Chili Casserole

This is sometimes called chili relleno casserole, but by any name it is delicious and easy.

1. You will need 2 cans of peeled whole green chilies. You can also roast and peel your own chilies and use a slightly hotter version, such as a Poblano or a Pasillo.

2.Any kind of cooked meat or cheese that you like - about 1 pound. Chorizo or another ground meat, or shredded chicken, pork or beef are all good options. Cook and season it with cumin, chili powder, onion, and garlic.

3. 6 - 8 eggs depending on the size

4. About 1 cup of crumbled queso freco or cotijo cheese. If you don't have those, shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar will be fine. Cheese is optional in this dish.

5. About 1/2 cup of mild to medium enchilada sauce.

6. 1/2 cup half and half

7. 1/3 cup of flour (any kind) plus 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Step 1. Pour the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish.

Step 2. Add a layer of chilies.

Step 3. Cover the chilies with the meat mixture.

Step 4. Add a second layer of chilies over the meat.

Step 5. Beat the eggs together with the half and half and the flour. When these are well mixed, add the cheese. Pour the egg/cheese mixture over the meat and chili layers.

Step 6. Bake covered at 325 degrees for 1/2 hour. Uncover and bake for another half hour or until the egg mix is set.

Slice like you would a lasgana and serve with rice and frijoles.

Tamale Casserole

This is my new favorite breakfast. You can certainly have it for dinner, but Oh! What a fabulous morning meal. Truly a reason to get up in the morning!

Tamale Casserole

18 - 20 corn tortillas

Cooking oil - at least 4 - 6 ounces

1 cup corn meal

1 can creamed corn

1/3 cup water

4 eggs

2 oz diced pimento

4 oz chopped ripe olives

4 oz diced green chilies or diced jalapenos

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken

1 teaspoon cumin

Chili powder or chili powder blend*

3 cups enchilada sauce

3/4 cup crushed tortilla chips

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese - optional

* If you use pure chili powder, use a 1/2 teaspoon for the corn meal mix and a 1/2 teaspoon for the sauteed chicken. If you are using a blend you can sprinkle it in a little more liberally.

1. Cut 18 corn tortillas in strips, saute in oil. They don't need to get crisp. Use plenty of oil to soften them. Put some in the pan and then drizzle a little over the top. 

2. Saute 1/2 of the tortillas and put them in the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Pour 1 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Stir them slightly so they are evenly coated with sauce.

3. Cook corn meal along with: eggs, creamed corn, water, pimento, diced green chilies or diced jalapenos, salt, and diced ripe olives. Cook on medium heat until thickened. Stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

4. Saute the shredded, cooked chicken in oil with cumin and chili powder.

5. Ladle the cooked corn meal mixture over the tortilla/sauce layer.

6. Saute the other half of the tortilla strips and arrange them over the corn meal.

7. Spread the spiced, sauteed chicken over strips; ladle the remaining enchilada sauce over chicken.

8. Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips over chicken. If you like, sprinkle grated cheese over the crushed chips.

Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350

If you delight in existence, you will become a guide to those who need you, revealing the path to many.

Sutra Nipata

Some Like it Hot

Admittedly, this salsa fresca would not have to be hot, but the combination of heat and sweet is irresistible.
This is a five minute or less creation and its original purpose was as a topping for fish tacos. You could certainly use it as a chip dip or a salad dressing or in myriad other ways.

Chop 3 ripe tomatoes
Add 1/3 cup crushed, canned pineapple
Add pepper flakes - a teaspoon if you are timid, a tablespoon if you are adventurous
Squeeze in the juice of one lime
A pinch of cilantro if you are a fan
That's it!

Mango Salsa

This one's for Reggie; I hope he likes it.

1 Anaheim or Poblano pepper

3 cloves garlic

3 large tomatoes

2 large or one giant ripe mango

2 red chili peppers

¼ cup pineapple orange guava juice (any fruit juice could be substituted)

Juice of 1 large lime

Few sprigs of fresh cilantro

1. Remove seeds from the Anaheim pepper and dice.  Peel and mince the three cloves of garlic. Put the garlic and green pepper into a frying pan with a small amount of olive oil and sauté until they are both soft. 

2. Cut the tomatoes in half. Remove the seeds; if a few remain, that’s OK.

3. Dice the tomato into small pieces and set aside.

4. Peel and dice the mango and add to the tomato.

5. Chop the cilantro and add to the mango/tomato mixture.

6. Remove the chili/garlic mixture from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

7. Add the lime juice, mango/ tomato/cilantro mix and fruit juice to the pepper/garlic mix.

8. Mince the chili peppers as finely as you can and add them to the salsa.

Let the mixture sit a few minutes, or a few hours if you have time, for the chili peppers to be infused into the liquid. Serve as a garnish for fish or rice or use as a dip for tortilla chips.

Do something you love every single day.

