Spicy Chicken Fingers with Salsa Santa Fe

Posted on September 30, 2016 by loschileros

fullsizerender-3 It’s official. Autumn is here. Gone are the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Heck, they’re barely a distant memory. Stretching before us are shorter days, longer nights and a definite nip in the air.

But that’s not bad – in the world of food, that’s pretty darn good. Now we can break out the slow cooker, select a sassy bottle of red (or two) and gather round the imitation-log-effect-gas-fire with friends and loved ones. On second thought, forget the friends and loved ones – snuggle up with your dog instead.

Autumn also means football and if ever a sport cried out for food, that’s the one. I mean, why were chip ‘n dip trays invented, if not for football? Don’t like football? Who cares? Turn down the sound and focus on the food instead. Plates full of cheesy nachos, bowls of salted nuts and a go bag of Tums for your guests.

fullsizerender-4 Of course at Chile HQ, we prefer to serve something more refined to our guests, game on or not. Something that whispers elegance, sophistication and drop-that-last-one-cuz-it’s-mine. Voila! Our Spicy Chicken Fingers. Now as anyone knows, chicken don’t have fingers. Thank heavens as the idea of chickens with ten digits and a pinky ring is simply too weird for words.

When we say fingers we mean strips. Basically they are slices of white chicken breast meat. Now you could slice these yourself and save a bit of money and feel smug and virtuous. Or you could whip a package already sliced off the shelves and get over it. Your choice. We’ve added a kick of green chile to a mix of cornmeal and flour. If you have the time (and you would, if you weren’t so busy slicing up those chicken breasts), then fry one up to sample. If it’s not spicy enough you can always add in a bit more chile. Too hot already? Nah, of course not.

We serve these up with our Salsa Santa Fe mix (Red & Green). Frighteningly easy to make and dazzling in its results. Close the curtains (it’s already dark outside anyway), throw another imaginary log onto the gas fire, give Fido a tickle behind the ear, and hunker down. Summer’s over but who cares. Bring Autumn on.

fullsizerender-2 Spicy Chicken Fingers with Salsa Santa Fe

Serves 2 hungry people or 3 who just ate lunch an hour or so ago

Salsa

1 ½ Tbsp Salsa Santa Fe mix (Red & Green)

1 green onion, finely chopped green part only

Juice of half a lemon

14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Spicy chicken

12 oz. Chicken breast strips

1 egg

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 Tbsp New Mexico green chile powder

1 tsp sea salt

Olive or vegetable oil.

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Set aside about half of the green onions and chopped cilantro to use as a garnish when you’re ready to serve the chicken. Place all of the rest of the salsa ingredients into a bowl and mix together thoroughly. Allow this to sit for about a half an hour before serving in order to allow the flavors to marry.

In a frying pan, heat a tablespoon or two of oil on medium high heat. While it’s heating, whisk the egg in a shallow bowl and add a pinch of salt. Mix the flour, cornmeal, green chile powder and sea salt in a separate bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg then the flour/cornmeal mixture. Place in the pan and fry until golden brown on one side then flip and cook on the other. Don’t crowd the pan – fry in batches if you need to and top up with additional oil as necessary. Place the cooked chicken on a serving platter and garnish the salsa and the chicken with the remaining green onions and cilantro. Serve with wedges of lemon. fullsizerender-5

Balloon Fiesta and Corn Muffin Time!

Posted on October 2, 2015 by loschileros

Double Corn, Chile & Cheese Muffins

In case you’ve been hanging out at the International Space Station and are a bit behind on local events, then here’s a news flash: it’s almost time for the Balloon Fiesta. (Cue trumpets, please) That’s right, the 9-day event kicks off on October 3^rd. 700 balloons flying high above the 365-acre Balloon Fiesta Park – well, let’s say it makes us here at the Chile Trail downright giddy with excitement.

