Homemade Green Chili

Summer is coming to an end and Autumn is just around the corner.  Farmers and gardeners eagerly collect a Southwest favorite~Chili Peppers.  Growing up in Colorado, Pueblo Chili Peppers were readily available at the first sign of Autumn.  Hence the famous 'Chili and Frijoles Festival'  in Pueblo Colorado http://pueblochilefestivalinfo.com/.  Now, living in Arizona, we have access to another great favorite; Hatch Green Chili Peppers from Hatch, New Mexico.  They too have a huge festival this time of year http://www.hatchchilefest.com/  Take time out and enjoy the festivities and fun!

One of my family favorites is homemade Green Chili. Delicious as a meal or as a side with pinto beans or served on top of a juicy gourmet hamburger; Homemade Green Chili is a great dish for those cool Autumn evenings.  The smell of roasted chili peppers fills our home and  mouths water as everyone waits to taste the chili goodness made from the spicy peppers.  Below is my homemade Green Chili recipe.  I encourage everyone to create their own Green Chili recipe using the delicious, meaty chili peppers they purchase at the Chili Festivals.

Check out another favorite Chili Recipe on Dawns Cuisine Minute Roasted Chili Pepper Casserole http://www.dawns-cuisine.blogspot.com/2011/10/chili-peppers.html

Green Chili

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Pork Roast boneless or bone-in, cut into approximately 1 inch pieces (if bone-in cut around bone and cook bone with meat)
5 cups Range-Free Chicken Broth (set aside 2 cups of chicken broth for flour (or cornstarch) mixture used later in the recipe)
3 cups Water
1 Medium-Large Yellow or White Onion, chopped finely
1 Head Fresh Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
**1 lb Roasted Green Chili Peppers, peeled, seeded and chopped (Use any desired heat of chili peppers.  I use 3/4 medium chili peppers with 1/4 hot chili peppers.  (Chili pepper roasting directions at the end of recipe)
3 Tbl Olive Oil
5 Tbl Ground Cumin-divided
3 Tbl Ground Chili Powder-divided
2 tsp Smoked Paprika-divided
2 Tbl Crushed Oregano-divided
Salt to taste
3 Hot House or Beefy Tomatoes, chopped.  Reserve tomato juice and seeds
1 Cup Flour or 3/4 Cup Cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

In large boiling pot, on MEDIUM-LOW heat, sauté onion in olive oil until onion is translucent.  Add garlic.  Sauté until garlic is slightly brown, but not burned.  Stir in chopped pork and pork bone to onion and garlic mixture.  Next add half of the divided seasonings (cumin through oregano) to pork, onion, garlic mixture.  Stir and sauté until pork is brown on all sides. 

Add to pork mixture, 3 cups range-free chicken broth and 3 cups water.  Turn heat to HIGH and boil mixture for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.  Lower ingredients to a LOW simmer.  Cover and cook for 3-3 1/2 hours or until pork pulls apart and falls off of bone. (A crock pot can be used to cook pork and pork bone. Approximately 3-4 hours on HIGH and 6-7 hours on LOW). Once pork is completely cooked and very tender, remove pork and set aside in refrigerator, leaving pork broth in the boiling pan.

To pork broth, add chopped tomatoes (with juice and seeds) and peeled, seeded and chopped roasted chili peppers.  Bring to a broil on HIGH heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in remainder of seasonings to pork broth mixture. Cover and reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW heat.  Cook for approximately 3 hours or until tomatoes and chili peppers are blended together well.  Add cooked pork meat to broth mixture.

In a separate container, mix the remainder 2 cups chicken broth with 1 cup flour (or 3/4 cup corn starch) by shaking ingredients or whisking together so lumps do not form.  Heat pork and broth mixture in boiling pot to a MEDIUM-HIGH heat.  While constantly stirring, slowly add flour/water mixture to pork mixture.  Once flour/water mixture is completely mixed with pork mixture, lower pork mixture to a LOW simmer.  Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes until desired thickness is achieved.  Serve Green Chili hot.  Green Chili may be topped with chopped avocado and sour cream and accompanied by a grilled tortilla.  Enjoy!

Serves 8-10 servings.


