Green Chile Piñon Burgers | In the Blue Hour

Today I'm kicking off a TLC Book Tour for Elizabeth Hall's new novel, In the Blue Hour. The majority of this story is set in beautiful (or so I imagine) Northern New Mexico. For somebody who doesn't like extreme heat, I've always entertained the idea of trying New Mexico on for size—especially after immersing myself in a book dripping with such inviting descriptions of the area.

Elise Brooks lost her husband 8 months ago when, driving her car, sailed off the edge of a cliff. She has been lost in grief and guilt every day since it happened, especially since she saw it happen in a dream almost a month in advance. Even knowing how in-tune Michael and that part of her family were with dreams and the spirit world, she never told him about her dream, because she didn't see him in the car. Now, she can't help blaming herself.

101 Chilies to Try Before You Die: Book Review

I recently received a copy of the new book by chile savant David Floyd called 101 Chilies to Try Before You Die. It's a small book at only 4.5 x 7 inches, and one that I'd classify as a reference book. Filled with facts about chilies that span the Scoville scale, it's not just for heat seekers and chile heads, though I imagine it would be a welcome addition to their library.

Sesame and Chile Roasted Butternut Squash

Well, November just sort of snuck up on me. Today is already the 3rd, and the 3rd just so happens to be my birthday. I've reached that "forever age"—39. Okay, I'm not so sure if ladies still say that. You know, every year when their birthday rolls around, they're 39 again? I don't think I'll do that. I mean, even though 40 is just around the corner, these days, it doesn't seem so old anymore.

Anyhoo, besides celebrating the start of my final year in my 30's, today also kicks off another edition of the 12 Weeks of Winter Squash! If you're not familiar with it, well...it's exactly what it sounds like. For the next 12 weeks, I'll be featuring at least one winter squash recipe every week. This will be my third year joining my friend Joanne of Eats Well With Others in celebrating the versatile winter squash (though she's been doing it for even longer than that).

So, every Monday for the forseeable future, you can pretty much count on a recipe featuring some sort of winter squash. I'm starting today with what I like to call a gateway variety of winter squash—Butternut. I mean, a Butternut squash isn't too scary, right? I mean, you can even eat the peel (though I only recommend it if it's roasted). It's fairly simple to cut when compared to some other varieties—pumpkin, I'm talking to you!

Spicy Pasilla-Mushroom Tacos {she made, ella hace}

In preparation for National Taco Day (coming up on October 4th), Leslie and I are sharing tacos today for she made, ella hace.  In our house, tacos are as everyday as sandwiches.  If we can't decide what to eat, there's always tacos.  Have leftover meat?  Make a taco.  Have leftover mashed potatoes?  Mix 'em with a little greasy chorizo and turn them into a flauta (crunchy, rolled taco).  Don't know what to eat for breakfast?  Scramble up some eggs and veggies and enfold them in a warm tortilla.

Knowing this, you'd think I'd have shared more tacos on the blog.  But really, I haven't shared that many.  Like I said - everyday food.  Looking back over the last four and a half years, I notice that the things we eat the most often, are the things that I blog about the least.  Strange, huh?

So, when trying to decide something a little out-of-the-norm in the realm of tacos, I turned to my guru.  I knew that he'd be able to face me in a new direction...inspire me to look at tacos anew.

Slow Cooker Mole Rojo

I have certain dishes that I am very picky about.  Some may call it biased.  Some may call it snobbery.  I just call it taste.  Mole is one of those dishes.

Now, I almost hate to admit that the mole I like more than any other is my own.  Ha!  But in all fairness, the recipe originally came from Rick Bayless.  I've only adapted it slightly here and there over the years.  Maybe it's because it was "my first".  I mean, first love sets the bar, right?

Okay, that's not to say that I haven't enjoyed many other varieties of mole.  Made by an equal variety of people.  There's just something about that version that keeps me dreaming...remembering...craving.  I'm not alone, either.  My family feels the same way.  Immediate and extended.  I get requests every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas for a jar.  That's just usually the time that I make it.

You see, a really good mole takes time to develop those complex layers of flavor.  Chiles, nuts and seeds, tomatoes or tomatillos, dried fruit, spices, flavorful broth, (pleasantly) gritty Mexican chocolate, bread or tortillas - they all play their part in that medley.  But time plays an equally important role.  And, if you judge by the look of my kitchen on mole-making-day, so does a big, fat mess!  Let's not forget the (ahem) warmth that fills the kitchen...and eventually the whole house...when a pot is simmering for the better part of a day over an open fire.

