Green Chile Sauce

I love chile, especially the green. And quite honestly I can't remember life without it. The year and a half I lived in Illinois when I made visits back to New Mexico, I'd stock up on enough to keep me happy until I could visit again.

The green chile sauce is perfect for a variety of dishes. Some people use it on eggs (or on huevos rancheros), enchiladas, or as a topping to steak or pork. Next week I'll share the recipe for making an enchilada casserole but this time around it's how to create the sauce. This is my version of the  one from Bueno Foods:

Either one frozen 13 oz. container of chopped green chile or about 12 roasted, peeled, and chopped green chiles

2 tsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. flour

2 cups water

1 clove or 1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt, if desired (I don't salt most things I make because so much already has salt in it)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan (one that has a lid). Add the flour and make a roux that will thicken the sauce. Add the green chile, water, garlic, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer covered on low for about 12 minutes. It will continue to thicken as you let it cool.  

The Breakfast Burrito

I can't imagine life without the breakfast burrito. Before the rest of the country had discovered them, it was disappointing to travel outside of the Southwest and not find any because they are such a staple of breakfast here.

The best part is that it's something packable that you can carry (often called a walking burrito) as you eat. To me, it's like getting a plate of breakfast to go.

While I am a breakfast smoothie girl, I began to make breakfast burritos so Greg would have something to grab in the morning and eat on his way to school. Sometimes I'll heat one up for lunch since I work at home.

The recipe below makes about twelve burritos and we wrap each one in plastic wrap and them put them together in a ziploc bag in the freezer. If you don't have green chile accessible, you can use salsa, however, keep in mind that you want to be careful because some salsas are too wet and will make your burrito soggy. You can google frozen green chile and have it shipped to you but it's much cheaper to roast it yourself if you don't live in New Mexico (what costs you about $50 to have shipped we can buy for around $3 in the grocery store). 

I like to use a thin tortilla otherwise the burrito is too thick and doughy. The Trader Joe's handmade flour ones work really well and have a good flavor.

And there are many other ways to make burritos: you can add potatoes (hash browned are the best), beans, and skip the bacon or use breakfast sausage. Experimenting with flavors will keep the burritos interesting. 

The recipe for 12 breakfast burritos:

1 pound bacon (or other sausage)

A dozen eggs

13 ounce container of green chile defrosted

A dozen tortillas 

Fry the bacon in a large frying pan (or I bake mine) and then allow the cooked pieces to drain the fat off on paper towels set underneath the slices. Let the bacon fat remain in the pan to cook the eggs.

With the heat set on medium underneath the pan, crack all the eggs into a bowl and mix the yolks with the whites. Pour into the heated pan and stir as they cook. When the eggs are no longer runny, add the green chile and crumble the bacon into the eggs. Stir until the ingredients have been evenly spread across the pan and everything is heated through.

Place a piece of plastic wrap underneath a tortilla and then spread a few dollops of the mix onto the tortilla. Make sure to spread it around the tortilla well (see photo) so that you always taste the mix with the flour tortilla, not just tortilla. Wrap the burrito and then secure the plastic around it. 

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.

The Dome

At my bridal shower, when I opened the Martha Stewart cake plate and dome that I had registered for and received as a gift (from my sister), someone said, "I didn't know they still made those."

That's far from my world. I love my dome. While part of the reason the dome is out all the time is because I don't have a good place to store it, I also decided it was a good way of keeping it full. While it was empty for several months leading up to the wedding and then after while we were away (I previously wrote about how Greg banned me from making anything to put in the dome in the weeks leading up to the wedding),

By having it on the counter, I am constantly thinking of what I can make to put in it. Of course the recent zucchini muffin disaster doesn't help (I somehow managed to grab the rice flour instead of the gluten-free flour). We try to eat well and it's a game for me to figure out different ways I can make desserts more healthy and not so laden with flour and butter.

Or in the case of the fudgy vs. cakey brownies you have to pick between more butter or more flour– I wanted more butter but Greg wanted more flour. He then reminded me of how I swindled him out of his coffee milkshake in Taos when I didn't like the maple one I got (this scene is replayed in my new book, The Green Dress). So I went with more flour and gave Greg the cakey brownies he wanted.

