MOJO VERDE

Recipe Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Keywords: mojo verde, canary islands, sauce, cilantro, vegan

About Mojo
Mojo sauces, in general, are a traditional part of the cuisine of the Canary Islands, which are located off the northwest coast of Africa. Mojo sauces are typically made with a combination of oil, garlic, and either red peppers or green herbs, and they are used to add flavor to a variety of dishes, including meats, seafood, and vegetables. The specific ingredients and proportions used to make mojo sauces can vary depending on the region and the specific recipe. Mojo verde, which is made with green herbs such as cilantro and parsley, is just one variation of the traditional mojo sauce.

Bottom Line about Mojo Verde
I LOVE IT. The way I make it typically is with chopped cilantro, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lime juice, jalapeno, cumin & s&p. I read that sour orange is sometimes used instead of lime as well. I use jalapeno pepper because it is readily available where I live, thought I'm guessing authentic versions use others as well. Mojo Verde is similar to chimichurri and salsa verde, and I keep some variation of them in my fridge almost all of the time. When I make chimichurri I tend to use cilantro, parsley and red wine vinegar. For my salsa verde I use parsley and lemon juice. What stays the same whatever variation you make, is they are all herby, bright, garlicky and delicious spooned over basically anything. Try serving any of these sauces with roasted vegetables, potatoes, rice, salad,  or your favourite protein. 

Method for making Mojo Verde
You can either chop the herbs by hand, or use your food processor to get the job done. I personally use the stems from my herbs as well as the leaf, as long as they aren't insanely woody. If I use my food processor to chop the herbs, I'll still add them to a bowl and stir in the olive oil and remainder of ingredients by hand. I like the olive oil to pool around the herbs instead of emulsify completely...but it will still be delicious if you just blitz it all together in the food processor. 

Veggie Seitan Skewers
The photo below was my dinner that I made from a recipe in a Spanish Cookbook I have. Vegan Recipes from Spain by Gonzalo Baro. I skewered chunks of bell peppers, red onion, zucchini, and seitan, with cherry tomatoes and broccoli at each end, then grilled them with a bit of olive oil, s & p until everything was softened a bit with some blackened bits. The mojo verde spooned over top was insanely good! You don't really need a recipe for this one it is so simple. Perfect with Roasted Potatoes & Mojo Verde along side.