Chile Rellenos - Dried Stuffed Ancho Chiles with Plantains and Cream

One of Mexicos most best-known dishes Chile Rellenos (stuffed chiles) is often prepared with fresh poblanos fried in light batter and heated in tomato sauce but there are many regional variances on this popular dish. Jalapeno, manzano, dried pasado, pasilla de Oaxaca, and chili ancho take your pick.

Although I'm a big fan of the battered poblano recipe I wanted to try something different with the poblanos dried cousin the chile ancho. I was soon inspired by a creation of Ricardo Munoz Zurita on the Rick Bayless show "Mexico - One Plate at a Time". How can I go wrong with a the culinary genius of Ricardo Zurita. Ricardo is the chef behind Mexico City's Azul y Oro and author of 4 cookbooks including the 600-page Encyclopedia of Mexican Gastronomy.

This recipe was not listed on Rick Bayless site and the exact measurements were not discussed so we pretty much had to eyeball it and take notes.



Ingredients

Serves 10

12 Chiles Ancho (Always purchase a few more then you need some might fall apart when you are removing seeds and veins)
4 very ripe Plantains
4-5 Garlic cloves crushed
1 whole chopped onion
3 chopped roma tomatoes
3/4 pound of panela chesse
1 small piloncillo cone
1/2 cup of grated piloncillo
dash of salt
dash of pepper

(Piloncillo is an unrefined sugar from Mexico produced in "cone" shapes of various sizes)

Garnish

1 pound of Mexican Crema
Parsley

Dissolve the whole cone of piloncillo in hot water, cover the chiles in the hot water, pushing them down into the water so that they are totally submerged. Soak for 10 min, Ricardo recommended 5 min but we did not achieve the level of softness we were looking for. You also do not want to soak the chiles to long or they will get to soft and fall apart.

Remove the chiles from water and carefully make a slit on one side and remove veins and seeds. Make sure the stem does not fall off and try not to tear the chile.

Bake the plantains for 10 min at 350

Chop tomatoes, queso panela and onions, crush the garlic and ground 1/2 cup of piloncillo. Remove plantains from oven and chop into cubes.

Heat oil and saute onion and garlic. Add tomato and cook for 5 min. Add plantains and cook for another 10 min. Add piloncillo powder, pinch of salt and pinch of pepper and mix well. Remove from heat and add queso panela.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of filling to each chile ancho. Fold crease over and place on a plate with crease down. Garnish with Crema and Parsley.

As I was shooting the final shots I caved in and took a bite.



The Chile Ancho is mild in spice and has somewhat of a fruity flavor. The flavor profile of the ancho played well with the plantains and we were very pleased with the results. I have been craving Chiles en Nogada but they are not in season yet so this was a nice alternative that is much easier to make. I guess we will have to go for the trifecta and feature the ever so popular battered Chile Rellenos soon.

Chiles en Nogada

Chiles en Nogada (Chilies In Walnut Sauce) Recipe

Chiles en Nogada is probably my favorite Mexican dish of all. I had have versions at Restaurants in the past but nothing has compared to this homemade version. My wife and I were first inspired to make this after reading a post on Chowhound last year.



Agustin de Iturbide was a military commander who fought in Mexico's War of Independence, and later went on to become Emperor of Mexico in 1822. Agustin signed the treaty of Cordoba that granted Mexico its Independence. On his way to Mexico City, Agustin stopped in the city of Puebla where the townspeople decided to hold a feast to celebrate the Independence from Spain and Iturbide’s saint’s day, August 28th. The Augustinian nuns of Santa Monica convent were in charge of creating a special dish for the occasion. Using local ingredients that were in season they came up with a dish that proudly bore the colors of the Mexican flag; in this dish were the green chilies, the white sauce, and the red pomegranate seeds.

Serves 10


Ingredients

10 Large Poblano Chiles, charred, peeled, seeds and veins removed
1 Pound of Ground Pork
1 Pound of Ground Beef
Salt to Taste
9 Tomatoes
2 Bay Leaves
Pinch of Oregano
1 Whole Crushed Garlic
1 Chopped White Onion
1/2 Chopped jalapeño (optional for extra spice)
1 Chopped Apple core removed
1 Chopped Peach pit removed
1 Chopped Pear core removed
1 Ripe Plantain peeled and chopped
2oz Raisins
1oz Walnuts
1oz Pecans
1 stick of Cinnamon
3oz chopped dried Pineapple
Cooking Oil

The Walnut Sauce (Nogada)

1 lb of Mexican Crema
¼ - 1/2 Cup Milk
¾ Pound Queso Fresco
½ Ounce Chopped Pecan
2 Ounce Chopped Walnut

Garnish

1 Cup Pomegranate Seeds
½ Cup Cilantro

Cover tomatoes with water and simmer until soft about 10 minutes, Remove skin from tomatoes and blend.



