Celebrating a birthday with a New Mexican theme

Happy 25th birthday to our daughter, Lexie. It doesn't seem possible she can already be 25 years old. Time has flown by, and I sure wish time would slow down.

Lexie lives in Denver and enjoys occasional weekend trips to Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico. When we visited her last fall, we made that trip, and we enjoyed the culture and, of course, the food.

We ordered our entree with Christmas chile sauce, meaning both red and green, and had to find a Chile Ristras stand along the way. Ristras are a string of chile and you see them hanging along fences, on patios and on portals all over New Mexico. In the fall, you can buy ristras at farmers markets and roadside stands. Ristras are sometimes used for decoration and are said to bring good health and good luck. This is a centuries-old method of drying red chile outside in the fall in order to make red chile powder.

In honor of Lexie's birthday and remembering our fun time together, I have pulled together some recipes from Santa Fe and I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

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On the Plaza in Santa Fe, there is a five and dime store that claims to be the original founders of Frito Pie, or now more commonly called Walking Tacos. I have the sweetest picture of Lexie standing in the door of this establishment and under the sign claiming their fame.

The Original Frito Pie (individual size)

This walking version of Frito Pie is deeply flavorful, spicy and filling. The pinto beans in the Frito Pie are not heavily seasoned nor do they need to be with the chile sauce. Any surplus beans can be added to other dishes or frozen. This version of red chile sauce does not include meat of any sort. You can easily add ground beef, shredded beef or chopped beef if desired.

For the Frito Pie (in addition to pinto beans and red chile sauce):

• Snack size Frito chip bags
• Chopped Yellow Onion
• Grated Cheddar or Mexican-Blend Cheese

For Pinto Beans (from scratch):

• 1 pound of dried pinto beans
• Water

For New Mexican Red Chile Sauce:

• 1/2 cup red chile powder
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt to taste

For Pinto Beans (from scratch): Sort dried beans to remove any small stones or shriveled beans.

Soaking: Place the beans in a bowl with double the amount of water to beans and allow to soak overnight, or place beans in a stock pot covered by 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil, and allow to boil lightly for 15 minutes with a lid on. Turn off heat and allow to soak for 90 minutes.

Drain beans and replace water with fresh water to cover beans by about 2 inches. Bring water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially cover and allow to cook three to four hours until tender. Check periodically to ensure water is still covering the beans and that they are not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add more water if needed.

For New Mexican Red Chile Sauce: Combine chile powder with 1 cup of stock or water; whisk to ensure it is smooth and set aside.

In a large, heavy pan over medium heat saute the onion for five minutes. Add garlic and saute a few minutes longer. Add spices and cook for two minutes stirring constantly also scraping the sides of the pan. Add chile mixture and remaining stock or water. Stir to combine fully and heat to simmering stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a low simmer; cook stirring often for about 20 minutes or until chile is the consistency of a thick sauce. Salt to taste.

Note: it will not thicken like a cream based sauce but will not be watery either.

To assemble the Frito Pie: Gently open the top of a snack size bag of Fritos. Ladle on some pinto beans and red chile sauce. Top with chopped onions and grated cheese.

Source: www.boulderlocavore.com/discovering-the-original-frito-pie-in-santa-fe-and-breakfast-in-taos-new-mexico/#wprm-recipe-container-27687

Classic New Mexico Breakfast Burrito

Adapted from NewMexico.org, this recipe shows how to make a hearty, spicy breakfast burrito with hashed browns, eggs, and bacon, smothered in green chile sauce — as they do it at Tia Sophia's, a family restaurant which is also the home to the original breakfast burrito. For a full experience, feel free to add some red chile sauce as well.

For the burrito:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large russet potatoes, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2-3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 flour tortillas, warmed
• 8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp
• 6-8 ounces mild cheddar cheese, grated

For the green chile sauce:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chopped roasted mild to medium-hot New Mexican green chile, fresh or thawed frozen
• 2 cups chicken or beef stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

For the red chile sauce:

• 8 ounces (20-25 pieces) dried whole red New Mexican chile pods
• 4 cups water or chicken stock (divided use)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons crumbled dried Mexican oregano or marjoram
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Start with preparing the green and red chile sauce.

For the green chile sauce, saute onion and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat for about five minutes, until the onion becomes soft. Add flour, stir, and cook for another one to two minutes. Now, add the chile and chicken or beef broth, and season with salt. After the mixture boils, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. The sauce should be thickened but still liquid.

