Cuisine: Chilis

New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas

Jessica here, guest-blogging for Leslie.

This is a photo of our tasty New Mexico-style stacked enchilada. It’s a family favorite, especially during this dark pandemic winter.

How to make it? Well, as we lawyers say, it depends. There’s an easy way and a hard way.

The easy way? Buy everything: shred a roast chicken, open a can of refried beans and another of enchilada sauce; layer it all evenly between three corn tortillas, bake at 400° F for 10-15 minutes, top with a fried egg – and there you have it.

The hard way is what you see in this photo. But it was actually a collaborative effort. My husband made green chile using Hatch chiles that he’d roasted, frozen, and defrosted.

I poached chicken breasts in white wine, water, and some aromatics (black and pink peppercorns, chile powder) and shredded them.

Then, I realized I had no canned refried beans. What to do? Well, I had a can of pinto beans, so I made my own. And may never use canned ones again, because these were so delicious.

By Leslie Blythe

Hatch Chile Rice

I know I should have posted my Irish recipes, but I made this Hatch Chile Rice last night and it was really good. You could add chicken to it and make it more of a main course. I found these El Pinto chiles at my local supermarket. I am glad that Hatch Chiles have finally made it into the mainstream. I used to go every September and buy a VERY large Hefty Bag of them and have them roasted. Then I would bring them home and freeze 6 in ziplock bags. It took up most of my freezer! My car smelled like chiles for months! My daughters were not thrilled with this when they were little. Yes, I know I have a problem!

By Leslie Blythe

Green Chili Egg Casserole

There are so many things to like about this Green Chili Egg Casserole. You can prepare it the day before ready to bake the next day or you can also bake it and freeze it into individual portions. Oh, and did I mention that it's absolutely delicious?!

By Leslie Blythe

Crispy Korma Salmon with Coconut Rice and Cucumber Pickle

My husband has been binge-watching Jamie Oliver cooking videos on YouTube. We have been fans of him for years. We used to live a few blocks away from him in London when he first got married. We decided to try this Crispy Korma Salmon with Coconut Rice and Cucumber Pickle, which is very easy to make and packed with flavor. I could not find Patak’s Korma Spice Paste, so I used curry paste instead, unfortunately for me, I could only find mild! The rice is cooked with a red chili, a half a lemon and some coconut cream, which is a new revelation. You chop up the lemon and chili and serve it on top to the rice. The quick cucumber pickle adds a bright note to this dish. 

By Leslie Blythe

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Orange Butter

Growing up in the '60s, my mother made canned yams that had 1 pound of butter and 1 pound of brown sugar!!!! Don't get me wrong, I loved it.

Now that I am a grownup, I prefer my sweet potatoes, less sweet and a bit spicy! This recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Orange Butter is from Ina Garten's new cookbook called Modern Comfort Food. I love roasting sweet potatoes. There is a touch of maple syrup, orange juice and some chipotle chile in adobo sauce mixed into the butter. Orange juice brightens up the flavor. It's a winning combination. You can make the butter days ahead. 

By Leslie Blythe

Creamed Corn-Stuffed Peppers with Pickled Jalapeño

This Creamed Corn-Stuffed Peppers with Pickled Jalapeño recipe is from Yotam Ottolenghi that was published in The Guardian. The creamy corn polenta stuffing is wonderfully satisfying and works really well in peppers. You can use any type of pepper that you like. Serve it with a mixed green salad for dinner tonight!

By Leslie Blythe

Aunt Bambi’s Chile Colorado

My friend Chris, whose family calls her “Aunt Bambi” (there must be an interesting story there!), had us for a socially distant dinner in her backyard and made this incredible Chile Colorado. By the way, Colorado has nothing to do with the state of Colorado. Colorado is of Spanish origin, meaning "colored red.” Chile Colorado (sometimes spelled Chili Colorado) is a Mexican dish featuring a red sauce and tender pieces of beef. There is a small amount of chocolate in it and is typically eaten with beans, rice, and tortillas.

By

Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles

My daughter has a friend at Bon Appétit and he told her this was the best recipe they published this year. She made it and called me immediately to say it was the best thing she's ever eaten! So I made it last night and yes, these Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles are all that and a bag of chips as my husband says. It's so good that you should make the full recipe. Apparently, it's even better the next day. Sambal is an Indonesian chili sauce or paste.

By

Vegetable Chili

This is one of my all-time favorite chili recipes, which happens to be vegetarian. It's the perfect thing to make for a crowd with a regular chili con carne. It will please your vegetarian guests and the carnivores as well. It's delicious!

By

Instant Pot Chili

I have many chili recipes, but this is my new favorite. I have given the Instant Pot instructions and also the stovetop instructions. The addition of a small amount of cocoa powder adds a subtle depth of flavor.

By