It doesn’t have to have meat to be excellent Mexican food

Not all that long ago, at least at the restaurants I was going to, the idea of vegetarian Mexican food was more about absence of meat than presence of vegetables. A taqueria that had several choices of meat, poultry and seafood fillings, and accompanied each with beans, cabbage, onions, peppers and the like, would merely serve all the accoutrements when you asked for something vegetarian.

Thankfully, so much has changed, as Americans’ understanding of Mexico’s complex cuisines has deepened, and as the celebration of vegetables has grown the world over. Washington’s Pati Jinich, the charming host of the public-television show “Pati’s Mexican Table,” has seen the changes firsthand as someone who keeps tabs on where her country’s cooking is headed. Her new book, “Mexico Today,” is for omnivores, but it showcases a surprising number of vegetarian dishes — including plenty that showcase vegetables beyond the expected beans (although they’re worth showcasing, too). There’s a green pozole with zucchini, chayote and mushrooms; a pizza with zucchini and poblano peppers; a salad of roasted asparagus and cherry tomatoes; crepe enchiladas with Swiss chard and potatoes; and more.

Jinich and I are friends (and occasionally cook together), so I was fascinated to see how many more vegetable-focused recipes appear in “Mexican Today” compared with her first book. I pursued an email conversation with her about it; edited excerpts follow.

How do you see vegetables and vegetarianism fitting into Mexican cooking?

The funny thing is that the term “vegetarian” or “vegan” is pretty recent, although the Mexican diet was for centuries mainly vegetarian — that is, until the Spaniards arrived. The ancient Mexican diet was heavily based on seeds, grains, vegetables and fruits. Very little meat or poultry. So the pillars of Mexican cooking, after the intermarriage with Spanish culture and cuisine and techniques (and many other influences), still shows it: Many of the mole sauces have a base of seeds, dried and fresh chilies, roasted vegetables.

There are so many vegetarian or vegan dishes that are daily fare in Mexico: nopalitos, chayote, calabacitas, rajas, papas, beans and corn in all ways and kinds. But until recently, we hadn’t called it vegetarian or vegan. If you go to the countryside, you will find that most of the homestyle, everyday food has very little meat.

Has your perception of plant-based eating changed over the years?

You know I eat absolutely everything, and there are few things I won’t try. But a few things that have happened of late that have made me lean more toward a less meat-based diet. One of my sisters, whom I adore, Sharon, became a vegetarian 15 years ago and then a vegan. She is one of the most fabulous cooks I know and is super healthy to the point that I am not kidding: She glows. Really. Gorgeous inside out. Anyway, she has opened my eyes to many possibilities, like using seasoned oil instead of lard, using a lot more seeds in lots of interesting ways.

Then (my husband) Daniel and I decided to do a detox with a group of friends a couple years ago. For 20 days we had no coffee, no alcohol, no meat, no poultry, no fish, no gluten. We only ate vegetables, fruits, seeds and grains. It was a shock to my system. I stuck with it, and my body recalibrated: After the detox, we started adding a food group at a time, and since then I have found that I crave meat much less, my appetite for fish and seafood has increased, and I crave a lot more veggies. (One thing has remained: I absolutely adore eggs).

In the past three or four years, I have gotten a lot more playful with vegetables and fruits and have really seen their sexy side. I would have never come up with these new dishes a few years ago.

There are lots of recipes to try, but I immediately gravitated toward your egg and avocado sandwich, because it’s such a great mash-up of egg salad and guacamole.

It couldn’t be more simple, unpretentious yet filling and downright satisfying at the same time. Plus it can be built up (add slices of tomato or cucumbers or cheese!) or dressed down (eat it as a salad on top of lettuce!). It pairs two of the things I am obsessed with: ripe avocados and eggs. But you also have got to make the roasted asparagus and baby tomato salad. It’s crazy. I take the roasted ends of the asparagus and puree them in a vinaigrette with cooked egg yolks. (The egg whites are finely chopped as garnish). That is another one that shows my obsession with eggs.

And with avocados.

I think I eat both in one way or another every single day.

Chopped Egg and Avocado Sandwiches

4 sandwiches

This indulgent mash-up of guacamole and egg salad, in sandwich form, would be at home on a picnic table or for an office lunch. The cheese takes these over the top, but the sandwiches are also great without it.

Adapted from “Mexican Today: New and Rediscovered Recipes for Contemporary Kitchens,” by Pati Jinich (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016).

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped (see note)

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried dill

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons sauce from canned chipotles in adobo, or more as needed

Flesh of 1 ripe avocado, sliced

½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

8 slices brioche, challah, or soft bread of your choice, lightly toasted

4 thick slices Oaxaca, Monterey Jack or Muenster cheese (optional)

Sliced tomatoes (optional)

Combine the eggs, onion, parsley, dill, mustard, mayonnaise and chipotle sauce in a medium bowl. Add the avocado, salt and pepper, and gently mash and mix everything together. Taste, and add more chipotle sauce, salt and pepper, as needed.

Scoop a generous amount of the egg and avocado salad onto 4 of the toasted bread slices, spreading it evenly. Top with slices of cheese and tomatoes, if using. Cover with the remaining slices of bread and serve.

Note: Fill a bowl with ice cubes and water. Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water; bring to just under a boil over medium heat. Place a steamer basket with the eggs in it on top and cover; let steam for 12 minutes, then remove from the heat. Transfer the eggs to the ice-water bath; let them sit for 5 minutes, or until cooled, before peeling.

Nutrition Per sandwich: 490 calories, 16 g protein, 60 g carbohydrates, 21 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 480 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar