Sopaipillas

Sopaipillas are native to New Mexico, originating in Old Town, Albuquerque, over 300 years ago. These hollow puffs are generally served as a bread with honey drizzled inside.  They are delicious sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar as a dessert or snack and make wonderful “pocket bread” for stuffing with refried beans, chile con carne and sauced for a main dish sandwich.

To assure success while making them, just remember the following 4 tips--
     1.  Knead the dough until it is smooth and the gluten is well developed. (Note how to do this in the video.)
     2. The oil must be hot--375F.
     3. The shaping technique--learn how to shape the dough before rolling it and DO NOT reroll the dough.
     4. The frying technique is critical.  Be sure to drop the piece of dough straight down into the hot oil, holding it submerged until it puffs and becomes hollow.

SOPAIPILLAS

   (Deep-Fried Bread)

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Note: Leftover sopaipillas can be frozen in an airtight package for up to 3 months.  Reheat in a foil packet at 350 F for 15 minutes.  Just before serving, open the foil to allow the sopaipillas to dry out on the outside.  These puffs will be better for stuffing than for serving as a bread or dessert.

Yield:  4 dozen

            4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

            1 ½  teaspoons salt                                        

1 Tablespoon lard or butter

            1 package active dry yeast, optional 

¼ cup warm water (105-115 F) (gives pleasant yeasty aroma and

               a more elastic texture)

            1 ¼  cups scalded milk (approximately), cooled to room temperature

            Cooking oil for deep frying

1.   Combine dry ingredients and work in shortening, blending very well until mixture resembles corn meal.

2.   Dissolve the yeast in warm water and add this mixture to the milk, stirring well.  (If not using yeast, use 1 ½  cups milk and omit the ¼ cup water).

3.   Add liquid ingredients and work into the dough.  Place on board.

4.   Knead dough thoroughly for about 5 minutes until smooth, firm and elastic, adding no flour or the least amount possible.  (If dough is rubbery and very thick when first kneaded, sprinkle with a little warm water.)  Invert the bowl over the kneaded dough and let rest for 10 minutes or until the dough will yield a hole when poked.  Heat a 3 to 4 inch depth of oil to 400 F in a deep fryer.

5.   Working with one-fourth of the dough at a time, keeping the balance well covered with plastic wrap, roll to ¼-inch thickness or slightly thinner, then cut into triangles or squares; do not reroll any of the dough.  Fry the sopaipillas, a few at a time, in the hot fat.  They should puff and become hollow soon after they are immersed in the oil.  If they don’t puff up, keep holding under the surface of the oil with tongs or a spoon until they do puff.

Comino (Cumin) Rice

This is a very versatile Mediterranean style rice, that is the best prepared with Basmati rice, however it will not mold well as it is so fluffy.  If you wish to mold this rice, use a short grain rice.  And, if you do not have all 3 bell peppers on hand--you can substitute just one kind of pepper and even substitute chopped chiles.



CUMIN (COMINO) RICE

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This is my all-time favorite rice recipe--it tastes best when you divide the cumin, adding half as it is cooked, the balance just before you serving.  The confetti dots of yellow, green and red make for a very pretty side dish.  I have sometimes called this dish Peppered Rice.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

2 tablespoons lard or butter

2 cups diced green, yellow and red bell pepper

1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon cumin (comino), divided

1-1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice (Basmati is best)

1-1/2 cups chicken stock, hot

1.   Using medium heat, melt the lard or butter in a 3 quart saucepan with a close-fitting cover. Add the peppers and onion and cook until onion is wilted. Add the garlic, ½ teaspoon cumin and rice, and stir until well mixed.

2.   Add the hot stock and mix to distribute the rice evenly. Using medium high heat, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover and steam for 15 minutes without disturbing. Then add remaining cumin and stir.  If not as tender as desired, cook to desired doneness.  If dry, add more stock.  Taste and adjust seasonings—I have always found the seasoning in the stock precludes the need for salt in the recipe.

