Southwest Salsa Soup

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Using a commercial salsa as a base for this soup makes it quick and easy to prepare as well as allowing you to choose your spice level from mild to wild. The heat of the salsa will intensify, so I won’’t use anything that is too hot or a salsa that is habanero based. This simple soup can also be expanded to a more hearty soup, with the addition of ingredients such as cooked pinto or black beans, chicken or turkey, or even whole kernel corn. Add these to the soup after it has been pureed. For a taste of green chile, chicken enchiladas in a soup bowl, just use green chile salsa and chicken.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 2 teaspoons chopped garlic

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons vegetable oil

  • 1½ cups tomato-based commercial salsa

  • 3 cups chicken broth

  • 2 corn tortillas, torn into pieces

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  • Garnish: Sour cream

  • Chopped fresh cilantro

    • Instructions

    Heat the oil in a heavy stock or sauce pot, add the onions and saute until they are soft. Add the garlic and continue to saute for an additional minute.

    Stir in the salsa, broth, tortillas, cumin, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the tortillas are soft. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

    Put the mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Adjust the seasonings and stir in the cilantro.

    To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and chopped cilantro.

     

    Noodle and Shrimp Salad with Oriental Cucumber Salsa

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    This quick and easy basic salad can be changed by using a different salsa to dress the noodles. Try a commercial peanut-based salsa and if your salsa is too thick, thin with a little oil or vinegar.

    Ingredients

    For the Salad:

    •    2 cups cooked vermicelli or Chinese noodles
    •    ½ cup cooked shrimp or shredded cooked chicken
    •    1 recipe Oriental Cucumber Relish (see recipe below)
    •    1/4 cup chopped peanuts
    •    Chopped fresh cilantro

    For the Relish:

    •    3 serrano or Thai green chiles, stems removed, minced
    •    1 large cucumber, peeled and finely diced
    •    1/4 cup shredded carrots
    •    4 green onions, chopped, including the tops
    •    2 tablespoons vinegar
    •    1 tablespoon peanut oil
    •    1 teaspoon soy sauce
    •    1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
    •    ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    •    ½ teaspoon sugar
     

    Instructions

    Combine all the ingredients for the relish and allow to sit for at least an hour to blend the flavors.

    Toss the noodles with the shrimp and cucumber relish. Garnish with the peanuts and cilantro and serve.

     

    Mayan Achiote-Marinated Chicken Cooked in Banana Leaves

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    Cooking meats in the pibil method dates back to Pre-Columbian times and variations of these dishes can be found in just every restaurant that features local cuisine throughout the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. This method of cooking is done in a pit lined with stones called a pibil which were the center of the Mayan community. This is a easier variation that can be done on the grill or in a smoker, and doesn’t require digging a pit in your back yard. Achiote paste is made with annatto seeds, which is used both a spice and an orange coloring agent. I prefer using the paste, rather that the seeds which are as easy to grind as steel ball bearings. Güero chiles are substituted for the usual xcatic chiles which are impossible to find outside of the area. Banana leaves can be found in Asian markets, but you can also use aluminum foil. Pibils are traditionally served with pickled red onions.

    Ingredients

    For the Achiote Marinade:

    • 10 whole black peppercorns

    • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

    • 3 cloves garlic

    • 2 habanero chiles, stem and seeds removed

    • 2 tablespoons achiote paste

    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican preferred

    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

    • 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh preferred

    • 2 teaspoons white vinegar

    For the Chicken:

    • 1 2 pound chicken, cut in serving size pieces or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

    • 3 fresh banana or güero chiles, stems and seeds removed, cut in strips

    • 1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings

    • 4 sprigs fresh epazote or substitute 1 tablespoon dried (omit if not available)

    • 4 tablespoons margarine

    • Banana leaves

    • Cebollas Encuridas (Pickled Red Onions)

    For the Cebollas:

    • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

    • 5 black peppercorns

    • 3 allspice berries

    • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

    • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican preferred

    • 2 cloves garlic, minced

    • 1/3 cup white vinegar

    • Salt

    Instructions

    For the Marinade:

    Place the peppercorns and cumin seeds in a spice or coffee grinder and process to a fine powder. Combine the powder with the garlic and habanero chile and place in a blender or food processor and puree.

