Chana Saag- Chickpea spinach curry

I got this recipe from one of the magazines you pick up at Vitamin Cottage. I couldn't find the exact recipe on the web (there are many to choose from). Here is one that is close from Group Recipes. I have amended the recipe below to how I made it.

• 1 lb fresh baby spinach
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas
• 2 T fresh ginger, grated
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T ghee
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 5-6 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 cup onions finely chopped
• 1 can tomatoes chopped (I used fresh)
• 1 T curry
• .5 tsp cumin
• .5 C coconut milk
• 1-2 green chiles, chopped (oops- I forgot)

Rinse chickpeas and roughly chop baby spinach.
Heat oil and ghee over medium-high heat. Add cardamom, cinnamon, curry and cumin. Stir for a minute.
Then add onions and sauté until golden. Add garlic, green chiles, ginger, salt and pepper, cook for one minute.
Add chickpeas, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook covered for 10 minutes until chickpeas are soft.
Add spinach, stir, cook for 1-2 minutes or until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

 **Very nice. Good flavors. Easy to make.

Chicken Tortilla Soup- Slow Cooker

What a great way to use green chiles, the last of the tomatoes from the garden,  and some leftover corn tortillas from last week. I used this recipe as a starter but I've amended the recipe below.

1 pound chicken breasts 4-5 fresh chopped tomatoes 1 medium onion, chopped Good amount of chopped green chile 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 C chicken broth 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn-make sure it is organic! Corn tortillas- white is best to stay GMO safe

Directions:

1.	Place chicken, tomatoes, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir in corn. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours.
2.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.	Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4.	Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.  **I have yet to do the tortilla crisping. My husband just put chips on his. I ate it plain. This was a great soup. Very easy and tasty.

Chile Verde- Slow Cooker

After grinding some pork for the meatloaf, I had extra pork shoulder. This looked like a great recipe to try, especially with the green chiles we received in the harvest box this week and the tomatoes I still have in my garden. This recipe comes from the cookbook, Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Entertaining. I couldn't find the recipe online, but you can get the cookbook at Page One.

3 lbs boneless pork shoulder trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 T oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 large ripe or 5-6 canned tomatoes, chopped (I used my romas from the garden)
12-15 roasted green chiles, cut into 1/2 to 1" wide strips
pinch ground cumin
1/2 t salt, or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pat the meat dry with paper towels. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 T oil until hot. Add the meat in batches and cook until browned on all sides, 4-5 minutes, adding the remaining oil as necessary. Transfer to the slow cooker along with all but 1 T of the pan juices.
Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, until limp; add to the slow cooker along with the tomatoes, chiles, and cumin. Add water just to cover (or a bit less) Cover and cook on low until the pork shreds easily when pressed with a spoon, 6-8 hours. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

**Very tender, but needed to be spicier for me. The green chiles just weren't hot enough. The next day I tore up a corn tortilla and mixed it up with the chile verde. That was tasty. If I make this again, I will use stock instead of water.

Zucchini and potato soup with cilantro

I found this recipe in an old magazine and it is online. It is a good end of summer soup. We'll make it in my seasonal cooking class.

3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon (or more) chopped jalapeño chile with seeds 1/4 teaspoon (generous) fennel seeds 1 (7- to 8-ounce) Yukon Gold potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 16 to 18 ounces zucchini (about 4 medium), trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch rounds 1 cup chopped green onions 2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth 1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon (or more) fresh lime juice Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chile and fennel seeds; stir 30 seconds. Add next 3 ingredients; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Purée soup in batches in blender, adding cilantro and 1 teaspoon lime juice to first batch. Return puree to same pan. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lime juice, if desired. Rewarm, if necessary, and serve. One serving contains the following: 163.56 Calories (kcal), 48.7% Calories from Fat, 8.85 (g) Fat, 5.62 (g) Saturated Fat, 25.63 (mg) Cholesterol, 16.74 (g) Carbohydrates, 3.29 (g) Dietary Fiber, 4.10 (g) Total Sugars, 13.45 (g) Net Carbs, 4.89 (g) Protein **Really quite nice! The lime added a little kick. The picture doesn't show it with the cilantro- but I'd recommend it. We made it with green chili instead of a jalepeno. We also used 1/2 the potato.