And it’s not just balloons, there is the smell of roasting Hatch chiles that fills the air, making your heart sing and tummy rumble. To celebrate we’ve whipped up a batch of our favorite Double Corn, Chile & Cheese Muffins. The name says it all – a big ole kiss on the lips of cheesy, chile, corn yumminess. We’ve spiked these bad boys with chile inside and a sliver of green Hatch chile on top along with an extra sprinkling of cheese (as you do).

It’s – if we say so ourselves – mighty fine. So you see at the Fiesta. We’ll be dressed in something subtle and understated (perhaps the purple and orange stripes with matching glasses and shoes?). Sartorial suggestions always welcome but seldom followed.

Double Corn, Chile & Cheese Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

1 cup + 1 Tbsp milk

1 cup cornmeal

1 ½ -2 Tbsp Los Chileros Hatch Salsa mix

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup vegetable oil

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup corn kernels

1 package of Los Chileros Green Chile

Preheat the oven to 425°. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cornmeal, chile salsa mix and milk. Set aside to soak.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs and oil to the cornmeal mixture and stir to combine. Add the dry mixture (flour) to the wet (cornmeal) and stir just until incorporated – don’t over mix. Fold in the corn and half the cheese (1/2 cup).

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

While the muffins are baking, place one or two of the dried green chile into a pan and cover generously with water. Bring to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and let stand for five minutes. Drain the rehydrated chiles and set aside.

As soon as you remove the muffins from the oven – while the cheese is still meltingly hot – place a thin strip of chile on top and serve hot or at room temperature.

Voila!!!!!

Summer Lovin’

Posted on August 1, 2014 by loschileros

Corn – specifically corn-on-the-cob – is one of summer’s greatest gifts. Only winning the lottery or finding my keys would make me happier than an ear of corn. I met a farmer who told me he loves the corn he grows so much that he eats it raw.

Okay, so maybe I don’t love it that much.

But then he went on to say that he microwaves his corn (when he’s not chowing down on an ear in the fields). Four minutes per ear and the husk and silks slide off effortlessly.

Yeah, sure.

So I tried it. And guess what? He’s right. You pop the corn (I’d do a max of two ears at a time) in the microwave as is – don’t peel it or anything. Set the timer for 4 minutes for one ear or 8 for two. Then stand back and watch that puppy twirl around.

Or better yet, make a Chile Butter to go with your corn.

Mix some softened butter (I figure about 1 tablespoon per ear) with some chile powder. I use Chile Molido (press here for the hot version!) but you can go for something hotter if you like. I add about ¼- ½ tsp for 4 tablespoons of butter. By the time you’ve finished mixing it your corn should be ready.

Take it out of the microwave and slice off the bottom (stem end). Warning: it’s hot. Very hot. Then carefully pull off the husks and silks – they’ll slide off easily. It’s a piece of cake (or piece of corn), I promise.

Slather on some chile butter and you’re good to go. Quick, easy and you’ve got a whole lot of summer lovin’.

Easy Livin’

Posted on July 16, 2014 by loschileros

Summertime – and as the divine Ella sang – the livin’ is easy. How easy? Pretty darn easy. In summer, Mother Nature – bless her heart – does all the hard work for you. It’s not like the dead of winter when you’re facing another cabbage, is it?

Take our friend the cantaloupe. Was there ever anything better? Perfectly ripe and dripping with sweet goodness (I blush!). You don’t really need to do much/anything with it, do you? It helps if you slice it, but after that you’re on easy street. I love the classic combination of melon and prosciutto – thin, wafer slices of prosciutto draped over a hefty wedge of melon.

Of course, never content to leave something totally unadorned, I drizzle a bit of chile oil on top.

Chile Oil

1 ½ cups vegetable oil
½ cup Los Chileros Chile Pequin, Crushed

To make the chile oil, heat the oil in a saucepan until it is hot but not simmering. While the oil is warming, place the chile flakes in a clean glass jar (an old jam jar will do). When the oil is hot, remove it from the heat and pour into the jar with the chile flakes. The flakes will sizzle slightly. If the oil is too hot, pour in some room temperature oil to reduce the temperature.

