Green Mole Stew

Another recipe, this one Oaxacan, based off of one in Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking." A book I highly recommend buying if you are into regional Mexican cuisine and not just Tex Mex.

Ingredients:

For the Pork:

• 1 TB shortening
• 2 LB pork cut in cubes
• 1/2 white onion cut in slices
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

For the Sauce:

• 5 tomatillos
• 1 green tomato
• 3/4 cup water
• 5 small garlic cloves peeled.
• 1/4 large white onion
• 2 tsp mexican oregano
• pinch of cumin seed
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 whole allspice
• 2 jalapenos, seeded
• 1 TB shortening
• 1/4 LB prepared corn tortilla masa
• 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 big leafy stems of epazote (I find this dried at my local mercado, La Perla off Rodney Parham)
• 1/2 a small bunch of fresh parsley, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 4 avocado leaves (also found dried at La Perla)
• 3/4 cup water
• salt to taste

Directions

• Melt the shortening in a skillet and fry the onions until soft.
• Add the pork and cook until browned.
• Grind on black pepper to taste.
• Simmer while making sauce.

To Make Sauce:

• Roughly chop tomatillos and green tomato.
• Add to blender along with 3/4 cups water, garlic cloves, roughly chopped onion, Mexican oregano, pinch of cumin, 2 cloves, 2 whole allspice, and jalapenos.
• Blend until smooth.
• Heat the shortening in a large skillet and add the blended mixture.
• Saute for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile mix 1/4 cup masa with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth.
• After the green mole mixture has sauteed for 15 minutes add the masa and broth mixture to the mole mixture along with 1 more cup of chicken broth.
• Simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened.
• Meanwhile in a blender add the greens: the epazote, parsley and avocado leaves, and 3/4 cup water.
• Blend until smooth.
• After the mole mixture has cooked for 10 minutes add the herb mixture and stir in gently.
• Add the meat and onion mixture and serve in bowls as a stew with corn tortillas on the side.

Pork and Mole Stew

I've changed this recipe considerably from Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking" but it served as the basic skeleton of the recipe. I strongly suggest buying this book if you are into serious Mexican cooking. A very hearty stew for a cold fall or winter evening.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 LB pork, cubed
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

The Sauce:

• 5 chiles guajillos
• 3 chiles anchos
• 3 TB shortening
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 TB powdered chocolate
  
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• salt to taste

Directions:

• Put water on to boil for hydrating the dried peppers.
• Chop the pork and slice the onions and place in an enamel dutch oven with the garlic, pepper and salt.
• Just cover with water, bring to a boil, and drop to a simmer for 25 minutes.

• Meanwhile remove the stems from the dried chiles, slit them open and remove the seeds and veins.
• Simmer in the hot water for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside for about 15 minutes.
• Heat 2 TB of the shortening in a frying pan, add the almonds and toss in the oil over medium heat until they begin to brown.
• Put 1/4 cup of the broth into a blender jar, add the spices and the garlic, and blend thoroughly.
• Add 1/2 cup broth and the friend almonds and blend to a thick, textured paste.
• Heat the rest of the shortening in a heavy pan in which you are going to cook the mole.
• Add the seed paste and fry over medium heat, turning and scraping the bottom of the pan almost constantly to prevent sticking, for about 5 minutes.
• Add 1 cup broth to the blender jar and blend half of the chiles very thoroughly; add to the pan.
• Repeat this procedure until all the chiles make a thick sauce, adding more broth only if absolutely necessary to release the blades of the blender.
• Cook the mole over medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan from time to time, for abut 15 minutes--it will be quite thick.
• Add to the pork and broth mixture and blend well.
• Allow to cook for 5 more minutes for the flavors to meld.
• Serve with corn or flour tortillas.

Grean Beans with Eggs

Ingredients for 2:

• 4 oz
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 egg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup mild Cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the beans and cook for 5-6 minutes.
• Drain and rinse under cold water.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion slices for 3-4 minutes.
• Break the egg into a bowl and beat with salt and pepper.
• Add the egg mixture to the onion and cook slowly oover moderate heat, stirring constantly so that the egg is lightly scrambled.
• Add the beans to the pan and cook for a few minutes until warmed through.
• Grate cheese over the top.

Ancho Chili and Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients for 6 enchiladas:

• 2 ancho chiles
• 1/2 cup of water reserved from hydrating the chiles
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• oil for frying
• 6 4 1/2 inch white corn tortillas
• 1/4 pound pepper jack cheese

Directions:

• Remove the stalks from the dried chiles.
• Slit them ope and remove seeds and veins.
• Toast chiles lightly in a cast iron skillet.
• Remove and soak in hot water for 15 minutes.
• Put the 1/2 cup of water, garlic and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Add the chiles to the blender and blend until sauce is smooth.

• Break up egg with a fork and stir into the sauce.
• Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a small frying pan.
• Dip one tortilla at a time into the chile sauce to cover it thickly and from for about 8 seconds on each side.
• Use a spatula to flip.
• Remove to a plate and place a slice of cheese on the tortilla and then double the tortilla over.
• Continue until all the enchiladas are done.
• I served mine with pico de gallo.

Navy Bean Soup

I've posted this recipe before, but had to mention that I made it again, this time with ham hocks instead of a ham bone. It turned out so yummy for a warming fall soup. It made a nice big pot to share with a friend who wanted the recipe, and plenty of left overs for my husband and I to eat for lunch.

A Late Night Breakfast--Huevos Tirados

This was a super way to make a quick dinner when I got off working a night shift tonight and a great way to use up left over pinto beans and pico de gallo.

Ingredients:

• About half a cup to 3/4 cup of cooked pinto beans in their liquid
• About 1/2 a cup of pico de gallo
• 6 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tortillas to serve on the side

Directions:

• In a small pan heat the pinto beans in their juice.
• Whisk together the eggs, pico, and salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Brush a large frying pan with a little oil and pour the eggs in and light scramble.
• When the eggs are still a little wet add the beans and cook to desired consistency.
• Serve with tortillas on the side.

The Garden--November 10th

Well, most of what is left of the garden has moved indoors. On top of the fridge is the oregano that was in the window box in front of the house and on top of the microwave is the basil and a huge lemongrass plant, that was much smaller when I bought it at the farmer's market earlier this year. I had no idea how big it was until I moved it in the house and had to trim it back.

I'm still getting several small tomatoes a week, if you look closely you can see a few in the wooden bowl on top of the microwave.