For the red chile sauce, warm up a heavy skillet and toast the dried whole chile pods for one to two minutes on each side. Let them cool, put on some rubber gloves, and break them up, removing stems and seeds. Process them in a blender with 2 cups of water or chicken stock. Heat the oil, and saute onion and garlic in a saucepan until the onion withers. Stir in the blended chile, oregano, marjoram, and salt. Pour in the remaining water or chicken stock, puree, reduce the heat, and continue simmering for 20 to 25 minutes.

Now, prepare the burritos. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the onions and grate the potatoes. Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, even out, and cook for several minutes. Then, turn the potatoes over using a spatula, add onion and garlic, pat down and continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, turning over occasionally, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.

Whisk the eggs and pour them over the potatoes. Stir until the eggs are cooked but still soft.

Fill each of the four tortillas with 1/4 of the potato-egg mixture and 2 slices of bacon. Roll gently so the seam side is on the bottom, and transfer to a baking tray. Drizzle with red and green chile sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for five minutes, until the cheese has melted, and serve immediately.

Source: www.tasteatlas.com/breakfast-burrito/recipe

Calabacitas

This recipe is from The Santa Fe School of Cooking. This is the classic New Mexican side dish!

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 1/2 cups diced yellow summer squash
• 2 1/2 cups diced green zucchini squash
• 3/4 cup (1 bunch) finely chopped green onions
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup mild roasted, peeled and chopped green chile
• 1/2 cup hot roasted, peeled and chopped green chile
• 1 cup diced, ripe Roma (Italian plum) tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (packed) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• Salt to taste

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet, and saute the onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute two minutes. Add the diced squash and saute for about five minutes, until softened. Add the green onion, corn and green chile and saute for three minutes.

Stir in the diced tomato and cilantro, and heat through. Season with salt to taste and serve.

Note: After the first five minutes of sauteing, it's possible to hold, add the green onions, corn and green chile and reheat to finish the cooking.

Serves eight (Makes about 6 cups)

Source: santafe.org/things-to-do/cuisine/recipes/

Santa Fe Hatch Chile Green Sauce

Serve over enchiladas, pork, or chicken. Serve right away or freeze for later use.

• 6 ounces Hatch chile peppers, halved and seeded
• 3 tablespoons corn oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 teaspoon salt

Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place chile peppers cut-side down on baking sheet.

Broil in the preheated oven until skin is heavily blistered and turning black, about 4 minutes per side.

Transfer chile peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow peppers to steam as they cool, about 15 minutes. Peel and chop the chile peppers.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour until mixture thickens. Stir in chopped chile peppers, beef broth, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors combine, about 10 minutes.

Source: www.hallrecipes.com/recipe/246951/santa-fe-hatch-chile-green-sauce/

Shrimp and Green Chile Quesadilla

• 2 Hatch chile peppers, halved and seeded
• Cooking spray
• 6 cooked shrimps, tails removed
• 1 (9-inch) whole-wheat tortilla
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or to taste
• Salt to taste

Set oven rack about 6-inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place Hatch chile peppers, cut sides down, onto the prepared baking sheet.

Cook peppers under the preheated broiler until the skin has blackened and blistered, 5 to 8 minutes. Place blackened peppers into a bowl and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow peppers to steam as they cool, about 15 minutes. Discard skins and chop peppers.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Place shrimp onto tortilla; cover with the chiles, garlic, and mozzarella cheese. Add salt.

Fold tortilla in half and transfer to the skillet. Cook until lightly toasted with spots of brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Source: www.allrecipes.com/recipe/259812/shrimp-and-green-chile-quesadilla/

Posole Stew

The Shed opened in 1953 and still thrives near the Santa Fe Plaza. This recipe originally appeared in New Mexico Magazine's 1978 cookbook The Best of New Mexico Kitchens and is reprinted with permission from UNM Press, which still publishes the book. Notes at the end include how to modify for current equipment.

• 1 pound lean pork shoulder
• 2 pounds frozen posole (hominy)
• Juice of one lime
• 2 tablespoons coarse red chile powder
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 tablespoons salt* see note, below

Cook the pork in a pressure cooker, with water to cover, for 20 minutes. Reduce pressure under cold water. Open pot and add posole, lime juice, and chile. Add water — about twice as much as the amount of posole. Cook for 45 minutes under pressure. Reduce pressure under cold water.

Remove the pork and cut up. Put posole, pork, garlic, oregano, and salt in a large heavy covered pot and simmer 1-3 hours, or until hominy kernels have burst and are soft but not mushy. Serve alone or as a side dish. Freezes well.

Note: These times are set for Santa Fe's higher altitude. At lower altitudes, where the boiling point is higher, you may wish to try shorter cooking times at first.

