Category: Mexican

Fresh and delicious, this Pico de Gallo recipe comes together quickly and easily! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a couple of minutes to make this delicious dish.
Servings6 servings
AuthorJohn Kanell

Ingredients

1 pound red tomatoes about 3-4 tomatoes
½ large red or white onion
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper
1 lime
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste

Instructions

Dice the tomato and onion and add to a medium bowl. Seed and mince the jalapeño and add to the bowl. Zest the lime and squeeze the juice over the tomato mixture. Add the chopped cilantro and stir to combine.

Add salt, to taste. Cover and let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes before serving, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Notes

When dicing the tomatoes, make sure you are using the firm flesh of the tomatoes and not the seedy pulp. This will keep the salsa fresca from being watery.

If serving this recipe a few days after preparing it, you may have to transfer the ingredients into a new bowl with a slotted spoon or drain the bowl. The longer the ingredients sit, the more liquid the diced tomatoes release, so it might become watery.

Don’t skip letting the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes! As the mixture sits and marinates, the salt draws out the tomatoes’ flavor and helps tone down the bite from the raw onion.

Make sure you chop everything finely to ensure that every bite has a mixture of all the ingredients.

Did you know that the ribs and seeds of jalapeno carry the most heat? Removing them before adding the jalapeno to your dish keeps it from being overly spicy. Also, wearing gloves will help keep your hands from burning from the jalapeno.

Nutrition

Calories: 23kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 706IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

Thank You! https://preppykitchen.com/pico-de-gallo/

Credit: Alex Lau

Here’s how you do it.

Take
5 anchos chillies
2 pasillas,chillies
2 guajillos chillis 
remove the stems and seeds. Look for chiles that are soft and pliable, like a raisin. If they are brittle, they are old and will be flavorless—don’t use them!

Cover chiles with 3 cups of boiling chicken stock and let them steam, covered with plastic wrap, for about 30 minutes until they are plump and tender.

Put the chiles and all of the soaking liquid into a blender and purée until very smooth.

Cut 2 pounds of boneless pork shoulder into ½” pieces, season with saltand pepper, and brown the meat in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat with a little bit of vegetable oil to keep it from sticking.

Chop up a bunch of garlic (about 6 garlic cloves) and throw it in the pot along with
two bay leaves,
a tablespoon of ground cumin,
a couple of teaspoons of chopped fresh sage
a couple of teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it).
Stir that around for about a minute, or until very fragrant.

Add in 5 cups of chicken stock and simmer uncovered for about an hour.
Optional:
potatoes cut into fourths and added last 20 minutes of simmer time.

Stir in the chili purée and simmer for another 45 minutes until the meat is very tender and the sauce is a thick, mahogany-red color.
Season with additional salt and pepper.

Serve with warm tortillas.

 

Yield: 6 servings

I tried Amy brand black bean enchiladas and fell in love with them. Here is my
version. A much healthier enchilada than my Tex-Mex recipe.
I add far more onions and a chopped jalapeño to mine than is in the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans – (15 oz ea) drained
1 c frozen corn
1 c diced onion
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1 lg can enchilada sauce or make from my enchilada recipe
12 corn tortillas
1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese (or mexican asadero cheese)
garnish:
1 lg tomato chopped
1/3 c chopped cilantro
optional: jalapeño pepper cleaned and diced small
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In large nonstick skillet, sauté ½ cup of the onions until translucent but not
browned.
In a large pot, mix beans, corn, enchilada sauce, cumin and sautéed onions together
and bring to a simmer.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until corn is heated through, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Coat medium baking dish with thin layer of enchilada sauce. Pour rest of enchilada
sauce into a pie plate or deep dish that will allow you to dip the tortillas into the
sauce.
Place tortillas in stack on microwavable plate; cover with moist paper towel.
Microwave tortillas on high until soft and heated through, about 1 minute.
Dip tortillas in enchilada sauce to lightly coat and spread with about 1/4 cup bean
mixture.
Roll tortillas and place seam-side down in baking dish.
Spoon any remaining filling over enchiladas and cover with remaining enchilada
sauce.
Sprinkle with cheese and the rest of the diced onion. Bake, uncovered, until
bubbling, 15 minutes.
Sprinkle enchiladas with cilantro and tomatoes. Serve.

