Bizcochitos and New Mexico Tradition

You have to use lard if you’re going to make bizcochitos.

I can’t remember the first time I had the traditional New Mexican Christmas cookie but I remember the second year I lived in Albuquerque, when I was having a dinner party, and a friend brought a slew of them that she and her mother made. There are certain things you don’t mess with (like putting colored sprinkles on them) but not using lard changes the flavor. And once a year, why not?

On my birthday Saturday my friend Monica came over to help me make bizcochitos (really, she did most of the work) for a party I’m having this Saturday night.

The recipe we used is from New Mexico Magazine and you can find it here. However, instead of whiskey we used vanilla and don’t tell Monica’s mom but I had bought the Penzey’s ground anise instead of the full seed (which you would crush and then add to the dough) which definitely violates tradition although Monica agreed it gave it a smooth flavor rather than the crushed pieces.

Still, the cookies came out great. One note of caution: add the anise in small doses because not everyone likes that licorice flavor although that’s what makes a bizcochito the traditional cookie that it is.

Hash Brown Waffles

There is nothing better than hash browns.

Actually there is: hash browns topped with green chile and cheese. Even better? Mixed into the batter.

I love hash browns but my challenge always has been getting them crispy enough at home (if you live in Albuquerque, Hurricane's makes the crispiest ones I've had here). And I'm not a big fan of the fried smell that lingers in the air long after the meal has been eaten.

There are several tricks that I've learned though:

Soaking the shredded potatoes overnight rids them of some of the starch which also helps make them crispier when they are fried. And using a waffle iron takes care of much of the fried smell (I'm sure you have one at the back of a cabinet that you can dust off).

Hash Brown Waffles (adapted from Mad Genius Tips in the October 2015 issue of Food & Wine)

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled, shredded, and soaked overnight in water

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup grated cheese plus more for the topping

3 Tbsp. melted butter

2 cup green chile or salsa

Oil and heat your waffle iron as directed. In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, eggs, flour, baking powder, 1 cup of the cheese (I usually use a mix of sharp cheddar and mozzarella), butter, and 1/2 cup of the green chile or salsa.

Spread a portion of the mixture on the waffle iron, careful that you can still close it. All waffle irons aren't created equal: one way to know when to check the doneness of the waffle is when the sizzling stops. The waffle is done when it's brown and crispy.

Place the waffles in a 200-degree oven while you make more or immediately top with cheese an green chile or salsa (microwave for about 40 seconds to melt the cheese) and enjoy. Repeat making waffles with the remaining mixture. The rest of it can be frozen for future meals so you can return your waffle iron to its place in the back of the cabinet.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

The first time that Greg cooked for me, this is what he made: the chicken tamale casserole. While the recipe is easy so it should be a cinch for any bachelor to make, it's a tasty meal that can come together quickly on a school night (or any other night where cooking feels like the last thing we want to do). And there might be enough for leftovers for lunch for the next day. Besides, it includes Fritos and who doesn't like Fritos?

Chicken Tamale Casserole

8 oz. bag of Fritos

1 rotisserie chicken 

8 oz. of roasted green chile, chopped

1 large can of sweet corn

1 large can of black olives, chopped

2 large cans of tomato sauce (16 oz. each- or the 2-pound can)

1 pound cheddar cheese shredded (or other good melting cheese like colby)

Garlic powder

Layer ingredients from the bottom to the top in two deep casserole dishes (or one large rectangular baking dish):

Start with a thin layer of tomato sauce then add the Fritos to cover the bottom 1 inch. Top that with the rotisserie chicken meat, 1/2 of corn, 1/3 olive, 1/2 green chile, and the rest of the can of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with garlic powder as desired. Then add enough cheese to cover the dish, garnish with remaining olives.

Heat in oven at 390 degrees (yes, you read that right) for 25 minutes or until it bubbles.

The Prickly Pear Syrup

This weekend I was hosting a party for my latest book (Flowers by Day, Stars by Night: Finding Happiness after Loss and Change) at the home of friends in my hometown. I thought it was a good opportunity to share some New Mexico so I brought along the last bag of frozen prickly pear puree from last year's harvest.

However, the morning of the party, I realized that I needed to turn it into syrup. And then I realized I didn't have the recipe. No problem, I thought, pulling up this web site only to realize that while I had promised to put the syrup recipe here, I never did. And obviously no one is reading the blog because no one noticed!

Thankfully, I texted Greg and he took a photo of the main recipe I use from The Prickly Pear Coobkook by Carolyn Niethammer and I set to work.

I generally double the recipe for the syrup because I'm usually serving it for a party. And I let it sit on the stove, under a cold burner, after it's done cooking, to give it more flavor.

The syrup is great for punch (as I've written about before) and can be mixed with a seltzer for a fizzy drink.

Prickly Bear Syrup

1 cup prickly pear puree

1 lemon, juiced

1  1/2 sugar

Combine all ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Slowly bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the syrup begins to thicker. Let cool.