So worth it, but precisely the reason that it normally gets made in the wintertime around here.

So, this mole is not the one I've been yammering on about.  HOWEVER, it is extremely close.  And I made it on a day where the thermometer outside my kitchen window registered 80+ degrees.  Without breaking a sweat.   Believe that.

You know why?  (Of course you do, it's in the title of this post.  Humor me.)  Because it's made IN A SLOW-COOKER!   So now I can comfortably make mole in the heat of the summer.  I'll admit it's not quite as good as my first love, but it's really close.  And the fact that the mess is basically non-existent compared to my dream-mole, I'm almost willing to overlook that.  Plus, with a few tweaks, I believe I can come even closer.

Slow-Cooker Mole Rojo

Deep, rich Mole Rojo made in a slow cooker.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours+

Keywords: slow-cooker sauce entree soy-free almonds chiles Christmas Cinco de Mayo Dia de los Muertos Day of the Dead Mexican

Ingredients (2 quarts (12 servings))

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or good pork lard)
• 3 ounces mulato chiles, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1" pieces
• 1.5 ounces ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1" pieces
• 1.5 ounces pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, & cut into 1" pieces
• 4-6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 ounces whole almonds
• 2 ounces raisins
• 1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes w/ their juices
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Mexican canela (or regular cinnamon)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground anise seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
• 1 ounce Mexican chocolate, roughl chopped
• 1 thick slice firm white bread, toasted darkly & broken into pieces
• 1/4 cup brown sugar + more as needed
• sea salt
• 2 quarts chicken stock/broth (or rich vegetable stock), approximately

Instructions

You have two options to start this mole on its journey - if you have a slow-cooker with a removable, fire-safe crock, great. If you don't, do this first part in a large pot and transfer to the slow-cooker.

Heat the oil in the bottom of the pot over high heat. Once hot, add the chiles, garlic, almonds, and raisins, stirring slowly and constantly for about 5 minutes or so. Th inside of the chile pieces should turn lighter, the garlic will be a light golden, the raisins will be puffed, and the almonds will be well toasted. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the ground spices, the bread, and the chocolate, and continue to stir for another 2 minutes or so. Add 2 cups of water, the brown sugar, and about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Transfer the pot to the slow-cooker base (or pour into the slow-cooker), cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.

Scrape all of the mole base out of the slow-cooker and into a bowl. Add half of the mixture, along with 2 cups of the chicken stock the jar of a blender and blend until completely smooth. This could take a few minutes depending on your blender. Set a fine-mesh strainer over your slow-cooker crock and pour the mixture in the blender through, pressing to release all of the base, leaving the chile skins behind. Repeat with second half and 2 more cups of chicken stock. Stir 3 more cups of the chicken stock into the pot, cover, and cook on high for 2 hours longer. At this point, the mole should be the consistency of a cream soup. If it seems too thick, add in some of the remaining cup of chicken stock to thin it out. Taste, and adjust seasoning with about another 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and a teaspoon or so of salt.

Serve hot over chicken, turkey, pork, or eggs. We love it with carnitas and grilled chicken leg portions, as well. I also love it with just queso fresco and hot corn tortillas. If serving with chicken or turkey, sprinkle with a smattering of toasted sesame seeds. One serving is approximately 1/2 cup.

Store in a jar or container with a lid in the fridge for 5 days or so.

notes:

I think I'm going to add 2-4 ounces of toasted sesame seeds and some roasted tomatillos with their juices to my next batch, so that it comes closer to the flavor profile of the "regular" (non-slow-cooker) version of mole that I love so dearly.

Though this may not have quite the depth of flavor that a mole whose ingredients have been toasted and ground individually, and simmered over a slow fire has - the lack of mess it makes in the kitchen may be enough for me to make this version quite often. Plus, it doesn't heat up the kitchen.

adapted from Fiesta at Rick's

Want more MOLE?  Here's a few more varieties you can find here:
Mole Rojo
Mole Verde Queretano
"On Mole" + Mole Amarillo
Mole de Olla

Mexican (& Mexican-inspired) Breakfasts {#blogbreakfastclub roundup}

So you say it's breakfast time?  And you are in the mood for a little Mexican food?  Or maybe just something along those lines?  Well, look no further!  Last month I had the pleasure of hosting Breakfast Club, an event created by Helen of Fuss Free Flavours .  As the host, I was able to pick the theme, and since I'm almost ALWAYS craving them, you can bet that Mexican (& Mexican-inspired) breakfasts were my choice for the month.