If possible, make the chile oil the day before (or even earlier). This allows the oil to cool down and for it to take on more of the chile flavor. The oil will keep very happily in your refrigerator indefinitely as long as the chile flakes are completely covered in oil.

Purists may raise their hands in horror but too bad. It’s my melon and I’ll eat it any way I want. Plus, you’ve got to trust me on this – it tastes pretty darn good. You’ve got the sweetness of the melon, the salt of the prosciutto and the zing-a-ling-ling of the chile oil.

Life may get better than this but I doubt it.

Summer Sizzles

Posted on June 25, 2014 by loschileros

Summer is a good thing. A summer barbecue is a great thing. But (you knew there was going to be one, didn’t you?) that doesn’t mean you can throw an old pair of boots on the grill and it’s going to taste good. Nice weather and lots of beer and wine will only get you so far.

Illustration from Better Homes & Gardens “Barbecue Book,” 1956, with spicy addition

Spice – that’s what the average BBQ is missing. Too many people slap a burger in a bun and call it a day. Take a bit of time, make a simple spice rub and you suddenly look like a culinary genius. It’s not hard – for heaven’s sake we’ve even given you a recipe. And if you don’t like a certain spice then skip it, change it around so it’s your own. To make it even easier, use one of our spice rubs and marinades. Lie. Tell your friends you made it yourself – we don’t care.

A word about chicken…We know folks love their chicken breasts but give a thigh a try. It’s dark meat so it stays juicier and it’s cheaper too. We promise one bite and you’ll love us more than you already do (which is a heck of a lot, isn’t it?).

And don’t forget to use sunscreen – on you, not the chicken.

Spicy Chicken Thighs

Serves 5 to 6

This marinade makes plenty for 3 pounds of chicken thighs – that’s about 12 or 13 thighs. Figure 2 to 3 thighs person.

Spice mixture:
½ tsp fennel seed
½ tsp cumin seed
¼ tsp coriander seed
¾ tsp pimenton
1 tsp Los Chileros ancho powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped in half

1 cup Greek/plain yogurt
A healthy glug of olive oil
3 lbs chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

Cilantro, chopped for garnish (optional)
Lime or lemon wedges (optional)

With a mortar and pestle, crush together the ingredients for the spice mixture. You’re aiming for a rough paste. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle (shame on you!) you could grind the spices in a coffee grinder, finely chop the garlic separately then mix the two together in a bowl.

Place the spice mixture in a large bowl, add the yogurt and a healthy glug of olive oil. Taste the mixture and adjust the intensity with more chile if you desire and additional salt if needed. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge to marinade. A couple of hours if okay but longer is better.

Remove the thighs from the marinade, wiping off any excess. Place on a hot barbecue and cook on both sides until done (this will depend on the heat of your BBQ and the size of the thighs but figure around 10+ minutes).

Remove and place on a serving platter. Garnish with chopped cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil and lime or lemon wedges if you desire. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Fiery Finger Food

Posted on June 13, 2014 by loschileros

There’s finger food and there’s finger food. While you scratch your head, I’ll explain. Basically anything you eat with your hands – potato chips, sandwiches, an apple all the way up to those fussy canapés they serve at foo-foo-shee-shee cocktail parties is finger food, right? Yes, but I’m thinking of something a bit different.

When I think of finger food – real finger food – I think of food you could eat with a fork and knife but don’t. We’re talking food that invites you to get messy. Take asparagus for example. Now you could be all hoity-toity and cut it with a fork and knife, but why bother? Isn’t it a whole lot more fun to pick that spear up, dunk it in a whole heap of hollandaise and chow down? Sure you’re going to get some on your shirt. Heck yea, someone is going to think you’re a barbarian. But do you care?

Now the key to my kind of finger food is eating it with like minded people. It’s a whole lot more fun if everyone is taking their clothes off when it’s time for skinny-dipping, isn’t it? You want people who aren’t afraid to walk – no, run – on the wild side. And it helps if they’re greedy. So choose your guest list carefully or if no one comes to mind then eat by yourself. Remember, you’re great company – honestly.