I don’t cut the dough  and make little balls, I just keep it wrapped well and pull off a little at a time. I’m lazy that way.   It works fine, just a little sticky in the beginning, so I start with a fork then kneed with my hands. Either way works.

My recipe:
3 ½ Cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur all-purpose flour).
1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of salt if you do not use bacon grease.½ tsp baking powder
6 Tablespoons of lard from refrigerator section of grocery, it’s not hydrogenated. Crisco or butter can also be used, it’s just not the same flavor as lard.
2 Tablespoons of solidified bacon grease, if you don’t use bacon grease use 2 Tb more shortening or lard. I know not everyone uses bacon grease, but to me pig fat is pig fat and it just works for my family.
3/4 – 1 Cups of very hot or boiling water (1 cup at 3 min in microwave should do it):you may not need a full cup of water but it is good to have it on hand if needed.

Instructions
Mix all of dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the butter, Crisco and the bacon fat. Blend with a fork or your hand until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Pour hot water into the flour a little at a time, mixing with a fork, pastry cutter or by hand, until you can form a very soft ball of dough.
If the dough is to sticky to do this, add a small amount of flour. Your dough should be very soft and not stick to the bowl.
Using one hand to form a non-sticky ball, and knead for about 4-5 minutes in the bowl or on a very lightly floured work surface.
Place the dough ball in plastic wrap or bag, set aside for at least 30 minutes to one hour at room temperature.
Preheat your skillet or Comal to medium high heat. As you cook the tortillas, you may have to reduce the heat somewhere between medium and medium high.
I do not oil the pan as my cast iron Comal is kept seasoned very well, and the tortillas have a lot of shortening or lard in them, but if your tortilla sticks, you may need wipe a little oil or shortening on your skillet with a paper towel.
Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Working with one 2-3 inch ball of dough at a time, keep the rest of the dough covered with the plastic wrap.
Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into a circle or at least something resembling a circle. Move the dough around clockwise or counter clockwise to achieve the preferred circle. You may need to flip the dough over and lightly dust surface as well so dough doesn’t stick. The dough should be quite thin, you should almost see your work surface through it.
Dust as much of the flour off of the rolled out tortilla as you can. I use a pastry brush made of silicone, or just toss the tortilla from hand to hand. There really shouldn’t be much flour as the lard in the tortilla should keep the dough from sticking.

Cook the tortilla till it is nicely browned on the bottom, about 45 seconds; time depends on your stove and the pan you are using. You will see bubbles form in the tortilla; don’t pop them, this is a good indication that the tortilla is ready to be turned over.
Flip the tortilla to the other side and cook till browned, the second side will be ready more quickly than the first side, about 30 seconds.
If your tortillas are not cooking this fast, you may need to turn up the heat a little.
Place finished tortilla in a tortilla warmer or on a plate covered with a dish towel.

Ken’s friend, Manny, made a tomatillo salsa for work and Ken passed along the recipe.
It is very simple to make and it has very few ingredients.

Ingredients:
8 Tomatillos (we used a medium can) if you have fresh tomatillo you need to boil them.
6 Chiles de Arbol or Chiles Japones ( these are dry, about 2″ long, red peppers that come in a plastic bag)
2 pieces of garlic or 1 tbs of mince garlic
1/4 of fresh, fine cut onion ( we used white onion)
Salt to taste
Directions
Saute the 6 chiles on a frying pan, without oil, until they start changing color.
In the blender add; coarse diced the 2 garlic pieces, 8 tomatillos, 6 chiles, and a little salt. (Fine blend all of these ingredients)
pour the blended salsa on a bowl container and add the fresh cut onions. ( fresh cut cilantro optional, we didn’t add this)
Add salt to taste.

4 tomatoes (1-1/2 lb.), chopped
1 cup cooked fresh corn kernels
¼ cup finely chopped red onions
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped

optional:
¼ cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

COMBINE all ingredients except dressing in large bowl.
ADD dressing; mix lightly.

3 cups or 24 servings, 2 Tbsp. each
nutritional info per serving Calories 20 Total fat 1 g Saturated fat 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 30 mg Carbohydrate 3 g

Making the tamale
Making the meat or fillings

Making the tamale

Good tamale salsa green and red

Little grandmas tamales and sause

Chicken and Cheese Tamales (Red Salsa and Green Salsa)
10:58 AM SANDY EASYCOOKING NO COMMENTS

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!!!

