When the Temps Drop, Eat Seeds

Minty Pumpkin Seed Albóndigas

Pepitas are a super-popular snack all around Mexico. They form the base of pipián, a minimalist, savory mole sauce famous in states like Jalisco and Zacatecas. They are an indispensable ingredient in Yucatán’s famous sikil p’aak (don’t forget I wrote you a recipe back in the summer for Sikil P'aak Grilled Ribs with Sungolds). While pepitas aren’t the most celebrated Mexican ingredient, they certainly deserve to be, especially when you taste these albóndigas that make pepitas the protagonist.

This recipe is one hundred thousand percent inspired by my favorite dish at Planeta Vegetariano, a hidden-away, old-school vegetarian buffet that's been open for a couple of decades now in Puerto Vallarta. This dish is a weekly staple—it’s served every single Tuesday. In coastal parts of Mexico, albóndigas are much more delicate and made of fish or shrimp instead of pork or beef. These albóndigas are every bit as comforting but don’t have a bit of ground meat in them. The ground toasted pumpkin seeds impart a deep savory and nutty flavor, and the tomatillos keep the albondigas from never getting dry. The egg whites serve as a binder to help hold the meatballs together and do their magic with the assist of cooked rice and breadcrumbs. The tomato broth (whether you go with veg or chicken) adds a layer of umami goodness to keep you going for more.

But perhaps the best part of this whole dish is how it comes together with things that you may already have in hand, and how many times it will feed you. We like to eat a bowl of these albóndigas alongside some good-quality corn tortillas made from nixtamal such as Caramelo (or seek out a local brand with a clean label wherever you are!) fresh guacamole (the baller version without fillers, just lime juice, cilantro, and salt), and if you’re really, really hungry, serve it with quesadillas. They make fantastic leftovers: albondigas taste even better the next day—and even tastier the day after that. (If you have any left, that is.)

This week’s recipe mixtape features tunes from ‘Su Majestad Mi Banda El Mexicano de Casimiro’, I’m officially obsessed after seeing them live last night at Bésame Mucho Festival, plus a couple of fun ones in the mix. Enjoy!

Your subscription of $5/month covers my ridiculous grocery expenses, so many hours of recipe development, testing, and what turns into Javier’s endless lunches, plus all of the resources that go into creating Fresca for you. Thank you for your support!