Author's modifications: I had a feeling that modern pressure cookers are much more efficient than the one used during the development of this recipe, and I expect the restaurant made large batches of posole, which would extend the stovetop cooking time. My Fissler six-quart pressure cooker had the posole almost ready to serve after 45 minutes, and I only needed 20 minutes on the stovetop. Tasting is the best way to tell; as the recipe says, the kernels should be tender but not mushy.

Don't trim any fat from the shoulder; it will lend more flavor to the dish.

The 3 tablespoons of salt made it way too salty for me. Start with 2 teaspoons and go from there.

I recommend more oregano, using Mexican oregano, at least 1 teaspoon.

For the red chile powder, look for chile caribe; you'll find the Los Chileros brand in most grocery stores.

Finally, ask Santa for a pressure cooker or Instant Pot! At my 7,000-foot elevation, you almost have to use one to speed up the cooking time. (You lose about 1 degree off the boiling point for every 500 feet above sea level.)

Source: www.newmexicomagazine.org/blog/post/recipe-the-sheds-posole-stew/

Carne Adovada (New Mexican Red Chile Pork)

New Mexican Carne Adovada is an authentic recipe for Red Chile Pork, featuring boneless pork roast simmered in a deliciously intense spiced sauce. With an easy slow cooker option!

• 4 cups water
• 15 New Mexico dried red chiles or a mix of Ancho, Guajillo, and/or Pasilla chiles
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 pounds boneless pork roast cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
• 1 large onion peeled and chopped
• 4-6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons beef base or bouillon

Set a large 6-8 quart saucepot over high heat. Add the water and bring to a boil. Tear the stems off the chiles and remove the seeds. Then rip the chiles into large pieces. Once the water is boiling, stir in the dried chiles pieces and raisins. Turn off the heat and let the chiles steep for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the pork roast into large 1 ½ inch chunks. Season well with salt and pepper. Chop the onion and garlic.

Once the chiles are soft and well-hydrated, pour the chiles, raisins, and liquid into the blender. Cover the blender and open the vent to let the steam out. Turn the blender on low and blend for 15 seconds. Add the vinegar and beef base. Then turn the blender on high and puree until smooth.

Set the same saucepot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the pork chunks, onions, and garlic. Stir and sear the pork for 10-15 minutes, until brown on all sides.

Pour the red chile sauce back into the pot. Add the cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Cover and simmer on medium to medium-low for approximately 2 hours, until the pork in fork-tender and the sauce is very thick. Be sure to stir the pork scraping the bottom, every 20-30 minutes, so make sure the pork doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Be sure to keep covered after stirring.

Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm with rice, limes, avocadoes, and cilantro. Or serve with tortillas for Adovada tacos!

Notes: Want to make Adovada in the slow cooker? Make the sauce and sear the pork on the stovetop as directed. Then move all the ingredients to a large slow cooker. Cover and set on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Leftover Carne Adovada will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the stew cool completely before transferring to an airtight container to store in the fridge or freezer.

Source: www.aspicyperspective.com/carne-adovada-new-mexican-red-chile-pork/

Biscochitos

Biscochitos (biz-co-cheetos) is a favorite treat typically made around the holidays. It is a shortbread cookie with anise and is New Mexico's official state cookie. Batches of biscochitos are often given as gifts. The anise-scented, lard-enriched shortbreads are essential to weddings, graduations, and anniversaries, and are so popular at Christmas that in December, biscochitos comprise maybe thirty percent of the diet of the average New Mexican!

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground anise
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound lard, softened
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons sweet white wine, brandy, or rum, or apple or pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup sugar and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the topping

Sift together the flour, baking powder, anise, and salt and set aside.

Beat the lard in an electric mixer, gradually adding the sugar, and beat until extremely fluffy and light, about 8 minutes. Don't shortcut this step. Stop the mixer every couple of minutes and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl.

Add the egg, followed by the wine, and continue beating.

Mix in the dry ingredients, adding about one-third of the mixture at a time. Stop the mixer as you make each addition, and beat no longer than necessary to incorporate the dry ingredients. A stiff pie-crust type of dough is what you're seeking.

Chill the dough for about 15 minutes for easy handling.

Preheat the oven to 350

Roll out the dough 1/4-inch thick on a floured work surface and cut with a paring knife into a fleur de lis, or cut with a small cookie cutter. Avoid handling the dough anymore than necessary, one of the keys to the melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Transfer the cookies to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until just set and pale golden.

While the cookies bake stir together the topping.

When the cookies are done, cool for just a minute or two on the baking sheets, then gently dunk the top of each in the cinnamon-sugar.

Transfer to absorbent paper to finish cooling.

Source: www.newmexico.org/things-to-do/cuisine/recipes/biscochitos/

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.