These New Mexico style enchiladas are made flat, instead of rolled like I had traditionally been accustomed to. We had enchiladas like this in Hatch, New Mexico, at a great restaurant called The Pepper Pot. If you are ever driving through Hatch, be sure and eat there. It is a casual place with authentic local cuisine.
These enchiladas are nice served with refried beans and Mexican rice.
12 corn tortillas
2 cups Hatch Red Chile Sauce
4 cups grated sharp cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
Eggs (optional)
Shredded lettuce for garnish
Pour chile sauce into a shallow saute pan and warm on the stove top. In another pan, fry individual tortillas in a small amount of oil, quickly on each side (they should not be crisp). Immerse tortilla completely in chile sauce, take out and place on a serving plate. Sprinkle with grated cheese and onion. Repeat this process, layering the tortillas over the previous layer, until each plate has 3 layers. Spoon additional sauce (to taste) over the top. Garnish with shredded lettuce.
Optional: Add a fried egg, sunny side up, to the top of the enchiladas.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Hatch Red Chili Sauce
This recipe is from a package of Hatch dried red chilies, and makes incredible enchiladas.
12 dried red Hatch chile pods (we like to use the "Guajillo Pods" - they have great flavor and aren't too hot)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
You may want to protect your hands when working with the chile pods - if your skin is sensitive, they may cause your hands to burn for a while afterwards. To avoid this, wear latex gloves, or rub a little vegetable oil on your hands before handling them. Also, be careful not to rub your eyes while working with the pods.
Wash chile pods, removing stems and seeds. Bring chile pods and water to boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer, covered, for at least 10 minutes more. Pour into a blender, add the garlic, and liquefy. Strain the sauce through a colander or sieve. Add salt to taste. Heat the oil (very hot, but not smoking) in a skillet, add the flour and mix quickly. Pour in the chile sauce and stir until thickened. Add cumin and oregano. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add additional water as needed - the sauce should have the consistency of canned tomato sauce.
12 dried red Hatch chile pods (we like to use the "Guajillo Pods" - they have great flavor and aren't too hot)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
You may want to protect your hands when working with the chile pods - if your skin is sensitive, they may cause your hands to burn for a while afterwards. To avoid this, wear latex gloves, or rub a little vegetable oil on your hands before handling them. Also, be careful not to rub your eyes while working with the pods.
Wash chile pods, removing stems and seeds. Bring chile pods and water to boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer, covered, for at least 10 minutes more. Pour into a blender, add the garlic, and liquefy. Strain the sauce through a colander or sieve. Add salt to taste. Heat the oil (very hot, but not smoking) in a skillet, add the flour and mix quickly. Pour in the chile sauce and stir until thickened. Add cumin and oregano. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add additional water as needed - the sauce should have the consistency of canned tomato sauce.
Hatch Chilies
Hatch, New Mexico, calls itself the "Chile Capital of the World". It is a small farming community that is famous for growing good chilies. My parents drive through periodically and pick up supplies, usually from Hatch Chile Express - click the link for product and mail order information.
We like to get the large red dried chili pods, to use for enchilada sauce, and dried ground chili powder (the dried green chili powder is referenced in the scallops recipe).
We like to get the large red dried chili pods, to use for enchilada sauce, and dried ground chili powder (the dried green chili powder is referenced in the scallops recipe).
Black Bean Chili
Derived from a recipe in The Greens Cookbook, which recommends making extra and using it in enchiladas, chilaquiles, and other dishes. The toasted spices and chilies create an exotic flavor combination - I like the fact that the recipe contains very little salt, and is great without any salt at all. I've added notes about using a slow cooker for these - you'll need a large slow cooker for this recipe, if yours is not large enough, scale the recipe down accordingly.
These are great served with corn bread.
2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
4 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 chili negro or ancho chili (dried), for chili powder, or 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder
(we use a large dried Hatch chili pod)
3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
3 medium yellow onions, diced into 1/4 inch squares
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds ripe or canned comatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped; juice reserved
1-2 teaspoon chopped chipolte chilies
(from a can - they are in the Mexican section our grocery store)
~1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (to taste)
Garnishes (your choice, any or all):
chopped cilantro
grated cheese (cheddar, muenster, monterey jack, fontina, etc)
green chilies (canned or roasted)
sour cream or Mexican creme
Sort through the beans and remove any small stones. Rinse them well, cover them generously with water, and let them soak overnight. The next day, drain the beans, put them in a large pot or slow cooker, cover them with water by a couple of inches, and add the bay leaf. Bring the beans to a simmer (bring to boil on the stove top, then turn them down, or set the slow cooker on high).
Heat a small heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, and when they begin to color, add the oregano leaves, shaking the pan frequently so the herbs don't scorch. As soon as the fragrance is strong and robust, remove the pan from the heat and add the paprika and cayenne. Give everything a quick stir, then remove from the pan - the paprika and the cayenne only need a few seconds to toast. Grind in a mortar or a spice mill to make a coarse powder.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. To make the chili powder, put the dried chili in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to dry it out. Cool it briefly; then remove the stem, seeds, and veins. Tear the pod into small pieces and grind it into a powder in a blender or spice mill.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, and saute the onions over medium heat until they soften. Add the garlic, salt, and the ground herbs and chili powder, and cook another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice, and about 1 teaspoon of the chipolte chili. Simmer everything together for 15 minutes; then add this mixture to the beans, and, if necessary, enough water so the beans are covered by at least 1 inch. Cook slowly until the beans are soft, at least an hour if cooking on the stove top, and 6-8 hours in the slow cooker (maybe longer, depending on the cooker). Keep an eye on the water level and add more if needed, to keep the beans amply covered.