The dome has become a joke with some of our friends, too. One weekend I found the leftover hot dog and hamburger buns from our lunch by the pool in the dome.

"The dome needed something," my friend Debi said.

It's not that hard to keep the dome full. After our wedding, we had the leftovers from brunch and I put the desserts in it, trying to tempt everyone to eat them before we left for our honeymoon. 

The dome has brought us not just a conversation piece but laughter and as we all know, it's not just about eating food, but often we like to talk about it, too.

Find the cakey brownie recipe from Martha Stewart that I used here.

Cooking with Greg

Last night Greg and I made pizza on the grill for the first time. Using our new pizza stone. 

I usually bake my pizza on a paper bag in the oven (probably not a good idea on the grill) but I'm always open to new ways of cooking and I had added this particular stone to our wedding registry because it's supposed to cook well on the grill. 

But because I didn't want to go to the store, I also stayed with ingredients we had: a gluten-free pizza crust that we had tried before (not because we're gluten-free eaters but I had wanted to see how good it tasted), a pasta sauce Greg had made last week with zucchini and squash in it (not my favorite vegetables but, again, it as about using up what we had), and fresh mozzarella cheese that we've been keeping on hand for our extensive supply of ripe tomatoes. I added oregano because I don't know a pizza that tastes good without it thanks to my mom.

This wasn't something I did by myself. Greg took care of the grill while I prepped the pizza. And then he pulled off the pizza when it was ready.

It wasn't until later that I realized how much of a joint effort it had been to make the pizza. Making meals in our house is typical done by both of us, each having skills to contribute but also both of us wanting to learn and eat new things.

Next on the list is making chilaquiles, essentially eggs, red chile, and corn tortillas. We're having the neighbors over for dinner in two weeks and we thought we'd make them once before since neither of us has done it before.

On Friday I happened to find a covered raised silver serving tray with a glass pyrex dish inside it at an estate sale.

"I thought we could use it when we have people over," I told Greg as he raised the lid to look instead.

"For when we make casseroles," he added, approvingly.

Yesterday after we were discussing when we would make the test round of chilaquiles he said, "I guess I need to polish the silver then."

Like I said, it's all a joint effort. And totally worth it that way.

And finally...the prickly pear margarita

Need I say more? It's a good way to wrap up a month of prickly pear recipes. We served this at our rehearsal dinner which we held here at the house so we could including all our friends who had traveled in for the wedding. Needless to say, it was a hit. And not just with alcohol– we had the mixture set out in a pitcher with a bottle of tequila next to it (because I hardly drink, I have been accused of making them too weak and prefer to let people make their own). What we found was that most people never added the alcohol. They drank it virgin instead. And loved it.

The recipe below serves at least four. Multiply as needed.

Prickly Pear Margaritas

6 ounces tequila (optional and based on taste)

1 cup lime juice

1 cup prickly pear syrup

1 cup orange juice

Mix all ingredients and serve with ice. 

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.

Prickly Pear Ice Cream

Last week I wrote about how to make the prickly pear syrup, however, this week's recipe uses the puree, meaning there is one less step to complete. However, get that syrup ready for the margaritas! We'll make those next week. In the meantime, between the color and taste, this is one of the most unique desserts you'll ever taste. The key is that you always need to combine it with another fruit to complete the flavor. I made enough to serve our fifty guests at our rehearsal dinner party last month, giving them a taste of quintessential desert New Mexico.

The photo above shows the depth of the color of the prickly pear ice cream (it's on the bottom with triple berry on top). And check out the photo at the bottom as I began to stir the prickly pear puree with the half and half and milk.

1 cup prickly pear puree

1/8 cup lemon juice

2 cups sugar

Lemon zest from 1 lemon

2 cups milk

2 cups half and half (or heavy cream for a richer flavor)

In a food processor, combine the sugar and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice and prickly pear. Combine the sugar mixture, the prickly pear mixture, the milk, and the half and half. Run in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes and freeze overnight before serving.

