Poblano chiles are not mouth-burning hot, either. Especially if you deseed and devein them. Some are warmer than others, but the batch I made were completely heatless. If you get a chile that lacks the heat you’re looking for, add the seeds and veins into the stuffing mixture. It should pep it right up! The chorizo this recipe calls for also adds some spice, not to mention plenty of flavor.

As usual, I do not measure. I can offer approximates, but please feel free to adjust up or down depending on your personal tastes.

Ingredients:
6 fresh poblano chiles
6-8 oz. chorizo, cooked
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small-medium zucchini, diced finely
1 small red onion, diced finely
6 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup cherry tomatoes, diced
2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
avocado, for garnish

Guidelines:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook chorizo according to package directions. When chorizo is nearly done, add chopped garlic and diced onion. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until onion becomes very slightly translucent. Add diced zucchini, beans, and diced cherry tomatoes. Cook until just warmed through.

Wash the poblanos. Remove the top and cut a slit down the center. Remove the seeds and veins, if so desired.

Stuff the chiles with the chorizo mixture. Top with cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is just beginning to brown.

Top with diced avocado, if you’d like.

I don’t know how they cooked the pork at the restaurant, and I can’t remember what toppings they used, but here is my version. Also, I didn’t measure the ingredients for this recipe, so I can only offer you guestimates. It’s easy to adjust the sauce, however, so guestimates will work.

Honey Chipotle Sauce
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
about 1/3 cup honey
about 2 tbsp. lime juice
about 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Taco Ingredients
a spice mixture composed of about 3 tbsp. cumin, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, ½ tsp. red chili flakes, 3 tbsp. red chili powder, and 1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 pork shoulder roast, about 3 lbs.
about 2 cups chicken stock
1 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded
20 small white corn tortillas
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1-2 cups red cabbage, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Special Equipment
crock pot

Guidelines

Make the spice mixture and rub it into the pork. Place in crock pot, and add the chicken stock. Set crock pot to high for a cooking time of 4-6 hours, or low for a cooking time of 8-10 hours.

Make the Honey Chipotle Sauce, and set aside to let the flavors marry. Adjust taste as needed. Note: It will taste very spicy alone. The spice mellows when you add the other ingredients.

Once the pork is done (when it pulls completely off the bone), remove from crock pot and let cool slightly. Shred the pork, trimming off any fat. Pour the sauce over the shredded pork and mix well.

Grate the cheese, dice the tomatoes, chop the cilantro, and red cabbage.

In a medium fry pan over medium heat, add a tortilla and top with a small handful of cheddar cheese. Cook until cheese is melted and the bottom of the tortilla is starting to brown and turning crispy. Remove from pan and top with pork, tomatoes, cabbage, and cilantro. Repeat process.

I realize I make a lot of salads, but this one is by far one of my favorites. (I don’t say that about every one, do I?!) The taco reigns supreme in my household, and this salad is really just an inverted version of the taco. Sans cheese. Really, you don’t need it. There are plenty of flavors and textures without it. But if you’re a huge cheese fan… Another optional ingredient is avocado. The most important part of this recipe is the chicken. It really needs a good coating of red chile sauce. If you don’t want to make your own tortilla strips, you could use store-bought chips, but they tend to pack a lot of oils and salt. I prefer the baked version below, myself.

Ingredients:

*Note: This salad will easily fill two people. Also note: The measurements aren’t precise. Adjust as necessary.

½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
enough romaine lettuce to fill a large salad bowl (6 cups? I use two small heads…)
½ red pepper, diced
½ cup corn kernels
¼ cup black beans
jalapeno, seeded and diced
4 corn tortillas, cut into strips
½- 1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup, plus 1 tbsp. red chile powder, divided
2 tbsp, plus 1 tbsp. cumin, divided
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Mexican oregano

Dressing Ingredients:

juice of 1 lime
equal parts canola oil to lime juice
1 heaping tsp. cumin
a pinch of brown sugar

Baked Tortilla Strips:

Cut your tortillas into strips, about ½ wide. Season with salt, 1 tbsp. red chile powder, and 1 tbsp. cumin. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they reach desired crispness. Check them around 8 minutes, to make sure they’re not burning.

Guidelines:

Simmer chicken breasts in plenty of water seasoned with salt and pepper for 30-40 minutes, or until they easily shred. Let cool briefly, then shred.

