Red Enchilada Sauce

I'd been wanting to make my own enchilada sauce for a while now and I had a couple of failed attempts before hitting it out of the park with this one. The best part was trusting my own instincts - I searched in vain, for quite some time, for a recipe I felt was "right" before realizing that the right one would, of course, be the one I made all by myself.

And so it was. It knocked our flippin' socks off.

Red Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

6 dried New Mexican chiles
4 dried ancho chiles
4 dried chiles de arbol
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon New Mexican oregano
1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt

Method

Cut the heads off the chiles and shake out all the seeds. Cut the chiles up with a pair of scissors (or rip them by hand) into large pieces.

Heat a large skillet on medium low. Place the dried chile pieces on the skillet to heat, pressing down to blister. Turn the chiles over and heat a few seconds more.

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Place the chiles into a non-reactive bowl and pour enough boiling water into the bowl to cover the chiles. Place a lid over the bowl and allow to sit for at least an hour, to soften the chiles.

Pull the chiles out of the soaking water and place in a blender with the chicken stock, tomato sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt. Blend until liquefied, about a minute.

At this point, you can strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer over a bowl or pan, but I don't bother. I've done it before, but since my blender works well enough to only leave a little chile piece or two, I like to leave it as is. I think the sauce has more character that way.

There is no real sweetness or tartness here, except what you get from the blend of pure chiles and tomatoes. This is a smoky, savory, slightly spicy enchilada sauce. Just as I wanted it.

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Wow.

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
courtesy of Lisa

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 bag (11.5 ounces) chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In another medium bowl, cream butter and sugars with a hand mixer until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; mix until they are fully incorporated. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Transfer dough to a 12-inch cast iron or other ovenproof skillet, and press to flatten, covering bottom of pan. Bake until edges are brown and top is golden, 40 to 45 minutes. Don't overbake; it will continue to cook a few minutes out of the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool in pan, 15 to 20 minutes.

NOTES

I barely know what to say, so I will only say this: there are plenty of amazing things about this, but my favorite is the slight buttery pan cooked "crisp" you get in each bite. Jeebus.

I'd been craving dessert so badly, for weeks now, and this was, to say the least, a profoundly satisfying solution. I ate two huge wedges and couldn't get up for a minute. My only regret is not having vanilla ice cream to melt over it. Next time.

Tabbouleh

I love tabbouleh. Love. LOOOOOVE. And I can tell you exactly why:

1. I love chewy grains.
2. I love cold foods that have sharp, bright flavors.
3. I love eating mouthfuls of fresh herbs.

This bowl... someone give me a massive spoon. And a napkin.

This is my new addiction. I will make it at least once per week through this spring and summer, or until I get tired of it. Knowing my obsessive nature, that isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

Tabbouleh

Ingredients

1 cup bulgur wheat
1 cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock) or water
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice, depending on how zingy you want it
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
3 vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 scallions, greens and whites, sliced or chopped

Method

Place the bulgur in a medium sized bowl. Bring the stock or water and the salt to a boil, then pour it over the bulgur. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Add the grapeseed oil and lemon juice to the bulgur and mix well. Add in the rest of the other ingredients and mix to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

You can eat it immediately, but it's much better if you let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes - and it's even more amazing the next day!

Chile Colorado con Carne

This is an update of what was apparently one of my most popular posts on this site. And while I hate to snuff out an old favorite, this new version is much improved with better photos and a refined, delicious and totally perfected (ifIdosaysomyself) recipe.

Chile Colorado con Carne
(beef in red chile sauce)

Ingredients

5 dried New Mexican chiles
4 dried chiles de Arbol
2 dried Ancho chiles
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup beef broth
1 small white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Cut the heads off the chiles and shake out all the seeds. Cut the chiles up with a pair of scissors or rip them by hand into small pieces. Place the chiles into a non-reactive bowl and pour enough boiling water into the bowl to cover the chiles. Place a lid over the bowl and allow to sit for 30 minutes to soften the chiles.

Transfer the chiles to a blender and add 3/4 cup of the soaking water. Blend until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in heavy pot or large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat and brown well on all sides. Don't crowd the pan! Take the time to really brown the beef; cook it in batches, if necessary. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if the pan starts to get too dry.

Once all the meat is browned and back in the pan, add the beef broth, stir, cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Add the chile puree, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, salt and pepper and mix well.

