Los Portales - Fayetteville Road, Durham

I could eat Mexican food every day of the week and never get sick of it. One of my favorite parts of living in Mebane was having a really great Mexican restaurant to eat at. I love Durham, but find it seriously lacking a good family Mexican-American restaurant. I don't like Torerros or El Rodeo. El Custaleco was okay, but the flavors don't quite jive for me. And yes there are lots of great taquieras, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I strolled into Los Portales on Sunday afternoon after a trip to Babies R Us. My first impression was that the decor is bright and cheerful, and the restaurant is clean. I was promptly seated in a booth next to another table with a baby and handed a menu.

The menu is diverse and allows you to create your own combinations, along with a wide selection of their own specialties. The prices were quite decent too, especially for the Southpoint area. After ordering from the vegetarian menu (also featuring custom combinations), I snacked on chips and salsa. The chips weren't anything too special, but the salsa was great. It had a smooth texture and great flavor.

My potato burrito was filled with mashed potatoes, onions and cheese, and smothered with a lovely tomato-based sauce. My spinach enchilada was filled with fresh sauteed spinach and diced onions. The flavor in both of the items was fantastic, and the rice and beans were just what I like.

I've been eagerly awaiting the opening of this restaurant and am thrilled to no longer have to drive to Mebane for great Mexican food! Go check out Los Portales and let me know what you think!

Blog-iversary Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas

It's pretty hard to believe a year has already passed since I began this blog. Though I haven't been writing much here lately, I'm still trying to keep up with most of the blogs in my reader. It's been difficult. Hell, as I write this, I'm rocking my three week old with my foot. I've become quite the multitasker. Yesterday, however, I came across a post for empanadas over at Thursday Night Smackdown that captured my attention. With my multitasking abilities increasingly improving, I set out to make some empanadas. Nevermind that I spread it across 3 naptimes and it basically took me all day with clean up. Making empanadas was a first for me. I had leftover shredded chicken and black beans from tacos the night before so all I really had to worry about making was the crust. These were great.
Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas (Dough recipe taken verbatim from Michelle at TNS)
Makes 14 empanadas (7 servings)
Ingredients:
For the filling:
1 1/2 cups shredded seasoned chicken
1 6 oz can black olives chopped
1/2 can black beans, drained and seasoned
1 cup shredded cheese (your choice)

For the dough:
3 c. AP flour
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1 tbsp. white vinegar
up to 1/3 c. ice water
pinch of salt

Directions:
Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Don't be like me and forget the cheese. Can you believe I forgot the CHEESE???? This is what multitasking does to you!

This is easiest to make in a Food Processor or stand mixer, but you can also use a pastry cutter, 2 forks or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour.

For the Food Processor version, put the flour, butter, egg and salt into the Food Processor and pulse until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is pea-sized. Add the vinegar and 2-3 tablespoons of water, pulse a few more times. Keep adding ice water and pulsing until the dough just starts to pull together - you don’t want so much water that you end up with one big, wet dough ball. Dump the dough out onto your work surface and briefly knead/mush it around until it comes together. Flatten it into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your over to 425.

Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thick and cut out rounds the size of your choice. Add a spoonful of filling to the center of each round, moisten the edges with water and fold the rounds in half.
Crimp the edges closed with a fork to seal. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
Allow to cool a few minutes before eating.

Chicken tamale casserole - future cooking

I know what you're thinking, hasn't she already done one of these? The answer is NO. I made a chicken enchilada casserole and a chicken enchilada soup. Both of which were nothing like this.
I was turned on to this recipe by a fellow pregnant lady from my birth board and I just have to pass it on. As I was making it (almost exactly as specified), I was thinking to myself, this is going to be weird and bland. I was WRONG. You can find the recipe over at Cooking Light. The only changes I made are as follows:
I used 1 egg instead of the egg substitute
I added 1/2 tsp garlic powder
I used canned regular sweet corn
I didn't drain my chiles (to make up for the moisture missing from not using creamed corn)

The modifications I made were due to what I had on hand (and my love of garlic) and it was still really good. I was shocked that it tasted so much like chicken tamales and without the work! Oh and it's only 350 calories per serving. This was so easy. I threw a pound of partially frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot this morning with 4 bouillion cubes and 4 cups of water. When I came home, I shredded the chicken. EASY. This would be fantasic for a potluck too. My hubby wasn't thrilled by the sweetness the cornbread mixture lent to this dish, but I really liked it alot.