In a large bowl, combine ¼ cup red chile powder, 2 tbsp. cumin, the garlic powder, and oregano. Add ¼ cup chicken stock and mix well. Add the shredded chicken and toss until well combined. At this point, you may need to add more chicken stock to achieve a uniform spice coating. Add enough until you’re satisfied, but don’t add enough that the chicken is watery. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Mix your dressing ingredients.

Make the baked tortilla strips.

Wash and chop the romaine. In a large salad bowl, combine romaine with vinaigrette.

Add corn, red pepper, black beans and jalapeno, and give the salad another toss.

Top individual plates with the salad. Top with spiced chicken and tortilla strips.

Ancho chiles are dark and fruity tasting. Rachael said they have a raisin flavor, and I’d have to agree. They are also very mild. I removed most of the seeds, but I have a feeling I could leave them in with no problems. If you’re at all sensitive to spicy foods, go ahead and remove them, however. For me, I could almost add heat to this dish, but it’s not necessary. The flavors are great, and you certainly wouldn’t want to overwhelm the dish with heat. But I digress…

My first attempt at making these didn’t go so well. Well, it went fine except for one thing—I forgot to make the enchilada sauce! Ha! I made sauce all right, but I added every last drop the chicken mixture, and it needed it. So, I needed to make another batch, but I didn’t have any more ancho chiles. We ended up eating those as quesadillas, and the next day, I went to the store to buy more anchos. In this case, the second try was a charm.

Important Note: I made homemade white flour tortillas for this, and I think that quality of tortilla is essential to the recipe. I’d steer away from traditional store-bought tortillas, but if you have a bakery or local restaurant that will make them and sell them to you, that’s an option. Otherwise, try making your own. It’s fun!

Ingredients:
about 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
6-8 dried ancho chiles
6-8 cups chicken stock
8 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 oz. Queso fresca cheese, crumbled
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
1 cup green cabbage, chopped
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. canola oil
homemade tortillas (see important note above)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. oregano
2-3 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. cocoa powder

Guidelines:

Make or purchase some form of homemade white flour tortillas. They really do make a difference in taste and texture! Buy or make 16-20.

Bring a large pot of water to a strong simmer. Add chicken breasts and salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until chicken shreds easily. Remove from pot, let cool, and shred.

To make the ancho chile sauce, reconstitute the chiles in the chicken broth. Bring the chicken broth to a simmer (you can use the same pot you took the chicken out of, unless you want to prepare them simultaneously, just be sure to drain the water) and add chiles. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until chiles are softened. Remove from chicken broth, but reserve chicken broth. Let chiles cool, then remove stems and seeds.

Working in batches, blend the chiles with the chicken broth. Reserve half of the mixture for the enchilada sauce. The other half you will use with the chicken.

In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, sauté the minced garlic in the canola oil until just fragrant. Add shredded chicken and half of the ancho chile sauce. Add half the oregano, cinnamon, cumin, and cocoa powder. Mix well and let simmer on low while you prepare the rest of the dish.

In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining ancho chile sauce with the other half of the herbs and spices. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes, to let flavors marry. Keep warm.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. On individual plates, place one to two tortillas. Top each with a handful of cheese and a large spoonful of chicken. Place tortillas over the top and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Don’t spread the sauce over the top at this point. You don’t want it to dry out.

Once the plates come out of the oven, spread the ancho chile enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cabbage, the queso fresca, and chopped tomatoes and avocado.

Note: If you don’t like your food spicy, omit the jalapenos, or use a smaller amount.

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into large chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 28 oz. can diced green chiles
1 4-5 oz. can diced jalapenos
1 28 oz. can hominy
1 14 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
lots of Mexican oregano
1-2 tbsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
olive or canola oil

Optional Ingredients:

cheese
sour cream
tortillas

Guidelines:

Cube the chicken, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and brown it in a couple tablespoons of oil.

After the chicken has browned, add the diced onion and chopped garlic. Cook until the onions begin to soften.

Add cumin and oregano. Stir to combine.

Add green chiles, jalapenos, hominy, and diced tomatoes. Mix well.

Add enough water to cover, and let simmer for several hours or until the chicken begins to fall apart.

Drink Suggestions from Dan: Mexican beer, a good American microbrew pale ale, or margaritas.

I like to serve this salsa with pork adobo tacos, but it’s also tasty on plain corn chips.

Ingredients and Guidelines:

For a small bowl, combine the following:
2 cups assorted cherry and grape tomatoes, halved (if you can, use a combination of yellow, red, orange, purple, and green tomatoes)
1 tomatillo, finely diced
½-1 jalapeno, finely diced
3 tbsp. red onion, finely diced
small handful cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice

Mix well. Set aside for 20-30 minutes to let flavors marry.

I started playing around with what I had in my fridge, and I came up with slaw. Shredded red cabbage, ribbons of spinach, fresh jalapenos, green onions, cilantro, chopped red peppers for that splash of color, and diced red onion, all dressed with a sprinkling of lime juice. Yeah! The slaw is crisp and vibrant, and coupled with the fajita seasoned meat and hearty pita bread, it filled me right up. The best part is, you can make the slaw and cook the meat beforehand, and tote it with you wherever your summer adventures take you.

Ingredients:

1 or so pounds of skinless, boneless chicken, cut into strips
*fajita seasoning (see note below)
1 package pita or flatbread

Slaw:

1 to 1 ½ cups shredded red cabbage
1 to 1 ½ cups fresh spinach, cut into ribbons
½ -1 jalapeno, diced (adjust for heat)
2 green onions, sliced
handful of cilantro, chopped
½ -1 red pepper, diced
2-3 tbsp. chopped red pepper
2 tbsp. lime juice

*A note of fajita seasoning: You can purchase the mix in a package, or, if you prefer to make your own, try this, which is what I use: Mix 1 tbsp. cornstarch, 2-3 tsp. chili powder (adjust for heat), 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. paprika (try it with smoked, if you have it), 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. onion flakes, ½ tsp. garlic, ¼ tsp. cayenne, 2 tbsp. cumin, and 1 chicken boullion cube. You may not need all of it. I used about half for this recipe, and saved the rest. Mix the desired amount in enough water to dissolve the powder. Mix into meat.

Guidelines:

Brown your meat. Once the meat is nearly cooked through, add the fajita seasoning mixed with water, and continue to cook, stirring often, until done.

For the slaw, combine all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Let sit for at least half an hour to let the flavors meld.

If using flatbread, versus stuffing a pita pocket, you may need to gently warm the bread so it doesn’t split upon folding.

I don’t feel guilty about my avocado craze either. While avocados are high in fat, most of it is monounsaturated fat, the same fat found in olive oil. Much of this monounsaturated fat is in the form of oleic acid, which, studies have found, helps to lower cholesterol. Avocados are also high in potassium (60% more than bananas, in fact), which is known to help regulate blood pressure. And (!) they are rich in vitamins B, E, and K, and have a high fiber content.

The chips, however, are another matter…

Most guacamole recipes call for two basic ingredients—avocados and lemon juice. (Though some people use lime juice, which I find very unappealing for some reason. It just doesn’t have the “clean” flavor that lemon juice does. In other words, you can taste the lime juice.) The recipes vary from there. Some people add salt, garlic powder, fresh cilantro, green onions, white onions, fresh chiles, and/or tomatoes. I skip all of these and go straight for the Joy’s—Joy’s Salsa Mix, that is. I don’t want the texture of anything but the avocados in my guacamole. I don’t want to crunch raw onion, or chew rubbery tomatoes. And while I love cilantro, I don’t want to see its green stringiness in my dip.

Joy’s Salsa Mix is perfect because it contains the flavors of chiles, garlic, onions, and other spices, without mucking up the guacamole visually and texturally. Joy’s doesn’t contain any sugar or preservatives, either. It’s just pure dehydrated flavor. The more you add, the hotter it gets, so you can easily adjust the heat to fit your personal taste. And of course it makes the perfect salsa, too!

You can order Joy’s Salsa Mix by clicking here.

Check out their other great products, too.

Or, if you live near the company headquarters in Cortez, Colorado, you can buy their products locally. I stock-up every time I go back to Durango (my hometown).

Spicy Guacamole

2 large, or 3 medium, Hass avocados
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Joy’s Salsa Mix; adjust to individual tastes

Wash avocados. Peel and pit. Mash avocados in a bowl, or, my preference, in a pie pan. Also, I use a potato masher, which gives the guacamole body. (Which sounds much better than “chunks”!)

Add the lemon juice and salsa mix to the mashed avocados. Mix well. Let sit for thirty minutes. (The Joy’s needs time to develop flavor. If you eat the guacamole right away, you will miss what Joy’s has to offer. I know it’s hard, but seriously, let it rest for thirty minutes!! You will be a happy camper.) Adjust seasoning as necessary.

