More Cinco De Mayo action, toppings.

Over the next few weeks, I plan to post my favorite main dishes for Cinco De Mayo, but first I wanted to post just a few more tasty toppings that I like to have on the table for any taco night.

Tex Mex Pickles

Brine
1 cup - white vinegar
4 Tbsp - sugar
1/4 tsp - salt (you can just use a fat pinch)
1 - dried Serrano (Chile Seco) or other small dried chile (if you like the spice use 2 or 3)
1 tsp - cumin seeds

Equipment
You are going to be boiling vinegar, so you need a pot that wont react with it. That means stainless steel, glass or enameled. If you use a copper or iron pot, it will make the pickles taste funny.
1 - clean jar to store the pickles in. I like to use old pickle or jelly jars.
Knife, cutting board, etc...

This same brine is great for lots of different pickles. Here are my favorite 3.

Red Onion

• Get the biggest red onion you can find.
• Peel the onion and cut a small slice off of one side, so that it will be stable when resting on the cutting board.
• Cut the onion into 1/4 inch thick rings.
• Bring all brine ingredients to a boil
• Add the sliced onion and boil for just a few seconds, while you give it 10 or so stirs.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely before transferring your pickles to a left over pickle or jelly jar.
  
• Use the left over brine to make sure that all the pickles in the jar are totally covered.

Jalapeno

• Core and seed 6 large jalapeños and cut them into 1/4 inch rings
• Bring all brine ingredients to a boil
• Add the sliced jalapeños and boil for just a few seconds, while you give them 10 or so stirs.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely before transferring your pickles to a left over pickle or jelly jar.
• Use the left over brine to make sure that all the pickles in the jar are totally covered.

Red Cabage

• This recipe will need about twice as much brine as the other two, so make a double batch.
• Use one small head of red cabbage
• Cut the cabbage as thinly as you can, like you were making cole slaw.
• Bring all brine ingredients to a boil
• Add the cabbage and boil for just a few seconds, while you give it 10 or so stirs.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely before transferring your pickles to a left over pickle or jelly jar.
• Use the left over brine to make sure that all the pickles in the jar are totally covered.

Soyur Cream

Ingredients
1 pound - firm tofu
4 tbsp - lemon juice
3 tbsp - cider vinegar
4 tbsp - vegetable oil
1/4 tsp - dry mustard powder

Equipment
You really need a food processor for this. A blender will work in a pinch, but it isn't ideal.

• Puree tofu, lemon juice and vinegar in a food processor until well combined
• Sprinkle in mustard powder and let run for a minute until the powder is all well combined with the tofu mixture. (Make sure that the vinegar and lemon juice is well combined before adding the mustard. If there isn't enough acid in the mixture to neutralize it, the mustard will react and make this very spicy.)
  
• Drizzle the oil in slowly allowing it to be incorporated a little at a time until all oil is well combined with the mixture
• then let the processor run for another 20 minutes. This may seem like a long time, but it is the most important step, the longer you let this run, the more it breaks down the proteins in the tofu, and the smoother it will become.
• If the mixture is still too thick after the mixing is finished add a very little bit of water at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Be careful not to use too much water, you want just enough to make it right.
• This will make about 2 cups of soyur cream.