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Jalapeño & Tomatillo Hot Sauce

July 14, 2013

Once a year, John plants jalapeños in the garden. This year he tried a new hybrid, Jalafuego and whoa! There were jalapeños coming from every which way. It is very productive, with beautiful fat peppers. It was time to bring out the canner and make jalapeño-tomatillo hot sauce. For a very spicy sauce use only jalapeños.

The little plants produced an amazing amount of jalapeños.

Jalapeños and tomatillos are cut into halves then roasted briefly. The sauce can be made with more or less peppers depending on ones tolerance for heat (supermarket peppers vary considerably which is why we grow our own).

Once roasted and charred in a few spots they go into the blender with the other ingredients for a quick whirl.

Garlic, cilantro, onion and fresh oregano all contribute to to the fresh flavor of the jalapeño hot sauce.

Once the sauce is processed in the water bath canner it will be shelf stable for up to a year.

8/26/16: Updated

Jalapeño & Tomatillo Hot Sauce

Makes 6 half pint jars

Ingredients

After roasting peppers and tomatillos, total weight should amount to 16 ounces. If you are a bit short just add a few raw peppers and/or tomatillos to total 16 ounces.

3/4 – 1 pound fresh jalapeños, halved lengthwise (1 1/2 pounds jalapeños if not including tomatillos, for a spicier sauce)

1/2 pound tomatillos, halved

1 cup packed, chopped cilantro, tender stems included

6 large garlic cloves

1 large onion, chopped

6 sprigs fresh oregano about 4 inches each, stems discarded

1 cup fresh lime juice

2 cups white vinegar

1/2 cup filtered water

1 teaspoon pickling salt

2 tablespoons light brown sugar (packed)

Preparation

Turn oven on to broil. Cover a large jelly roll pan or low sided roasting pan with parchment paper. Place jalapeños and tomatillos cut side down on the pan. Broil for about 8 – 10 minutes, or until the peppers and tomatillos are well charred. Remove pan from the oven and set aside.

Combine lime juice, vinegar, water, salt and brown sugar in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

Place jalapeños, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, onions, oregano, and lime juice mixture in a blender. If your blender is unable to accommodate all of the ingredients, hold back some of the liquid and set aside. Puree all the ingredients in your blender. Pour the mixture into a large saucepan (add liquid you set aside earlier) and slowly bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat.

Ladle into prepared canning jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met (fingertip tight). Place in water bath canner and process for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, let jars rest in canner for 5 more minutes. Remove to a cooling rack. Once cool remove canning rings and wipe jars clean before storing. Be sure to date the jars and use within 18 months.

This hot sauce is delicious with, but not limited to, all Mexican cuisine. A couple of our favorites are with scrambled eggs and on avocado sandwiches.

Mexican, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Creamy Avocado Dressing

April 10, 2013

This dressing is rich, creamy and tart with just a hint of heat. It’s delicious served in a salad of crunchy iceberg and romaine lettuce, black beans, chopped tomatoes and cilantro. I found this recipe on the Noble Pig blog. Kathy also adds crushed corn chips and shredded cheddar cheese to her salad. It’s a great salad to take to a party. Everyone will love it.

I also discovered this to be the perfect spread for a grilled fish sandwich. It goes especially well with any blackened fish (such as ahi). Spread the dressing generously on your toasted bun and top with grilled blackened ahi and crunchy lettuce or simply serve with a side of corn chips.

Creamy Avocado Dressing

Adapted from Noble Pig Blog

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 large avocado

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon (or more) of your favorite hot sauce

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

The dressing will keep well for up to three days.

Dinner, Mexican, Pork, Recipes

Carne Adovada Tamales

December 17, 2012

It’s December and the weather has definitely changed. It is now pleasantly cool in the mornings and evenings. This slight change means a lot to those of us who live in Hawaii. After 6 months of near 90 degree weather we’re ready for a little break in the heat. With the onset of cooler weather tamales are the perfect dish to share with your friends. Recently I made slow cooked Carne Adovada. My plan was to have carne adovada burritos for dinner and freeze the rest for tamale filling.

Making masa dough is very easy. The recipe contains just a few ingredients and the preparation is not time consuming.

What’s a tamal without sauce and rice?

Carne Adovada Tamales (makes about 20)

Masa Dough recipe adapted from Epicurious

Carne Adovada recipe available here

Ingredients (Dough)

1 cup solid vegetable shortening

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 1/2 cups masa harina (about 17 ounces)

2 1/4 cups warm water

1 1/2 cups (about) chicken broth

Preparation

Fill the bottom of a deep pot with 2 inches of water. The pot needs to be tall enough for the tamales to stand upright while they steam. A pot with a steamer insert is ideal however a large vegetable steamer basket works just as well. If the vegetable steamer basket seems too low, prop it up with a few wads of crumpled foil under the legs so there is space between the water and steamer basket.