Here’s a recipe to get started. Fiery shrimp in the shell with Gazpacho Salsa. This recipe feeds two hungry people but you could double or triple it with no problems. Bring the shrimp fresh from the BBQ. Plop down a bowl of the salsa and dig in. Some tortillas and guacamole wouldn’t go amiss either. And if someone is looking particularly anxious about ripping off a bunch of shrimp shells then help them out – finger food aficionados weren’t made in a day.

Fiery Shrimp with a Gazpacho Salsa

Serves 2.

This is easy-peasy. Enough said.

1 clove garlic, peeled
1 Chile Negro, rehydrated in boiling water for about 5 minutes until pliable
1 lb shrimp, shell-on
¼- ½ red onion, roughly chopped
½ red romano pepper (or bell pepper), roughly chopped
3-4 large plum tomatoes, stem end removed and roughly chopped
3-4 Tbsp breadcrumbs
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil – half for the marinade and
half for the salsa
Salt

Remove the stem from the chile pepper. Place the chile and the garlic in the small bowl of a food processor. Don’t worry about removing the chile seeds – they’re mighty tasty. Pulse until a rough paste is formed. Add a bit of salt and mix again. Remove half the chile/garlic mixture and place it in a bowl with 1/8 cup olive oil. Mix and add the shrimp. Toss to coat. Set aside in the refrigerator to marinade – an hour or so is plenty of time.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. To the small bowl that has the remaining half of the chile/garlic mixture, add the roughly chopped tomatoes, onion, and pepper. Blitz until a thick puree is formed. Add the remaining 1/8 cup olive oil, vinegar and bread crumbs and pulse to mix. Taste and add salt as needed. Place in a serving bowl.

Fire up the BBQ. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and place on the hot BBQ. Cook for a minute or two until they begin to turn pink then turn and cook for another minute or so. Remove and place in a large serving platter or bowl and serve with the salsa. Lots of napkins and you’re good to go.

Gourd-zilla

Posted on May 29, 2014 by loschileros

Do you know the world record for biggest squash ever grown? No? We didn’t either. Thank heavens for this new fangled thing called the ‘internet’. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do. Anyway, turns out that the award goes to one Joel Jarvis from Ontario (read about lovely Joel here). His squash weighed in at almost 1,500 pounds which one news report equated to the size of a polar bear. Gosh, who knew?

Joel says it was all down to lots of fertilizer and TLC. The prize-winning specimen – so we understand – gained up to 40 lbs per day. Which of course makes you wonder how they figured that one out. Did they drag the bathroom scales out to the veg patch every day?

But I digress. Why you ask, this obsession with squash? Because dear reader, the season is upon us. Plant a squash plant – just one – and you’ll be inundated for what seems a lifetime. They grow exponentially (okay, maybe not like Joel’s but you get the idea) and if you turn your back on them, they go from cute wee things to the squash that ate Manhattan.

So as summer draws ever nearer, you’ll see people frantically searching their files for squash recipes. Remember Aunt Flo (she was the one with the rather heavy beard) and her zucchini bread? Get the ovens cranked up for that puppy. And how about that squash puree bake with cracker crumbs (on second thought, nix that one)? Or just let your fingers do the walking and go to that marvelous new thing, the ‘web’. We came up with – and we’re not kidding here – over 30 million hits in .22 seconds. Don’t you love technology?

But to get you started, here’s an old favorite. Actually, it’s not that old. We just dreamed it up about 15 minutes ago. It’s quick, easy and you’ll be thanking us for the next 3-4 months. And if you are growing squash, consider setting up a sentry schedule with family members and loved ones to keep an eye out on your crop. You may not get close to Joel’s record but you’d be surprised what squash get up to when you’re not looking.

