Tonight I made another soup from Healthy Latin Cooking — this time, a mixed seafood chowder featuring shrimp, halibut, and cod.

Lisa says:

Now this is a broth-based soup I can get behind!

Chris says:

Huh? Why this one?

Lisa says:

It has so much other “stuff” in it — the potatoes, the carrots, 3 types of seafood… that actually fills me up.

Chris says:

Yeah, it’s filling, but I want this to be… creamier… more chowder-like. It tastes really good, but it could be thicker. Anyway, the recipe as listed calls for conger eel, but I couldn’t find it.

Lisa says:

That’s probably just as well, because if you made it with eel you wouldn’t find ME at the dinner table.

Chris says:

Oh come on, you’d try it…

Lisa says:

Maybe if you didn’t tell me what it was first.

Chris says:

So, remember when I said the store didn’t have it? Well…

Lisa says:

No! You’re kidding, right?

Lisa says:

Right?

Chilean Fish and Shrimp Stew
—————————–
1 1/2 pounds mixed seafood (shrimp, halibut, etc.)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and ground pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2″ slices
1 bay leaf
4 cups fish stock
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Cut the fish into cubes and place in a 13″ x 9″ glass dish along with the shrimp. Add a third of the chopped garlic, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, remaining garlic, and the bell pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions become translucent, but not browned. Turn the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, and fish stock, and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes. Add the seafood, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Stir in the cilantro and simmer for one minute. Remove the bay leaf, and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.

4 Servings

These enchiladas come from favorite Healthy Latin Cooking — the filling is simple (chicken and onion) with a flavorful sauce made with New Mexico chile peppers.

Chris says:

These were a little time consuming, but worth it. The chicken is really juicy.

Lisa says:

They’re good! It’s a bit spicy…

Chris says:

Well, I used half hot and half mild New Mexico chile peppers. I still had to adjust the sauce a bit; I knew it would be too much heat for you.

Lisa says:

That’s okay, adding a little sour cream cools it just enough!

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce
———————————
Chicken
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 onion
1/2 tomato
2 sprigs cilantro
4 cups chicken stock

Sauce
15 dried New Mexico Chile Peppers
1/2 tomato, roughly chopped
1/4 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and freshly ground pepper

12 corn tortillas
1/4 cup minced onion
3 tbsp shredded cheese (monterey jack, cheddar)

Chicken: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the chicken, chicken broth, onion, tomato, and cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Remove the chicken from the pan and let cool to room temperature, then shred using two forks. Strain the cooking liquid into a measuring cup and reserve for the sauce (you should have about 3.5 cups).

Sauce: Coat a 13″x9″ baking dish with nonstick spray. Stem the chile peppers, tear open, and remove the seeds and ribs. Place the peppers in the saucepan you used earlier and add 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Let sit for 5 minutes, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Transfer the chile peppers and 2 3/4 cups of the liquid, along with the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, garlic, and oregano, into a blender. Puree until smooth — the sauce should be thick but pourable. Pour a third of the sauce into the baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Bring the rest of the chicken cooking liquid to a boil in the same saucepan over high heat. Add the tortillas, one at a time, and cook for 10 seconds until soft and pliable. Move to a plate and keep warm.

Assembly: Place 2/3 tbsp of the shredded chicken on each tortilla. Top with the minced onions, and roll each into a tube. Arrange the enchiladas, seam side down, into the baking dish. Spoon the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling hot.

4 Servings

This is a recipe that I’ve really been looking forward to making from Healthy Latin Cooking. We usually don’t make pork (Lisa’s not sure if she likes it) unless it’s in a stew, but after tonight’s meal I think we’ll be making it more often. The pork marinates in a delicious combination of chipotle peppers, citrus juices, garlic, and onions.

Lisa says:

Wahoo! Pomegranate seeds!

Chris says:

I love how they explode in your mouth. Hey, this dish looks Christmas-y. This Other White Meat(tm) has so much flavor! Guess that’s what 24 hours of marinating gets you.

