Hispanic.com Post: Enchiladas Rojas de Picadillo (Ground Beef Enchiladas)

Hello fellow bloggers and readers, this month I got a recipe article published in Hispanic.com

If you are interested and want to learn more about my families recipe for Enchiladas Rojas de Picadfillo (Ground Beef Red Enchiladas) check out the article for story behind it, recipe, and pictorials by clicking on the link below :-) Enjoy!

Part 1 of Article:

http://www.hispanic.com/food/main-courses/item/282-part-1-mexican-beef-red-salsa-enchiladasphotos-enchiladas-rojas-de-picadillo-de-res-by-nathan

Part 2 of Article:

http://www.hispanic.com/food/main-courses/item/281-part-2-red-chile-beef-enchildas-enchiladas-rojas-de-picadillo-de-res-by-nathan

Mole Rojo Almendrado y Encacahuetado Con Pollo (Red Almond and Peanut Sauce with Chicken)

Mole (pronounced Mole) is generally a complex sauce made of chilies, nuts/ seeds, onions, garlic, sometimes tomato and other ingredients like chocolate depending on the type.

This mole I'm presenting today is a very simple variation of Mole. I came up with it on sort of a whim when I was at my partners house and wanted to make something special for both of us :-)  so Mole popped into my head... with chicken and anything I had on hand...  So I got my creativity on and just thought of the elements of a mole. Sweet, savory, smokey, spicy, fruity, rich and then I simply let my imagination run wild combining those flavors generally fused into a mole sauce using what we had on hand. 

He almost always has almonds or almond butter and peanut butter in the pantry... I usually make sure I have on hand when I'm there dried "Chile California" which there was plenty of, and always have dried fiery "Chile Japnones" to make hot sauces on a whim ;-)... so those were key elements in the sauce... 
 

THE RESULTS... well a very complex tasting, rich, savory, sweet, spicy,  smokey, fruity, rich nutty sauce that is actually VERY SIMPLE to put together, but combines many elements. It's one of my partners favorites and I've made it several times a year :-) The list may look long, but you can really complete this dish in 1- 1 1/2 hrs which is fast for a Mole sauce (most Mole's take 3-5 hrs). The ingredients are generally readily available here in California and in the rest of the U.S.

Main Ingredients:

-3-4 lbs chicken (bone in skin on or no skin), pork, beef, or turkey meat

-salt to taste

-ground black pepper to taste

-garlic powder (sprinkle all over meat)- optional

-oil, just a little enough to lightly coat pot and brown meat

Ingredients for the sauce:

-1/4- 1/3 cup oil

-7 dried "Chile California" (remove top stem, split open and remove seeds)

-1 large handful "chile japones"

-1 stick of cinnamon

-1/2 of a medium onion or 1/4 of a big one  (quartered)

-2 cloves garlic

-1 about 1 cup almonds or 4 heaping tablespoons almond butter

-1 small banana or plantain (optional)
-1 large salad tomato (quartered) or 3-4 roma tomatoes (cut in half)

-4 heaping tablespoonfuls of peanut butter (or regular peanuts) (optional)

-1 teaspoon cumin

-1 teaspoon oregano

-2 heaping teaspoons chicken bouillon powder

-1 large tablet of "Mexican chocolate" such as Ibarra or "Chocolate Abuelita" (may substitute for unsweetened cocoa powder about 3 tablespoons, 1/2 or more tsp cinnamon and sugar to taste or this sounds like taboo but a packet of hot cocoa would work)

-sugar (sugar to taste more or less I like it on the sweeter side, OPTIONAL)

Directions:

(1) Heat a large deep pot over high heat, wash the meat you are using (I like to rinse with water, then cover in sink with water, add some vinegar, lots small handful salt, wash well, drain, rinse again, drain, then pat-dry, you may clean it however you like though I find the way I do it kills any "gamey" taste) now that meat is cleaned, drained and dried, set aside.

(2) When your pot is hot, add some oil, and then your meat to it and sprinkle generously with salt (not too much I'd say about 1 teaspoon or so to taste), sprinkle black pepper all over, and garlic powder, allow meat to brown on both sides or all over for about 10 minutes or until browned all over. (During this time we don't have to sit and wait we can PREPARE THE SAUCE) BUT do not forget to stir occasionall. 