Red Chile Beef Enchiladas

Red Chile Beef Flat Enchiladas are perhaps the most popular entrée in Traditional New Mexican cooking.  Native New Mexicans frequently eat a fried egg atop these.  In Northern New Mexico, they like them served spicy hot, so the egg is a great foil for the spicy heat.  The ground beef is cooked into the sauce, rather than serving the sauce over roasted, shredded beef called “deshabrado”.  These enchiladas can be prepared rolled, if preferred.  If you wish to roll them in advance and freeze, always freeze the sauce for topping them in a separate container. 

RED CHILE BEEF ENCHILADAS 
(Flat Enchiladas)

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Use this recipe for Red Chile Beef Enchiladas.  You can adapt the recipe to Basic Red Chile Sauce, by omitting the beef and starting with 2 Tablespoons butter, lard or bacon drippings.

For Red Chile Beef Sauce:

Yield:  2-1/2 cups

1 pound ground chuck or 80% lean beef

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ground pure mild red chile, such as Pecos Valley Spice Co.

1/4 cup ground pure hot red chile, such as Pecos Valley Spice Co.

2 cups beef stock or water

1 garlic clove, crushed

Pinch of ground Mexican oregano, such as Pecos Valley Spice Co.

Pinch of ground cumin, such as Pecos Valley Spice Co.

3/4 teaspoon salt (if not using stock)

1.   Saute  crumbled beef into a 9 inch skillet or sauté pan and cook until the pink color disappears.  Add flour and stir until smooth and slightly golden.

2.   Remove pan from heat and add ground chiles.  Return to heat and gradually stir in stock.  Add garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt, if using, and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes.  Simmer at least 5 more minutes for flavors to blend.

For Enchiladas:

Yield: 4 Servings

8 white, yellow or blue corn tortillas

About 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

4 onion, chopped (may be cooked into the sauce)

4 to 6 eggs (optional), soft fried

6 to 8 lettuce leaves (optional), coarsely chopped

2 ripe tomatoes (optional), cut in wedges

1.   Place a little chile sauce on a warmed plate, then top with a tortilla followed by cheese, onion, and more sauce.  Repeat once or twice more, making a stack of 2 or 3 tortillas layered with cheese, onion, and sauce (see Note).  Top each enchilada with more sauce and cheese.  Place in the preheated oven until the cheese melts.  Top with an egg, if desired, and garnish with the chopped lettuce and tomato wedges.  These are traditional Santa Fe style.

Perfect Guacamole

My recipe for Perfect Guacamole has won high praise from Food Editors, students, friends and family for years. The only really important pointer is that you REALLY do have to use JUDGEMENT when adding the tomato, onion and jalapeno as the amount really will depend on the size of the avocados.  With smaller avocados, use less tomato and onion.  In this video you will see my favorite way to prepare it!

Enjoy!!

GUACAMOLE

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Guacamole at its best!  For greatest flavor, appearance and keeping quality – always cut avocados with two knives into coarse chunks about 1 inch square.

Yield:  4 servings

2 ripe avocados (preferably Haas)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste

1 medium-size tomato, chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped Spanish onion

1 medium fresh jalapeno, minced

2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1.   Halve the avocados; scoop pulp into a bowl.  Coarsely chop with two knives.  Add salt and garlic; then slowly add lime juice to taste.

2.   Fold in tomato, onion and chiles.  Let stand a few minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.

3.   Taste and adjust seasonings.  Some like spicy guacamole, while others like it quite mild.  Often piquancy is best determined by the other foods you are serving.  If some like it hot and others don’t, a solution is to serve a side dish of spicy salsa.

4.   Serve guacamole in a Mexican pottery bowl and garnish the top with a few tostados thrust into the top.  Serve with a basket of tostados.  As a salad, serve over chopped lettuce and garnish each serving with a cherry tomato.

