Pipian rojo
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Makes: 2 1⁄2 cups (6 servings) 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like olive oil 3 dried guajillo chilies 2 dried ancho chilies (or two more guajillos) 3 garlic cloves 1⁄2 cup chopped onion 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin 1⁄2 teaspoon sweet paprika 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 cups water 1⁄2 cup pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoon sesame seeds 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1into Pull the stems from the chilies and shake out and discard their seeds. Tear the chilies
pieces the size of a postage stamp. 2 Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the torn chilies, garlic and onion, and toss to coat them in the oil. Sweat the vegetables until the onion and garlic are soft and the oil has turned red from the chilies, about 8 minutes. Stir in the bay leaves, oregano, cumin, paprika and cinnamon. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the spices have melded and give off a heady aroma, about 2 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer until the sauce base has reduced by half (to about 2 cups), about 20 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, place the pumpkin seeds in a medium skillet and set over medium-low heat. Warm the seeds, tossing them in the pan so that they toast evenly, until they have darkened a few shades, 3 to 4 minutes. A few will pop and dance in the pan. Slide them onto a plate and add the sesame seeds to the pan. Toast the seeds, shaking the pan, until they are a dirty blond, about 2 minutes. Slide them onto the plate with the pumpkin seeds and let cool. 4 Carefully puree the hot sauce base and cooled seeds in a blender or with an immersion blender until very smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes, and season with the salt. The pipian can be eaten immediately but will taste best after being cooled and stored in the fridge for a couple of days. Reheat it gently, adding splashes of water to loosen the sauce if needed. Nutrition information per serving: 143 calories, 12 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 5 g protein, 340 mg sodium, 3 g fiber