La Platicona Habla: Tastes, Passions and Pursuits

Looking through the recipe index for this blog, I realized that the noble bell pepper has been sadly neglected. To remedy the situation, I give you the Fajita post. I know some of you reading this blog do not eat meat or fish, so feel free to simply exclude the shrimp detail because these tri colored bell peppers are the star of these fajitas.

And for you gluten-free/lactose free eaters? Corn tortillas (check ingredients on the back to ensure that no flour was used to finish them off), and beans make this meal healthy and edible for you too. Now how about that? A dish to please all the picky eaters/diet restricted types in your life. Don't thank me, just pass on this URL to your friends.

You will need:

- 3 bell peppers: green, red, yellow, sliced
- 1 red onion, halved then sliced
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
- 1/2 lime
- large handful of chopped Italian parsley or cilantro
- 3 tbsp of vegetable oil or olive oil
- 1 lb of deveined shrimp
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 pkg of corn tortillas

Step One: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until oil begins to spatter. Add the garlic, onions, jalapenos, and bell peppers. Season with salt. Cook this, stirring every few minutes, for 8-10 minutes or until the bell peppers begin to tenderize.

Step Two: Add the deveined shrimp directly into the veggies, and squeeze the lime over them for added flavor. Cook this only for 2 minutes, stirring, and turn off the heat. Add the chopped cilantro or Italian parsley, tossing everything about. Cover with foil.

Step Three: While things are heating up with the bell peppers, take another skillet or a comal and heat to medium. "Cook" each corn tortilla on each side for 45 seconds, or until the tortilla becomes very soft. You MAY NOT heat these tortillas in the microwave because they will become dry and brittle. Heating the tortillas one-by-one in a skillet on each side will ensure the proper pliability for eating the fajitas like little tacos.

Step Four: In a small pot, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 clove of minced garlic over medium heat until oil is hot. Add the can of beans and season with salt. I cooked these beans for about 7-10 minutes while the vegetables cooked and they were perfect for my fajitas.

Serve these veggies in a big bowl, with the side of warmed tortillas covered by a clean dish towel to retain heat, and the side of beans. I ate these fajitas with tomatillo salsa and guacamole. They are oh so yummy for the end of summer.

Labels: bell pepper, corn tortillas, fajitas, seafood, shrimp

Once again, the basic red chile (see post 1/18/06) saves the day. Huevos rancheros provide an amazing Saturday morning breakfast. I suggest that you cook this when you have some time and if you or a guest are very hungry.

You will need: 1 potato, rinsed and diced; eggs; red chile (see post 1/18/06); corn tortillas; cheese (I prefer jack); refried beans; chorizo sausage.

Step One: Begin cooking this dish by frying up the potatoes in about 3 tbsp of vegetable oil. You should have about 1 cup or more of potatoes for 2 people. Fry over medium-high heat until golden brown.

Step Two: Using beans you made in the crockpot (see post 10/18/05), or a can of pinto beans, make refried beans by pouring them into a skillet with 3 tblsp of vegetable oil. Let liquid cook off and mash with a fork. Salt to taste and set aside.

Step Three: Reheat red chile (see post 1/18/06) in the microwave or over the stove and set aside for service.

Step Four: In a saute pan or comal (round castiron pan with no edges) heat up corn tortillas (traditionally you fry these for this dish but that is a lot of fat for one day). Place two tortillas on a plate and add a scoop of beans on each, cheese, and then an egg cooked to your liking (for poached eggs, see post 10/23/05). Smother this in red chile. Eat with a side of potatoes you just fried or if you like sausage, I recommend chorizo. Eat it up.

Labels: breakfast, corn tortillas, eggs, potato, red chile

Labels: corn tortillas, New Mexico, red chile

I know - you all feel abandoned - but really, it is not my fault. The digital camera I've been using is not giving me my pictures - so many bids for forgiveness. I will try to catch up now that my roomate is back and can hopefully fix the camera bug.
Well, I love and miss enchiladas--especially my mom's. I promised her, however, that I would not divulge her green and red chile recipes on my blog because every Mexican knows better than to post their chile recipes for all to see: otherwise, you have some half-assed jerk publishing it in his food network cookbook and making money off such a simple thing as chile, onions, garlic and spices with water. Chile is not so much about measurements, rather it is about the cooking procedure and method--about roasting your chile right, not overcooking the onions and garlic, and reducing the caldo (broth) so it thickens without burning or overcooking the chile.
For you non-chile officianados, red chile is basically the ripened form of green chile. Red is often dried, hung to dry on a ristra or ground into a powder. Green is roasted and peeled. To eat it year-round, you have to buy it in August-September, roast it, freeze or can it, and then use it at the time of cooking. Chile is a labor of love and my favorite place to eat it is at El Patio restaurant in Albuquerque, NM (home of all chile, red or green, and if you order both, it's called Christmas). To my delight, El Patio started canning its chile and selling it at the restaurant. I purchased the red and green to make enchiladas al estilo Nuevo Mexico. Unlike traditional Mexican enchiladas, the NM kind are flat and not rolled. The layers usually consist of hamburger and potatoes, but for this recipe, I used chicken and beans. The vegetarian plate featured in the photo is of course spinach and beans.
You will need:
- one 12 pack of corn tortillas,
- 2 cans of El Patio red and green chile (you can always purchase 505 brand of canned green chile at Safeway or Smith's),
- a crock pot of fresh beans (frijole de bolita was used here), or 2 cans of pinto beans that are cooked with 3 tbsp of vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat for 10 minutes
- diced onion,
- spinach (fresh baby spinach), lettuce, cheese (always use Monterey Jack),
- shredded chicken (2 chicken breasts whole with bones, boiled in a pot over high heat for 12-16 minutes, then shredded with a fork),
- 1/2 c of oil to fry tortillas (replenish as necessary).

Step One: in a small egg pan, heat up your oil over medium heat.

Step Two: on a plate, serve a scoop of beans, quickly fry the tort on each side for about 45 seconds, and place on top of beans. Add more beans or chicken, spinach, cheese, onions and scoop of chile.

Step Three: Repeat step two. Top off with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Serve with a side of beans.

It's like El Patio in my kitchen! For those of you in ABQ, break me off a little next time you are on Harvard drive and jonzen for chile.
For you "heartburn" types and people who ask "is the chile hot?" - don’t bother.

Labels: corn tortillas, New Mexico, pinto beans, red chile