easy to do for all of them.
To roast the calabaza, just cut it into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, peel off the rind and pour the mojo cruollo over it. Put it in a 350º F oven for about 45 minutes - or until it is soft. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper and a bit of freshly ground nutmeg over it and enjoy.
Mojo Cruollo
10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup of onion, minced
2 cups of orange juice
1 cup of lime juice
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
2 teaspoons of pepper
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons of Hot Sauce
1 cup of olive oil
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and the onion. Cook them just until they're fragrant (not browned) - just about 30 seconds.
- Remove the pan from heat, cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the juices and the spices. Return it to the heat and bring it to a boil for a minute.
- Bring the cruollo to room temperature.
- Put the mixture in a blender. Add the cilantro and blend it until the mixture is smooth.
Vegan
