This can also be made with just chicken or pork and is equally good.

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork cut in cubes
• 1 lb chicken cut into pieces, cut the bones in half, it is OK!
• 1 head of garlic, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce (Silver Swan is best)
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp paprika (sweet)
• 5 bay leaves (laurel)
• 4 Tbls oil
• 2 Tbls corn starch
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbls water

Instructions

1. In a big sauce pan, heat 2 Tbls of the oil and saute the minced garlic and onions, don’t burn them.
2. Add the pork and chicken to the pan
3. Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, vinegar, paprika, and bay leaves
4. Bring to a boil
5. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender
6. Remove meat from the sauce pan
7. In another pan heat the rest of the oil and brown the meat for a few minutes
8. Dissolve corn starch in the 3 Tbls water, and add to the sauce, mixing thoroughly
9. Add meat back to pan and bring mixture to a boil
10. Lower to a simmer for 5 minutes until sauce has thickened
11. Serve over rice

Vitals

Servings: 6 – 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

* Maria also suggests adding some crushed ginger to the onions and garlic for a very unique flavor.

This makes two cups of sauce, which is not enough for any good recipe in my mind. I usually quad the ingredients when I make a batch for a 9×12 pan.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable or olive oil *1
• ¼ to ½ small onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ½ cups pork or chicken broth *2
• 1 cup roasted, peeled green chili, whole…chopped…strips, whatever
• ¼ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Heat oil in pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion and garlic…cover and cook over low heat for approx. 5 minutes to wilt onions. Make sure you don’t brown them.
3. Raise heat to medium again and add flour, cumin, and black pepper.
4. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes to take rawness out of flour.
5. The onions will ball up in the flour to form clumps, normal.
6. You want to see some change in color of the flour…then remove from heat and start to add broth while you stir to dissolve lumps.
7. CAUTION…steam will result at first and you don’t want to burn yourself.
8. After you are satisfied that the result is lump-free, add the remaining ingredients and return to heat and bring to a boil.
9. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Sauce should be thick…but not too thick.

Notes

*1 – I don’t actually measure it when I do it. I use a good size pot and cover the bottom with extra virgin Spanish olive oil.

*2 – I am sort of fanatical about using Pacific brand organic free range chicken broth in my sauce. I buy at Vons and it is stocked up front near the other organic products. Don’t use the salty, normal stuff you find in the soup isle…

Making the enchiladas:

Ingredients

• Chile Verde Sauce (above)
• Olive oil to coat bottom of small frying pan
• 1 to 1 ½ packages of Trader Joe’s corn tortillas or other fine corn tortillas
• 1 – 9×12 pan to build enchiladas and bake
• Large container of sour cream, if making sour cream enchiladas
• 4 bone free chicken breasts that have been cooked in water and then cooled with water so that one can shred the chicken into bits that you wish to have, if making chicken enchiladas.
• Shredded cheese – I use a mix of sharp cheddar (Tillamook is my favorite, but any should be fine) and white cheeses like you would find for making pizza.

Instructions

1. A lot of New Mexicans make flat, stacked enchiladas…but if like them rolled, do so. (If doing them rolled, then dip the tortilla into the oil and remove, allowing some oil to drain off before putting the tortilla into the pan. You will need to have more depth to the oil in the small frying pan for making rolled, as you want to submerge the tortilla.)
2. I will talk to flat here. The process is one of organization. Starting from my right working left I have a small stack of fresh corn tortillas that I get from Trader Joe’s. Found that these produce a very nice product in the pan. It usually takes 1 and ½ packages of these tortillas to make a 9×12 pan of flat enchiladas.
3. To my left on the stove, I have a small frying pan that is not much larger than the corn tortillas with only a small amount of olive oil covering the bottom. The idea is not to drown the tortilla. I slide a tortilla into the hot oil and let it sit for about 3-5 seconds before using a pair of tongs to grab it and turn it over. The oil does not go onto the top side of the tortilla when you put it into the oil. This is a nifty way to gauge good amount of oil in the pan. Three to five seconds on side two and you can pick it up by an edge and let it drain into the frying pan. This tortilla will go into the bottom layer of the 9×12 pan that I have sitting at my extreme left. Repeat until you have enough tortillas to cover the bottom of your pan.
4. When you have covered the bottom of the pan, usually 6 tortillas, ladle some of the sauce onto the tortillas, add some shredded cheese to lightly cover, add some sour cream in dollops, some shredded chicken, and you are ready for the next layer of tortillas.
5. Repeat until you approach the top of the pan….then cover with sauce and some cheese and it’s into the oven to bake (or into a freezer or fridge until you are ready to bake).
6. Place into pre-heated oven at 325°F and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the sides of the pan show bubbling and the cheese on the surface of the enchiladas is melted and glossy but not browned. Timing depends on your oven, doesn’t hurt to bake longer.

Luisa's Baked Cuban Chicken photo © Jon Griffin

Marinated in Orange juice, this chicken is very tender and tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken
• 2 Large Oranges
• 8-10 Cloves Crushed Garlic
• 1 Chopped Onion
• 1 Sliced Red Bell Pepper
• 2 Peeled and Sliced White Sweet Potatoes (Boniato)
• ¼ Pound Butter
• Seasoned Pepper
• Cumin
• Salt

Instructions

1. Pierce both sides of the chicken with a small knife.
2. Cut and squeeze the oranges over the chicken.
3. Apply pressure to the chicken so that the juice is absorbed into the holes.
4. Salt the outside and the cavity.
5. Work the crushed garlic into the holes.
6. Press down on the chicken again.
7. Place about 2/3 of the onions and peppers in the cavity.
8. Rub seasoned pepper on the skin.
9. Place the rest of the peppers and onions on top.
10. Marinate in the refrigerator for two hours.
11. Place the chicken in a baking pan.
12. Make a slice in the breast area large enough to hold the ¼ pound butter stick.
13. Place the sliced sweet potatoes around the chicken.
14. Place in a 350°F oven for two hours.
15. Turn both the chicken and sweet potatoes after 1 hour.
16. Continue cooking until done.

Notes

Note that Cuban Chicken is usually falling off the bone. The marinade keeps it moist so don’t worry about the long cooking time

Roast Turkey

A Thanksgiving staple, roast turkey can be made many different ways. Here is one simple, but flavorful recipe using an herbal rub.

Ingredients

• 1 13-Pound WHOLE TURKEY fresh or thawed
• 1 Medium onion quartered
• 1 lemon quartered
• 1/4 Cup vegetable oil
• 1 Teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 Teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and reserve for broth.
3. Rinse turkey with cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place onion and lemon quarters in neck and body cavities.
4. In a small bowl, mix oil with herbs, salt and pepper. With your finger tips, gently loosen skin from the breast without pulling off the skin.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of herb mixture under skin; replace skin. Rub cavities and outside of turkey with remaining herb mixture.
6. Secure the neck skin to the back with skewers. Fold wings under back of turkey. Place legs in tucked position. May be prepared to this point, covered and refrigerated for several hours.
7. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (no more than 2-1/2 inches) deep roasting pan. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful it does not touch the bone.
8. Cover bird with a loose tent of foil. Roast turkey in a preheated 325 degree F. oven for about 2-1/2 hours.
9. Remove foil and baste bird with pan juices. Continue to roast for about another hour until meat thermometer registers 180 degrees F. in the thigh.
10. Remove turkey from oven and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Transfer to a large platter and serve with gravy.

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