Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce

Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce
Servings 6

Sauce:
    1 can Pumpkin puree
    1 cup Tomato Sauce
    1 cup Low Fat Sour Cream
    2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
    2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
    Salt And Pepper
Filling:
    4 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken (Rotisserie Chicken)
    1 teaspoon Olive Oil
    Small Onion, Diced
    2 cloves Garlic, Minced
    2 cans Black Beans, Drained
    1  Jalapeno, Deseeded And Minced
    2 cups Tomato Sauce
    2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
    2 teaspoons Cumin
    1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
    Salt and pepper
    >16  Corn Tortillas
    7oz Reduced-fat Shredded Colby-jack Cheese
    Optional Toppings: Sour Cream, Greek Yogurt, Diced Avocado, Or Chopped Fresh Cilantro


Begin by making the pumpkin sour cream sauce: In your food processor or blender combine pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, sour cream, chili powder and garlic cloves and puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Place 3 cups of shredded chicken in a large bowl and add a little less than half of the pumpkin sour cream sauce to it, toss chicken to coat; set aside remaining pumpkin sauce.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread a thin layer of the remaining pumpkin cream sauce on the bottom of pan.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Once it’s hot add onion and minced garlic and cook until onions begin to soften. Add black beans, jalapeno, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a slight boil, then reduce heat to medium low, stir consistently and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes while sauce thickens. Then remove it from the heat.

Next warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds so they are easier to roll. Lay out the tortillas on your work surface, next to your prepared baking dish.

Make layered style enchiladas: Put down a thin layer of sauce, then tortillas, then filling, then cheese, and sauce, and repeat until done and topped with cheese/sauce.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and edges of tortillas begin to turn golden brown.

Top with sour cream, Greek yogurt, diced avocado, or chopped fresh cilantro.

Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)

Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad)
4 servings

2 tablespoons butter or oil
1 lbs corn kernels, or ~6 cobs worth?
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 glove garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1-1.5 lime, juice
3 tablespoons cotija (or feta), crumbled
3 tsp chili powder or to taste
1 avocado, diced

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the corn, toss and let it sit cooking until charred, mix it up and let it char again, about 6-10 minutes.
Add the jalapeno, saute for a minute and remove from heat.
Mix everything and serve warm or at room temperature.

Hatch Chili Verde

Hatch Chili Verde
Serves 6

3 lbs pork stew meat, cubed
1 lbs fresh or 3/4c canned hatch chiles, roasted and diced
1 small bunch green onions, rough chopped
1 small head garlic, unpeeled but in cloves
1 lbs tomatillos, husked
1 bunch cilantro
1 large onion, diced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 cups chicken stock
1 lbs hominy, yucca, potato, etc
1 avocado, diced
Rice

Season and brown the pork in a large dutch oven. Reserve.
Meanwhile,  roast the tomatillos and unpeeled garlic in a dry pan until scorched.
Blend the chicken stock, roasted tomatillos, garlic (now peeled), stems from the cilantro, scallions, and some salt/pepper.

Saute the onion and cumin in some of the leftover pork fat, until soft. Add the tomatillo mix, pork and juices, and oregano. Season and simmer 2 hours.
After 2 hours, add the yucca or other starch and cook until done.

Finish with some avocado, cilantro, and serve over rice.

Calabacitas, more or less

Calabacitas, more or less
Serves 3

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 red pepper, diced
1 Tbs adobo/mole paste, if possible
1 packet sazon
1 can black beans, drained
1.5-2 cups corn
1 larger zucchini, 1/2 inch chunks
1 can tomatoes+green chilies
cheese, cilantro

Start by sauteing the garlic, onion, red pepper, and mole paste.
Once pepper has softened, add the black beans, corn, and sazon.
Cook for a few minutes, and add the zucchini. Cook a few minutes, and add the tomatoes.
Once the zucchini is done, finish with cilantro and serve topped with cheese alongside rice or corn tortillas.

Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce

Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sour Cream Sauce
Servings 6

Sauce:
    1 can Pumpkin puree
    1 cup Tomato Sauce
    1 cup Low Fat Sour Cream
    2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
    2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
    Salt And Pepper
Filling:
    4 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken (Rotisserie Chicken)
    1 teaspoon Olive Oil
    Small Onion, Diced
    2 cloves Garlic, Minced
    2 cans Black Beans, Drained
    1  Jalapeno, Deseeded And Minced
    2 cups Tomato Sauce
    2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
    2 teaspoons Cumin
    1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
    Salt and pepper
    >16  Corn Tortillas
    7oz Reduced-fat Shredded Colby-jack Cheese
    Optional Toppings: Sour Cream, Greek Yogurt, Diced Avocado, Or Chopped Fresh Cilantro