**How to Roast Chili Peppers at Home

Preheat oven on HI Broil.
One of the most important things to remember when roasting chili peppers is to wear plastic cooking gloves.
Wash chili peppers with warm water and dry with a clean dish towel.  Cut off the tops of the chili peppers and slit down one side of each chili pepper.  Open the chili peppers and remove seeds and veins (the inner white part of the chili peppers).  Removing the seeds and veins will take away some of the heat of the pepper, but will not take away the flavor.
Next, on a cookie sheet, flatten chili peppers with skin side up, spacing approximately 1/2 inch apart.  Place cookie sheet on the second rack of the oven.
During the roasting period, after about 2 minutes, the skins of the chili peppers will blacken and start to blister.  Be sure to watch the chili peppers closely as to not burn them. Once chili peppers start to roast, rotate the cookie sheet in the oven to evenly cook the chili peppers.  Continue roasting chili peppers for about 2 minutes longer until chili peppers are completely (or mostly) blackened and skins are blistered.
Remove cookie sheet from oven (turning oven off) and wrap roasted chili peppers in the clean dish towel or a couple of paper towels.  Let stand for approximately 5 minutes to let cool.
Once roasted chili peppers are cooled, using your fingers (protected by the gloves) or a crinkled paper towel, remove the blackened, blistered skins of the chili peppers.  Use immediately or store in refrigerator for up to 2 days.  Chili peppers can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months by placing them in a freezer zip-lock bag.

Go Meatless with Rosemary Roasted Veggies w/Horseradish Sauce

Meatless Mondays are a great way to use yummy veggies from your garden or the farmers' markets.  Fresh, delicious and full of vitamins and nutrients!  You can't go wrong preparing Rosemary Roasted Vegetables drizzled with Horseradish Sauce.  This colorful, flavorful dish is always a favorite!

The Key?  Any vegetable you love to eat!  Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Radish, Parsnips, Carrots, Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Purple Kale and even Brussels Sprouts can add a wonderful, full bodied flavor to this dish! 

Like the idea of the roasted veggies, but not so keen on the Rosemary?  Mix up the flavor by substituting Fresh Rosemary with Fresh Thyme or Fresh Tarragon.

Horseradish a little to strong of flavor for you?  No problem!  Substitute your favor salad dressing in place of the Prepared Horseradish.  For a bit of texture and sweet taste use Poppy Seed Dressing:  For a zesty, tangy flavor use Thousand Island Dressing:  For a more subtle, fresh taste, use Greek Cucumber Dressings.  You get the idea.  Any of your favorite dressings substituted for the Horseradish Sauce will make those veggies sing with flavor!

Rosemary Roasted Veggies
1 small to medium Sweet Potato cut length ways (washed well but not peeled)
1 Turnip cut into 1/2" chunks (washed and peeled)
1 Parsnip cut into 1/2" chunks (washed and peeled)
1 Carrot cut into 1/2" chunks (washed  and peeled)
2 small to medium Red or Purple Potatoes (washed, trimmed but not peeled)
1 small to medium ear of Corn on the Cob cut into 1 1/2-2" pieces (shucked)
8-10 Brussels Sprouts  (washed and ends trimmed)
2 Celery stocks cut into 1/2" chunks (washed)
1 small Sweet Onion (peeled and cut into 1" pieces)
1 cup chopped Kale or Swiss Chard (Deveined by cutting out stem of each leaf)
4 Tbls Olive Oil
2 tsp Kosher Salt (table salt may be substituted but may need 1/2 tsp more)
4-6 large Fresh Rosemary Sprigs (wash, dried and still on stems)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Evenly place vegetables except for Kale or Swiss Chard in a 12x4 baking dish (I prefer glass), with skins of vegetables facing up.  Evenly drizzle Olive Oil and Kosher Salt over vegetables.  Place Rosemary Sprigs on top of vegetables.  Cover with Aluminum foil and place in preheat over.  Let cook for 1 hour.  Take dish out of oven and gently stir vegetables.  Add chopped Kale or Swiss Chard and 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil if needed to vegetables.  Cover dish and return to oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Cook until vegetables are easily pierced with fork.  Drizzle Horseradish Sauce evenly over vegetables.  Served warm and enjoy!  Yields 6-8 servings

If roasting vegetables on a grill, instead of using a 12x4 inch pan, use a12x4 inch aluminum pan.  Follow roasting directions as stated above except place covered vegetable filled aluminum pan on medium low flame or indirect high flame on grill.  Continue to check and gently stir vegetables are needed.