The Prickly Pear Recipes

After a month hiatus to get married, I am back blogging here, now as Michelle L. Rusk. Over the next few weeks I'll be posting the various prickly pear recipes I've been using. But first, the question that everyone asks: how do you turn prickly pear cactus fruits into something tasty?

The photo above was taken last fall (you can tell by the sunlight that it's fall rather than summer) after we had finished picking the fruit off our cacti and two sets of neighbors' cacti (yes, we had permission!). We filled four big bowls with the fruit and they sat on the counter for a few weeks until I had time to work with them. I had read I needed to scoop out the fruit from the center of it and I set to work, buying multiple pairs of gloves at Lowe's only to stain them and find almost nothing kept the needles from penetrating onto my hands.

After I ordered The Prickly Pear Cookbook by Carolyn Niethammer, I found out I was wasting my time. I could scrape many needles off when I washed the fruit and throw them straight into the blender. After blending the fruit, running it through a strainer removed the needles and skin. 

From there I froze the puree in ziploc bags.

Up next week? The syrup. And then it gets even better after that...stay tuned...

The Spatula

It might not look like much to you: it's just a spatula, or in my mom's simple terms (probably as we were growing up), "a turner."

It has been burned: see the corner missing. The hole to hang it burned off long ago. But I've had it since college; it's the best spatula I've ever had. And it was a gift from my dad.

My sister Karen once joked that she guessed the kitchen knife set he once bought each of us came out of the trunk of someone's car in the grocery store parking lot. That was my dad. It was all about finding a good deal and I'm sure my spatula was no different.

He bought it for me as I moved into an apartment after living in the dorms at college for two years. And there was a non-stick frying pan that I used until the non-stick coating started to peel off.

But the spatula remains.

He never told us he loved us, that wasn't him. But this was something he could, provide us with what we needed. What he didn't know, and what I didn't expect, is that this spatula really is the best one I've ever had and it's the one I reach for every time I'm cooking.

Thanks, Dad.

The Empty Dome

I'm a little pained that the dome is empty right now and it will remain so until our wedding the second weekend of June.

I had been planning to make the gluten-free blueberry muffin recipe from the Wall Street Journal yesterday until my fiancé stopped me, reminding me that our wedding is just a few weeks away and that he didn't need to eat so many sweets.

"Not even a bran muffin?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"But I think I have a sugar addiction," I said, knowing it's not a big one but it's there. "I can do without it but I might be cranky for a few days."

"No," he said, "I don't want to deal with you cranky. I'll show self restraint."

Instead I agreed to keep the dome empty as we prepare for the wedding. 

While we don't eat a lot of sugar because I'm careful with the ingredients I cook with, always looking for new ways to add flavor without it, I find myself needing something at certain points in the day, mostly the late afternoon, and no matter what I eat (vegetables, fruit, nuts) doesn't cut it. I want a cookie or muffin. Or something.

But with the wedding coming fast in twenty-some days I also know that I need to show my own self restraint and instead dream about banana cake and homemade bizcochitos (a Mexican cookie that is tradition to serve at celebratory events and during the Christmas holidays).

My wedding dress will thank me.

The S'mores Bars

Since I was cleared of my chocolate allergy in December, I've been venturing into chocolate recipes rather than altering them for carob (which isn't always possible because carob melts differently). However, I've also noticed how much my tastes have changed.

We don't eat a lot of sugar and when we do eat it, we've come to realize how much we don't enjoy it like we used to. I also now realize that I don't particularly enjoy chocolate without peanut butter.

I thought this would be the most brilliant recipe and divine to eat but honestly I'm not that impressed. I did like the meringue– and it was very much like marshmallows!– but if I did this over again, I'd swirl peanut butter into the chocolate to add more depth to the flavor. I also wasn't that impressed with the directions. All the times were off from what what it took for me to follow steps like melt the chocolate and butter (it said 5 minutes and it took me more like 2). 

For the chocolate lover though it's worth a try. And for one who wants to make a S'more without the campfire. 

Find the recipe here.

The Happiness of New Dish Towels

When my fiancé and I registered for our upcoming wedding, we placed a range of items on our registry but mostly what we felt we could use and also share with others at dinner parties. What I didn't include were dish towels.