Hi Everyone! I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope you all have a wonderful time!

Today’s recipe is Mexican Tamales, this is one of the things/dishes we usually have for Christmas and/or New Year’s Eve. So today I’m sharing my grandma’s recipe with you all, I really hope you like it! My grandma was a very well known “tamalera” meaning, she made tamales to sell, and she had a lot of happy customers! So it’s needless to say that in my family we have been making tamales for as long as I remember, we used to help my grandma to make tamales, and then we will also delivered them to her customers, I have a lot of good memories making tamales, and hopefully by sharing this recipe, I will also encourage you to make tamales with your family, and have a wonderful time, while making them. They are very time consuming, but every minute is worth it, and if you have friends or family helping you, I assure you, you will have a wonderful time and you will be making memories to last you a lifetime! So call your friends, sister, mother, or daughter, and invite them over to make some tamales! Have fun making them and then enjoy!

Makes 30-40 tamales
Ingredients:
1½ kilos Fresh Corn Masa (3.306 lbs.) (or Maseca Instant corn masa)
750 grams Lard (Fresh Lard) (you need ½ kilo of lard for every 1 kilo of Masa)
Corn Husks
Salt to taste
Chicken Broth (if needed)

Red Salsa:

20 Guajillo Chili or Mirasol Chili
1 lb. Tomatillos (green tomatoes)
1 Garlic clove
Salt to taste
Whole Black Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
½ Tablespoon Lard
Green Salsa:
1 lb. Tomatillos (green tomatoes)
6+ Jalapeño Peppers (more or less to taste)
1 Garlic clove
Salt to Taste
Whole Black Pepper to taste
½ Tablespoon Lard

Chicken Filling:
1 Whole chicken
Whole pepper to taste
1 Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
½ small Onion
Salt to taste

Cheese Filling: (optional)
Havarti Cheese cut into strips about ½ inch thick (1 strip per tamal)
1 Can Pickled Jalapenos (3-4 pieces per tamal)

Soak the corn husks in warm water for at least 1 hour. Remove them from the water just before you start using them.

Cook the chicken in boiling water with the onion, bay leaves, garlic, salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for 1 hour or until well cooked. Let it cool, then shred it. Set it aside until you are ready to use it.

To make the Red Salsa: Peel off the tomatillos and remove the stems from the red chili, place them in a sauce pan, cover with enough water and cook them on medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes or until soft. Drain them, place them in the blender, with ½ cup water, 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of cumin, salt and black pepper to taste. Blend on high for about 3-5 minute or until you get a smooth sauce. (If you think the Sauce is too thick, add more water but do NOT make it to watery!)
Now in a sauce pan, add ½ tablespoon of lard, and strain in the salsa, cook on medium heat fora bout 10-15 minutes or until it comes to a boil. Once it’s boiling, taste the flavor and add more salt if needed. Once the salsa is done, set it aside until you are ready to use it.

To make the Green Salsa: Peel off the tomatillo, remove the stems from the jalapenos, place them in a sauce pan, rinse with warm water, then cover them with enough water, and cook on medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes or until soft. Once they are done, place them in a blender, add in the garlic, black pepper to taste and ½ cup of water, blend on high until the Sauce is smooth. In a sauce pan add in ½ tablespoon of lard, and cook the green Sauce on medium heat until it comes to a boil, once it’s boiling, taste the flavor and add more salt if needed. Then set it aside until you are ready to use it.

To prepare the Masa/Dough: Warm up the lard in the microwave for 1 minute. Place the masa/dough in a large bowl, and add in half the lard, remember, from every “Kilo of masa” (2.204 lbs) you will need “½ kilo of lard (1.102 lbs.) Then season the masa/dough with plenty of salt, and mix together, you have to mix (knead) everything with your hands, the masa/dough might have a lot of big lumps so it’s easier to dissolve them if you are using your hands. Add in the rest of the lard, mix well, then taste the flavor and add more salt if necessary. You want the dough to be soft and smooth, so it will be easier to spread it on the husks, if you already added all the lard, and your dough is still feeling too dry, feel free to add chicken broth to get the right texture.

