Caldo Tlalpeño





Finally got some serious cleaning around the house,  got some things reorganized.  Isn't my counter pretty?  I was excited to get my cutting board area set up how I like :).  Drew came home from a trip yesterday so I wanted something comforting, something with flavors he is used to me using.  He loves soup so I went with caldo tlalpeño, something I have gone to in the past, I really enjoy making it, and eating it!

 





Caldo tlalpeño reminds me very much of something like pozole or menudo: a broth with a puree of chiles and spices stirred in for flavor and heat.  Typically it is done with chipotles and can be put together very easily with canned chipotles in adobo.  I had roasted guajillo, ancho, chipotles, and garlic on the comal earlier in the week for something else, so I decided to use this mixture. 

 

I added the chiles to a blender jar and topped with boiling water. I let this sit for about 20 minutes, then added cumin seeds, bay leaves, and Mexican oregano which I also toasted on the comal.  The result was a deep dark red puree.

 

I seared chicken legs in a skillet, I wanted to get the cooking process started on these and got some additional flavor by cooking in a little bit of bacon fat. I added garlic towards the flavor to give it more of a garlic flavor. I removed the skin from the legs and let them continue to render out.

 

 

After that the legs went for a swim in chicken broth with my paste mixed in.  I let this simmer on low for about 40 minutes until the meat was falling off the bone.

 





While the chicken was cooking, I prepared my vegetables that would go into the soup.  Carrots, potatoes, garbanzo beans will go right into the cooking soup. Cabbage and cilantro will go on top when it is all done.

I cubed 1 carrot and 3 potatoes and added to the cooking soup during the last 15 minutes.  I also drained one large cans of garbanzos and tossed it in while it finished simmering.

 

To finish, I served in bowls and topped with diced onion, shredded cabbage, chunks of avocado, and lime juice.  I added cilantro and tortilla chips broken up into the soup as well.

 

 

For the second helping, I added the crispy chicken skin that I left in the skillet as well as a chile pasado relleno.  A relative just came back and brought back chile pasado which is a roasted then dried poblano, typical of where my family is from.  My mom surprised me with rellenos made from these and thought it would be perfect with the soup.

 

Recipe after the jump!

chicken with spinach and potatoes in chipotle yogurt sauce

I wanted to make a dish somewhat inspired by an Indian curry utilizing yogurt.  One of the first dishes I tried out on my own in high school was chicken with swish chard in a chipotle crema.  I thought of that dish when coming up with the idea for this. The main ingredients I used were chicken thighs, spinach, potatoes, onion, garlic and chipotle which I bought canned in adobo sauce.

I began by searing chicken thighs in a pan on both sides, then cutting up into chunks.  I left these to the side while I put other ingredients together.

After removing the chicken, I fried onion and garlic and deglazed with beer.  I then added potatoes and spinach, before returning the chicken to the pot. To create the sauce, I blended the rest of the beer with 2 chipotles, cumin, thyme and a bit of sugar. I poured this over the chicken and vegetable and let simmer.  I then turned off the heat and tempered the yogurt by adding a bit at a time and stirring quickly so it doesn't curdle. I didn't have a specific ratio in mind other than I wanted to cool down the heat from the chiles significantly. Once combined, turned the heat back on and let it simmer on low.

The sauce was creamy and rich and actually still retained a good deal of heat. I would've liked to have much more spinach and plan to add two bunches next time instead of one.

For dinner tonight, I served this dish topped with black beans, cilantro, lime juice and some cotija cheese.  I really liked the texture of the beans mixed into the creamy sauce.  The lime did a good job of balancing out the fattiness as well. 

the rub

Last week I was given a wonderful mole inspired spice rub from my brother Lupe, aka @2bridgesflavor , who makes the best best jerky I've ever had.  The flavors and spices used are excellent, I recommend following him to get more information and updates on what he is working on.