Line large pot or skillet with cooking oil; add whole crushed garlic, onions, and jalapeño. Stir in ground pork and beef and cook over medium low heat until meat is browned. Salt to taste, add pinch of oregano, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Add the tomatoes and salt to taste.





Stir in the raisins and chopped walnuts. After several minutes add the chopped pear, apple, plantains, and mix well, continue cooking over medium-high heat until most of the moisture has evaporated. Stir often let cool, cover, and set aside.





Smear a light coating of vegetable oil on the poblano chile, directly place chile over an open flame. Turn the chiles from time to time to allow skin to blister and char lightly. Place them immediately into a plastic bag or seal with plastic wrap and leave them to sweat for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the skin to moisten. Remove skin and clean off with the edge of a spoon. Make a slit in the side of each chile and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Gloves are recommended; we also recommended you do not rinse the chilies.



Stuff the chiles with the picadillo until they are full, place seam on bottom of plate



Blend the crema, milk, queso fresco, pecans and walnuts until smooth. You can play with the amounts of cheese and milk until you get your desired consistency. Cover the chiles in the nogada sauce and sprinkle with fresh cilantro and pomegranate seeds.

Here is a video from last year which was made with the help of the author of the original post from chowhound. We pretty much stuck with the same recipe with exception of the nogada was made with water instead of milk on the video.



Chiles en Nogada is a very complex dish that maintains a pleasing balance between the savory and sweet. We love serving it to guest and have them guessing the ingredients. If you have any questions regarding the preparation feel free to leave a comment.

Chiles en Nogada

Chilaquiles Recipe

Layers of soft yet crunchy fried tortillas dripping with red sauce, topped with crema, queso fresco, red onion, cilantro and served with over easy fried eggs, I really can’t think of a better way to start the day then Chilaquiles.




Chilaquiles date back to ancient times and are traditionally made from stale tortillas. Stale tortillas will absorb much less oil, making chilaquiles a perfect way to use leftovers. After the basis of stale tortillas everything else is influenced on regional and personal preferences.

After reading about Diana Kennedys Chilaquiles Veracruzanos in her Essential Cusines of Mexico book I asked my wife if she remembered her grandmas Chiliquiles recipe. Her Grandma was raised in Veracruz and the recipes turned out to be very similar with exception of a couple of ingredients.

Ingredients
Serves 6-8

Sauce
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Ancho Chiles seeds and veins removed
1 Cascabel Chile (Optional for a bit more spice)
8 Roughly Chopped Roma Tomatoes
1 Half Roughly Chopped onions
3 Garlic Cloves
Salt to Taste
1 Cup Chicken Broth

Tortillas
Vegetable Oil for Frying
24 Tortillas Cut Into Pieces

Toppings
Crema
½ Red Onion Thinly Sliced
3 Sprigs of Cilantro
1/3 Cup Crumbled Queso Fresco

Heat the oil in a skillet. Fry the chile for about 1 minute on each side. Remove the chili, cover with hot water, and leave to soak for 5 to 10 minutes.




Add tomatoes, onions and garlic to the same pan and grill until they are softened. Transfer the drained chile, tomatoes, onions and garlic to a blender and blend until smooth.



Reheat the oil and add the sauce, season with salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes, add the broth and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and keep warm.



Heat the oil and fry the tortilla pieces, about one third at a time so they cook evenly, until they just stiffen but do not brown, about 3-4 minutes a batch.



Transfer the fried tortillas to paper towels to drain while you fry the rest; add a bit more oil to the skillet and lower the heat if necessary.



Stir in tortillas and cook over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, or until most of the sauce has been absorbed, allow just enough time for tortillas to absorb the salsa. Stir Constantly, the tortilla pieces should be soft yet crunchy.



Serve immediately and top with crema, cilantro, and red onion. I love mine served with Over easy fried eggs.

Enjoy!

