HAFM
Proudly Presents:
Claudiacaliente™'s
Recipe Potpourri.
Remember:
yourself
-- use only genuineClaudiacaliente™Salsa
Fresca!
The music to which you are
listening is "Vano Empeño", a Puerto Rican Danza,
composed by my great-grandfather
Juan Morel Campos: click here
for more.
Ingredients,
Ingredients, Ingredients:
(use the best you can find, grow
your own,
or shop your local farmers market)
12 to 15 pounds fresh red tomatoes,
one large sweet vidalia onion,
one bunch of green onions (8
to 10 small onions),
20 to 30 jalapeño peppers,
1 large bell pepper,
cilantro leaves (about a loose
cup full),
4 to 6 toes of fresh garlic (medium-sized),
one large can whole tomatoes,
2 cans ro-tel tomatoes (tomatoes
with green chiles),
1/2 teaspoon cumin,
1 teaspoon chili powder,
salt to taste,
pepper to taste,
Nature's Seasons™ (a seasoning
blend by Morton's) to taste.
Prepare all the vegetables by
washing thoroughly and trimming away any roots, stems, skins, or membranes
that need it. Cut into food processor-sized chunks. You should use about
two inches of green from the green onions. Jalapeño peppers should
be de-seeded (unless you want it VERY hot). You will need a very large
bowl, or other suitable receptacle, to mix it all together in. Process
the tomatoes first, and the rest you can do in any order you please. Mix
well, then season and taste, mix some more, season and taste. Keep mixing,
seasoning and tasting until it's just right for your discriminating palate.
Now you're ready to jar it up. ALWAYS keep it refrigerated (except when
you're eating it). This recipe will make approximately 12 pints. Keeps
well in the refrigerator for a week to ten days. WARNING:
DO NOT TOUCH ANY SENSITIVE BODY PARTS AFTER DE-SEEDING JALAPEÑOS.
12 pints too much? Share with a neighbor, they'll love you for it.
1 firm green bell pepper,
1 English cucumber,
1 small sweet onion,
1 bunch green onions (the white
and about 2 inches of the green),
3 medium tomatoes,
6 or 7 stalks of celery (from
the heart),
1 small zucchini,
2 garlic cloves,
1 cup roasted and salted sunflower
seeds (shelled),
2 cups cooked Israeli couscous,
10 -12 leaves fresh basil,
the juice from one large lemon,
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil,
a generous amount of coarsely
ground pepper or a pepper blend,
sea salt to taste.
Clean and dice (very small), all
the vegetables. Cook the Israeli couscous according to package directions
(Acini Di Pepe or Moroccan couscous may be substituted). Mix all ingredients
together, then season with finely chopped basil (mint or parsley also go
well), the juice from the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and
chill before serving. It's even better the second day.
Grandma's
Cornbread/Pecan Dressing:
1 large skillet of yellow cornbread,
2 cups croutons, or dried bread,
4 cups chicken or turkey broth,
2 cups pecan halves,
2 cups chicken or turkey meat
(shredded),
5 or 6 stalks celery (chopped),
1 large onion (chopped),
sage (to taste),
salt (to taste),
pepper (to taste).
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix
together all ingredients. It should be a bit on the wet side, the consistency
of lumpy mashed potatoes. Taste it to make sure it's seasoned properly,
and pour into a suitable baking dish. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven
for 45 to 60 minutes, or until it's brown and crusty. Garnish the top with
slices of boiled egg and parsley for a nice presentation.
Posole:
about 12 oz. of dried posole (hominy),
1/2 lb. boneless country-style
pork or salt pork,
1 10-oz. can tomatoes with
green chiles,
16 oz. chicken broth,
1/2 tsp. cumin,
1 tsp. chili powder,
2 tbls. crushed red pepper,
1 tsp. garlic salt.
Place dried posole in about 8
cups of water in a large pan. Soak overnight.
Drain and add 4 cups water, 16
oz. chicken broth, the pork, and all other ingredients. Bring to a rolling
boil for about 10 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 2 hours,
or until posole is tender. Watch closely and add hot water as necessary.
