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Jane Butel's Simply Southwestern: Authentic Recipes for Enduring Traditions
Jane Butel's Simply Southwestern: Authentic Recipes for Enduring Traditions
Jane Butel's Simply Southwestern: Authentic Recipes for Enduring Traditions
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Jane Butel's Simply Southwestern: Authentic Recipes for Enduring Traditions

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The queen of Southwestern cuisine returns.

Jane Butel's Simply Southwestern includes over 200 recipes from appetizers to desserts including beverages showcasing both traditional and innovative preparation and presentation. Each recipe includes both the history of the dish, cooking tips, and the essential steps and ingredients to let the bright clean taste of true regional fare shine.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 22, 2016
ISBN9781681624587
Jane Butel's Simply Southwestern: Authentic Recipes for Enduring Traditions
Author

Jane Butel

Jane Butel is the leading international authority on the cuisine of the American Southwest and Regional Mexican cooking. Known for her clear, easy to understand recipes and culinary instruction—she has been recognized as the “Best in the US” by Gayot.com and one of the four best Cooking Schools in the World by Bon Appetit magazine. She has authored 22 cookbooks, including many best sellers, hosted four television shows and national radio shows; conducts hands-on cooking schools, conducts culinary tours and sells her cookbooks on-line. Jane is also the founder of Pecos Valley Spice Company which was established in 1978. Fresh, pure, best available ingredients create the best flavors and nutrition. Jane has personally selected these chiles, spices, corn masa and beans for her flavorful Southwestern recipes. These are the ingredients she works with in her award winning Cooking School. Each product has no preservatives or additives, as do almost all other ingredients available from competitive companies.

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    Jane Butel's Simply Southwestern - Jane Butel

    INTRODUCTION

    Southwestern cooking has become the label that best fits American-Mexican border cooking. The expression of Southwestern cooking varies from state to state, with New Mexico being the oldest or perhaps developing the first culinary style in all of the Americas. It was in the Rio Grande valley where literally East met West. The earliest settlers came over the Bering Strait most likely during the Ice Age, walking along the ridge of mountains from the Arctic until they ended up in New Mexico.

    At that time, the Rio Grande was indeed grand and was probably the first warm water they reached, so they stayed and created villages, called pueblos. There are nineteen pueblos in New Mexico that were never moved or interrupted by the Spanish settlers who came in the early 1500s.

    The Spanish brought quite a bit to the Americas. Wheat, sugar, pork, and pork products were their main contributions. Later, fruit trees, grapevines, and exotic herbs and spices were brought by the clergy who came and built churches in each of the pueblos beginning in the 1600s.

    The original larder or food groups that the Native Americans cooked with totaled less than ten: the Night Shade family members (a botanical file of fruits and vegetables emanated in the Americas), chiles, tomatoes, potatoes, the Trilogy of Corn, gourd family members (all manner of squash and melons), and legumes (beans of which the pinto is the most popular as well as the healthiest of all beans). Next came the flavorings, which featured the lily family of onions and garlic and the yerba bueno or good herb, also known as mint.

    The rugged, highly spiced and flavored cuisine had its roots well established eons ago. And now, according to market research, the Southwestern taste is the most popular in America; tortillas outsell bread, bagels, and muffins, and the margarita is the most popular cocktail.

    Growing up with my family straddling both sides of the border, I have fond memories of my uncle who ran a huge American program called the Alftoso, which was a joint program between the US and Mexico to eliminate hoof-and-mouth disease. My uncle, a veterinarian who was in charge of the American side in Mexico, had a jalapeño pickle eating contest with my dad. Chiles and chilis were mainstays of our diet. And my favorite food as a child was chili.

    This collection of recipes comprises my favorites developed over time as a cooking school teacher, restaurant consultant and owner, as well as a cookbook author. I take great pride in sharing these with you.

    POPULAR INGREDIENTS AND BASIC PREPARATIONS

    AVOCADOS

    The best avocados for Southwestern cooking are the Haas variety. Fuertes are second best. These two types are buttery and not stringy, making very good guacamole.

    CHILES

    When selecting chile pods, the broader the shoulder, the more blunt the stem, and the lighter the color, the milder a chile will be. Since chiles can have a broad difference in piquancy even on the same plant, it is important to look for those characteristics, especially if you have a heat preference.