Once the dough has the right texture and flavor, you can start making the tamales.

Grab a corn husk, spread the masa over the husk on an even layer, about ¼-½ inch thick, avoid spreading the masa/dough over the end (tale) of the husk, the place some shredded chicken right in the center. Spoon some of the Red or Green Sauce over the chicken. Then bring in the sides of the husk to cover the filling, Then Fold in the end of the husk towards the center, and just keep on repeating theses steps until you are done. (Follow the same steps for both the green tamales and the red tamales.)

To make the cheese tamales: Spread the dough over the corn husk on an even layer, (avoid the end of the husk) place a cheese strip right in the center, top the cheese with pickled jalapenos, bring the sides of the husk in to cover the filling, fold in the end of the husk towards the center, and keep on repeating this steps until you are done.

Add plenty of water to your steamer, and place the tamales inside the steamer, separate each layer, red, green and cheese, with a bunch of shredded corn husks in between each layer. Cook for 90 minutes or until cooked. To serve, spoon some of the left over salsa over the tamales and enjoy!

Cheese and Corn Tamales

Ingredients:
4 lbs. masa de maiz (Maseca is a popular brand)
1 ancho chile
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 lb. grated jack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 pasilla pepper, roasted, peeled and minced
1 lb. pkg. frozen petite white corn
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Presoaked corn husks

In food processor, grate jack cheese and remove to large bowl. Then insert blade, and process half the corn to resemble creamed corn. Remove and add to large bowl. Place cream cheese, egg, chopped pasilla chile, salt and cilantro into the food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add to large bowl. Add the remaining whole corn to the bowl. Mix by hand to combine, then refrigerate until ready to use.

Bring 2 cups water to boil. Add the ancho chile. Let soak 10 minutes, and then place in blender with just enough soaking liquid to process the chili into a paste. Push through a fine sieve. Using a mixer, add chile paste to the masa, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired color and taste, and then continue to beat with mixer to lighten the masa. You can also use purchased masa, flavoring it with the chili.

Spread the Masa on the soaked corn husks, and then place the cheese and corn mixture down the middle. Fold, and place on large baking sheet until all tamales are filled.
Line a large pot fitted with steamer insert with corn husks, add tamales, cover with more corn husks, and steam over simmering water for about one hour. Remove to let cool. Serve with poblano cream.

For the Poblano Cream:
Ingredients:
½ roasted pasilla chile
2 cups heavy cream
Blend to combine. Just before serving, place in small saucepan and bring to a bare simmer. Drizzle over tamales.

Make the Special Quesadilla Sauce below, ahead of time so that it is ready when fresh quesadilla is done.

1 pkg. shredded Monterey jack cheese or Mexican blend cheese. You may use up to 1/4 cup cheese for each tortilla you will be making.
1-2 eggs
2-4 tablespoons water (2 Tb water per egg used)
Oil or lard to fry in

Directions:
Prepare a large parchment or foil cookie sheet.
Prepare an egg wash by mixing 1 egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.
Take 1 uncooked tortilla and add approximately 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese
Fold tortilla in half
Place a little water & egg wash around inside – bottom edge of tortilla and Use your thumb to squeeze the quesadilla shut along the edges.
Place on cookie sheet, when cookie sheet is filled place in freezer to flash freeze.
These frozen quesadillas can be placed in a zip lock bag to use later.
To CooK:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. The oil should be approximately 1/2 inch deep in the skillet.
Once the oil is hot carefully place the quesadilla into the oil. It should begin to lightly bubble as soon as it’s place inside the oil. If it doesn’t, the oil probably isn’t hot enough.
After 20-30 seconds flip the quesadilla over. The cooked side should be a golden brown.
After 20-30 seconds remove the quesadilla and place on a plate with 2-3 paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Serve hot.

