jicama

Chile de Arbol Salad

Mark Masker Cooking with Chiles at the Holidays, Recipes Leave a Comment

Jicamas are a bulbous root vegetable with thin brown skin and a crisp, crunchy, sweet flesh rather like a water chestnut. In Mexico, jicamas are a popular snack food sold by street vendors who cut them into sticks, douse them with lime juice, and sprinkle them with chile. Sometimes called a Mexican potato, it’s good both raw and cooked, although it is usually served raw as an appetizer or in salads such as this one. This spicy salad dressing goes well with a number of fruits and vegetables so experiment with your own combinations.

pinwheels

Green Chile Tortilla Pinwheels

Mark Masker Cooking with Chiles at the Holidays, Recipes Leave a Comment

These are very popular appetizers New Mexico and are served at just about every holiday party. A number of fillings can be used, but green chile cream cheese is by far the most favored. This is an all-purpose filling that goes well on crackers, as a dip with chips or vegetable crudities, as well as on tortillas. For those watching their fat intake, substitute light cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese. It is important to tightly roll and refrigerate the rolls or they won’t stay together after they are sliced.

Red Chile Pilaf

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Here is one of our favorite ways to cook rice. The style is from the Middle East, but the chile transforms the dish into a favorite New Mexican accompaniment. Believe it or not, some people serve salsa over this rice!

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces butter

  • 2 cups long-grain white rice

  • 1 onion, chopped fine

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 red New Mexican chile pods, seeds and stems removed, soaked in hot water to hydrate them

  • 4 1/2 cups chicken stock

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the rice until golden brown, stirring often. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes, taking care that the rice does not burn. In a blender, puree the garlic, chile, and 1/2 cup of stock. Add this to the rice and stir. Add the remaining stock to the rice, bring to a boil, and transfer to a deep glass baking dish. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, removing the lid during the final 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

 

 

Tomatillo-Chicken Enchiladas with Two Kinds of Green Ch

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

New Mexican cooks are forever improvising on traditional recipes. This interesting variation on green chile and chicken enchiladas has been tested so many times in our kitchens that we now consider it a New Southwest classic. The enchiladas go well with traditional dishes of rice, refried beans, and a crisp garden salad.

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts

  • 8 ounces cream cheese

  • 1 cup onion, chopped fine

  • 1 cup heavy cream or half and half

  • 3 green serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped fine

  • 5 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, seeds and stems removed, chopped

  • 1 cup finely chopped tomatillos

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 egg

  • Vegetable oil for frying tortillas

  • 12 corn tortillas

Instructions

In a pot, cover the chicken with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and reserve the stock. When the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and meat. Shred the meat using two forks.

Combine the cream cheese, onions, and 1/4 cup of the cream. Add the chicken and mix well.

Place the serranos, green chile, tomatillos, cilantro, pepper, egg, remainder of the cream, and 1/3 cup of the chicken stock in a blender and puree to make a smooth sauce.

Heat a couple of teaspoons of oil in a small skillet until hot. Using tongs, fry each tortilla for a few seconds on each side until soft, taking care that they do not become crisp. Remove and drain.

To assemble the enchiladas, dip a tortilla into the green sauce and place it in a shallow 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of the tortilla, roll it up and place it at the end of the dish with the end side down. Repeat the process until the enchiladas form a single layer in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.

Bake the enchiladas, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes and serve immediately.

Chiles Rellenos with Corn

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

Chiles rellenos literally means “stuffed chiles,” and in Mexico many different chiles are used, including poblanos, jalapeños, rocotos, and even fresh pasillas. Here in the Southwest, we prefer New Mexican green chiles. Whatever type of chile you use, the preparation and fillings are the same.

Ingredients

For the Chile Rellenos:

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked whole kernel corn

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/3 cup sour cream

  • 6 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed

  • 6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted and peeled, stems left on

  • Flour for dredging

  • 3 eggs, separated

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 3 tablespoons flour

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • Vegetable oil for frying

  • Green Chile Sauce (see recipe)

For the Green Chile Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onions

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 2 to 3 cups chicken broth

  • 1 cup chopped green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed

  • 1 small tomato, peeled and chopped

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Instructions

For the Rellenos:

In a skillet, heat the butter and saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the corn and oregano and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and cheese.

Make a slit in the side of each chile and stuff with the corn mixture. Dredge the chiles in the flour and shake off any excess.

Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Beat the yolks with the water, the tablespoon of flour, and the salt. Fold the yolks into the whites and stir gently.

Dip the chiles in the egg batter and fry one at a time in 1 to 2 inches of oil until they are golden brown.

Serve covered with green chile sauce.

 

 

For the Sauce:

 Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the oil and when hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until they are soft. Stir in the flour and blend well. Simmer for a couple of minutes to cook the flour, being careful it does not brown. Slowly add the broth and stir until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.