Green chile apple pie

We decided in my Seasonal Cooking class to try this recipe- perfect for the New Mexico autumn- fresh roasted green chiles and apples. I got this recipe from the Edible Santa Fe website. A great magazine and a great website of recipes divided by seasons!


6 ripe apples
2 T. butter
1/2-1 C. chopped green chile
3/4 C. sugar
1/8 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 C. cheddar cheese, grated
2 pre-made pie crusts
Preheat oven to 375. Core and slice apples 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Heat butter in a large skillet on medium heat until fragrant and sizzling. Add apples and toss to coat, cover tightly and cook, stirring frequently until they are tender but still slightly crunchy, about 5 minutes. Stir in green chile, sugar, salt and spices, and cook on high heat about 5 more minutes, until the juices thicken. Lay the bottom crust in a 9” pie pan and sprinkle cheese over the bottom. Pour in the apple mixture. Lay the top crust over and seal by crimping the edges. Bake about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

**This pie was something, alright! What an interesting mix of flavors between the spicy chile, the sweet apples, and the buttery crust. It was hard to discern the cheese, though. Maybe a sharp cheddar next time...

Greek style zucchini and cheese pie

I found this recipe online at a site that is dedicated to urban gardens in the UK. It seemed to be a good way to use up the cottage cheese that I had leftover from last week. It can easily be gluten free. I have modified the recipe below, as I cooked it. Remember that zucchini is called courgette in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. plain bread crumbs
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 roasted green chile, chopped
• 2 cups grated courgette
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 tbsp. cornflour
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or teaspoon dried
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper
• small pinch of cinnamon
• 1 cup grated cheese

Method:

1. Grease a 9" pie plate, sprinkle it with bread crumbs and set it aside.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick pan. Add onion and green chile and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add courgette and garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
4. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350.
5. Combine eggs, cottage cheese, cornflour, oregano, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Stir until smooth.
6. In a large bowl, combine cooked vegetables, cottage cheese/egg mixture and cheddar. Pour into prepared pan.
7. Bake 30 minutes or until knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

**As you can see, the dish I was a bit big causing the pie to be a bit flat. The flavor was good but the pie was a bit fluffy and left me wanting a bit more. Having said that, this dish could easily incorporate a lot more different kinds of vegetables and end up being a crustless quiche.

Carrot Ginger Soup- Indian spices

For those of you who have been reading this blog, you know that I have been looking for a great carrot soup. I think this just might be it! Super easy to make (in my food processor). Here is the recipe online. Below is with my modifications (green chile and vegemite).

Carrot ginger soup:
It makes about 20 ladlefuls.

One giant onion or two medium, chopped
1-3 roasted green chiles, chopped
3″ chunk of ginger, peeled, grated
Three garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp curry powder
10 carrots, peeled and cut into medallions.
One huge potato, peeled, chopped
Vegetable stock to cover (about 6 cups)
1 tsp vegemite

Chop everything.
Sauté onion garlic and ginger in vegetable oil until tender. Add spices.
Cook one minute until aromatic. Add carrot and potato. Coat in spices and oil.
Add stock. Bring to a boil. Simmer until veggies are tender. Maybe 20 minutes. Allow to cool a bit then blend to a puree.                                                                                                                                                         Top with sour cream or yogurt.

**Delicious and so easy to make. The yogurt was perfect with it. I made GF cheesy buns to go with it.

Still looking for great eggplant dishes...Found this recipe on The Wednesday Chef site. I will double the recipe.

Smoked Aubergine Crush
Serves 4

1 1-lb eggplant
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 3/4-inch piece ginger root, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
1 teaspoon finely chopped red chile (jalapeno or serrano, seeded), or more to taste
1 teaspoon finely chopped green chile (jalapeno or serrano, seeded), or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro for garnish (optional, in my opinion)
A few slivers red chile for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the eggplant on each side with the tines of a fork and bake for 50 minutes, or until very tender. Remove from the oven and cool. When cool enough to handle, halve it lengthwise, scoop out the flesh and blend or process it to a puree.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and cover immediately to prevent the seeds from popping out of the pan. When the mustard seeds pop, add the onion and cook until translucent. Then add the ginger and chopped chiles and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat and add the turmeric, followed by the pureed eggplant. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 15 minutes. Add the coconut milk and stir 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve hot, garnished with chile (and cilantro, if using).

