Category Archive

Believe it or not, the macadamia nut tree was first grown only for ornamental purposes. Thankfully, someone experimented with the nuts and discovered their butter-like, slightly sweet nature. This bread is so rich you won’t need to butter it.

This recipe appeared in the article Chile-Spiced Brunch Ideas for Mother’s Day on the Burn! Blog.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons pasilla chile powder or paste
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 cup chopped unsalted, toasted macadamia nuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°degrees.
Grease two 6-cup muffin pans.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and ginger into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the bananas, lemon peel, pasilla powder or paste, both sugars, butter, milk, and eggs. Combine the wet mixture with the dry ingredients. Fold in half the nuts.
3. Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the remaining macadamia nuts. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.

The word chutney comes from the Sanskrit word chatni, and in India, refers to relishes that are used to accent other dishes. They can be sweet, sour, hot, or mild. This is a hot and sweet version.  Serve with curries or other Indian foods.

From the article “Perfectly Pungent Peaches” by Dave DeWitt here.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon dried crushed habanero chiles

2 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced

2 cups white vinegar

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 medium onion, minced

1/2 cup raisins

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the sauce is thick, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that forms.  Cool, place in jars, and refrigerate.  Variation: Puree the mixture for a smoother chutney.

Heat level: Medium Hot

Do not peel the peaches. The chipotle chile adds a nice hint of heat and smoke to this spectacular way to end a great meal off the grill. An interesting variation is to substitute Stilton cheese for the goat cheese. From the article “Perfectly Pungent Peaches” by Dave DeWitt here.

Ingredients

The Peaches:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

2 firm ripe peaches, cut in half vertically, pits removed

Finely chopped walnuts for garnish

Cheese Filling:

2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons goat cheese, at room temperature

Raspberry Puree:

1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile

Instructions

Combine the brown sugar, lime juice, and vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, add the peaches, and marinate for an additional 20 minutes. .

In a small bowl, mix the cheeses together and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

To make the puree, slightly thaw the raspberries. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Remove the peaches from the marinade and place them in a grill basket with handles.  Grill them flesh side down over a medium-hot fire. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes until the grill marks show.  Turn and grill until the peaches are soft.

To serve, spoon some of the raspberry puree on a dessert plate, place the peach cut side up on the sauce. Put a dollop of cheese in the center of the peach and top with additional puree, and garnish with the walnuts.

Heat scale: Mild

This is the classic enchilada dish served at the early 1960s Albuquerque restaurant, Videz, owned by Pete Benavidez. The restaurant was torn down to make way for Interstate 40, but the recipe lives on. From the article Albuquerque’s Food History is All About Chiles.

Ingredients

6-8 dried red New Mexican chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon ground Mexican oregano
1/2 pound pork, either cubed from a roast, or chops, or even bones with meat
1 to 1 and 1/2 pounds very lean ground beef
12 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 medium onion, chopped

Instructions

In a large pot, cover the chiles with very hot water and soak for 20 to 30 minutes or until limp and partially rehydrated. Place the chiles in the blender (they should loosely fill 3/4 of the container, if more, make two small batches.) Fill the container up near the top with water. Drop in the clove of garlic and sprinkle the top with the oregano. Add a little salt at this stage if you wish. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes on high or until a homogeneous or orangish-red mixture is obtained.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and add the pork. Cook, covered over a very low heat or uncovered at a slight bubble, for 2 to 3 hours. If cooked uncovered, periodically add water back to original level to maintain proper consistency which I can only describe as medium soupy.

Remove the pork pieces and save for another meal such as carne adovada. Place the chile sauce in the refrigerator and cool. Remove any fat that congeals on the top.

Season the beef with a little salt and pepper and sauté until the meat is no longer pink.

Combine the sauce and beef and simmer, covered, for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

Fry three tortillas per person in a couple of inches of oil until they are slightly harder that the taco shells. As they are removed from the oil with tongs, dip each into the red chile pot until they are fully submerged. Remove, place on a plate and top with some cheese and onion.

Continue the process until the tortillas are stacked three high on each plate.

Ladle red chile, including a small amount of the meat, over the tortilla stack until it is puddled up as deep as it will stand around the base of the stack. Cover the enchilada lightly with grated cheese and place in a 250 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Heat Scale: Medium