Chicken and bean enchiritos - future cooking

These were excellent and this combination of meat and beans is certainly not set in stone. Please modify as you like, but this was how I made these the other night and the meat had PERFECT flavor. I think taco hell was onto something with using flour tortillas instead of corn. Yum! I'm excited to have made 2 meals with this. My freezer is slowly filling!Chicken and Bean Enchiritos
Makes 8 enchiritos(4 servings)
Ingredients:
1 tb oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb ground chicken (turkey would be just as good)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1 can refried beans (or black beans)
1 4 oz can whole green chiles
8 flour (light whole wheat) tortillas (soft taco/fajita size)
1 14 oz can enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mexican blend)
2 green onions, sliced

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and chicken until cooked through (about 5-7 minutes). Break chicken into small pieces with a spoon or spatula as it's cooking. Combine all spices in a small bowl then stir into cooked chicken and onions. Add water to skillet. Stir well to coat evenly. Simmer over medium-low heat for 9 minutes or until no longer watery. Turn off heat and mix beans into the skillet.

Preheat oven to 350. Slice green chiles into 16 strips. Lay a tortilla flat on a plate and scoop about 1/2 cup of meat/bean filling into the middle. Use spoon to spread in a line to the edges. Cover with two slices of green chile and roll up.
Place into a 9x13 (I used 2 8x8s) casserole dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. When the pan(s) is full, cover with enchilada sauce. Top with shredded cheese and green onions.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and broil until cheese is bubbly.
These are so much easier to make with flour then with corn tortillas. They roll up really nice without crumbling or needing to coat in fatty oil first. Enjoy!

Chicken enchilada soup

When I read this recipe last week for tortilla soup, my mouth was watering. I found I didn't have many of the ingredients so I came up with my own recipe to fulfill the craving. This is seriously so easy, pretty healthy and really really good. I urge you to give it a try. Thanks to Real Mom Kitchen for the inspiration! Please forgive the photo, I'm finding that soup just doesn't really photograph all that well.

Chicken Enchilada Soup
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
10 oz can red enchilada sauce
10 oz can cheddar cheese soup
4 oz can diced green chiles
2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken (I used breast tenderloins)
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb frozen sweet corn
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder

Directions:
Combine canned ingredients with milk in crock pot and stir well to mix through. Add all remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken and pull apart with forks or tongs and return to pot. Cook 1 additional hour on low. Garnish with sour cream and cheese!

Holy guacamole!

So as I indicated earlier this week, I had avocados. What do you do when life, er, Trader Joe's gives you avocados? You make guacamole! My friend from Guatemala will go on a 10 minute rant about how the only ingredients in guacamole should be lime juice, avocados and salt. While his guacamole is traditional, I prefer it with the addition of a couple of more ingredients.
Guacamole
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 diced tomato (I've used chunky salsa instead in a pinch)
1 1/2 tb lime juice (I used the bottled stuff, so start with a little less if you're using the real thing)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste if you like it saltier)

Directions:
Cut avocados in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the seed. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon into medium bowl. Break up the avocado into smaller pieces with a fork. Add all ingredients except the tomato and mash with fork until almost creamy. I like chunks in my guacamole. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

No brainer taco salad

Last night I set out to make my guacamole and discovered, upon slicing open my first avocado, that I'm going to need to wait a few more days. I saved this avocado by cubing it, tossing it with some lime and salt and throwing it onto a taco salad.

Sometimes dinners like this are just comforting in that they are non-events. Clean up is minimal. Effort is minimal and flavor is not compromised. I don't think I've ever made two quite the same, but here's how it went down last night.No Brainer Taco Salad
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey browned and cooked with taco seasoning (served warm)
1 can refried beans doctored with some chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt (served warm)
1 head romaine lettuce chopped
1 can of sweet corn, drained and tossed with a little salt
1/2 can of small black olives
12 grape tomatoes sliced in half
4 thin slices of red onion
1/2 cucumber
1 firm avocado, cubed and tossed with lime juice and salt
about 30 chips
shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream to individual liking

Directions:
Assemble on plate. Wow that was tough!

I put all my cold ingredients around the perimeter. Then I fanned out my chips and covered with beans, then meat and a tiny bit of shredded cheese. This worked out well and kept the cold ingredients from getting wilted by the warm ones.

Mez II - Page Road, Durham

Friday night we visited Mez again with a couple of friends. Despite the rain, Mez was bustling at 7pm. There was mexican music playing softly in the background and the lighting was nice and dim, but not too dim. We sat near an indoor water feature which was also a nice addition to the ambiance. I was thrilled to learn from our informative waitress that all the cheese at Mez is pasteurized WOO HOO!!!

The four of us shared chips and guacamole (actually I ate most of the chips and guacamole) and the queso flameado. This appetizer is described as: Melted Chihuahua cheese, goat cheese, roasted poblano peppers, tomatillo salsa and a side of warm flour tortilla. After making numerous jokes regarding chihuahuas and their unlikelihood of producing cheese, I decided that, (a) I do not like tomatillos but (b) if you throw enough cheese at anything and it's absolutely edible!

For my entree, I ordered the spinach enchiladas. There were 3 corn tortillas stuffed full of creamed spinach, cheese and onions. They were topped with a poblano cream sauce and served with a side of really tasty black beans and a less traditional mexican rice. I was thrilled with my entree. I traded an enchilada with my husband, who had ordered the special smoked pork enchiladas. While his was good, filled with moist smoky pork, it was too smoky for my liking.

It seems like they've worked out some kinks since we first went and improved upon the menu as well. I have to admit that paying for chips and salsa still irks me (not that we paid this time, thanks Mel and Jed), but the food is adventurous and the vibe is nice.

Tex-Mex Casserole

I am officially back to cooking it seems. Though I've been starting out slowly. Last night I tried to recall a casserole from my early college years that one of my friend's mom's (I miss you Judy) taught me to make. I didn't quite nail it last night, but it was still very good. I think I should have used another can of corn and full fat cheese. The recipe below reflects those changes. This literally takes 15-20 minutes to get to the table (plus the cooking rice time) and it's very hearty.
Tex Mex Casserole
Makes 4-6 entree servings
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked rice (I used brown)
7 oz can green chiles
16 0z can chili beans with sauce
2 cans corn drained
1/2-3/4 cup sliced black olives
2 green onions chopped
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes drained
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp chili powder
8 oz grated cheese (I recommend chedder or jack, I used light cheddar and it just doesn't melt up too well)
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
handful of parsley chopped (optional)
1 cup grilled chicken (also optional, I just had some leftover I needed to use)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Stir all ingredients in a large bowl, adding spices last (except cheese and chips) until mixed well.
Empty contents into a 9x13 casserole and sprinkle with tortilla chips and cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and heated through.
Finish under the broiler if you like your cheese brown and crispy. Garnish with sour cream if desired.

Calabacitas

A calabacita is a mexican squash, or at least that's what it's called at the grocery. It's also a mexican dish of squash, onions, corn and tomatoes. I originally found it on allrecipes, but have modified greatly to my own liking. This is what I tend to serve as a veggie dish with most mexican style meals I make.

Calabacitas
Makes 6 side dish servings
Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
2 calabacitas or 3 zucchini chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
8 ounces frozen corn
1 large tomato chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 small can of diced green chiles (I forgot them this time)
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or other mexican crumbling cheese
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp crushed dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
fresh chopped cilantro (if that's your thing)
salt and pepper to taste
lime wedges to garnish

Instructions:
Heat oil over high heat and add squash and onions. Let sit for 2 minutes. Stir to flip over squash and cook 2 minutes more. Turn heat down to medium, drain excess liquid. Add corn, garlic, chiles and all spices. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine and continue cooking until corn is heated through. Add tomatoes and cook another minute.
Add crumbled cheese and remove from heat. Serve with a lime wedge.

Tamale dinner

Last night, I pulled my cooked frozen tamales (cooked on Sunday, recipe here) from the freezer and steamed for 15 minutes. Then I removed them carefully from the husks and topped them with a quick chile sauce (I cheated though, mock recipe follows) and garnished with some crumbled queso. I served these with a side of calabacitas (recipe to come in another post), and a lime wedge. The resulting dinner was mildly spicy and light!
Quick chile sauce for tamales
Ingredients and instructions:
Open one store bought can of enchilada sauce and pour into microwaveable covered container. Add 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp sugar and as much cayenne as you think you can handle. I used a few shakes of cayenne. Stir to mix through. Next dissolve 1 tbsp corn starch in 1 1/2 tbsp of water and mix into the chile sauce. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave one minute more.

Chicken tamales

I went to Compare Foods on Avondale drive for the first time on Sunday. I've been wanting to try making tamales, but could never find the corn husks. My search is over! Compare was great, not only for latino foods but for everything. I doubt I'll go to Kroger much anymore. Compare was also supercheap!

Make these on a day where you've got lots of time to kill. Though there's not that much active time, they do take several hours to complete.

Chicken tamales
Makes 30 tamales
Ingredients:
32 dried corn husks
For the stewed chicken
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 6 thighs)
1 tsp cumin
1 tb garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used yellow)
1 cup water
2 cubes chicken bouillion

For the tamale dough
4 cups masa
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2tsp garlic powder
1 tb melted butter
4 tsp vegetable or canola oil
2 cups chicken broth or water with 2 cubes chicken bouillion dissolved
1 cup water

Instructions:
Season chicken breasts on both sides with cumin, garlic, chili, salt and pepper. Saute onions for 2 minutes over medium high heat and put in crock pot. Add chicken breasts to saute pan and brow 2 minutes per side. Remove breasts and add to crock pot. Turn heat on saute pan to high and slowly add water to deglaze pan, scraping at the browned bits on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Add in bouillion and stir until dissolved. Add liquid to the crock pot, cover and cook on high 3 hours.
While breasts are cooking, place dried corn husks in large with enough water to cover completely. Weigh down with a can or mug to keep the husks submerged. Allow to soak for at least an hour.
After 3 hours, gently remove the breasts from the crock pot with tongs to a medium bowl. Using a fork (or two), shred the breast meat. Add to the bowl 1/2 cup of the juices and onions from the crock pot. Mix well and salt to taste.
Next it's time to make the dough!
Combine the masa flour, salt and spices in a large bowl. Add the butter and oil and mix well. Next add the broth and water and stir until you have a soft dough. Note that I found I had to keep a little water nearby to add to keep the dough moist as I assembled tamales.
Take 2 corn husks and peel lengthwise, 1/4 inch strips that you'll use to tie the tamales close. Next lay a corn husk flat, place about 1/4 cup of dough on the upper 2/3 of the husk (the wide end). Press the dough into a rectangle about 3"x3". Drop about 2 tb of chicken on one side of the dough and spread evenly. Using the husk as a guide, roll the tamale up (like a jelly roll) and make sure the sides of the husk are overlapping. Fold the bottom of the husk up and tie with 1 husk strip to secure.
Here's what it should look like.
Now repeat this 29 times until you've used up all the dough, husks and meat.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Use enough water so that it doesn't all evaporate. Steam the tamales (med-high to high heat) for 50 minutes or until the dough is firm. I had to do this in two batches and I had a makeshift steamer I made using a metal colander, sitting in side of my 8 qt stock pot. I also steamed using chicken bouillion in the water to add more flavor to the dough. I froze most of mine and they'll keep for up to a year in an airtight freezer bag. To re-heat, just steam for 15 minutes!

You can (and I will) serve these with some sort of tomato based chili sauce. I'm serving tomorrow night to some friends and that's when I'll try that out.

Photo of the Day - Hot tamales

Guess what I made yesterday? Recipe to come!

Chubby's Tacos - Ninth street, Durham

Last night after my hair cut, I decided to walk down to Dain's Place for a burger. Along the way, I stopped in front of Chubby's Tacos to check out their menu. I had read about them over at Carpe Durham some time back and my curiousity was piqued. I opted for a shrimp burrito to go. They have a large assortment of salsas and I filled my two containers with the guacatillo (guacamole-based) and the salsa asada. Both salsas were very tasty, but I preferred the salsa asada. The guacatillo had more tomatillo flavor then I care for. Just a personal preference.

The burrito itself was large. Not large, as in Cosmic Cantina large, but still big. It was about 8 inches long and about 3.5 inches in diameter. It was stuffed with shrimp (no tails and de-veined YAY!), rice, smashed pintos, and a little bit of iceberg lettuce. The shrimp is also cooked to order and not pulled from some steam table where it's turned to rubber. The burrito normally has cheese but I requested it without. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, mildly seasoned and plentiful. The rice and beans were nice for texture, but didn't really stand out in any way. The lettuce was the one thing I disliked.Ever get a burger or something from McDonalds and the lettuce is slightly yellow and you know it's going to have that yucky overwhelming flavor that tastes nothing like lettuce, but you eat it anyway cause it's the healthiest thing in the sandwich? Well this was that lettuce. It damn near ruined the burrito for me. I ended up completely dissecting the thing to get the lettuce out. The rest of it was good, but I will note that the last 2 inches of the burrito were nothing but flour tortilla.

I'll give Chubby's another try, perhaps the tacos next time, but for ninth street, I think I still prefer Cosmic Cantina for the massive burritos.

Homemade pot o' black beans

Sunday I finally cooked up the bag of dried black beans I had. I used what I had available to compliment them. Last night we finally ate them and they were the best black beans I've made yet. This recipe makes enough to feed probably 6-8 people as a main dish so bring on that appetite.

Black bean pot
Ingredients:
16 oz. bag dried black beans
1 medium onion diced
3 small poblano chiles (or 2 large) seeded and chopped
3 slices thick bacon cut into 1 inch chunks
5 cloves of garlic peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Soak beans in enough water to cover overnight. Drain and return to pot with 6 cups of water. Add bay leaves and garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover, leaving just a little gap with the lid for 1.5 hours.
In another pot or pan over medium heat, brown bacon until cooked but not crispy. Add onion and chiles and cook for approximately 4 minutes.Add veggies and bacon (not the grease though), along with the spices, to the pot of black beans. Salt and pepper to taste. Continue simmering, uncovered another 30 minutes. Add more or drain water as you desire. We ate these last night in a big bowl with some leftover grilled corn and some brown rice. Talk about comfort food!

Clean out your fridge salad

We had lots of fresh veggies in the fridge still from last weekend's farmer's market trip and I didn't want them to go to waste while we were out of town this weekend. Sometimes things like this work out great, sometimes you'd rather forget they even happened. Thursday night I made an awesome grilled salad and I thought I'd share. I made a dressing with a bit of a mexican flair to compliment my ingredients.
Clean out your fridge salad
Salad Ingredients:
Romaine
Arugula
1/2 avocado
1/2 large tomato
2 ears of corn still in husks
1/2 large onion, thickly sliced
1 medium zucchini sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices

Dressing ingredients:
1/2 avocado cut into chunks
1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt
2-3 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tspn cumin powder
1/2 tspn chili powder
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tspn sugar or splenda
1 tbsp water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat grill on high heat. Chop arugula and romaine and spread on 2 plates. Dice tomato and divide evenly amongst plates. Slice avocado and spread over each salad

Put corn on lowest rack of the grill, along with onion slices. Grill zucchini and onion 5 minutes each side. Grill corn 20 minutes, flipping 4 times (each side 5 minutes). While cooling, make the dressing!

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper once blended evenly.

Roughly chop onion slices. Cut zucchini slices into 1 inch pieces. Shuck corn and hold lengthwise with one end rested on cutting board. Using a sharp knive, start at the top and slice downward along the cob to remove the kernels. Continue rotating the cob until all kernels have been removed. Top salad with grilled veggies and dressing and serve!

Enchilada casserole

Enchilada casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 small onion (diced)
1 can diced green chiles (including sauce)
1 can green or red enchilada sauce
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
4-6 corn tortillas (soft not crispy)
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB chili powder
a couple of dashes of cayenne
1/2 cup water
1 cup of shredded cheese (your choice, I used 2% sharp cheddar)
parsley to garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.

Brown the turkey in a heavy skillet over medium heat, add in a little salt and pepper. When there's still a little pink left, add the onion and continue cooking until onion is translucent. Next add water, green chiles, garlic, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper and mix through. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed. Mix in the can of black beans and remove from the heat.Now we start the layering process. Spray the bottom of a casserole (9x12 should work great) with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the bottom with a single layer of corn tortillas. I used 2 small casserole dishes (5x8) for mine so each layer used 1 1/2 tortillas.

Next add a layer of meat and bean mixture (enough to cover the tortillas) and drizzle 1/2 of the enchilada sauce (1/4 if you're breaking it into two dishes like I did). Sprinkle half of the cheese. Repeat layer and finish with cheese and a little chopped parsley on top.
Here's what mine looked like.
Next you'll slide that into the oven for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is to your liking. Sometimes I turn the broiler on for a few minutes to get it extra bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Great topped with a little sour cream. I usually serve it with a sautee of diced zucchini, onions, corn and tomatoes. I don't have a cooked photo because hubby will be baking this next week.

Relleno casserole

Last night we had a pseudo-Mexican meal. Who didn't, right? Anyways I make a damn tasty enchilada casserole from time to time and in the spirit of keeping our meals low starch the next few weeks, I modified it. I thought I'd share the results.

Relleno casserole
4 large servings

Ingredients:
4 large poblano/pasilla peppers (these are very mild with the seeds and membrane removed, similar to a bell pepper but much better flavor)
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 small onion chopped 1 cup shredded cheese (your choice, I used sharp cheddar and about 1/4 cup of a mex blend)
1 small can enchilada sauce (green or red, I used red) 2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Roast the chiles over high flame on the grill about 3 1/2–4 minutes per side. When they are charred, remove to a heavy duty slide-lock plastic bag and seal shut. Meanwhile, brown turkey in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add onions when you can't see any more pink on the outside of the meat. Season mixture with chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for another 4 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a cool water bath, gently remove the charred skins from the chiles. Remove seed membrane, seeds and stem. Don't worry if the chile tears (because it probably will) because the next step is to cut each one lengthwise into 4 strips.

In a 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish, spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce. Next lay down 4 chile slices and top with 1/4 of the meat, a light sprinkling of cheese and a splash of enchilada sauce. Repeat layers and finish with a layer of sauce and cheese on the top.

Bake in preheated oven about 15 minutes. Broil (at a distance if it's a glass dish) for another 3 minutes or until the cheese is as bubbly as you like!

It really looks cheesier then it was. The sauce helps meld all the ingredients together. I let this cool for about 4 minutes while I nuked some frozen corn and plated the sides. It made it easier to serve. I recommend cutting into quarters and scooping with a spatula. It's messy, but very tasty and pretty damn healthy too!

You'll notice I actually threw in 2 corn tortillas into the middle of mine because I was a little concerned about having enough layers, but this ended up being completely unnecessary.

Pollo relleno?

Before leaving for work yesterday morning, I tossed some frozen chicken tenderloins in a crock pot with a couple of thick slices of onion, a couple of tablespoons of minced garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of diced green chiles, some chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. When I came home, wonderful smells were wafting through the kitchen.

M turned on the grill for me while I pulled the chicken out of the crockpot with some of the chunky stuff and mashed it up in a bowl. I added a couple of ladles of the liquid and some more salt and this is what it looked like.

I threw 4 pasillos (poblanos) on the grill on high heat for about 6 minutes and flipped and cooked for another 5 or so (lost track oops). While they were cooking, I took 2 cups of the remaining liquid in the crockpot and a few of the onions and tomatoes and boiled them. To this I added some salt and a cup of brown rice, covered and simmered 40 minutes. Pulled the peppers off the grill, stuck in a plastic container (which later melted haha, use a paper bag instead or a freezer bag) and let those babies sweat.

After a few minutes I ran them under a trickle of cold water and pulled off the charred skin, pulled out the seeds and the hot membrane and placed in a casserole dish. I then stuffed the peppers with the chicken mixture.

I covered that with a little grated jack and cheddar (maybe 1/4 cup per pepper) and threw in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes. I broiled the last few to get the cheese bubbly. Dinner was yummy.

The rice was undercooked and I ended up adding another half cup (at least) of water and turning the heat up and cooking for another 10 minutes. I am still working out the quirks of my 20+ year old gas stove and it's really a smidgen of a difference between medium and low. It's not precision. I've only managed successful brown rice on it once haha. After the extra cooking this time though it was good!

Oh and as a side note, the frozen sweet corn at trader joes is awesome. It's juicy and sweet and tastes like fresh corn. Not at all like the starchy stuff I'm used to from the frozen food section.

Los Comales (#2) - Roxboro Road, Durham

We had Los Comales again last night. We split chicken and pastor tacos and each had a pupusa. We went with our friends and brought home. I was already through 2 beers and one of my tacos when I remembered I had promised to take a photo this time. Pardon the quality, I was in a rush to keep eating!
The pupusa was excellent. It's made of cornmeal and was filled with some type of pork and melted cheese. It was much less greasier then the gordita had a few days ago. It appeared baked instead of fried, or perhaps just pan fried with less oil? I topped if off with some of their vinegary slaw, some salsa and sour cream. Delicious! We'll be going back soon. We're both enamoured that we've found a restaurant where we can get really good quality, fresh food for under $15 for both of us.