Roasted Turkey w/ Green Chile Pinon Dressing

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This dressing is best when baked in the turkey. For safety sake, only stuff the bird right before putting it in the oven. Adjust the heat of the turkey by the amount of, and type of red chile you use to rub on the skin.. Serve with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, and habanero spiced acorn squash. When making the gravy, add some minced chipotle chiles and the adobo sauce they were canned in for a spiced version of turkey gravy.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 1 cup chopped celery

  • 1 cup chopped green New Mexico chile, which has been roasted and peeled

  • 6 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread

  • 1 cup whole pinon nuts, or substitute chopped walnuts

  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme

  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth

  • 2 tablespoons ground red New Mexican chile

  • 1 10 to 12- pound turkey

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter and saute the onion and celery until soft.

Combine the chile, onion mixture, cornbread, nuts and thyme in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add enough of the broth to thoroughly moisten, but not saturate, the mixture.

Stuff the turkey cavity and sew it shut. Place any remaining dressing in a pan, and cook in the oven along with the turkey. Rub the chile powder over the outside of the bird.

Roast the turkey for 20 minutes per pound, basting frequently with the pan juices, until done.

Classic New Mexican Chiles Rellenos

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This is a recipe I’ve used for years and years and it always works and is always wonderful. Traditionally these are prepared with cheese fillings, but a cooked meat mixture, or a combination of meat, dried fruits and nuts also works well. When I’m processing a large bag of chile, I always set aside the largest, whole chiles for this dish.

Ingredients

  • 4 large or 8 small, New Mexican green chiles, roasted peeled and seeded, with the stems on

  • 1/3 to ½ pound cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, cut into sticks

  • All-purpose flour

  • 3 eggs

  • 3 tablespoons flour

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • Vegetable oil for frying

  • 1 recipe green chile sauce (see following recipe)

Instructions

Make a slit in the side of each chile and carefully stuff it with the cheese sticks. If the chiles tear, secure them with a toothpick. Just be sure to remove it before serving the chile.

Place some of the flour on a plate and roll each of the chiles in the flour until it’s fairly evenly covered. Shake off the excess flour.

Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a large bowl and the yolks in a small one. Whisk the egg yolks with the flour, water, and salt until they’re thick and creamy.

Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

Pour the oil in a saute pan to a depth of 1 ½ to 2 inches, or until it looks like it would reach a little more than halfway up the side of the chiles. Heat the oil to 350 to 375 degrees or until a little of the batter quickly browns when dropped in the oil, about 20 seconds.

Quickly and gently fold the yolks into the whites so that the mixture is an even color but the whites are not broken down. Dip the chiles in the batter, covering them completely and removing any excess.

Slide the chiles, one or two at a time, into the hot oil. As they are browning on one side, carefully spoon some of the hot oil over the top to assist in setting the batter. When they’re browned, gently turn them over and brown the other side, turning only once. Remove them from the oil and drain on a paper towel.

To serve, place the rellenos on a plate and top with some of the green chile sauce. Serve immediately.

Spicy Chorizo Breakfast Burritos

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Just about any filling can be wrapped in a flour tortilla and become a burrito, one of the most popular of the Mexican sandwiches. The breakfast burrito has been made popular in this country by a number of fast food restaurants, but none are as tasty as this one. So start your day with this spicy, south of the border, “tortilla sandwich.”

Ingredients

  • ½ pound chorizo sausage

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • 1 small potato, peeled, cooked and diced

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, Mexican preferred

  • 3 eggs, beaten with 1 to 2 tablespoons water or milk

  • 4 flour tortillas

Instructions

Remove the chorizo from the casing and cook in a heavy skillet until crumbly. Add the onion and continue to saute until the onion is soft and the chorizo is done. Remove the pan from the heat and pour off the accumulated fat.

Return the pan to the heat and stir in the potatoes and oregano..

Add the eggs to the chorizo mix and cook until set, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

Warm the tortillas by wrapping in a damp towel and heat in the microwave at 50% for a minute or until hot.

To Assemble: Place one-fourth of the mixture in the tortilla and fold in two opposite sides. Fold over the other sides like an envelope and serve.

Shredded Chicken Flautas w/ Spicy Avocado Sauce

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Flautas (flaow-tahs) or “flutes” are rolled and fried tortillas similar to taquitos but 2 tortillas are rolled together to form a long flute and often served with a avocado sauce. The following is a recipe from a small restaurant located near the hospital in Juarez, Mexico–one of my favorites! This is a great way to use up any left-over chicken you may have on hand.

Ingredients

For the Avocado Sauce:

  • 1 7-ounce can tomatillos, drained

  • 2 avocados, pitted and peeled

  • 3 to 4 serrano chiles, stems removed, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

  • 2 teaspoon lime juice

  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

  • Salt to taste

For the Flautas:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped

  • 2 cups shredded chicken

  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

  • 12 corn tortillas

  • Oil for deep frying

Instructions

For the Sauce:

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Allow the sauce to sit at room temperature for an hour to blend the flavors.

For the Flautas:

In a heavy skillet, heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until soft. Remove from the heat and toss with the chicken and cilantro.

Pour the oil to a depth of a couple inches and heat to 375 degrees. Dip the tortillas, one at a time, in the oil for 5 seconds to soften. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Overlap two of the tortillas (cover ½ of one with the other) and place a couple of tablespoons of the filling, sprinkle with cheese, roll as tightly as possible and secure with toothpicks.

Fry the flautas, 2 or 3, at a time until crisp and browned, about 1 minute. Drain and remove the toothpicks.

To serve, arrange the flautas on a platter, drizzle some of the avocado sauce over the top and serve the remaining on the side for dipping.

Ham and Cheese Tortas with Chiptole Mayonnaise

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Tortas are sandwiches and they are made with Mexican bolillo rolls. Similar to crusty French rolls, they are the most popular bread in Mexico after tortillas. Surprisingly, ham and cheese is a common torta combination although almost anything can be used as a filling, including beans. I’ve taken some liberties with the mayonnaise by adding chipotles, but it tastes so good with any number of fillings, I had to include it.

Ingredients

For the Chipotle Mayonnaise:

  • 2 chipotle en adobo chiles, stems and seeds removed

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

For the Tortas:

  • 4 slices yellow cheese, such as cheddar

  • 4 slices cooked ham

  • 1 4-ounce can sliced pickled jalapenos

  • 4 bolillo rolls, or substitute French rolls

  • Sliced tomatoes

  • Thinly sliced onions

  • Shredded lettuce

Instructions

To make the mayonnaise: Place the chipotles, lime juice and onion in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Put the mayonnaise into a bowl and stir in the chile mixture. Allow the mayonnaise to sit for an hour or more to blend the flavors.

To assemble, split the rolls lengthwise and hollow out some of the bottom of the roll. Spread the mayonnaise on the top and layer the remaining ingredients on the bottom, cover with the top and serve.