Recipe of the Month: New Mexican Pinto Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tbsp garlic, finely minced
2 cups onions, coarsely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1-1/2 to 2 cups of fresh or well drained canned corn
1-1/2 teaspoon of dried Mexican oregano
1 dried chipotle pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into small pieces
4 cups of boiling water or stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 to 2 tbsp. of freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ripe avocado, diced or sliced
1 teaspoon of salt
Pepper to taste

Directions:

Drain and rinse the beans. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seed. Give them a quick stir and add the garlic and let it brown.

Add the onion and bell pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add the beans, corn, oregano, chipotle, and water or stock.

Lock the lid and bring the pressure cooker to high. When high pressure is reached, lower the heat enough to maintain the pressure and cook for 8 minutes.

Release the pressure and remove the lid, pointing the lid away to release any excess steam. With a slotted spoon transfer 1 cup of the beans to a blender and puree with the tomato paste. Add back to the soup. Add cilantro, lime juice, avocado, salt, and pepper.

Enjoy!

Recipe of the Month: Chile Cheese Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red chile flakes, to taste
   
10 oz. flat beer
4 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz. grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Warm beer over low heat to 110° to 115° F. Transfer to large mixing bowl, add sugar and yeast. Cover bowl and place bowl in oven over pilot light to keep warm.

Proof the yeast: Let stand approximately 10 minutes. Foam should appear on top of the mixture. If any yeast granules are still present, return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Once yeast is proofed, add the oil to the mixture. Gradually stir in flour and salt, mixing until dough becomes firm enough to knead. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Start adding cheese and red chile flakes, working them evenly into the dough as you knead.

When the cheese and red chile flakes have been incorporated into the dough, knead another 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Add small amounts of flour to the surface of the dough if it begins to stick. Note: Depending on the humidity and your altitude, you may need to use a little more flour.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with moist towel and set in a moderately cool place to rise slowly.

Note: Setting dough to rise in a warm place causes the dough to rise too quickly. This produces a bread with uneven, open texture and undeveloped flavor. I prefer to let dough rise in a cool place for several hours. This produces an evenly textured, deliciously flavored bread. The difference is remarkable!

Let rise for 2 hours or more, until the dough has doubled in size and does not spring back when pressed. Turn the dough out and knead briefly. Set aside to rise again. When dough has doubled in size again, turn it out, knead briefly and form into a round or oblong loaf. (You can also bake this bread in a cloche, which gives your bread the flavor and texture of having been baked in a brick oven.)

Place on a baking sheet or baking stone. Slash the top of the loaf. Bake at 350° for approximately 50 minutes until loaf is nicely browned and hollow sounding when tapped on the bottom. Remove loaf to cooling rack. Let cool almost completely before slicing, and completely before storing.

Enjoy!

For Authentic New Mexico Chile visit the Taos Unlimited Food Section

Taos A to Z Excerpt: Tamale

A tamale (in Spanish, “tamal”) is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of steam-cooked corn dough (masa) with or without a filling. The most common filling is pork, but chicken is also used, in either red or green salsa or mole. Tamales can also be filled with cheese, sliced chiles, or other ingredients. The tamale is wrapped in a corn husk before cooking. Tamales are a favorite dish in Mexico that take several hours to prepare and cook. In Northern New Mexican cities and towns, many locals market homemade tamales in shopping areas and supermarket parking lots. For those who love tamales, but don’t have the time or skill to prepare them, this is an easy way for them to enjoy the classic Mexican treat. ~Jean

Read more about Taos, Santa Fe, and Northern New Mexico on Taos A to Z

Recipe of the Month: Roast Pork with Sweet and Sour Chile Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients:

Pork Roast
1/3 cup coriander seeds
1-1/2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 lb. center-cut boneless pork loin roast, butterflied

Chile Cilantro Sauce
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup caribe (crushed New Mexico red chile flakes)
1 cup honey
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Pork Loin
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coarsely crush coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle or an electric coffee/spice grinder, then stir together with bread crumbs, oil, pepper, and salt in a small bowl.

Turn pork so a long side is closest to you and season with salt and pepper. Pat one third of seasoned crumbs onto pork, leaving a 2-inch border along top edge. Starting with side nearest you, roll meat into a cylinder and tie securely with kitchen string. Coat pork with remaining crumbs.

Roast pork on a rack in a roasting pan in middle of oven 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°F and roast until an instant-read thermometer diagonally inserted at least 2 inches into meat registers 155°F (approximately 1 to 1-1/4 hours more). Let pork stand, loosely covered for 10 minutes.

Make sauce while pork roasts:
Simmer bell pepper, caribe, honey, lime juice, and salt in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened or about 30 minutes. Cool sauce to warm or room temperature, then stir in cilantro just before serving.

Slice pork and serve with sauce.

Note: Sauce (without cilantro) may be made two days ahead and chilled, covered. Heat over low heat until warm and stir in cilantro.

Enjoy!

For Authentic New Mexico Chile visit the Taos Unlimited Food Section

Recipe of the Month: Turkey Sweet Potato Stew

Ingredients:

1 cup diced onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium diced sweet potato
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder (or to taste)
 2 cups turkey broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz. chopped green chile
1 cup diced turkey
1/8 cup lime juice
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in heavy soup pot, add onions and saute about 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, oregano, cumin, chile powder, black beans, chilies, and broth, then bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes), stirring a few times.

Add diced turkey and simmer 10 to 15 minutes more. (If using leftover Thanksgiving turkey, just heat through). Stir in lime juice, season with salt and pepper, garnish as desired, and serve.

Enjoy!

Recipe of the Month: Pumpkin Empanadas

Ingredients:

For the Filling:
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

For the Dough:
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 (1/2-oz.) packages dry yeast (4-1/2 teaspoons)
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups flour, divided in half
3/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix filling ingredients together and set aside.

Combine water, sugar, salt, yeast, baking powder, and cinnamon. Using an electric mixer, gradually blend in half of the flour. Add shortening and mix, then gradually blend in remaining flour.

Slap the dough balls between the palms of your well-floured hands until somewhat flattened, then roll out on a floured surface into circles approximately 4 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Place about 1-1/2 tbsp. of pumpkin filling in the center of each circle, fold over and seal the edges.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes (watch carefully as they can burn quickly).

Enjoy!

Taos A to Z Excerpt: Empanada

An empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry. The name comes from the Spanish verb “empanar,” meaning to wrap or coat in bread. An empanada is made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing. These delightful treats are either savory or sweet: the first being filled with meat, cheese or spinach; the later with pumpkin, yam, sweet potato, and cream, as well as a wide variety of fruit fillings. ~Jean

For more Taos A to Z, visit Taos Unlimited