When I first got the rub, the aroma is what struck me.  There were so many different complex notes in it that I knew it was going to be good.  You can get the chocolate, nutty and chile notes indicative of mole while being fresh and vibrant.

Immediately I thought of doing spice-rubbed chicken legs.  To begin I put a generous amount of the the rub all over every surface of the legs to make sure they were completely covered.  The rub spread easily and it was nice to able ot distinguish some chili flakes and sesame seeds which will show nicely in the end result. I placed the chicken legs in the oven at 375F for about an hour.

As the chicken cooked this amazing smell was coming from the oven as the spices warmed and melded with the roasting chicken.  I took the chicken out and immediately noticed that a beautiful crust had formed.  The outside of the chicken was crisp and had an amazing color to it.  It was hard not to rip of a piece and have a try.  The chicken took well to the spices and it worked wonderfully to create the end result.

To serve the chicken, I made a bit of crisp, oven-roasted kale that I had coated in a bit of the chicken fat that had rendered from the roast.  I proceeded to make sort of a quick pickle of roasted carrot and fennel tossed in lime juice and a touch of honey to round it out.  I placed the chicken on a bed of kale and spooned some of the carrots with the lime juice and fennel on top.  The final dish was amazing, the flavors of the spices really shined through and tied all the components together.  I was really impressed by and excited about this spice rub and I can't wait to see more from @2bridgesflavor .

caldo tlalpeño

Caldo tlalpeño is one of the first soups I learned to make on my own.  To me, it is a soup somewhat similar to menudo or pozole.  The meat in this case is chicken, and the chile used to flavor the broth is typically chipotle.

It's been a while since I've made caldo tlalpeño, probably not since college.  I was excited to revisit it.  To begin, I made my broth from the bones of a couple of roast chickens.  I prepared the salsa to add to the broth to further flavor the soup.

Normally, chipotle is used in the salsa but I decided to use chile morita, which is a smaller and spicier version of the chipotle.  It still contains that deep smoky flavor which will go well the chicken.  I rehydrated the chile morita in some of the boiling chicken broth for about 20 minutes.

To complete the salsa I placed the chile in a blender along with garlic, cumin, bay leaves, oregano, salt and pepper.

To complete the soup I added diced potato, carrot and boiled for a few minutes.  I later tossed in some cooked garbanzo beans, before adding the salsa to the soup.  I let it all boil together before serving. i garnished the caldo tlalpeño with diced onion, cilantro and pieces of avocado which provide a texture contrast and a needed cool creaminess.  tostadas can be broken up into the soup and of course no caldo is complete without a few squirts of lime.

Making caldo tlalpeño brought back so many memories of trying out new recipes on my own in high school.  It feels good to revisit that.

this week

It has been a while since I've made an update.  Things have been quite busy lately and admittedly I need to take the time to sit and make an update or two.  There has been plenty of activity in my kitchen so far this week and I wanted to share some of that experience.

This week is particularly busy for me.  For the past couple of days scones have been my life.  Drew's sister is getting married this week and I baked scones to include in welcome baskets for family coming in from out of town.  I will also be preparing food for a barbecue later in the week. I am very happy to be a part of this, being able to contribute something that his family will enjoy means a lot and I look forward to meeting everyone. 

What first seemed like a difficult task turned into an accomplishment of sorts.  After the first few batches I was turning them out in no time.  Baking is a science, but after a while that science becomes like second nature. I was able to see the grainy texture of butter being cut into flour, smell the faint biscuit aroma in the raw dough, feel the consistency of the dough as I rolled it out.  All acting as a guide telling me that the proportions were right.  It felt good to complete this project and learn more about the process. When all was said and done I made four varieties of scones: chocolate chunk, almond, Irish soda bread, and cinnamon swirl. I sent the scones on their way to be placed into baskets and distributed, hoping that the family enjoys them.

