Salsa Verde

No time for chit chat today as I've quite the work load ahead of me. But enjoy this wonderful salsa verde. It's a treat with chips alone, but salsa verde also makes a great white chili base and in addition to playing well with chicken in a slow cooker.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

yields about 2 cups


The Ingredients:
1 lb tomatillos, hulls and stems removed
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
3-4 jalapeño, stems and seeds removed
¼ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp lime juice

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F

Arrange the onions, jalepenos, garlic, and tomatillos, stem side down, in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast, turning the vegetables once, until the tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 10 mintues.

Combine the roasted vegetables along with the cilantro, salt and lime juice in a food processoe. Blend and process until smooth.

Store, covered, in the refrideratro for up to 1 week.

Roasted Chili and Pork Empanadas

I was in a bind.  I run into this problem every time the word potluck is tossed about.  A friend was having a gathering and asked we bring a dish to pass.  My reputation in the kitchen is beginning to precede me.  I wanted to offer something stellar.  But I was also feeling lazy and didn't want to make a special trip to the store or put much effort into concocting an awe-inspiring dish.  Something saliva inducing was still required. Or at least palatable.  Desserts are easy...potlucks seem overwrought with cookies, bars and cupcakes.  So I wanted to bring something savory.  But easy to eat.  Serious board game playing was likely to occur and few things clutter up playing space like dinner plates. 

So the solution?  Empanadas.  Have you noticed how many cultures have savory meat pies in their repertoire? Italian calzones, Cornish pasties, Indian samosas, Spanish empanadas...heck, even hot pockets...

I picked empanadas for the broad appeal of the ingredients.  Honestly, really the biggest difference between all of these hand pies is the seasoning and sauce.  I guess I was in more of a tex-mex mood.  I've made pasties and samosas before.  Plus I already had everything on hand.  I used leftover roasted pork loin; but ground beef, shredded chicken, or rice and beans could just as easily work.  Given my impatience with pie pastry, that I did purchase instead of making my own from scratch.  I'm getting better, but Pillsbury still makes a better pie crust than I do...

the recipe is my own

yields 20-24 empanadas

The Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1- 4 oz can fire-roasted chilies
2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups cooked pork loin, finely chopped
6 oz Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 recipe for a double pie crust
1 egg, beaten

The Process:
 In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute the onions and garlic until the onion is tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the chilies, cumin, chili powder.  Stir until well combined and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the meat.  Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.  Mix in  the sour cream.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly grease 2 baking sheets and set aside.

Roll out the pie crust and cut out 3-inch rounds using a cookie cutter (I ended up using the screw top band from one of my canning jars...)  Re-roll the dough as necessary to make 20-24 rounds.

In the center of each dough round, mound a scant Tbsp of filling.  Dip your finger in water and dampen the edges of the dough round. 

Carefully fold one side of the dough over the filling.  Line up the edges of the dough and press gently.  Crimp the edge with the tines of a fork to seal the empanada shut.  Place on a baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough rounds and filling.  You will most likely have some filling left over.

 Using a pastry brush, brush a little beaten egg onto each empanada.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the empanadas puff slightly the crust is golden brown.  Serve warm.

The Review:
Considering I used leftovers and pre-made pie crust, these empanadas were a breeze to make.  They looked absolutely stunning...beautiful puffed and rounded crusts, carefully crimped edges, glistening egg glaze, steaming and flavorful filling...I would make these again in a heart beat.  And it appears our friends would gladly partake of them again given the chance.  Filling possibilities are endless.  And the size is perfect for snacking and sharing.  For an entree-sized meat pie, a larger round with more filling would be easy enough to do...and I suspect they would freeze well for future quick meals.

Garbanzos with Chorizo and Spinach

Beans and pork is a tried and true combination much loved across most of the country.  The possibilities are virtually  endless once you've moved beyond the backyard barbeque pinto beans and bacon.   This dish is much more stew like, with chunks of tender potato, ample bean and a healthy dose of smokey chorizo.  Wilted spinach added towards the end helps endow a sense of health and good eating.  And the best part?  The entire entree can be dished up in about thirty minutes.

I highly recommended the smoked Spanish-style of chorizo for this dish, though the raw nutmeg chili infused Mexican style will work as well.  I opted for Palacios mild versions...hot sausages are also available.

adapted from A recipe in Men's Health, December 2011

servers 4

The Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 links Spanish-style chorizo, chopped
1 large onion
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika (preferably pimenton)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 lb yukon or russet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2- 14 oz cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
8 cups baby spinach

The Process:
Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium heat.  Add the chorizo and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the pant and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and paprika to the pot and cook until the onion begins to caramelize.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the paste evenly coats the onions.  Add the stock, potatoes, and bay leaves.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the Garbanzo beans and cook for another 5 minutes or until beans are heated through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove the bay leaves and add the cooked chorizo and the baby spinach. Continue to cook until the spinach is wilted.