***NOTE:  Other Herbs can be used in place of Fresh Rosemary Sprig.  For example Fresh Thyme Sprig, Tarragon or Herb of your choice.


Vegetable Horseradish Dressing
1 1/2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Honey  (I prefer raw unfiltered honey)
1 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard (or Gourmet Mustard of choice)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Prepared Horseradish (more to taste is desired)
2 Heaping Tablespoons Mayonnaise
 3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt).  Can use more for taste.
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 Small Scallion chopped (Optional)
 
In small bowl add Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Dijon or Gourmet Mustard and Olive Oil.  Blend very well with fork or small whisk.  Add Prepared Horseradish and Mayonnaise to mixer.  Blend well.  Finally stir in Kosher Salt, Ground Pepper and Scallions.  Let set at room temperature.  Drizzle over roasted vegetables.  Cover and refrigerate any leftover Horseradish Dressing for up to 5 days. Yields 1//2 cup

***NOTE:  If you do not care for the taste of horseradish, your favorite creamy salad dressing (such as Ranch, Cucumber, and Thousand Island, etc) can be substituted in place of the Prepared Horseradish.

Dawns Easy Ham and Bean Soup

While visiting my parents and brother’s family one week, I came up with this delicious meal. We were all preoccupied with a busy day, and we had yet a busy evening ahead. We needed a meal that was quick and easy but something everyone would enjoy. I was able to have Dawns Easy Ham and Bean Soup prepared in 30 minutes (including prep time). It has become one of my family’s favorite meals.

The picture posted shows Dawns Easy Ham and Bean Soup served with Homemade Cheesy and Green Chili Cornbread. Recipe for both Dawns Easy Ham and Bean Soup and Homemade Cheesy Green Chili Cornbread is included in this blog.

DAWNS EASY HAM AND BEAN SOUP

Ingredients for Dawns Easy Ham and Bean Soup

2 cups chicken broth

1-1/2 cups cubed baked or deli ham (approximately 3/4-1 inch thick and cut into 1/2 cubes) NOTE: Virginia, Tavern, Smoked, or Mesquite deli ham works best for this recipe

4-16 oz cans navy beans or white cannellini beans with juice in can

3 tsp olive oil (or any other cooking oil)

1 small white or yellow onion

3 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp Trader Joes Brand Everyday Seasoning (a choice everyday spice may be substituted)

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

Salt and pepper to taste (salt and pepper very last after soup has cooked

while)

Directions for Dawns Easy Ham and Bean Soup

On stove top, in a large boiling pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add ham, onion, and carrot. Stir ingredients occasionally. Sauté until onion is translucent in color. (About 2 minutes). Next, add chicken broth to pot. On high heat, bring broth and ingredients to a hard boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn heat under pot down to medium. Next add cans of beans with juices, garlic powder, everyday spice, to existing ingredients. Continue to simmer ingredients on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat under pot down to medium-low. Continue to simmer soup for 5 more minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!

*******

HOMEMADE CHEESY GREEN CHILI CORNBREAD

Ingredients for Homemade Cheesy Green Chili Cornbread

1 cup shifter flour

1 cup Golden Pheasant brand polenta

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ cup sugar

1 egg beaten

1 cup milk

¼ cup cooking oil

1 cup grated Colby Jack Cheese

1-4 oz chopped green chili or 1/4 cup fresh roasted green chilies

NOTE: More green chilies may be added for desired taste

Cooking Spray

Directions for Homemade Cheesy Green Chili Cornbread

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 8-inch square pan or muffin tins completely with cooking spray. Place flour, polenta, baking powder, salt, sugar in mix bowl and blend. First add egg to dry mixture and slightly stir with fork. Then add milk and oil and blend ingredients completely so there are no large lumps. Finally stir in cheese and green chili. Stir until all ingredients are blended well. Spray an 8-inch baking pan and bake 20-25 minutes or when pierced by a tooth pick or knife comes out clean. Serves 6.  Enjoy!



.