Chilaquiles

Mexican White Rice - Arroz Blanco Recipe

Arroz Blanco can be made in a variety of ways. Some recipes call for peas and carrots however I'm not the biggest fan of peas and carrots so they are not found in this version. I guess my lack of love for the peas stems from childhood. My dad was very firm during dinner time, and we most certainly would never leave the table without finishing our vegetables. Well needless to say we had a very fat cat named PJ who just happened to love peas.

This arroz blanco is very versatile and pairs well with almost any dish. We recently enjoyed this recipe with moms Cuban style lengua de res.



In our recipe green onions and bell peppers are used to bring a nice flavor element, however they are removed prior to serving. Some cooks prefer to chop white onions and blend into the rice.



Ingredients (Makes 8 Servings)
2 Cups of Long Grain White Rice, washed
4 Cups of Water
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoon of Butter
2 Tablespoons Knorr Chicken Bouillon
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1/2 Red Bell Pepper
5 Green Onions

Heat oil and butter in pan and stir in the white rice. Stir until the grains are evenly coated and continue to fry over medium heat (approx 5 minutes). Add the onion, crushed garlic, and red bell pepper. Continue frying until just before they turn golden, about 8-10 minutes.



Add water



Add Knoor chicken bouillon.
Bring to a boil; Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.



Set rice aside and keep covered 10 Minutes.



Remove the onions and bellpepper.

Note: The only reason we do not chop the onions and bell pepper finer is the kids prefer the rice plain. We still get the flavor of the onions and bellpeppers and the kids are happy. The onions and bell pepper in the first picture were used for garnish only. Enjoy!

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Mexican White Rice

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Quesadillas De Flor De Calabaza (Squash Blossoms)

After stopping at a local Mexican drive through window to order my daughter a cheese quesadilla, I got to thinking how difficult it is to get a real quesadilla around these parts. I don’t think my local berto’s will be serving up tuetano con champiñones (marrow and mushrooms), Huitlacoche (corn smut), or Flor de Calabaza quesadillas any time soon. Since its Flor De Calabaza season the wife and I decided to make a trip to San Diegos Hillcrest Farmers Market, and pick up some fresh squash blossom flowers out of Valdivia Farms in Carlsbad.

Flor De Calabaza


I pretty much had the rest of the ingredients at home and currently grow epazote. If you do not have epazote it’s available at the Hillcrest Farmers Market, Specialty Produce, or Northgate Market.

Epazote from the garden


Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds Squash Flowers, cleaned and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Sea salt to taste
2 pablano chilies, charred, peeled, and cut into strips
1 tablespoon roughly chopped epazote
Oaxacan Cheese
Corn Tortillas

This is a fairly simple recipe; most of the work is in the prep. It was a fun day making these; my brother and I were prepping the flowers while the wife worked the grill and the masa. This Recipe is adapted from Diana Kennedys "From My Mexican Kitchen Techniques and Ingredients."

Rinse and briefly shake excess water off the flowers. Remove stringy green sepals around the base of each flower. If the flowers are large leave about a half inch of the stalk on. Roughly chop the flowers, calyx and stamen included.



Prepare chiles by placing over open flame , turning them from time to time until skin is blistered and lightly charred. Place them inside a plastic bag and set aside to steam for 10 about minutes; this process will loosen the skin. Then remove the skin by running your hands or a spoon down the chile. Cut into vertical strips.



Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion garlic, and a little salt, and fry gently without browning until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the chili strips and cook stirring from time to time, for another two minutes.



Add the flowers and salt to taste, cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the round calyx is tender, not soft, about 10 minutes. Add epazote after 5 minutes.



The mixture should be moist not juicy.



Prepare some corn tortillas on the comal with some Oaxaca cheese and flor de calabaza mixture. Enjoy!



This is enough for about 15 quesadillas (which was a bit much) I will most likely split the recipe in half next time. Its unfortunate as to what is being passed off as a quesadilla locally, flour tortilla the size of a tent with greasy flavorless yellow cheese is not a good representation.

Its flor de calabaza season give them a try I’m sure you will enjoy. If your not up to making them Aqui Es Texcoco in Chula Vista makes some very good ones.

Pastel Tres Leches - Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Pastel Tres Leches (Three-Milk Cake) is a wonderful dense, moist cake topped with vanilla whipped cream. What makes it unique is that after baked, it is perforated and soaked in a mixture of three different milk products. The three milks, when combined, create a distinct texture. I personally like it with an orange flavor to it, the tang of the orange cuts some of the sweetness providing the perfect balance.



