Potato- and Chorizo-Stuffed Ancho Chiles

This recipe can be time consuming but if you like traditional mexican food its worth the work. The original version was inspired by Epicurious.com

• 8 large dried ancho chiles* (3 to 4 oz total)
• 1 (14- to 15-oz) can stewed tomatoes (with juice)
• 2 medium russet (baking) potatoes (1 lb total)
• 1/4 lb Spanish chorizo** (cured spiced pork sausage; not picante), casing discarded and sausage finely chopped (1 cup)
• 3/4 lb Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/3-inch cubes (2 1/3 cups)
• Special equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder

Preparation

Rinse chiles, then cover with cold water in a bowl and soak, weighted with a sieve (to keep submerged), until completely rehydrated (most will turn a brighter red), about 8 hours. Do not drain chiles.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove 1 chile from soaking liquid and, working over chile bowl and sieve, cut a slit down one side with scissors and let interior liquid and loose seeds drain into sieve. Carefully cut out seedpod, leaving stem intact and letting any easily loosened seeds fall into sieve, then discard seedpod. Repeat with remaining chiles, arranging seeded chiles, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch (3-quart) baking dish.
Reserve 1 cup chile-soaking liquid for sauce. Turn chile seeds out of sieve into a shallow baking pan and spread evenly, then toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until dry, fragrant, and a few shades darker, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool seeds in pan on a rack, then finely grind in grinder (you will have about 1 tablespoon).

Purée tomatoes, including juice from can, in a blender with reserved soaking water, ground chile seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth, then transfer to a 3-quart heavy saucepan and boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened slightly and reduced to about 2 cups, 5 to 7 minutes.

Peel potatoes and cut into 1/3-inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups). Cook in a 3-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender but not falling apart, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.

Stir together potatoes, chorizo, cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then fill chiles generously with stuffing (about 1/2 cup each; slit will not close over it). Pour sauce around (not over) chiles, then cover dish with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling all over, 35 to 45 minutes.

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Tagine Bil Hoot (fish tagine)

This recipe can me made in dutch oven as well. Tagines are fairly inexpensive and can be used for more then just Moroccan cooking. After visiting Morocco we had to get one. The food there is amazing.

Ingredients

· 2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
· 8 threads Spanish saffron, toasted and crushed
· 1 tsp ground ginger
· 1 lemon
· 4 six-ounce boned fish fillets
· 4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
· 2 garlic cloves, minced
· 1 tsp ground cumin
· Salt
· freshly ground pepper to taste
· 2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
· 1 onion, thinly sliced
· 1 tbsp Preserved Lemons pulp
· 12 green or black olives, pitted
· Fresh parsley or cilantro leaves for garnish
· 1/2 cup olive oil
· 2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
· 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the parsley, cilantro, olive oil, paprika, saffron, and ginger. Add the juice of half of the lemon. Coat the fish fillets with this mixture and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, turning over once or twice. Cut the other lemon half into very thin slices. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, garlic, and cumin. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place the carrot slices in a single layer on the bottom of a small Dutch oven or enameled casserole. Cover with the onion slices. Spoon the tomato sauce over the onion. Cover and cook over medium heat until the carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set the fish on top of the vegetables. Spread a little preserved lemon pulp over each fillet and top each one with a slice of lemon. Add the marinade. Surround the fish with the olives. Cover the pan once again and cook over medium heat until the fish is flaky, 10 to 12 minutes. Spoon some of the sauce over the fish. Garnish with parsley or cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

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Shish Kabobs (Marrakesh Style)

This recipe rules and can be used on many protiens. I have yet to meet anyone who has not like these Kabobs. I also throw in veggies on occasion.

Shish Kabobs Marrakesh Style (Serves 6)

1 3-lb leg of lamb (I also use both chicken and beef for this actually more then lamb)
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup onion, grated
1 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp pepper
Fresh mint leaves or lettuce leaves for garnish
Fresh Tomato Salsa for serving
Warm pita bread for serving
Ground cumin for serving
Salt for serving
Harissa for serving (harissa is a hot sauce)

Trim the lamb of fat and cut the meat into ¾-inch cubes. In a large bowl, combine the meat, oilive oil, cilantro, parsley, onion, paprika, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat the broiler. Thread 8-10 pieces of meat on metal skewers. Grill over a medium fire, turning occasionally, for about 6-8 minutes for medium rare. To serve, line a large platter with mint or lettuce leaves and top with the skewers. Serve with tomato salsa, plenty of warm bread, and little saucers filled with cumin, salt, and harissa on the side for dipping.