Special Quesadilla Sauce
This sauce is nice over omelets as well as special quesadillas.
1 Can low sodium chicken broth
1 Anaheim chili julienned
¼ medium onion sliced medium
¼ C sweet red pepper and green pepper mix or frozen mixed peppers and onions
1 Roma tomato, quartered
1 40z can diced green chilies
1Tb oil, I use olive oil
1Tb better than bouillon
1 scant pinch cumin
½ tsp garlic, can be fresh chopped, powder or crushed
Pinch of cracked red pepper
3 Tb cornstarch slurry for thickening if needed
Optional:
½ carrot, julienned

Sauté onions, chilies, and mixed peppers in oil about 6 minutes.
In a large sauce pan add sautéed vegetables, tomato, broth, bouillon, cumin, and garlic.
Simmer until vegetables are cooked and add cracked red pepper and slurry to thicken the sauce. Let come to a boil for 2-3 minutes to thicken then turn off heat.

Originally from the Mount Signal Cafe and became a specialty to Imperial Valley. I was introduced to this dish by Mr. Limon who owned La Paloma restraint in El Centro, Ca., a stone throw from Mexico. He used the same sauce to pour over the fried quesadilla as he used on the chili rellenos he served only with a little more spice added. The restaurant is no longer there, but my craving for his special quesadilla and my quest for the sauce goes on. He did not originate the special quesadilla, but the sauce he used was unique. I make the quesadilla from the same sopapilla dough I use, and have tried to replicate the sauce here.
12 Servings

Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tb Lard or shortening
warm water (about 2/4 cup should be more than enough)
Oil for deep-fat frying

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients and using a pastry cutter or fork, cut in the lard or shortening until mixture is crumbly.

Gradually add water a little at a time, mixing with a fork until mixture begins to form a mass that holds together.

Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead the dough by folding it in half, pushing it down, and folding again. Fold until dough is soft and no longer sticky. (about 6-8 folds should do it, try not to overwork the dough).

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 – 30 minutes.

Divide the dough in half or fourths, keeping the dough you are not working with covered.

Roll the dough out until about 1/8 inch or less thick. Remember the more you work the dough the tougher it will be in the end, so don’t try to get it paper thin.

Cut out circles the size you prefer, according to the size skillet or frying pot you use.

Place grated cheese in the middle and fold in half. Seal the edges by folding the dough over and over or using a floured fork make indentations to seal the quesadilla.

Heat oil in a skillet or deep pan to 375°

Fry quesadillas 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and puffed. Only work with a couple at a time in the skillet, as you do not want to crowd them during the frying process.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately if possible with special quesadilla sauce liberally drizzled over the hot quesadilla.

 Special Quesadilla Sauce

This sauce is nice over omelets as well as special quesadillas.

1 Can low sodium chicken broth
1 Anaheim chili julienned
¼ medium onion sliced medium
¼ C sweet red pepper and green pepper mix or frozen mixed peppers and onions
1 Roma tomato, quartered
1 40z can diced green chilies
1Tb oil, I use olive oil
1Tb better than bouillon
1 scant pinch cumin
½ tsp garlic, can be fresh chopped, powder or crushed
Pinch of cracked red pepper
3 Tb cornstarch slurry for thickening if needed
Optional:
½ carrot, julienned

Sauté onions, chilies, and mixed peppers in oil about 6 minutes.

In a large sauce pan add sautéed vegetables, tomato, broth, bouillon, cumin, and garlic.

Simmer until vegetables are cooked and add cracked red pepper and slurry to thicken the sauce. Let come to a boil for 2-3 minutes to thicken then turn off heat.

 

 

This is my take on un-breaded, un-fried Chiles Rellenos. I figure the
cheese is enough of a diet breaker, no need for frying. I tried this one
out on my family at Sunday dinner this week. Everyone at the table kept
calling it a casserole, but it is not casseroley enough to be a casserole.
This is pumped up Mexican rice. I guess you could use any kind of rice
other than spicy Indian rice. I made it for Mexican rice, not to be
confused with Spanish rice, which is a whole different flavor. After this
first attempt, I have now thought of how many other ingredients that
could be added, like crumbled, cooked spicy sausage.. So many things could be done to
this dish, that it could easily become a main course with additions like salad, beans and corn. Play around with it and see what your family likes. My Family liked the plain cheese sprinkled with corn.
Serves: 8-12

Ingredients
1 cooked recipe for Mexican rice.
1 – 26oz can whole chilies (usually poblano chilies or hatch chilies)
1lb Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
¼ – ½ C corn, fresh or frozen cooked and cooled

