Alfredo Sauce

This goes back to the late 90s when my daughter perfected this sauce.

Slowly melt 

• 1 Tbsp butter. 

Add 

• 1 c cream prewarmed in the microwave. Not hot. Warm. 

Keep on low heat and stir some. Butter will float. When the butter and cream mix, start adding 

• grated Parmesan 

a few Tbsp at a time and stir gently but constantly. I like to add a little pepper because it’s so pretty but it’s optional. No salt. 

Taste it and look at the consistency and when it’s right, quit adding Parmesan. 

It’s done. 

Options:  You can add a little basil flakes and garlic powder too. 

Pumpkin Bread

My kids always loved this. It makes 3 loaves:

Cream in mixer

• 3 cups sugar
• 4 eggs

Add and mix

• 2/3 c water
• 15 oz can pumpkin
• 1 c salad oil

Sift together in a bowl

• 3 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Add dry ingredients to mixer and mix as little as possible 

Pour into greased pan. 

Bake at 325 F for 1 hour

Glaze

• 2 Tbsp margarine
• 1 c powdered sugar 
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp instant coffee

My 2nd Posole - from scratch

I realized that I had a quick and easy Posole recipe on this blog, and a variation where you serve the pork/posole soup and chili sauce separately but not my original recipe.

Of course, for something I've been making since I was a wee lad, its more complicated than that. My original recipe I got from Stan after eating his Posole at his annual Christmas party (back when we had Christmas parties with people all in the same room). It was a quick crock pot recipe with meat and cans of stuff added together. Someday I might put that in here.

One year, though, (2004) I decided I would replace the cans of stuff with my own recipes for that stuff and this is what I came up with. I'm putting it in as written on the battered 3x5 card with notes about stuff I've learned since then.

What is the posole grain from which this chile based soup gets it name?

Posole is made from fresh corn kernels. This recipe calls for dried posole. You can buy it in any grocery store in New Mexico and can also buy it over the Internet. Just Google "dry posole." Either the white, yellow or blue corn varieties are acceptable. 

Dried posole is made with the nixtamal process from ordinary corn. The shell of the corn is chemically removed in this centuries old process. Then the result is dried and packaged. If they grind the result to a powder, it makes masa, the foundation for tamale dough or corn tortillas.

Look ahead by getting the posole ready. Wash it and start to soak together:

• 1/2 lb dried posole (about 1 1/2 cups)  
• 3-4 cups water

Set that aside to soak for quite a while as the crock pot does its magic.

Start with a crock pot and add:

• 1 lb fresh pork (you can use the pork chops that were underneath that beautiful one on the top of the package, or pork short ribs, or the end off a pork loin though something with a bone in it makes better soup) cut into 1" cubes
• water (to cover the pork just barely) or you can use chicken or vegetable broth

Note: Nowdays, I brown the port in a skillet with a bit of oil or under the oven broiler. That adds a bit of good flavor to the soup.

In a skillet at medium low, saute these until the onion turns translucent:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil (or some oil)
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic. crushed and finely chopped

When the onion has lost its color add these and cook the rawness out of the flour but not to the point of brownness. You will need to stir continuously:

• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (comino)
• 1/8 tsp ground mexican oregano (regular oregano works too)

Once the rawness is out of the flour, add the contents of the skillet to the crock pot along with:

• 1/4 cup New Mexico powdered red chile (its available in mild, medium and hot) but you can use powdered Guajillo or Ancho if you want. Note that some powdered red chile is very hot, particularly if you get it in an Asian grocery. Note: DO NOT use standard "chili powder" as it includes the garlic and cumin and other spices that we want to control the amounts of.
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tst sugar
• 1 8 oz can green chile (or 2 4 oz cans)

Cook on high until the meat is falling to strings. Be sure to add water if it's cooking away so the meat remains covered. This could take quite a while, 5 hours to overnight, and if you can guess when it will be over you can add the posole (as described below about 3 hours before the meat is completely done).

Drain the posole. It should be almost doubled in size from absorbing water while soaking. Then add it to the crock pot. When you add it and as you are cooking it, you may also need to add:

• more water or chicken broth because the posole will absorb more water

Cook on crock pot high for about 3 hours. Your crock pot may be different than mine. You will know it is done when you see the posole kernals have "popped" open mostly on the end. Taste one and it should be easily chewed but with a bit of a bite. Sort of like the texture of perfect al dente pasta but not so creamy. 

The dried posole will expand while cooking to 4 times its original size.

Pork and Black Beans

I saw this recipe on TV done by Pati Jinich. I halfened it and figured out I like certain parts of the pig better than others. Always use fresh pork. Don’t use cured or smoked pork.

She also adds radishes, avocado and stuff when its done. I'm leaving this without the crunchy stuff because that's the way I like it.

This is a simple dish but the depth of flavor is quite surprising because of that.

4 servings

Rolling Simmer

Instructions

Get a large casserole or Dutch Oven that can be used on the stove top. Rinse the following

• 1 pound black beans

Drain the rinsing water. The beans are in the pot so add

• 3 liters water or broth or a mixture

Bring to a simmer and reduce to medium heat. Cook at a steady rolling simmer, with the lid slightly ajar, for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile put in a cookie sheet or iron skillet

Pork waiting

• 2 pounds pork cut into 2" chunks as you can. I like half as pork ribs cut from a slab and the bones cut in two. Don’t leave too many together but cut between every other rib to separate. For the other half I also like a cut I get at my local Hispanic grocery, puerco com huesos, which is pork stew meat with bones. Pig’s feet sliced in half may even be better.

Cook this pork under a broiler until it starts to brown. If thawed 3-4 min per side. Turn and brown on the other side. For a treat, let some of the corners blacken. Take it out and let it set while the beans cook.

When the 45 minutes is up, incorporate the pork chunks into the pot with the beans. Two choices here with the rendered fat and pork juice. You can scrape it into the pot with the beans. Or you can deglaze with some wine, stir to unstick the tasty bits from the bottom and pour all that into the bean pot.

Add

• 1 white onion outer peel removed, and cut in half crosswise without cutting ends off
• 4 fresh epazote sprigs or 15 cilantro sprigs, tied with kitchen twine
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 c boiling water

Stir. Continue simmering for another hour and a half, partially covered, until the pork is completely cooked and tender, making sure the broth does not dry out. 

When the 1:30 is up turn off the heat. 

Taste for salt and add more if need be.

It is customary to serve along with warm corn or flour tortillas. This is good also with homemade crackers, corn bread or over rice.

Spanish Rice #1

Preheat oven to 300 F

Bring to a boil on stove or in microwave

• 2 cups chicken broth (you can use vegetable broth or even water)

Leave it to stay hot. 

In another oven proof pot or Dutch oven with a lid add:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped

Sauté about 5 min until nicely wilted then stir in

• 1 cup long grained rice

Stir over medium heat until the rice turns translucent and begins to brown. 

Remove from the heat and add seasonings

• Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt if your broth isn’t already salty

Carefully pour in all the broth. Cover and bake at 300 F for 20 minutes in the oven. The rice should be tender and the liquid absorbed. If not, we need 5 more minutes. 

Remove from oven and leave covered for 5 more minutes while preparing the vegetables. 

Prepare the vegetables:

• 1 bell pepper, deveined and seeded (or substitute a poblano or two fresh green chiles), chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 4-6 canned tomatoes (fish them carefully out of the can). 

Sauté in a skillet in 

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

until wilted but still a little crispness remains at the center. The tomatoes should fall apart. 

Pour the vegetables over the rice in the pot together with

• large pinch of Mexican oregano flakes
• (Optional) 1/2 cup of the tomato juice from the canned tomatoes for a more tomatoey flavor. 

Simmer over low heat 5-10 minutes to let the rice soak up the flavors. 

Serve with garnish of 

• chopped cilantro. 

Inspired by Huntley Dent’s “The Feast of Santa Fe” recipe. 

Beef Shanks with Carrots and Potatoes (Instant Pot)

This is one of the first things I cooked in my new Instant Pot using pressure cooker mode.

In an iron skillet or cookie sheet

• 1.5 to 2 lbs beef shank
• 1 tbsp marjoram
• Salt 
• pepper

Put under broiler to brown. 

In instant pot sauté 

• 1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
• small onion or medium shallot
• 2 cloves garlic

Add 

• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 cups water
• 2 tsp beef base
• Browned beef shanks
• Any drippings from broiling
• Another tsp marjoram

Pressure cook 35 min and let it release naturally for 10 min. Remove meat. 

Add

• 2 potatoes cut into 8 pieces each
• 2 carrots cut into similarly sized pieces 
• 1 onion cut in half
• Pepper

Pressure cook for 3 minutes and let release naturally for 10 min. 

Remove all but the juices. Add

• 1 Tbsp corn starch stirred into some water (to thicken)

Instant pot sautés until it boils

Serve

Tomato Basil Soup

Creamy Tomato Soup

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/creamy-tomato-soup/amp

This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a larger group—and makes for great leftovers. For a lighter soup, omit the cream; or for a little decadence, add more cream or swirl in a little crème fraîche.

Alison Roman & Christina Holmes

October 01, 2012

Adapted by Lee 2 mar 2020

Total time: 90 min

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp each thyme, rosemary, and white pepper
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 28-oz. cans whole tomatoes
• 2 cans of water
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chicken base
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp dried basil flakes
• 1–2 teaspoons sugar, divided
• ¼ cup (or more) heavy cream
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add thyme, rosemary, white pepper, crushed red pepper, onion, and garlic. Sauté medium low until onion is completely soft and translucent, 10–12 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add tomato paste. Continue cooking, stirring often, until paste has begun to caramelize in spots, 5–6 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juices, chicken base, lemon zest, basil, 1 tsp sugar, wine and 2 cans of water to pot. Increase heat to high; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until flavors meld and soup reduces to about 2 quarts (8 cups), 45–55 minutes. Remove soup from heat; let cool slightly. Use an immersion blender or working in small batches, purée soup in a blender until smooth. Or leave some chunks. Return to pot. 

DO AHEAD: Soup can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool slightly, cover, and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

Stir in ¼ cup cream. Simmer soup until flavors meld, 10–15 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. sugar. Add more cream, if desired.