    Green chiles, which are unripe or a seasonal variation of red chiles, are very popular in New Mexican cooking. And it’s not surprising when you know that New Mexico is one of the largest chile producing states. Before refrigeration, there was only canning and drying of the chiles. Not wanting the reduced flavor of either, the native population ate the green chiles morning, noon, and night.

    Most red or green chiles are interchangeable within the color. However, you should not substitute green chile for red chile in most recipes. You can substitute a different variety of green chile for a green chile that is specified. The same goes for red chiles. With red chiles, if you prefer pods over the powder, you can follow the directions below. I have always preferred the powders because they have a more predictable flavor, meaning that most processors grind the chiles and blend them to a certain profile. With the pods, you never know how hot or mild the chile will be as chiles heat level is highly dependent on the weather. If it is hot and dry, the chiles can be up to 15 percent hotter.

    PARCHING FRESH CHILES

    When you cook with fresh green chiles, I recommend that you parch or roast them to remove the tough outer skin. The process—intense direct heat on the peel of the chile that leaves the flesh uncooked—is easy enough, but if you are not used to the sting of chiles, you may want to wear rubber gloves or generously butter your hands to prevent a burn from the chiles’ irritating oils.

    To parch chiles, first wash them, removing all sand and dirt. Leave the stem on. Then pierce each one with a sharp knife, about 1 inch down from the stem.

    TO PARCH A FEW CHILES:

    Set up an ice water bath in a large bowl next to the stove. Place each chile directly on a medium-hot electric surface unit, or hold it with tongs or a meat fork over a gas burner on medium-high heat. Using tongs, carefully rotate the chiles until the skin is charred on all sides, about 2 to 5 minutes. Then plunge the roasted chiles into the ice bath. Allow the chiles to soak until cool to the touch. Then use your fingers to peel away the skin from stem to tip.

    TO PARCH LARGE QUANTITIES OF CHILES:

    If using an electric oven, cover the entire top rack with heavy aluminum foil and place it 4 inches from the broiler unit. If you have a gas oven, cover the broiler rack with foil and place the rack in the closest position to the broiler. (For smaller quantities, cover a baking sheet with foil, and place it on an uncovered rack.)

    Preheat the broiler. Set up an ice water bath in the sink or a very large bowl. When the broiler is hot, carefully place a single layer of chiles on the foil-covered rack or baking sheet and cook until the skin begins to blister on top, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully turn the chiles using long tongs or a metal meat fork, and continue to cook until the skins are blistered all over, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Watch the chiles closely—they burn quickly. As soon as the chiles are parched, immerse them in the ice bath.

    Once the chiles have cooled to the touch, simply pull off the skin in strips, working from the stem to the tip—it should come away easily. Keep the stems on if preparing chiles rellenos, or remove them if using the chiles in other ways. For a milder roasted chile, slice open the pods and strip out the seeds and veins with the backside of a knife.

    FREEZING PARCHED CHILES

    Once you’ve prepared your chiles, you can use them right away or freeze them for later use. To freeze parched chiles, drain them well after removing them from the ice water bath. Then place them on cookie sheets and freeze them. Do not peel the chiles—leaving the skin on now gives you more flexibility of use later. Package the flash-frozen chiles in plastic freezer bags. To use in a recipe, prepare the chiles as needed.

    Although freezing does soften the chiles’ crisp texture, it does not impair the taste. Because chiles are perishable and seasonal, freezing is often the only alternative. Parched green chiles freeze well for one year.

    TO PREPARE WHOLE RED CHILE PODS

    Wash them, pulling off the stem. Then slightly crush them with your hands or a rolling pin. Place the crushed chiles in a large shallow pan and roast them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 15 minutes or until the color darkens. For every cup of roasted chiles, add 4 cups water and simmer for 30 minutes. Then strain through a fine sieve. (Option: Just place the chiles and water in a blender and puree.) Substitute this liquid for the chile powder and liquid in any recipe. This puree can be frozen in ice-cube trays, and when solidly frozen, stored in cubes in plastic freezer bags or rigid containers.

    WHEAT FLOUR

    Unless specified, use ordinary all-purpose flour for any recipe in this book. High-gluten flour is recommended for the bizcochitos, sopaipillas, and yeast breads.