Summer Squash with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Serves 3-4 as a side dish

1 lb yellow squash (about 2 medium)
1 cup plain tomato sauce
1 tsp Chile Pequin (or more to taste)
1 Tbsp olive oil + additional for the squash
1 garlic clove finally chopped
Salt
Chopped herbs to garnish (basil, cilantro or parsley are good choices) – optional
New Mexico Chile Caribe Green to garnish

Preheat oven to 425˚ F

Cut off the stem and tail ends of the squash and slice the rest into thin rounds. Brush two baking sheets with olive oil then place the squash slices on the pans and brush the slices with some of olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and place in the pre-heated oven.

Roast until cooked through but not mushy – it shouldn’t take more than about 10 minutes. While the squash is roasting, make the spicy tomato sauce. Place the chile, olive oil and garlic in a saucepan and cook gently until the oil starts to sizzle and the garlic cooks slightly (watch it like a hawk because garlic loves to burn and burned garlic is a no-no). Add the tomato sauce and cook for a few minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

To serve, arrange the squash around a platter. Drizzle some of the tomato sauce over the top and place the rest in a serving bowl so folks can add more if they desire. Garnish with the herbs (if using) and Green Chile Caribe and serve. This is also mighty tasty with the additional of a bit of goat’s cheese or cubes of feta on top.

Back on the Ranch

Posted on May 13, 2014 by loschileros

I know someone who knew someone (you can see where this is going) who used to sit in bed reading books and eating wedges of iceberg lettuce slathered in salad dressing. I know what you’re thinking – which salad dressing? Was it perchance Russian? Or Thousand Island? Because you just know that someone who eats iceberg lettuce in bed isn’t going to go for balsamic and olive oil, are they?

The answer is – unfortunately – I don’t know. But I like to think it was Ranch dressing. Let’s face it, if you’re going to blow the caloric bank, you might as well go for Ranch. Ranch dressing flew on the scene in the 70’s – remember those Hidden Valley Ranch® packets you’d mix up with buttermilk and mayo? They still exist but now you’re more likely to buy it by the bottle.

According to Coleman Andrew’s The Taste of America (OK, I’m name dropping here), ranch dressing started at the Hidden Valley Ranch, in the hills near Santa Barbara. How much do I love there really was/is a Hidden Valley Ranch? I bet it was full of lots of teeny-tiny cowboys all mixing up vats of salad dressing. I mean, how cute would that be?

Anyway, they sold in ’72 to Clorox (yum) but you can still buy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing today and according to their website it’s good on everything. Everything? But if you’re feeling perky, why not make your own Ranch dressing? It’s incredibly easy so it’s good for you lazy so-and-so’s who can’t be bothered to actually cook.

And it’s good. Mighty good. And of course once you add in some green chile powder it goes from good to great. If I say so myself. So wheel out the iceberg lettuce (another nutritional dynamo – not), a good book and sit back in bed. It’s party time.

Green Chile Ranch Dressing

Makes a bit more than a cup but feel free to double it if you want more (and who doesn’t?).

¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup mayonnaise (regular or light)
Juice of ½ lemon
1 ½ Tbsp chopped parsley
½ a clove of garlic, finely minced or a sprinkle of garlic powder
1 ½ – 2 tsp green chile powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and if possible, refrigerator for a day to let the flavors marry. But if you’re like me, you’ll eat the whole thing before it even has a chance to see the inside or a refrigerator.

Cinco de Mayo Hot Tootin’ Sale

Posted on April 24, 2014 by loschileros

Okay, listen up. This is where I’d normally put everything in cap letters (LIKE THIS), but I’ve been told it’s “not polite”. So here goes…Order online and you get 25% off everything. EVERYTHING (sorry, I had to do that).

THIS INCREDIBLE OFFER IS FOR THREE DAYS ONLY!
APRIL 28, 29 AND 30, 2014 @ WWW.LOSCHILEROS.COM
JUST WRITE “CINCO” IN THE PROMO DISCOUNT BOX
TO ENJOY YOUR 25% OFF

Q: What if I oversleep and wake up on the 31^st and realize I haven’t ordered yet?
A: Too bad.
Q: What if I develop amnesia and forget about the offer?
A: See above.

