Spice Up Your Life with Achiote / Annatto Seeds
Achiote or Annatto seeds are not only tasty and beautifully colored, but also beneficial for our health. They are widely used for marinades for meat, but since I am not a big meat fan, here you can find no meat recipes with achiote or annatto, if you will.
Vegan Mushrooms
4 cups oyster mushroom
1 tablespoon achiote
1/2 cups orange juice, natural
2 guajillo chiles, seedless and hydrated
1/2 white onions
1/2 red onions
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
2 leaves bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme, powdered
corn tortillas, to serve
onion pickled
Preparation
On a table shred the mushrooms. Blend achiote with orange juice, guajillo chilli, onions, garlic, vegetable broth, oregano, salt and pepper. In a pot add the olive oil and cook the garlic together with the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add thyme, achiote sauce, bay leaf and simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced, moving constantly so they do not stick. Serve in tacos with pickled onions.
Rice and Vegetables in Achiote Broth
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Ingredients
Achiote paste
- 1 tbsp ground achiote (annatto powder)
- 1 tsp ground allspice preferably freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper preferably freshly ground
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- Salt about 2 tsp
Mixed Vegetables (2 cups total)
- Fresh or frozen corn defrosted if frozen
- Winter squash diced in 1/4″-1/2” pieces and cooked (roasted, steamed, sautéed)
- Cactus paddles nopales, cut in 1/2″ squares and cooked (roasted or steamed)
- Roasted poblano or other chilies cut into 1/4” pieces
- Cooked black beans
- Roasted red sweet pepper
- Green peas defrosted if frozen
- Fresh tomatoes diced
For the Rice
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice
- 3 cups water or vegetable stock
Garnishes (choose a few)
- Toasted pumpkin seeds pepitas
- Diced avocado
- Queso anejo a dry, aged cheese
- A melting cheese like Monterey Jack
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
Make the achiote paste
- In a saucepan large enough to hold the 3 cups of water (or broth) and achiote paste, mix the achiote powder with the allspice, pepper, oregano and vinegar.
- Finely chop the garlic and then sprinkle it with the salt.
- Using the back of a spoon or the edge of your knife, grind the garlic and salt into a paste on your cutting board. Add to the spice and vinegar mixture in the saucepan.
Prep and cook the vegetables
- Combine your chosen vegetables in one or more bowls, with the vegetables divided up by the amount of time they will need to reheat in the finished dish (e.g., cooked squash in one bowl, defrosted corn or peas in one bowl, fully cooked poblano chilies and raw tomatoes in another). Set aside.
Make the Dish
- Add the water, stock or broth to the saucepan containing the previously made achiote paste, and whisk well to combine. Place over medium heat.
- In a medium saucepan (2 quarts or larger), heat the cooking oil.
- Add the onion and cook until soft.
- While stirring constantly, add the rice and cook, until the rice is coated with oil and has a chalky look in places, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the achiote paste liquid and the carrots to the rice, and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.
- Cook until the rice is done to your liking (30-40 minutes, typically), then add the cooked vegetables in stages, stir to combine, and cover, giving them enough time in the hot rice to cook or heat through.
- When everything is heated through, serve with optional garnishes: toasted pumpkin seeds, diced avocado, queso anejo (a dry, aged cheese), a melting cheese like Monterey Jack, chopped cilantro
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen
Achiote Red Rice Pilaf
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: achiote, annatto, Mexican red rice
Servings: 8 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown or white rice
- 2 teaspoons achiote paste
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons avocado or grapeseed oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ¾ cup diced carrots (¼-inch)
- 8 ounces V8 or other vegetable juice
Preparation
- Rinse the rice well. Place in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak 10 minutes. Rinse again. Allow the rice to drain in the strainer.
- Mix the achiote paste in the vegetable broth, pushing with the back of the spoon until the paste is completely dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium flame. Add the onions and cook and stir a few minutes. Stir in the rinsed rice and diced carrot. Cook, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes, until the rice is coated with oil and turns light golden brown.
- Add the achiote broth and the vegetable juice.
- Bring the rice to a boil, cover, and lower the heat to the lowest setting possible. Cook without stirring, 35 to 45 minutes. (To check if the liquid has been absorbed or not, tilt the pan to the side.) Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe by Letty’s Kitchen