This is a perfect recipe to adapt to the vegetables you happen to have on hand.  Our CSA box came loaded with corn on the cob and mushrooms, so I modified a recipe from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Everyday to use the fresh vegetables of the day.  As the book suggests, one of the great things about this soup is that once you master the base broth, the variations are limited only by your imagination.

Lisa says:

Wahoo! I love walking in the door to a meal that’s ready to go!

Chris says:

I like not feeling rushed on nights that you’re home late.

Lisa says:

Nice. Is it spicy?

Chris says:

Shouldn’t be — ancho powder is relatively mild; it has a slightly smokey flavor.

Lisa says:

Mmmmm… the masa harina really gives it a nice consistency.

Chris says:

Totally — and the flavor goes really well with the fresh corn kernels. The starch from juicing the cobs also helps thicken it.

Lisa says:

I like how thin you cut the chicken.

Chris says:

Yep — it cooks pretty quickly that way.

Lisa says:

Well this soup is disappearing pretty quickly this way.

Red Chileatole with Mushrooms, Corn, Peppers, and Chicken
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, halved and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 1/2 tbsp masa harina
4 cups chicken broth, divided
6 oz cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 ears of corn
1/2 poblano pepper, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large sprig fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
salt, to taste

Husk the corn. In a shallow bowl, hold ears of corn upright and, with a sharp knife, cut kernels from the cobs. Then with blunt edge of the knife, scrape juice from cobs. Discard the cobs.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring until golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer the onion and garlic to a food processor or blender. Add chile powder, masa harina, and 1 1/2 cups broth; process until smooth.

Return the puree to the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups broth, mushrooms, corn kernels and juices, poblano pepper, and parsley and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and continue to simmer until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes more. Taste and add salt if needed. Remove parsley and ladle into soup bowls.

3-4 Servings

Our first post after our almost three weeks in Italy (w00t honeymoon!) is this chicken dish from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Everyday. The original recipe calls to prepare it in a slow-cooker, but, not owning one, we went with the oven-bake method instead. This was a perfect recipe match to our CSA box, which this week included tomatillos and red-skinned potatoes.

Chris says:

Yum, I love this!

Lisa says:

Me too — I was taking bites while you were taking pictures.

Chris says:

This is like your dream dinner — there’s no oil, and there’s salt between each layer.

Lisa says:

That doesn’t mean I can’t add even more salt, though…

Chris says:

I bet the flavors would be even more intense if this was done in a slow-cooker. And I really like the little crispy edges of cilantro and tomatillo from the lid-free finish.

Lisa says:

Too bad I have lunch plans tomorrow, this would make a great lunch.

Chris says:

Guess what we’re having for dinner tomorrow night, then?

Lisa says:

Wahoo!

Pollo Pulquero
1 medium white onion, sliced into 1/4″ thick rings
salt
1 lb red-skin potatoes, sliced 1/4″ thick
8 skinless chicken thighs
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 1/4 lbs tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and sliced 1/4″ thick
1/4 cup roasted hatch chilis, chopped

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a 6-qt Dutch Oven, spread the onion in a layer, and sprinkle with salt. Continue with the potato slices, chicken, cilantro, and tomatillos, sprinkling with salt over each layer. Scatter the roasted chilis over the top. Set the lid in place and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and bake 15-20 minutes longer to reduce the juices. Spoon directly onto plates, and top with additional cilantro.

4 Servings

This easy, delicious recipe comes from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless. Pork tenderloin is cooked in a sauce of roasted poblano peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. The entire house smelled amazing with it on the stove.

Lisa says:

YUM! It smells so good in here.

Chris says:

Just wait until you eat it!

Lisa says:

This sauce rules — I heart those roasted poblanos.

Chris says:

…and the pork is cooked just the way I like it… with just a bit-o-pink in the middle.

Lisa says:

Yeah that tenderloin is so… tender!

Chris says:

In the spirit of “you are what you eat”, I freely admit to being a pig!