So to inspire you to head into the kitchen with a little south-of-the-border flair, I bring you all of the mouthwatering recipes submitted this month.

First up, Karen from Karen's Kitchen Stories combined tortillas, eggs, poblanos, chorizo, cheese and so much more to make this mouthwatering Mexican Breakfast Casserole.  Seriously, just looking at it makes my mouth water.  I'll be making it sooner rather than later.

And then Jessica from Tejana Made decided to tickle a craving that I have had for at least two or three months with her absolutely amazing looking Machacado con Huevo.  I should probably tell you that I made it the very next morning.  And I couldn't be bothered to take pictures because I needed it my belly.  Next time.

Now we have two more of my favorite things to start the day with from Katie at Mexican Wildflower.  She brought (my all-time fave) Chilaquiles and Huevos Divociados.  I'm not sure what she's trying to do to me, but salsa-softened tortillas and eggs smothered in two types of salsa really gets me excited.  Just sayin'.

For my first submission this month, I decided to try yet another dish from a book that I currently can't get enough of.  Roasted poblanos and mushrooms topped with a golden yolk and ooey-gooey cheese...oh yeah.   I (Heather from girlichef) just had to bring these Poblano & Mushroom Baked Eggs.  It won't be my last time making them.

So.  Sunnyside up or scrambled?  What's that you say...both!?  Yeah, me too.  But no matter which version you choose, it's guaranteed to be tasty if you spice it up with a little Mexican flair and serve it inside of bright, beautiful pepper rings atop a bed of spiced onion like Karen from Lavender and Lovage did with her Mexican Breakfast Eggs - Two Ways!

Does anyone else wish that they could wake up to a cast-iron skillet filled with golden chunks of potato and the seductive heat of hatch chiles?  Come on, I know it's not just me.  I know Vianney from Sweet Life would share her Hatch Chile Breakfast Potatoes if I asked nicely.  And Vianney - one egg, over-easy and salsa, por favor!

Sometimes, you wake up with a sweet tooth.  Well, sometimes I wake up with a sweet tooth.  And I'm guessing that this delectable Mexican Chocolate French Toast from Chica Chocolatina would cradle that sweet tooth like a baby and make it feel loved.  Who doesn't want to start their day with a little chocolate and cinnamon now and then?

Katie from Mexican Wildflower is back (as if her other dishes didn't make me hungry enough) and this time she shared a protein-packed way to start the day with her Refried Black Beans.  We often start our day with a side of beans in my house...and I think a scoop of these would put a smile on my family's faces.

Another way that I love to start any day is with a plate of Migas.  Well, Claire from Chez Cayenne brought a beautiful plate of Tofu Migas to the table this month...and I just KNOW that I NEED to try them for myself.   What an awesome recipe to have in your arsenal for your vegan friends and family...or just when the mood strikes!

Let's bring this utterly fabulous Mexican (& Mexican-inspired) breakfast buffet to a close with another personal favorite (and a quickie) from my (Heather from girlichef) kitchen, Huevos Rancheros.  Tortillas, eggs, your favorite salsa, and some queso fresco.  That's pretty much my idea of happiness.

Muchas gracias to all of the amazing ladies that helped fill up my breakfast table during the month of August with their amazing dishes.  All that's left to do now is fill up my plate!

For more information on the Breakfast Club and future installments, please visit Helen at Fuss Free Flavours.

Cacahuates Oaxaqueños con Chile y Ajo (Oaxacan-Style Peanuts w/ Chile & Garlic)

About seven or eight years ago, my mom lived in a house with a pool.  The last house-with-a-pool that any one in my family has lived in since.  (She no longer lives there.  That seven or eight years ago was her last summer living there.)  So far.  Fingers crossed that that will change one day.  Soon.

The fourth of July from that year is one that sticks in my brain pretty insistently.  I'm sure it had alot to do with the fact that everybody's was at mom's that year.  My brother and sister.  My other sister and her kids.  Our whole crew plus mi suegro (father-in-law).  I think a few friends of the family even happened by.

Days spent in the pool are happy days.  I remember a Peanut Butter and ______ (fill in the blank: jam, honey, banana) assembly line.  Picnic table benches soaked by bums directly out of the water.  Cold lemonade.

