Home of the Heart Recipe Blog

New Mexico Enchiladas

12/31/2016

I learned to make these recipes while living in Albuquerque and visiting Santa Fe often. I discovered that northern, central, and southern New Mexico cuisines vary a bit from each other. What I can tell you for sure is that all New Mexican food can be distinguished from California and Texas Mexican food, and I'm biased toward it. The big difference is in the chile, and I've begun this little New Mexican food series with my Secret Santa Fe Red Chile Sauce which I assume you will make ahead of time.

Over the years I've migrated toward easier ways of making dishes. Here I show you the traditional rolled method of making these enchiladas, and the simpler layered version.

Servings: 6 Serving Size: 2 rolled enchiladas Preparation time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients
2 cups Secret Santa Fe Red Chile Sauce
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
12 pieces corn tortillas
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
Toppings: shredded lettuce, sour cream or plain yogurt

Directions for Rolled Enchiladas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Sauté onion in oil until limp.
2. Add ground beef and brown. Drain.
3. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and spray lightly with oil. Warm in the oven (or microwave) a minute or two, just enough to make them easy to roll.
4. Remove from oven. Spread ground beef mixture and cheese lengthwise across the center of the tortilla. Ladle on some red chile sauce. Roll tortilla. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
5. Place prepared tortillas in a greased baking dish. Cover with more red chile sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
6. Heat in the oven until warmed through.

Directions for Layered Enchiladas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Sauté onion in oil until limp.
2. Add ground beef and brown. Drain.
3. Spread a thin layer of sauce in bottom of baking pan.
4. Cover with six tortillas and half the beef mixture.
5. Ladle on a 3/4 cup of sauce and cover with 2/3 cup of cheese.
6. Layer with the remaining 6 tortillas.
7. Cover with the remaining beef and the rest of the sauce.
8. Cover with another 2/3 cup of cheese.
9. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.
10. Take out of the oven and remove foil. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Let stand about 10 minutes while cheese melts.
Serve with desired toppings.

I hope you enjoy my recipes. Let me know if you've tried any of them and how they turned out.

Good cooking to you!
Linda
Note: Would you like a printout of this and other recipes? These directions may help:
Use your mouse to select only the text you want to copy rather than the entire page. Then press Ctrl+C, open your Word program and press Ctrl+V to paste the semi-formatted text. Print it from there.

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Secret Santa Fe Red Chile Sauce

12/27/2016

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Secret Santa Fe Red Chile Sauce

Several years ago, my Santa Fe sister-in-law passed this Red Chile Sauce recipe on to me. At the time, it was supposed to be a secret recipe used in one of Santa Fe's popular restaurants. But time has pased, and I feel no obligation to continue to keep it a secret. Aren't you glad?

Santa Fe red sauce is never tomato based. This particular recipe is easy to make, contains no fat, and strikes all the right notes. You can make it as mild or hot as you like. I make up a big pot and use it in chile, on enchiladas, in posole and other soups and stews, plus chile conqueso. I buy Chimayo ground red chile when I can get it, but the red chile powder available in packages in the grocery store will suffice.

Makes: 5 cups chile sauce Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
8 tablespoons New Mexico red chile powder (mild or hot - you choose)
6 tablespoons flour
1 mediun garlic head, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5 cups water, divided

Directions
1. In saucepan comine all the dry ingredients (chile powder, flour, cumin, cinnamon).
2. Very slowly, add 1 cup of water, stirring to avoid lumps.
3. Sir in the remaining 4 cups of water and add the garlic.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer a minimum of 20 minutes, stirring occasionaly. Sauce will be watery.
Refrigerate and store in a glass container. Keeps for about a month. (I keep it longer, but offer no gurantees.) Makes enough for about 1 1/2 dozen enchiladas.

I'll be posting a few recipes that use this sauce, so stayed tuned. If you find more uses, I'd love to hear about them in the posted comments.

Good cooking to you!
Linda
Note: Would you like a printout of this and other recipes? These directions may help:
Use your mouse to select only the text you want to copy rather than the entire page. Then press Ctrl+C, open your Word program and press Ctrl+V to paste the semi-formatted text. Print it from there.

