Pasole Ole'!

I wanted to share my new soup obsession!  As I've said before I am a serious soup-aholic and this one adds one of my other favorite things... some New Mexican flavor! I was actually born in New Mexico and will never be able to get enough of their food.  Besides my friends that are still stuck there I think it's the only thing I miss about that place... if you've been there you'd understand!  Hehe :)

This is also perfect for the vegetarians/vegans in your life...So let's get to it!

Green Chile Pasole with Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 Poblano Chile

1/2 lb fresh tomatillos, husks removed
2 Serrano Chiles, quartered and seeded
1/2 Medium Yellow onion, diced
4 Garlic Cloves
1 Cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
1/2 Cup roughly chopped parsley
1 oz baby spinach leaves (1 cup)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 allspice
6 Cups Vegetable
2 cans rinsed and drained hominy
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
course salt

Start by roasting the Poblano... go here if you dont know how to do this...I wasnt totally sure either :)

While that's in the oven you'll cook the tomatillo's in boiling water till they are soft (around 5 minutes or so).

Next, chop up your onions, parsley, cilantro and serrano. Peel and seed your pablano.

Add your poblano tomatillos, serranos, onion, garlic, cliantro, parsley, spinach, cumin, oregano, allspice, and 2 cups broth into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Pour tomatillo mixture into a large pot; stir in 4 cups broth, hominy, and black beans. Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened (45 minutes-ish). 

To serve sprinke with cilantro. (I added cheese and sour cream... I couldnt help myself!) I also ate it with a tortilla one of my best friends Amy brought back from one of my favorite restaraunts in New Mexico called Frontier... they have the best home made tortillas! She is actually the one who shared this recipe with me (thanks Amy!) Enjoy! :)

-Jenny 

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Before I married my husband, when I didn't feel like cooking, I would pop open a jar of Ragu, boil some pasta, and voila - dinner. But, as luck would have it, I married a "gourmet chef" who turns his nose up at anything pre-made that comes out of a jar. I since have joined him in turning my nose up anything that is not homemade (although, I still die for mac and cheese out of the box tho). He showed me how to make my own spaghetti sauce, and it is surprisingly easy! I usually make this on my day off, which also happens to be my cleaning day. I'll usually start the sauce around noon and let it simmer and do it's thing while I clean. Here's what you'll need:

2 bell peppers (colors of your choice)

1 medium yellow or white onion

2 carrots

4 garlic cloves (more or less depending on your taste)

baby bella mushrooms (I use to whole carton, but you can use less)

1 large can of tomato sauce

1 can of diced tomatoes (this one is roasted garlic flavored, cause I can't get enough!)

salt and pepper

dried oregano

dried basil

Italian seasoning

red pepper flakes (if you enjoy a little spice)

sugar

lemon

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

wine (I prefer a Cab)

First, dice up all you veggies (if you have a slap chop as shown below, it will save you a boatload of time. I truly recommend one!) Add all the chopped veggies to a deep pan (you will want it deep enough to cook a good amount of sauce in) Add all the seasonings shown above. This is the point where I add the majority of the flavor to the sauce. I like food really flavorful, so I add a generous amount of everything shown above. The rule I follow tho, is you can always add more, but you can't take it out. 

After the veggie's are nice and soft (I always test a bit of carrot) add both can's of tomato sauce. Fill up the bigger can with water, and also add that to the pan. After the sauce is added, slice up the mushrooms and add them. At this point, you'll want to add a dash of balsamic vinegar (sorry, I don't measure anything, so you'll have to use your discretion while following my rule), a teaspoon of sugar, a dash of wine (preferable a wine that you will want to drink with dinner), and the juice from half a squeezed lemon (this really brightens up the sauce). Put on medium, and allow to simmer for the next four to five hours. Taste test every hour, just to see how the flavors are melding together, and adding more seasoning or water if needed.

Once the flavor and consistency of the sauce is to your liking, boil up your choice of pasta (I went a little healthier and used whole wheat thin spaghetti) and serve with your glass of wine and maybe some garlic bread. Go ahead, indulge. ;)

xo Jac

Super Easy Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

I've recently been obsessed with green chili, and have been craving green enchiladas. I was just too busy lazy to go through all the work of roasting green chilies. So my mom emailed me this super cheaterific and yummy green chili chicken enchilada recipe. I was able to make an easy yummy dinner, and still make my husband happy. Warning! This is really fattening and delicious. Don't attempt if you're on a diet ;) Here's what you'll need:

2 large chicken breasts

1 28oz can Las Palmas brand Green Enchilada Sauce
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 16oz Sour Cream
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 4oz can Evaporated Milk
1 4oz can chopped jalapenos (drained) I didn't have this, but wish I did
2 or more cups mild chedder cheese or colby cheese
1 small onion ( minced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
Salt to tast if needed
1 lrg Pkg. (36ct) Guererro brand corn tortillas (should be enough for 2 casseroles)

First, boil the two large chicken breasts after removing any fat. Once the chicken breast is cooked completely though, remove from the water and set aside to cool. Once it has cooled, start to shred using two forks to pull apart the meat. 

Sauce:
In a large cooking pot saute garlic and onions until translucent. Add while mixing well: can Green Enchilada Sauce, Chicken Broth, 10oz of Sour Cream, Cream of Chicken Soup, Evap milk,  jalapenos, shredded chicken and cheese. Simmer and stir, tasting if needs salt.

Tortillas:  In hot corn oil, dip each tortilla just enough to soften. Blot excessive oil w/paper towel. I forgot to do this, and my enchiladas were pretty greasy.

Assembling:  In lrg casserole dish add a little of the sauce first to the bottom of dish. Add dipped corn tortillas in rows adding sauce to each layer. Add cheese to top layer or to each layer depending on how cheesy you like it.

Bake: covered with foil for 375 for about 25 min. Remove foil and set over to broil for the last 5 min to get that oh so yummy burned cheese. If I have time, I'll usually make this with re fried beans and rice. I'd be happy to do receipes for those another time. 

Enjoy!
xo Jac