Begin by making the pumpkin sour cream sauce: In your food processor or blender combine pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, sour cream, chili powder and garlic cloves and puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Place 3 cups of shredded chicken in a large bowl and add a little less than half of the pumpkin sour cream sauce to it, toss chicken to coat; set aside remaining pumpkin sauce.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread a thin layer of the remaining pumpkin cream sauce on the bottom of pan.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Once it’s hot add onion and minced garlic and cook until onions begin to soften. Add black beans, jalapeno, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a slight boil, then reduce heat to medium low, stir consistently and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes while sauce thickens. Then remove it from the heat.

Next warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds so they are easier to roll. Lay out the tortillas on your work surface, next to your prepared baking dish.

Make layered style enchiladas: Put down a thin layer of sauce, then tortillas, then filling, then cheese, and sauce, and repeat until done and topped with cheese/sauce.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and edges of tortillas begin to turn golden brown.

Top with sour cream, Greek yogurt, diced avocado, or chopped fresh cilantro.

Quick Mexicanish Slaw

Quick Mexicanish Slaw
Makes a lot

2 packages slaw mix with cabbage and carrots
1 jalapeno, minced
2 scallions, sliced
1/4c chopped cilantro
3T lime juice
1/3c greek yogurt
1 tsp mustard

Mix the dry, mix the liquid, mix all together.

Chile Verde

Chile Verde
Serves 8

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
5 garlic cloves, not peeled
5 serrano peppers, whole
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped

2 lbs chicken or pork, cubed
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 Tbsp of chopped fresh oregano or 1 Tbsp of dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 med potatoes, cubed
1 can hominy, drained
Pinch of ground cloves

Method

1 Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down, along with 5 unpeeled garlic cloves, and peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven, let cool enough to handle.

2 Place tomatillos, skins included, into blender. Remove the now roasted garlic cloves from their skins, add them to the blender. Add Jalapeño peppers, other chilies (if you are using them), and cilantro to the blender. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.

3 Season the pork cubes generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat and brown pork chunks well on all sides. Reserve.

4 Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions and garlic in the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano to the pan. Add the tomatillo chile verde sauce to the pork and onions. Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the meat). Add a pinch of ground cloves. Add a little salt and pepper.

5 Bring to a boil and reduce to a slight simmer. Cook for 2-3 hours uncovered or until the pork is fork tender. Add potatoes and hominy and cook another 15 minutes or until potatoes are done.

Chicken Mole Soup

Chicken Mole Soup
Serves 6

2 lbs boneless-skinless chicken thighs, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotle peppers + adobo, minced
1 little box mole sauce (not paste)
4 cups chicken stock
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
3 cups cubed potato or yucca
3 cups cubed zucchini
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup corn
1 large avocado, diced
juice of 1 lime
1 small red onion, raw, chopped fine
big handful cilantro, chopped

Start by cooking garlic and peppers until fragrant. Add chicken. season, and cook until no longer raw on the outside. Add mole and boil for a minute.

Add stock and tomatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer 45 minutes (1 hour if using potatoes). Add yucca and simmer 30 minutes (20 minutes for potatoes). Add beans and zucchini and cook 5 minutes.

Add corn, bring to a boil, and add remaining ingredients.

Black Bean and Beef Chili with Lime and Avocado

Black Bean and Beef Chili with Lime and Avocado
Serves 6

3 cans black beans, drained
8oz tomatillos, boiled
1 Chipotle chili pepper + 1tsp adobo
2 habanero peppers, if desired
olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
8oz can tomato sauce
1 large red onion, finely diced
2 roasted poblano peppers, diced
1.5 T regular chile powder
1.5 T Ancho chile pepper
1 T ground cumin or more
1 can beef broth
1-2 T tomato paste
Juice of 3 limes
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 avocados, diced

Drain 2 cans black beans into colander and rinse well. Puree the remaining can
beans, tomatillos, and the chile peppers. Process the beans and tomatoes about
2 minutes, until they are fairly smooth.

In bottom of heavy soup pot, heat 1-2 tsp. olive oil and brown beef, using the
back of the turner to break it into small pieces. Remove beef to bowl, then add
a bit more olive oil and 2/3rd the onions. Lower heat a little and cook onions
until they are softened but not starting to brown. Add all the chile powders
and cumin and saute about 30 seconds.

Add beef stock, browned ground beef, pureed bean mixture, drained beans and
tomato paste and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or a few hours.

Just before serving Chili, stir in the cilantro, lime juice, raw onion, and
avocado. Bring to heat and serve.