Dawns Green Eggs n' Ham

St. Patrick and Dr. Seuss met in the kitchen for this dish and created a pot o' gold.  Yes, my very own take on the famous "Green Eggs and Ham".  Relax, grab a pint, have fun and listen to music while you and your friends enjoy munching down on these festive nuggets of goodness! 

(These yummy treats make a great addition to any meal or snack)

Ingredients
8 hard boiled eggs, slit in half (long ways)
** See instructions how to easily hard boil eggs neat bottom of the blog
1/4 cup finely chopped deli ham (tavern or smoked ham works best)
1/2 avocado (pitted, peeled)
1 tsp chipotle mayonnaise (I use Boars Head brand)
2 1/2 tsp regular or olive oil mayonnaise
2 tsp vinegar (either rice or white vinegar is best)
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard (DO NOT use dry mustard spice)
1 /4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbls dried crushed parsley flakes (optional)

Instructions to prepare cooked eggs
Carefully remove cooked egg yolks from each hard boiled egg and place egg yolks in a medium bowl.  Place cooked egg whites on a large plate or serving dish with openings of eggs facing up.  Set plate/serving dish aside while preparing the egg yolks.  Smash cooked egg yolks with a fork, making sure there are no large 'clumps' of egg yolks.  Next, add the avocado.  Smash the avocado the same way as the egg yolks.  Mix egg yokes and avocado together forming a green 'paste' like mixture.

Mix in both mayonnaises and prepared mustard until mixture is creamy.   Next, mix in vinegar, salt and sugar until fully incorporated into the egg/avocado mixture.  Taste, add more salt, vinegar or sugar if needed.  With a teaspoon or small spoon, evenly distribuate egg/avocado mixture to each egg white.  Set eggs aside.

NOTE: If you do not want to make spicy eggs, substitute the chipotle mayonnaise with regular or olive oil mayonnaise. For a fun flavor, add 1/2 tsp dill weed or 1/2 tsp rosemary to the egg/avocado mixture.

Instructions to prepare ham
Using a small frying pan, heat olive oil on medium heat.  Add deli ham.  Cook deli ham for 1-2 minutes, stirring occationally (DO NOT burn ham by over cooking).  Remove pan from heat.  With teaspoon or small spoon, evenly top each filled egg (above recipe) with the cooked ham.  Sprinkle each egg with a crushed parsley flakes for texture and color.  Now your ready to eat!  Enjoy!  Yields 16 individual eggs

Instructions to cook hard boiled eggs
Place eggs in saucepan large enough for all the eggs you are cooking.  Add enough cold water to cover the eggs.  Cover pan with lid.  On stove top, cook eggs on MED-HIGH to HIGH heat.  Bring water and eggs to a 'hard' boil for 1 minute.  Immediately turn off the heat under eggs.  Let covered pan sit on the stove top for 15 minutes.  DO NOT take lid off before the 15 minutes is up.

Remove eggs to a bowl and allow to rest for at least 2 minutes.  When eggs are cool enough to handle, crack each egg on each side and bottom of egg by lightly tapping egg on a clean, solid counter.  Gently roll each egg back and forth with your hand, breaking up the shell.  Carefully remove shell and discard. 

Fun Irish History and Forklore about Eggs 

http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=tfschcafcon&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dirish%2Bfolklore%2Babout%2Beggs%26qs%3Dn%26form%3DQBLH%26pq%3Dirish%2Bfolklore%2Babout%2Begg%26sc%3D0-14%26sp%3D-1%26sk%3D%26cvid%3Dca35ea63f3fc49a7be6916167acb173e#search=%22irish%20folklore%20about%20eggs%22

Gluten Free Crepes featuring Tripple Berry Compote

Who doesn't love a great Crêpe? 

 

Crêpes are one of France's most versatile culinary creations. They are often referred as a "thin" pancake and are usually made of wheat four. Crêpes are served with a variety of fillings, from a sweet, creamy, berry dessert to a savory dish that may include grilled meats, eggs and sautéed veggies.

If you are looking for an alternate to this yummy favorite, go gluten free (no wheat flour) with my yummy recipe! Pictured are Crêpes topped with a Triple Berry Compote and Slivered Almonds.  Recipes for both are listed below.  These yummy crepes are great for breakfast, Sunday brunch or an after dinner dessert.