Note:  Many myths seem to abound about placing an avocado pit in the guacamole to keep it from discoloring or oxidizing.  I don’t find that to work so well.  Cover the guacamole well or sprinkle with a few drops of ascorbic-acid mixture, the mixture used to prevent darkening in freezing fruits.  Be careful not to add much of the acid, as it can be slightly sweet.

Pollo Rellenos

These party perfect stuffed chicken breast rollups dressed up with a simply beautiful Salsa Fresca are really a great fast entree for a light meal as they only weigh in at 205 calories each. I created this dish for my "Jane Butel's Quick and Easy" cookbook and have made them many, many times and have even sliced them into 1/2 inch rounds for an appetizer. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

If you prefer to bake them conventionally, use a 375F oven and bake for 20 minutes or until well done. The chicken is done when it is firm to the touch or reaches 185F

POLLO RELLENOS WITH SALSA GARNISH

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Relleno in Spanish means stuffed. Here, I have stuffed the chicken breasts with cheese and green chile, then coated them with a crispy coating. The traditional Salsa Fresca is wonderful as an accompaniment.

Yield: 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of any fat or sinew (see note)

2 Tablespoons low-fat Cheddar Cheese or more to suit taste

2 Tablespoons chopped green chile (canned or frozen) or more to suit taste

¼ cup skim milk or buttermilk

½ cup cornflake crumbs (see note)

Salsa Fresca, optional

1.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Pound with a tenderizer mallet or the flat side of a heavy knife. Lay the chicken breasts out flat and divide the cheese and chiles among them.

Roll the chicken and fasten with toothpicks or skewers, tucking in the sides to hold the cheese mixture. Dip in the milk to coat uniformly then dip into the cornflake crumbs.

2.   Place in a microwave-safe baking dish, cover with wax paper, and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the Salsa Fresca, if using. Spoon a ribbon of salsa over each serving.

Note: You may need more corn flake crumbs for larger breasts.  Boneless, skinless thighs can be substituted, if preferred. Cheese-cracker crumbs can be substituted for the cornflake crumbs, but they contain more fat.

Salsa Garnish

½ cup chopped tomato

½ cup chopped onion

½ chopped green chiles

Combine the tomato, onion, and chiles; mix well.

Per serving: Calories 205, Protein 29 g, Carbohydrates 13 g, Fiber 1 g, Fat 3 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 74 mg, Sodium 242 mg.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas are a main stay in traditional New Mexican and most Tex-Mex restaurants. Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are the most popular entrée in most New Mexican restaurants. I think after you make these, you might just agree that they are so easy to make and are more flavorful than you can get most anywhere. The rich chicken broth based sauce is so much more delicious than just the thickened green chile juice which is so often served.

Freshly roasted green chiles always create the very best and freshest flavor and are generally available most everywhere. Even though they are the New Mexican type green chiles, they are generally sold as Anaheim chiles. I have found them in Europe, Canada and most everywhere in the United States. 

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN ENCHILADA

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These are the traditional favorite of most visitors to New Mexico. And they are very popular with natives as well. The yummy green chile sauce tucked between layers of tortilla and richly melted  with cheese makes for a delicious entrée that can be readied two hours before baking if desired.
The green chile sauce is basic, yet versatile and can be used to create enchiladas, or pour over chimichangas or burritos.  Seafood, beef or beans can be substituted for the chicken, or take out the meat for a vegetarian version.

