Fideo Loco

Another one, I made. It was pretty easy, and very flavorful.

Fideo Loco

Photo by ALB

Servings 6
Author Lisa Fain, Homesick Texan

Ingredients
For the beef:
1 teaspoon safflower oil (didn't use)
1 pound ground beef (used 93%)
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch cayenne
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

For the fideo:
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 chipotle chiles en adobo
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 cups water (used 4)
1 tablespoon safflower oil (used olive oil)
4 ounces thin noodles such as vermicelli or capellini, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 cups pinto beans or 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil (didn't use) on medium-low and add the beef and onion. While occasionally stirring, cook until the onions are soft and the beef is beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt, and cilantro and while stirring occasionally, continue to cook for 10 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings and then pour the beef into a mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, for the fideo, place in a blender the onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, chipotle chiles en adobo, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Once you’ve moved the cooked meat from the pot, add the water to the pot and swirl around while scraping the bottom to get all the remaining bits. Add the water to the blender and then blend until smooth (4 Cups of water will make a mess in the blender, so I can't imagine 5).  Add the oil to the pot and pasta. While occasionally stirring, cook on medium for 1 minute or until lightly browned and fragrant. Pour the tomato sauce from the blender into the pot. While stirring occasionally, cook on medium until the pasta is softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the beans to the pot along with the cooked meat. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm topped with Cotija cheese and with tortillas on the side, if you like. (I added Queso Fresco, Cilantro, and Pico - not counted in the points)


6 WW Blue Points (my additions/subtractions at 6 servings)

Gochujang-Glazed Ribs

This is an odd recipe, in terms of how D made it.  He smoked the ribs.
I don't know how to smoke ribs, and I wasn't paying any sort of attention.  So if you know how to do it, it is probably easy to adapt the recipe. If you don't, you'll have to bake in the oven.

Anyway, the ribs were great, and I really enjoyed them. We had with avocado potato salad.

Gochujang-Glazed Ribs

Photo by ALB

Servings 6
Author Lisa Fain from Homesick Texan

Ingredients
For the gochujang sauce:
¼ cup gochujang paste
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Salt
For the ribs:
2 2-pound racks baby back ribs (used 1 rack of Spare Ribs)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon black pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnishing
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for garnishing

Instructions
To make the sauce, stir together the gochujang paste, soy sauce, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, brown sugar, and ginger until well blended. Taste and add salt if needed.

For the ribs, salt and pepper each rack on both sides. Line two sheet pans with foil, then lay out 2 (2-feet) pieces of foil and place this foil on top of the sheet pans. Place each rack on the foil, starting with the meat-side down.

Take half the sauce and then evenly spread the sauce on the racks on both sides, reserving the remaining sauce for the final glazing. With the meat-side up, wrap the ribs with the foil leaving the seam on top, then refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

To prepare the ribs, preheat the oven to 300°F and remove the ribs and their sheet pans from the refrigerator. Once the oven has heated, slide the ribs into the oven and cook covered for 1 hour and 40 minutes.

After this time, remove the ribs from the oven and gently open the foil and pull it back to expose the meat. The meat should be tender but if you desire it to be more so, return the ribs to the oven and continue to cook until they’re how you prefer.

Once tender, remove the ribs and turn the heat up to 450°F. Gently open the foil and pull it back to expose the meat. With tongs, flip the ribs and spread a couple of tablespoons of the remaining sauce on the bony side. Flip the ribs back over and evenly coat the meaty side with the rest of the sauce. Slide the ribs back into the oven and cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until the sauce is beginning to blacken.

Remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds before serving.

Baked Chicken and Rice Chimichangas

So DL over at A Well Fed Life pinned this recipe on her pinterest page.  I saw it and thought it looked good.  Also D was going to make a Whole Chicken for Easter.  And if you don't go to Whole Foods or a butcher, it seems a Whole Chicken is more like 10 pounds than 3-4.  We ALWAYS have left overs.

So D made Jalapeno Mustard Chicken and Green Rice.  We didn't have as much chicken as we usually have but we did have 2 cups of green rice.  It seemed this recipe below fit in on how to use everything up.

It was pretty good, but D and I both agreed it needed something "bright" inside the chimichanga.  I said cilantro or a fresh jalapeno.  D said Pico de Gallo.  I wasn't thinking when I went to the store, so I forgot to buy extra salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, and/or avocado for topping.  We had with Chipotle Refried Beans .

Baked Chicken and Rice Chimichangas

Photo by ALB

Adapted from: Lil' Luna
Recipe type: Main Dish
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS
1½ c cooked shredded chicken breast (or use rotisserie or saute some chicken up)
⅔ c. salsa
1½ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
Cooking Spray
2 C Green Chile Rice (or use Knorr or Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice)
1¼ c. shredded colby jack cheese
4 burrito size flour tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS
COMBINE the cooked shredded chicken with salsa, cumin, and oregano; set aside.

Reheat the Rice.

Stir the cheese and the rice into the chicken mixture. Divide the mixture between flour tortillas, wrap and place seam-side down on a cooking sprayed baking sheet. Spray the chimichangas with cooking spray and place in oven to bake for 10 minutes (or until golden brown and crispy) at 425 degrees. Rotate the baking pan and cook 8-10 more minutes.

Serve, if desired, with your favorite toppings such as; shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, chopped green onion, chopped lettuce, and lime wedges.

12 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings)

TORTILLA-CRUSTED SHRIMP

When I first saw this recipe, I thought it was going to be about Shrimp covered in Fritos, because of the Homesick Texan's little blurb about Fritos.  It wasn't, but that's ok.

I told D we should have this anyway, and he obliged.  He suggested Baked Tostitos, so that's what he did. He was going to sub some panko with that, but he just used the whole (6-1/2 oz) bag.  For some reason, I had decided this would be 2 servings.  Both D and I laughed during eating.  That is a lot.

We had with a salad.  As usual, a recipe from Homesick Texan that we will have again.

