Tailgating season is here! You don't have to go to a
sports event to tailgate. In the Southwest, the Santa Fe
Opera is famous for its elegant tailgating. You can also
tailgate for tours to parks or when you are fishing and
hunting.
Ballooning is another time that is popular. A fun concept
at Albuquerque's Balloon Fiesta is to have "Brunch on a
Burner" parties using the burner from a hot air balloon.
Actually, I think more folks probably use outdoor grills
than the burners—but it is a fun idea.
Cool, crisp air and spicy foods are wonderful together. No
fuss, one dish entrees make it even easier. A great
Mexican dish for tailgating is chilaquiles, which are a
great make-ahead dish in which you can actually use any
ingredients that you have on hand. recipe as is with the
chicken and ranchero sauce, but you could use any meat or
no meat and other chile laden sauces or salsas and combine
with the remaining ingredients.
This is a favorite chilaquiles recipe obtained from the
Executive Chef at the Melia Mayan resort in Cozumel.
CHILAQUILES, MAYAN STYLE (Mexican Tortilla Casserole)
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
1 ½ cups poached chicken, coarsely chopped*
12 tortillas, quartered
1 quart vegetable oil, for frying tortillas, optional
½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream
1 quart Salsa Ranchero, recipe follows
¾ cup chicken stock, if needed
1.Prepare the Salsa Ranchero and heat the oil for frying if
frying the tortillas.
2.Fry the tortillas, in hot (375 F) oil until crisp, if
frying. This dish can be made with baked tortillas. If
baking, preheat oven to 425 F and bake until dry and crisp,
about 12 to 15 minutes.
3.Oil the baking dish, then place the tortilla pieces in a
three quart oblong casserole and spread the shredded
chicken evenly over them. If the chicken is dry, add
¾ cup chicken stock. Cover with the Salsa Ranchero.
Top with dollops of sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese.
Cover pan with foil and bake in a 350F oven for about 15
minutes, until tortillas are softened and to evenly blend
flavors.
*To poach chicken: Stew 2 ¼ pounds bone-in skin-on
chicken breast or part thighs in 1 quart chicken stock
until done, then remove skin and bones and shred.
Salsa Ranchero
Yield: 1 quart
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes or 1, 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chicken stock from cooking chicken breast
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Salt to taste
1.Stew tomatoes, onion and cilantro until tomatoes and
onions are soft—about ten minutes.
2.Peel the tomatoes and puree in blender, food processor or
food mill. Place garlic in oil in a deep frying pan and
sizzle garlic, then add the rest of the ingredients and
stew together for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust
seasoning, then place on low heat.
----------------------------------------------------
Jane Butel, the first to write about Southwestern cooking,
has published 20 cookbooks, several being best sellers. She
operates a full-participation weekend and week-long
vacation cooking school, an on-line school, a cooking club,
a monthly ezine, a mail-order spice, cookbook, Southwestern
product business and conducts culinary tours and
team-building classes. For more information on this article
go to
http://www.janebutelcooking.com/Public/Articles/index.cfm ?
, 1-800-473-8226.
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