DRY INGREDIENTS FOR CREPES

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour (not sifted)

1/4 cup almond flour or coconut flour (not sifted)

1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1/4 tsp stevia or 1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

WET INGREDIENTS FOR CREPES

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup vanilla almond milk or vanilla soy milk

1 tsp virgin coconut oil melted

1/2 tsp melted butter

1/4 tsp vanilla extracts (orange or almond liquor)

1/3-2/3 cup cold water

Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREPES

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredient (brown rice flour through baking soda). Lightly mix ingredients together. Using a fork, slowly add the beaten egg to the dry mixture. While still stirring mixture with a fork, slowly add almond or soy milk, melted coconut oil, melted butter and vanilla to create a thick batter. Next slowly add 1/3 cup cold water to the batter mixture. Blend well with fork. For thinner pancakes, slowly add more water. Do not add more than 1/3 cup more water or pancake batter will be too runny.

Spray Crêpe pan (a small, thin frying pan made especially for crêpes) or a medium shallow frying pan with cooking spray. Heat pan over medium-low heat. Don't over heat pan, otherwise cooking spray will starting smoking. Add 1/4 cup crêpe batter to the MIDDLE of the heated pan.

Lifting the pan off of the heat, lightly swirl heated pan in a small circular motion; allowing the crêpe batter to evenly be distributed from the middle of the pan out to the edges of the pan. If using a pan with sloped sides, use the sides to increase the size of the crêpe. Return the pan back to the heat. Cook batter between 1-2 minutes until the batter has a 'dry look' and loses it's 'shiny', 'glossy' look .

Once the first side is cooked, use a spatula to carefully flip the crêpe over making sure the other side of the crêpe lays flat in the pan. Use the spatula to straighten the crêpe if it gets 'bunched up' or 'wrinkled'. Continue cooking the crêpe for 30 more seconds or until done. The crêpe should be a light golden color when completely cooked.

Once crêpes are finished cooking, set aside on a plate. Add desired ingredients to crêpes either by rolling ingredients in crêpes 'burrito style' or fold crêpes in quarters and top with favorite ingredients. Enjoy. Yields 6 small crêpes.  Extra crêpes can be refrigerated in a plastic ziplock bag for up to 4 days.

NOTE: Cooked crêpes can be kept warm by placing them in an covered ovenproof dish in a 195 degree F oven.

TRIPPLE BERRY COMPOTE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

4 cups combined fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries

1/2 cup water (for frozen berries) or 3/4 cup water (for fresh berries)

1/4 cup sugar or 1 1/2 tsp Stevie

1 tsp vanilla (or orange or almond liqueur)

2-3 Tbls rice flour

DIRECTIONS

In a medium sauce pan, create simple syrup by adding water and sugar together. Cook on medium high for approximately 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until all sugar is dissolved in water. Add vanilla (or orange or almond liqueur) to simple syrup. Stir and cook for 30 seconds longer.

Add all the berries to the simple syrup mixture. Cook on medium high heat until ingredients come to a medium boil. (Not a hard boil). Reduce heat to medium low or low and simmer 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally as to not allow ingredients to stick to bottom of the sauce pan. Cook berry mixture to desired consistency (either chunky or more syrup like).

To thicken mixture, slowly add rice flour 1/2 tablespoon at a time while continually stirring to prevent clumps of flour forming until desired thickness is reached. 
NOTE:  The more the compote cooks, the thicker it will get.  Be careful not to add to much rice flour as a thickener. 

Set Triple Berry Compote aside, and allow to slightly cool. Once complete, turn stovetop off. Top each crêpe with desired amount of triple berry compote. Serve warm.
Triple Berry Compote recipe yields approximately 3 cups. in the mixture. 
Triple Berry Compote can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator of up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.


TRIVIA FUN:

The word Crêpe comes from the Latin word Crispa which means "curled".

Crêpes originated in Brittany, a Northwest region of France.

Orginally, Crêpes were served on Candlemas (La Chandeleur), February 2 or each year to celebrate the Blessings of the Virgin Mary. Thus February 2 became "Le Jour des Crêpes" or "The Day of the Crêpes. Though called by different names from different areas of the World, Crêpes are now enjoyed by many other cultures; such as Americans, Germans, and Japanese to name a few.