I also have the honor of helping to coordinate food for a family barbecue this weekend.  For this the clear choice is arrachera: skirt steak that has been sliced thin and tenderized.  I'm planning on quickly marinating the arrachera in a combination of beer, lime, salt and garlic.  As another option I will also be preparing chicken drumsticks, marinated in orange juice, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic.  I will be preparing guacamole, salsa, diced onion and chopped cilantro to make tacos.  I haven't had experience preparing food for this many people so it should be an interesting adventure, but I fully welcome the experience.

I hope to be on a normal schedule next week but for now I'm enjoying the experience of cooking for Drew's family.  It is my first time meeting them and that can be a bit stressful but something I look forward to.  More updates to come in the future, I promise!

lemon roasted chicken with broccolini and pasta

Nothing beats a good roasted chicken, it is one of my favorite things to make and to enjoy.  The great thing is that it is really very simple to make and will always taste delicious.  I can't have roasted chicken without lemon, it is my favorite flavor to go with the meat so I made sure to incorpate as much of that flavor as possible.  To go with the chicken I roasted some broccolini and placed on a bed of linguine that is finished with some bacon and asiago cheese.  I made a simple salad with a lemon vinaigrette to finish off dinner.

To prepare the chicken I first made sure it was completely dry.  This is to make sure that there is no moisture left on the skin so the skin can crisp up properly.  I stood the chicken up with the cavity facing up and seasoned the inside of the bird with a few pinches of salt and pepper.  I stuffed the inside of the chicken with a lemon sliced in half, 2 quarters of a small onion, 2 sprigs of rosemary and 3 cloves of garlic.  To prepare the outside of the chicken I combined the zest of one lemon with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  I spread the lemon olive oil mixutre all over the the outside of the chicken and sprinkled a few pinches of salt and pepper on the skin.

I placed the chicken in a baking dish over a bed of sliced onions.  I started the oven at 425 degrees, then proceeded to lower the temperature to 375 once the chicken was in. The chicken roasted for about an hour or until the leg easily pulls away from the thigh and the juices run clear.  I took the chicken and placed it on a dish to rest.  I placed the pan juices along with the juice of one lemon in a saucepan and simmered for about 15 minutes to make a quick pan sauce.

I have to admit I had no idea what broccolini was when I saw it at the store other than it seems like more tender broccoli.  I found that this vegetable is basically a mix between broccoli and gai lan or Chinese broccoli.  The taste is somewhat similar to regular broccoli except the stems are more delicate and the tops a bit crunchier.

I placed the broccolini in a baking dish with thinly sliced garlic.  I drizzed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper before placing in the same 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the stems were al dente.

To prepare the pasta I boiled a couple of handfuls of dry linguine in a pot of boiling water.  In the meantime I sauteed some bacon bits I fried up earlier with diced onion in a large pan.  I stopped boiling the pasta a couple of minutes early because I wanted to finish cooking in the pan with the bacon.  I added the pasta to the pan along with a couple of ladles of pasta water.  While heating the pasta on medium I added about a handful of shredded asiago cheese and a couple of teaspoons of ground nutmeg.  I tossed the pasta with the roasted broccolini and I continued to cook through until the pasta was al dente.

I served the chicken alonside the linguine with the broccolini sitting on top.  Alongside I added a simple salad with lemon juice seasoned with salt and pepper.  The chicken was roasted perfectly.  The skin was crispy and the breast was moist and tender.  I spooned a bit of the pan sauce over the chicken to add additional lemon flavor at the end.  The broccolini went well with the bacon and nutmeg in the pasta as well as the lemony chicken.  For me nothing quite compares to a roasted chicken, it is a fail proof dinner that you can simply pair with a salad or with any other side for a simple and satisfying meal.  As an added bonus once cleaned of all the meat, the chicken carcass can be boiled with carrots, onion and celery to make a tasty chicken broth.

