I went to the market and bought some fresh chicken thighs and drumsticks. I also bought a can of beans because that is what one adds to chili- right? I love beans in chili but it kind of bothers me that both the meat and the beans have the same mushy texture. So, I decided to keep them separate. That is how I came up with this very delicious dish.

I made a sauce with three different dried chillies and cooked the chicken till the meat was falling off the bones. In the meantime, I put the relish together. I am not sure how I came up with the apple idea. I was looking for the crunch factor and since apples are in season- it was an easy choice. I also made some yummy guacamole which I served on top.

Did I mention I served the chili on polenta? Yup, and it was delicious. For the big game, I would suggest corn bread or tortilla chips. Lots of garnishes including shredded cheese, chopped onions and of course the fabulous relish and guacamole. Have fun eating, drinking and watching this Sunday!

• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 1 head of garlic, drizzles with olive oil and wrapped in aluminum foil
• Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the onion and wrapped garlic on a small cookie sheet. Drizzle the onion with some olive oil and salt. Bake for about 30 minutes or till the onion is tender. Squeeze the garlic out and keep aside with onion.

• 1 large dried New Mexico Chili, deseeded
• 1 dried Ancho Chili, deseeded
• 1 dried Chipotle Chili, deseeded
• 2 cups chicken broth

Add the chilies and the broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
Add the chilies and liquid into a blender. Add the roasted onion and garlic. Blend till smooth.

• 4 chicken thighs on the bone
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• Salt

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and sprinkle with salt. Heat a saucepan with olive oil. Brown the pieces on both sides on high heat. Keep aside and add the tomato sauce and blended sauce. Bring to a boil and add the chicken pieces back into the pan. Bring to a boil. Lower to simmer and cover with lid. Cook for 45 minutes or till the chicken is falls off the bone. Take the chicken out and take the meat off with a fork, shredding it at the same time. Discard the bones and add the meat to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil and test for seasonings. Add salt. Cook till the chili reaches desired consistency. Serve with Spanish rice or some creamy polenta.

Pinto Bean and Apple Relish

• One can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 small Pink Lady apples, chopped
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 teaspoons agave
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Add the pinto beans and apples into a small serving bowl. Add the lemon juice, agave, olive oil, cumin seeds, salt and cilantro. Mix well and taste for seasonings. Let sit for at least an hour before serving. Serve a few tablespoons on top of the chicken chili and maybe a ladle of guacamole.

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 2 teaspoons roasted ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1-2 teaspoons ancho chili powder (depending how spicy you like)
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground dark meat turkey
• 1 19oz can cannellini beans, drained
• 1 cup frozen roasted corn
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup half and half
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped for garnish

Preheat a large heavy pot and add the olive oil. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper and carrots. Saute for a minute on medium high heat. Add the cumin, chili powder and ancho chili powder and salt. Next add the ground turkey and cook on high heat breaking the meat apart. Next add the beans, corn and chicken broth, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for at least 30 minutes. Take the back of a wooden spoon and mash some of the beans in the chili- it will thicken it up. Once reached the desired consistency add the half and half and check for seasoning. Cook another 10 minutes and add the cilantro on top.
Serve with corn bread.

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.

My daughter loves to take them for lunch to school.. I guess she doesn’t mind eating cold quesadillas. I also make them for dinner and try to change them up a bit. This particular one, I made with pulled chicken. I started with chicken thighs and marinated them with some smoked paprika and chipotle pepper. If you don’t want to put in the work, you could buy rotisserie chicken and doctor it up.. but nothing like making the pulled chicken at home.. it is delicious. I bought chipotle lime tortillas from Trader Joes. They have a wonderful flavor and a nice kick. I filled the tortillas with some low fat mozzarella cheese and the pulled chicken. I served it with rice and peach salsa… recipes to follow. It was a delicious meal…

• 1 pound chicken thighs

Spice Mix

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the smoked paprika, chipotle pepper and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle all over the chicken thighs and keep aside for 2 to 3 hours.

• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 3 to 4 garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• ½ cup cilantro

Heat a deep saucepan with the olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Take the chicken out and add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the orange juice and tomato paste. Mix well and add the adobo sauce and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and add the chicken pieces back. Lower the heat and cover the saucepan. Cook 30 to 40 minutes. Check for seasonings and cool with the lid off. Shred with a fork and add cilantro. Keep aside.
Use the shredded chicken to make quesadillas to your liking. I would recommend Monterey jack or mozzarella cheese. Serve with peach salsa, lime rice and guacamole.

It was one of those crazy busy days and I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal. I did have the leftover keema but not enough for another meal.

I decided to use it for another quick meal. Quesadillas and pizzas come to mind when I think of using up leftovers. I had a carton of tomatoes which I roasted simply with olive oil and salt. I put the tomatoes through a food mill (or a processor) and made a quick sauce. I used the sauce as the first layer on a whole wheat tortillas. I then topped it with the keema, cheese and some pickled jalapenos. I topped the ensemble with another tortilla and cooked it till the quesadilla was crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside.

I served it with a salad and some wine- perfect evening…

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoons salt

Roast the tomatoes in a 400 degrees oven for 15-20 minutes till they begin to burst.  Let cool and process till smooth.  Taste for seasonings and keep aside.

• 2 whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ cup left over ground meat- dahi keema
• ½ cup shredded cheese- Mexican blend
• 2 tablespoons roasted tomato sauce
• 3-4 sliced pickled jalapenos, chopped

In a large non-stick frying pan heat the olive oil. Add the first tortilla. Spread the roasted tomato sauce on the tortilla. Sprinkle the ground meat, cheese and the pickled jalapenos. Place the second tortilla on top and press down with spatula. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes before flipping it over. Cook the other side for 5 minutes before cutting it into 4 pieces.