Tag: ancho chili powder

Taco Night- Mexican Rice

There has to be delicious rice for taco night- it would be better if the rice is healthy… so I made it out of brown rice.. no one was able to tell we were having brown rice. It was so yummy and flavorful that no one noticed.. I used the same ground coriander and ancho chili powder…

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown rice, rinsed well
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Heat a saucepan with butter, oil and salt. Add the brown rice and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down and with lid on. Cook for another 20 minutes. Keep aside once cooked.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ large red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup tomato sauce
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the red pepper, onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, ground coriander, ancho powder and salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat off and add the mixture to the cooked rice. Mix well and check for seasonings. Add the cilantro and mix well and serve with the tacos.

Taco Night- Roasted Salsa

You got to have excellent salsa if you are going to have an amazing taco night.. this is a yummy roasted salsa to enjoy either with tortilla chips or over your delicious tacos.. I have used similar spices in this sauce as the meat- ground coriander and ancho chili powder…

2 cups cherry tomatoes
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Transfer the tomatoes to a lined cookie sheet. Add the olive oil and salt, mix well and roast for 30 minutes. Take out and put through a food mill. Keep aside. If you don’t have a food mill, process the tomatoes in a food processor.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of half a lemon

Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the coriander, ancho chili powder and salt. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes and add to the tomato sauce. Add lemon juice and cilantro. Check for seasonings and let cool. Serve with tacos.

Taco Night- Ground Beef

My daughter was asking for a taco night for a while- the kind with ground beef and where she can make her own. I usually make tacos but with soft tortillas and some kind of pulled meat or shrimp. I am usually not a big fan of hard shells but I decided to give it a try. So here is my take. I start with the ground beef.. so stay with me this week…

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef, grass fed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
Salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil. Add the ground beef and sauté over medium high heat while separating the meat with a wooden spoon. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ground coriander, ancho powder and salt. Saute for another 2 minutes and cover with lid and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Add cilantro, mix well and keep aside.

Heat either soft or hard tacos. Add meat, rice, salsa and shredded cheese and serve.

Grilled Ancho Chili Tomato Salsa

The best salsa you will ever have…

4 cups cherry tomatoes
Drizzle of olive oil
Sprinkle of salt

Mix the tomatoes with the oil and salt in a bowl. Grill the tomatoes in a grilling pan on medium heat for about 30 minutes till tomatoes are soft. Process the tomatoes in a food processor till smooth. Pour into a serving bowl and cool off.

½ cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder

Add the cilantro, lemon juice, salt and ancho chili powder to the tomato sauce. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve with tortilla chips or as a sauce for steak, chicken or fish.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

I make salsas year round. I made this one with the chili from yesterday. It was delicious with a mound of crunch tortilla chips…

6 roma tomatoes, cut in half and seeds removed
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sprinkle of salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Juice of small lemon
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

Preheat oven on a low broil.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the tomatoes and onions cut side down. Add the garlic. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the salt. Broil for 10 to 20 minutes (depending on strength of broiler) till the veggies are soft and char on them. Take out and let cool. Place in a blender with the cilantro. Blend till smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt and ancho chili powder. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chicken with Chorizo on Raisin and Pine Nut Couscous

I have to say, this is one of my favorite, recent recipes I have come up with. I am not sure what inspired me- but I am sure I was either reading or watching something or someone cook a dish with chorizo or chicken. As I have mentioned many times before, I love Latin flavors including ancho chili powder. My other favorite ingredient is chorizo. If I could, I would eat chorizo everyday- but the reality is that it is high in fat and calories… so, it is perfect to use as a flavor enhancer and not as the main protein. I also used chicken thighs but one can use chicken breast and make the dish healthier.

The chicken and chorizo are cooked like a stew in a mixture of chicken broth and orange juice. This fall/winter, I have been using loads of fresh oranges and orange juice. I love the sweet and savory the fruit imparts in all dishes.

I served the stew with a quick raisin and pine nut couscous. I like to use whole wheat couscous to incorporate more whole grains into our diets. I also served a yummy salad .. coming up tomorrow.

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 pound chicken thighs, skinless, bone in
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
1 cup fresh chorizo, casings off (about 2 to 3 large links) crumbled
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 2 Clementines
2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
Salt
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Add the flour, salt and pepper in a wide platter. Dredge the chicken lightly in the flour. Heat a large saucepan with the oil and brown the chicken pieces on both sides for 2 minutes each. Take out and keep aside. Reheat the oil and add the chorizo. Saute on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken, orange juice, chicken broth and ancho chili powder. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and increase the heat to high. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Check for seasonings and add salt and garnish with cilantro.

Couscous with Raisins and Pine Nuts

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup pine nuts
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat couscous

Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the raisins and pine nuts and sauté on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil and add the couscous. Place the lid and turn the heat off. Let stand for fifteen minutes and fluff with a fork. Serve with the chicken.

Skillet Chicken with Chorizo and Peppers

Skillet Chicken I love one pot meals- and this one is absolutely delicious. I think I was watching some cooking show on the tube and the host was using a variety of peppers and cooked it with some chicken. That is what gave me the idea of cooking up this flavorful dish.

I bought some cheap chicken drumsticks with thighs- I love drumsticks- super flavorful. I had lots of chorizo in the freezer- I took that out and I always have lots of oranges in the fridge. That is all I needed- well, almost. I also bought a variety peppers including a red pepper, a poblano and some cubanelles.

The main flavor in this dish is the chorizo of course but also ancho chili powder- it gives the dish a little kick and a great smoky flavor.

All in all it was a really easy dish to put together.. great for through the week..