Lori's White Chili and a New Year Commitment

I was looking at Lori's White Chili pictures and recipe and thinking how good it looked and decided I would make it for dinner.   It called for cooked chicken so I poached three chicken breasts and then on my way to work I stopped and picked up the other ingredients I needed.

This is definitely a keeper.  Not only is it delicious (Moe called it incredible)but really easy and quick to make. Took less than 30 minutes to prepare. I also got to thinking about all the other wonderful recipes I've seen this last year on other food blogs and decided to make a commitment to try at least one new recipe a week from a fellow blogger's website.

Lori and I chatted about my new commitment and came up with an idea that we thought we would share.

Lori (of All That Splatters) and I are introducing Saturday Blog Showcase.  This is a wonderful opportunity to credit the many blogs we 'borrow' recipes from by sourcing that recipe and showcasing the originating blog as well as your own.  The recipe you choose to make from another blog can be anything from soup to nuts, from appetizers to desserts and everything in between!  You may, of course, make the recipe any day of the week; however, we'll set up Mr. Linky for you to sign in and link your post to on each Saturday.  Your post should include the actual recipe, as well as a link to the post of the originating blog for that recipe.  This way, all will be credited for the wonderful dishes created.  Also, please include the Saturday Blog Showcase logo in your post.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either myself or Lori via the email through our blogs.  One week I will be providing the link-up and the next week Lori will be fulfilling that function. Don't worry about trying to remember who's sponsoring the event that week - a link will be provided from either blog to whichever of us is hosting Saturday Blog Showcase!

We look forward to much participation and a lot of great cooking!!

The Dove's Nest White Chili
==========================
Source:  Lori at All That Splatters
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2-1/2 cups tomato, chopped or 2 cans (10 ounces each) of tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
6 fresh tomatillos, chopped
1 medium jalapeno, seeded, minced
2 cups chicken stock
1 7-ounce can green chilies, chopped
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup (heaping) chopped cilantro
2 19-ounce cans cannellini or Great Northern bean, undrained
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
salt & pepper to taste
sour cream
shredded Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese
Fried tortilla strips (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion.  Saute for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.  Add the garlic.  Cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer; do not brown.

Add the tomatoes, tomatillos and jalapeno.  Cook until the tomatillos are tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken stock, green chilies, chicken, oregano, cumin, cilantro, beans and lime juice. Cook until heated through, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls.

Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese and fried tortilla strips (if using).

Yields 8 to 10 servings

Tex- Mex Seven Pepper Chili

This is my favourite Chili recipe.  I don't always have the 7 different peppers but it doesn't seem to make a difference.  I use this recipe as a guideline and season to suit our taste.

Before leaving for work yesterday morning I put a pot of chili on to simmer and a pot of pinto beans. I made flour tortillas and a fresh salsa to serve with the chili. 

 I didn't take a picture last night.   This one is from a previous dinner.  In this batch I used black beans instead of pinto.

Moe  liked his chili so much he had  a bowl for breakfast. Served with toast.

  Chili - Tex- Mex Seven Pepper Chili
===================================
Tex-Mex Cookbook

3 lbs. lean stew meat-beef, , ground coarse or in ½-inch cubes
1 lb. pork loin, ground coarse or cubed (Note I often make this using just ground pork)
2 tbsp. pure lard or shortening
3 large yellow onions, chopped fine
2 stalks of celery chopped
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ground cumin
7 cloves garlic
1 to 3 Tablespoons( or more to taste) of ground chilis. Use a variety of different ones, i.e Chiles pasillas, equines, chile anchos, dried New Mexico Chilis, etc..
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 tsp. salt
5 jalapenos, fresh, seeded
3 cans tomatoes,
1 can beer (Mexican if you have it)
l-oz. square unsweetened chocolate (Or Mexican chocolate)
2 cups Beef Broth
Dried Pinto, black beans or kidney beans or canned.