TORTILLA-CRUSTED SHRIMP

Photo by ALB

Yield: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Fain, HOMESICKTEXAN.COM

Ingredients
2 cups finely crushed tortilla chips (6 1/2 oz Baked Tostitos)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Kosher salt
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
½ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon horseradish (more like a TBSP)
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Sliced lime, for serving

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Season the crushed tortilla chips with the pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed, adding salt to taste. (Depending on the chips, I usually start with ¼ teaspoon.)

Lightly salt and pepper the shrimp then toss with the flour. (If using frozen shrimp that’s been thawed in cold water, pat down the shrimp with a paper towel before seasoning so they aren’t too wet.) Beat the eggs until bright yellow and place ½ cup of the crushed tortilla chips into a bowl. (You only start with 1/2 cup so you can refresh the chips as you dredge, which keeps them from becoming too clumpy.)

Working in batches, dip the flour-coated shrimp into the eggs then dredge in the tortilla chips. Place coated shrimp on the baking sheet. A quarter-way through the process, refresh the tortilla chip dredge with another ½ cup fresh crushed tortilla chips, then continue to dredge. Repeat the process until all the shrimp are coated.

Bake uncovered for 7 minutes, then remove the sheet from the oven and flip the shrimp over to the other side. Return to the oven and cook for 5-7 more minutes or until the coating is lightly browned and the shrimp are pink.

As they are baking, to make a chipotle cocktail sauce stir together the ketchup, horseradish, chipotle powder, and lime juice. Taste and add salt, if needed. After the shrimp are done, serve warm with the chipotle cocktail sauce and limes on the side.

11 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings)

GREEN CHILE FRITO PIE

D and I went to the local Hatch Chile Festival this past weekend. I found this recipe and D made it. It needs a little tweaking but overall was good.

We'll have again.

GREEN CHILE FRITO PIE

Photo by ALB

Adapted from Lisa Fain, Homesick Texan
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients for the green chile salsa:
12 fresh Hatch or Anaheim green chiles
2 jalapeño chiles
1/2 pound ground beef, preferably coarsely ground (used 1 lb)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use 1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (use 1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (use 1 tsp)

Ingredients for the Frito pies:
4 cups Fritos (used 4oz)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterrey Jack or Muenster (used 1/2 C)
1/4 cup diced onions
1 jalapeño, sliced
1/2 cup sour cream, for serving (Used 1/4 Cup)

Instructions:
If using fresh green chiles, roast the Hatch and jalapeño chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place the chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tight and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes. After the chiles have steamed, remove from the bag and rub off the skin. Remove the stems and seeds from both the chiles and finely chop.

In a Dutch oven on medium-low heat, add the ground beef, salt, and pepper. While occasionally stirring, cook until the beef has browned, about 10 minutes. Add the onions and tomatoes, and while occasionally stirring continue to cook until the onions have softened and the tomatoes are beginning to release some juices, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Stir in the diced chiles, water, salt, cumin, and oregano, turn the heat down to low, then while occasionally stirring cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings (I usually add another 1/2 teaspoon of salt).

To assemble the green chile Frito pies, evenly divide the Fritos among 4 to 8 bowls, then top with the green chile salsa, cheese, onion, and sliced jalapeños. Serve with sour cream on the side.

Notes: If you don’t have access to fresh green chiles, you may substitute 16 ounces canned green chiles or 2 cups frozen green chiles, thawed. Drain and rinse them before using and be careful when adding salt since they may already have been salted, too.

Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo

Sigh!   Homesick Texan kicked it out of the park again.
Another hit from her (and her grandmother).

D made this. Originally he was going to make it with chicken chorizo to lighten it up. But after 18 hours in the fridge, the smell emanating from the chorizo package was so god-awful, we decided that we didn't want to poison ourselves, so into the trash it went.  So up to the bodega to get REAL (pork) chorizo, and D was off to the races.

Except that I thought the portion was too small (we had 6), this was delicious and decadent-tasting.  It had the spiciness heat of the peppers and chorizo, the creaminess of the sour cream, the texture of the hominy.

Definitely having again.

Green  Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo

Photo by ALB

From Homesick Texan, Lisa Fain
Yield: 4 to 6 sevings (we got 6)

Ingredients
2 poblano chiles
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casing and crumbled
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15-ounce) cans hominy, drained
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper

Instructions
Roast the poblano chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tight and let the chile steam for 20 minutes. Take the chile out of the bag and rub off the skin. Remove stem and seeds and cut dice chiles.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

On medium-low heat, heat the vegetable oil and then cook the crumbled chorizo while occasionally stirring in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet until brown, about 8-10 minutes. With a slotted spatula, remove the chorizo and drain any excess grease from the skillet, leaving 1 teaspoon. Add to the skillet the diced onions and jalapeños while occasionally stirring, cook on medium-low heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the diced poblano chiles, chorizo, hominy, sour cream, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, lime juice and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir until well combined, taste and add salt and black pepper and adjust seasonings. Top with remaining the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling.

Pork Tinga (Tinga de Pueco)

I found this recipe the week after I got my blood pressure results back, they were high, so I decided to go on a "REALLY HEALTHY EATING" kick.  Of course, how the hell am I going to eat this.
Well, we also had 1.5 pounds of pork shoulder in the freezer, D wasn't going on a healthy eating kick and well, sometimes you just have to say F-it.

The result of this was a tangy pork stew that was delicious.  Of course it was; it's from Homesick Texan.  D had on corn tortillas, and I had on a wheat wrap.  So he had tacos and I had a burrito.  We definitely would have again.

Pork Tinga (Tinga de Pueco)

Photo by ALB

From Homesick Texan

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (used 1 TBSP)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 chipotle chile peppers in adobo
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from its casing
1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Warm corn tortillas, for serving (used both corn and wheat)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced, for serving
Cotija cheese, for serving (used Jack Cheese)
1 lime cut into wedges, for serving
Added Reduced Fat Sour Cream

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F.

