Wow — there are a LOT of chickpeas in this stew.

Chris says:

Yeah, I don’t think you’re going to complain about this being too “brothy”.

Lisa says:

Not at all!

Chris says:

Actually, I had to add a little more broth while I was cooking it anyway; the potatoes were taking a longer time than I had expected. I’d cut them smaller next time.

Lisa says:

The sliced tomatoes on top are a nice change…

Chris says:

Yeah, I really like them. This isn’t the most remarkable dish in the book, but the tomatoes on top give it a nice twist.

Lisa says:

Well, I hope you like it enough to have the leftovers tomorrow night…

Chris says:

Definitely!

Creole Chickpea Stew
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 green onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 tbsp chopped cilantro
6 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tomato, seeded and sliced

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, green onions, bell peppers, garlic, cumin, and oregano, and cook for five minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and half of the parsley. Cook for five minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in the tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the potatoes; reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and simmer for another 6 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the tomato slices and remaining parsley.

6 Servings

Chris says:

So apparently this dish literally translates to “Old Clothes”.

Lisa says:

Wow, if all old clothes were like this I’d spend just as much time at the thrift stores as Abbie.

Chris says:

I love how tender the meat is here.

Lisa says:

Yeah it’s super good. The sauce is really tasty.

Chris says:

The vegetables are also nice and tender without being mushy. Perfect! I like using our CSA box to determine what recipes to make.

Lisa says:

It certainly seems to cut your recipe-browsing time to something manageable!

Ropa Vieja with Vegetables
————————–
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
1 lb beef skirt steak
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or nonalcoholic white wine
3-3 1/2 cups chicken stock or fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce
4 carrots, cut into 1″ pieces
2 potatoes, cut into 1″ pieces
2 tsp rinsed and drained capers
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat the oil in a large, wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic and cumin. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the onions are just beginning to brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
Season the steak with salt and black pepper. Add it to the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes per side. Increase the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Add 3 cups of the stock or broth and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the steak is very tender. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
Stir in the tomato puree or tomato sauce, carrots, and potatoes. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is reduced and flavorful. If too much liquid evaporates, add a little more stock or broth. Stir in the capers.
Using 2 forks, tear the meat along the grain into very thin shreds. (You should be able to do this right in the pan.) Simmer for 3 minutes more, or until the meat soaks up the sauce. Season with more salt and black pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

4 Servings.

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

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

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!

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.

I’d been looking forward to making this soup for a while but was waiting for an opportunity to have it as a starter. That plan came to fruition tonight. We enjoyed this soup, based on a recipe in Healthy Latin Cooking, as a first course before moving on to our Tuna Machaca.

Lisa says:

Whoa, is this as healthy as it seems? It’s really good, and thicker than it looks.

Chris says:

Yep, it’s really healthy — basically just an entire bunch of cilantro, some peppers and onions, and chicken broth.

Lisa says:

Looks hard to photograph.

Chris says:

Harder than making it, that’s for sure.

Cilantro Soup
————-
1 large poblano pepper
2 bunches fresh cilantro, stemmed
1 medium onion, coarsley chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
tortilla strips
sour cream
queso fresco

Preheat a broiler to high. Place the chile pepper directly under the broiler. Roast, turning once, for 6 to 8 minutes or until charred and blackened on all sides. Transfer to a paper bag. When cool enough to handle, scrape off as much of the skin as possible. Split the pepper and remove and discard the seeds.
In a food processor, combine the chile pepper, cilantro, onion, and garlic; puree until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan. Pour in the chicken broth and simmer over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes. The soup should be highly seasoned; sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Spoon low-fat sour cream into the center of each bowl. Sprinkle with tortilla strips and queso fresco.

2 Servings

We like to try out new recipes when we have friends over, and we were in the mood for fish, so we tried out this recipe from Healthy Latin Cooking. In spite of the late hour (or maybe because of it?) the dish got quite a few compliments. The sauce had many distinct flavors in it (from three types of roasted peppers, roasted tomatoes, pineapple, and plantains) and a deep dark red color that really contrasted the white of the swordfish. We served it with the green rice that we listed a few weeks ago. This was one of Lisa’s favorite dishes all year.