This is the first dish on my blog for which I have written a full recipe.  Please try these dishes and let me know how it goes!
Full recipe after the jump...

chicken milanese with garlic mashed potatoes

I have been craving crispy chicken lately, so I decided to use some leftover panko breadcrumbs to create chicken milanese.  I thought to pair this with some creamy mashed potatoes to provide a contrast in texture.

To begin I pounded out some chicken breasts until very thin and spread out.  I sliced my chicken breasts in half first before flattening to make them more manageable.  I added the flattened breasts to a dish and covered in plain kefir for about 20 minutes.  I did this to further tenderize the chicken and it also acts as a glue for the breadcrumbs.

In a flat dish I combined panko breadcrumbs, minced garlic, chopped parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  I coated the chicken breasts with the breadcrumb mixture to cover both sides.

I covered the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and added my chicken.  I let the chicken fry away for a few minutes on each side, making sure to get a crisp, golden-brown crust on each side.

While I cooked the chicken, I boiled potatoes in water until very soft.  I cooked these for longer than I normally would to assure that they come out very creamy.  I strained the potatoes and mixed with sour cream, milk, and garlic that I sautéed in butter.

to complete the dish I leaned a piece of chicken milanese on a mound of mashed potatoes that I placed at the center of the place.  I added a simple salad with greens tossed in lemon juice.  The lemon juice cuts the richness of the dish and the salad added another contrast in texture.  I was very happy with the outcome of the dish, the flavors and textures went very well together.

Huevos al Horno con Pollo y Garbanzos en Salsa Morita

Tonight I made baked eggs with chicken and garbanzos with salsa morita.  I used left over chicken meat and chickpeas from a soup a made to form the main protein element in an egg bake.  To begin I sauteed the chicken and chick peas in olive oil in garlic.  There was no need to add salt, the chicken was sitting in broth for a couple of days.  I tossed in a few handfuls of spinach and wilted it for a couple of minutes.  After cooking the chicken I set this aside to cool for a bit.

Another element that I added to this was a salsa that I made from chile morita, chile guajillo, garlic, bay leaves, oreganod and cumin.  I soaked the chiles in boiling water for a bit before blending all the ingredients.  The chile morita (roasted, dried red jalapeño) adds a smokey flavor while the dried guajillo chile adds a deep red color and a bit of sweetness. 

In a large casserole I used tostadas to form a bottom layer to this dish.  I covered the tostadas with the chicken and cracked some eggs over the top.

I baked in the oven until the whites set a little, trying to keep the yolks runny.  I put the rest of the salsa in a bowl which I served on the side.

Chicken and Spinach with Gnocchi

I found some whole grain potato gnocchi at the store a while back that I've been dying to use so I decided to cook these with chicken and spinach. The result was a heartier gnocchi dish that was very filling.

In a large pan I caramelized thin slices of garlic in olive oil. To this I added some red chile flakes and sliced pieces of chicken breast that I cooked until brown.  I removed the chicken, deglazed the pan with some white wine and threw in a few handfuls of spinach.  At this point I dropped the gnocchi in boiling water and added the chicken back to the pan with some thinly sliced red onion.

To finish the dish I added the cooked gnocchi to the pan along with some cooking water to create a sauce.  I added pieces of Spanish goat cheese to give the dish some richness and depth of flavor.  I loved that this was relatively quick to put together, but it yields delicious results.  Something I will definitely be making again.

It went great with a glass of wine.

Extreme close-up!

Grillin' and Chillin'

I love weekday grill nights, I'm always presented with something that can be relatively quick and easy to make with tons of flavor.  I did a mixed grill of chicken breast and veggies with some grilled flour tortillas to stuff it all in.

I butterflied some chicken breasts that I then marinated in the juice of two oranges, honey, red chili flake, garlic, cumin and olive oil.

In a separate bowl I added zucchini, eggplant, brussels sprouts and green onions.  These were then tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and the zest from the oranges.

I tossed these all on the grill, added some flour tortillas on the side and we had a great light but delicious weeknight meal, with tons of leftovers!