In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil on medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and while occasionally stirring, cook until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Scrape the onion and garlic into a blender and add the tomatoes, chipotle chiles, oregano, and thyme. Blend until smooth.

Meanwhile, wipe out the Dutch oven and then add the remaining oil and the chorizo removed from its casing. On medium heat, while occasionally stirring cook for 10 minutes or until the meat has darkened.

Turn off the heat and add to the Dutch oven the pork shoulder, bay leaf, salt, chipotle tomato salsa from the blender, and water. Gently stir to combine everything, cover the pot, and then bake for 2- 2 1/2 hours or until the sauce has reduced and the pork is fork tender and can be easily shredded.

If you prefer, instead of using the oven you can place the chipotle tomato salsa, cooked chorizo, and pork in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.

Once the pork is tender, with two forks, shred the pork and then stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm with corn tortillas with more cilantro, avocado, Cotija cheese, and lime wedges, on the side.

Yield: 8 servings (Homesick Texan indicated 4-6 servings, we got 8)

Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

D's mom got me the The Homesick Texan's Family Table cookbook.  If a recipe on this site isn't from Cooking Light, it is usually from Homesick Texan. Her recipes are big on flavor, but not complex to make.  This is the first recipe we (D) made out of  the book.  It was pretty easy for a weekday night, and it had a lot of flavor.  The servings were big.  We used Johnsonville Andouille, but next time we both agreed that the Rajin' Cajun Andouille should be used.

I found the recipe on NPR's Website, so I shared it.  We would have again.

Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Photo by ALB

From Lisa Fain, Homesick Texan.
Recipe from NPR Website
Serves: 5
Serving Size: 1.5 Cups

Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or bacon grease
1 yellow onion, diced
2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 pieces (12 to 14 ounces total) Andouille or other smoky sausage, sliced into rounds
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup rice (uncooked)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 green onion, green part only, chopped
salt (to taste...for Nutritional Information, I used 1/4 tsp)

Instructions
In a 4-quart pot or large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, jalapeños, and bell pepper, and cook, occasionally stirring, until the onions are translucent and the peppers are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sausage, and continue to cook, occasionally stirring, until the sausage begins to crisp, about 5 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes (do not drain the cans), parsley, thyme, oregano, cayenne, chicken broth, and rice. Stir until well combined, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed a lot of the liquid, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the lid and stir in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika and green onions, and then adjust the seasonings and add salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Servings 5.0; Amount Per Serving
Calories: 477; Total Fat: 24 g; Saturated Fat: 7 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 169 mg; Sodium: 1440 mg; Potassium: 125 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 30 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 7 g; Protein: 31 g

Tex-Mex Chicken and Dumplings

I made this last Tuesday.  I definitely recommend the recipe but not for a typical Tuesday. It is more of a 4-5 hour affair, so it's more of a weekend dish.

Now I made it because it had been on my Pinterest page for over a year. I also was feeling sick and wanted a Pot-Pie or Chicken Noodle Soup.  So I decided we would have this.

It was pretty easy, although tedious.  And if you are recovering from a fractured back it may be a bit difficult (I had to figure out some things when it came to involving lifting a gallon of water in a cast-iron pot.

Overall, it was good.  I definitely would have again.  The Nutritional Information is probably a little off because I included all the vegetables.

It created about 8 servings.  We eye-balled the serving size.

Tex-Mex Chicken and Dumplings

Photo by ALB

From Lisa Fain, The Homesick Texan
Servings 8.0

Ingredients
For the chicken:
1 four-pound chicken
16 cups of water (1 gallon)
1 onion
9 cloves of garlic, divided
2 carrots, peeled and cut into quarters
4 celery stalks, cut into quarters
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried or 1 stalk fresh epazote (optional)- didn't use
1 leafy stem of cilantro
Added 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
1 can of Ro-Tel
2 jalapenos, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro
Juice of one lime (used 1/4 C, because there's a lime shortage at Kroger)
1/2 cup of cream
Salt (1/2 tsp), black pepper (1 tsp), cayenne (1/2 tsp) and cumin (1 tsp) to taste
Added 1/2 tsp of chipotle chile powder

For the cornmeal dumplings:
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 jalapeno, finely diced
2 tablespoons of minced cilantro

Preparation
Clean and rinse your chicken and place in a large stock pot. Add water, onion, 8 cloves of garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaves, epazote and whole cilantro stem. Add salt (1/2 tsp) and pepper (1 tsp) to taste (don't do this since the chicken is raw). Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour and a half, occasionally skimming the foamy scum off the surface.

Photo by ALB

Remove chicken from pot and turn off the heat. After it’s cooled, remove fat and pick the meat off the bones and either shred or cut into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper to taste (didn't do the s/p thing).

Take cooled broth and strain and throw out the vegetables as they’ve done their duty. Now you need to remove the fat from the broth. If you don’t have a preferred way of getting rid of the fat or lack a gravy separator, you can try the plastic bag method. Take a quart-sized plastic storage bag, pour some broth into it. You will see the fat rise to the top. Snip a bottom corner of the bag and drain the broth, stopping when you get to the fat layer. (You will probably have to do this in batches...yes, yes, you do).

Place the broth back into the pot and add the shredded chicken and lime juice. In a blender, add the can of Ro-Tel, sliced jalapenos, chopped cilantro and garlic and blend. Add puree to the pot. Now add the cream. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne and cumin (and chipotle chile powder) to taste. Bring to a boil. And while the soup is coming to a boil, make the cornmeal dumplings.

Sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and add to the dry ingredients. Stir in the melted butter, jalapenos and cilantro.

When soup is boiling, turn heat down to low and gently drop the dumpling batter into the pot, one tablespoon or so at a time. Do not stir. Place lid on top and steam dumplings for 20 minutes.

Ladle the chicken and dumplings into bowls and sprinkle cilantro on top. Serves six to eight.