Chilaquilies

Chilaquiles.

Really, what could be better than eggs, cheese, tortillas, and red chile?

There are a variety of ways to make this recipe– you can use corn tortillas instead of chips (we had a bag of chips so I used them) and you can use green chile instead of red chile. Or if you don't have chile options, salsa would work great. I used queso fresco– the mild Mexican cheese– but you could use any other cheese that melts well. Finally, you can add chicken or other meats. The options are endless!

Take my basic recipe below and mix it up. You'll find you have an easy dinner for a crowd or on a night when you need something you don't have to think much about throwing together. 

Easy Chilaquiles

12 eggs, scrambled

1 bag tortilla chips

1 pound queso fresco

16 ounces chile sauce or salsa

In a 9x13 baking dish, place the tortilla chips on the bottom. Then spread the scrambled eggs on top of them and do the same with the chile sauce. Finally, evenly crumble the queso fresco. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

A warm green chile salsa

There are many ways to make salsas and sauces, green chile style. And if you're not an adventurous cook, remember that you can't go wrong. Well, you can if you add too many jalapeños! After all, you don't want it so hot that you can't enjoy it.

I saw the original version of this sauce on an episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" where he took on a mom and her son in Tucson. I've made the sauce several times since, realizing each time it does come out a bit differently based on the taste and heat of the vegetables. 

I freeze this sauce in smaller portions and take it out periodically to use on top of eggs, as an enchilada sauce, in a cup of beans, or yesterday- drizzled on top of a pork spinach loaf. It gave the loaf an extra zing. Finally, this batch I made on Sunday used leftover tomatoes from the garden  and jalapeños. We all know how sometimes we end up with a too many garden pickings and this is a good way to enjoy them.

Tomatoes (three or four large, more if smaller)

3 jalapeños (again, depending on size– I used quite a few in the batch in the photo)

4 garlic cloves peeled

4 fresh green chilies (not roasted)

vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped into small pieces

4 more garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

Salt, as needed

Place the tomatoes, jalapeños, first round of garlic cloves, and green chilies a large dutch oven filled with water. Bring the pot to a boil and let it simmer, covered, for an hour.

Using a heat resistant blender jar (like a Ninja which is more accommodating to hot ingredients), puree the entire contents from the pot. You may need to do this two separate times to include it all. Use a heat resistant bowl to hold the sauce if you need to do it in two separate servings.

While the sauce is in the blender, sauté the onion and garlic in the same dutch oven. When the onions glisten, add the puree back to the pot and bring to a boil. Add salt as needed and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

Green Chile Sauce

I love chile, especially the green. And quite honestly I can't remember life without it. The year and a half I lived in Illinois when I made visits back to New Mexico, I'd stock up on enough to keep me happy until I could visit again.

The green chile sauce is perfect for a variety of dishes. Some people use it on eggs (or on huevos rancheros), enchiladas, or as a topping to steak or pork. Next week I'll share the recipe for making an enchilada casserole but this time around it's how to create the sauce. This is my version of the  one from Bueno Foods:

Either one frozen 13 oz. container of chopped green chile or about 12 roasted, peeled, and chopped green chiles

2 tsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. flour

2 cups water

1 clove or 1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt, if desired (I don't salt most things I make because so much already has salt in it)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan (one that has a lid). Add the flour and make a roux that will thicken the sauce. Add the green chile, water, garlic, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer covered on low for about 12 minutes. It will continue to thicken as you let it cool.  

Eating Gluten Free: The Red Chile Enchilada Casserole

I don't necessarily have to eat gluten free. I'm not allergic to gluten, however, what I like about this recipe is that it has high in protein: chicken, black beans, and the quinoa add a good bit of protein and the red chile is filled with Vitamin C. I also didn't have red quinoa and used the tricolor from Trader Joe's instead.

The recipe comes from The Albuquerque Journal newspaper and is copied below. I used this recipe from Bueno Foods to make the red chile sauce. I have a number of pods and it was a good way to start using them up 

And this is the kind of casserole you can cut up and put in the freezer in small bags to reach for quickly later or for lunches.

Black bean chicken and quinoa enchilada casserole

1 cup of red quinoa

2 cups low- or no-sodium-added chicken stock

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 15-ounce can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups diced cooked chicken breast

2 cups red chile sauce 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Rinse the quinoa. Use a rice cooker or the stovetop, preparing the quinoa as you would rice. Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a pot, bring to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer and cover with a lid for about 20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.

In a large skillet, sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent then add garlic. Sauté for another minute and add quinoa, beans and chicken. Stir until well blended.

In a 9×13-inch casserole dish add a small amount of the red chile to the bottom of the dish then spoon the quinoa mixture into the dish and top with the rest of the red chile and then sprinkle the shredded cheese over that. Bake in oven at 375 degrees about 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.