My Favorite NEW MEXICAN Food Recipes (you'll notice there are no onions in the recipes as I don't cook with onions (I use about 1/8 tsp onion powder in my recipes), but feel free to add them in if you are so inclined).
These recipes are not mine originally, but are adaptations of my favorites.
CARNE ADOVADA (marinated pork)
(Serves about 6 people)
2 lbs pork roast
3-4 medium-size potatoes
7-8 whole. dried chile pods, seeded and deveined (found in Mexican food aisle of grocery store).
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
dash comino (cumin) optional
* Prepare chiles by cracking open and removing seeds and veins. Remove any outer skin.
Place in a bowl and add hot tap water, enough to cover chiles.
Let sit for about an hour and then drain, reserving the liquid.
Place the chiles in blender and add enough of the water to equal 1 pint.
Add the garlic, oregano,and salt.
Blend until thick and smooth. (This Chile Colorado sauce can be used as sauces for other things too, such as enchiladas, stuffed sopaipillas, burritos, huevos rancheros, or just about anything!)
*Slice potatoes width-wise, about 1/4" thick. Place pork roast and potato slices in large glass or stainless steel bowl and pour chile sauce over them.
Marinate, covered, in refrigerator overnight.
When ready to cook, heat oven to 350^.
Place meat and marinade in dutch oven or large covered casserole (you might have to cut the meat into smaller chunks for it to fit) and bake until meat is done, for at least an hour. You can also cook this in the crock-pot on low all day if you wish. The meat will just fall apart...Mmmmmm!!!
When done, serve as main dish with refritos (refried beans) and spanish rice, or on flour tortillas as a burrito (potatoes too!).
It can also be made into huevos rancheros for breakfast (corn tortillas topped with fried eggs, carne adovada, and cheese).
It is also makes for excellent stuffed sopaipillas!
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CHILES RELLENOS (stuffed green chiles)
(Makes about one dozen rellenos which serves about 6 people)
12 green chiles (you can use the canned whole green chiles but they aren't as good as the fresh, you can also soak dry green chile pods in hot water for about an hour and use them after taking off the outer skin, and removing veins and seeds)
1 lb monterey jack or cheddar cheese, cut into long, thin strips, about 1/4" wide and 2-4" long, depends on size of chiles
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten, added to milk
enough oil to fill deep fryer, or if using frying pan oil should be about 1 1/2-2" deep
*Combine dry ingredients, add milk/egg mixture and add to dry ingredients. Add more milk if needed. The batter should be pretty thick. If it is too thin it won't stay on the chile.
*Make small slit in chile under stem if necessary, stick cheese strip inside, dip chile in batter--coating well, then fry in deep frying pan or deep fryer, turning to cook evenly, until relleno is a nice golden color.
Eat as main dish with refritos and spanish rice.
Note:
You can make CHILE FRITTERS with any small pieces of chiles, or chiles too small to stuff, just dip in batter and fry.
To roast your own fresh chiles, poke chile with a fork, broil in oven on cookie sheet or roast on grill outside.
Let blister
on all sides (chile will be pretty black).
Put in wet towel which is lining large bowl and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
Spread chiles out to cool. Freeze in bags.
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CHILE VERDE (green chile sauce)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup or more chopped green chiles (canned diced green chiles works well)
1 large clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash of ground cumino (cumin)
*Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour. Add the broth, then chiles, garlic, salt, and cumino.
Simmer about
15 minutes.
Use to top enchiladas, burritos, rellenos, stuffed sopaipillas, huevos rancheros, or just about anything!
Very good!
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SOPAIPILLAS (puffed, fried bread; they aren't just for dessert)
yields about 4 dozen small or 2 dozen large sopaipillas
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
1 1/2 cups warm water
shortening
*Combine dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Make a well in center of dry ingredients, and add water, working into
a dough. Knead dough until smooth, cover, and set aside for 20 minutes.
*Heat 2 inches of shortening in heavy pan at medium-high heat. Roll dough to a 1/8 inch thickness on lightly floured board. Cut into 4 inch squares and fry until golden on both sides, turning once. If the shortening is hot enough the sopaipillas will puff and become hollow almost immediately. Drain on absorbent towels.
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NAVAJO FRY BREAD
yields about 6-8
2 cups flour
*Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add warm water to flour mixture and work into a smooth dough.
MEXICAN RICE
3/4 cup canned plum tomatoes (or if in a hurry, use canned tomato sauce or puree and skip the blender part)
*Put tomatoes and garlic in blender and puree them until they are well blended, adding enough chicken broth to make a cup of liquid, blending it in.
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FRIJOLES PINTOS (pinto beans)
2 cups dried pinto beans
*Sort pinto beans and rinse in cold water. Place beans and water in large pot. Bring mixture to a boil on high heat.
For REFRITOS (refried beans):
1/2 cup shortening
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BUNUELOS (this is a quick version of a deep-fried favorite dessert; real bunuelos are made with a dough similar to sopaipillas)
flour tortillas
*Cut flour tortillas into wedges, deep fry in about 2 inches hot oil or shortening. Drain on absorbent towels. Sprinkle with sugar mixture while still hot. MMmmm!!!