PLEASE NOTE: If it browns too much while your spending time making the sauce, simply remove chicken from pot and set aside, then heat the pan again with chicken and all before adding blended sauce. SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Directions for sauce:

(1) Heat oil in a small pan over medium high heat, fry the dried chilies for about 30- 60 seconds until they slightly change color and they sort of coil or close in a way, do not over fry them because they will become bitter, remove set aside. 

(2) Now fry the cinnamon stick until you hear it pop and open a bit, remove set aside, fry the almonds, when browned remove and set aside... 

 (3) Next fry the  small banana cut in rounds or length wise, when browned set aside. Now fry the piece of bread until browned on both sides.Set aside.

(4) Then the onions, and garlic until golden brown, add the tomato in wedges and let it cook on high until it cooks through and blisters. now add tablet of chocolate and let it melt and bubble into the mixture. Set aside...

(5) In a regular blender blend all ingredients in batches with cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and the chicken powder. DO NOT ADD SUGAR YET.

(5) By now your meat should be browned, add all the well blended contents into the pot, give it a good stir, scraping the bottom of pot to get the nice drippings and fond, add more water to thin out the sauce.

(6) Once it bubbles, add enough water to barely cover meat, bring to a boil, add chocolate, sugar, any additional salt to taste, cover and leave on medium low approximately 45- 60 minutes until meat is tender, and oil rises to the top (this is how you know the mole sauce is done). 

(7) Remove from heat and serve with rice, and any sides you would like.

P.S. This is my "rasquache" style mole, my way/ "a mi manera" and it's damn delicious ;-)

Birria de Pollo (Chicken Birria)- Monthly Food Article Contribution

Hello fellow bloggers, I got my first position as a paid food blogger for Hispanic.com!!!! I am now going to monthly contribute 1-2 articles a month for their website! :)

My first contribution for this month is "Birria de Pollo", for those familiar with Birria you wondering, "What Birria made with chicken?"  Well don't knock it til' you tried it!

Check out what it's all about at the link below and tell me what you think :)

http://hispanic.com/food/main-courses/item/139-how-to-birria-de-pollo

Again thank you all for your support and feedback it is always greatly appreciated.

My Interview with Hispanic.com

Hispanic.com contacted me for an interview. In addition they also have offered me a pending position as a paid food writers to contribute 1-2 articles per month to their website.

You can see my full interview if interested by clicking on the link below:

http://hispanic.com/food/main-courses/item/130-qa-spanish-mexican-cuban-food-with-nathanscomida-blog

Thank you to everyone who supports me and enjoy my posts :)

Sincerely,
Nathan Gutierrez

Espinazo de Puerco en Chile Colorado (Pork Neck Bones in Red Chile)

 "Espinazo en Chile Colorado" is a soup composed of pork neck bones swimming in a rich reddish stock who's color comes from flavorful dried Guajillo or California chilies, thickened with corn masa dough. It is served hot topped with minced onion, cilantro, limes, a side of warm corn tortillas and your choice of hot sauce or red salsa. If you think this dish is going to be fiery hot and spicy fear not. The soup is actually extremely mild if you use "Guajillo" chilies, and completely absent of spiciness if you use "Chile California" (which are Anaheim peppers that when ripened red are dried).

My mother remembers enjoying this dish often growing up Zacapú, Michoacan, Mexico which was shared to her through one of her neighbors. Growing up she always liked helping around her friends mother's kitchens, and learning a thing or two from them. To this day it remains one of her favorite and most memorable dishes :)

Main Ingredients (to boil and simmer neck bones):
-2 1/2 lbs pork neck bones (washed well under running water, my mother likes to soak it quickly in water with salt and vinegar, swoosh it around for a minute then drain, and rinsing again under cold water)
 -8-9 cups water
-1/2 onion
-2 garlic cloves
-2 bay leaves
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 heaping tablespoon chicken bouillon powder or beef bouillon
-salt to taste (I used about 1 tsp. you can use less or more)

Finishing Ingredients:
-7 dried guajillo or California chilies
-2 roma tomatoes (optional, if you have it use it, if not don't worry I didn't use it)
-2-3 raw garlic cloves
-1/2 cup of prepared corn masa dough (you could use 1/2 cup of dry maseca that has been mixed with water to a dough consistency)
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (like the spice or 2 whole ones that you grind freshly)

To garnish and serve:
-minced fresh onion
-finely chopped cilantro

Directions:
(1) In a large pot, bring all the main ingredients to a boil over high heat, give a good stir, cover and simmer on medium low for 1 1/2- 2 hrs until pork neck bones are very tender.

