March 8: THE MONDAY MENU Authentic Mexican Stew

Today I am sharing a recipe for Mexican stew, because I want you to understand (if you do not already) one of the basic principles of cooking. I want you to taste what it means to build flavors into a dish and how to extract those flavors to their fullest through slow cooking.

One of the best examples of building and extracting flavor from a dish through slow cooking can be seen in the creation of authentic Mexican cuisine. Notice I said "authentic". When most American's think of Mexican food they think of their local restaurant where they can get a bottomless basket of tortilla chips that they can dip into an unlimited supply of salsa while waiting on a poorly seasoned beef or chicken taco or a deep fried burrito. But this is not not authentic Mexican food.

Authentic Mexican cooking is an art form. A single dish can sometimes take hours to prepare. But the food is worth the wait as all the rich and wonderful flavor of each ingredient is extracted by cooking the food "low and slow". Try this simple, easy to prepare stew and you will see what I mean.

Conversation starter: Which country has the best spicy food? Why is spicy food from there better than other countries? Do these countries share a common history that you know of that may have influenced the culture of other cuisines?

Authentic Mexican Stew

Ingredients

3 lbs skinless chicken thighs (bone in) or

2 lbs beef roast cut into large pieces or

2 lbs pork roast cut into large pieces

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large sweet Spanish onion -rough chopped

2 large carrots - rough chopped

2 cups whole kernel corn

6 cloves garlic

2 jalapenos (depending on taste)

1 large dried Ancho chili

4 cups whole stewed tomatoes

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 Tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons dried cumin

2 teaspoons Mexican oregano

4 cups chicken broth or water

1 cup cilantro

1 lime cut into wedges

Instructions:

Reconstitute Ancho chili by placing it in water or vegetable oil for twenty minutes. Remove and puree' in a blender or food processor and set aside.

In a large stew pot add vegetable oil and chicken (or other meat), salt and pepper and sautee over medium high heat until meat is browned.

Add onions, reduce heat to medium, and cook an additional seven minutes stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Add remaining ingredients except the corn, lime and cilantro and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook for thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer dish for up to four hours or until liquid has reduced by one fourth, stirring occasionally.

At this point check to see if additional salt is needed. Remove jalapenos, and any bones and gristle that may have separated from the meat. Add corn and simmer an additional thirty minutes, stirring occasionally.

To serve: Ladle over white or Spanish-styled rice to eat as a stew (or add less broth and wrap in a warm corn tortilla), top with cilantro and drizzle with lime juice.

Serves 4-6

Variations: Garlic can first be roasted and then cooked with the chicken and onions to add another level of flavor to the meat. Add two stalks celery for added depth of flavor. Cook rice in 2 cups of broth from the stew.

February 25: Mexi-Taco Mix

Using ground chicken or turkey keeps this healthy. Adding beans extends the mix. Use leftovers for taco salads.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tomato, chopped
1 pound ground turkey or ground chicken
1 can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup salsa
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. - 2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. 2 tsp. cumin
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (available at any supermarket, usually near the parsley.)

Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add tomatoes and turkey. Cook on medium heat until meat is done. Drain any fat out of the pan into a tin can. Add remaining ingredients, adjusting the seasonings to fit your family's taste. ( You can also use 2-3 Tbs. of taco seasoning in place of the above seasonings.) Serve with salsa, guacamole, lettuce, cheese, and homemade tortillas.


Conversation starter: What is your favorite Mexican food?

February 9: Tortilla Roll Ups

Tortilla Roll ups

1  8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup salsa, drained
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 12 inch flour tortillas

Buzz the first three ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly
over each tortilla, about an 1/8th inch thickness.  Roll them securely.  Cut rolls into one inch rounds and
serve that day.


Conversation Starter: Describe your favorite pet.

February 8 THE MONDAY MENU Tex-Mex Chicken with Apple Lime Slaw

Like so many of you, I wake up each day knowing that at some point I will have to answer that inevitable question: "What's for dinner?" Last Friday when that question was asked I decided it was time to have a little fun.