Pasilla Bolognese Spaghetti

Pasta is fantastic.  And versatile.  And one of the things I can count on when I don't feel like cooking anything.  I don't think there's ever a time when there is not some in the (my) pantry.  Which is why I find it so strange that I don't blog about it all that often.  I seem to go in spurts.  I guess that's just because it usually winds up being an everday meal.  Or something I've already blogged about.  Most of our favorites are tried and true, so we don't stray all that often.  Or maybe I just wind up tossing it with regular marinara, alfredo, or simply freshly grated Parm and some butter or olive oil.  It's a great vehicle for using up odds and ends of both veggies and meat.  So...

This dish is simple.  One that we'll most likely make every month or so.  It's a fantastic medley of Mexican-American meets Italian-American.  And it's something that the whole family devoured with quiet mmmmm's and aaaahh's.

Beefy Bolognese meets earthy Pasilla chiles.  The raisiny undertones of the pasillas seem like they were just meant to holding court alongside the tomato in this sauce.  And the understated tang of the crema mellows the combo and perfectly coats the spaghetti.

I'm a little bit ga-ga over this deceptively delicious dish right now.  It's earned a way into "the rotation".

Pasilla Bolognese Spaghetti

Beefy Bolognese meets earthy Pasilla chiles in this Italian-Mexican mash-up!

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Keywords: simmer entree beef chiles pasta American Mexican

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• ¼ c. olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled & smashed
• 5 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, & sliced
• 1 (28 oz.) can whole, peeled tomatoes w/ juices
• 1½ c. chicken (or beef) stock/broth
• big pinch dried Mexican oregano
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1½ lb. ground beef
• ½ c. Mexican crema or sour cream
• 16 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Add onion and garlic and saute for ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chiles and cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds. You will notice the chiles change color and release some of their oils. Add tomatoes with their juices, chicken stock, oregano, and a big pinch of salt. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Transfer to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water when draining.

Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in the same skillet that you cooked the sauce in. Add ground beef and season it with salt and pepper. Cook until brown, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks, 12-15 minutes. Drain fat from pan.

Pour pasilla sauce over the meat and simmer for 8 minutes or so, stirring from time to time. Remove from heat and stir in crema.

Combine drained pasta and meat sauce in one pan over medium heat. Grate a good amount (½ - 1 cup) of Parmesan over and stir it in. If sauce seems too thick, stir in some of the reserved pasta cooking water. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Serve with more freshly grated Parmesan and a smattering of chopped parsley, if you wish.

-adapted from Mexican Made Easy

50 Women Game-Changers (in Food): #45 Diana Kennedy - Chipotles en Adobo {homemade}

the "Gourmet" prompt...

45. Diana Kennedy- The uncompromising, adventurous Mexican culinary authority is profiled by Kemp Minifie in this issue of Gourmet Live.

Diana Kennedy was born in Loughton, Essex, UK in 1923.   She immigrated to Canada in 1953.  She's always had a bit of the travel-bug, and while returning to Canada from some of her travels that year, she visited the Caribbean where she met and fell in love with a New York Times correspondent, Paul Kennedy.  Paul's job took them to Central America and the Caribbean.  Diana used these times to board buses and visit remote parts of Mexico.  It was then that she fell in love with their cuisine.

In 1966, she and Paul moved to New York where Paul passed away only one year later.  At the urging of Craig Claiborne (food editor of The New York Times back then), Diana began giving Mexican cooking classes.  She was already traveling to Mexico 6 months out of the year, but she did hold classes when she was back in the states.  During her travels, she researched and really dove in to food and regions and wanted to capture the essence of Mexican cuisine.  Her first book, The Cuisines of México was released in 1972.  Her most recent book, Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy which was released in 2010 took her 14 years to complete.

Aside from her 9 cookbooks, she has received numerous awards including the highest award that the Government of the Republic of Mexico bestows upon non-Mexicans, the Order of the Aztec Eagle in 1981.  She also was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2002.

Even now, at the age of 89, she remains active in her conservationist lifestyle (using no detergents and raising chickens and growing food conscientiously).  The preservation of local ingredients is extremely important to her.  She doesn't see herself slowing down since there are still so many things that interest her that she has not done yet!