Corn Husks

Select the bigger corn husks and rinse them under cold water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Turn off the heat and submerge the corn husks in the water to soften (for 1 hour). Place softened corn husks on a kitchen towel and pat dry. Tear off narrow strips to use as ties for your tamales.

Masa Harina & Filling

Shred your carne adovada, beef or chicken filling and set aside.

Combine masa harina with warm water.

In a large, separate bowl, beat vegetable shortening, salt and baking powder with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Beat in masa harina mixture in 4 additions. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in 1 1/4 cups broth forming a soft, tender dough. If the dough seems firm, add more broth 2 tablespoons at a time until you achieve the right texture.

Spread about 1/4 cup dough in a 4 inch square in the center of each corn husk. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling in a strip down the center of each square. Fold long sides of husks and dough over filling (gather both ends of husk and bring together so that filling is covered by masa). Fold up narrow end (bottom) of husk and secure with a strip of corn husk. With another strip of corn husk gently tie around the tamale, about an inch below the masa filling (leave the top of the tamale open). Try not to tie too tight, the tamale will expand as it cooks.

Place tamales upright in your prepared steamer. Bring water to a boil, turn down heat and cover the pot. Steam the tamales for approximately 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until the dough is firm to the touch and separates easily from the husk. You may place a thin kitchen towel between the pot and lid to absorb some of the water from the steam. Check the water level occasionally adding more as necessary (setting a timer is a good reminder to check the water now and then).

Serve tamales with adovada sauce, rice and black beans. They freeze well.

Dinner, Mexican, Pork, Recipes

Carne Adovada

November 12, 2012

Most carne adovada recipes call for dried chiles which are not often found in most supermarkets. A simple alternative is to use a good dried chile powder (I like to use Hatch Mild Chile available by mail order from The Chile Shop in Santa Fe, New Mexico). Whenever I have a craving for adovada I can whip up the sauce in a half hour and simmer beef or pork in the sauce until it’s fork tender. Shred the pork and serve with Cuban Style Black Beans and Sopa de Arroz and warm tortillas. Any leftovers make a delicious filling for tamales.

Cook oil, flour, garlic, oregano and cumin.

Adovada Sauce.

Carne Adovada

Ingredients – Sauce

4 tablespoons oil

3 large garlic cloves, pressed

5 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz. each)

1 cup water

8 heaping tablespoons (about 3 oz.) mild chile powder such as Hatch Mild, combined with chicken broth and water

1 tablespoon Dixon hot chile powder (optional) combined with chicken broth and water

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Ingredients – Pork

2 1/2 – 3 pounds trimmed pork butt cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon flour

1 small onion finely diced, about 1 cup

Preparation – Sauce

Combine the flour, cumin and oregano in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the chicken broth, water and chile powder in a large measuring cup or bowl.

Heat 4 tablespoons of canola oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the flour, cumin and oregano to the pan mixing with the oil and garlic. Continue to cook for a few minutes until lightly browned.

Slowly add the chicken broth mixture to the pan, stirring well making sure there are no lumps in the sauce. Add the salt and simmer, stirring frequently for about 15 minutes on medium to medium-low heat until the sauce thickens up and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Preparation – Pork

Place the cubed pork in a large bowl and mix in the salt, oregano and cumin. Sprinkle on the flour, toss to coat and set aside while you cook the onions.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, wide pot (I use a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft but not browned. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.

Add more oil to your pan and once hot, cook the pork in batches until nicely browned. Add only enough pork so the pieces are in a single layer and don’t touch each other. Cook the pork, undisturbed, until each piece is well-browned on one side, about 3 – 5 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side. Remove pork to a plate and continue to cook all of the pork adding more oil to the pan as needed. Once all the pork has browned add it back to the pot along with the onions. Pour enough chile sauce into the pan to cover the pork generously, give it a stir and simmer on low heat for 3 -4 hours until the pork is fork tender and can be shredded easily. Check the pork each hour to ensure there is enough sauce in the pan, adding more sauce if necessary.

The ingredients are simple, and the finished dish is really, really good making for terrific tacos, burritos, tostadas and tamales. Any leftover adovada sauce can be frozen for several months.

*I highly recommend Hatch Mild Chile Powder (A Mild New Mexico Red Chile powder great flavor, gentle heat). Using a good quality chile powder will make all the difference in this dish. You can purchase a 1 pound bag for under $9.00 or a half pound bag for under $6.00 and it will be delivered to your doorstep!