 Brown meat in fat until no longer pink. Add onions and and celery and cook until clear. Combine in
food processor or blender the cumin, garlic, and all of the different chilies., Tabasco, salt, jalapenos, and I can of tomatoes. Blend and set aside to steep. Add this mixture to the meat along with the two cans of
tomatoes, the beer, broth and chocolate. Turn fire down real low and simmer least 2 hours. If using dried beans add them now. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking. If the meat you have used is lean, you will probably have no fat o skim off, but if there is fat floating on the top, skim. Once the chili has cooled, you can remove any congealed fat. This keeps well and freezes well.

NOTE:  Recipe can be cut in half.

Printable Recipe Link

Flour Tortillas
===============
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup lard/shortening
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup warm water (might need a bit more)

Place the flour, salt, baking powder in food processor and pulse to mix. Cut in the shortening and then add the warm water and process to make a soft dough. Dough should be soft but not wet and sticky. Wrap in
plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 10 or 12 pieces and shape into balls. Keep covered.

Roll each ball out into a 7 to 9 inch circle. Dough should be thin.

Cook on a dry hot grill or frying pan on medium heat, turning once. Do not over cook or they will be hard. Butter and roll up and wrap in tea towel to keep warm as you cook the other tortillas.

(I place the ones wrapped in the towel in a low 200 oven to keep warm,
while I am cooking the rest.)

Printable Recipe Link

Salsa Fresca
============
Fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled and chopped (If I use canned tomatoes I drain them well first)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 jalapeño chili, seeded finely chopped
Fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove finely minced
salt
cilantro

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic and chili.  Add  fresh lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste.  Mix well and let sauce stand for 2 hours.  Serve at room temperature.

Makes two cups

Options:

Roast 3 or 4 large tomatoes on the grill to char the skins.   Put the tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeno pepper and cilantro into the food processor or a blender and pulse.  Season with salt and a squeeze of
fresh lime juice.

Printable Recipe Link

Chili Rellenos - Mexican Dinner

Before leaving for work this morning I roasted three poblano peppers. I figured this would cut down on the time it would take make the chili rellenos once I got home.

Served with black beans

Mexican style rice

And a spicy tomato chili sauce.

I used my old standby recipe but topped the rellenos with Rick Bayless's Quick Cooked Tomato-Chili Sauce.

The black beans were a bastardized version. I didn't have time to cook beans so I opened a can of black beans and put them on to simmer with a couple of slices of smokey bacon, a little cumin, minced garlic salt, pepper and a little chicken broth. Simmered for about 15 minutes and then pureed in the blender. (remove bacon first) Topped with a little shredded cheese and the tomato chili sauce.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Chiles Rellenos
===============
I have been making Chiles Rellenos for about 30 years. I have never had an actual recipe. I just watch someone I knew (from Texas) make them and have been making this way ever since.

1 or 2 cans whole chili peppers (usually 3 or 4 in a can)(or roast fresh poblano peppers)
Monterey jack cheese
2 or 3 eggs separated
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper

oil for frying

Cut cheese into finger size pieces.

Carefully shove the cheese stick into a pepper being careful not to split it.

Heat about 1 inch of oil in frying pan.

Beat the egg whites until medium stiff peaks form. do not overbeat.

Beat egg yolks with salt, pepper and the tablespoon on flour.

Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture.

Dip the pepper stuffed with cheese into flour and then into the egg mixture. Carefully add to the oil. If needed, spoon a bit of the egg mixture on top of the pepper while in the pan. (these fry quickly), flip over and fry other side. Remove and drain on paper towels. Continue cooking until all of the peppers are cooked.

Serve Chili Relleno with sauce on the side OR Place the fried chile rellenos in a casserole dish and pour the sauce over them. Bake in a 350 oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

Quick Cooked Tomato Chile Sauce - Rick Bayless
==============================================
Edited version

1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes roasted or one 28 ounce can of quality tomatoes
2 to 3 hot jalapeno peppers
1/2 small onion
1 large clove of garlic
1 tablespoon lard or olive oil
salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
(or more to taste)

Place the tomatoes, peppers, onion and garlic in blender and pulse. Puree leaving a little texture.

Heat oil in sauce pan. Add tomato chili mixture and simmer until the sauce thickens. About 5 minutes. Remove from heat and seaon with salt and add the cilantro .