Notes: If you want a thicker broth, feel free to add some flour. I'd add it slowly, a quarter cup at a time (didn't do)

Nutritional Information
Calories: 664; Total Fat: 52 g; Saturated Fat: 17 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 320 mg; Sodium: 1049 mg; Potassium: 570 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 26 g; Dietary Fiber: 4 g; Sugars: 5 g; Protein 56 g

Posole

A long time ago, Danny the bartender at Twains before it was a brewpub, told me about posole.  He said it was a stew, and pretty good. Along the way, I found recipes for it, but since didn't know what hominy was, it was always something I was a bit intimidated by.  Finally I had hominy, and got over that issue, but still never had posole.

D was looking for recipes and came across this one. Seeing as we had a ham hock in our freezer, we decided to try it.

I know posole is supposed to be a stew, but his came out thicker.  And that was fine, because really it just looked like chili, and that's not a bad thing.

Anyway, it didn't taste like chili.  It tasted like thick stew (duh!).  It was really good. I'm glad D didn't add the other can of hominy.  We both really liked.

*Hominy-  Now that was odd.  Kroger had 1 30 oz can of Hominy from a brand I never heard of (canned in Mexico) and 2 15 oz cans of Kroger Hominy.  So we wiped out the store with those 3 cans.  Even though we ended up not using 1 of the Kroger cans, you definitely could taste the difference between the 2 brands.  I would go with the 30 oz can if I can ever find the can of the brand I can't remember.

We would have this again.

Red Posole

Photo by ALB

Serves 8
Adapted from Homesick Texan

Ingredients
1 pound of dried posole or two 29 oz. cans of hominy, drained (Used 1 30oz can and 1 15 oz can...plenty)
1 pound of pork shoulder, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of lard, bacon grease, corn or canola oil (used Pam)
8 cups of water (can substitute part with beer or chicken broth for more flavor)- used beer and chicken broth
1 smoked ham hock
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano (can substitute regular oregano)-used regular
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
9 New Mexico chiles, stems and seeds removed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of one lime

For serving:
One avocado sliced,
One lime cut into wedges
1 cup of cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup of diced onion
Tortillas and tortilla chips
(used macaroni and cheddar cheese)

Preparation
If using dried hominy, soak the hominy a gallon of water for at least eight hours until it’s doubled in size. (just use canned!)

In a large pot, heat up the lard (Pam) and cook the onion for 10 minutes. Add the pork and brown on each side for a couple of minutes. Throw in the garlic and cook for one more minute.

Pour the water into the pot and add the ham hock, oregano, cumin, ground cloves and ancho-chile powder. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a low simmer.

Meanwhile, take your New Mexican chiles and cook on high in a dry cast-iron skillet until the pop, a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat, add water to the skillet and let the chiles soak until hydrated, about half an hour.

Drain the chile-soaking liquid, and place the chiles in a blender. Add one cup of water and blend on high until a smooth puree has formed. Stir the chile puree into the soup pot.

After a couple of hours, add the hominy to the pot along with the juice of one lime and the chopped cilantro. At this point, adjust your spices and add salt to the pot. Continue to cook on low for a couple more hours.

Pour into bowls and serve with diced onions, lime wedges, chopped cilantro, avocado slices and tortillas or tortilla chips.

Chile Verde Con Carne (Beef Green Chili)

So D and I went to a Hatch Chile Festival earlier in the month. We ended up buying some bags of chiles. And we found a beef chile and a pork chile. So this is the beef chile.

I think I like pork green chili better than beef, in general. This particular chili reminded me of Homesick Texan's Green Chili, just with beef instead of pork. The beef was a little chewier, whereas I like the texture of pork better.

D made this on the stovetop, not the crockpot.

I think we'll just stick to her Pork Green Chili.

Chile Verde Con Carne (Beef Green Chili)

Photo by ALB

Yield: 8 1-Cup Servings
Adapted from Lisa Fain, Homesick Texan

Ingredients
1 pound (about 7) Hatch chiles (could use Anaheim)
1/2 pound (about 3) poblano chiles
3 jalapeño chiles (used 4 chiles in crock pot)
3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon bacon grease or vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth (3 cups if using a slow cooker)
1/2 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed and cut in half
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons masa harina (used corn meal)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Sour cream, for serving (not in nutritional information)
Cilantro, for serving(not in nutritional information)
Warm tortillas, for serving (didn't use)
Tortilla chips, for serving (didn't use)

Instructions
Roast the Anaheim, poblano, and jalapeños chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place the chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tight and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes. When done, take the chiles out of the bag and gently rub off the skin of each chile. Remove the stems and seeds, and then dice.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the beef with the salt and pepper. Heat the bacon grease or oil on medium-low in a large heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven, and then working in batches brown the beef on all sides. This should take about 5-7 minutes per batch. If using a slow cooker, after the beef has browned, remove it from the pot and place in the slow cooker. If using the Dutch oven, place the browned beef into a large mixing bowl.

Once the beef has been browned, leaving the heat on medium-low, add the onions to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

If using the large pot to cook the beef green chili, pour into the pot the chicken broth, and then scrap the bottom of the pot to incorporate all the cooked bits into the broth. Add the chopped chiles, the cooked beef, the tomatillos, half of the chopped cilantro, cumin, oregano, and allspice to the pot.

Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 3 hours or until the beef is fork tender. At this time, add the remaining cilantro and then taste and adjust seasonings. Mix the masa harina with 1/4 cup of water and then stir into the pot until well combined. Continue to cook for 30 more minutes and then add the lime juice. Serve warm with sour cream, cilantro, warm tortillas and/or tortilla chips.

If using a slow cooker, transfer the onions and garlic from the pot into the slow cooker. Leaving on the heat, pour into the Dutch oven the chicken broth, and then scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate all the cooked bits into the broth. Pour the broth into the slow cooker and add the chopped chiles, the tomatillos, half of the chopped cilantro, cumin, oregano, and allspice. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6.