(2) Meanwhile get the dried peppers, remove the stem, cut open and take out veins and seeds, rinse them under water, and put in a small pot if you want to add tomatoes, get two small tomatoes, cut them in half and add them to the pot together with the chilies. Cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat, then turn off and allow to rest and soak for atleast 15- 20 minutes. Set aside.

  Afterwards in a blender blend the chilies with cumin, black pepper, cloves, raw garlic cloves, and masa dough along with some of the soaking liquid. Set this blended mixture aside.

(3) Now when pork neck bones are tender, remove the neck bones from the pot, and strain the stock into another pot through a strainer to get rid of any grit and pieces of things in the stock, that way you will have a clearer stock, and end up with a smooth result.

(4) Afterwards add the pork neck bones back to the pot with the stock that has been strained and bring back to a boil. Add all the contents that you blended in the blender, but strain it as you add it in.

Allow to come to a rolling boil while stirring occasionally, and when it does allow to boil an additional 10 minutes so the corn masa that was blended thickens the soup and cooks through.

(5) It should look like this after 10 minutes.

A close up

Here it is served before topping with a little bit of fresh minced onion, cilantro and lime along with some hot sauce. Don't forget to serve with a side of warm corn tortillas.

Please Note: This is not a super thick stew, it is more like a soupy gravy, if you want it thicker you could add more corn masa dough I would say up to a cup, but do not over do it, the next day it will be even thicker. 

ALSO if you like this recipe and the flavors of Chile Guajillo and California you might also enjoy my blog posts and recipes for the following recipes all of which feature those dried peppers by clicking on the titles of the following:

"Trozos de Res in Chile Rojo" (Beef in red chili),

"Costillas de Puerco en Chile Colorado Con Nopales" (Pork Ribs in Red Chili with Cactus),

"Tortitas de Camaron en Chile Colorado Con Nopales" (Dry Shrimp Fritters in Red Chili with Cactus), "Chilaquiles" (Fried Tortilla Strips in Red Chili),

"Enchiladas Estilo Michoacan" (Red Enchiladas Michoacan-style),

"Menudo" (Red Tripe Stew),  

"Pozole Rojo" (Red Pork and Hominy Stew)

Enchiladas Suizas (Enchiladas in a Tomatillo Cream Sauce)

"Enchiladas Suizas" is something very new to me. I had seen this style of enchilada presented in cooking videos I subscribe to (cooking videos from people I consider talented and smart Mexican home cooks). The word "Suizas" would throw me off because it means "Swiss" so I decided to do what anyone in this modern age does I "googled it" turns out this style of Enchilada is from  a restaurant called Sanbornes Cafe located in Mexico City.

 It is essentially green enchiladas, except that the green tomatillo sauce used has sour cream incorporated into it. How the name Swiss came to be I have no idea (maybe some versions use Swiss cheese or because it has dairy?). Anyways since I am a huge fan of sour cream and the likes regardless of calories it all worked out (hey I work out enough okay end of story). After seeing other recipes this is my version and adaptation of preparing these enchiladas, I will add some notes on the bottom that may help you customize or tweak the recipe a bit to your liking plus some tips I found helpful...

Oh also I wanted to add that my family LOVED the Enchiladas! So did I, and they were a HIT! At first my mother frowned a bit at the idea of  enchiladas that go in the oven (she's had them in the past but considers them an "American" thing not Mexican, because growing up where my mom was born and raised in Zacapú, Michoacan, Enchiladas are dipped in the sauce green or red or mole or whatever, then lightly fried after dipped in sauce, filled, rolled up, and served fresh hot with queso fresco, lettuce and other delicious toppings... I have that version of enchiladas posted on my blog if interested see recipe for "Enchiladas Estilo Michoacan" ).... however my mom didn't deny that she loved these enchiladas, and it was also practical to just have a big tray of delicious warm enchiladas, and nice to have everyone sitting together as opposed to me or her having to cook the stove top variations at the moment people eat it.