Prawn Cocktail with Salsa Fresca and Avocado

I pulled some local spot prawns out of the freezer when I got home from work. While they were defrosting I made a fresh salsa using tomatoes from our garden. It only took one minute to poach the prawns.

Moe loved dinner and it couldn't have been any simpler. Salsa Fresca topped with chilled prawns and slices of ripe avocado.

Mexican Layered Supreme

I had a small pork roast that I wanted to slow roast and use in Pork Tacos. BUT it was just to hot to turn on the oven so I cut the roast up into cubes and made Pork Chili Verde. Rather than make tacos I used it in my favourite layered dish - Mexican Layered Supreme. I used store bought flour tortillas to make chips. Just cut the tortillas into wedges or strips and deep fry for a minute or two.

The recipes can be found here:

Mexican Layered Supreme

Pork Chili Verde

Steak and Eggs with a Mexican Twist

Those that know me, know that I'm not big on leftovers. With a few exceptions.

I had black beans and salsa and flour tortillas leftover from last night's Cinco de Mayo dinner. So rather than toss them out I made Moe a man size breakfast. Steak and Eggs Mexican style. I took what I thought were two packages of stewing beef out of the freezer last night and one of them turned out to be beef tenderloin tips. So along with the beef, cooked rare, I fried a flour tortilla, topped it with refried pinto beans, warmed up salsa and a couple of poached eggs. Judging from the moans I was hearing from Moe, I know this was a major hit.

Cinco de Mayo - Pork Chili Verde

Thank you to Jain for planning a Cinco de Mayo dinner on the Darling Bakers. I made Pork Chile Verde with homemade flour tortillas, black beans, guacamole and homemade salsa.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Pork Chili Verde
================
1 to 2 tablespoons oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1 to 2 pounds lean pork cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves of garlic
2 cans roasted chili peppers
1 can/bottle of Tomatillos
chicken broth
cilantro

Heat oil in heavy pot. Toss pork with flour, and brown. When all the meat has been browned, add the onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add the cumin, the chili peppers, and the tomatillo sauce. Add some chicken broth. Simmer until meat is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with flour or corn tortillas and sides of beans, guacamole, salsa, cheese,etc..

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Salsa Fresca
============
Fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled and chopped (If I use canned tomatoes I drain them well first)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 jalapeño chili, seeded finely chopped
Fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove finely minced
salt
cilantro

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic and chile. Add
fresh lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste. Mix well and let sauce
stand for 2 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Makes two cups

Options:

Roast 3 or 4 large tomatoes on the grill to char the skins. Put the tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeno pepper and cilantro into the food processor or a blender and pulse. Season with salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Spanish Sangria
===============
Source: Barbara Hansen's Mexican Cookery (1981)

1 bottle, dry full bodied red wine
2 tablespoon orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
1/3 cup of simple syrup
1 lime thinly sliced
1 orange thinly sliced
1 lemon thinly sliced
Juice of one orange
1 cup club soda

Combined wine, syrup, brandy and orange juice and stir. Add sliced fruit and just before serving add the soda water.

Do not let the fruit slices sit in the Sangria for more than one hour before serving as the peels can cause the drink to be bitter.

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Bring water and sugar to a boil and simmer until liquid is clear and the sugar has dissolved. Pour in to jar and refrigerate. Keep for 3 weeks.

Printable Recipe Link to Pork Chili Verde

Printable Recipe Link for Sangria

Tex-Mex - Act II

I don't like leftovers. Or maybe I should clarify that. I like very few leftovers. But this is one of the few meals that I make out of "deliberate" leftovers. The beans, pork, salsa all end up in what I call "Mexican Layered Supreme". Guacamole does not keep, so I made a fresh batch.

Rather than corn tortilla chips I cut flour tortillas into triangles and deep fried them. I prefer the texture of flour tortilla chips over corn tortilla chips with this dip.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Mexican Layered Supreme
=======================
Can aslo be made with pork or beef carnitas (Shredded)

1 pound lean ground beef
1 clove of garlic - minced
1/2 small onion chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt
pepper
beef broth

Pinto beans, homemade preferrably but canned will do.
Homemade Guacamole (leave chunky)
Salsa Preferrably homemade
blacked sliced olives
sour cream
Monterey Jack Cheese
chopped tomatoes

Saute beef in a small amount of oil until the pink is gone. Add the onion and garlic and seasonings and continue to cook for a few minutes until onion is tender. Add one cup beef broth, cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Remove lid and cook until the liquid has evaporated.