Fresh Tomato Salsa
Makes ¾ cup.

2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 green onions, tops included, finely chopped
4 fresh mint leaves, minced
¼ tsp sugar
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

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Kefta meatballs ( In Tagine if possible)

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
4 very fresh medium-sized free-range eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a small handful fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, to garnish

For the meatballs
450g/1lb minced beef or lamb ( I like to use both split the portion up)
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp hot paprika
2 cloves garlic minced

For the sauce
1 medium onion, finely chopped
900g/2lb ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped, or 2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
½ teaspoon hot paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400F

2. For the meatballs, put the minced beef, parsley, cumin, paprika, one teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper into a bowl and mix together well using your hands. Dampen your hands and form the mixture into about 28 2.5cm/1in balls.

3. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a shallow tagine or frying pan and brown the meatballs briefly on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and set to one side.

4. For the sauce, add the onion to the tagine or pan with the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook gently for ten minutes until very soft and just beginning to brown. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and leave to simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until well concentrated in flavour but not too thick. Season well with salt to taste.

5. Return the meatballs to the sauce and mix together. Transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish if you have prepared the sauce in a frying pan, otherwise leave the mixture in the tagine. Make four slight dips in the mixture and break an egg into each one. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the eggs are just set.

6. Scatter with the chopped coriander and serve with warm flatbread.

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Vietnamese soup

Broth 4.5 to 5 quarts (Should be home made chicken or pork)
2-3 tablespoons matchstick size ginger slices
4-5 Scallions sliced into inch pieces white parts count.

This is your stock base.

What to ad:

Protein:
Chicken or beef: Sliced into bite size pieces as thin as you can. (these elements go in raw that's why they should be thin, so they cook in the broth)

Veggie:
shitaki mushroom caps sliced thin (many mushrooms will work), bean sprouts (fresh) , baby boc choy (roasted first with salt, pepper and oil till tender), and for extra kick Jalapeno sliced very thin (optional). The veggies are really all optional I would suggest picking 2 or 3 to experiment with. There are no rules so use what you think would work well to.

Noodle: Udon is best but, Glass noodles work as well. (preapair noodles beforehand)

Condiments: Sambal Oelek gives you your kick, Soy sauce for salt, Cilantro (leaves torn off). Sesame oil.

OPTIONAL: Poached eeg. (made to order for each bowl)


TO BUILD IT:

Heat soup to rolling boil ad ginger and scallions.

Bowl: Add dab of sambal oelek and soy to bottom. Then ad veggie and protien. Then noodles, and then hot broth. Then top with sesame oil and cilantro. Make sure to give a little stir and give a minuet to cook.

NOTE: The fun of this recipe is in the variation's. Once you have it down you can really try anything you like.

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Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Ingredients

3-4 lb. pork shoulder
1/4 cup water (optional – depends on how much sauce you want to form)
1 bay leaf
1 Onion sliced thin
3 cloves garlic smashed

Spice Rub

1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or up to 2 tsp if you like it spicy)

2 tablespoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons paprika (you can use Picante for even more spice)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons salt

For the spice rub (from Cook’s Illustrated):
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or up to 2 tsp if you like it spicy)
 2 tablespoons ground cumin
 4 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
 1 tablespoon white sugar
 2 tablespoons salt Mix together the spice rub in a large Ziploc bag, shaking it to combine the spices thoroughly. Add the pork shoulder and vigorously shake the bag until the pork is fully covered in the spice rub. Place the bag with the pork shoulder in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours (the longer the pork is allowed to marinate, the stronger the flavor will be).

On cooking day, remove the pork shoulder from the Ziploc bag and place it in the crock pot. Add the ¼ cup of water, if desired, and place the pot on low. spread onion on bottom with smashed garlic. Cover the pot with the lid and allow to cook for an hour. Turn the pork shoulder over after an hour and continue to cook for another hour. Turn the pork shoulder over one more time and let it continue to cook for another four hours. After six hours, check to see if the pork is starting to tenderize. If it is, shred the pork using a fork (or tongs) and stir the shredded meat around in the sauce created during the slow roasting. This process could take 1 or two more hours depending on how tender you want the meet. Cook for another 30 minutes to an hour (depending on your crock pot).

You can serve the pulled pork by itself on bun or with: barbecue sauce, coleslaw, and pickles.

I personally like non mayonnaise based coleslaw. Here is a Bobby flay one that's great.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/coleslaw-with-cumin-lime-vinaigrette-recipe2/index.html

NOTE: I did brine the pork for 8 hours before I did dry rub, I'm not sure you need to but the flavor depth was amazing.

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