Cover and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 1 hour.

Serve with Spanish rice and corn tortillas.

NOTES

What can I say? We pretty much inhale our portions every time we eat this. We adore it and would be willing to bet you'll adore it, too. It's spicy and smoky and everything a Mexican dish beginning with dried chiles should be.

Pasta with Sausage and Rapini

Pasta with Sausage and Rapini
adapted from Last Night's Dinner

Ingredients

1 large bunch rapini, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 pound penne, orecchiette or other chunky pasta
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 bunch green garlic, thinly sliced
1 small shallot, finely chopped
Kosher salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the rapini for about a minute, until bright green. Remove from the pot with a spider or other large straining spoon and set aside. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta until just shy of al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep saute pan over medium high heat. Cook the sausage in the pan, breaking it up with a spoon into bite-sized chunks, until no longer pink. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes over the sausage and saute about 30 seconds more. Add the tomato paste and stir it through. Let the sausage and tomato paste caramelize, then add the wine and stock and stir through.

Add the green garlic and shallot to the pan and saute for a minute or two, until just softening. Place the reserved rapini in the pan, season with salt and stir until well combined.

Drain the pasta and add to the sausage and rapini mixture, stirring well, and allow it to finish cooking in the sauce. Off the heat, stir in the grated cheese. Spoon pasta into warmed bowls and top with additional cheese, if desired.

NOTES

I faced two problems in trying to recreate this classic at home:

1) Nearly every recipe I have found for sausage and rapini pasta uses orecchiette. But Steve doesn't like the texture of that pasta (or many chunky pastas), so I opted for penne. This exacerbated problem number...

2) We find this dish to be really incohesive in its usual form, every element seeming separate from one another. The answer seemed to be to add tomato paste, which Jennifer's recipe did, and it got me going in the right direction. I doubled her amount of tomato paste, which resulted in a light sauce that really pulled everything together.

The green garlic, on both Jennifer's part and mine, was simply a seasonal stroke of luck. One of the wonderful farmers at the market tends to give it away this time of year, so I used it here. You can always use minced cloves of garlic, with or without the addition of the chopped shallot.

Herb and Spice Lamb Chops

These are the best lamb chops you will ever eat. Cross my heart.

Herb and Spice Lamb Chops
slightly adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons mint leaves
2 tablespoons oregano leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
12 lamb loin chops, 1 1/2 inches thick (or, alternatively, about 2 pounds double rib chops, cut into individual chops)

Method

In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup of the oil with the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden, 4 minutes. Transfer the garlic oil to a blender. Add the rosemary, parsley, mint, oregano, salt, pepper, fennel, cumin, cardamom, vinegar and the remaining 3/4 cup of oil and puree until relatively smooth.

Arrange the lamb chops in a shallow baking dish. Pour the marinade on top, turn to coat and refrigerate overnight.

Return to room temperature before grilling.

Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Remove the lamb chops from the marinade and grill over high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes for medium-rare.

NOTES

My old readers may remember me screaming about this recipe long ago. To be more precise, I actually said "make this or I will hunt you down and kick you in the shins!" Krysta and I still make jokes about recipes like this, calling them "kick you in the shins" recipes. But really, it's that good.

The first time I made these, Steve said that this is what lamb chops "should" taste like. Something about the combination of herbs and spices from various parts of the world that really know what they're doing with lamb... it all just works. They're beautiful. And nearly addictive. Considering how iffy I usually feel about lamb, trust me, I do not say that lightly.

Chicken in Tarragon Mustard Cream Sauce

You know those recipes you have bookmarked or otherwise saved for months, or years, and when you finally make them, you wonder why you waited so long?

Yep, this is one of those. I'm smacking myself.

Chicken in Tarragon Mustard Cream Sauce
adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

Method

In a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet in a single layer. Cook over high heat, turning once or twice, until browned but not cooked through, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the spring onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, cream and mustard and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and simmer over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in the tarragon. Serve over buttered noodles or rice.

NOTES

This dish is so quick to prepare and so simple to cook, it's almost laughable how huge the payoff in flavor and complexity is. But hey... mustard, white wine, cream. Come on. It's classic for a reason. Add garlic and fresh herbs and you are hitting a home run every time, guaranteed.