...any who here is the recipe :)

Ingredients for sauce:
-2 lbs tomatillos
-2 serrano chilies (a type of green spicy chili)
-1/2 onion
-1 bunch of cilantro (washed well I use the stems as well)
-2 cloves of garlic
-1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
-salt to taste
-ground black pepper to taste
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional I like the tough it gives it)
-approximately 1 cup of Mexican cream (you can use regular sour cream)
-approximately 4 cups water or chicken stock

Main ingredients:
-24 corn tortillas (NOT FLOUR TORTILLAS)
-1/4 cup more or less cooking oil (to lightly fry tortillas, makes them pliable and stronger so they won't turn mushy in the sauce)

Ingredients for the filling:
-shredded chicken (I used 2 leftover roasted chicken breasts, if you don't have that you can boil some chicken breasts with salt, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and pepper with enough water to barely cover, and when tender, cool down, drain and shred the breasts)

-I also made some filling them with refried beans (a good idea for a delicious vegetarian option I have the recipe for refried beans on my blog or feel free to use any other you may like see recipe for "Refried Beans" if your vegetarian or afraid of using lard to prepare them use olive oil or another kind of oil)

 Ingredients for topping:
-shredded white cheese we used Monterrey Jack (I know it's an American type of cheese but it sure as hell is delicious) you can use "Queso Oaxaca" or "Manchego" cheese any really good white melting cheese that you like. The amount you use depends on how much cheese you like, I put enough to cover the enchiladas lightly on top, about 1/2 lb.

Directions for sauce:
(1) If tomatillos are large cut in half, throw them in a pot with chile serrano, and onion. cover with some water (approximately 4 cups) or chicken stock, bring to a boil and let cook on high until tomatillos change color (about 5 minutes)

(2) Now scoop out tomatillos, chilies, and onions and throw them in a blender RESERVE the cooking liquid in a seperate container or bowl you will use it to thin out the sauce and blend as needed, along with spices, raw garlic, and cilantro. Put enough liquid to blend until smooth, then add the sour cream and continue to blend until well incorporated.

(3) Now that your sauce is ready, heat the same pot where you made the sauce until it's really hot, add some oil and when oil is hot add the sauce you blended and let it simmer for 10 minutes so all the flavors mend, then remove from heat, mean while you can do other stuff... I forgot to take pictures of the sauce simmering unfortunately :(

(4) Set sauce aside

Directions for softening tortillas:
(1) Heat a small pan with oil on high heat, and lightly fry each tortilla on both sides just enough for it to puff slightly and make some movement but don't over do it, you just want to soften them, if you over fry them they will turn HARD you do not want that, make sure the oil is hot though and they bubble when you add them in.

... I know this seems REDUNDANT and greasy etc. BUT if you skip this step you will get mushy enchiladas that won't be able to hold their shape, and look not appealing, the frying makes them flexible and prevents them from falling apart and helps maintain texture. You can pat dry them with paper towels after the frying however so it's not so greasy.

... use tongs or a spatula or however you feel comfortable to fry and set aside.

Directions for assembling enchiladas:
(1) Have you fillings ready and on hand, also your softened lightly fried tortillas, and pre- heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

(2) Get the baking dishes you are using to bake the enchiladas, and put enough sauce on the bottom of the dishes to lightly coat the bottom of the dish.

(3) Put filling in tortilla, and roll like a taquito, here are some pictures to help you.

we made one tray of bean ones and another of chicken ones.

carefully arrange in baking dish, and pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas (I like to lade the sauce over the to coat evenly) top with shredded cheese.

(4) Bake in oven at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes, the only reason to bake them is to melt the cheese, so they don't need to be that long in the oven. They should look like the picture below after baked :)

Use a spatula to serve

We enjoyed them with sour cream, guacamole, a red salsa, and lettuce on the side. Enjoy!

NOTES:
(1) Enchiladas aren't typically "swimming in sauce, they have some sauce, not too much not too little, so if your looking for something swimming in sauce this is not it.