After it’s cooked on high for 4 hours or low for 6, remove the lid from the slow cooker and stir in the remaining cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings. Mix the masa harina with 2 tablespoons of water and then stir into the pot until well combined. Continue to cook 30 more minutes uncovered and then stir in the lime juice. Serve warm with sour cream, cilantro, warm tortillas and/or tortilla chips.

Notes:
If you can’t find fresh Anaheim or poblano chiles, I would substitute 28-ounces canned chopped green chiles, drained. If you can’t find fresh tomatillos, I would substitute 1 (11-ounce) can of tomatillos, drained and cut in half.

Nutrition Facts (from MyFitnessPal)
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 376; Total Fat: 14 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 121 mg; Sodium: 641 mg; Potassium: 850 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 12 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 47 g

Aaron Franklin's Pinto Beans

So I got this recipe from Homesick Texan's site. She mentioned peppery in her intro, but I kind of missed that part. I was too focused on beans and brisket. Also my friend Todd had gotten Aaron Franklin's Cookbook, so I figured if a personal friend and a blogger both got this book, and pretty much everyone says Aaron Franklin is the best BBQer of all time, well I should make these beans.

And I had every intention too. Then I had that Orange Creamsicle drink and a few beers and using sharp objects isn't a smart idea when I'm sober, so D prepped this on Saturday night.

We had planned on going to 3-4 different Barbecue Restaurants for lunch Sunday but Biscuits and Gravy were had (yes, I made biscuits), and then a nap was required, and so we settled on the quickest one, as D still had to make Carne Guisada.

So we ended up getting 1/2 pound of brisket at Grand Champion Barbecue (their pulled pork and brisket sandwiches were good, as well).

Anyway, back to the beans...D chopped up the meat, and there was a little over a cup, but he dumped it all into the beans.  And we waited for the Carne Guisada.

So the beans were spicy.  Immediately I thought because of the chili powder, but D said the pepper.  I thought about it and agreed.  So next time we make it we will back off on the pepper to 1/2 TBSP.

But the first 3 bites, before the heat started building were awesome!

Aaron Franklin's Pinto Beans

From Homesick Texan

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
1 pound dried pinto beans
1/4 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt*
1 tablespoon black pepper (next time, cutting back to 1/2 TBSP)
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chopped smoked brisket

Instructions:
Rinse the pinto beans and remove any rocks. Place the beans, onion, chili powder, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin in a large pot. Cover with 2 inches of water, stir until the spices are well distributed, and then soak the beans uncovered for 8 hours. Alternatively, you can bring the pot to a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let them quick soak for 1 hour.

To cook the beans, add the brisket to the pot. (Do not drain the soaking liquid.) You want there to be at least an inch and a half of water above the beans, so add more water to the pot if needed. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down the heat down to low, cover the pot, and then gently simmer for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the cover and then continue to cook the beans until they’re tender, which will depend on the age of the beans. This can happen anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours.

If you want to make these in the slow cooker, after soaking, cook them covered on low for 6 hours, then remove the lid and continue to cook on low for 2 more hours.

Yield: 6 to 12 servings

*Notes:
If you're not using kosher salt but table salt or sea salt instead, reduce the amount of salt to 1 tablespoon, otherwise the beans may be too salty.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Servings: 8; Amount per Serving
Calories: 235; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 756 mg; Potassium: 111 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 37 g; Dietary Fiber: 10 g; Sugars: 2 g;  Protein: 18 g

Carne Guisada

I'm not sure why I haven't blogged about this one before.  I know the first time we had it was after Christmas in 2013, so that is around the time I received Homesick Texan's Cookbook.  And it was comfort food.  And it was good.

So D decided we needed to have it again. It turns out you don't have to wait until the winter.  You can have it when it is 95 degrees out too.

This is more of a weekend meal because of the 5 hour simmer time.   Everything breaks down into a spicy meat paste and it's really just something you should make.  We have it on tortillas with sour cream.

Carne Guisada

Adapted from Homesick Texan
Serves 8-10

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
3-4 pounds of chuck or bottom round beef, cut into 1-inch cubes (used 3 to figure out NI)
4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
5 cloves of garlic, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes or 3 fresh tomatoes, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
2 serrano peppers, diced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1 bay leaf
2 cups of water
1 12 oz. bottle of dark Mexican beer such as Negro Modelo
1 tablespoon of flour (optional)

Preparation
In a large pot or a Dutch oven, brown the beef on medium high heat in 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil, may have to do in batches.

Remove beef from pot, add the final 2 tablespoons of peanut oil and cook on medium heat the onions and chiles for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Throw in the browned beef, add the herbs, spices, water, tomatoes and beer and mix everything really well. Turn up the heat to high, bring the stew to a boil and then turn heat down to low and simmer for five hours, stirring occasionally. At this point, some of the meat will have turned to strings thus thickening the gravy.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Servings: 8; Amount Per Serving
Calories: 367; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol 110: mg; Sodium: 259 mg; Potassium: 624 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 8 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 2 g; Protein: 34 g

CHORIZO AND JALAPEÑO BREAKFAST PIZZA

Homesick Texan returned to the blogging world and it made me happy.

She posted this recipe, and I wondered how soon I could have it. When I figured out the calories, I went, "Not very soon."  Then I decided that if I made it after I ran, I could do it (and follow a good diet for the rest of the day).

Well I got the run done, and made the pizza and then the rest of the day didn't go as planned and I didn't eat so well. But hell, I made this pizza and it was wonderful!

There were a few things I changed.  First who makes biscuits without buttermilk?  I don't (I learned to make biscuits from Alton Brown and Martha Stewart).  It also probably had something to do with there was buttermilk in the fridge, and there is rarely every a dairy liquid in the fridge so that's what I was going to use.  Second, even after 23 years in GA, and D working in the restaurant industry,  I don't own a cast iron skillet.  So I used a cake pan.  We discussed using a pie plate, a springform pan and the cake pan. I'm not sure why I decided on the cake pan, but I did.

I would make again. D would probably make it too.

CHORIZO AND JALAPEÑO BREAKFAST PIZZA

Yield: 4 (caloric) servings
From Lisa Fain, Homesick Texan

Photo by ALB

Ingredients for the crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons cold butter
6 tablespoons half and half or whole milk (use ff buttermilk)

Ingredients for the pizza:
2 ounces Mexican chorizo, removed from its casing (used 2.667 oz (1 of 6 links in the 16oz package)
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons half and half or whole milk (used ff half and half)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch kosher salt
1 jalapeño, seeded, stemmed, and diced
1/4 small red onion, finely diced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Cilantro leaves, for garnishing
Pico de gallo, for serving
Avocado slices, for serving
Crumbled Cotija or feta cheese, for serving (didn't use)

Instructions:
Heat the oven to 425°F and lightly grease a 9-inch round griddle, skillet, or baking sheet.

To make the crust, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut the cold butter into cubes and then add to the flour. Working quickly with your hands or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dough until the dough is crumbly. Pour in the half and half and stir until everything has come together and a shaggy dough is formed.

Pat the dough out evenly into the griddle or skillet. (If using a skillet (or a cake pan), don’t work the dough up the sides—leave it just on the bottom). If using a baking sheet, pat out a 9-inch circle. Poke the dough with a fork about 4 or 5 times, and place the dough into the oven. Cook it uncovered for 5 minutes then remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet to medium-low heat. Add the chorizo and while occasionally stirring, cook for 5 minutes or until it changes from a bright red to a more brownish red. Leaving on the skillet, remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and place it in a bowl. (It’s okay if there is some chorizo grease in the skillet, as this adds flavor. If there is an excess of grease, however, feel free to drain and discard it.)

Add to the skillet the butter. Whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper. When the butter has melted, pour in the eggs. Let them sit for 1 minute then add the chorizo back into the skillet and gently stir until they are loosely set. Taste the eggs with the chorizo and add a pinch of salt if you think it needs it, though I find that usually the chorizo adds enough flavor and salt isn’t necessary (I didn't add salt, since I had already added to the eggs).

Turn off the heat and then spoon the eggs out of the skillet and spread evenly onto the partially baked pizza crust.

Top the eggs evenly with the cheese, then top the cheese evenly with the onions and jalapeños. Return the pizza to the oven and cook uncovered for 8 to 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is lightly browned.

Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle fresh cilantro leaves over the baked pizza. If you like, serve each slice topped with pico de gallo, avocado slices, and/or crumbled Cotija cheese.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Calories: 583; Total Fat: 42 g; Saturated Fat: 22 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 10 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 296 mg; Sodium: 1752 mg; Potassium: 397 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 32 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 21 g

Poblano Macaroni and Cheese

So I pretty much love the Homesick Texan.  D's mom got me the cookbook (or should I say him since he does the cooking) for Christmas and so far everything as been really good.  This was no exception. Spicy macaroni and cheese.  D said the only thing that would make it better would be bacon.

Will have again.

Poblano Macaroni and Cheese

Photo by ALB

From Lisa Fain, The Homesick Texan
Serves 8

Ingredients
2 Poblano chiles
8 ounces elbow pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (used regular)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk (used 2% milk)
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups white cheddar, grated (12 ozs)
1/2 cup cotija cheese

Preparation
Roast the poblano chilies under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place the chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tightly, and let the for 20 minutes. Take the chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin. Take the chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin. Remove the stem and seeds and chop the chiles into 1-inch long pieces.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to your package's directions ad then drain the pasta. (You want the pasta to be cooked but not mushy; cook for 5 minutes.)

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a large baking dish or a large 12 inch cast-iron skillet, and pour the drained pasta into the dish.

In a pot (you can use the pot the pasta cooked in or you can do this while the pasta boils), on low heat melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook until a light brown, toasty paste is formed, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and stir until it's thickened a bit but still fluid, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro, and chopped poblano chiles. Adjust seasonings and add salt and black pepper.

Slowly add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it's melted and well combined into the sauce. (If the sauce has cooled too much and the cheese won't melt, return the pot to low heat on the stove seems a little thick return it to the stove until soft again. If however, the sauce gets too thick, like a custard, you can thin it by stirring in milk, a teaspoon at a time.) Pour sauce over pasta and top with the remaining half of the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese, and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (using our ingredients)
Calories: 351; Carbs: 26; Fat: 20; Protein: 18; Sodium: 432; Fiber: 1

Pinto Bean and Hominy Salad

So earlier this year I noticed I can't eat grocery store bakery cookies (think the cookies in the clear plastic containers).  I don't know what they put in them (Publix, Sam's, Kroger, Costco), but an hour after eating one, I'm doubled over in gut-wrenching pain.  The solution?  Make my own cookies and stop eating theirs. 

Well come spring, I noticed the same thing was happening with corn.  Not with HFCS, but ears of corn, frozen corn, canned corn and popcorn  (doesn't matter organic or non).  This is not good as I love corn, and a lot of foods we have involve corn.   I thought about substituting hominy in some recipes to see if it was the shell, but never got around to it. 

Lo and behold, Homesick Texan goes and posts this recipe.  And we finally got around to planning to have it.  It was really good.  I love pinto beans and all the flavors meshed well.  Definitely will have again, especially since I was left gut-pain free.

We had with left-over Jalapeno and Beer Brined Pork.

Pinto Bean and Hominy Salad

From Homesick Texan
Servings:6-8

Photo by ALB

Ingredients: 
4 cups cooked pinto beans, drained or 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can hominy, drained
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered or 2 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tablespoons olive oil (used 3)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled or 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Salt

Preparation
In a large bowl, add the pinto beans, hominy, red onion, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, red bell pepper, and jalapeño. Toss until well combined.

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and smoked paprika. Pour over the beans and stir until evenly distributed. Stir in the Cotija or feta cheese. Add salt to taste.

While you can serve it immediately, it tastes better if covered and chilled for at least an hour.

Nutritional Information from My Fitness Pal (6 Servings)

Calories: 237;

Carbs: 29; Fat:

9; Protein:

7; Sodium:

526; Fiber:

8

Green Chile Rice

So the joke in our house is that I cannot make rice to save my life.  I just cannot.  People tell me to get a rice cooker.  I have one, his name is D.

So anyway he made this from the Homesick Texan and the rice was a little undercooked.  Nothing that upsetting, and it was probably more of our rice and not the recipe.  Anyway, I'd have again.  We had with Jalapeno Mustard Roast Chicken.

Green Chile Rice

Photo by ALB

by Lisa Fain from The Homesick Texan Cookbook

Ingredients
2 Poblano Chiles
1 Jalapeno Chile, stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 C cilantro
1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 C uncooked rice
1 1/4 C chicken broth
Salt, to taste

Preparation
1. Roast the poblano chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place the poblano chiles in a plastic food-storage bag, close it tightly and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes.  Take the chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin.  Remove the stem and seeds and chop the chiles. Place in a blender. Add to the blender the jalapeno, garlic, cumin, cilantro, lime juice and 1 TBSP water.. Puree until a thick paste forms.

2. Heat up the oil in a heavy-bottom pan on medium-low heat.  Add the rice and saute for 30 seconds. Add the poblano puree from the blender and while stirring, cook for 1 more minute.  Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, and then cover the pot.  Turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 more minutes. Stir the rice to incoproirate any puree that's accumulated on top and then salt to taste.

Jalapeño Mustard Roast Chicken

So I love Roast Chicken if it is done right. Not that dry bird that you have at a mock Thanksgiving that sat out and was seasoned with salt and nothing else. But with flavor.  And when you add peppers to it... well it should be good.  So I saw the picture in the Homesick Texan's cookbook, and decided we must have it.  I knew I couldn't make it but D could.  And he said ok.

It was juicy, slightly spicy and very good.  I had a leg and breast meat (2 meals).  Would have again.  We had with Green Chile Rice.

Jalapeño Mustard Roast Chicken

Photo by ALB

by Lisa Fain from The Homesick Texan Cookbook

Ingredients
1/2 C yellow mustard
2 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped
1/4 C lime juice
6 cloves garlic
1/2 C cilantro
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tablespoons honey
salt, to taste
1 3-4 lb chicken

Preparation
1. In a blender or food processor, mix together the mustard, jalapeño, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, ground ginger, cumin, and honey until well combined. Taste and add salt.

2. Rinse the chicken, remove the giblets. (Use the giblets for another use). To butterfly the chicken for more even cooking, remove the spine from the back of the chicken with poultry or kitchen shears, and save for another use.

3. Lightly salt the bird all over, about 1 or 2 teaspoons. Take the mustard marinade and rub it all over the chicken, gently lifting the skin so you can spread some of it on the meat under the skin. Place the coated chicken in a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 8 hours (D did 3 hours).

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet with foil.

5. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and lay it flat, breast side up on the sheet with the legs on the outside. Let it to come to room temperature (about 20 minutes) and then cook in the oven for 45-50 minutes or when a thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 170 degrees and the juice runs clear. Remove from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Photo by ALB

Seven-Chile Texas Chili

D's mom got me The Homesick Texan's Cookbook for Christmas.  I want to make everything in there with the exception of meatloaf.  But eh.  With the cold streak that hit the East Coast, I knew we had to have chili this weekend, and I knew the one in the Cookbook was the one I wanted.

D and I made the trek out after the gym to get all the ingredients.  4 stores later (Kroger, Aldi, Sonic and the local bogeda) we had all the ingredients (plus all our grocery shopping for the week done).

D made it.  I tasted it after 4 hours of cooking.  I told him it was a little bland.  He looked so relieved, because he thought so as well.  He thought it needed more cumin. I thought it needed garlic.  So he made a blend of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and paprika and added it.  Yep, that's what it needed.

D thinks that we should substitute some of the water with beef broth. We didn't do that this time.

It was slightly hot but good stick to your ribs chili.  I would definitely have again.  We had with rice, cheese and sour cream.

Seven-Chile Texas Chili

Photo by ALB

From Lisa Fain, The Homesick Texan Cookbook
Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 5 hour(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8

Ingredients
6 dried ancho chiles
2 dried pasilla chiles
2 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried chipotle chiles (used 2 in adobo sauce)
4 dried chiles de arbol
4 pieces of bacon
4 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup brewed coffee
1 bottle of beer (used Newcastle Brown)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon grated Mexican hot chocolate (used 5 chocolate chips)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 dried pequin chiles (used 1 1/2 tsps of ground)
2 tablespoons masa harina (used corn meal)
Added 1/2 tsp salt
Added 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Added 1/2 tsp cumin (in addition to what was called out)
Added 1/4 tsp paprika
Added 1/4 tsp onion powder
Added 4 Cups of Beef Broth
Grated cheddar and chopped onions, for serving(Nutritional Info doesn't account for)

Instructions
Remove the seeds and stems from the dried chiles. In a dry skillet heated on high, toast the ancho chiles, pasilla chiles, guajillo chiles, chipotle chiles, and chiles de arbol on each side for about 10 seconds or just until they start to puff. Fill the skillet with enough water to cover chiles. Leave the heat on until the water begins to boil and then turn off the heat and let the chiles soak until soft, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven, fry the bacon on medium heat. When it’s done, remove from the pan and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Leave the bacon grease in the pot, and on medium heat, cook the beef on each side until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (You may have to do this in batches.)

Remove the browned beef from the pot. Leaving the heat on, add the diced onions to the pot and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the beef back into the pot, crumble in the bacon, and add the coffee, beer, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, clove, allspice, cayenne, chocolate, 3 cups of water (used beef broth), and salt. Turn the heat up to high. While the pot is coming to a boil, make the chile puree. Drain and rinse the chiles then place them in a blender along with the pequin chiles (you don’t need to presoak these little chiles) and 1 cup of fresh water. Puree until nice and smooth and then pour the chile puree into the pot. (Add the added seasonings here).

When the chile begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for 5 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste it once an hour and adjust the seasonings. If it starts to get too dry, add more broth. After 5 hours, scoop out 1/4 cup of broth out of the pot and combine with the masa harina. Pour the masa harina mixture into the pot and stir until the chili is thickened. Let the chili simmer for another 30 minutes or so. When done, serve with cheddar and onions.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Does not include garnishes or add-ons like rice, cheese, sour cream, etc.
Calories: 228; Carbs: 17; Fat: 8; Protein: 22; Sodium: 455; Fiber: 5

Ingredients for MFP calculations
Generic - Dried Chile Ancho, 6 chile: 288 calories
 Peppers - Pasilla, dried, 2 pepper: 48 calories
Generic - Guajillo Dried Pepper, 2 pepper: 36 calories
El Guapo - Chile De Arbol Entero - Dried Red Pepper, 4 dried pepper: 4calories
Aldi - Grandessa Signature - Center Cut Bacon, 4 pan fried slices (15g) 100 Generic - Bottom Round Steak, 4 lbs: 920 calories
Onions - Raw, 1 large: 63 calories
Generic - Fresh Garlic Clove, 6 Clove (3.0 g): 24 calories
Sonic - Coffee - Regular (14 oz), 8 z: 6 calories
Newcastle Brown Ale - Beer, 12 oz.: 140 calories
Spices - Cumin, 3 tsp: 24 calories
Spices - Oregano, dried, 1 tsp, ground: 6 calories
Spices - Cinnamon, ground, 0.5 tsp: 3 calories
Medicinemeals*(R) Herbs and Spices - Fresh Ground Clove, 0.25 tsp: 2 calories
Spices - Allspice, ground, 0.5 tsp: 2 calories
Spices - Pepper, red or cayenne, 0.5 tsp: 3 calories
Morton - Coarse Kosher Salt, 4 grams (1/4 tsp): 0 calories
Chocolate Chip -- Nestle - Toll House - Semi-sweet Chocolate Morsels, 1 tbsp (14 g): 70 calories
Cayenne Pepper, Tone's - Cayenne Pepper, Ground, 1.5 teaspoon: 0 calories
Kroger - Yellow Corn Meal, 2 Tbsp. (27g): 60 calories
Morton - Iodized Table Salt, 0.5 teaspoon: 0 calories
Spices - Cumin, 0.5 tsp: 4 calories
Spices - Garlic powder, 0.5 tsp: 5 calories
Spices - Onion powder, 0.25 tsp: 2 calories
Spices - Paprika, 0.25 tsp: 2 calories
Herdez - Chipotle Pepper In Adobo Sauce, 2 pieces: 10 calories

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

So I mentioned the other day (either here or on Facebook or outloud) that I am partial to Creamy Mac and Cheese versus Mac and Cheese Casserole (the kind with egg).  Don't get me wrong, I'll eat my weight with either.

Anyway, Homesick Texan posted a new recipe. I read it. It was the Creamy version.  And it has bacon. I must have it!

D said ok, but we both agreed to no cotija because it is a pain in neck to find, and it is too much  for the amount we will use before it goes bad. Plus since it was labeled as optional, well that was fine too.

D made this.  It was thick and creamy.  Unfortunately, I seemed to bite down on a big piece of garlic in my first bite so that's all I tasted.  When I said it was overpowering garlic, D looked at me like I had 4 heads.  He said the chipotle was awesome. I asked what chipotle?  I still liked it, but I need to have it again.  The texture was excellent.

So now we have to have again, so I can verify it was as good as he said.  The horror!!!!

Update: D made this with 2 cloves of garlic.  It was very good.  We had with the cotija cheese because we actually have a bag of it.  You should make this.

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

Photo by ALB

(Adapted from the NY Times)

Ingredients
2 cups of dry elbow pasta
2 cups of milk
1 cup of cottage cheese
1 chipotle chile in adobo
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
Pinch of cumin
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups of shredded cheese, a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack
1/4 cup of crumbled cotija cheese (optional, but delicious!) - didn't use
4 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon of butter

Preparation
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch square or round baking pan with the butter. Add the dry pasta.

In a blender, mix together the milk, cottage cheese, chipotle chile, mustard powder, garlic, cumin, salt and black pepper until it’s smooth. Pour mixture over dry pasta and stir until sauce is evenly distributed.

Stir in two cups of the shredded cheese, cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the foil and stir the macaroni and cheese a couple of times. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and chopped bacon and cook for another 25 minutes uncovered or until brown and bubbling.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with cotija and serve.

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal)
Servings: 4
Calories: 617; Carbs:54; Fat: 26; Protein: 40; Sodium: 1759; Fiber: 3

Kroger - Elbow Macaroni Noodles, 2 c (dry): 800
Friendly Farms (Aldi's) - 2% Reduced Fat Milk, 2 cup: 240
Kroger - Small Curd Cottage Cheese, 1 cup: 220
Embasa - Chipotle Peppers In Adobe Sauce, 2 tbsp (31g) with sauce: 15
Spices - Mustard seed, yellow, 1 tsp: 15
Generic - Fresh Garlic Clove, 1 Clove: 4 Spices - Cumin, 0.13 tsp: 1
Kroger - Shredded 2% 4 Cheese Mexican Blend, 3 cup: 960
Butter - Salted - Butter-salted, 1 tbsp: 102
Spices - Morton's Iodized Salt, 1 tsp: 0
Spices - Pepper, black, 1 tsp: 5
Kroger - Fully Cooked Bacon - Kroger, 4 Slices: 107