Although very popular in Mexico this dessert is enjoyed throughout Latin American. You will find variances in recipes from Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Panama, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Tres leches cakes come in a wide array of presentations and flavor profiles. Here is our version we have enjoyed over the years, taking some traditional ingredients and adding some new.

Ingredients
5 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of grated orange peel
2 Tbsp of Grand Marnier Liqueur

2 cups whole milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated fat free milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
Cream butter and 1 cup sugar together until fluffy.
Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Grease and flour baking pan, pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.



Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Add a dash of cinnamon, dash of grated orange peel, and 2 tbps of Grand Marnier Liqueur.
Pierce entire cake with toothpicks.
Pour over the top of the cooled cake.
Let cake absorb all the liquid.
Note: We actually refrigerate overnight and let cake absorb leches.



Whip the heavy whipping cream until it beads and add 1/2 cup white sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake.
Be sure and keep cake refrigerated and serve it well-chilled. Garnish with strawberries and mint. Provecho!



No "The Masa Assassin" isn't going Martha Stewart on you, I just wanted to share a traditional dessert that we are accustom to making in my household. I'm still tweaking my Tijuana Taco Diaries and its back to the Masa soon. We have been working in the kitchen making a variety of quesadillas including Flor De Calabaza (Squash Blossom) with epazote.



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Pastel Tres Leches Masa Assassin

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Birria De Chivo Recipe - Goat Stew

I've really been craving some Birria de Chivo lately, especially after having a delicious bowl of it a few weeks ago at one of my favorite spots in Los Angeles. While reading the latest version of San Diego’s El Latino paper, I noticed an add from Talones Meat Market in Escondido. The Talones add was calling my name with the word "CHIVOS".



The wife and I made a quick trip to Talones and we were pleased to find the goat was not frozen like most places. We ordered 4lbs and had it cut in cubes, we also ordered 1 goat head (cabeza). The wife likes using head in the stew to add a different element to the broth. We made a quick trip to Northgate Market for the essentials then it was back to the kitchen. We slapped 1/4 cup of vinegar on the goat meat and let it soak overnight. The next morning we were ready to go.

This recipe is for the guisado stew form which happens to be my favorite. Another popular method of cooking birria is called tatemada; tatemada employs the two-step form of stovetop steaming followed by oven roasting. You can also use a variety of different meats, goat is my favorite choice.

Ingredients

4 lbs Goat Meat
1 Goat Head (Cabeza) *Optional
5 Guajillo Chiles
5 Ancho Chiles
3 Cascabel Chiles
10 California Chiles (We typically use 12 Cascabel and no California Chiles but we had to tame it down for the family)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
5 whole Allspice
10 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
1 onion
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Vinegar
1 cup of water

Sides
Oregano
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped cilantro
Radishes
Limes
Corn Tortillas





Remove the seeds and veins from the chiles and toast.



Put the chiles to soak in 1 cup of hot water for approximately 20 minutes, and then add the rest of the ingredients with exception of onion and bay leaves.



Seal in juices by searing the goat meat. We also seared the cabeza in a separate pan not shown.



Blend ingredients to a smooth sauce.



Place seared goat meat in a pot, and put just enough water in the pot to cover the meat.



Add onion and bay leaves.



Immediately strain chile paste into the pot.



Place the lid on the pot and let simmer on low heat until the meat is "fall off the bone" tender. Add salt as needed. Our meat took approximately four hours before it was cooked to perfection. As part of the final process the fat and bones were removed. During the time I was anxiously awaiting for the birria, the smell permeating through the air was intoxicating. I have to admit I lifted the lid and sampled a few tender morsels more than once.



I had to keep myself busy and out of temptation so I decided to prepare the essential sides of chopped onions, cilantro, oregano, lime, and radishes. The wife was working on something more special an incredible chile de arbol based salsa with garlic and tomatillo. The salsa will be featured on a future write-up. The sides were ready to for the main course, and the tortillas were dipped in the delicious broth.







This particular Birria De Chivo turned out to be one of the most memorable Birrias I have had, I would not change a thing. The broth turned out to be complex with the perfect amount of spice. Birria De Res is a dish we make frequently in the house but now that we have a source for fresh goat, its all about the Birria De Chivo.

Enjoy the receta de birria de chivo.

Stay tuned.....
May will be Masa Month we will be featuring Masa Based Antojitos and also some major taco hunting I've done the past year in the streets of Tijuana.