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees
2. Drain whole chilies, and pat dry with paper towel
3. Shred 1 lb of Monterrey Jack Cheese
4. Make 1 recipe of Mexican rice, recipe here
5. Spread warm rice into a large casserole dish
6. Take one chili and carefully open on one side, pat dry with a paper towel.
7. Place a good pinch or two (about 3Tb) of cheese in  the chili and lay on-top of rice in casserole dish. Use all the chilies and cheese laying the chilies snugly over rice.
8. Sprinkle with corn and bake in oven until cheese is melted.
9. Optional: Turn on broiler part of oven and toast the top of the cheese. Watch carefully as you do not want to burn any part of this dish.
10. Serve

Makes 2 cups rice
Serves 6-8
Spencer (Felix) More, Cabo San Lucas
I added more stuff in the rice than the recipe called for. Just toss in what you like after the puree and rice is done.

1½ C long grain rice, rinsed, drained well. Let it air dry or pat dry with paper towel. You will be frying this rice so do a good job of drying it.
¼ C oil like corn, canola or safflower oil or lard, not olive oil(unless you want it to taste Italian)
1 Tb butter or margarine
3 ½ C chicken broth or water
1 14oz can peeled tomatoes, you can use fresh peeled and cored. These will be pureed to make up the 1 cup puree. You can freeze any left over puree.
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or “smushed”
3T of oil, butter or margarine to sauté vegetables in.
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 Tb sweet red peppers, finely diced
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 serrano, or jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and minced
½ C frozen peas and carrots. You can substitute cooked or canned as long as you add them at end of cook time.
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

Heat 3T of oil, butter or margarine, in a large pot or skillet. Sauté ½ chopped onion, ½ minced serrano or jalapeño pepper and minced green bell pepper vegetables are soft.
Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.
Add ¼ C oil and butter or margarine into pot or skillet.
Add dry rice to the pan, and stir it until all the grains are well coated.
Fry rice, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted and golden, 8 to 10 minutes
Remove from heat.
Place tomatoes, ½ diced onion, ½ minced serrano pepper and garlic into blender and make a puree (about one cup).
Stir puree and chicken broth into rice. Then do not stir again
Cook uncovered over a medium flame until most of the liquid has been absorbed (holes will start to appear in the surface) about 15-20 minutes.
Mix in finely chopped sweet red pepper, peas and carrots along with the sautéed vegetables you set aside earlier.
Cover the pan and turn the flame way down and cook for about 5 more minutes.
Remove from heat, stir lightly, cover pan and let sit for about 15 minutes. Rice should be nice and fork fluffy.
Add cilantro and fluff gently with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

These chile-drenched turnovers bring the heat (along with the beans and cheese).
SERVES 8
TIME 3 hours, plus 30 minutes chilling
Why This Recipe Works
The golden, stuffed turnovers we ate at Mary & Tito’s Cafe in Albuquerque, New Mexico, came smothered in a lightly spicy green chile sauce that beautifully coated every bite. To re-create them, we made a quick recipe for refried beans enhanced with porky lard and onion. We then stuffed the beans and some cheddar cheese in a homemade flour tortilla dough. Sealing the dough with water and twisting the sealed edge kept the filling from oozing out while frying. Without access to New Mexican chiles, we approximated their flavor using Anaheim chiles and a jalapeño. Broiling the chiles added smokiness while intensifying their sweetness for a punchy chile sauce.