**The picture doesn't do it justice. I thought it had a great flavor. I used 1 one of the LPO hot peppers and one LPO roasted green chiles. I used the red onions from the basket. The sweet bite of the onions against the spiciness of this dish was wonderful.

Crock pot BBQ pinto beans

I often make pinto beans overnight in the crockpot using a pinto bean seasoning. However, I thought I'd try this recipe. I'll be adding green chiles and left over smoked brisket at the end. I added some sambal oelek (chile paste)- I've shown the recipe as I made it. I bought the beans from the farmer's market during last season.

1 lb dried pinto beans
3 C water
1 onion, chopped
18 oz bottle bbq sauce
1/4 C molasses
1 t sambal oelek (chile paste)

Sort beans, rinse, and drain. Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours or until beans are tender.

**Well, I finally gave up. The beans never got soft, however the sauce was good. I think I'll make this again but I'll soak the beans overnight first.

Chile Corn Chowder

This recipe caught my eye because of the corn, since I have a few ears left after my visit to the Nob Hill farmer's market. I also decided to change out the chiles and use our newly roasted green chiles. It is from Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook. This cookbook is fantastic- I'd recommend it for anyone's shelves. And if you find yourself in Santa Fe, please visit the restaurant! I have adapted the recipe a bit to match up my ingredients.

3 tomatoes
1 onion, diced
2 green chiles diced
3 T butter
5 cups corn, divided
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 qt milk
little grated cheese

In a dry cast-iron skillet, roast tomatoes until charred on the outside and soft inside. Add tomatoes, 3 cups of corn, salt, pepper, and milk. Bring to scalding point (when bubbles form around the edge of the pot and the milk starts to foam). Do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. Puree in a blender. Return to heat and add remaining corn. Bring to a simmer and taste for salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chile strips (optional) and sprinkle with cheese.

**I'm not much of a soup eater- but I have to say this was fantastic and so easy to make! It was a big hit.

Smoked turkey, potato, and andouille hash

This is a recipe from the Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook, a recent birthday gift (!). Harry's was one of our favorite restaurants when we lived in Santa Fe. I have adapted the recipe and what I cooked is below.

1 lb diced smoked turkey (I got it from Rudy's)
3 C diced potatoes
1/2 C diced yellow onion
2 roasted green chiles (hot), diced
5 oz Andouille sausage, diced or into small balls
1 1/2 T butter
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/8 t oregano
2 T chicken stock
2 T heavy cream
poached eggs

Chop turkey, potatoes, onion, chiles and sausage into 1/4 " dice. Parboil potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 minutes or so. They want to be parboiled- not cooked through (or they'll end up mushy in the dish). Drain and cool.
In a cast iron skillet, saute the onion and chiles until they start to soften. Add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, until it starts to brown; then add the turkey and seasonings. Cook another 5 minutes, then add the potatoes, stock, and cream. Stir and scrape the bottom of the skillet. When the liquids are absorbed, the hash is ready. Spoon into bowls and top with poached eggs.

**Here it is before the eggs. This dish was delicious! I served it with a mixture of watermelon and honeydew. The melon's sweetness was a nice balance to the spicy of the hash.

Calabacitas

I'm sure most everyone in New Mexico has their own favorite calabacitas recipe. Here is one online that is from the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Below is my easy version.

1 clove garlic, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 zucchini, diced
2 ears of corn, kernels cut off of cob
3 roasted green chiles, diced
11/2 C cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Saute the onions, garlic, and green chile. Add the zucchini and corn. Saute till you like them. Add the cherry tomatoes and saute just until they begin to release their juices.

To serve: Crush up some tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, put in some calabacitas, sprinkle with cheese.

**Yummy!

Basque Eggs

I found this recipe a while back on one of my favorite sites: cuisine.co.nz It is a great dish once the zucchini is ready to harvest. The perfect dish if you have chard, tomatoes and zucchini. I have adapted this recipe. The original is on the link.


6  tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red onions, finely diced
4 zucchini, sliced less than 1” thick
1 small hot red chili thinly sliced or a roasted chopped green chili or two
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch of swiss chard, chopped
1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leafed parsley
4-6 organic eggs
1 cup cherry tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat in a heavy frying pan (preferably one that can go straight into the oven). Add the onions, zucchini, chili and garlic. Panfry, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until everything has softened and browned.