Honestly, I had quite a few and I liked them. Some I bought in Ireland on a trip in 2007 and others were tea towels that I bought in Australia and Scotland. Plus I had a selection of Martha Stewart towels I really liked.

So I was surprised when three people gave us dish towels as gifts at the bridal shower. But when I got home and was unpacking everything, I realized that my towels looked faded next to the new towels. It reminded me of when my former husband and I were remodeling the house: we were slated to do an addition that would affect our dining room and it was only then that I realized redoing the dining room would make the kitchen look bad. So off to Home Depot I went to select new cabinets.

"Of course you should have new dish towels," said one of the women who gave me several of them. "You have all new things."

And so I went, removing the old dish towels from under the sink and replacing them with the stack of bright, new towels that match the new dishes.

About a week later, Greg told me he was going to use a new Williams Sonoma dish towel to press the water out of shredded potatoes. I quickly directed him to the pile of old dish towels. 

Lamb Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

I haven't cooked with lamb in years and I was pleasantly surprised at the taste of these burgers (from a Cookling Light recipe) when lamb is combined with sirloin. The star of the burger was the feta-mint spread which adds a nice flavor.

However, I have been experimenting with sweet potato fries and I finally feel like I've got a good recipe and a method for cutting them. They are much harder than regular potatoes and the key is to microwave them for about 7 to 10 minutes (depending on how many you want to make fries from). But I also received a mandoline slicer as a bridal shower gift on Sunday which I have yet to test. My current recipe for the sweet potato fries is below.

Sweet Potato Fries

Serves four

4 sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable oil)

Salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the sweet potatoes and prick them several times with a fork. Microwave them for 10 minutes, however, the time will depend on your microwave and the size of the sweet potatoes. What you want is for the sweet potatoes to be soft which makes them easier to cut. Give them a few minutes to cool off before cutting and then slice into strips that resemble fries.

In a bowl, combine the slices with the cumin, salt, and oil. Bake the slices on a greased cookie sheet for approximately an hour. Sweet potatoes are tricky because they don't get as crispy as regular potatoes but you also don't want them to burn. I have a tendency to cook mine longer than shorter because we like them more crispy but that also means we have a few burned fries.

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.

Working Through the Snack Attack

For many years of my life, afternoons meant cross country or track practice, and then in later years, coaching. While I prefer running in the mornings, these times in the afternoons get to me to say the least. While many days I try to go for a walk in the late afternoon– or when my pool heats up a few more degrees I will swim– still I am often hungry at 3:00 in the afternoon.

It's a challenge for me because I really want snack food: hand me the chips. I used to have cheese and crackers. Or some cookies. But that's not what I need; my body is crying out for protein, satisfying protein. I need something with a little fat to keep me full until dinner (but not fill me up so I'm full at dinner).

I will be the first to admit that there are things I don't want to eat because I'd really rather have something I shouldn't (like cookies and chips). And that's why if you come to my house, you won't find any chips and the cookies will be made with healthy funky ingredients. I made my fiancé take the last box of Cheez-Its to the school where he works so I won't be tempted. I don't have the self control I used to so it's a battle with myself to find foods I want to eat, that taste good, and leave me full until dinner.

I will eat nuts, low sugar fruits like berries, whole crackers (like Wasa), hummus, black bean dip, and veggies. And I make sure I drink water to fill me up.

It's not easy but I know that the more healthy types of food I keep in my house, the less likely I am to drift and eat something I don't need (or makes me feel bad). The key is keeping snacks around that are healthy and having vegetables cut so you don't have to take the time for it. The more work you need to do to make a snack, the less likely you are to prepare and eat it. I also try to have hummus or some other healthy bean dip in the refrigerator at all times.

The photo above is the roasted beet white bean hummus from Marth Stewart's Clean Slate book. The recipe is here. Don't let the idea of eating beets turn you off: they have many tasty uses!

Finding a Happy Cookie Place

I love cookies. I will be the first to admit it. And because I love cookies, I'm always looking for ways to make cookies with less fat and fewer calories. After all, it's more fun to eat several than be relegated to one.