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Authentic New Mexico Posole & Last-Minute Posole

12/27/2016

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New Mexico Posole

Cooking New Mexican posole takes me back to those wonderful cold, crisp days I've spent in Santa Fe at Christmastime, crunching through the snow with my New Mexican family to one our favorite restaurants. Oh, the fragrant aromas enveloping our senses as we stepped out of the cold into the warm, welcoming atmoshere. I recall the laughter and local gossip as we dipped warm corn tortillas or sopapillas in our bowls.

On Christmas eve day this year, I had a hankering for this dish, but there was no time to make it in the traditional way. So off to the store went my dearheart to bring back a 108 ounce can of white hominy. Like always, I had turkey stock on hand in the freezer that I could use as a base, and there was left over ham from our family Thanksmas dinner in there too. I was pleased at how quickly this dish came together and how tasty it turned out to be. So for the traditionalists, I offer you posole from scratch, and for those pressed for time, ideas on how to take the easy, almost-as-good way of making it.

Please note: When I claim this is an easy "last-minute" recipe, I mean it only needs an hour or two to simmer.

Traditional New Mexican Posole
Serves: 6 Serving size: 1 cup
Timing: Takes about 30 minutes hands-on work. If using dried hominy, begin by soaking overnight. Simmer most of the next day.

Ingredients
1, 2 pound package frozen *hominy or 2 cups dried hominy
2 pounds pork steak or roast, cut into small cubes
Ham or pork bone is optional
1 small onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
4 red chile pods or Secret Santa Fe Red Chile Sauce to taste
Toppings: chopped clinatro, sour cream

*Also known as posole

Directions
1. Rinse well and drain the hominy. Cover with water and and simmer until it becomes puffed and tender. This should take about 1-1/2 to 2 hours for the frozen hominy. If using dried hominy, it should be soaked at least 4 hours or overnight before covered with water and simmered. Be sure not to add the seaoning until it softens.
2. Saute the onion, garlic, and pork pieces in oil.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and allow to stew for 6 or 8 hours, stirring the pot now and then before serving.
Note: Simmering in a crock pot works great.

Last-Minute Posole
Serves: 6 Serving size: 1 cup
Timing: Takes about 30 minutes hands-on work. Simmer for one to two hours.

Ingredients
30 ounces canned hominy
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 pounds pork or ham, cut into small cubes
1 quart chicken or turkey broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
New Mexico red chile powder to taste
Toppings: chopped clinatro, sour cream

Directions
1. Rinse the hominy well and drain.
2. Saute the onion, garlic, and pork pieces in oil.
3. Place all ingredients in a pot and simmer for an hour or two before serving.

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Peppermint Snowballs

12/22/2016

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Peppermint Snowballs

Need a last minute idea for a Christmas dinner dessert? Here's your answer: vanilla ice cream rolled in crushed peppermint and set on a bed of chocolate sauce. Yum! What an appropriate treat to serve your guests during the Christmas season. So festive and simple to make, too.

Serves: 12 Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 quart good vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups peppermint candy
Good quality chocolate sauce

Directions
1. Crush Peppermint candy by placing broken pieces into a sturdy ziplock bag. Crush with rolling pin or wooden mallet. Pour the crushed candy into a small (not tiny) bowl.
2. Form ice cream into approximately two-inch balls and roll in the crushed peppermint. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and keep in freezer until ready to serve. If making many of these, freeze small batches at a time to keep ice cream from melting.
3. When ready to serve, pour a "pool" of chocolate a few inches wider than the snowballs on individual plates. Place snowballs in the center. If desired, place a single cookie on the plate too.

I hope you enjoy my recipes. Let me know if you've tried any of them and how they turned out.

Good cooking to you! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Linda
Note: Would you like a printout of this and other recipes? These directions may help:
Use your mouse to select only the text you want to copy rather than the entire page. Then press Ctrl+C, open your Word program and press Ctrl+V to paste the semi-formatted text. Print it from there.

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Almond Snowcap Cookies

12/20/2016

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Almond Snowcap Cookies

If you like almonds, raspberry jam, and coconut, and a shotrbread-like crust, you're bound to enjoy this bar cookie. This recipe was handed on down to me through my family and has been a favorite ever since, being a simple variation of linzer torte.