Well.  If you know me even a tiny bit, you can probably guess that I have mad respect for Diana Kennedy, her accomplishments, and her food.  I love paging through her encyclopedic-type books for tips and techniques and recipes.  It was a hard decision figuring out what to make to honor her this week.  I decided to go with something simple - yet essential.  Living in a home where Mexican food is commonplace, I decided  to make something I use quite often, homemade chipotles in adobo sauce.  It uses two of my absolute favorite dried chiles- anchos and (obviously) chipotles.  Dried chipotles...if you can find the good ones...are insane.  I love to hold them between my fingers and let the intoxicating smoky smell fill my head.  These are so incredibly delicious.  They make a big batch that will keep well in the fridge and be ready for you to reach in and grab out some authentic Mexican flavor full of heat and smoke and earthy delight whenever your heart desires.  Mine desires it often...

Chipotles en Adobo {homemade}

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: ~1 hour

Keywords: simmer condiment preserving vegan chiles Mexican

Ingredients (~1 quart)

• 4 oz. (115 g) chipotle mora or morita seco chiles
• 3 ancho chiles, seeded & deveined
• ~1½ c. (375 ml) water
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• ¼ tsp. dried marjoram
• ¼ tsp. dried thyme
• ⅛ tsp. ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• ¾ c. (190 ml) cider vinegar
• ¾ c. (190 ml) white vinegar
• 2 oz. (60 g/⅓ c. firmly packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 Tbs. sea salt

Instructions

Pierce a tiny hole through each of the chipotle morita chiles using a thin, sharp skewer or tip of a paring knife. This allows the liquid to penetrate the chile later on. Place them in a pan or pot with a tightly fitting lid and cover well with water. Cook over medium-low until chiles are tender (but not mushy), 30-40 minutes. Drain and discard cooking water. Pick off any stems, if you wish.

In the meantime, put the anchos in a small pan, cover with water, and simmer for ~5 minutes. Drain and place the chiles in the jar of a blender. Add 1 c. (250 ml) of the water and the garlic, marjoram, thyme, cumin, and bay leaf along with 4 of the simmered chipotles. Blend to a "textured" sauce.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet and then pour in the ingredients from the blender. Fry them for ~3 minutes or so over medium heat, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan a bit to keep from sticking. Add the remaining water, both vinegars, brown sugar, and the salt. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining chipotles and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer, stirring from time to time until sauce has thickened, ~15 minutes.

Let cool and then transfer to a glass container with a lid and store in the refrigerator. If you can, allow chiles to mature/develop for ~2 weeks before using. Use in place of commercially canned chipotles in adobo sauce.

slightly adapted from From My Mexican Kitchen by Diana Kennedy

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(sources) and for further info: The New York Review of Books - Cooking with the Grand Dame of Mexican Cuisine (NPR) - Wikipedia - The Cookbook Blog (author interview) 

In May '11, Gourmet posted a list of 50 Women Game-Changers (in Food) that runs the gamut from food writers to cookbook authors to television personalities to restauranteurs to chefs to food bloggers.  Some are a given.  Some are controversial.  Speaking the names of some brings fond childhood memories.  Speaking the names of others will make some readers cringe.  And of course, some of our favorites were not even included.  We food-lovers are a passionate bunch of people and whether we agree or disagree, every woman on this list has earned her place for a reason.  Being a woman who is passionate about food (cooking, eating, talking about, writing about, photographing), when I caught wind of Mary from One Perfect Bite's idea of cooking/blogging her way through each of these 50 women...one per week...I knew I wanted to join her.  Many of these women paved the way for us in culinary school, in the kitchen, in cookbooks, in food writing, and on television and I think it is a fabulous way to pay tribute to their efforts.  Some of the women on the list have been tops with me for years.  Some I have heard of (perhaps even seen, read, or cooked from) before.  And there are even a handful that I am not familiar with at all.  I excited to educate myself on each of these women game-changers and hope you look forward to reading along.  We are going in order from 1 to 50.

Who is cooking along with these 50 Women Game-Changers?

Mary- One Perfect Bite, Val- More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn- Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan- The Spice Garden, Heather- girlichef, Miranda- Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette- Jeanette's Healthy Living, Kathy- Bakeaway with Me, Sue- The View from Great Island, Barbara- Moveable Feasts, Linda- There and Back Again, Nancy- Picadillo, Mireya- My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica- My Catholic Kitchen, Claudia- Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce- More Time at the Table, Amrita- Beetle's Kitchen Escapades, Jill- Saucy Cooks, Sarah - Everything in the Kitchen Sink

I am sharing this post with:
Katherine Martinelli Friday Blog Hop: Cinco de Mayo