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In the Kitchen with Green Chiles
updated: Jan 23, 2010, 9:30 AM
By Leah Etling
If you take a trip to New Mexico, it won't be long before someone asks you the state's most prevalent question: "Green or red?"
A side serving of chile is mandatory and complimentary at most restaurants, and it makes eating out much more interesting. This is not salsa. It's chile.
We went to New Mexico for Christmas this year, and the best thing we brought back with us was a cooler full of fresh frozen, fire roasted, New Mexico green chiles. This year's batch is HOT. You don't discover that, however, until you start cooking with them. I made a batch of chicken tortilla soup, threw some in, and couldn't eat it for 24 hours. When we made Erik's chili with them and did the same thing, it became apparent that they're all that spicy. So from now on, they'll be used with caution.
Unfortunately, the green chiles you can buy in most California grocery stores don't come close to these. So if you're not passing through New Mexico anytime soon, here's a tip: Hatch green chiles come as close as you can get to duplicating the fresh flavor in a can. They're made in New Mexico, and they will actually ship you the frozen fresh green chiles overnight if you want to try them. They're great for chile rellenos, which is my favorite thing to order in a New Mexico restaurant. See www.hatch-chile.com.
Here's a photo of our frozen chiles. They don't look like much but since they're frozen, the skins easily peel off. Remove the tops and seeds, dice them up and you're ready to go!
Here are two recipes that we made with them this week:
Erik's Chili
Dice one small sweet onion and press 3-4 cloves garlic. Cook with 1-pound ground turkey. Season to taste with chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
Add 24 ounces diced tomatoes, 4-6 diced fresh green chiles, 12 oz. corn, 12 oz. kidney beans, 12 oz. can black beans. Let simmer for 45 minutes. Add water/tomato sauce as needed.
American Enchiladas
I adapted this recipe from Better Homes. It's really bad for you, but I was in need of some comfort food this week, and a creamy casserole-style dish fits that bill for me. The green chiles made it spicy, and I added some mushrooms and spinach that wasn't in the original recipe.
First, cook about a pound of chicken, diced, with sweet onions and 3-4 diced green chiles (one small can if you're using canned), in olive oil. Set aside.
For filling, sauté half a red onion, ½ cup pecan pieces, ¾ cup diced brown mushrooms, and 2 cups shredded spinach, about 5 minutes on medium heat. In a bowl, combine with 6 oz. cream cheese, 1 cup of pepper jack cheese, and 1-teaspoon milk. Stir. Add chicken.
Fill corn or flour tortillas with filling and place in casserole dish. For sauce, combine one can cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup milk, ¾ cup sour cream. Mix, add another smattering of green chiles. Top with any leftover pecan pieces.
Bake, covered in 375-degree oven for 35 minutes. Cool before serving with rice or rice and beans.
COMMENT 54851
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2010-01-23 10:22 AM |
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Green or red? Red or Green? I concur---there's nothing like the tears rolling down your face as your taste buds encounter, for example, green chile stew----New Mexico green chile stew. It's been awhile since I lived in Albuquerque---thanks for the memories!
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SHOREBIRD
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2010-01-23 03:18 PM |
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I lived in NM for 22 years and really miss the Hatch chile. They are specially bred Anaheim chiles used in Green Chile Stew. As the locals say, "I'm from New Mexico where pain is considered a flavor."
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COMMENT 54905
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2010-01-24 09:31 AM |
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Yummm...I go through withdrawl without my NM red chile powder and frozen green. Can you get Bueno here in SB or are you talking Albertson's in NM? It's the next best thing. Although there's nothing that compares to Chimayo chiles...smaller but the flavor! Did notice that TJs carries Hatch green chile in the can now but it's only mild. An Albertson's in Santa Maria one year had a batch of fresh Hatch and it went like wild fire. Brings back memories of roasting them with my grandmother and making chile con queso and enchiladas. Thanks for the memories.
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