The Review:
Upon beginning to saute the chorizo, I would have thought the end result would be a greasy mess due to the red slick of fat that coated the saucepan. instead of the rich, smokey dish ultimately served up.  The meat was not a substantial part of the meal, quantity wise (though you could easily double or triple the amount if you are a huge fan of this Iberian treat) but it infuses smokey and slightly spicy nuances in every bite.  The potatoes and chickpea both lend a wonderful soft and velvety texture, but with enough difference to keep you from getting bored.  The contrast of something firm or with a little more bite was missing, but not by much.  The flavors more than make up for what the texture front may lack.  And the spinach...eight cups seems like a lot until the bunch cooks down.  The beautiful flecks of green amidst the deep red sauce made for an incredibly picturesque dish.  However, this one is so tasty you may polish it off before the camera had a chance.  Leftovers were just as wonderful the next day.

Seafood Enchiladas

 Once in a blue moon I'll find myself in a Mexican restaurant (granted, often as far from "Mexican" as Minnesota is from our Southern border).  On these rare occasions I'll find my hopes raised at the thought of a tortilla wrapped around succulent little bits of shrimp, crustaceans and mollusks in a creamy sauce.  Inevitably those hopes are dashed as my fork pries out flakes of imitation crab and bits of anemic shrimp, with little else.

These enchiladas are a step in the right direction.  The end result is directly related to the quality and variety of seafood you put into them.  I opted for crab, shrimp, scallops and john dory fillets.  But salmon. lobster and many other varieties of flaky fish would serve nicely.

adapted from a recipe at Betty Crocker

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken, fish or vegetable stock
8 oz sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (monterey jack, cheddar, queso quesadilla and asadero)
1 can (4.5 oz)  chopped green chiles, undrained
8 oz small scallops, raw
8 oz salad shrimp, raw
2  fillets john dory or other firm white fish, raw
1/2 cup crab meat, cooked and flaked or 2 - 6 oz cans, drained
8 - 8 inch flour tortillas
Diced tomato, avocado and cilantro for garnish


The Process:
Preheat oven to 350.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Stir in flour and stir until blended with butter. Add broth and heat to boiling, stirring frequently to remove any lumps.  Reduce heat to a simmer.  Add scallops, shrimp and fish fillets and poach until the fish begins to flake and the shrimp and scallops turn opaque, about 5 minutes.  Remove the seafood to a medium bowl and cover to keep warm.

  
Add sour cream to the saucepan and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in chiles.

In 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, spoon 1 cup of the cheese sauce over bottom. Set aside.

Add 1 cup of the cheese sauce to the reserved seafood. Stir to combine, gently breaking up the fish fillets.  Add the crab meat and stir to combine.  Spoon about 1/2 cup seafood mixture onto each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place seam sides down on sauce in the baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas.

Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.  Serve warm with tomatoes, avocado and cilantro.


The Review:
These enchiladas were a wonderful change of pace from the underwhelming varieties sold at tex-mex chains, as well as a richer alternative to the tried-and-true ground beef versions smoothered in a tomato based sauce.  Ross opined that, well incredibly good, these are a little too rich to replace our favorite beef and garlic ones when an enchilada craving hits.


The sauce was rich and mild, with a lovely seafood flavor due to using the base being used to poach the seafood.  During the cooking process, I sampled the sauce throughout and was in love with its velvety texture and subtle heat from the canned chilies.  So it was a bit of a surprise that the seafood flavors dominated the end result, almost completely masking the chilies.   A second can of chilies or hotter variety may be called for next time around, should I want a peppier sauce.


Two enchiladas easily provided four gut stuffing entrees. But given how rich these plump enchiladas are, served up with rice and a salad I'm sure you could stretch the serving size to eight people. 

Tamale Casserole

Two back to back Mexican-inspired dishes? This happened to be a complete coincidence! On Saturday Ross and I were wandering the farmer's market on its opening day. We happened upon a booth selling locally ground grains and bread mixes. Off to the side the miller had a pile of recipes, one toting several uses for his cornmeal. The tamale casserole called out to be made...