Yield:  4 servings

8  white, yellow or blue corn tortillas

1 cup oil for frying, optional

1 recipe Green Chile Sauce, attached

¾ cup 50/50 mixture of grated Cheddar & Monterey Jack cheese, or to taste 

½ cup or 1 medium-sized onion, chopped finely

¼ cup sour cream

New Mexico Green Chile Sauce

 

Yield:  2 cups

1 tablespoon butter or lard

2/3 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

1-1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup (or more) chopped green chiles

1 cup cooked chopped chicken

1 large clove garlic, finely minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

Dash of ground comino (cumin)

Garni: 1 Tablespoon crushed caribe chile, 6 leaves each coarsely chopped Romaine and red leaf lettuce, 4 tomato wedges for each serving

1. For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft. Stir in the flour.
2. Add the broth. Then add chiles, garlic, salt and comino.
3. Simmer for 20 minutes; then use for making enchiladas.
4. If desired, heat oil on medium high heat in a small skillet, when oil is hot; lightly fry them. If not frying, just use tortillas right from the package.  If rolling the tortillas, they must be lightly fried.
5. For Flat Enchiladas:  Preheat the oven to 350 F about 15 minutes before serving. For each, place a spoonful of green chile sauce on the plate, then top with a tortilla, followed by a spoonful of sauce, spread to edges of the tortilla.  Then sprinkle  cheese and  onion and add another tortilla and repeat. Heat in a preheated  moderate 350 F oven until the cheese melts.  To serve, top each enchilada with a dollop of sour cream and a generous sprinkle  of caribe chile flakes.  Encircle each enchilada with Romaine lettuce first, then red leaf and place tomato wedges facing the same direction equally spaced around the enchilada. .

Variation for Rolled Enchiladas:  Dip the lightly fried tortilla into the sauce and place a strip of each grated cheese and chopped onion down the center.  Roll and top with more sauce and cheese.  To serve a crowd, place the rolled enchiladas in a large, shallow baking dish, but do not cover with sauce.   Just before serving, heat in a moderate 350F oven.  Warm the sauce separately and add just as you are ready to serve.  Do not overcook or the enchiladas will be very mushy.  Top with additional cheese and reheat until it melts.  Add lettuce around edges before serving.

Roasting Green Chiles

Green chiles are a passion, almost an obsession with New Mexicans

And almost anyone who has ever tried them

New Mexico has been home to the green chiles for eons and eons. In fact, green chiles have been so popular for so long, every man, woman and child on average eats over a bushel per person per year, resulting in almost no excess for export.

Green chiles are the unripe form of red chiles. All chiles tattle tale their spiciness or heat by their configuration or appearance. The three indexes to heat are-

                Narrow shoulders

                Pointed tip

                Darker color for its type

The reverse is true for milder chiles —

                Broad shoulders

                Blunt tip

                Lighter color

These guidelines are important to know, because any one chile plant can have up to 15 different piquancies or levels of spice at any one time. If you definitely like chiles hotter or milder, knowing how to select the chiles of your choice becomes much easier.

Green chiles are highly perishable, so should be refrigerated, once picked.  They have the freshest flavor and texture if roasted within a few days. 

The best method for roasting chiles is to—

1. Wash them, removing all soil,

2. Prick the chiles with a sharp knife, making a slit about a half inch long lengthwise just below the stem.

3. Place the chiles on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil if roasting in the kitchen under the broiler.  If roasting over a hot, direct fire on an outdoor grill, the chiles can be placed directly on the grate.  Either way you select to roast—leave under or on the heat source until the first side of each chile becomes darkly blistered.  Then rotate each and repeat, at least 3 times. DO NOT CONTINUE TO TURN THEM AS THEY WILL NOT PROPERLY ROAST OR PARCH—THEY WILL BE STEAMED.

4. When uniformly blistered, place the chiles in ice water to stop the cooking and maintain a crisp texture.  Just for the record, the chiles will also retain a much brighter color and more nutrition than if you just let them cool at room temperature.  When the chiles are cool to the touch, remove them from the ice water and drain.   

5. If freezing, place the drained whole chiles (unpeeled) on cookie sheets and freeze.  When solid, place in heavy weight freezer bags that you have labeled and dated.  Now, you can use just one or many chiles by placing them under warm water for a few minutes and the skin pulls right off.