    Combine the spice mixture, achiote, oregano, bay leaves, and lime juice. Put the chicken in a non-reactive pan and prick with a fork. Pour the marinade over the chicken and marinate overnight or for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

    For the Chicken:

    To make 4 packets, cut 8 pieces of string about 6 inches long. Lay the strings down on a flat surface, place 4 banana leaves on top of the strings. Place a chicken on each the leaves along with the marinade and top with the chiles and onions. Place a little epazote on each breast along with a tablespoon of margarine. Fold the banana leaves over the meat and tie with the strings.

    Place on the grill over indirect heat and cook for 1 hours, or in a smoker on the grill with pan of water between the coals and the wrapped chicken to keep the chicken juicy.

    Serve the chicken with warm corn tortillas, pickled onions, and black beans.

    For the Cebollas:

    Place the onions in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit for 1 minute and then drain. Discard the water.

    Coarsely grind the peppercorns, allspice, and cumin seeds in a spice or coffee grinder. Add to the onions.

    Add the remaining ingredients, and enough water to barely cover. Allow the mixture to marinate for a couple hours to blend the flavors.

    Cuban Habanero-Spiced Black Beans

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    These beans are an excellent accompaniment to a tropical barbecue. There are many variations of preparing turtle, or black beans, throughout the Caribbean. This recipe uses a Cuban sofrito, which is sauted onions, tomatoes pepper garlic and herbs, as a flavor base for the dishes. Remember to always add and salt or an acid after the beans are done, adding them sooner will make the beans tough.

    Ingredients

    For the Beans:

    • 1 pound black beans, rinsed and picked over

    • 1 teaspoon dried epazote (omit if not available)

    • 1 tomato, skin removed and chopped

    • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

    • 2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)

    • Salt to taste

    For the Sofrito:

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil

    • 1 small green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped

    • 2 small onions, chopped

    • 4 large cloves garlic, minced

    • 2 habanero chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped or substitute 4 rocottilo chiles

    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

    • 1 bay leaf

     

    Instructions

    Place the beans in a pot and add cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and boil them uncovered for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and allow the beans to sit for 1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse them.

    Return the beans to the pot, add the epazote and 2 quarts of water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and cook for a 1½ hours or until the beans are almost done.

    In a heavy sauce pan add the olive oil and heat over a medium.. Add the green pepper, onions, garlic, and chiles and saute for a couple of minutes until softened. Add the oregano, cumin and bay leaf and saute for an additional minute. Add the sofrito to the to beans. Cover and simmer for an additional 30 minutes

    Add the tomato, vinegar, sherry, and season with salt to taste. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

    Jamaican Jerk Pork

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    The “jerk” in jerk pork is a spice mixture that was used to preserve meat before refrigeration. It was developed by the Awarak Indians, and later refined in Jamaica by runaway slaves known as Maroons. These days, the spices are used to season meats for barbecue and to tenderize rather than to preserve. An inexpensive smoker or a covered grill can be substituted for the traditional jerk pit, and is a lot easier than digging a pit in your yard. Note: This recipe required advance preparation.

    Ingredients

    Paste:

    • 3 to 4 Scotch bonnet chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped

    • 1/4 cup chopped green onions, including some of the greens

    • 3 tablespoons crushed allspice (piemento) berries, or substitute 2 teaspoons ground

    • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme

    • 3 cloves garlic

    • 2 tablespoons grated ginger

    • 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh preferred

    • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

    • 2 bay leaves

    • 3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

    • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom

    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

    • 1 teaspoon salt

    • 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

    • 1 3 to 4-pound pork butt or loin roast

    Instructions

    To make the jerk paste, either pound the ingredients together using a mortar and pestle or place them in a blender or food processor adding the oil to make a paste.

     

    Place the roast, fat side down in a non-reactive pan. Make slashes in the pork about 1½ to 2-inches apart and almost through the roast. Rub the jerk over the meat, making sure to get it throughly into the slashes. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

    Remove the pork and bring it to room temperature.

    Prepare either the grill or smoker. If using a grill, be sure to use a pan under the pork to catch the drippings. Smoke the pork for about 2 to 3 hours, turning the roast every 30 minutes to insure even browning. Cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 150 degrees.

    Variations: Substitute lamb chops, chicken, or rib steaks for the pork.