Ingredients:
Dough
2 ¾ cups (13¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons lard, cut into ½-inch pieces
Refried Beans
4 tablespoons lard
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon table salt
Green Chile
2 pounds Anaheim chiles
1 jalapeño chile
2 tablespoons lard
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon table salt
8 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more for this recipe. We developed this recipe using John Morrell Snow Cap Lard. You can substitute vegetable shortening for the lard, if desired.
Instructions
FOR THE DOUGH: Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder together in large bowl. Rub lard into flour mixture with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons water until combined. Turn out dough onto clean counter and knead briefly to form cohesive ball, 6 to 8 turns. Divide dough into 8 equal portions, about 2¾ ounces each (scant ⅓ cup), then roll into balls. Transfer dough balls to plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
FOR THE REFRIED BEANS: Heat lard in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in beans, broth, and salt. Cook, mashing beans with potato masher, until finely mashed and mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Set aside and let cool completely.
FOR THE GREEN CHILE: Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange Anaheims and jalapeño in single layer on prepared sheet. Broil until chiles are soft and mostly blackened, about 5 minutes per side, rotating sheet halfway through broiling. Transfer chiles to bowl and cover with plastic; let cool for 10 minutes.
Remove skins from chiles with spoon. Stem and seed Anaheims, then chop into ¼-inch pieces. Stem (but do not seed) jalapeño; chop into ¼-inch pieces.
Heat lard in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until, softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, salt, Anaheims, and jalapeño and bring to simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt to taste; cover and set aside.
Keeping other dough balls covered with damp dish towel, roll 1 dough ball into 7-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Lightly squeeze ¼ cup cheese in your palm to form ball. Place cheese in center of dough round, followed by ¼ cup refried beans. Moisten edges of dough round with water. Fold dough round in half, creating half-moon shape to enclose filling, and press to seal.
Moisten top of sealed edge with water. Starting at 1 end, fold, slightly twist, and pinch dough diagonally across sealed edge between your thumb and index finger. Continue pinching and twisting dough around seam to create decorative rope edge. Transfer to parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough balls, cheese, and refried beans (reserve any remaining beans for another use). Using paring knife, poke ½-inch hole in center of each turnover. (Filled turnovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Add 4 turnovers to oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Adjust burner as needed to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Transfer fried turnovers to prepared sheet. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining 4 turnovers.
Reheat green chile sauce over medium-high heat until hot. Serve turnovers topped with chile sauce.

Tried, True, and simply great. This is one simple recipe that can’t fail unless you burn it. Chile Verde is one meal that is a life saver if you are entertaining a large group (just double the recipe). While the Chili Verde simmers, you can be working on the side dishes, and not feel you have been run through the wringer just to get a great meal ready.

2-3 lbs  pork, any cut will do, I use inexpensive pork shoulder or butt. A little fat in the meat is preferable. Cut up meat into bite size pieces.

2 or 3 medium onions, chopped into large chunks

4-6    garlic cloves, chopped. I like a lot of garlic, but the amount you use is up to you, just as long as you use at least 2-3 cloves.

¼ cup  chopped cilantro

10-12  tomatillos, husk removed and chopped into fourths and ready for the blender

1      fresh, long green chili, stem, seeds and spines removed chopped

1      fresh Serrano chili, stem, seeds and spines removed and chopped very fine

2 (14 oz) cans chicken stock

1 tsp     cumin

1         bay leaf

2 Tbs     flour to dredge the meat in

2 Tbs      Oil

Optional: 

2-4 potatoes – diced potatoes are widely used in New Mexico where they  call this dish ‘Caldillo’  

½ to 1 whole  small can salsa Verde, if you find you want more heat in the  dish after you have cooked the ChiliVerde for an hour or so, just chop up another Serrano or jalapeño chili into the mix. Cook the raw chilies for another 10-20 minutes (till tender) in the stew.  

Directions:

Add a ¼ to ½ cup of the chicken broth to blender and blend tomatillos until smooth.

Toss or dredge meat chunks in flour. Lightly brown the meat chunks in a little oil in a large pot.

In the same pot, mix in the bay leaf and garlic. Pour the blended tomatillos in with the rest of the chicken stock. Bring the whole thing to a boil.

When the mixture comes to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer. Add about half the chopped onion, the cilantro, and half the chilis and stir.

Simmer for a least 1 hour. You may need to add more liquid, but I really don’t think so. Only about half the liquid should be boiled down by now. Just don’t let the stew run out of broth and scorch.

After simmering for about an hour, the chilis and onions will loose color and cook down to almost nothing, so now is the time to add the other half of the chilis and onions. If you are adding potatoes, add them now. Check the stew every 10 minutes or so for liquid, and stir. Simmer for about ½ hour and taste. If stew is not spicy enough for your taste, add canned salsa verde or more chopped hot pepper and simmer another half hour. Remove bay leaf. Salt to taste and if you used potatoes, you will need to add a little black pepper to taste.

Serve this delicious dish with beans, rice and tortillas with a salad on the side. I also like to serve a little corn or corn on the cob with this dish.