(2) Another way to prepare these is with the same ingredients, BUT you can make these at the moment people are gonna eat them, by simply stuff the lightly fried tortillas when they are hot right away, arranging them on the persons plates and ladling the sauce over, then topping with fresh crumbled cheese since you wouldn't throw it in the oven if you opted for this option.

(3) Don't be afraid to thin out the sauce, it will thicken when it goes in the oven, and tortilla will soak most of it.

Salpicon de Pollo (Avocado Chicken Salad)

Salpicon in Mexican Cuisine is a salad made of shredded meat, finely diced vegetables & herbs (onion, tomato, avocado, green chilies, & cilantro) dressed in lime or vinegar, salt, and a generous drizzle of olive oil. It is served on "Tostadas" which are crispy round fried tortillas (think of it as a large round tortilla chip) topped with shredded lettuce, your favorite salsas, and Mexican cream if desired. 

Salpicon is typically made with shredded beef, but I have chosen to make it with chicken breast, because it's well lighter, healthier, and it's what I had on hand. Also there are a lot of variations (some have cubes of cheese, some olives, capers, strands of spicy pickled jalapenos and carrots and even some include green beans) as you can see it really depends on the preference of the cook.

My version is very simple chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, and LOTS of diced avocado dressed in white wine vinegar (lime can be used in a pinch), salt to taste, and fruity extra-virgin olive oil. Think of it as a chopped guacamole with shredded chicken (beef can be used too, or for non meat eaters, canned tuna or canned salmon would be delicious) really you can be creative use what you like (even chopped celery would probably be good in here) however I do not recommend using chopped cucumbers or lettuce mixed into the salad because they will turn soggy and release liquid when left to cool in the fridge or overnight.

Well here's the recipe :)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN you have to boil, and then cool and shredd chicken breast here's how:
(1) Wash chicken breast in running cold water, cover with water in a large pot, add 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder, a piece of onion, and 2 cloves garlic. Bring to a boil and boil 30 minutes until tender, remove, cool, and shred.

It is now ready to use for the salad. The same can be done with beef but boil 1 to 1 1/2 hours (use flank steak or beef sold for shredding)

Ingredients:
-2 large cooked chicken breasts or 1 - 1 1/2 lb. flank/ beef (cooked, cooled, and shredded)

-6 roma tomatoes diced
-1 medium onion minced
-1 bunch of cilantro minced
-3 fresh jalapeno peppers finely minced (more or less to taste, you may omit if you can't stand the heat or de-vein/ remove the inside and only use the green flesh lol.)
-5-6 medium hass avocadoes diced
-1/4- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar or lime juice(depends how tangy/ sour you want it, use less if you like)
-1/4 cup olive oil (more or less to your preference)
-salt to taste (at least 1 teaspoon)
-black pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
(1) Mix all ingredients on the ingredient list together

(2) Your salad is now complete  (after mixing it in a bowl I transferred to a serving dish it can be eaten right away or put in the fridge a couple of hours to let the flavors meld)

 Ingredients to serve 
-Tostadas (you buy these pre-made or you deep-fry corn tortillas and drain)
-1/2 a head of washed ice berg lettuce finely shredded (julienned), kept in ice water to prevent wilting or drying
-Mexican cream (just thin out regular sour cream if you cannot get it with a little milk to a thick but smoother cream)
-your favorite hot sauces/ salsa (I used a chile de arbol sauce, and a raw spicy green avocado based salsa which I'll post in the future, you can see other salsa recipes on my blog on the left hand index under "Mexican Salsas"

I didn't take a picture of the salad assembled on the tostada, because I forgot but here's the table set up, I like to spread some of the cream on the tostada, then top it with shredded lettuce and salsa

 P.S. if you like this post you may enjoy another post i have for "Tostadas de Pollo" (chicken tostadas) it's basically a de-cnstructed version of this. ALSO a already cooked rotisseri chicken that is store bought may be used to skip having to boil the chicken meat.

ALSO... I know I haven't posted much but jsut been enjoying my summer, lounging, went on a little travel, spending it with my loved ones, and yes I do cook almost daily but just haven't had time to make a post, I want to thank all the readers that stick around :) ... there's more posts to come :D

   

Rabo de Toro a la Cordobesa (Cordoba style Oxtail)

  At my house when we cook oxtails it's a HUGE DEAL, my grandma, mom, dad, me, and little sister ALWAYS have to be present to cook this, we have to make sure everyone is at the house for dinner that day. Why? Well because it's our favorite cut of meat, it's rich, flavorful,moist, tender and produces a sauce that is out of this world.


