red or green?

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove!

I have started sharing my Taos experiences on my newest blog "California Girl in Taos". Please visit and let me know what you think.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Stacked Cheese Enchiladas with New Mexican Red Chile Sauce

A couple of weeks ago I posted a recipe for Huevos Rancheros and included my recipe for red chile sauce. I always double or triple the recipe when I make the sauce because I use red chile sauce in many, many dishes. My favorite is enchiladas. And, since it is casserole week at Food Network's Comfort Food Feast, it is the perfect time to share my favorite enchilada recipe.

In New Mexico, enchiladas are served "stacked"...not rolled the way they are prepared in Mexican cuisine. I don't notice a difference in taste but...man!...this version is so easy!! This has become my "go to" dish when I have a large group of people to feed. The stacked enchiladas, plus pinto beans, posole and a green salad create a simple and delicious menu for any size dinner party.

Enchiladas are basically tortillas (usually corn), a filling, cheese and sauce. Southwestern style calls for either red or green sauce...or "Christmas" which is both. You really don't need a recipe....more like the technique...so here is the way I make cheese enchiladas with New Mexican red chile sauce:

You will need to start with the sauce. (recipe follows) Note, the quantities I am providing make enough for 6 people with the side dishes mentioned above. If you want just the enchiladas with a salad this serves 4. You can double, triple, quadruple...whatever you like. Just ensure you increase the pan size accordingly, or use more than one. (my tip...make more than you think you will need...leftovers are delicious too.)

Stacked Cheese Enchiladas with New Mexican Red Chile Sauce
(serves 4-6)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
9 corn tortillas
1 lb extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 white onion, diced
2 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
3 cups New Mexican chile sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add the olive oil to a 2.2 qt casserole dish. Use a paper towel or pastry brush to coat the dish with the oil. Pour 1 cup sauce into the bottom of the prepared dish and spread to cover. Use 4 tortillas to cover the sauce. Take 1 additional tortilla, tear in half, and the tear 1 half into 3 pieces. Use the pieces to cover up any gaps where sauce is showing. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 of the onions and 1/2 of the scallions over the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, another cup of sauce, another 1/3 of the cheese and the onions and scallions. Cover with the remaining sauce and the rest of the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas and serve. I like this dish with a crisp green salad tossed only with seasoned rice vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Some people top their enchiladas with sour cream...I am not a fan (dilutes the taste too much for me) but, if you like...feel free. :)

New Mexican Red Chile Sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pure new mexican ground red chile powder, medium
1 1/2 tsp dried mexican oregano
1/2- 1 tsp chile caribe (caribe is crushed red pepper, seeds and all. this one is hot so start with 1/2 tsp. taste and add more if you like your sauce really spicy)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Add the oil to a medium saucepan and heat until gently shimmering. Add the onions and sauté until they are translucent (do not let brown). Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the salt. add 1 tbsp flour and stir until flour is incorporated into the oil ensuring all lumps are dissolved. Repeat with second tbsp. of flour and sauté for 1 minute. Add the water and the chile powder and stir until combined. Add the oregano, chile caribe and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (low) for 30 minutes. Taste and correct seasonings if necessary.

It is "Casserole" week at Comfort Food Feast roundup. Check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends. Do you have a favorite casserole recipe? Share in the comments section.

The Heritage Cook: Tex-Mex Arroz con Pollo (Gluten-Free)
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Smoked Sausage Chicken Cassoulet
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Cheesy Butternut Squash Enchiladas
Dishin & Dishes: Black Bean Enchilada Pie
Weelicious: Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Dishing with Divya: Chicken Mushroom and Black Bean Tortilla Casserole
Taste With The Eyes: Paella Rice with Baby Octopus & Meyer Lemon
Blue Apron: 11 Super Casserole Recipes for a Super Bowl Feast
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Pork Chop Casserole with Crimini Mushrooms
Red or Green: Stacked Cheese Enchiladas with New Mexican Red Chile Sauce
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Chicken and Rice Casserole
The Sensitive Epicure: Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole (Gluten-Free)
Domesticate Me: Mushroom, White Bean and Brown Rice Casserole with Bacon and Gruyere
Daily*Dishin: Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole
FN Dish: The New Age of Casseroles

best,
Diane

California Girl in Taos

MoseyLove!

I have started sharing my Taos experiences on my newest blog "California Girl in Taos". Please visit and let me know what you think.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Mac & Cheese with Tuna and Green Chiles

This recipe is adapted from the January 2013 edition of Bon Appetit Magazine where they shared a recipe for "No-Boil Mac and Cheese". Brilliant really in that the uncooked pasta is covered with the cheese sauce and then baked in the oven. Easy and delicious. I copied the technique exactly so all credit goes to them, but I lightened it up a bit and added canned tuna and roasted green chiles for flavor and whole wheat pasta, extra virgin olive oil and coconut milk for the health benefits. Wonderful as a main dish with a green salad. Perfect to take for a "potluck" dinner. Try this recipe...comfort food at its best. Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese with Tuna and Green Chiles
adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2013
(serves 4)

extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups coconut milk (from dairy case not canned)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 lb whole wheat pasta, shells or elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 5 oz cans white albacore tuna
1 4 oz can fire roasted green chiles, drained
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil to large saucepan over medium high heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in the coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Remove from heat.

Add pasta to rimmed, deep dish pie plate. Add tuna, chile and 1 cup cheese, stir to combine. Pour sauce over pasta mixture ensuring pasta is totally submerged. Do not stir. Cover tightly with foil and bake until pasta is almost tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove dish from oven. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Add back to oven and bake for 5-10 minutes longer. Pasta should be "al dente", cheese bubbling. Let sit for 5 minutes, then serve.

It is "Mac & Cheese" week at Comfort Food Feast roundup. Check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends. Do you have a favorite mac and cheese recipe? Share in the comments section and/or link to your blog if you have one.

Feed Me Phoebe: Jalapeno-Scallion Mac n Cheese
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Triple Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake
Dishing With Divya: Baked Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese
Weelicious: Green Mac and Cheese
The Heritage Cook: Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
Taste With The Eyes: Macaroni and Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Gravy
Red or Green: Mac & Cheese with Tuna and Green Chiles
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Mac & Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower and Leeks
Virtually Homemade: Ham and Cheese Mac and Cheese Bites
Domesticate Me: Skinny Mac with Cauliflower Cheese Sauce and Chicken Sausage
The Sensitive Epicure: Cauliflower 'n Cheese (Gluten-Free)
Devour: Mix-Ins for Macaroni and Cheese
From My Corner of Saratoga: Queso Mac and Cheese
FN Dish: 10 Ways to Make Mac and Cheese

best,
Diane

california girl in taos

I have started sharing my Taos experiences on my newest blog "California Girl in Taos". Please visit and let me know what you think.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Huevos Rancheros

I am such a breakfast person and was happy to see that week one of Food Network's Comfort Food Feast for 2014 focuses on any type of morning fare. The perfect opportunity to share my favorite recipe for Huevos Rancheros.

What a perfect way to celebrate weekend breakfast...or brunch. Corn tortillas, spicy chile sauce, fried eggs, refried beans...the tastes, textures and blends of spices are delicious. In New Mexico the tortillas are usually steamed before being topped with the remaining ingredients. In Southern California, where I grew up, the tortillas were often fried and that is the version I am sharing today. We are picturing 2 options...red or green chile...but my favorite way of serving this dish is "Christmas"...a healthy serving of both! Add bloody marys or margaritas and the weekend is complete. Enjoy!

with green chile sauce

with red chile sauce

Huevos Rancheros
(serves 4)

8 corn tortillas
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups refried pinto or black beans, homemade or canned
2 cups New Mexican Green Chile Sauce
2 cups New Mexican Red Chile Sauce, recipe follows
8 eggs
1 cup diced white onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 avocados, pitted and sliced
1 lemon
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Fry 4 tortillas until crispy, turning once. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Set aside.

fried corn tortillas

Heat beans in medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat red and green chile sauce in medium saucepans over medium heat.

Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat in skillet previously used for frying the tortillas. Crack eggs into skillet, turn heat down to low, and cook until whites begin to set. Add 1 tbsp water to pan, cover and cook until whites are set and yolks are cooked to desired level 3-5 minutes. (I prefer soft yolks for this dish) Repeat this process if you cannot fit all 8 eggs in your skillet.
Assembly
Place 2 tortillas on a serving dish. Spread 2 tbsp beans over each tortilla. Drizzle 2-3 tbsp either green or red sauce over beans, Top each tortilla with an egg. Drizzle additional sauce over each egg and top with a sprinkling of onion and cilantro and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Garnish each plate with avocado slices drizzled with lemon juice, red bell pepper and cilantro. Repeat process for remaining servings and serve immediately.

New Mexican Red Chile Sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pure new mexican ground red chile powder, medium
1 1/2 tsp dried mexican oregano
1/2- 1 tsp chile caribe (caribe is crushed red pepper, seeds and all. this one is hot so start with 1/2 tsp. taste and add more if you like your sauce really spicy)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Add the oil to a medium saucepan and heat until gently shimmering. Add the onions and sauté until they are translucent (do not let brown). Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the salt. add 1 tbsp flour and stir until flour is incorporated into the oil ensuring all lumps are dissolved. Repeat with second tbsp. of flour and sauté for 1 minute. Add the water and the chile powder and stir until combined. Add the oregano, chile caribe and cumin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (low) for 30 minutes. Taste and correct seasonings if necessary.

It is "Breakfast" week at Comfort Food Feast roundup. Check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends. Do you have a favorite breakfast recipe? Share in the comments section and/or link to your blog if you have one.

Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Broccoli and Goat Cheese Omelet
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Gluten-Free Triple Chocolate Banana Muffins
Feed Me Phoebe: Amaranth Breakfast Porridge with Blueberry Compote
Weelicious: Crispy Orange Stuffed French Toast Sticks
Devour: Bobby's Breakfast for Dinner Recipes
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Egg Bruschetta with Pesto
Red or Green: Huevos Rancheros
Dishing With Divya: Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Sweet Toast
Virtually Homemade: Crescent Dough Breakfast Skillet
Taste With The Eyes: Kimchi & Cheddar Omelette
Blue Apron Blog: 7 Breakfast for Dinner Ideas from Around the World
Dishin & Dishes: Shirred Eggs (Baked Eggs)
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Peasant Omelette
Domesticate Me: "Shakshuka" Egg White Frittata with Turkey Sausage
The Sensitive Epicure: "Egg In The Hole" with Sauteed Spinach
The Heritage Cook: Southwest Breakfast Hash
FN Dish: Wake Up to Breakfast

best,
Diane

california girl in taos