I’ve compiled a list of restaurants to indulge at in both the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas, and though the list is much longer than feasible, I know we’ll have fun deciding where to dine. Our top choices will lean toward authentic New Mexican, I’m sure. Bring on those red and green chiles! Mmmm. I can smell and taste them now.

I haven’t been able to wait, either. For the past several weeks, I’ve been cooking with one foot, and my heart, in New Mexico. The last dish I made—Carne Adovada Tostadas—was a keeper. I try to pick recipes I think most people can purchase ingredients for, have the equipment to prepare the recipe in, and not spend all day in the kitchen preparing. This recipe stretches the boundaries a bit because it does take time to make (though most of the time is “hands off”), but the results, I think you will find, are worth it.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs pork, cubed
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 package corn tortillas
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, finely chopped
12 oz. hominy
cumin
oregano
salt and pepper
fresh sliced jalapenos (optional)

Red Chile Sauce ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/3-1/2 cup New Mexican red Chile Powder, to taste
2 tsp. honey or brown sugar
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cube the pork, season it with salt and pepper, and brown it in batches in the canola oil. It’s important not to crowd the pan, otherwise the pork will not brown evenly. Remove pork from pan and set aside.

Add diced onion and garlic to the pan and cook until soft and golden. Add about ½ cup of the chicken broth to loosen any browned bits. Let cool.

In a blender, place the coriander, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, red chile powder, honey or brown sugar, red wine vinegar, 1 cup chicken broth, and the onion/garlic mixture. Process until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add more chicken broth. (The consistency should be in between a tomato paste and tomato sauce.)

In an oven proof dish, combine the red chile sauce with the pork. Cover the dish and bake for 2-3 hours until the pork is tender. Occasionally add chicken broth to the sauce so it doesn’t thicken and burn.

Shortly before the pork is finished, dice the carrot and zucchini. Sauté the vegetables, along with the hominy, until just tender, with a dash of salt, about ½ tsp. cumin, and a sprinkling of oregano.

To make the tostada shells, bake the corn tortillas in a single layer in a 350 degree oven. They will take about 3-5 minutes per side.

To assemble, top the baked corn tortillas with a layer of carne adovada. Top with the hominy mixture, and add sliced jalapenos, if desired.

Notes on ingredients:

Chipotle. Chipotles are smoked jalapenos. Jalapenos naturally turn red at the end of the growing season, and it is these chiles that growers turn into chipotles. You can find them in the Hispanic section of your grocery store, canned in what is called adobo sauce, which is a mixture of pureed chiles, vinegar, and spices. This recipe calls for a chipotle grill sauce, however. Most grocery stores also carry a version or two near the marinades and barbeque sauces. If you can, purchase a fruit and chipotle sauce, such as Raspberry Chipotle, which is what I recommend.

Salsa Fresca. Otherwise known as pico de gallo, this is a mixture of fresh, or raw, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and other vegetables, depending upon the chef. It also contains lime juice or vinegar, and olive or canola oil. In the recipe below, I roasted corn, along with the red onions, for a different flavor. Technically that makes it no longer “fresca” since it now involves cooking, but go with it, will ya?!

Roasted Corn Salsa Fresca

Ingredients:

1 cup corn kernels
½ red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (seeds and placenta removed for milder flavor)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
handful of cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an oven-proof dish, mix corn kernels, diced red onion, 1 tbsp. olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt. Roast in the oven until vegetables are soft and aromatic, about 15 minutes. (Add a touch of cumin for a smokier flavor.)

In a medium bowl, mix the diced tomatoes, diced jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice.

Once the corn mixture has come out of the oven and cooled, add it to the tomato mixture. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for an hour. At this point, check for taste and adjust as necessary, adding more salt, lime juice, etc.

Chipotle Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

Ingredients:

3 medium-large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can black beans
1 package whole wheat tortillas
1 bottle Raspberry Chipotle grill sauce, or variation

Coat chicken breasts with a light covering of olive oil. Grill chicken breasts until done. Let rest, (after you remove from grill, let the meat sit for 5-10 minutes so the juice doesn’t ooze out and dry out the chicken upon slicing) then slice thinly and toss with ½- 1 cup of the grill sauce, depending on amount desired. (Note: Sauces applied before cooking will burn.)

While the chicken is resting, rinse and drain the black beans, then heat with 1 tbsp. of the chipotle sauce.

Warm the tortillas.

To assemble, lay the sliced chicken on the tortilla, sprinkle with black beans, and top with the roasted corn salsa fresca.