     There are three ways we prepare oxtails in my family, one is in a type of Mexican soup we call "Caldo de Cola" which is simply the Mexican "Cocido de Res" (beef soup with a tons of vegetables) prepared with oxtails, the other is "Rabo Encendido Estilo Chino Cubano" it's one of my grandmother's creations I guess, it's braised in soy sauce & wine but with Cuban spices and sofrito....

    BUT and it's a BIG BUT lastly the way we ALMOST ALWAYS prepare it, for us the most delicious and favorite way is well the typical Cuban-Spanish "Rabo Encendido" in which the oxtails are browned and stewed in a Spanish/ creole tomato based sauce, that's almost always our go to recipe my grandmother taught me and my mother, but today I wanted something a little different (and honestly it's not so different that's why huge emphasis on "a little" I decided to prepare it "Cordoba" style, Cordoba is a city in Andalusia, Spain, it's practically the same as my grandmother's recipe, except the spice combination is a little different instead of using "cumin" it's replaced with sweet smoked spanish paprika & has the addition of cloves & saffron which is a nice little twist :)

Ingredients:
-4 1/2 lbs. oxtails (washed and rinsed twice, drain and pat dry with paper towels)

-extra-virgin olive oil (as needed to cook/ sautee the aromatics/ vegetables)
-4 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
-2 onions finely chopped
-1 green bell pepper chopped
-1 red bell pepper chopped
-1 yellow bell pepper chopped
-8- 12 head of garlic minced
-4 large ripe tomatoes or 8 oz. of a thick prepared tomato sauce or 16 oz. of a regular one

-3 bay leaves
-1 tablespoon "Pimenton de la Vera" (sweet SMOKED Spanish paprika)
-8 cloves (I grind them to a powder to not risk anyone biting into one)
-1 tsp ground black pepper 

-SALT to taste (atleast 1 1/2 tsp.)


Optional Ingredients:
-1 teaspoon saffron or other coloring powder (turmeric would work here goes well with smoked paprika, in Spain they have a powder called "Colorante Alimentario" it's an edible coloring powder, Cubans use one called "Bijol" made of ground annato seeds, or packets of Goya's "Sazon" with saffron or achiote, your choice, if you leave it out it's not a big deal)
-6 potatoes (peeled cut into large chunks)

Directions:
(1) Heat a large deep pot over very very high heat, when it's real hot, to test it splash some water if the water turns to little pearls and bounces around before evaporating it's ready. Add your oxtail you'll hear a thundering sound sort of and a grilled smoked smell, stir oxtails occasionally and allow to brown all over (DO NOT ADD OIL) the oxtails will render some fat, this will take anywhere from 5- 10 minutes maybe longer.

(2) This creates a wonderful "fond" for de-glazing on the bottom of the pan and will add a smokey, meaty flavor. Now lower your heat, remove oxtials and set aside, in the same pan add carrots, onions, bell eppers, and garlic cook down for 5- 8 minutes until translucent scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

(3) Add your tomato sauce, 3 bay leaves, and spices (smoked paprika, cloves, and pepper) stir about 3 minutes to reduce. Add your red wine, and allow to reduce by half (the wine unlocks some flavor in the tomato that's only soluble in alcohol)

(4) Now add your oxtails and stir/ coat everything well together. Add enough water to BARELY cover oxtails, bring to a rolling boil over high heat,

cover, and reduce heat to medium low to low. Allow to simmer covered 3-4 hours. After 3 hours check for tenderness if you want it more tender cook longer.

(5) Once tender to your liking, add saffron if your using and potatoes, allow to cook an additional 30- 40 minutes until potatoes are tender and flavors meld. (add more water as needed this stew is NOT a soup, so make sure the sauce is not too thin)

(6) Serve with steamed white rice, a salad, and any other sides you may like :)

Frijoles con Chile Guajillo (Pinto Beans with dried Guajillo peppers)

Beans and other type of legumes are a staple in my house along with rice (a day doesn't go by that I haven't eaten some type of bean dish and rice and I am damn proud of it because they are so healthy and good for you! Yup yup ;)

All three of my culinary backgrounds use beans in some way (from my Mexican side the humble pot of simple pot of boiled pinto beans, my Spanish and Cuban side the rich varied bean stews made with meats, sausages, and vegetables, or the Cuban staple of rice and black beans so yeah can't really avoid them hehe.

