Cinco de Mayo: Day 5 - Chile Rellenos

For the final Cinco de Mayo post I wanted to share a new recipe I tried.

I finally made chile rellenos! After trying them years and years ago, I've finally concocted the dish on my own. The version below is not fried and vegetarian-friendly. Please enjoy!

Chile Rellenos
Serves 4

4 Poblano peppers
2 C. Rice, cooked
1 can of Black beans, drained
1 med Onion, chopped
1 med Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 med Tomato, diced
1 C. of shredded cheese
1 tsp. of Cumin
1 tsp. of Chili powder
1 tsp. of Garlic salt

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large pot, boil salted water
- Cut a slit down side of each pepper. Remove seeds and rinse out cavity
- Place gutted peppers in boiling water for 7 minutes
- Remove from water and allow to cool...cool enough to handle
- In a skillet, saute onions, bell pepper, cumin, chili powder and garlic salt
- Add tomatoes, black beans, cheese and rice to pan. Mix well
- Take a pepper into one hand and stuff each with the pan mixture
- Place each pepper on a greased sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream

Optional suggestions:
- Roll stuffed peppers in olive oil then cornmeal before baking

Cinco de Mayo: Dish re-post 4

This is a great recipe for parties and it is great to use instead of your typical tomato-based salsas. Tomatillos look like a green tomato but their smaller, less acidic, and come in a leafy husk. Roasting or boiling is necessary when using this fruit/vegetable. Serve with my Homemade Tortilla Chips or some other plain tortilla chip.

Ryan's Tequila-Tomatillo Salsa
Serves 6

6 Tomatillos, husks removed, quartered and roasted
1 Jalapeno (remove seeds and white pith to reduce heat), roasted or grilled
3 Garlic Cloves, roasted or grilled
Juice of 3 Limes
1 Shot of Tequila
1/2 half of Onion, roasted or grilled
1 Tbl. of Cumin
1 Tbl. of Olive Oil
1 Tbl. of Salt
Water

- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Use water if necessary to help the mixture blend
- Serve with warm tortilla chips

Sausage, Peppers and Onions over Polenta

This recipe is a simple dish almost anyone can prepare. It's a simple mix of sauteed sausage, caramelized onions and peppers served over creamy polenta. Enjoy!

Sausage, Peppers and Onions over Polenta
Serves 4

2 Polish Sausage links, sliced crosswise
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
1 med Onion, sliced
2 Tbl of Canola oil
1 tsp. of Garlic, minced

-In a large pan, cook sausage slices until browned and cooked thoroughly
-Remove sausage from pan
-Add canola oil, peppers and onions to skillet. Cook slowly over medium-high heat until onions are translucent
-Add garlic and sausage to pan and stir

Creamy Polenta
1 C. of Cornmeal
3 C. of Chicken Stock (or salted Water)

-In a small pot, bring chicken stock to a simmer
-Use a whisk to stir in the cornmeal. This will prevent clumps

Cinco de Mayo: Dish re-post 3

This recipe will be awesome at any Cinco de Mayo party or any time you want some good slow-roasted pork with a tangy, sweet bite of pickled onions.

Slow roasted pork tacos are delicious. Usually it's a dish I wait to try at a local taco joint but I finally ventured and created my own. It took a lot of time and lot of love but it was worth it. The recipes below show you how to recreate my masterpiece complete with pickled onions and fork-tender pork.