Season to taste with additional chipotle, rice vinegar, and salt. Garnish as desired.
These are great served with corn bread.
2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
4 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 chili negro or ancho chili (dried), for chili powder, or 2-3 tablespoons of chili powder
(we use a large dried Hatch chili pod)
3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
3 medium yellow onions, diced into 1/4 inch squares
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 pounds ripe or canned comatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped; juice reserved
1-2 teaspoon chopped chipolte chilies
(from a can - they are in the Mexican section our grocery store)
~1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (to taste)
Garnishes (your choice, any or all):
chopped cilantro
grated cheese (cheddar, muenster, monterey jack, fontina, etc)
green chilies (canned or roasted)
sour cream or Mexican creme
Sort through the beans and remove any small stones. Rinse them well, cover them generously with water, and let them soak overnight. The next day, drain the beans, put them in a large pot or slow cooker, cover them with water by a couple of inches, and add the bay leaf. Bring the beans to a simmer (bring to boil on the stove top, then turn them down, or set the slow cooker on high).
Heat a small heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, and when they begin to color, add the oregano leaves, shaking the pan frequently so the herbs don't scorch. As soon as the fragrance is strong and robust, remove the pan from the heat and add the paprika and cayenne. Give everything a quick stir, then remove from the pan - the paprika and the cayenne only need a few seconds to toast. Grind in a mortar or a spice mill to make a coarse powder.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. To make the chili powder, put the dried chili in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to dry it out. Cool it briefly; then remove the stem, seeds, and veins. Tear the pod into small pieces and grind it into a powder in a blender or spice mill.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, and saute the onions over medium heat until they soften. Add the garlic, salt, and the ground herbs and chili powder, and cook another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice, and about 1 teaspoon of the chipolte chili. Simmer everything together for 15 minutes; then add this mixture to the beans, and, if necessary, enough water so the beans are covered by at least 1 inch. Cook slowly until the beans are soft, at least an hour if cooking on the stove top, and 6-8 hours in the slow cooker (maybe longer, depending on the cooker). Keep an eye on the water level and add more if needed, to keep the beans amply covered.
Season to taste with additional chipotle, rice vinegar, and salt. Garnish as desired.
Eduardo's Corn Bread
Some corn breads are very sweet, more like cake. Some have more flour than cornmeal. Eduardo developed this recipe to have a balance of sweetness and corn flavor that we like - it has a little less sugar and more cornmeal than a lot of recipes do. We like to use honey instead of sugar for a richer flavor.
Some nice additions that can be folded in just before baking: frozen or fresh whole kernel corn, chopped red peppers, canned mild green chiles, shredded cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup honey (or sugar)
2 eggs (or 1 egg plus 1 egg white)
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter and flour an 8"x8" baking dish (or a bread loaf pan). Some recipes suggest cooking the bread in a preheated cast iron skillet for a darker, thicker crust, which sounds great. We haven't tried this yet.
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl - mix well so they are evenly distributed. Melt butter, add the honey (or sugar) to the warm butter and combine. Stir in the milk, then add eggs and whisk until well blended. Combine this mixture with the dry ingredients - stir only enough to mix well (a few small lumps are OK), being careful not to over-stir to keep the baking soda active. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a knife comes clean when inserted.
Some nice additions that can be folded in just before baking: frozen or fresh whole kernel corn, chopped red peppers, canned mild green chiles, shredded cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup honey (or sugar)
2 eggs (or 1 egg plus 1 egg white)
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter and flour an 8"x8" baking dish (or a bread loaf pan). Some recipes suggest cooking the bread in a preheated cast iron skillet for a darker, thicker crust, which sounds great. We haven't tried this yet.
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl - mix well so they are evenly distributed. Melt butter, add the honey (or sugar) to the warm butter and combine. Stir in the milk, then add eggs and whisk until well blended. Combine this mixture with the dry ingredients - stir only enough to mix well (a few small lumps are OK), being careful not to over-stir to keep the baking soda active. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, until a knife comes clean when inserted.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
The Greens Cookbook
By Deborah Madison, from the Greens Restaurant in San Francisco. I don't yet own this cookbook yet - it is on my wish list. We've eaten at the restaurant many times and love it - its a vegetarian restaurant that even non-vegetarians frequent.
The Black Bean Chili recipe posted is derived from one in this book (obtained through a friend who has the book).
The Black Bean Chili recipe posted is derived from one in this book (obtained through a friend who has the book).
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Blue Cheese Pizza
This idea came from a pizza we had at Bill's Pizza in Palm Springs; there's is called 'Blue Moon'. If you are ever in Palm Springs and want good pizza, this is the place to go.
If you like blue cheese, you'll love this. The sliced apples are a nice complement to the caramelized onions and the blue cheese. Pears are also a nice substitution for the apples (as long as they aren't too juicy). This recipe makes one 12" pizza.
Pizza crust (see Scott's Pizza for options)
olive oil
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese (adjust amount to taste)
1/2 an apple, cored and sliced into thin pieces
1/2 cup caramelized onions
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Prepare the crust, pre-bake for 5 minutes at 400° for a crisper crust. Brush olive oil generously onto the crust. Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella cheese onto the crust, then the blue cheese. Distribute the apples, then the onions, then the walnuts on the pizza. Bake at 400° until the crust is brown on the bottom.
Caramelized Onions
The previous recipe for caramelized onions posted here was for a slow cooker. This is a stove top method that uses a little sugar. These were great on the Blue Cheese Pizza we made last night.
2 medium sized onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the butter and oil in a large pan, add onions, salt, and pepper and cook about 5 minutes until soft. Add sugar, and cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring just enough to keep the onions from burning, but allowing them to get very brown.
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