Genuine, Authentic, South of the Border Chile Rub

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Yeah, right. Okay, this is our spin on Mexican flavorings that would work on goat, as in cabrito, pit roasted goat. Can’t find goat at Winn-Dixie? Use this rub for either grilling or smoking beef, pork, and lamb.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons ground ancho chile

  • 2 teaspoons ground chile de arbol

  • 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, Mexican preferred

  • 2 teaspoons onion salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon powdered garlic

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store any unused rub in a sealed container in the freezer.

Caribbean Roti with Potato Curry

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‘Rotis are traditional fare throughout the Caribbean and have been called a West Indian version of a burrito. The bread wrapper is East Indian in origin and always contains something curried. ‘

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1 cup water

Filling:

  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger

  • 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, stem and seeds removed, minced

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 3 tablespoons curry powder

  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme

  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 3 cups potato, cooked, peeled, and diced

  • 2 tablespoons tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 cup water (optional)

  • 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained

  • Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

To make dough for the rotis: sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Gradually stir in the oil and enough water to form a ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes or until soft. Gather into a ball, cover and let rise for 15 minutes.

To make the filling: sauté the ginger and chile in the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the onions, garlic, spices and the salt and pepper, then sauté until the onions are soft. Add the potatoes, tamarind, garbanzo beans, and 2 cups of water. Simmer for 15 minutes or until very soft but not mushy.

Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Flatten each and roll out into a circle, 8 to 9 inches in diameter. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet until very hot, or until a drop of water will sizzle. Reduce the heat, place the rotis in the pan, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Turn and brown the other side. Remove and cover with a towel until ready to serve.

To serve, place about a cup of the filling in the center of a roti. Fold over the sides and fold up the ends, as you would with a burrito. Serve accompanied with a chutney and/or your favorite hot sauce.

Crispy Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

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These Vietnamese rolls resemble Chinese egg rolls, but use rice paper instead of won ton wrappers, which produces a much more delicate product. Handling rice paper for the wrapping is easy if you use only a couple of sheets at a time and keep the rest covered with a damp towel to keep them moist. These rolls can be prepared in advance: reheat in a 350 degree oven until crisp, about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

 For the Spring Rolls:

  • 2 ounces cellophane noodles

  • 3 dried Chinese mushrooms

  • 8 ounces shrimp, shelled, deveined, and chopped

  • 2 eggs, beaten

  • ½ cup shredded carrots

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

  • 4 green onions, chopped

  • 3 serrano chiles, stems removed, minced

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce, either nuoc mam or nam pla

  • 24 sheets rice paper (8 inches in diameter)

  • Vegetable oil for frying, peanut preferred

For the Peanut Sauce:

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons peanut oil

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon Vietnamese fish sauce, either nuoc mam or nam pla

  • 2 teaspoons Asian chili paste

  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

  • 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

  • ½ teaspoon sugar

Instructions

For the Spring Rolls:

n separate bowls, soak the noodles and mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. Drain and cut the noodles into 1-inch lengths and finely mince the mushrooms.

For the filling, combine the rest of the spring roll ingredients and mix well.

Place 4 to 6 cups of hot water in a large bowl. Dip the rice paper, one sheet at a time, in the hot water and then place on a damp dish towel to soften. It only takes 10 to 15 seconds to become workable.

To assemble: Fold over 1/3 of the rice paper. Place a few tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the folded portion. Fold the left side over to enclose the filling, then fold over the right side. Roll up to enclose the filling completely.

Pour the oil in a pan to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 325 degrees. Fry the spring rolls, a couple at a time, for 10 minutes or until browned. Remove and drain.

Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.

 

For the Peanut Sauce:

To make the sauce: sauté the garlic in the oil until browned. Add the tomato, fish sauce, and chili paste and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Thin with water or chicken broth if necessary. 

Spiced Cheese Empanadas

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Empanadas are filled pies or turnovers that are found in one form or another around the world. This recipe is based on one from Argentina and is tasty, yet simple to prepare.

Ingredients

Filling:

  • 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese

  • 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

  • 4 green onions, chopped including the greens

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

  • ½ teaspoon paprika

  • ½ teaspoon ají chile powder or cayenne

  • Salt and ground white pepper

Dough:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2/3 cup vegetable shortening

  • 1 egg

  • Or substitute 1 package prepared, unbaked pie crusts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine all the filling ingredients and chill slightly.

To make the crust: in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or 2 forks. The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal.

Add 4 to 5 tablespoons of cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and lightly toss with a fork to incorporate. Add only enough water so that the dough will hold together and can be gathered into a ball.

Separate the egg into small bowls and lightly beat the white. Beat the yolk with 1 tablespoon of water.

Gently roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness and cut circles 2 to 2 ½-inches in diameter. Place a spoonful of the filling off-center on a circle. Brush the edges with the egg white, fold over and crimp the edges to seal.

Note: If using ready-made pie crusts, don’t roll the pastry before cutting.

Brush the empanadas with the egg yolk, place on a lightly oiled baking pan, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

Remove and cool on a rack before serving.

Blue Corn Vegetable Tamales

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Blue Corn, native to the Southwest, gives these tamales a distinctive, nutty taste. Make them smaller than an entree tamale and serve as a side dish in place of a vegetable. This recipe is taken from Just North of the Border, by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach. Prima Publishing, 1992.

Ingredients

  • 6 green New Mexican chiles, roasted, peeled, stems and seeds removed, chopped

  • 2 cups whole-kernel corn

  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • Corn husks

  • 2 cups coarse blue cornmeal

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 cups chicken broth

  • 1/3 cup lard or shortening

Instructions

Combine the chiles, corn, and cheese together for the filling.

Soak the corn husks in water to soften.

Mix together the blue cornmeal and salt. Slowly add the broth, stirring with a fork until the mixture holds together. Whip the lard or shortening until it is fluffy. Add the cornmeal mixture to the shortening and continue to beat. Drop a teaspoonful of dough into a glass of cold water. If the dough floats, it is ready. If it sinks, continue to beat it until it floats.

To assemble, select corn husks that measure about 5 by 8 inches or overlap smaller ones together. Place 2 tablespoons of dough in the center of the husk and pat or spread it evenly into a 2-by-3-inch rectangle. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center and top with some cheese. Fold the husk around the dough and filling, being careful not to squeeze the tamale.

There are two basic ways of securing the corn husks. The first is to use two strips of husk to firmly tie each end of the tamale. This method works well with smaller corn husks.

The second method is to fold the tapered end over the filled husk and then fold the remaining end over it. Tie the tamale around the middle with a strip of husk to keep the ends folded down.

Place a rack in the bottom of a steamer or large pot. Make sure that the rack is high enough to keep the tamales above the water. Place the tamales on the rack, folded side down; if the pot is large enough, stand them up. Do not pack them tightly because they need to expand as they cook. Cover with additional husks or a towel to absorb the moisture. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a gentle boil, and steam for an hour for each dozen tamales, or until done. To test for doneness, open one end of a husk; if the dough pulls away from the wrapper, it is done.