Adobe Roasted Pork Tacos with Pickled Onions
Serves 6

1 Lg Pork Shoulder Roast
1 12 oz. jar of Adobe Paste
3 Tbl. of Salt
Pickled Onions (recipe below)
Corn tortillas
Queso Fresco

- Warm adobe paste in the microwave for 30 seconds until it is somewhat runny
- Rub the paste all over the pork roast
- Sprinkle the salt all over the roast
- Place paste-covered roast in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap
- Allow roast to marinate for several hours or overnight

To cook:
- Preheat oven to 385 degrees
- Place roast in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil
- Bake roast for 3 hours until roast becomes fork tender
- Shred pork apart and serve atop warm corn tortillas and top with pickled onions (recipe below) and crumbled queso fresco

Pickled Onions
Serves 6

2 medium Purple Onions, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch of Cilantro, chopped
1/3 C. of Vinegar, preferably apple cider vinegar
1/3 C. of Sugar
1 tsp. of Salt
1 tsp. of Garlic, crushed

- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the onions and cilantro
- Add onions and cilantro and make sure they are submerged in the liquid
- Refrigerate overnight
- Serve atop roasted pork tacos

Cinco de Mayo: Dish re-post 2

To continue the festivities, here is a re-post of my Chimichurri Skirt Steak recipe.

This recipe is derived from two sources. First, from my experience of working at the chain, Chili's Bar & Grill and secondly, from an Argentinian steakhouse I went to in Fort Lauderdale a while ago. Chimichurri is a type of 'sauce' used all over Latin America for grilled meats and veggies. It is composed of two of my favorite ingredients, cilantro and lime, and goes well with my version of grilled skirt steak. It also goes well with pork and chicken. You can click on the picture for a closer view.

Skirt Steak and Chimichurri
Serves 2

1/2 Lb. of Skirt Steak
1 Tbl. of Olive Oil
1 Tbl. of Red Wine Vinegar
3 tsp. of Cumin
2 tsp. of Garlic Powder
2 tsp. of Oregano
1 tsp. of Paprika
1 tsp. of Cinnamon

- Sprinkle all of the spices, herb, oil, and vinegar over both sides of skirt steak
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour
- In a large skillet, heat a small amount of canola oil to high
- Cook both sides of skirt steak until desire doneness
(Can also be cooked on a grill or BBQ)



Cilantro chimichurri Sauce

1 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro
3 Cloves of Garlic
Juice of 2 Limes
1 Tbl. of Salt
1 tsp. of Brown Sugar
Olive Oil

- In a blender, place all ingredients and blend well
- Refrigerate for at least an hour
- Serve atop grilled skirt steak...or pork...or chicken

Cinco de Mayo: Dish re-post 1

This post comes from September 2008. It is one of my favorite dishes. Please enjoy my Cilantro-Lime Chicken recipe.

I finally made one of my signature dishes again. I had planned to share this recipe a while ago but wanted to wait until I had a pictures ready to show the goodness. It is a light, tasty mix of cilantro, lime, and salt. The same base I use for my shrimp ceviche and fruit salsas. If you don't make any other dish from my blog, please make this one. You can click on the picture for a closer view.


Cilantro-Lime Chicken
Serves 2

2 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless and butterflied
Juice of 2 Limes
3/4 C. of Cilantro, chopped
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
Black Beans and Rice


- In a glass pie dish, place lime juice, cilantro, garlic, and chicken breasts. Make sure chicken breasts are thoroughly covered by mixture
- Marinate for a few hours or overnight
- In a skillet, heat up 2 tablespoons of canola oil
- Take chicken out of marinade and remove excess cilantro leaves
- Place chicken into skillet and cook thoroughly. Slice and serve with black beans and rice

For Cinco de Mayo...

In the spirit of Americans hijacking another country's holiday, I will be re-posting some of my favorite Mexican-inspired posts for your enjoyment. Please feel free to make these for your next Cinco de Mayo party. Ole!

Spicy Caribbean Pumpkin Soup

After a long time away here is a post just in time for the Holidays. I recently entered this dish in my office's monthly cookoff...and won Battle: Pumpkin! This soup has a lot of ingredients that all play a vital role in delivering an unexpected flavor punch.