For additional flavor, garnish
with lime slices, chopped radishes and tomatillos.
Hint: you can use canned hominy
if dried posole is not available to you, just reduce the cooking time (doesn't
taste quite the same, but it's still good).
Even people who claim to dislike
hominy will enjoy this recipe.
8 to 10
fresh ripe tomatoes (medium to large),
6 to 8
jalapeño peppers,
3 or 4
serrano peppers,
one bunch
cilantro (leaves only),
1 medium
sweet onion,
2 cloves
garlic,
salt and
coarse ground pepper (to taste).
Put the
tomatoes and peppers together in a large pot with a generous amount of
water, and boil for about 10 minutes, then remove from the water to cool.
Peel the tomatoes, clean the peppers and pulse them in a food processor
until coarsely chopped. Finely chop the onion, garlic and cilantro leaves
by hand. Mix together with the tomatoes and pepper mixture, season to taste.
Serve it warm with tacos, eggs, baked potatoes or whatever your tastebuds
desire.
The Broth:
1 whole
chicken (about 1 lb.),
water,
salt and
pepper to taste,
a few cilantro
leaves.
Place chicken
in enough water to cover it completely, bring to a boil and then turn down
the heat and simmer it for about 2 hours.
Remove
chicken, let cool, then proceed to removing the meat from the bone. Use
only the white meat and the thigh meat for the soup. (Cover and refrigerate
the meat until ready to use.) Then place the carcass and the scrap meat
back into the water and simmer for a few more hours, adding water when
necessary to keep the bones covered.
Strain
the broth into a large bowl. My method is to first strain out the big pieces
through a colander. Then, strain again through a sieve, and a third time
through cheese cloth. Wash the pot the chicken was boiled in (to get the
scum out) and pour the broth back in. It's not important what method you
use to strain the broth, but it is important to get it as clear as possible.
At this
point taste and season the broth to your liking and add a few cilantro
leaves to simmer while preparing the rest of the soup. Add a few chicken
bouillon cubes in place of the salt to make a richer broth. The longer
you simmer, the richer the broth, so you might consider making the broth
the day before you make the soup.
The Tortilla Strips:
Cut a bunch of ordinary round corn tortillas into strips, about 1/2 inch wide. Start with about 3 dozen. Deep-fry until crispy. They stop sizzling when they're done. Drain on paper towels in a suitable container (a jelly-roll pan works well).
The Vegetables for the Soup:
1 small/medium
tender yellow summer squash,
1 small/medium
zucchini squash,
1 medium
onion,
3 or 4
stalks celery,
4 or 5
whole jalapeño peppers,
1
10-oz. can tomatoes with green chiles,
1 avocado,
a few sprigs
of cilantro.
Clean and trim the squashes, onion and celery. Cut into bite-sized pieces, and add to the broth. Wash the jalapeño peppers and put them in whole, and add the tomatoes with green chiles. Peel and dice the avocado for when it's all ready to put together. The cilantro is also for garnish. Add the chicken back into the broth. When the vegetables are tender, you're ready to start putting it all together.
The Finished Product:
Place a
small handful of the tortilla strips in the bottom of a soup bowl, cover
with the soup and garnish with avocado and cilantro. Make sure each bowl
gets a jalapeño. Enjoy.
1 can Vienna
sausage (cut the sausages in half),
1 1/2 cups
uncooked white rice,
1
14.5 oz. can tomato sauce,
1/2 medium
onion (chopped),
1/2 medium
bell pepper (chopped),
1/3 cup
green salad olives (drained),
1 Tbls.
capers,
1 clove
garlic (minced),
1 tsp.
oregano,
salt to
(taste),
pepper
(to taste),
2 Tbls.
olive oil.