Refry beans in some fat with some minced garlic and season with salt, pepper and more cumin to taste.

To Assemble

Place refried beans in the bottom of an ovenproof serving dish. Top with ground beef mixture.

Sprinkle shredded cheese over top and place in the oven for the cheese to melt. Spread with sour cream and then the guacamole. Add some Salsa, sprinkle with chopped tomatoes and black olives and serve with good quality tortilla chips to dip.

Best served while the beans and meat are still warm.

Tex-Mex

Pork Carnitas

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Guacamole

Mexican was on the menu here tonight. Pork Carnitas in homemade corn tortillas and served with pinto beans and guacamole. Washed down with Sangria.

The pinto beans were put on to simmer in the morning. The beans had been soaked overnight. And I roasted tomatoes on the grill for the salsa. The pork shoulder was rubbed with garlic and lots of chipotle pepper, then, slow roasted until it was fall apart tender. It doesn't take long to mix up the masa dough for the tortillas, so they were made at the last minute.

As requested - some additional recipes. Use these recipes as guidelines and adjust the ingredients to suit your own tastes.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Salsa Fresca
============
Fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled and chopped (If I use canned tomatoes I drain them well first)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 jalapeño chili, seeded finely chopped
Fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove finely minced
salt
cilantro

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic and chili. Add fresh lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste. Mix well and let sauce stand for 2 hours. Serve at room temperature. Makes two cups

Options:

Roast 3 or 4 large tomatoes on the grill to char the skins. Put the tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeño pepper and cilantro into the food processor or a blender and pulse. Season with salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Guacamole
=========
2 ripe avocados
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 garlic clove
1/2 tomato seeded and chopped
1/2 small chili pepper (Jalapeño or Serrano)
fresh chopped cilantro to taste
salt
squeeze of fresh lime juice

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and using a spoon scoop the pulp into a small bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix with a fork. Leave some texture. Season to suit personal taste.
Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Pinto Beans
===========
Soak pinto beans (or Black Beans) over night.

Drain and cover with chicken broth, add two to three garlic cloves, two or three slices of smoked bacon, season with cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer until the beans are tender.

Serve topped with a little cheese and salsa or use beans to make refried beans.


Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Spanish Sangria
===============
Source: Barbara Hansen's Mexican Cookery (1981)

1 bottle, dry full bodied red wine (use a decent wine)
2 tablespoon orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
1/3 cup of simple syrup
1 lime thinly sliced
1 orange thinly sliced
1 lemon thinly sliced
Juice of one orange
1 cup club soda

Combined wine, syrup, brandy and orange juice and stir. Add sliced fruit and just before serving add the soda water.

Do not let the fruit slices sit in the Sangria for more than one hour before serving as the peels can cause the drink to be bitter.

Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Bring water and sugar to a boil and simmer until liquid is clear and the sugar has dissolved. Pour in to jar and refrigerate. Keep for 3 weeks.

An Excuse to Drink Sangria

Not that I actually need an excuse............

But it went great with the Pork Chili Verde over homemade flour tortillas, with Mexican rice, and homemade Salsa and guacamole that we had for dinner. Picture isn't great but it really did taste good if I do say so myself.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Pork Chile Verde
================
1 to 2 tablespoons oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1 to 2 pounds lean pork cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 to 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves of garlic
2 cans roasted chili peppers
1 can/bottle of Tomatillos
chicken broth
cilantro

Heat oil in heavy pot. Toss pork with flour, and brown. When all the meat has been browned, add the onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add the cumin, the chili peppers, and the tomatillo sauce. Add some chicken broth. Simmer until meat is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Serve with flour or corn tortillas and sides of beans, guacamole, salsa, cheese,etc..

