Healthy Quick Chicken Soup

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Since capsaicin breaks up nasal congestion and gives us the “salsa sniffles,” try this quick chicken soup cure for your next cold.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried epazote (optional)
  • 1 cup chunky-style tomato based salsa
  • 2 14-1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
  • 1 ½ cups frozen whole kernel corn
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
  • Vegetable oil spray

Instructions

Spray a heavy saucepan with cooking oil. Heat, and add the chicken, chili powder, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Add the epazote, salsa, broth, corn, and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.
To serve, stir in the cilantro and garnish with additional fresh cilantro.

Sawgrass Stew with Gatortail Sauce

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Buddy Taylor of Gator Hammock made this great stew at the 2001 National Fiery Foods Show. Using some of his products he made the Gatortail sauce that can be served with shrimp, fish, and of course Florida gator tail.

Ingredients

  • 7-8 quarts water

  • 6.5 oz. Gator Hammock Sawgrass Boil

  • 2 pounds smoked kielbasa or sausage (cut into 1 inch pieces)

  • 2 pounds red potatoes (cut into 1 inch cubes)

  • 2 pounds baby carrots

  • 4 ears fresh corn (each cut into 3 pieces)

  • 2 pounds unpeeled large fresh shrimp

Instructions

Add water and sawgrass boil to a large stock pot (3-4 gallons) and bring to a rolling boil.
Add kielbasa, return to a boil, and cook 5-10 minutes.
Add potatoes and carrots, return to a boil, and cook 10 minutes.
Add corn, return to a boil, and cook 8-10 minutes.
Add shrimp, cook 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. (Do not boil)
Remove from heat and let rest about 10 minutes uncovered. Serve in large soup bowls.

Green Chile Stew

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This is adapted from The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia (William Morrow, 1999). Here is the beef stew or macaroni and cheese of New Mexico–a basic dish with as many variations as there are cooks. Add a warmed flour tortilla and you have a complete meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ ounces chile pasado, reconstituted to make about 1 ½ cups, chopped

  • 2 pounds lean pork, cubed

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 large potato, peeled and diced (optional)

  • 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

  • 3 cups water

Instructions

In a skillet, brown the pork in the oil. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for a couple of minutes.

Combine all the ingredients in a kettle or crockpot and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

 

Chiles Poblanos Stuffed with Coconut

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The final result of this stuffed chile salad is the pleasantly contrasting flavors of the sweet stuffing, the smoky chiles, and the tangy vinaigrette. Piloncillo is unrefined, dark brown sugar that is sold in Mexico in cone shapes, and you can purchase it in Latin American markets.

Ingredients

  • 1 quart water
  • ¼ cup piloncillo or brown sugar
  • 30 large dried chiles chipotles
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup cider vinegar
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup corn oil
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 cup tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 2 cups cubed plantain (1/4 inch cubes)
  • ¼ cup of grated piloncillo or brown sugar
  • 5 ounces fresh goat cheese
  • 2 cups of flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 7 eggs, whites and yolks separated
  • 2 cups corn oil
  • Mixed lettuce

Instructions

In a pot, combine the water with the piloncillo or brown sugar and bring to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off the flame, add the chiles and soak for 20 minutes until soft. Make a small slit in the chiles, remove the seeds and veins carefully and let the chiles drain. Set them aside.

To make the vinaigrette, combine the sugar, salt, vinegar, olive oil, and pepper in a jar and shake well. Set aside.

Heat the corn oil in a skillet and sauté the onion and garlic. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the plantains and the piloncillo or brown sugar and simmer until the plantains are completely cooked. Simmer, stirring well, until a soft paste of all the ingredients has been obtained. Remove from the stove, mix with the cheese and stuff the chiles chipotles.

Roll the stuffed chiles in the flour and salt, then shake off the excess flour. Beat the egg whites until stiff, add yolks, and beat until a batter forms. Heat the 2 cups corn oil in a heavy pot, dip the chiles in the batter, then fry them quickly until they are a light golden brown.

Serve one or two chiles on a bed of mixed lettuce with the vinaigrette over the top.

New Mexican Hot Chocolate

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Here’s a modern version of the ancient Mayan drink.

Ingredients

•    1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
•    1 tablespoon flour
•    1/3 cup granulated sugar
•    3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
•    1 teaspoon finely ground New Mexican red chile
•    1 cup water
•    2 cups half-half
•    1 cup milk
•    1 cup whipping cream
•    1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
•    Freshly grated nutmeg
•    6 whole cinnamon sticks

Instructions

Combine the cocoa, flour, sugar cinnamon, cloves and red chile with the water in a large saucepan. Stir or whisk until very blended. Heat the mixture until bubbling and just beginning to simmer. Gradually add the half and half, then the milk in a very fine stream, stirring constantly. Beat with a molina or a whisk. Heat until hot, but do not boil, and keep warm for at least five minutes. Whip the cream with the vanilla. Whip the chocolate again just before serving, until it is very frothy. Top with a dollop of the whipped cream and a pinch of nutmeg. Insert a cinnamon stick into each mug and serve.