We unfortunately did not pick up any of the miller's cornmeal at the market, so I was in a bit of a bind. Until I remembered the box of jiffy mix in the cabinet. I poked around on a few recipe sites to see if others had used this cornbread staple for a similar casserole. This is the resultant recipe.

adpated from recipes provided by Home Hearth Grains, and Whole Foods Market

serves 6-8

The Ingredients:
filling
1 lb ground beef, turkey or bison
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 clove of garlic, minced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 can (14 oz) kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup water or broth

tamale crust
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 cup gluten free flour
-or-
1 pkg (8-10 oz) cornbread mix
-plus-
1 egg
1 Tbsp honey
1 cup of milk, sour cream or water

The Process:
Preheat oven to 350

In a large sauté pan, brown meat, breaking up any large pieces. Drain well and return to stove. Add onions, garlic and jalapeno. Saute until the onion is tender. Add beans, oregano, chili powder, salt diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Simmer uncovered for 7-10 minutes. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour and baking powder (or the contents of the cornbread mix). Whisk in milk, egg and honey until just combined. The mixture will be runny. Pour the batter over the batter over the filling mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cornbread is lightly browned and the filling hot and bubbling.

My Modifications:
Is the recipe as written above...but substituting a 1/4 cup of red enchilada sauce (from last week's pablano enchiladas) for the water. For the 'original' recipe check out Whole Foods website.

The Review:
Quick, easy comfort food! As I was adapting this recipe, merging the two I was using as my basis, it dawned on my that this is essentially your favorite chili, topped with a running corn batter crust. That realization opens the door for countless variations. I'm curious to try a spicier, vegetarian version next time around. And dependent upon which cornbread mix you use...it is easily gluten free.

The casserole reheated well the next two days...and was consumed very quickly between the two of us.

Pablano and Queso Fresco Enchiladas

Happy Cinco di Mayo! This day seemed like an appropriate time to branch away from my tried and true enchilada recipe...a recipe my mother clipped from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel years ago...a recipe that became a cornerstone of "family dinners" in Stevens Point. Others have carried the recipe on with them, and they have found it highly adaptable to accommodate not only any spice level, but also vegetarians. The best part was...this particular enchilada recipe did not rely on jars of sauce, cream of anything soups or packets of taco seasoning. It was one of my first attempts at from scratch* cooking.

So imagine my disappointment when pursuing food blogs and cook books. Page after page of enchiladas recipes toting cream soups, jars of pre-made sauce, boring chicken or ground beef fillings. My hopes were sinking until I stumbled upon this little gem from Vegetarian Times.

adapted from Vegetarian Times, September 2008, pg 75

Seves 6

The Ingredients:
The Sauce
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
2½ oz. dried New Mexican chiles, halved, stemmed, and seeded
4 medium tomatoes, chopped

The Enchiladas
6 Poblano or Anaheim chiles
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 2 tsp)
1½ cups queso fresco
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
12 6-inch corn tortillas


The Process:
To make Sauce: Heat olive oil in saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic in oil 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add dried chilies, and sauté 3 minutes more. Stir in tomatoes and 2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until chiles are soft. Remove from heat, cool 5 minutes, then purée in blender or food processor until smooth.

To make Enchiladas: Preheat oven to broil. Place poblano chiles on baking sheet, and broil 15 to 20 minutes, or until blackened on all sides, turning often. Cool in covered bowl, then peel off skins and remove seeds. Chop chiles into 1/4-inch pieces.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic in oil 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Transfer to mixing bowl, and add queso fresco, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, and chopped chiles.

Spread tortillas on baking sheet. Warm 3 minutes in oven to soften.

Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Divide cheese mixture among tortillas, and roll loosely. Place filled, rolled tortillas in baking dish. Top with remaining Sauce, and sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until Sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

My Modifications:
I had perhaps a third of the sauce left over...using two-thirds seemed to be more than enough without drowning the enchiladas.

The Review:
I adored them, but these my not be for those who like their Mexican dishes tear-jerkingly hot. The heat was subdued and smokey. The flavors of all of vegetables really came through...the peppers, the tomatoes, the onions. And the corn tortillas were pleasantly soft and on the verge of soggy. For the record, I abhor working with corn tortillas. While I love the flavor and texture of flour tortillas, I can never roll these little flat tortas without them starting to crack of flake.

Overall they reminding me of the enchiladas you would be served at one of those hole in the wall madre y padre taquerias. Ross and I really enjoyed them. And we were really surprised that the picky eater among us...given that she avoids meat and spicy foods...didn't enjoy them. But to each their own.


*if one considers using canned tomato sauce, cartons of broth and stewed tomatoes "from scratch." The next incarnation of this recipe will likely use only the bounty of the farmers market, and homemade stock.