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TOSTADOS (tortilla chips)
corn tortillas
*Cut corn tortillas into wedges, deep fry in about 2 inches of hot oil or shortening. Drain on absorbent towels. Eat plain or sprinkle with salt, red chile powder, or garlic salt.
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STACKED ENCHILADAS
1 dozen corn tortillas, approximately (depends on size of pan)
*Spread small amount of sauce on bottom of pan. Spread single layer of tortillas on bottom of pan (they will overlap),
top with sauce and cheese. Keep layering tortillas, sauce, and cheese until you reach the top of the pan. Add additional cheese on top. Bake in 350^ oven until cheese is melted (about 20 minutes).
To make your own red ENCHILADA SAUCE:
1 tablespoon shortening
Brown flour in tablespoon shortening. Add chile powder and blend in water, stirring until smooth. Add garlic, salt, and oregano.
Simmer half an hour until chile thickens to gravy consistency. (May have to double recipe depending on size of pan used for the enchiladas.)
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CALDILLO (northern New Mexico style soup)
1 lb lean ground beef
*Fry beef in saucepan until browned. Add potatoes and fry until potatoes are golden brown. Add water, seasonings, and chile. Cover and simmer at low heat until potatoes are tender.
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POSOLE (hominy stew) -- traditionally eaten on New Year's Day for good luck all year
1 lb pork or beef roast, browned
*Brown roast and put in large stewing pot, covered with enough water (at least 1 1/2 - 2 qts, probably more; add more as necessary) to bring to a boil.
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CHILE COLORADO (basic red chile sauce)
2 tablespoons butter or shortening
*Heat shortening or butter in saucepan on medium heat and stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add chile powder and cook
for an additional minute. Gradually add the water and stir, making sure no lumps form. Add seasonings to sauce
and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
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2/3 cup warm water, approximately
cornmeal or flour
shortening
*Divide dough into balls of desired size (for small servings they should be egg sized, for large servings they should
be lemon sized). On a lightly dusted (with flour or cornmeal) board roll out each ball into 1/4 inch circles. Cut or poke
a hole in the center of each circle.
*Heat 2 inches of shortening in a heavy pan at medium-high heat. Fry the dough, one circle at a time until golden on both sides, turning once. Drain on absorbent towels.
Fry bread can be eaten the same way as sopaipillas, topped with honey, powdered sugar, or cinnamon-sugar.
When covered with seasoned meat, refritos, chile peppers, bell peppers, lettuce, tomato, red or green chile sauce, and cheese, they are called INDIAN TACOS.
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serves about 4-6
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
1 1/4 cups chicken broth (or as needed)
2 tablespoons peanut oil (you can use vegetable oil but the peanut oil gives it a subtle, different flavor)
1 cup long grain white rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
*Put oil in saucepan and heat it on medium heat until it is hot. Add the rice and stir it in the oil til golden. Add the tomato puree mixture, salt, and pepper.
*Bring ingredients to a boil, cover tightly, and simmer for 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
This has a very good flavor!
makes 4 cups cooked pinto beans
9 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic
2 tablespoons lard or shortening
Reduce heat to medium and cook until beans are tender (a few hours, unless cooked in pressure cooker at 15 lbs pressure
for 45 minutes). Add seasonings and shortening, simmer at low heat for 30 minutes.
4 cups cooked pinto beans
1/2-1 cup bean liquid
grated cheddar cheese
*Heat shortening in a skillet at medium-high heat. Add beans and liquid to shortening. Mash beans and cook for 10-15 minutes.
*Top with grated cheese when ready to eat.
cinnamon-sugar
vegetable oil or shortening
vegetable oil or shortening
optional: garlic salt, salt, red chile powder
For NACHOS top with green chiles and cheese, sprinkle with garlic salt, and microwave them til the cheese is melted. MMmmm!!!
serves about 4-6 depending on size of pan
red chile sauce (2-3 small cans or 1 large can enchilada sauce) OR chile verde sauce (may need to double recipe above)
grated cheddar cheese
optional: 1 lb seasoned ground beef
Cut into squares and lift out with spatula. MMmmm!!!
3 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons red chile powder
1 clove garlic, minced
dash oregano
salt to taste
serves 4
2 cups diced potatoes
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped green chile, or more, depending on your taste
serves about 8-12
water - enough to boil roast in
2 tablespoons salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp oregano
1 teaspoon ground comino (cumin)
1-2 cans golden hominy (or more - depends on how much hominy you want)
3-6 dried red chile pods, crumbled (OR Red or Green Chile Sauce)
Let simmer for 1-2 hours or until meat is tender (it should shred easily), and add in hominy and seasonings. Adjust seasonings to taste.
The posole should be like any other stew, not too watery and not too thick. Since not everyone likes the same thing in their posole, we each top our own individual bowls of posole with red or green chile sauce (or the dried chile), and anything else desired (cheese, sour cream, or whatever!).
We eat flour tortillas with our posole, rolled for dipping.
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 to 3/4 cup red chile powder (experiment with this; it really depends on your taste)
2 cups cold water (for milder flavor, tomato juice may be used)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic
oregano
comino (cumin)