Mexican Pasta Salad, Differently

Mexican Pasta Salad, Differently
Serves 6-8

1 pounds fusilli pasta
olive oil

2 large chicken breast halves
4 ears corn
1 packet sazon
2 jalapeno

1 bag cherry tomatoes, halved
1 15oz can sliced olives
1/2 large red onion, chopped

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Juice of 2 limes
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 large handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
~1/4c sour cream

Cook fusilli pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse pasta with cold water to cool. Drain pasta well.
Season chicken with sazon and grill, along with the corn and jalapeno. Reserve, cool, and shred. Nibbeletize the corn.

Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add shredded chicken, tomatoes, corn, olives and chopped onion and toss.

Mix Dijon mustard and fresh lime juice in small bowl. Gradually mix in 1/3 cup olive oil. Mix in sour cream, minced jalapeño chilies, chili powder and ground cumin. Add dressing and chopped fresh cilantro to salad and mix to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Scallops and Chorizo with a Tomatillo-Corn Puree

Scallops and Chorizo with a Tomatillo-Corn Puree
Serves 3

1.5 lbs fresh scallops, rinsed and patted dry
8oz lb. uncooked ground chorizo (if using sausages, remove the casings)
butter

Tomatillo-Corn Puree
1.25 lb. tomatillos, fresh
1 med onion, chunked
6 cloves garlic, peeled and kept whole
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 mild chile (or hotter...)
2-3 ears corn, raw kernels removed
1 green bell pepper, chunked
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 avocado, if needed

1. Preheat an over to 425f. Line a sheet pan with foil, and put on
garlic, onion, chile, and tomatillo. Brush with a little oil and roast
until starting to get some char.

2. When the roasted vegetables have cooled enough to handle, place in a
food processor or blender. Add half of the vegetables, puree, then add
the other half. Add in the raw corn kernels and bell pepper and puree.
Add the salt and pepper, puree one more time, taste, and adjust
seasonings as necessary. Add avocado to thicken. Keep at room temp.

3. Render the chorizo and reserve, leaving 1tbs of fat in the pan.

4. Cook the dried and seasoned scallops in butter, touching only twice
(to turn and to remove). Plate a mount of puree, then some chorizo, and
then some scallops.

Potato Salad with Chiles, Cilantro, and Cumin

Potato Salad with Chiles, Cilantro, and Cumin
Makes 8 servings

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 ears of corn, husked
3 large fresh poblano chiles + 1 jalapeno
1 large red bell peppers
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2+ pounds unpeeled baby Yukon Gold potatoes
6 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk vinegar and garlic in small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil.
Season vinaigrette to taste with heavy salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place corn, chiles, and bell peppers
on grill. Cover and grill until corn kernels are tender and chiles and
bell peppers are blackened on all sides, turning frequently, about 5
minutes for corn and 12 minutes for chiles and bell peppers. Transfer
vegetables to 2 baking pans. Cover chiles and bell peppers; let stand
until cool. Cut corn kernels off cobs; transfer to medium bowl. Peel,
seed, and coarsely chop chiles and bell peppers; add to bowl with corn.

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water just until tender when pierced with knife, about 20 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain and cool
slightly. Cut potatoes into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer to
large bowl. Add grilled vegetables and vinaigrette; toss to coat. Add
cumin seeds, green onions, and cilantro and toss. Season generously with
salt and pepper. Cover; chill at least 2 hours.

Mexican Chicken, Squash, and Potato Stew

Mexican Chicken, Squash, and Potato Stew
Serves 4-6

Annato oil
2 lbs chicken thighs, chunked
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minded
2 chilies, minced
1.5-2 lbs yellow/red potatoes, chunked
Like 2 lbs squash in half moons?
Chicken stock/water
8oz Tomato sauce
1 Avocado, diced
Cilantro, Sour Cream to Garnish

Fry garlic/onion/chilies in annato oil. Add chicken and cook until brown.
Add tomato sauce and chicken stock or water to cover, and cook 30 minutes. Add potatoes and cook 15. Add squash and cook another 5 or until just tender. Add stock along the way if there's not enough to keep everything cooking.

Finish with avocado, cilantro, and sour cream.

Chipotle Avocado Pasta Salad

Chipotle Avocado Pasta Salad
Serves 6

1.75 lbs chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
3 chipotle+adobo, minced
1 pint Cherry tomatoes halved
3 Haas avocados pitted and diced
1/3-1.2c Ranch dressing
1/2 red onion diced
3 ears corn, roasted and nubbletized
1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp Worcestershire/soy
1 package fusilli pasta

Cook pasta in chicken stock leftover from cooking chicken.
Toss everything in a bowl.