I found this recipe for chocolate-coconut macaroons in the latest issue of Cookling Light (find the recipe here) and I made it for a party when I was concerned a batch of ice cream wasn't going to come out right (I'll share more of that when I get it figured out!).

The only difference was I used carob instead of chocolate and used unsweetened coconut because that's what I had in the pantry. After I worried the batter tasted funny, they came out so well that my fiancé ate the last one after the guests had left leaving me with none to savor the next day. Of course, that means I'll need to make more.

Letting Others Cook for Us

This might not be the most exciting photo ever but the meal on the plate signifies something really important to me: allowing my fiancé to cook for me.

I obviously write a lot about how I cook for others but I often forget how gratifying it is to have someone cook for me– and what it means to that person. I am the one who plans most dinners at my house but in the last year and a half since Greg and I have been together, I'm getting better about giving him opportunities to cook for me. 

While he was clear with me from the beginning that he wanted to cook for me sometimes, it's become a necessity on certain days when I have had work to do and if we wait until I'm done for me to start cooking, we'll be eating really late.

We're in Southern California this week staying with friends of mine and while I was in the shower yesterday Greg made these cheese toasts for me. They are easy to make and something his dad made for him and his siblings growing up. 

At our house he takes Wasa crackers (which I have liked since high school and are inexpensive) and tops them with cheese, oregano, and anything that is available (yesterday it was salami and tomato), and sticks them in the oven to melt the cheese. 

They are not just an easy snack but can be an easy lunch like they were yesterday. And Greg gets to enjoy cooking for me while I get introduced to other flavors– and the happiness of getting to relax and savor what he creates for me.

The Joy of Entertaining

My parents didn't entertain much when I was growing up. Generally any gatherings of people were centered around family events: baptisms, first communions, Christmas, Easter, graduations, and my grandparents' birthdays. But since I was near the end of in the birth order of both sides, by the time I was growing up, much of this had occurred (outside of the yearly events).

Nor did I grow up in a family where friends came over frequently for dinners or just to gather. While I realize now how good my mom was at planning for multiple people to sit at her dining room table (that easily sat 12), most of what I learned about entertaining came from trial and error. 

I still remember one of the first times I hosted a meal as a newly married person and I asked a friend if she thought it was acceptable if I used placemats instead of a tablecloth. I really didn't know the answer (and I know now it doesn't matter).

I also now know that it's more than serving a group of people a meal and worrying about how good the table looks: it's about the time we spend with people. There is a satisfaction in feeding people but mostly when I look back at the times I've hosted meals or been to the homes of others, it's about the laughter, the conversations, the stories we share.

It's about the spots in the tablecloth that people apologize for when they spill something but I wave off because I know that those spots will tell the future stories each time I pull that tablecloth out.

I don't worry about setting a table when I'm preparing for a gathering. Instead I focus my energy into hoping that we enjoy our time around the table. And that we want to do it again.

Recreating the Tagalong Cookie

I'll be the first to admit that I'm all for supporting Girl Scouts. I was one and I loved selling the cookies although my dad never took the order form to work so I never sold as many as other girls I knew. And there were so many of us in the neighborhood it was hard for all of us to get a lot of orders that way either.

Recently, I was cleared of my chocolate allergy and asked my fiancé to bring home a box of Tagalongs from someone who was selling them at work. I was so excited...until I tasted them. 

If you love the cookies, that's great. But I realize now I'm not a big chocolate fan and that has a lot to do with my disappointment so I set out to make my own. The recipe I followed is here. 

The recipe wasn't bad but I did make a few changes: I used the semi-sweet baker's chocolate and we, er my fiancé, rolled out the dough for me and we went a little thinner than the suggested half inch. This meant we needed more chocolate and we actually didn't dip a few, enjoying the peanut butter on top of the shortbread. I also would rather try them with carob but carob is hard to melt for dipping.

No matter, for me I like knowing I can control what goes into the cookies so I can avoid that long list of ingredients I can't pronounce. And knowing I can put in all the peanut butter I want.