Pork Tenderloin a la Mexicana

2 large fresh poblanos
1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 garlic cloves, crushed
28-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup beef broth
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Roast the poblanos either over an open flame or under a broiler, turning regularly until the skin is blistered and blackened all over. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to cool.
While the peppers are cooling, pat the meat dry and salt well. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the pork in a single layer and brown on all sides, turning regularly, for about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, keeping as much of the oil in the pan as possible. Set the skillet aside.
Remove the skin from the peppers, then remove the stems and seeds. Rinse, then cut into 1/4-inch strips and set aside.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add the garlic and peppers and stir for a minute or so. Pour in the stock and tomatoes, bring to a boil, and let cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the pork and cilantro to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the pork is just cooked through, about 5 more minutes.
Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve with white rice.

4 Servings

A really easy-to-make meal tonight based on a recipe from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Everyday. Halibut sits on a bed of sliced potatoes and carrots and is baked in a quick tomato-jalapeño salsa. I love recipes like this; they’re so adaptable to whatever fish or vegetables you’re in the mood for, are very healthy, and are on the table in under an hour.

Lisa says:

Spicy!

Chris says:

Wow, it’s been a while since a dinner earned that declaration…

Lisa says:

Well it is pretty spicy… and by the way, this is the best halibut ever.

Chris says:

Oooh, yeah, I think I timed it perfectly — it’s just starting to flake and is incredibly moist.

Lisa says:

This is filling!

Chris says:

Well, we’re getting twice the veggies since all I did was use less fish than called for in 4-serving original recipe.

Lisa says:

I wasn’t complaining, that’s for sure…

Chris says:

I like that we’re once again proving that we [heart] cilantro.

Baked Halibut with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes
————————————————
4 medium (1 lb) Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 thin carrots, cut in lengths
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
1 15-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves, quartered
1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup sliced canned pickled jalapeños
1 tbsp jalapeño pickling juice
2 6-oz skinless halibut fillets

Turn on the oven to 400 degrees. Place the potoatoes and carrots into an 8″ square glass baking dish and drizzle over the oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Toss to coat, then spread the potatoes in an even layer, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 4 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.
Meanwhile, in a blender combine the tomatoes in their juices, garlic, cilantro, jalapeños, and pickling juice and puree, leaving just a little texture.
Lay the fish in a single layer over the potatoes and pour the tomato mixture evenly over the fish and potatoes.
Slide the baking dish into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the fish flakes when pressed firmly.
Garnish with cilantro and serve.

2 Generous portions

Yep, that’s Chicken and Rice with black beans… this recipe is based on one in Rick Bayless’s Mexican Everyday cookbook and was a nice smoky twist on the usual. What really elevated the dish was a quick homemade chipotle-tomatillo salsa that we spooned on; as our dishes emptied we proceeded to just consume the salsa straight out of the bowl.

Lisa says:

Spic- hey, this isn’t spicy!

Chris says:

See? It’s your dream come true, a dish that I don’t make too spicy for you, so that you can actually add salsa.

Lisa says:

Hey, I like a little spice…

Chris says:

That’s what I’m saying… add as much as you want. This salsa rules.

Lisa says:

Yeah it does! I like the smoky taste of this dish.

Chris says:

It’s mighty tasty. We could make this into a party dish, maybe for the — hey, where are you going?

Lisa says:

I’m getting more bites!

Chicken and Rice with Black Beans
———————————
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt
2 1/2 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup rice
5 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped green onions
cilantro to garnish
smoky chipotle salsa (see below)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Salt the chicken breasts, then sprinkle both sides with 1 tablespoon of the ancho chile powder. Lay them in the hot oil to brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside. Leave the oil in the pan. Add the rice and onion, and stir for 4-5 minutes or until the rice starts to look dry and opaque. Add the garlic and the remaining chile powder and stir for another minute. Add the broth and up to a teaspoon of salt, and stir well. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes, uncover the pot, and add the chicken and beans. Re-cover the pot and cook for an additional 12 minutes.
Uncover, stir in the green onions, then remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro, and serve with smoky chipotle salsa.

Smoky Chipotle Salsa
——————–
4 garlic cloves
4 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and cut in half
2 canned chipotle peppers
salt

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the garlic and tomatillos, cut-side down. When the tomatillos are browned, after 3-4 minutes, turn everything over and brown the other side.
Add the garlic, tomatillos, chipotle peppers, and 1/4 cup water to a blender and puree. Add salt to taste.