Green Chile Rice

A quick and easy recipe.. It’s no secret Jo and I love our spicy goodness, and it’s certainly no secret that we LOVE green chile. Ever since Jo lived in Albuquerque, green chili has become a new sensation, new obsession, new greatness to our spicy repertoire. And when I made this a few weeks back, I was surprised we hadn’t posted something this simple and delicious already! So here it is..without further ado, a spicy, green chili rice that will serve nicely along any Tex-Mex dish we have posted here 🙂

Ingredients:

2 C brown rice
3.25 C water
3/4 C green chile sauce (you can adjust the spicy level by using more green chili and less water; you want a total of 4 C liquid to 2 C rice)
2 TBSP canola or safflower oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat 2 TBSP canola oil over medium heat. Add in brown rice and lightly saute, a few minutes.

2. Add water, spices, and green chile sauce. Let simmer 45 minutes (or until rice is al dente).

3. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve up! You can sprinkle with some green onion, or even add some onion in at the beginning..depending on your green chile sauce and what’s in it. Another tasty option would be to squeeze a little fresh lime juice on top! 🙂

Happy Cooking!

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Tex-Mex Rice

Growing up we called this Spanish rice, but after investigating recipes for traditional ‘Spanish rice,’ this did not fit the bill.  So here’s the Tex-Mex version of a Spanish-style rice 🙂 This goes great with Green Enchiladas and Papas Refritas, or Roasted Veg Enchiladas and Refried Beans, or any other Tex-Mex or Mexican meal. I suppose we could put this in the SOP category, as an all-purpose side to any mexican-inspired meal. This recipe serves about 4.

Ingredients:

1 C brown rice
1/2 large yellow onion (or 1 small-medium) diced
1-2 cloves garlic – you just want accent garlic, not overwhelm garlic
2 TBSP canola oil
1.5-2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
2-3 Roma tomatoes, diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
2 C water or veg broth
juice of 1 lime
cilantro for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Heat canola oil in a large deep-sided skillet/pan. Saute onion and garlic until garlic begins to soften, about 5-8 minutes. Add rice and toast lightly for a few minutes.

2. Add spices, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer over low heat for approximately 45 minutes (or if using white rice, adjust time accordingly).

3. When all liquid is absorbed, let sit 5 minutes, covered. Drizzle with lime juice and stir in a handful of chopped cilantro. Serve with more cilantro sprinkled on top and enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

On this day in history: Double-Blueberry Drop Scones

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Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Menu

Here at the Primate, Jo and I are known for loving our Mexican food! And though we realize that Cinco de Mayo is not the actual Mexican Independence holiday that the US has somehow turned it into, and rather a specific battle celebration, we partake in the festivities all the same. So here’s a few menu ideas for your Cinco de Mayo celebration – hey, any reason to make up a pitcher of margaritas and a huge bowl of salsa.. 🙂 Here’s some quick and easy foods that can be made for an impromptu or planned Cinco de Mayo Fest!

Fresh Salsas: Pico de gallo or Tomatillo, or both 😉
Hearty Black Bean and Corn salsa
Mexican Quinoa
Spicy Potato Wedges
SOP: Margaritas

Tell your friends to bring chips, ice, and any Mexican beer they prefer and you’re set to go! You could also make some Watermelon sorbet for the kiddo’s to keep you cool in that hot sun!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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Mexican Quinoa

I very much prefer quinoa to rice, it has a deeper flavor, with a hint of nuttiness. This spicy recipe is delicious with some lightly steamed veggies. You could also add in some black beans (at the same time as the bell pepper) for a heartier dish.

Ingredients:

2 C quinoa

1.5 C water

1 medium yellow onion

1 red bell pepper

1 habanero pepper (very spicy!)

1 bunch cilantro

juice of 2 limes

few tbs vegetable oil

few tsp salt, to taste

Instructions:

In one medium pot, heat a spoon full of oil. Toast the quinoa in the oil for a few minutes, then increase the heat and pour in the water and salt. When the water starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low and cook covered for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit until the sautee is ready.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat another spoon of oil in a skillet. Cook the onions over medium heat until clear. Add the habanero. When the onions have browned, add the bell pepper and cook a further 5 minutes. Salt to taste. Turn heat to low, then pour quinoa over the sautee. Squeeze the two limes over the quinoa. Stir and cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes.

