I posted this recipe last year and think it would be delicious for the Super bowl coming this weekend. Try it and let me know what you think…

I love Mexican cuisine, especially since it is full of very strong, bold flavors. I make all sorts of preparations including tacos, enchiladas, salsas, guacamole.. the list goes on. I especially love using tomatillos and all the different Mexican chilies out there. For this preparation I used a poblano pepper- which looks like a large jalapeno pepper closer to a regular green pepper. It sometimes has a bit of heat and once its roasted, the sweetness comes out.

I roasted tomatillos, garlic, green onions and the poblano chili with a drizzle of olive oil and salt. I then made a thick sauce by blending all the roasted vegetables and I had a fabulous start to my chili. I had a pork shoulder with bones cut into small flavors for the dish. Any stew meat can be used as long as it can stand up to 2 to 3 hours of cooking. The house smells wonderful while the delicious chili is on the stove. The result is tender, juicy, falling off the bone meat flavored with the most yummy sauce.

I served the chili with corn bread, guacamole and Spanish rice. It was a big hit with everyone, especially since it wasn’t too spicy.

Green Sauce

• 5-6 medium tomatillos, husked removed, cut into quarters
• 4 garlic cloves, with skins
• 3 green onions, cut in half
• 1 poblano chili, cut into half, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 cups cilantro, cut roughly

Preheat broiler on medium.

In a lined cookie sheet, add the tomatillos, garlic, green onion and the poblano chili. Drizzle olive oil and salt. Mix well and broil for about 7 to 8 minutes or till the vegetables are light brown and charred on the top. Place the roasted vegetables in a blender and add the cilantro and blend till smooth. Keep aside.

• 3 to 4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch pieces (bones can be part of it as well- they provide great flavor)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt

In a heavy saucepan, brown the pork in batches sprinkling salt to flavor. Take the pork out and keep aside.

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano

Reheat the saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Saute on a medium high heat till the onions are soft. Add the green sauce and oregano. Mix well and add the pork and the chicken broth. Mix well, bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 hours uncovered till the meat is tender. Check for seasonings and serve with guacamole and corn bread.

Christmas is done and hopefully everyone is a bit more relaxed about entertaining, gift giving and everything else that comes with the holidays. This is the week to relax when everyone is home and together.

I like to make great meals at home and enjoy them with my family. It is nice to go out and give yourself a break, but nothing like cooking a meal at home, from scratch.

This particular one is quite easy to make. I usually don’t end up making pork chops too often. I don’t really care for the pork quality we get in most stores. I tend to stick to local meat from Whole Foods but somehow the pork is not that great. Once cooked, it tends to dry up since it is so lean.

I decided to pick up pork chops and challenge myself. I have seen many time on television how most cooks brine the pork to make it juicier. It is a great idea, but I find it a bit time consuming and laborious. So, I figured out a short cut. I had apple cider in my fridge. I used that as the base and added some salt- a brine has a sweet, tangy and savory element to it. I brined the chops overnight and cooked them the next day with a glaze.

The glaze was again a combination of apple cider, apricot jam and of course- smoked paprika. I am obsessed with smoked paprika right now- I absolutely love the flavor. Well, the chops were amazing with the tangy glaze and amazing roast potatoes. I also served roasted brussels sprouts- recipe to follow.

Brine

• 2 cups apple cider
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 1 pound center cut pork chops

Transfer the cider and salt to a deep airtight container and add the pork chops. Keep over night or at least for 4 to 5 hours in the fridge. Take the chops out and soak on a paper towel till dry.

Glaze

• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon apricot jam
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt

Bring the cider to a boil in a small saucepan and simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the apricot jam, paprika and salt. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn heat off and keep aside.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sprinkle with salt

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil and add the pork chops. Sprinkle with salt. Saute on medium high heat on one side for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chops over and add the glaze. Cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat. Turn off and serve with the glaze spooned over the pork chops.

I wanted to make two things I had never tried before. Short ribs and gremolata. I combined both in one dish. A gremolata is used as a condiment for stews, soups, etc and mostly consists of citrus zest and some herbs. In this case I used a lemon and orange zest. I also used a mixture of parsley, rosemary, thyme and garlic. This super aromatic mix wakes up any dish and makes it irresistible.

I started by marinated the short ribs with salt, olive oil, rosemary and thyme overnight. I took it out an hour before cooking the next day and started with browning the ribs. I added onion, garlic, celery and carrots. I also added tomato paste, chicken broth and red wine. It roasted in the oven a couple of hours and resulted in a tender, fall off the bone dish. Once I added the gremolata on top- the smell and flavor was amazing.

I would highly recommend this dish for the holidays. I served it with polenta and it was an amazing dinner. Oh, and don’t forget a copious amount of red wine…

• 4 pounds short ribs, excess fat removed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Pepper
• 1 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

Place the short ribs in a large glass dish and sprinkle the salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Refrigerate overnight. Take out an hour before cooking.

• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups red wine
• Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil until smoking. Brown the ribs on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes each in two to three batches. Keep aside. Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for minute. Add the flour and sauté for another minute. Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Add the chicken broth and red wine and bring to a boil. Add the ribs back into the liquid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours or till the meat is falling off the bone.
Take out of oven and take the ribs out onto a platter. Strain the braising liquid and squeeze all the moisture out of the solids. Discard the solids and return the liquid to the saucepan. Reduce to desired consistency- there should be about a cup and a half to two cups of liquid remaining. Check for seasonings and return the ribs back into the liquid. Top with gremolata and serve.

Citrus Gremolata

• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
• 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Zest of one lemon
• Zest of two clementines or half a navel orange

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, cover and keep aside.

You guessed right- this recipe has all the Latin flavors as well. There is the smoked paprika and orange zest – similar flavors to the turkey and the gravy. It also has chorizo- anything with chorizo is delicious! The leeks and the celery provide a nice crunch and the cranberries bring a delicious sweetness to the dish. This stuffing complemented the turkey and the rest of dishes beautifully!

• 1 loaf cornbread, homemade or store-bought
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt
• Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups). Place the cubes onto a lined baking sheet and toss with oil, thyme and paprika. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly toasted. Keep aside.

• 1 pound fresh chorizo, casings off
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 leeks, sliced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• Zest of two oranges
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 to 2 cups chicken broth

Saute the chorizo in large frying pan on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Take the chorizo out using a slotted spoon. Add the butter, celery, onion and leeks. Saute on medium low heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the cranberries, orange zest, paprika and thyme, cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Mix well and add the toasted corn bread and cooked chorizo. Mix well and check for seasonings. Turn the heat off and transfer everything to a large bowl. Add the beaten egg and chicken broth 1 cup to start with. Toss all together and bake in a buttered dish covered with buttered foil for 40 to 50 minutes. Add more chicken stock if reheating or as needed.

• 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, cut in half
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle the olive and sprinkle the salt and pepper. Mix well and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Squeeze the garlic out and keep aside.

• 4 ounces fresh chorizo, casing removed and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, sliced
• ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Add the chorizo and olive oil into a large frying pan. Saute for 2 minutes and add sliced shallots. Saute until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the roasted garlic and sprouts. Add the pecans and vinegar. Add salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.