The Green Chile Enchilada Casserole

I love enchiladas, but when I'm feeding a big crowd or need something easy one night, the enchilada casserole is one of my go-to meals. It also works well frozen in smaller portions for later meals. And I have cut down on the fat by not frying the tortillas and by using a lower fat cheese.

The recipe:

Green chile sauce (see the recipe I made several weeks ago)

12 corn tortillas (I used 9 the last time I made the casserole)

1 onion chopped into small pieces

1 pound of cheese (I've been using mozzarella because it has lower, fat but you also can use anything that melts well– my favorite is colby longhorn)

tomato and lettuce for garnish

I tend to like my enchiladas piled higher so I'll use a 9 x 13 pyrex (although in the photo I used the new Le Creuset dish we received as a wedding gift and holds heat very well), however, you can use any size.

Spray the bottom lightly with oil and then place a layer of corn tortillas on the bottom. They don't need to overlap much, but you might need to tear some in half to make it work. 

Spoon on the green chile sauce and then sprinkle both the cheese and onion on top, making sure you have spread all three items evenly.

Repeat. I usually have two to three layers, but the key is to stop when you have run out of one of the ingredients.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. You are looking to make sure it's heated through and the cheese is melted. Garnish with lettuce and tomato, if desired. Serves 6-8.

A New Mexico Tradition: Roasting Green Chile

While I am a summer person, I also love fall. And I especially love fall in New Mexico. It's about hot air balloons and the smell of green chile roasting in the air. The Hatch (a town in Southern New Mexico known for its chile) crop came in early this year which means we're enjoying it a few weeks earlier than usual but, believe me, no one is complaining.

And if you live away from New Mexico, the state has done a good job promoting green chile and it's now available (not just in a can– that should only be your very last resort because it doesn't taste the same!) in grocery stores around the country. When I moved back to Illinois a few years ago for a short period of time, I found it at Whole Foods but my guess is that it's even more widely available that it used to be.

But to use it for dishes like enchiladas (recipe coming soon), chile rellenos (see last year's directions here), or simply to top on your eggs, you need to spend a little time roasting it. The added benefit is the smell. 

Roasting simply means placing the chiles on the grill and burning the skins so that they separate from the meat inside. After watching many men spend too much time flipping things on the grill, I'm more apt to walk away and let things cook without my intervention. I try to turn them only once. Remove them from the grill when the skins are mostly blackened (my photos should help you gauge that).

If you plan to use the chiles right away, you can place them in a towel to continue to separate the skin before running them under water to rub off the skin and the seeds. Then chop them into pieces and add to your dish.

Or if you want to freeze them and save them for later (which is what we do here because we have easy access to the chiles), place them in serving size plastic bags and freeze until you need them. You'll run them under water to remove the skin and seeds then. 

As we go through a fall of green chile recipes up next week: breakfast burritos.

Prickly Pear Smoothie

When I started to use prickly pear fruit for drinks, I found out early that it needs to be mixed with something else. While prickly pear itself tastes okay, it’s also a unique flavor that needs a companion. What it lends most to any beverage is the color: the vibrant pink that comes naturally and you won’t find anywhere else.

While I haven’t tried a huge number of mixtures yet, I am also always looking for what’s easy: using ingredients I have on hand. The prickly pear smoothie below has become a go-to drink for the days when lunch passes me by and I need to eat something quickly before more time escapes. It’s also proven to be a good mid-afternoon snack, to keep me energized until dinner.

And because it only uses the puree, it’s easier to make than anything with the syrup– one less step. I also don’t use a sweetener but that’s a personal choice. I don’t like my drinks as sweet as I used to and I often cut back on sugar when I’m baking, too.

Finally, while the recipe below is what I make, feel free to use other juices or fruit. I’ve read that mango and pineapple work well with prickly pear.

1 cup prickly pear puree

1 cup plain or Greek yogurt

½ cup orange juice

1 cup fruit pieces (I usually use strawberries)

ice cubes

1 scoop protein powder

1 tablespoon sweetener of your choosing (honey and agave are two suggestions), if desired

Combine all ingredients in the blender and whirl until combined.

The Red Chile Egg Pancake

Over twenty years ago when I moved to New Mexico, I had no idea how the food would influence my life. I had grown up on fairly bland food because my father liked it that way. My mom was constantly sneaking onions into things and, later, adding red pepper on top of everything, especially pizza. But moving to Albuquerque introduced to me to a whole new type of cuisine: New Mexican food. 

The food here is very unique, a blend of Mexican and Native American influences, addicting everyone to red and green chile. It took me some time to figure out recipes that are my own but I would be remiss if I didn't say that they are influenced by both the food I've had here and my own cooking experiences.

I've been making my own red chile, recently using the dried pods. It's easy today to get the dried pods or the frozen puree no matter where you live. And it's not a lot of work to make the sauce (just remember to keep the blender lid on tight– I once ended up turning my white kitchen red) and it's cheaper to buy the pods. Bueno Foods is just one of several web sites where you can buy chile. The recipe I use to make my sauce is also from Bueno.

Here is the recipe to make what you see in the photo. Trust me, it's even better than it looks.

Serves 2

4 potatoes diced, skin on

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

salt and pepper

2 eggs whisked slightly

colby longhorn or other cheese that melts well

red chile sauce (see linked recipe for amount– what you see there gives you leftovers put on other dishes)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover cookie sheet or other shallow pan with non-stick cooking spray. Mix potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper and then spread of cookie sheet. Bake for approximately an hour (depending on your oven and how crispy you like the potatoes– I tend to like mine more crispy). 

When the potatoes are finished, cover a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and heat on medium. Drop the eggs into the frying pan and when they have bubbles on top (like a pancake would), flip the egg pancake with a spatula. 

In the meantime, cover a plate with the potatoes and add the egg pancake when it's ready. Then top with the red chile sauce and cheese. Heat in the microwave until the cheese is melted (should be less than a minute).

If you can't get red or green chile, use salsa instead.