29 September 2011

Veggie sunrise torta with roasted red pepper salsa


Whenever I'm in the U.S., there are certain things that I must do. Some of these might sound kind of lame, but trust me...being an expat can do that to you. Among my musts: eating as much Mexican food as possible, shopping at Target and stocking up on all kinds of crazy food products that can't be found in France. One of my can't miss spots is the one and only Trader Joe's, my favorite supermarket in the world! During our recent two weeks in Atlanta to visit my family, we made many a trip to TJ's, picking up everything from Thai lime and chili spiced nuts to vegetable tamales to microwaveable brown rice to mango, passion fruit and yogurt gummies.




One exciting discovery that I made at TJ's was soy chorizo. As you can see, it looks just like the real thing!


I was at a bit of loss in terms of what to do with this cool product, as it's not like I've cooked with chorizo before. With the Mexican food kick that I was on, I decided that the chorizo would find its way into a torta, which is a type of Mexican sandwich which is traditionally served on bolillo or telera rolls (Kaiser rolls or any other bread that you fancy is fine too). Traditional torta fillings include chicken, fried fish, marinated pork and ham. Eggs are a common filling as well, often mixed with sausage, ham or another meat. That's the same idea here - an egg and "chorizo" scramble, refried beans, a roasted red pepper salsa (something different from your typical tomato salsa!), cotija or feta cheese, pickled jalapenos and avocado slices. All these delicious Mexican flavors make for a wonderfully tasty sandwich, one that will really kick start your morning! If you can't find soy chorizo, feel free to substitute soy/veggie crumbles instead. Pair your sandwich with a mimosa or a bloody mary for a wonderful weekend brunch!


VEGGIE SUNRISE TORTA WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER SALSA
Makes 2 sandwiches

Roasted red pepper salsa
1 cup roasted red eppers, drained and chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 jalapeno pepper, chopped (and seeded if you want it mild)
1/2 lime, squeezed
Salt, to taste (optional)

“Chorizo" and egg scramble
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/4 pound soy chorizo, crumbled
2 eggs
Dash of hot sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

2 bolillo, telera or Kaiser rolls
4 tablespoons canned refried beans
4 tablespoons cotija or feta cheese
½ cup pickled jalapeno pepper slices
1 avocado, sliced

1. Mix all of the ingredients for the roasted red pepper salsa in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil.

3. Once the oil is warm, add the chopped red onion and the crushed garlic. Stir well and sauté until the onion is very lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the crumbled soy “chorizo” and cook for about 5 minutes or until browned.

5. While the “chorizo” is cooking, beat the eggs in a small bowl with hot sauce, salt and pepper. Add the egg mixture to the “chorizo” and stir well. Scramble for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

6. Split the telera or Kaiser rolls in half and lightly toast them.

7. Spread one half of each roll with half of the refried beans. Top each roll with half of the “chorizo” and egg scramble. Place half of the cheese and jalapeno slices on top.

8. On the other half of each roll, place about 3 tablespoons of the roasted red pepper salsa. Top each half with the avocado slices, splitting between the two rolls.


7 comments:

  1. Trader Joe's looks like such a fab place to shop. And soy chorizo..my goodness, how novel!

    I love the amalgamation of ingredients you've used in this dish. The colourful vibe is so appetizing!

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  2. What a pretty dish this is!! I wish we had a Trader Joe's where I live!

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  3. Oh I so do love Trader Joes, or TJ's as we call it in my house. This recipe sounds fantastic- love the soy chorizo!!

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  4. LOVE this torta! And I am obsessed with that soy chorizo! It's so dang tasty! (My friend in Mexico City even agrees!)... Try using it in a sweet potato-soy chorizo hash! It ROCKS!

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  5. I'm not much of a sandwich person but I would definitely chomp down on this one! Love ALL of the flavors.

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  6. This is simply delicious, oozing with so much of flavor, love all the veg inside the burger. well done for a wonderful recipe.

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  7. Hi Ramiya-Unfortunately we don't have Trader Joe's here, in South Florida...only Costco's, BJ's and Sam's Club. They all have fabulous foods, and other gourmet items.
    Although, we have Super Target, 2 floors of the newest one near by.

    I love how you stock up on things that they don't carry in France. I do the same thing when I visit in Italy, stock up on fab finds that we do not carry here!

    Your soy chorizo torta is amazing, must show this to my daughter who is planning to make tacos, with a soy type filling that looks like beef.
    Gorgeous photos, and certainly healthy and super yummy Mexican treat with the salsa, and vibrant avocado slices:DDD
    xoxo

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