Spicy Caribbean Pumpkin Soup
Serves 6

3 Tbl. Butter
1 Tbl. Oil
½ Red Onion, diced
2 Tbl. Garlic, minced
½ Red bell pepper, diced
2 small Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp. fresh Ginger, minced
1 tsp. of Cumin
1 Tbl. Of Chili Powder
½ tsp. Of Allspice
½ tsp. of ground Cloves
½ tsp. of Nutmeg
½ tsp. of Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. of Cinnamon
1 tsp. of Curry Powder
1 Tbl. Of Salt
2 tsp. of Pepper
1 can of Pumpkin
1 can of Creamed Corn
1 can of Coconut Milk
½ small can of Pineapple Chunks
¼ C. of Brown Sugar
½ tsp. of Srirachi Chili Sauce
Juice of 1 Lime
1 C. of Chicken Broth

- In large pot, melt butter and oil. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, potatoes. Sauté until translucent
- To pot, add ginger, cumin, chili powder, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, curry powder, salt and pepper until all ingredients are coated
- Now add pumpkin, creamed corn, coconut milk, pineapple chunks, brown sugar, srirachi chili sauce, lime juice and chicken broth
- Cook all ingredients together until it simmers
- Immersion blender method: Remove pot from heat. Insert immersion blender and blend until soup is smooth.
- Traditional blender method: In batches, carefully ladle hot soup into blender, cover hole with dish towel or napkin, blend until smoothed
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and/or chopped cilantro

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup

I won my office cooking competition again! This is my third 1st place finish. Add "Battle: Coconut" to the trophy shelf along with "Battle: Salsa" and "Battle: Superbowl Appetizers". See the recipe below as well as the recipe from where it was adapted.

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup
Serves 6

(Adapted from this recipe.)

2 Tbl of Butter
1 Lg Onion, halved and diced
1 Tbl of Garlic, chopped
1 Tbl of Kosher Salt
1 Tbl of Black pepper
1 Tbl of Sugar
2 Tbl of fresh Ginger
1 Lb of Chicken, cubed
1/3 C of Lemongrass (or zest of 2 Lemons)
3 Tbl of Curry Powder
2 Tbl of Soy Sauce
2 Tbl of Fish Sauce (May not be necessary)
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Cinnamon
3 med Russet Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 Can of Coconut Milk, plus one can of water
2 Cans of Chicken broth
3 Tbl of Sugar
*Optional, Chili peppers, to taste

Directions

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add half of the onion and all the garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until both begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, sugar, chopped ginger and chicken. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts and the onion mixture and chicken begin to brown, about 15 minutes.

Add the remaining onion, lemon grass, curry powder, soy sauce, fish sauce, cumin and cinnamon. Stir. In a large pot, pour contents of skillet and add potatoes, coconut milk, can of water and chicken broth. Cook over medium-low heat and cover. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the chicken is tender. It even tastes better the next day.

My Momma's World Famous Banana Pudding

FYI, I may get in trouble for publishing this recipe. Enjoy it anyhow...

My Momma's World Famous Banana Pudding
Serves 6

2 packs of Jell-O Instant Banana Pudding
1 small can of Borden Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 C of Whipping Cream
1 C of Whole Milk
30 Nabisco Nilla Wafers
10 Nabisco Nilla Wafers, crushed
1 Banana, sliced
2 C of Whipping Cream, whipped fluffy
1 Tbl of Sugar

- In a bowl, thoroughly mix instant pudding, condensed milk, cream, and milk
- Let pudding set
- In a large bowl, whip cream and sugar until fluffy
- Gently fold pudding into whipped cream
- In a fancy glass dish, start the first layer by placing Nilla wafers along the bottom of the dish
- Pour pudding mixture in another layer
- Place a few slices of banana in the next layer
- Spread some of the crumbled wafers in the next layer
- Place a few wafers vertically against the side of the dish
- Repeat process over again...Pour pudding mixture in another layer
- Place a few slices of banana in the next layer
- Spread some of the crumbled wafers in the next layer
- Place a few wafers vertically against the side of the dish
- Repeat process until you run out of the pudding mixture
- Finish with crumbled wafers and a few banana slices