Jalepeño Black Beans with Goat Cheese
Serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips or in soft tacos.
Serves 10 to 12
1 pound black beans
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 large epazote* leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried epazote,
or 1 large bay leaf
4 jalepeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ teaspoon cumin seed
12 ounces mild goat cheese, crumbled
2 bunches scallions
Salt to taste
Soak beans in cold water overnight. Drain and cover them by 2 inches with fresh water. Add garlic cloves and
epazote or bay leaf. Cover and cook until tender, 1 to 2 hours. Salt to taste and let stand covered for 10 minutes.
Drain beans, reserving liquid. Mash well, adding liquid as required to make a loose paste.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast cumin in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat about 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Cool seeds, then grind in a mortar or spice mill. Mix jalepeños, garlic, and ground cumin with the beans. Season with salt. Slice scallions thinly, including 2 inches of green. Layer one-third of beans in an ovenproof casserole, then one-third crumbled goat cheese, then one-third chopped scallions. Cover with remaining beans and bake for 20 minutes, until heated through. Just before serving, garnish with remaining cheese and scallions and brown lightly under the broiler.
*Epazote is available at Hispanic grocery stores.
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Mango Salsa
Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or over grilled fish or poultry.
Makes about 4 cups
2 mangos, cut in small dice
1 habanero or 3 or 4 hot chiles, such as serrano or jalepeño,
stemmed, seeded, and cut in small dice
3 or 4 scallions, sliced thin with some green
1 small red bell pepper, cut in small dice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime or to taste
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, let stand for an hour to develop flavor.
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Chile Relleno Enchiladas
Makes 8 enchiladas; serves 4
8 corn tortillas
8 large Anaheim, New Mixico, or poblano chiles, roasted, peeled,
and seeded. (See "Roasting Peppers" above)
2½ cups grated cheddar, queso fresco, or Montery Jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh or prepared tomato salsa
½ teaspoon cumin seed
1 bunch scallions, chopped
Warm tortillas on a hot griddle or dry frying pan until pliable. Place a flattened chile across each tortilla. Spread a generous handful of cheese along each chile. Roll tortillas around the filling and place them in a single layer in an oiled 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sour cream and salsa in a small pan and heat until just warm; do not let simmer. Pour sauce evenly over the enchiladas and bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and just starting to bubble. Serve hot, garnished with scallions.
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Huevos Rancheros
Serves 4
Corn or vegetable oil
8 eggs
4 8-inch flour tortillas
2 cups green chile sauce (See recipe below)
¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced
Sour cream, optional garnish
Heat a large griddle or skillet and film with oil. Fry four eggs at a time, sunnyside up or over easy. Meanwhile, warm the tortillas on a hot griddle or frying pan. Place a tortilla on each of two plates and top with two eggs. Cover with green chile sauce and garnish with scallions. Serve the two plates immediately, or hold in a 300-degeree oven while preparing the second two. Serve hot, with sour cream if desired.
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Green Chile Sauce
A quintessential New Mexico-style chile sauce.
Makes about a quart
2 pounds fleshy, hot green chiles, such as Sandia, Chimayo,
or Mexico Improved. If you have only mild chiles like
Anaheims, add several roasted and peeled jalepeños for heat.
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 large onion, diced
5 or 6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 sprigs Mexican oregano or sage, or 1½ teaspoons
dried Mexican oregano or sage, crumbled
2 cups water or broth
Salt
Roast, peel, stem, and seed the chiles (See "Roasting Peppers" above). Dice them. Toast the cumin seed in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat about 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Cool seeds, then grind in a mortar or spice mill. Put oil, onions, and garlic in a heavy-bottomed pot over low heat, cooking until softened. Add the diced chiles, oregano or sage, ground cumin, and water or broth. Salt to taste. Simmer over low heat 15 minutes. The sauce should be thick, but not dry; add water if necessary. Puree half of the sauce in a blender for a more sauce-like consistency if desired. Sauce will keep 3 to 4 days tightly covered in the refrigerator, or a month in the freezer.
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Cauliflower en Escabeche
If fresh jalepeños are not in season, use pickled instead.
Serves 10 to 12
1½ cups white wine vinegar
2 cups water
½ teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
1 pound cauliflower, trimmed and broken into
bite-sized flowerets
1 large white onion, halved lengthwise and
cut into slivers
2 medium carrots, cut into 3-inch julienne
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into
¼-inch slivers
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into
¼-inch slivers
8 jalapeño peppers or other hot chiles,
seeded and cut into slivers
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
2 teaspoons freshly chopped oregano or
1 scant teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
Put cauliflower in a heat-resistant, non-reactive bowl. Bring vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan. Pour hot mixture over the cauliflower and let stand for 20 minutes. Add remaining vegetables, along with herbs, oil, and pepper. Toss well to coat evenly. Cover and let marinate for at least 3 hours. Stir occasionally and salt to taste. Can be prepared a day in advance. Serve at room temperature.
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