Anyways in Mexican Cuisine one of the staples is boiled pinto beans (usually just boiled with a few pieces of garlic, onion then salt to taste) however my friend Simon who's family is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico prepares the beans by boiling them with dried Guajillo peppers and a whole head of garlic. The guajillo peppers gives them a nice smokey earthy taste, and the whole head of garlic well the delicious flavor of garlic most are familiar with :) Thank Simon and his sister Liz for teaching me yet another way of enjoying beans :D


Ingredients:
-1 lbs. dried pinto beans, or peruano beans, or flor de mayo beans
-4 dried chile guajillos (stem removed and seeds shaken out) or you can substitute with dried "Chile Nuevo Mexico" or "Chile California"
-1 whole head garlic
-salt to taste (I use about 1 1/2 teaspoons or more to taste)

Directions:
(1) Put all ingredients EXCEPT the salt in pot (do not put the salt until the beans are tender because they will never be as tender as they should), cover with enough water to submerge them 2-3 inches in water.

 (2) Bring beans to a boil using high heat, then when they come to a rolling boil, cover and turn heat down to medium low. When beans are tender and salt to taste allow to boil an additional 5-10 minutes. Then turn off heat & discard/ throw away the chilies and onion (their flavor has already infused into the beans)

PLEASE NOTE:
(1) Don't get any bright ideas and puree the garlic after boiled and strain it into teh stock, the garlic boiled whole gives a nice mild taste, but if pureed and added back HELL NO! it'll be tooooo overpowering.

(2) My mother likes to throw away the garlic after it's boiled in there and the beans are done, but she blends the dried peppers and strains them back into the beans, it's her twist on my friends recipe and I love the taste it get's that way :)

Aliño de Teresita

What I present today is not a recipe for a side dish, or main course of anything like that, it's a condiment used to cook other food, and as a short cut in a lot of other recipes. Before I begin here's the background story :)

Teresita is a 92 year old lady that my mom is a care provider for. She is originally from Columbia, one of my mother's jobs is to cook for her and my since my mother has a love for the kitchen and learning new things, she was very quick to ask Teresita what she likes to eat, and how to recreate it.

One of the things essential in Teresitas kitchen is what she calls "Aliño", in her kitchen it's a very strong condiment  essentially a bunch of aromatics, herbs, as well as umami packing ingredients mixed together, simmered in generous olive oil, then bottled. used to flavor & cook other dishes, from stews, soups, sautee's, mixed into meatloafs, meat balls, etc. simply a tablespoon mixed into rice for flavor, or tossing shredded meats, steamed veggies etc. it's used as a base.

Ingredients:
-2 bell peppers (red or green) finely chopped
-1 large onion finely chopped
-8 scallions (washed, split in half, and then finely chopped)
-20 roma tomatoes chopped
-1 head of garlic minced
-1 large bunch of cilantro chopped 
-1/3 cup dried oregano
-1/3 cup dried thyme
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-3 tablespoons lemon pepper
-3 packets of "Sazon Goya Con Azafran" or "Sazon Goya Culantro Con Achiote" (maybe not everyone can get ahold of these, I would substitute it for ground achiote/ annatto seeds like 2 tablespoons, saffron, or maybe 1 tablespoon turmeric)
-salt to taste (use atleast 2 teaspoons)
-1 1/2 cups of a good quality extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
(1) Mix all ingredients in a large pot or deep-pan (yes you heard right just throw EVERYTHING in the ingredient list in a pot or pan)

(2) Put it on the stove, mix well together with a spoon, and put on high heat, the tomato will start releasing it's juices, lower to medium high and allow mixture to cook for 10- 15 minutes.

