Dia de Los Muertos is just around the corner and Chef Bricia Lopez of LA’s Guelaguetza created a unique twist on mole – a staple of the Mexican day of remembrance. Making mole can be intimidating but chef Lopez has crafted a home cook-friendly Chipotle Pipian Butternut Squash Taco recipe so beginners have nothing to fear!
According to Lopez, “Pipian is a super fun mole to recreate and get creative with. The original recipe calls for pumpkin seeds and a variety of toasted chiles, but it has evolved and makes the perfect canvas for any chef or home cook. I loved the idea of a Chipotle Pipian and using TABASCO Chipotle Sauce makes things so much easier for me in the kitchen. It allows me to skip the steps of toasting and rehydrating chipotle peppers without sacrificing any smoky flavor or heat.”
Okay EatinAsian fans let’s get cooking!
Chipotle Pipian Butternut Squash Tacos
Recipe created by Chef Bricia Lopez of Guelaguetza
Ingredients
For Chipotle Pipian
2 dried guajillo chiles
1 cup boiling water
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small white onion, peeled and thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 plum tomatoes (or heirloom), charred
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons TABASCO® Chipotle Sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
For Butternut Squash
1 3-4 pound butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
5 thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preparation For Chipotle Pipian
Remove the stems from guajillo chiles and discard seeds. Set a skillet over high heat and wait until skillet is hot about 5 minutes. Add the chiles. Toast until they are darkened and fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Place them in a bowl, cover with 1 cup of boiling water and set aside to soak for about 15 minutes until they have softened. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chiles into a blender.
In a skillet, heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Fry onion and garlic until onion is translucent and garlic has browned. Remove onion and garlic and transfer into the same blender. In the same pan, add pumpkin seeds and stir constantly until seeds have popped and are lightly browned. Remove pumpkin seeds and add them to the same blender. Add sesame seeds to the pan and fry slightly, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove add to blender
In the blender, combine the chiles, cooked onion, garlic, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds.
Add charred tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, TABASCO® Chipotle Sauce, and chicken broth. Blend until smooth.
In the pan, heat up the remaining two tablespoons of oil and pour in the blended mixture. Stir until boiling. Lower heat and add salt, sugar and vinegar. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Keep warm.
For Butternut Squash
Preheat oven at 425°F.
While the sauce is simmering, place the butternut squash on a sheet pan and sprinkle butter, thyme, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, checking halfway through to shake up the butter and sugar mixture. Once the squash becomes golden brown, set aside and discard thyme sprigs.
Serving Suggestion
Spread the Pipian sauce on a tortilla. Place roasted squash on top, and garnish with baby greens, queso fresco, and any leftover roasted pumpkin seeds you may have.
Makes 10 Servings