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Flour Tortillas
===============

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup lard/shortening
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup warm water (might need a bit more)

Place the flour, salt, baking powder in food processor and pulse to
mix. Cut in the shortening and then add the warm water and process to
make a soft dough. Dough should be soft but not wet and sticky. Wrap in
plastic and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 10 or 12 pieces and shape into balls. Keep covered.

Roll each ball out into a 7 to 9 inch circle. Dough should be thin.

Cook on a dry hot grill or frying pan on medium heat, turning once. Do
not over cook or they will be hard. Butter and roll up and wrap in
tea towel to keep warm as you cook the other tortillas.

(I place the ones wrapped in the towel in a low 200 oven to keep warm,
while I am cooking the rest.)



Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Salsa Fresca
============
Fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled and chopped (If I use canned tomatoes I drain them well first)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 jalapeno chile, seeded finely chopped
Fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove finely minced
salt
cilantro
1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion and chile. Add olive oil,if
using, lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste. Mix well and let sauce
stand for 2 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Makes two cups

Corn Tortilla Pictorial

Monday, January 19, 2009

For those that are interested in making tortillas maybe this pictorial will be of some assistance.

The recipe is very simple. Just masa harina, salt and hot water. I don't measure. I just pour 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the masa into a bowl, add some salt and enough hot water to make a soft, but not sticky dough. Knead it for a minute to make it smooth. The dough should not be stiff or dry, but it shouldn't be wet or sticky either. It is a dough that is easy enough to fix. Just add a little more of the masa or a little more water until you have the right texture. Cover and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes.

Roll tortilla dough in to balls a little smaller than a golf ball. Cut a plastic storage bag slightly larger than the size of tortilla press. (I use ziplock freezer bags)

Cover with another bag, cut to size.

Press to flatten. Be gentle

Place a large griddle over two burners.  Heat one side on medium and the other side on medium high.

Gently peel off top piece of plastic, flip tortilla over on to palm of hand, supporting with fingers and very carefully pull off remaining plastic. Place tortilla on the side of the griddle that is heated to medium. Cook for 25 to 30 seconds. You will see a little steam and the tortilla will move easily. Using a spatula, flip the tortilla over and place on the hot side of the griddle

Cook for about 30 seconds. Tortilla will start to get little brown spots. Flip it over again. And cook for another 20 to 30 seconds. The tortilla will start to puff up

Puffing up more

All puffed up. This is what a perfect tortilla looks like. It takes practice. But even if your tortilla doesn't puff up it will still taste good. Just won't be as tender

If you have a tortilla warmer, place the tortillas in it as they come off the griddle. They will steam and soften up. Which is what you want them to do.

If you don't have a warmer just wrap them in a clean tea towel and keep them warm in a low oven

Use the tortillas to make Pork Carnitas Tacos

Stacked Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas

or Fillet with Chipotle Chile

Mexican Night

Sunday Night's Dinner

I prepped for dinner this morning before leaving for work. Rubbed a pork shoulder with lots of garlic, chipotle pepper, salt and pepper and made a fresh salsa. Put a pot of pinto beans on to simmer. Moe took the beans off the stove when they were cooked and put the roast in the oven mid afternoon. All I had to do when I got home from work was make the corn tortillas and the guacamole.


Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Salsa Fresca
============
Fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled and chopped (If I use canned tomatoes I drain them well first)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 jalapeno chile, seeded finely chopped
Fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove finely minced
salt
cilantro


In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion and chile.  lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste. Mix well and let sauce
stand for 2 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Makes two cups

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Pork - Carnitas
===============
Pork cut into large cubes
Chicken broth
Onion cut into quarters
2 garlic cloves
cumin
salt and pepper


Corn Tortillas
Oil
refried beans
guacamole
salsa
cheese
lettuce and chopped tomatoes

Simmer pork in chicken broth with onions, garlic and seasonings until
tender.

Remove meat from liquid and shred with fork.

Heat oil and soften corn tortillas. (not necessary if using homemade tortillas) Takes just a few seconds and drain on paper towels.

Let each person make up their own taco.

Spread a little of the refried beans on the tortilla, top with shredded
pork, cheese, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.. and enjoy.