Dinner, Mexican, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Side Dishes

Sopa de Arroz

October 16, 2012

For ages I have searched for a good Mexican rice recipe and I have tried and discarded many. My search ended with a Saveur magazine recipe. The staff of Saveur travels to many different countries and seeks out all kinds of wonderful people who share their cuisine with them. I have to admit that I have found more recipes that I love in Saveur than in any other food magazine. Saveur articles typically feature extended stories on the cultures and people who share their wonderful recipes. In this instance the dish was featured in a Quinceaneara feast (all over Latin America a girls 15^th birthday is a major celebration). These are usually rustic dishes that don’t call for ingredients too difficult to find. So here is a really good Mexican-style rice recipe from Saveur.

Pulse in your food processor.

Cook rice with tomato puree.

Add broth and cook, undisturbed until liquid barely covers the rice. In this photo the rice is almost at that stage with just a few more minutes to go.

Sopa de Arroz

Serves 8

Adapted from Saveur magazine

Ingredients

2 cups long grain rice

About 3 small, ripe and juicy tomatoes – skin and seeds removed, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup onion – coarsely chopped

2 small or 1 large garlic clove

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mild chili powder – optional (I use Hatch mild chile powder from New Mexico. It doesn’t add any heat to the rice however it does give a nice color).

Preparation

Rinse rice well in a fine mesh colander until water runs clear. Drain well, set colander on paper towels to absorb excess water. Set aside

Place tomatoes, onion and garlic in a small food processor. Pulse until ingredients are pureed. You’ll want about 1 cup of tomato/onion/garlic puree. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot that has a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. I have a Cuisinart 5.5 quart pot I use. It’s wide and not too deep. This is preferable to a narrow, deep pot as the rice has more surface area to cook. Once the oil is hot add the rice and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the rice is lightly golden, about 5 minutes or so. Be sure to keep stirring and don’t leave the rice unattended, it may burn.

Remove the pot from the burner and add the tomato puree mixture. Turn the heat down to medium low. Place the rice back on the burner and continue to stir for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and turn the heat up to high. Add salt (and chile powder if using). Give the rice one more stir and once the broth comes to a boil turn the heat down to medium – medium high (the broth should be bubbling). Cook the rice undisturbed and uncovered for about 7 minutes or until the liquid barely covers the rice and craters appear on the surface. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Set your timer for 20 minutes.

Once the rice is done, turn off the heat and leave undisturbed (do not open the lid) for at least 15 minutes. Take off the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

If you have leftovers, the rice freezes beautifully.

Mexican, Recipes

Salsa Fresca

September 27, 2012

With lots of Big Beef tomatoes in the garden now, we have sliced and layered them on toasted homemade country sourdough bread. I’ve made Green Beans with Olive Oil & Tomatoes, fresh pasta sauce and big, big bowls of salsa fresca. Fresh salsa is nothing like the bottled salsa you find on the grocery store shelves which many times seem too “tomato pasty.” Since fresh salsa is best consumed within a day or two, we have eaten many meals that highlight the salsa; tacos, quesadillas, tostadas and tamales. A simple Sunday breakfast of scrambled eggs with a bit of extra sharp cheddar and topped with a good serving of salsa fresca is the perfect way to start your day.

I don’t follow a specific recipe because there are just 6 ingredients. You can add as much cilantro, onion and jalapeño as you like. The best suggestion I can offer is to use good juicy tomatoes (plum tomatoes seem too dry) and taste your jalapeños to see how hot they are since their heat varies considerably especially if using fresh jalapeños. I prefer to used nacho jalapeño rings that John grows and cans each year. They are hot (!) and I can judge just how much I will need for each salsa recipe. You can buy jarred jalapeños at the grocery store or canned, chopped jalapeños such as Ortega. These will work fine.

These containers of salsa were sold to co-workers. I will donate the monies collected to the 2013 Visitor Industry Charity Walk which is an annual event that helps hundreds of local charities throughout the state.

Salsa Fresca

Fresh tomatoes, cut into small dice with seeds removed

Maui onion or sweet onion finely diced

Chopped cilantro

Minced jalapeño

Fresh lime juice

Salt

This is so easy since there’s no specific measurements for each ingredient. Once you chop the tomatoes you decide how much of the other ingredients to add to suit your taste. Some of you may not care for cilantro so you might choose to leave it out, but I highly recommend you give it a try. It adds a bright color and fresh flavor to the salsa.

It is best to eat the salsa the day you make it. If you have leftovers use it within two days.

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Jalapeño & Tomatillo Hot Sauce

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