Squash Chili Mole

Squash Chili Mole
Serves 6-8

1 tablespoon oil
1.5 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon corander
2 teaspoons thyme
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
2 chipotle peppers, minced, plus 6 or more fresh chilies to taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 beer or malta goya
2 cans kidney beans, undrained
1 can pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons tehina
1/2 bar Mexican chocolate
4 cups squash in bite-sized pieces
Cilantro


Brown the beef in a stock pot, drain and set aside.
Saute onions until softened, 5-7 mins. Add garlic, spices, and peppers. Cook a few minutes.
Add everything else except the squash and cilantro, bring to a simmer, and simmer covered 1-2 hours.
Add the squash, uncover and/or add water if necessary, and simmer 20 minutes or until done.

Mexican Pasta Salad

mexican pasta salad
Serves 8.

1 pounds fusilli pasta
olive oil

Two cooked chicken breasts, meat shredded
1 bag cherry tomatoes, halved
~4-5 ears corn, roasted
1 can sliced olives
1/2 large red onion, chopped

4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
3 jalapeño chilies, seeded, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 large handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Cook fusilli pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse pasta with cold water to cool. Drain pasta well. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Add shredded chicken or turkey, tomatoes, corn kernels, olives and chopped onion and toss.
Mix Dijon mustard and fresh lime juice in small bowl. Gradually mix in 2/3 cup olive oil. Mix in minced jalapeño chilies, chili powder and ground cumin. Add dressing and chopped fresh cilantro to salad and mix to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chilaquiles Verdes

#1 Comfort food, for me.

Chilaquiles Verdes
Serves 4-6

1 medium onion, quartered
6 whole peeled cloves garlic
2 larger boneless/skinless chicken breast halves

12 serrano chiles
1.5-2 lbs tomatillos, husked
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar or melting cheese

Tortilla chips (stale is good)

Boil the chicken with the onion and two cloves garlic. Reserve the stock and vegetables in the pot, and shred the chicken.
Boil the tomatillos for a few minutes, and then add the peppers and rest of the garlic. Boil for about 10 minutes.

Add half the tomatillos, garlic, onion, peppers, and cilantro to a blender with 3/4 cup of the chicken stock. Puree and add to a very large shallow pan.
Repeat, and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.

Add chicken and sour cream. Season. Once it's all mixed through, mix in the cheese.

Serve with chips (I smash everything together and top with cheese)

Chilaquiles Rojos

Chipotle Chilaquiles
Serves 4

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and 1/4 cup liquid reserved
4 chipotles in adobo
1 large onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt
tortilla chips
1 whole split chicken breast
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese or queso añejo
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

1. In a blender, combine the tomatoes with their reserved 1/2 cup of liquid and the chipotles; blend until almost smooth.
2. In a heavy skillet, dry-roast the garlic (in paper) and 3/4 of the onion. Add the blender, and blend.
3. Add the rest of the onion and chicken to a pot with enough water to cover. Cook the chicken. Drain and shred the chicken, reserving the stock. Blend the onion with the tomato sauce.
4. Cook the tomato sauce in the skillet a while. Add the chicken and 1.5 cups of the newly-made stock. Add the dairy, and cook until mixed and thickened. Top with cilantro.

Serve over tortilla chips.

Cochinita Pibil

Yucatan Cochinita Pibil - sort of. Don't forget the onions.
Serves 6

Shortcut Yucatan Roast Pork - Cochinita Pibil

Pork:
3 lbs Pork Butt, trimmed some and chopped into a few chunks to lie in the slow cooker
Juice of 2 Lemons
Juice of 2 Oranges or more - roughly 1/2-3/4cup
2 chopped Habanero peppers
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
2 Bay Leaf
3 Tbs Achiote Paste (or 1.5 Tbs ground Annatto + a chunk of trimmed pork fat)
1 Tsp each Cumin, Coriander, Paprika, Cinnamon
Salt, Pepper

Punch a lot of holes in the pork with a fork. Rub down with the achiote or annatto. Marinate overnight.
Pour everything into a Slow Cooker, adding OJ if the liquid doesn't get at least 1/3 up the meat. Cook on low 12 hours or 5+ on high.

Serve chopped in tortillas or sliced with braising liquid over rice, both with Pickled Onions and Cilantro.

Pickled Onions:
2 Red Onions, Thin sliced
Juice of 1 lime
Orange juice (at least 2 oranges)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs Salt
1 jalapeno, thin sliced

Blanch the onions for about 15 seconds. Drain and combine everything. Add enough orange juice to almost cover everyting. Cool, and let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours.