Chilaquiles (Tortilla Chips in Green Salsa)

Chilaquiles, pronounced chee-lah-kee-lays, are a popular breakfast or brunch food in Mexico. The basic dish is simple, quick, and consists of tortilla chips sauteed in a herb and chile broth. The recipe varies with the cook's imagination, but here is a basic recipe that uses the green tomatillo sauce I wrote about earlier this week.

I made the salsa on one of the short breaks in weather, when the thermometer dipped below 100 degrees in Chicago. It's been too hot to spend much time over the stove! But on a recent lovely night, I whipped up some chilaquiles, Joe set the table on the balcony and opened a crisp white wine, and we feasted under the stars. A simple dinner is sometimes the most elegant.

I'm going to plug some of my favorite Mexican brands as I walk you through this recipe.

Heat 1 pint of  salsa verde in a large skillet until simmering.

Stir in 6 cups of tortilla chips and stir until covered and slightly softened. We love El Rancho brand; the thick chips hold up well in the chile broth. You can fry tortilla chips from scratch, if you like, using fresh tortillas that have air-dried for a few hours.

Remove to a platter. Top with sour cream, white onion slices, cilantro, and queso fresco, a mild, crumbly farmer cheese. Fud is a good one, but I don't know if it's pronounced like Elmer Fudd or if it is 'Food'. Queso Fresco is so good I break off chunks and eat it while I'm cooking...or in the middle of the night.

I recommend dining al fresco while watching the sun set. In fact, I recommend that no matter what you're eating.But if you're making chilaquiles for breakfast, do yourself a solid and put a couple of poached eggs on top. Delicious for brunch.

Serves 3-4.

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Salsa Verde (Green Tomatillo Salsa)

There's a wonderful Latino store in a neighboring town that caters to a diverse population of Asians, Latinos, Caribbean Islanders, Eastern Europeans, and Africans. The produce is fresh, cheap, and so diverse I'm constantly smelling and touching and wondering what people make with these things: four different kinds of bananas, bitter melons, foot-long beans, sixteen different kinds of peppers.

Tomatillos with husks on

One item that might be unfamiliar to the average American is the tomatillo. It looks like a small green tomato in a sticky, papery leaf. These cook into a tangy salsa that I like even better than tomato salsas. I've made this salsa fairly mild because I'm a wimp with spicy food, but you can make it as hot or mild as you like. I used lemon thyme instead of regular thyme, but if you don't have it, regular thyme works.

This salsa is often used to make a breakfast/brunch dish called Chilaquiles (Chee-lah-kee-lays). I'll post that recipe next!

Salsa Verde

(Salsa Vair-day)

Ingredients

4 lbs. tomatillos, husked and washed
8 medium jalapeno chiles (remove the seeds if you want to reduce some of the heat)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
12 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups white onions, chopped
3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 2 fresh limes
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp canola oil

Directions

Cut tomatillos in half, place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tomatillos begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chiles and cook another 10 minutes.

Using a strainer or slotted spoon, remove the tomatillos, garlic, and chiles to a blender or food processor; reserve liquid. Add herbs, onion and 1 cup of the reserved liquid, blend until partially smooth but still has some chunks.

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add salsa, 1/2 cup more of the reserved liquid, and salt. Simmer over low heat until it thickens - approximately 10-15 minutes.

Makes approximately 4 - 5 half pints.



You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

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Do Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Vegetable Salad)

During the Vietnam war, my wonderful stepdad Paul was a peace volunteer working in agriculture in Vietnam. He has had a love for Vietnamese food since then, which he has passed down to my four half-Vietnamese step-siblings and my mom, who is always willing to try something new. He has kept most of his Asian recipes a secret up until now, but I hope to wheedle them out of him to share with all of you.

Do Chua is a daikon radish slaw 

We'll start with Do Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Vegetable Salad). Mom gave us a mint plant out of her garden a few weeks ago, and we were looking for new ways to use fresh mint leaves. I plan to take a jar of this pickle back to them when I visit next month.

This recipe is a sort of Vietnamese version of Giardiniera; this ubiquitous condiment is found at table in Vietnamese restaurants and homes. The daikon radish, mint leaves, and hot pepper make an unusual and delicious contrast to salads, sandwiches, or alongside meat dishes.

I needed to get back into serious cooking last weekend. The Chicago Area has broken heatwave records for the past week, and Saturday was the first day below 90 degrees in I don't even know how long. Windows opened, fan on, it was perfect to start canning again, since my canning mojo is in full swing this summer.

Note: I hadn't used fresh daikon until I made this salad, and I was surprised that it smells somewhat like mild mushrooms, and isn't as pungent as an ordinary red radish. If you can't find daikon, I would recommend replacing it with jicama. It's not exactly the same, but still delicious!

 

Sa Lach Dia (Vietnamese Pickled Vegetable Salad)

Daikon, carrot, cucumber

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled
1 large daikon (white radish), peeled
8 oz fresh bean sprouts
1 cucumber, peeled
1 small red chile (Szechuan, birds eye, or red Cayenne)
1/4 cup sea salt
1 cup water
1 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp superfine sugar
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped

Cut cucumber, daikon, and carrots into matchstick slices. Put vegetables into a glass bowl and sprinkle with the salt and water. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Drain vegetables. Finely chop red pepper, being careful not to get the volatile oils on skin or eyes (these are STRONG peppers!). Toss peppers with vegetables, then tightly pack into sterile glass jars.

Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables, tapping the jars to release air bubbles. Allow 1/4" head space at the top of the jars. Wipe the rims with a clean wet cloth and screw on lids. Let marinate for a couple of days before using. This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.

If you plan to can these for later use, process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before tightening lids and storing.

Makes approximately 3 pints.

You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food

Read more...