New Mexico Green Chile Stew

1-1/2 lbs Beef Stew Meat
2-3 T Olive Oil
2 Onions, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
4 C Chicken Stock
4 Potatoes, cubed
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
3 C Roasted Green Chile, seeded and chopped
2 T Cilantro
2 T Salt

Cut meat into ½” pieces.  Heat oil and brown meat.  Add onions and continue to cook until onions are brown on the edges.  Add garlic and continue cooking for a couple of minutes.  Add stock and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and simmer 2 hours.  Add diced red peppers and cook for another 30 minutes.  Add green chile, cilantro and salt.  Cook an additional 20 minutes.  See below for thickening options. 

Serves 8

~Source: Santa Fe School of Cooking, as modified by Lois Ellen Frank (Chef, Instructor, Cook Book Author and James Beard Award Winner).

 

Patti’s Notes: Lois said to remove any silver skin from the beef but leave fat (fat adds flavor).  I doubled this recipe so I browned the beef in batches and transferred each batch into my soup pot.  When I got down to the last batch of beef I added the onions and sautéed them together.  Russet potatoes are too starchy.  Lois used white potatoes, I used baby red potatoes.  I bought fresh roasted green chiles at Food City (local Mexican grocery store).  Lois used a couple of chiles that they roasted to show us how and then supplemented the majority of the chiles with frozen New Mexico Green Chile, already roasted, seeded and diced (and defrosted).  I actually saw those, much to my surprise, at Super Walmart. 

Thickening: When the stew was done Lois took a couple of cups of stew (meat and all) and put them thru the blender then added the blended stew back to the pot.  I used my magic wand (Immersion Blender) being careful not to touch the sides or bottom of my clay pot. 

When the allotted cooking time was completed I left the pot on low for about 2 hours.  I made this for a dinner party so I transferred the Stew into a crockpot to keep it hot while serving. I served it in coffee mugs. 

Completely delicious. 

Blue Corn & Green Chile Muffins with Pinon Butter

Blue Corn & Green Chile Muffins

¾ C Softened Butter

½ C Sugar
5 Eggs
½ C Milk
1 C Corn
1 C Jack Cheese, grated
1 C Cheddar Cheese, grated
¾ C Roasted Green Chile, diced
1 C All Purpose Flour
1 C Blue Cornmeal
2 t Baking Powder
1 t Salt
Pinon Butter (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 375º; grease muffin pans for muffin cups (makes 2 dozen)

Cream butter and sugar in mixer until smooth. 

In a separate bowl whisk eggs and milk together.  Slowly add the egg/milk mixture to the butter/egg mixture until well combined. 

In a separate bowl mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.  Add corn and chile and mix.  Add dry ingredients to wet until combined.  Add cheeses and batter and mix until combined.  Fill muffin cups about ¾ full.  Bake about 25 minutes.

 

Piñon Butter

1 Stick Butter, softened
1 T Honey
Salt to Taste
½ C Piñon Nuts, toasted

With spoon cream butter, honey and salt together.

Toast Piñon in a pan until heated.  Pulse nuts in food processor until fine (minced not paste).  Add to butter and refrigerate.  Can be frozen for several weeks.

~Source: Santa Fe School of Cooking, as modified by Lois Ellen Frank (Chef, Instructor, Cook Book Author and James Beard Award Winner).

Patti’s Notes:

The original muffin recipe called for adding the corn, chile and cheeses to the wet ingredients (egg/butter) before adding in the dry (flour).  Lois added the corn and chile to the dry so that the flour coats the vegetables which eliminates them clumping together.  Then she added the cheeses at the end.  I used the Lois method and I think they turned out great.  The corn and chile seemed perfectly distributed throughout.
I purchased Blue Cornmeal at the cooking school.  I haven't tried to find it locally so I'm not sure how readily available it is.  You can buy it on-line at:
http://santafeschoolofcooking.com/On-line_Market/Specialty_Foods/index.html#sthash.oitc2Abr.dpbs

For the Piñon Butter, the school did not have piñons so she substituted pecans.  She said you could use just about any kind of nuts.  I had Roasted Piñons that were already salted so I didn’t add more salt and I didn't toast them since they were already roasted. My Immersion Blender has a little chopper/grinder attachment so I used that for the mince the nuts. 

Tip of the Day: Speaking of butter and salt, use the unsalted butter for baking, use the salted butter for table use and other recipes (such as nut butters). 