Lisa says:

Dammit, you have to stop making such delicious meals — I just eat and eat and eat!

Chris says:

Isn’t that the point?

Chile-Marinated Pork with Black Bean Salsa
——————————————
1-1/4 lb pork loin, trimmed of all visible fat
3 canned chipotle peppers, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 small red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp allspice
salt and ground black pepper
Black Bean Salsa (recipe follows)
1 pomegranate, broken into seeds

Place the pork in a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish.
In a blender, combine the chipotles, garlic, onion, orange and lime juice, vinegar, oregano, and allspice; puree until smooth. Sppon the marinade over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Turn 2 or 3 times while marinating.
Preheat a grill or broiler to medium-high. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Grill or broil the pork for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Let the pork sit for 3 minutes before slicing on the diagonal.
Mound a portion of salsa on each of 4 dinner plates. Divide the pork among the plates; dollop sour cream over the pork. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

4 servings

Black Bean Salsa
—————-
2 cups cooked black beans
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate.

Hmmmm, first time using pomegranate seeds in a dish, I guess I should submit this to this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging!

This is another catch-up post — we had this spicy (maybe a little too spicy for Lisa) soup last week, but I was too busy to put it up. It comes from Healthy Latin Cooking.

Lisa says:

Spicy!

Chris says:

Yeah, it’s perfect… just the way I like it.

Lisa says:

You always forget that you can always add more spice if you want, but if it’s too hot for me I can’t take spice out.

Chris says:

Take spice out? Too hot? Huh? Just kidding. Okay, next time, I’ll make it less spicy and make mine hotter at the table. You have to admit, though, this is good.

Lisa says:

It *is* really good (but spicy)! I like the garbanzos, we usually don’t have those in our Mexi-soups.

Smoky Chicken-Tomato Soup
————————-
3 canned chipotle peppers
2 tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 scallions, finely chopped
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
6 cups chicken stock
2 sprigs epazote
salt and pepper

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and roast, turning occasionally, until the skins blackens and blisters. Remove from the skillet and cool, and then use a a paring knife to remove the skin. Transfer to a blender, add the chipotles, and puree until smooth.
Head the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and most of the scallions. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until browned. Increase the heat to high, and add the pureed tomatoes. Cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes or until thickened and your kitchen smells awesome. Stir in the chicken, chickpeas, stock, and epazote. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with additional scallions.

6 servings

This is the second version of Moqueca we’ve attempted, and it couldn’t be more different than the first. In this version, as featured in Healthy Latin Cooking, you puree the stock, onions, peppers, and tomatoes, which creates a thick broth to which you add the fish (in our case, mahi mahi) and shrimp. It worked really well over rice.

Thad says:

It’s as if every culture has their bouillabaisse…

Lisa says:

This is WAY different than the other one we made. Before you put the fish in, it looked like a butternut squash soup! I don’t know which one is more traditional, but they’re both really good.

Chris says:

I like this recipe — there’s only a cup of coconut milk in this but it’s so rich and creamy. More please.

Moqueca de piexe (Brazilian Seafood Stew)
—————————————–
2 pounds mahi mahi, cut into 2″ pieces
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp lime juice
8 cloves garlic, minced
salt and ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
5 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 cups fish stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup light coconut milk
ground red pepper

In a shallow 13″x9″ glass baking dish, combine the fish and shrimp. Add the lime juice and one-quarter of the garlic. Season with the salt and pepper, toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, scallions, bell peppers, and the remaining garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and translucent but not brown.
Increase the heat to high. Add the tomatoes and cook for two minutes or until most of the juice from the tomatoes has evaporated. Stir in the stock and 1/4 cup of the cilantro. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly reduced and richly flavored. Remove from the heat.
Transfer the vegetable mixture to a blender. Puree until smooth. Return to the skillet. Add the coconut milk and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add the fish and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes more, or until the fish and shrimp are opaque. Sprinkle with a pinch of ground pepper. Season with more red pepper, salt, and black pepper, if desired. Sprinkle the remaining cilantro on top.