Poblano rice

Poblano lovers rejoice!

This green rice recipe is out of this world! It is perfectly garlicky, cilantro-y and the poblanos give a round, smoky flavor to the rice that just makes it a perfect side dish to pretty much anything! This rice is a staple of mine when I'm feeling tex-mex for dinner, or as a side to grilled chicken, mahi-mahi or swordfish.

Delicious. Just try it and let me know what you think.

Here's how to do it.



INGREDIENTS (4-6 people):
- 2 poblano peppers
- 2 1/4 cups of long grain rice
- 4 1/2 cups of chicken broth (for a vegetarian/vegan option, use vegetable stock)
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- 1 medium onion, diced finely
- 5 cloves of garlic, diced finely
- a splash of olive oil (not pictured)


RECIPE:
- grossly dice the poblanos, remove the seeds and membranes and chop the cilantro (reserve a little cilantro for decoration)

Note: if you want more heat, keep the seeds and membranes of the poblano peppers
- bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the chopped cilantro and poblanos and cook over medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the poblanos are soft

- using a stick-blender, puree until smooth: this liquid will be the cooking liquid for the rice

- in a thick bottom pan, heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and rice together for 4-5 minutes

Note: I switched pots mid-recipe after realizing my first pot was too small, hence the differences in pictures :)
- add the garlic and cook for another minute
- pour the poblano broth over the sauteed rice and bring back to a boil
- cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes over very-low heat, or until the rice is cooked through and the liquid has been completely absorbed

- serve as a side dish to a mexicali, texmex or mexican inspired meal :) This rice is a delicious addition to a grilled mahimahi steak, chicken or pork chops!
- Enjoy!

Roasted poblano cream and Mahi-mahi tacos

First off, apologies for the crappy photo quality. I made this in the evening, with no natural light and no blogging aspirations, but it turned out to be so delicious, I just had to share!

Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you of my love for poblano peppers. As a European, I must say poblanos have been one of the most eye-opening culinary experiences I've had since I moved to the US. They have a particular smokey flavor that I just cannot get enough of! Especially when they are roasted on an open flame.

Now, I don't know about you, but they are not readily available in my regular supermarket, so when I found fresh poblanos at the farm produce stand at work last week, I took advantage and stocked up.

This is what I came up with that very same evening.

Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS (for 2 people, or 1 with leftovers)
- 1 pack of frozen mahi-mahi bits, thawed (very affordable - I found mine at Trader Joe's for less than 4 dollars)
- 1 large shallot, diced very finely (you can use onions, but I had shallots on hand)
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced very finely
- a handful of cilantro, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, charred on an open flame, peeled and chopped in large chunks (make sure to remove all pits and membranes, as this is where most of the heat is)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup light cream (any liquid cream, sour cream or even greek yoghurt will work too)
- a splash of olive oil
- salt pepper to taste


RECIPE:
- in a medium pan, heat a little bit of olive oil and gently fry the shallot and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes until transparent (do not brown)

- then add the poblano chunks and chicken broth, and simmer for a few minutes on high heat, until the pepper is almost cooked through

- add the cream and cilantro and simmer for another 2-3 minutes, until the cream thickens a little and the poblano is soft and completely cooked through

- using an immersion blender, puree until smooth

Note: if the mixture is still too liquid for your taste, transfer back into the pan and cook over medium heat until thickened to satisfaction 
- serve grilled mahi-mahi bits over a whole wheat tortilla and a bed of lettuce and tomatoes, doused in the poblano cream sauce
- de-lish!

Chili con carne

Ole!

I've been in the mood for Chili con carne for about 3 years. It was about time I did something about it...
I was browsing the Food Network website a couple of weeks ago, in preparation for my bimonthly-ish culinary gathering of sorts, when a recipe caught my attention.

That was it! I was sold! This was going to happen... "This" was Guy Fieri's Dragon Breath Chili.

Seeing as my stomach lining is nowhere as heat-tolerant as Guy's, I substituted most of the hot peppers for bell peppers, adapted the spice-mix to whatever I had lying around in my pantry and omitted most of the hot sauce, chili powder and cayenne, preferring the slightly much safer option of post-cooking heat-customization :D

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons granulated onion
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander (I used a pestle and mortar, but if you have powder or a spice grinder it is better; those half-ground seeds can get really annoying in the final texture)
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not in the original recipe)
1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano (not in the original recipe)
3 teaspoons kosher salt
3 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons bacon grease

2 red bell peppers, diced

• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, diced very finely
• 
• 2 yellow onions, diced
•  
• 1 head garlic, grated 
• 
• 2 pounds boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 
• 1 28oz can of peeled tomatoes (I used Italian style because I had it in the pantry already, but plain is fine)
• 1 cup tomato paste
• water (about 1-2 cups, just as needed to avoid getting too dry during cooking on day 1)
• 12 ounces lager beer (used it to reheat on day 2)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 14oz cans pinto beans, with juice
• 2 14oz cans kidney beans, with juice
• 1 14oz can black beans, with juice
• 
• 
  
• For garnish: 
• Saltine crackers and corn chips
• 
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• 
• 1 small jalapeno, finely diced
• 
• Lime wedges
• 
• Sour cream
• 
• Cilantro
• 
• Liberal amounts of shredded Cheddar cheese

RECIPE:

In large stock pot over high heat, melt butter and bacon grease.
 
Add the diced bell peppers, jalapeno, and onions and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Reserve in a bowl.

Add chuck meat to the pot and brown.
 
Add ground beef and sausage to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much, when the meat is almost cooked all the way through, add the reserved sauteed vegetables back into the pot.
 
Add in the spice mix and cook for 1 minute. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for 2 minutes.
 
Stir in the chicken stock and beans. Lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.
 
If it is not wet enough, add some water. Let rest overnight in the fridge. 
Note: If you are preparing this chili on the day you are going to eat it, add the beer together with the chicken stock and forgo the water.

To reheat on day 2, stir in the can of beer and extra water if the chili has become too thick. Reheat on low heat for 30 minutes, or until the chili is warm evenly.

Serve with saltine crackers, a good dollop of sour cream and sprinkle liberal amounts of shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro and spring onions :)


 Enjoy!!