Using a
heavy skillet, sauté the onions, garlic and bell pepper in olive
oil. When onions are transparent, reduce heat and add all the other ingredients,
including the liquid from the vienna sausages. Stir well, then add enough
water to cover the rice about 1/2 inch over. Put the lid on and cook over
very low heat for about 25 or 30 minutes. Do not remove the lid, or otherwise
disturb the rice mixture until the cooking is done, so that the pegao will
form on the bottom. Pegao is the rice that sticks to the bottom of the
pan, a real taste treat.
Arroz con
Salchiches goes well with just about anything, but is especially good with
pinto beans.
One pork
tenderloin (about 1 1/2 lbs),
2 or 3
medium potatoes,
1 large
yellow onion,
3
4-oz cans chopped green chiles,
3 or 4
jalapeño peppers (seeded and chopped),
1 can tomatoes
with green chiles,
1 clove
of garlic (finely chopped, for the stew pot),
salt (to
taste),
pepper
(to taste),
garlic
powder,
about 2
Tbls. vegetable oil (for the stew pot).
Cut pork
tenderloin into bite-sized pieces. Season liberally with garlic powder,
salt and pepper. Now it's time to get the stew pot ready. Over high heat,
put the oil and garlic in the pot. Let it get hot, then add the seasoned
pork a little at a time. Sear the meat on all sides, then turn down the
heat. Add enough water to cover the meat and simmer over low heat while
you get the rest of the ingredients ready. Next, add the green chiles,
juice and all. Stir well. Add a little more water if needed. Next, add
the onion, the jalapeño peppers, the tomatoes with green chiles,
and finally the potatoes. Add enough water to cover the whole mixture and
cook over low heat until the potatoes are tender. This should take about
30 to 40 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve with flour tortillas and a nice guacamole salad (see below) and you've
got a meal.
For a nice
variation, don't add the potatoes and serve over rice.
3 large
ripe avocados,
2 tsp.
vegetable oil,
about 1/4
cup finely chopped onion,
one small
tomato (seeded and finely chopped),
about 1/4
cup Claudiacaliente™'s
Salsa Fresca,
garlic
salt (to taste),
pepper
(to taste).
Peel and
seed the avocados, cut in chunks and mash with an ordinary table fork.
Add all other ingredients and mash some more. Taste. Season more if needed.
You're finished mashing when the avocados and all the other ingredients
are well mixed and the avocados are only slightly chunky.
(If you
don't have Claudiacaliente™'s
Salsa Fresca, you can substitute some commercial brand, but it won't be
nearly as good, of course.)
Variation:
dice the avocados, onions, and tomatoes coarsely along with a similarly
diced bell pepper. Add to that a finely chopped jalapeño pepper,
a little vegetable oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss it all together
and serve on a bed of lettuce.
2 heads Belgian endive,
1 cup walnut pieces,
2 Tbls. chopped fresh Italian
parsley,
coarsely ground black pepper
(to taste),
4 oz. Roquefort cheese, coarsely
crumbled.
Dressing:
4 large cloves garlic, minced,
2 Tbls. Dijon mustard,
1/3 cup red vinegar,
1 cup extra virgin olive oil,
Salt and pepper to taste.
1 cup yellow corn meal,
1 cup flour,
1 Tbls. baking powder,
1 tsp. salt,
1 cup sugar,
2 eggs (beaten to blend),
1 cup cheddar cheese,
1 cup vegetable oil,
1 8-oz. can creamed corn,
1 4-oz. can green chiles
(chopped).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly
grease an 8" or 9" square pan. Combine all dry ingredients. Combine all
liquid ingredients. Add liquid to dry and mix until just blended. Pour
into pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
1 7-oz. can plus
1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles,
1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated,
1 lb. Jack cheese, grated,
8 eggs,
2 Tbls. flour,
1 tall can evaporated milk,
1 tsp. salt,
Red peppers in olive oil - sliced
on top for color.
Rinse chiles and remove seeds.
Place half the chiles in a single layer in a greased casserole. Sprinkle
with half of both cheeses. Add remaining chiles. Top with remaining cheeses.
Beat eggs, flour, milk, and salt together until smooth. Pour over casserole
and bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes.
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