Chicken Quesadillas with Salsa Fresca

 

Chicken Quesadillas

16  7-8” Flour Tortillas

1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

4 Jalapeño Peppers, diced

1 ½ lbs Cooked Chicken, shredded

1 Red or White Onion, sliced

1 T Ancho Chile Powder

Pureed Chipotles en Adobo to taste (optional)

3 C Shredded Cabbage*

2 C Sour Cream

2 C Salsa Fresca (recipe follows)

 

Sauté onion, added shredded chicken, chile powder and pureed chipotles. 

Cover tortilla with cheese, a layer of chicken, a sprinkle of jalapeños, a layer of cheese and top with another tortilla.  Heat on griddle or grill until cheese is melted bake at 350º for 15 minutes.  Cut into four pieces.  Garnish with cabbage and sour cream. Serve with Salsa Fresca on the side. 

 

 

Salsa Fresca

4-5 Roma Tomatoes, diced

1 t Garlic, minced

½ C Red or White Onion, finely chopped

¼ C Fresh Lime Juice (1 lime)

1-2 Jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped

3 T Cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 T Olive Oil

Salt to Taste

Combine all ingredients.  Let sit 30 minutes prior to serving.  You can use a large spoon or potato masher to give a more pureed effect or leave ingredients intact for more texture. 

 

~Source: Santa Fe School of Cooking, as modified by Lois Ellen Frank (Chef, Instructor, Cook Book Author and James Beard Award Winner).

 

Patti’s Notes:

For the Chicken Quesadillas I double the recipe and used two Costco Rotisserie Chickens (breast meat only).  I used red onion. I added the lime zest as well as the juice.  I couldn’t find Pureed Chipotles en Adobo so I bought a small can of Chipotles in Adobo Sauce and pureed them in my chopper.  I used about a tablespoon of the puree.  I used half Jack Cheese and half Mexican Cheese Blend.  I didn’t use all the diced jalapeños not knowing how spicy people like their food.  I put the remaining diced jalapeños in a bowl next to the sour cream and salsa so people could add spice if needed.  To heat the quesadillas I used my Panini Press.  This worked great since it heats both sides at the same time.  I used a pizza cutter to cut the quesadillas in quarters.  Next time I'll bump up the spices a little. 

The original recipe called for the Purple Cabbage to be used as a garnish.  Lois added ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar, the juice of one lime and a big pinch of salt and made it more like a slaw.  We thought it needed a little sugar so I also added a giant pinch of sugar to mine.  Meh.  Personally, I like my own slaw recipe better. 

For the Salsa Fresca I used red onion and also added the zest of the lime in addition to the juice.   I’m not much of a fan of cilantro so I didn’t add as much as the recipe calls for.  I didn't mash it, I left it chunky.

 

Tip of the Day: I think zest adds another layer of freshness so I always use it when I’m making a recipe with lemons, limes or oranges.

  

Party Piggies

1 Lb  Sweet Italian Sausage Links (1 package of Johnsonville)
1  Sheet Puff Pastry (thawed)
1  Egg
2 Tbs Mayonnaise
2 Tbs Dijjonaise
¼ C  Apricot Pineapple Jelly

Cut the sausage links into 36 half- inch slices; brown the meat on both sides in a frying pan over medium high heat. No need to fully cook at this time, all you want is to get both sides a little crispy. Set aside on a plate to cool while you get the pastry ready, lay the pastry out on your work surface then break the egg into a small dish and brush the entire surface of the pastry. Using a mini star cookie cutter cut out 36 shapes from the pastry. Place the meat onto a baking sheet and cover each one with a piece of pastry and secure in place with a tooth pick. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes. While the piggies are baking mix the jelly, mayo and mustard in a small dish, these are good served hot, warm and room temp. Dip and enjoy!

 ~Source: Pinterest modified from Drunkin Cooking

 

Patti’s Notes: I removed the casing from the sausage and cut each link into 6 pieces before browning.  I personally think when the casing is cooked it gets really chewy like a rubber band (YMMV).  I didn’t have a small fancy schmancy star cookie cutter so I just cut the puff pastry with into squares with a knife.  I lined the cookie sheet with parchment paper for fast and easy clean up. I used apricot jam the first time I made them and orange marmalade the second time. Both times I’ve made these I’ve tossed half of the unused dipping sauce so next time I’ll only make half the sauce.  These were great hot and still good at room temp.