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Salsa Lessons: Pico de gallo

Don’t worry, you don’t need rhythm to do this salsa… Although serving it while wearing some sexy, strappy heels with some Latin music groovin’ in the background, nice! This recipe could also be classified under the SOP category as it is a crucial recipe to have in any Mexican repertoire. Pico de gallo is something so simple and so tasty, everyone should be making it and noshing on it at least once a week during the summer! I’ve been known to make some, let it marinade in the fridge for a measly 30 minutes before I could take it no longer, and end up eating the whole batch in one sitting. Although not recommended as a regular behavior, you won’t be shunned from the community if you indulge.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb Roma tomatoes, diced (about 6-10 med tomatoes)
1 medium Yellow onion, diced
1 bunch Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 jalapeño (or other hot pepper of choice), minced (seeds removed for less heat if desired)
fresh lime juice from 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to large bowl, stir to blend. Taste test, add salt to desired saltiness.

Enjoy with tortilla chips, or top on other mexican dishes such as Green Enchiladas, Black bean tamales, Mexican millet, etc.

Happy Snacking!

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Mexican Millet

This recipe has been adapted from Veganomicon. And may I take this opportunity to say that it is such a great cookbook to experiment with! Ok, back to the recipe. Millet is super great for you, as it’s a great source of magnesium and iron! This recipe was my first experience with millet, and I must say, it was love at first bite! I served it with black bean tamales (from Texas Tamale Company) and roasted herb red potatoes. Other nice accompaniments would be Jo’s Favorite Potatoes and the Green Enchiladas. Naturally, topping everything with fresh cilantro and pico de gallo is perfectly acceptable. *FYI: Millet does not get soft and mushy like quinoa – it stays a bit crunchy. So if you sample it at the end of the 25 minutes (when all the liquid is absorbed) and you think, ‘oh this can’t be done because it’s still got a crunch’…it’s done. Don’t continue cooking it for several hours to no avail…that’s just how millet is. If you want something soft like quinoa, use quinoa. Does that cover it Mary? 🙂

Ingredients:

2 TBSP Canola or Veg oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or perhaps 3 cloves for extra garlicky goodness)
1 C millet
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 hot pepper (jalapeño, habanero, etc), minced
2 C vegetable broth
3 TBSP tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/3 C fresh tomato, about 1 medium size, freshly diced
2-4 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped (or just thrown in the whole damn bunch, but saving some for garnish)
1 lime, juiced

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a medium-sized, heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and hot pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
2. Add millet, stir to coat, and saute for about 4-6 minutes. Pour in the broth and add the tomato paste, salt, cumin, and fresh diced tomato.
3. Bring mix to a boil, stir once and cover. Lower the heat to low and cook for approx 20-25 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed.
4. Remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and fluff with a fork.

Variations: If you want to give a New Mexican taste to the millet, add some green chiles. Of course, green chiles are not for the the faint of palate. They add a whole new dimension of heat that can be quite powerful for first-timers or those not adapted to spicy foods. Adjust to your own heat level, the more you add..the hotter it becomes – heat responsibly!

Happy Cooking!

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Green Enchiladas

These enchiladas are so good, I could eat them for days and days. Of course, they usually don’t last that long. If you’re new to tomatillos, they look kind of like green tomatoes in a papery husk. You can find them in most grocery stores and farmer’s markets during the summer. The best ones haven’t started to wrinkle and have filled up or burst free of their husks. If you’re growing them yourself, pick them before they turn purple.  After you have the filling made up, give it a taste, but beware, you may end up eating the whole pan before the enchiladas even get assembled. In fact, the filling could be used as a dip for parties!

Ingredients:

2 lbs tomatillos – chopped
1 large onion – chopped
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 large bag spinach – chopped
1.5 C cooked black beans
1/2 jar New Mexico Green Chili (optional)
1 bunch cilantro
1 package corn tortillas (blue or yellow), torn into quarters
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
2 tsp salt, or to taste

Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Saute onion and garlic in canola oil until slightly brown.

3.  Add tomatillos, salt,cumin, coriander and green chili (for medium heat, use 1/2 jar, for hot use whole jar, or leave out if you’re wimpy about spiciness). Cook covered for 5-7 minutes.

4.  Add spinach and beans. Cook uncovered until most of the spinach is wilted.

5.  Add cilantro just before assembling the enchiladas in the pan.

6.  In some kind of oven pan (rectangular brownie pan, or whatever you have), put down one layer of tortillas, followed by a layer of tomatillo mixture. Keep alternating layers until pan is almost full, ending with the sauce on top.

7.  Bake at 350 for ~30 minutes.
Variations:
Experiment with throwing just about anything into the green sauce, like yellow squash, mushrooms, or potatoes. If you’re feeling ambitious, or want to impress people, roll the enchiladas instead of layering.

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