Why are we being so ridiculously generous? Trust us, it hurts. But it’s our way of celebrating Cinco de Mayo. As Wikipedia kindly tell us, Cinco de Mayo is Spanish for the fifth of May (thanks for that guys). It commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over the French (those darn French). Now it means big time party.

And parties mean food. I’ll leave the menu up to you but why not try something different like a Mole? It’s a traditional Mexican dish and we make it easy with our Southwestern Mole mix. It will taste like you’ve slaved over a hot stove for days but you didn’t. We like that kind of thing. Or if the weather looks good, throw some steaks on the BBQ – a little Abiquiu Steak Marinade adds some extra zing.

But whatever you do, make sure you’ve got some nibbles on hand. There is nothing worse than a hungry crowd. They get restless and they get mean. We’ll be whipping up a batch of our Spicy Garbanzo Beans. They’re very easy to make (a plus when you’ve got a crowd) plus they go down a treat with a beer or margarita (or three).

So party on and don’t forge to type in those five magic letters — CINCO — to get your 25% off OKAY?

Spicy Garbanzo Beans

Makes enough for me if I’ve had a bad day or 4-6 more civilized people.

2 ½ Tbsp olive oil
14.5 oz can of garbanzo beans
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground green chile

Place the beans in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain. Heat up the olive oil in a large frying pan until hot but not smoking. Add the garbanzo beans – careful because they may spit. Cook over high heat until the beans are crisp and crunchy – this will take about 10 minutes depending on the heat of your stove.

The beans will shrink and change in color from a light creamy color to a deeper golden brown. Try one – it should be crispy on the outside and slightly yielding inside. Remove from heat, add the spices and put back on the stove for another minute or two to toast the spices. Add a sprinkle of sea salt flakes if you like and serve hot or at room temperature.

The Waiting is Over

Posted on March 27, 2014 by loschileros

I know. You’ve been worried, haven’t you? Up late at night – pacing the floor. Distracted at work – unable to concentrate. Well, let me put you out of misery – the preserved lemons I made a few weeks ago are fine. Whew! What a relief, you say.

No, let me rephrase that. They’re better than fine – they’re tasty. What? You say you don’t remember them? Cue shock/horror. Well let me refresh your memory. I whipped up a batch of preserved lemons – lemons stored in a briny mixture of salt and lemon juice with an extra kick of spices and chile. You can find the original recipe here.

Well, they’ve been hanging out (as you do when you’re preserving) but they’re ready now. There are loads of things you can do with them — they’re great chopped up and served with grilled or poached chicken or fish and non-stop fabulous with fresh vegetables or grainy salads.

That’s what I’m going to do with some from this batch. I’ve used bulgur wheat but you could use a can of beans or some pasta or coucous. Go crazy. The key is, you’re going to scoop out the pulp and use the skin of the lemon only. And a little goes a long way. Go easy on the seasoning too because these lemons have been bathing in salt, lemon juice and chile so they mean business. For an extra kick, I added a couple of tablespoons of the brining liquid.

The result? It’s good. Darn good. So stop your pacing and get cooking

Chile Preserved Lemon & Bulgur Wheat Salad

4 side portions

1 cup bulgur wheat
2 cups water
1-2 Tbsp olive oil.
2 Tbsp of the liquid from the jar of preserved lemons
1 ½ – 2 Tbsp chopped preserved lemon – skin only
¼ cup chopped apricots
¼ cup flaked almonds, toasted
Chile pequin flakes, to taste
Chopped chives or parsley, optional

Place the bulgur wheat in a heat-proof bowl. Boil water and pour about 2 cups over the bulgur wheat. Place a plate over the top of the bowl and let the wheat steep for about 15 minutes. If you’re using fine bulgur (I used coarse for this recipe) it will take less time.

Remove the plate, test a few kernels – it should be tender but still chewy. Drain thoroughly. Toss with the rest of the ingredients and add some chile pequin flakes to taste. Can be served warm or at room temperature.