Swordfish with Roasted Fruit and Chile Sauce
——————————————–
6 swordfish steaks (6 oz. ea.)
salt and pepper
2 tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 ancho chile peppers
3 guajillo chile peppers
3 cups warm chicken stock
2 tomatoes
2 jalapeño peppers
3 tbsp slivered almonds
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 stick cinnamon (3″ long)
1 ripe plantain, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped fresh or drained canned pineapple
1/2 cup chopped jicama
3 tbsp cilantro

Sprinkle the swordfish with salt and pepper. Place in a 13″ x 9″ glass baking dish. Sprinkle both sides with the lime juice and garlic. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, tear open the guajillo and ancho chiles. Remove and discard the seeds and stems. Roast the peppers on a dry nonstick skillet over dry heat for 10 seconds; do not burn. Place in a medium bowl. Add the stock or broth, place a small dish on the peppers to keep them covered, and soak for 15 minutes or until softened. Transfer the peppers and stock to a food processor.
Roast the tomatoes and jalapeños in the skillet for 5 minutes or until the skins blister. Scrape off the burnt skin and seed the tomatoes and peppers. Transfer to the food processor.
In the same dry skillet, over medium heat, roast the almonds and sesame seeds for 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to the food processor, and puree all ingredients until smooth, working in batches if necessary.
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, plantains, pineapple, and the pureed sauce. Simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes or until thick and flavorful and the plantains are cooked. Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Remove the cinnamon stick.
Preheat a BBQ and grill the swordfish for 4 minutes per side or until firm and white and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Transfer to a platter and spoon the sauce over the top. Top with the jicama and cilantro.

6 servings.

Another delicious, low-fat recipe from Healthy Latin Cooking — in this one, the ground beef in traditional picadillo is replaced with ground turkey. I was a little skeptical with the inclusion of raisins, but it worked really well. Lisa’s not a huge fan of green olives, capers, OR raisins, but she was singing the praises of this dish all night. We placed the picadillo on plantain “surfboards”: plantains boiled, then rolled out flat and baked until crisp on the outside. The recipe specifies to do the plantains one at a time, but I was able to do 2 by temporarily using a third pan when flipping them over.

Plantain “Surfboards”
———————
4 green plantains, peeled
6 cups chicken stock or water
1 tbsp olive oil
salt

Preheat the oven to 400. Coat 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray.
In a large pot over high heat, combine the plantains and stock or water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the plantains for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain.
Place a plantain between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Gently flatten it by tapping with a rolling pin. Roll it out to form a large flat oval about 12″ long, 5″ wide, and 1/8″ thick. (If the ends break apart, push them together with your fingers.) Slide the plantain onto the back of a prepared baking sheet. Lift off the top sheet of plastic wrap. Lightly brush the plantain with some of the oil and season with salt. Place another baking sheet on top, bottom side up. Invert the plantain onto it. Peel off the other piece of plastic wrap, brush the plantain with oil, and season with salt.
Bake, turning once, for 20 minutes, or until crisp and lightly browned. (To flip, place a baking sheet on top, then invert the plantain onto it.) Transfer to a large serving plate. Repeat with the remaining plantains.

Makes 4

Turkey Picadillo
—————-
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey breast
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tomato, seeded and finely chopped
8 pimiento-stuffed green olives, finely chopped
1/4 cup dark raisins
3 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp caper juice
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp tomato paste

In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, cumin, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Mix well with a spoon and let stand for 5 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the onions are just beginning to brown. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Crumble the turkey into the skillet. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a spoon, for 3 minutes or until it starts to turn white.
Stir in the olives, raisins, and capers. Cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the caper juice, wine, and tomato paste and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until the turkey is tender and no longer pink in the center and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with more salt, pepper, and cumin, if desired.

4 Servings