Heather McCloskey Beck

Chicken Enchilada Soup

3 cups medium enchilada sauce

3 cups spaghetti sauce

3 cups cubed raw chicken

3 cubes chicken bouillon

6 small carrots

5 medium size potatoes

½ cup quinoa

1 small onion

2 jalapeno peppers

2 cloves garlic

Mince and sauté the onion, garlic and jalapenos in a little EVOO.  Cut the potatoes and carrots into half inch cubes.

Put the sauces, the chicken, bouillon, and onion/garlic/pepper mixture, into a large cooking pot. Heat to nearly boiling and then simmer on low for about 2 hours.

Put the carrots and onions into the soup and cook for one more hour.

Put the quinoa into the soup and cook for an additional half hour. If the soup is too thick, add water and simmer for a few more minutes.

Top the soup with avocado slices.

You can diminish the spiciness of the soup by deleting the jalapenos and using mild enchilada sauce.

Life is what happens while you are making other plans.      John Lennon

Sweet and Spicy Quesadilla

I discovered this recipe in a restaurant while trying to come up with something for me to eat there. They were accommodating, and I was delighted. (American Bistro in Del Mar, CA) The sweetness comes from the corn and the heat level can be adjusted to suit your taste, depending on which peppers you use. Gringos might want to stick with green chilies and Southwest types can use jalapenos, red or yellow chilies. The truly adventurous and iron tongued would use habaneros.

You will need:

Slices of two cheeses; i.e. jack and Colby
(One would do, but two are so much better.)

Flour tortillas

peppers; Pasillo, Poblano, Jalapeno, Anaheim are all good

corn - fresh or frozen

olive oil

sour cream

avocado

Quantities depend on how many you would like to make. Corn/pepper mix can be kept in refrigerator and used later.

Clean and chop the peppers and then saute the corn and peppers in a generous amount of olive oil on low for about 15 minutes.

Use the corn/pepper mixture along with cheese to fill tortillas and grill them in olive oil on medium low. Flip after 3 - 4 minutes. Quesadillas should be slightly brown on both sides, cheese should be melted.

These could be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Garnish with sour cream and/or avocado.


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Tamales

TAMALES

Tamales are as much an activity as they are a food. They are a great holiday dish because they are more easily constructed with a group effort.

Ingredients and Supplies
Corn Husks - These are purchased dry and soaked for 2-3 hours (or overnight) to soften.
Cotton String - This is technically "cheating," because the traditional way to tie the tamales is to use slivers of husk. Either method works. Or you can simply not tie them at all. Vegetable steamer and large kettle - a tamale kettle is nice, but most large soup kettles will work too.

Tamale Dough:
1 cup butter
1 can of cream style corn (approximately 17 ounces)
2 1/2 cups instant masa mix
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt and 1 rounded tablespoon chili powder
1 can diced green chilies

Filling: (Prepare in advance.)
Chopped, cooked, spiced chicken (or turkey or beef)
Cubed Monterey Jack cheese
Diced green chilies or hotter chilies if you like them

1. Mix the dough ingredients. Add a few teaspoons of masa if the dough seems too sticky.
2. Drain and clean the corn husks.
3. Lay a husk flat on the table surface, and place 1 rounded tablespoon dough in the center of the husk. Flatten it just slightly.
4. Add a rounded teaspoon of either cheese or chicken. Then add a teaspoon of green chilies. Place another rounded tablespoon of dough on top of the fillings and seal the edges. Then roll the husk around the tamale and tie the ends.
5. When all the tamales have been assembled, fill the bottom of the kettle with water, place the steamer in the bottom, and layer the tamales in criss-crossed layers on the steamer. Steam about 1 hour.

Note: One advantage to using both string and husk ties is that if you are making two kinds of tamales, you can tie one kind with string and the other kind with husks. It is also possible to roll up the tamales and cook them with no ties at all, especially if you are going to eat them all right away!

A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
Mark Twain

Enchiladas

ENCHILADAS

These take a little time, but are well worth the effort.

One dozen corn tortillas
1 1/2 - 2 cups enchilada sauce
1 cup cooked, chopped white turkey meat (A 10 ounce can of turkey will work.)
About 1/2 cup coconut oil
1 can diced green chilies (4 ounce can)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream

Put 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan along with the diced green chilies, the turkey, salt and chili powder. Brown the turkey meat on a medium low heat. When this is finished set it on the back burner.

The corn tortillas need to be softened in hot oil. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small fry pan on medium heat. Gently put in 1 tortilla at a time, and let it cook for a few seconds (about 10) on each side. Layer the cooked tortillas in paper toweling after you fry them. Add oil to the pan as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in a 9x13 casserole.Put the remainder of the sauce and a cup of sour cream in a shallow bowl. Stir.

Take 1 tortilla at a time, coat both sides with the sauce in the bowl; then put a spoonful of meat/chili filling on the tortilla. Roll the tortilla around the filling and place "seam" down in the casserole. This takes a little practice. After all the enchiladas are made, mix the sour cream into the remaining enchilada sauce. Stir well and pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with grated cheese and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake about 35 minutes. Serve with rice and beans.

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