I challenged my daughter to help me create a unique chicken recipe using only the ingredients we could find in the refrigerator and pantry. We started with chicken as it is so versatile. With a little imagination, and just four or five basic ingredients found in most homes, chicken can easily go from Asian, to Italian, to Mexican. Because our family loves spicy food we decided to go with Tex-Mex.

Next, we raided the crisper for ingredients to make a topping for the chicken. Our search uncovered apples, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, and limes. I looked at my daughter and smiled. Her face scrunched into a confused question mark, which was then replaced with mild horror as I grabbed the apples and a bottle of soy sauce.

Conversation Starter: The scariest thing I ever made in the kitchen was__________.

Ingredients

2lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Except for the chicken, mix everything a large bowl until well blended. Add chicken and coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.

After two hours preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Also preheat a large oven-proof skillet along with two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Just as the pan begins to smoke add marinated chicken and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes until both sides have caramelized. Place the skillet in the oven and cook an additional 15 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 180 degrees. Remove chicken from oven and let rest for five minutes before serving.

Apple Lime Slaw

Ingredients

1 large (or 2 medium) Granny Smith apple

2 medium jalapeno peppers (depending on taste)

1 medium tomato

1/2 cup cilantro chopped fine

2 teaspoons clover honey

the juice from 1 large lime

pinch of salt

Dice apple, jalapenos, and tomato into small pieces (approximately 1/4 inch) and place in a small mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for half an hour before serving with chicken.

January 30: Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

My daughter Julia asks for this soup nearly every day. Patrick and I first tasted tortilla soup in Puerto Vallarta on our honeymoon. For several years, I looked for a recipe, gave up, and finally developed one of my own. If you don’t have time to make the tortilla strips, you can substitute store-bought chips.

1 Tbs. Butter
1 yellow onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small can green chilies
1 can (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained (You may also use red kidney beans)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
5 cups chicken stock
1 cup shredded chicken
1 Tbs. Taco seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
12 yellow corn tortillas
¼ cup peanut oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups shredded jack cheese
Sour cream, for serving

Sauté onions and garlic in butter in a large soup pot over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add chilies, tomatoes, beans, corn, chicken stock, chicken and taco seasoning. Stir through on high heat until soup boils. Reduce to low. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer one hour.


With a sharp knife, cut tortillas into ¼ inch strips, stacking them four at a time to save time. Place all tortilla strips on a cookie sheet. Top with oil and salt. Toss the tortillas gently with your hands until they are all coated and the salt is evenly distributed. Spread in an even layer. Place in a 350 degree oven for thirty minutes until slightly brown and crisped. Remove and let cool.


To serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream, a handful of jack cheese. Place a haystack of tortillas on top. Makes eight servings.

Conversation starter: Tell a knock knock joke, the cornier, the better.

January 8: Taquitos don't have to come from the freezer section

Homemade Taquitos

The first time I tasted homemade taquitos, I was hooked. It takes a bit of prep time, but everyone will enjoy your effort. Serve alongside homemade salsa, guacamole and Spanish rice. Makes 24 taquitos.

1 ½ cup leftover beef brisket, or chuck roast, shredded

1 can black beans

1 Tbs. Dried cumin

¼ cup salsa

1 small can green mild chilies

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

½ cup chopped onion

24 corn tortillas

2 cups peanut or canola oil

Combine meat, beans, cumin, salsa, chilies, cheese, and onion in food processor until it has the consistency of peanut butter, about one minute. Heat oil in deep frying pan to medium high heat. One by one, drop corn tortillas into oil and remove quickly. (This makes them easier to handle and roll.) Stack on paper towel-laden plate. When cool, press the tortillas down, squeezing extra oil back into frying pan, remembering to turn off the heat.

Spread a heaping tablespoon of bean mixture over the middle half of corn tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down on cookie sheet until all taquitos are rolled. Heat oil to medium high again. Place eight rolled tortillas, seam side down in hot oil. With tongs, turn taquitos over after 2-3 minutes, making sure they have browned. When both sides are finished, place on cookie sheet in a warm oven (325 degrees) and cook next two batches.

Conversation starter: Describe the perfect vacation.