Tex-mex chicken and rice bake

What do you do when you haven't been grocery shopping, but are craving a home cooked meal? Raid the pantry and make something up. And in classic Midwestern fashion...the hot dish comes to the rescue. Sometimes the results of such a cabinet and fridge dump are surprising.

I realize this dinner is a theme with many a variation. However, not a single recipe was consulted or perused prior to throwing the meal together. Out of curiosity, later on I may dig around online and in cookbooks to see how close my recipe came to others in existence. But for now, I'm sated and satisfied from my own little creation.

The recipe is my own.

serves 3-4

The Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup wild rice
1 1/4 cup beef, chicken or vegetable stock
2/3 cup low fat yogurt, plain
1/3 cup low fat sour cream
1/2 cup salsa (heat of your preference)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sage
1 can (14 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 medium tomato, diced
1 medium red pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack and Manchego work well)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3-4 portions

The Process:
In a saucepan over medium heat combine the brown rice, wild rice and broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and let stand undisturbed for 20-30 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350

In a medium bowl whisk together yogurt and sour cream. Fold in salsa, chili pepper, garlic powder, cumin and sage. Stir until well blended.

Assemble the casserole in a 9x9 or 7x11 inch baking dish, beginning with the rice. Spread roughly 2/3 of the salsa mixture over the rice, layer the beans over, followed by the corn, tomato and red pepper. Sprinkle generously with half of the shredded cheese. Arrange the chicken breasts on top and cover with the remaining sauce. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand before serving.

The Review:
The end result was a little soupy, but full of the flavors and textures reminiscent of enchiladas. All the the layers contributed to a great palette of textures, though something crunchy was noticeable absent. Had I made a more traditional casserole of the midwestern variety, I suppose cubing the chicken and generously sprinkling the top of the dish with crushed tortillas would have solved this dilemma. C'est la vie. There will be future last-minute hot dishes to experiment with. In the meantime, I need to brainstorm about how I could have cut down the cooking time...without using instant rice, mind you.

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Nothing seems more fitting for yet another cold snowy day than something that fills the apartment with spicy aromas all afternoon. This slow cooker recipe wasn't quite the "fix it and forget it" varieties I've tried in the past. All the ingredients for the mole sauce were combined and blended before adding to the crock pot, And the cut up chicken pieces need to be removed of their skin before layering in the pot as well. Still for the amount of prep time up front...the pay out nine hours later sounded well worth it.

Adapted from the BHG Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
3 cloves garlic, quartered
2 canned jalapeno peppers, drained
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp raisins
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
2 1/2 to 3 lb broiler-fryer chicken, cut up and skinned
2 Tbsp slivered almonds or pepitas, toasted (optional)

The Process:
For the mole sauce, in a blender or food processor combine undrained tomatoes, onion, the 1/4 cup almonds, garlic, jalapeno peppers, cocoa powder, raisins, sesame seeds, sugar, salt and spices. Cover and blend or process until mixture is a coarse puree.

In a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker place the tapioca. Add the chicken and then sauce. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 11 hours or on high heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours.

Remove the chicken from cooker and arrange on serving platter. Stir sauce; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with remaining almonds or pepitas. Serve with rice.

My Modifications:
I used skinless, bone-in chicken leg quarters. Usually I prefer chicken breasts, but the richer flavor seemed better with the darker meat. Plus it was what I happened to have on hand.

I used a 4 oz can of fire roasted green chilies, drained, instead of the jalapenos. I felt they would add a milder heat, but more depth to the flavor. To kick the heat back up a notch, I in turn added 1 Tbsp ancho chili powder, as well as a few extra cloves of garlic.

In the end, I believe the chicken stewed in the sauce on low for about ten hours. It was falling off the bone when I pulled it out.

The Review:
The meat was dripping off of the bones when I went to pull the chicken out of the slow cooker. The sauce left behind was thick and rich brown in color...and the chocolate smell permeated the entire kitchen. Surprisingly, the chocolate flavor was actually pretty subdued. As was any spice. The was no one distinct flavor in the mole, so much as just a rich, deep, earthy flavor. Ross commented that it was very different than a previous mole I had tried. Still good, but different. Only he couldn't put his finger on what was different. The previous recipe was not for a slow cooker, and it made use of boneless, skinless chicken breast, which yielded drier results. But overall the ingredient list was very much the same. I chalk the difference up to the cooking methods. The first simmered on the stove top for maybe half and hour which seemed to allow the individual ingredients to each shine through. The slow cooker's long cook time blended the sauce in to a deeper harmonious whole and allowed the flavor to penetrate the meat more deeply. And I can't say one is actually better than the other...