(3) Allow to cool, and store in clean glass jars or containers, when fully cooled seal, and store in fridge (it can last up to 1 weeks in the fridge) if you want to store longer it can last for several months in the freezer. This recipe made about 4 jars, we store 2 in the fridge and 2 in the freezer.My family can go through a batch like this in like less than 2 weeks or so but it's because we are 4 people, and usually have guests and such, so we cook a lot :)

PLEASE NOTE
-In the future I will share some recipes using this condiment :) in the mean time if you decide to make it, feel free to be creative with it.
 -ALSO this is not meant to be eatin on it's on, or by the spoonfuls, it has a very strong flavor, and can be somewhat salty. So do not use it as a vegetable side or to eat on it's own.
-I don't have any specific recipes like I said before posted yet to share using this condiment but just some really brief uses you can: (1) Steam any vegetables and add a couple spoonfuls of it and toss them in that for flavoring, with maybe more salt to taste. (2) When you make a chicken soup, you can remove the chicken, shredd it, and toss it in some of this condiment, serve with rice, and the soup on the side. (3) Any meat can be boiled with just onion, garlic, oregano, then removed, shredded and tossed in some of the condiment (4) Mix about 1/2 cup of the mixture into 1 lbs or ground meat, 2 eggs, and fry the mixture like patties. etc. you guys get it :)
-Been using this condiment lately since I been pretty busy with school and it makes a lot of stuff quick to put together.

Albondigas de Pollo con Hierbabuena Entomatadas (Mint Chicken Meatballs in Tomato)

Meatballs made with rice and mint are popular in Mexican cuisine (they can be made with pork, beef, chicken, turkey whatever meat of your choice or combination) often served in a soup with a variety of vegetables (if you would like to see this check my mother's recipe for "Caldo de Albondigas") . However they can also be cooked in a spicy chipotle sauce, or how I present it here in a very simple light tomato based sauce that can be made spicy, mild, or with no heat at all.

 My mother made these meatballs yesterdays using ground chicken and a simply tomato sauce that wasn't' spicy at all (we had a bowl of freshly made green salsa that was extremely spicy for those that wanted to add heat to their dishes they could simply grab a couple spoonfuls and drizzle on their plates). The dish is fairly simple, very quick to put together, and with ingredients readily available to anyone in any country I believe and it tastes heavenly and is so light on the stomach (the mint leaves are good for digestions , and rice is very easy to digest). If your looking for something simple and healthy give this a try :)

Ingredients for meatballs:
-1 1/2 lbs ground chicken (grind it yourself or buy it ground)
-1 1/2- 2 cups cooled rice (could be white rice or leftover rice of any kind, my mom used leftover yellow rice from last night)
-1/2 a large bunch of mint leaves (cleaned, washed, patted dried then finely chopped)
-1/2 chopped onion
-2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 large egg
-salt & pepper to taste


Ingredients for sauce:
-1/2 a large onion or 1 onion finely chopped
-2 cloves garlic
-5-6 fresh ripe tomatoes
-1 heaping teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
-1 cup water
-salt and pepper to taste
-extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredient to garnish (optional):
-finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Directions:
(1) Put all meatball ingredients in a bowl,

mix together to combine, but do not over mix,

  and then form meatballs into medium sized balls. Set aside.

 (2) In a deep wide sauce pan or wide pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat, sautee chopped onions, and when onions are translucent and well cooked about 5- 7 minutes.

   
(3) Meanwhile in a blender blend tomatoes, garlic, chicken bouillon powder, salt and pepper, and add about 1 cup of water to blend everything to a smooth sauce,

 when blended add this mixture to the sauteed onions.

  
(4) Bring sauce to a boil, add meatballs one by one,

 cover and simmer 20- 25 minutes, until cooked through, add more water and adjust salt if you want the sauce looser. Before turning off sprinkle cilantro or parsley if you want to.

(5) We served it over white rice, with a salad dressed in olive oil, lemon, oregano, and salt.

PLEASE NOTE:
(1) When my mom makes the chicken meatballs like she did here, she adds more rice because the ground chicken meat for some reason seems to be "looser" than using beef, it's less compact , so if you see the recipe when she prepared the beef ones for her soup, she used less rice.

(2) Don't panic if the chicken meatballs aren't perfectly round or seem too gloppy after making the meatballs, simply before adding to the hot pot, roll them in your hand into a ball prior to dropping them in the hot pot.