Stir in the chard and saute for a minute or two. Then add the paprika and parsley, mix well then remove from the heat. If you are not using a frying pan that is oven-safe, oil a shallow ovenproof dish with the remaining oil. Pour the vegetable mixture evenly into the dish and break the eggs on top, leaving them whole and evenly distributed over the surface. (Use as many eggs as your dinner companions need)

Push the tomatoes in beside the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Remove from the oven and serve. Serves 4

 Going into the oven

**Delicious. I love the smokey paprika with the fresh veges. Keep your eye on the eggs- you'll need to poke them to know how runny or cooked they are.

Pineapple Fried Rice

I adapted this recipe from the cookbook called Fresh: Healthy Cooking and Living from Lake Austin Spa Resort. Make sure the rice is cold or it will be too gummy.


1 C diced onions
1 1/2 T minced fresh ginger
4 C cooked rice
1 C shredded carrot
1 C minced pineapple
2 eggs, beat lightly
1/2 t salt
4 green onions, chopped
1 green chili, chopped

In a wok, add some oil and fry the garlic, just until it begins to color. Add the onion and ginger; saute for a few seconds. Add the rice, carrot, and pineapple; stir- fry for a minute or two. Add the onions and chili. Stir for a minute. Add the eggs and stir. Finish with salt to taste.

**So easy to make.

Quinoa and Chile Casserole

This recipe came from CooksRecipes.com. I've made it several times with great success, however, I have found that doubling the quinoa to 2 C makes for a better casserole.

Serves 6
2/3 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil - divided use
1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped oven-dried tomatoes (or sun dried)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 (4-ounce) cans whole green chilies
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

    1.    Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large (4 to 5-quart) saucepan over medium heat; add pine nuts and stir until lightly toasted. Remove from pan and set aside.
    2.    Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil into same pan and add the quinoa. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until quinoa gives off a toasted aroma, about 3 minutes.
    3.    Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pine nuts, green onions and cilantro. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper. Cover and let stand.
    4.    Drain chilies and split in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Arrange half the chilies in a 2-quart casserole (12 x 8 x 2-inch). Spread quinoa mixture evenly over chilies. Top with remaining chilies and sprinkle with the cheese.
    5.    Bake in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 20 minutes or until hot and cheese has melted.

last steps before cooking

Just out of the oven

** I doubled the recipe and used my dried tomatoes from last summer's harvest. Delicious meal.

Roasted Poblano Pepper, Sweet Potato and Monterey Jack Spoonbread

I'm excited to try this recipe. I've never made spoonbread. I'll be making mine with green chiles. I probably cut this out of The New Mexican.

Serves 8

1 C mashed sweet potato (about 3/4 lb whole potato)
1/4 t cumin
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
4 fresh poblano peppers (or green chiles)
2 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, medium diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C cornmeal
4 T butter, softened
4 eggs, separated + 2 extra egg whites*
1 1/2 t baking powder
3/4 C grated Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Generously butter a 13 x 9 baking dish or large souffle dish.

In a small bowl, mix the sweet potato with the cumin, 1/2 t of the salt and the black pepper. Set aside.

Roast the chiles. Then cut them into 1/2" by 1" strips.

Heat oil over medium heat and saute onions and garlic till onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sitr the onion mixutre and the peppers together and set aside. This part can be done up to a day in advance.

Combine milk and broth in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until it is just about to boil. Whisk in the cormeal in a steady stream, and continue to whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Mix in softened butter and sweet potato mixture while the cornmeal is still hot. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Beat the egg yolks lightly then whisk into the cornmeal mixture along with the baking powder and remaining 1 t salt. Fold in the onion and pepper mixture, and 1/2 of the shredded cheese.

In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in a quarter of the egg whites to  lighten the batter, then fold in the remainder. Spoon batter into the prepared dish, and sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over the top. Bake until golden and puffy, about 45 minutes.

Per serving: 360 calories, 13 g protein, 37g carbohydrate, 18 g fat (8g saturated), 138mg cholesterol, 601 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.

*If you made the chelo kebabs, you'll have 2 egg whites left over

** Delicious! It was great with the Acorn Squash dish. Beware- it was a bit involved with all the steps. Not hard to do, but time consuming. Also- I used course grind cornmeal- made for more texture.