Serves: 48 pieces Preparation time: 30 minutes Baking time: about 35 minutes total

Ingredients
3/4 cup half butter, half shortening
3/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup raspberry jam
3 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup ground almonds (grind in blender or food processor), toasted if you like
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted if you like

Note: Hazelnuts can be substituted for the almonds.

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees
1. Cream shortening and butter together with the confectioners sugar, then blend in flour.
2. Press evenly in bottom of ungreased pan 13" x 9" x 2" and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes just until it begins to brown on the edges.
3. Meanwhile, beat egg whites until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at at time, beating until stiff and glossy.
4. Fold in the coconut and the ground almonds.
5. When the bottom layer is baked, spread the jam over it while it is still hot.
6. Spread the egg white mixture over the jam and sprinkle with the sliced almonds.
7. Bake 20 minutes longer.
8. Cool and cut into 1 1/2" squares. Store in an airtight container.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

12/19/2016

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

Making cheesecake may seem daunting, but the secret is simple: give yourself plenty of time and follow the directions carefully. This recipe is a nice alternative to traditional pumpin pie. Take your time, enjoy the process, and you'll come up with a treat to rave about.

Serves: 8-10 slices Preparation time: about 2 hours Baking time: about 90 minutes total Resting time: 4 hours

Ingredients for the Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about
12 whole graham crackers)
6 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Ingredients for the Filling
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons pumpkin-pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature

Ingredients for the Topping
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions for the Crust
Preheat Oven to 350˚F with rack in the center.
1. Pulse graham crackers in a blender or food processor into fine crumbs.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Transfer into a 9-inch springform pan. Press crumbs into the bottom and about 1/2″ up the sides. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden around edges. Remove from oven and cool to room temp.

Direction for the Filling
1. Beat the cream cheese and brown sugar with an electric mixer at low speed until smooth. Continue beating as you add the flour. Add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla, and salt. Mix just until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next.
2. Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour filling into springform and shake gently to even it out.
3. Transfer to the oven and bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set.
4. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Remove pan from oven and spread filling on top, then bake 5 minutes longer.
5. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours.
6. To unmold, carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cut into wedges and serve.

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Chow Clusters Treat

12/17/2016

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Cow Chow Clusters

Making these simple "cookies" with my young grandkids marked me as their "Cooking Grandma" who knew her way around a kitchen. Now that the kids are older, I'm going to tutor them in making these treats on their own, giving them the option of adding peanuts or cashews or finely shredded coconut. The only caution is to keep the hot chocolate from burning in the pan and then on one's fingers while shaping the cookies. I wonder who will get to lick the pan.

Makes about 20 cookies Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooling time: about half an hour

Ingredients
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups buttersctoch chips
10 ounces chow mein noodles
Optional ingredients: 1/2 cup peanuts, cashews, or finely shredded coconut

Directions
1. Combine chocolate and butterscotch chips in double boiler or heavy saucepan. Melt over low heat stirring constantly. (The double boiler helps keep the chocolate from burning. If the chocolate starts to appear grainy, it's overcooked. )
2. Remove from heat and stir in the chow mein noodles. and any other ingredients.
3. Mix quickly to coat noodles.
4. Dip out teaspoonfuls on wax paper and cool.

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Eggnog Parfait

12/16/2016

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Eggnog Parfaits

If you like eggnog, you will love, love, love this parfait and how easy it is to make. The layers of gingersnaps and pudding show off nicely in transparent parfait glasses or a glass bowl.

I always have copies of this recipe for my guests, because after consuming this treat, they inevitably want to make it themselves.

Serves: 8 Serving size: 1 cup Preparation time: 20 minutes Chill time: 1 hour

Ingredients
*1 quart eggnog
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups crushed gingersnaps
Whipping cream
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg

*This recipe will not work with low-fat
eggnog.

Note: An alternative to this dish is to pour custard onto a baked pie crust or individual tart shells.

Instructions
1. Crush gingersnaps by processing in blender or putting them in a ziplock bag and rolling a rolling pin over them.
2. Pour 1/2 cup eggnog into a 3 quart microwave-safe container.
3. Slowly stir the cornstarch into the 1/2 cup eggnog. Beat with a wire whip until smooth.
4. Add vanilla and sugar.
5. Stir in remaining eggnog.
6. Cook uncovered at half power, stirring every few minutes. Cook until the mixture is very thick, about 10 minutes.
7. Cool slightly so as not to crack the parfait glasses.
8. Gently ladle custard with alternative layers of crushed cookies into glasses. (Can also be served in a large glass bowl.)
9. Chill for one hour until custard is set.
10. To serve, top with whipping cream and grated nutmeg.

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Yams 'n Apple Bake

12/10/2016

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Yams 'n Apples

I usually decide what potluck dish I'm going to make for the week by looking in my cupboard and refrigerator and seeing what I have and what needs to be used up before it goes bad. This time I had some apples that were looking a bit crinkly, and some good looking yams. I've experimented with yams and apples before, so I knew they were a good match.

This recipe looked good, but I didn't have any whiskey or bourbon. What I did have was some pineapple habanero bbq sauce we picked up at Costco. I substituted that for the alcohol, and bingo! I had a winner! This went over well at our family Thanksmas as a complement to the ham.

Serves: 6 to 8 Serving size: 1 cup Yam cooking & cooling time: 2 hours Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
4 or 5 medium yams or sweet potatoes, scrubbed
4 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
into ½-inch wedges
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon cloves
¼ cup bourbon or whiskey
¼ cup orange juice

Directions:
1. *Puncture yams with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour or until just tender. When cool enough to handle, peel and slice into ¾-inch rounds.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. In a 9x13-inch glass baking dish, alternate yam slices with apple wedges, arranging them in lines at a slight angle. Drizzle with melted butter.
4. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Sprinkle over yams and apples. In the same small bowl, mix bourbon (substitute) and orange juice. Drizzle over the yams and apples.
5. Bake for 1 hour, or until apples and yams are tender. Serve immediately, spooning accumulated juices over each portion.

*Note: You may want to cook the yams the day before and refrigerate them overnight until you're ready to make this dish.

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Biscochitos - A New Mexican Cookie

12/10/2016

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Biscochitos

These traditional New Mexican Biscochitos are my Christmas sugar cookies. I have an extensive cookie cutter collection, making it fun to create many different shapes. Traditional biscochitos are made with lard and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. I like use butter and put holiday sprinkles on at least some of mine. It's even more fun if I have a young helper. I especially love the melted cinnamon candies I embed in the holly, bell, and reindeer-shaped cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen medium cookies

Ingredients
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup white sugar
*3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon fresh ground anise seed
1 large egg
**2 fluid ounces brandy

*May substitute butter for some or all of the shortening. If using salted butter, eliminate the 1/2 salt.
**I use orange curacao instead of straight brandy.

Directions
1. Blend together the 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a blender. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
4. Cream shortening with the sugar and anise.
5. Beat the egg until light and fluffy and stir into creamed mixture.
6. Add the mixture and the brandy to the flour mix and stir until well blended. Use only enough liquid to form a stiff dough.
7. Knead dough slightly and pat or roll to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into fancy shapes.
8. Place on cookie sheet and dust each cookie with the sugar/cinnamon mixture or other decorative sprinkles.
9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned.
10. Cool on wire racks.

I hope you enjoy my recipes. Let me know if you've tried any of them and how they turned out. Feel free to share your favorite holiday recipes in your comments.

Good cooking to you. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Linda
Note: Would you like a printout of this and other recipes? These directions may help:
Use your mouse to select only the text you want to copy rather than the entire page. Then press Ctrl+C, open your Word program and press Ctrl+V to paste the semi-formatted text. Print it from there.

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<<Previous

New Mexico Enchiladas

Secret Santa Fe Red Chile Sauce

Authentic New Mexico Posole & Last-Minute Posole

Peppermint Snowballs

Almond Snowcap Cookies

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Chow Clusters Treat

Eggnog Parfait

Yams 'n Apple Bake

Biscochitos - A New Mexican Cookie

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