    SHORTENINGS

    The original shortening in the Southwest was lard as it was a byproduct of the hogs they brought over to the new world. The word shortening was applied to lard by the British as shortenings of all kinds decrease or shorten the gluten strands in flour. Lard is the shortest and has the greatest ability to hold air of any shortening. It also has less cholesterol and saturated fat than butter, which in the United States contains 20 percent milk, and acts to create tougher pie pastry. Hence, for pies, lard is always preferred, but not necessarily for tarts, such as the Fresh Fruit Tart in this book.

    APPETIZERS FROM A TO Z

    Southwestern appetizers vary greatly from standard American fare.

    I have included my own personal take on some of the most popular tortilla-based dishes such as flautas, nachos of all kinds, quesadillas, wraps, and pizzitas. I am especially proud of the Composed Nachos, which look like a giant edible sunflower once plated.

    Salsas galore are made of nearly any combination of fruits or vegetables, and chiles are incredibly popular as a dipping salsa or as a garnish to other dishes.

    Guacamole is now mainstream and has many variations. I prefer the pure avocado concoction coarsely chopped and have gotten great accolades for my Perfect Guacamole without peas, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, hard-boiled eggs, or all sorts of fillers. Southwestern guacamole has the salsa ingredients folded in, whereas in Mexico the mashed avocado is served separately from the salsa.

    I have included many fun flavors to pique most any appetite from Bitsy Bloody Marias to New Mexican Tempura to Poquito Potatoes with Caviar Crème Filling . . . even a great ceviche.

    One thing about Southwestern appetizers, many of them such as nachos are filling enough to make a meal.

    Have fun with these!

    SALSA FAVORITES

    Crazy Black Bean Chipotle Salsa

    This salsa is good either as a snacking salsa for dipping tostados or as a garnish for meat dishes. Leftover salsa can be added to salad greens for a snappy, more substantial salad, or it can be used as an ingredient in a quesadilla. Substitute papaya for the corn for a flavorful variation.

    1 large tomato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

    1/2 cup white or yellow onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

    3 cups coarsely diced pickled jalapeño chile slices

    1 3/4 cups cooked black beans, drained

    1/2 cup cooked whole kernel corn

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile

    2 cloves garlic, finely minced

    1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

    Combine tomato, onion, jalapeño, black beans, corn, salt, chile, and garlic in a large bowl. Add cilantro, if using, after the rest of the ingredients have been blended. Allow to set at least 15 minutes before serving. Will keep refrigerated for 3 to 5 days.

    Makes 4 to 6 servings or 2 1/2 cups.

    Variation: Substitute papaya or mango for corn. Peel a ripe yellow or melon-colored papaya, remove seeds, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. For mango variation, slice mango lengthwise as close to the pit as possible. Taking one half at a time, make crosswise cuts on one side of the mango, 1/2 inch apart from top to bottom, using a very sharp knife. Then slice these squares off the peel. Repeat on other side. The remaining portion of the mango can then be cut off and the flesh separated from the peel and chopped.

    Chipotle Verde Salsa, Sonoran Style

    (Roasted Tomatillo Salsa with Chipotle)

    Tomatillos, a distant cousin of the tomato, are a favorite ingredient for sauces and add a sweet, somewhat tart flavor to stews and salsas. Personally, I have always preferred them cooked. Tomatillos can be either pan-roasted or boiled. Originally, this sauce was always prepared with boiled tomatillos. The addition of the pan roasting and the richness of chipotle chiles makes a much more elegant salsa, wonderful as a dipping salsa or as a sauce over fish, seafood, poultry, and vegetables.

    3 chipotle chiles or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile

    Water (optional, for reconstituting whole chipotle pods)

    1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar (optional, for reconstituting whole chile pods)

    2 pounds fresh tomatillos

    1 cup fresh onion or 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

    1/3 cup fresh cilantro or Italian flat-leaf parsley

    If using whole chipotle pods, place them in a quart liquid measuring cup. Add water to cover and vinegar, cover with cellophane wrap, and heat in a microwave oven for 5 minutes or until the skin slips on the flesh.

    Slice the tomatillos in half and place cut side down in a heavy seasoned skillet and place over medium-high heat. When the ones in the center of the skillet have browned on the first side, about 5 minutes of roasting, turn all of the tomatillo pieces, and cover and remove from heat.

    After the tomatillos have steamed together and are very soft, place them in the blender jar along with the onion, chipotles, and cilantro. Process until pureed, adding chipotle liquid (from cooking the pods or deglaze the skillet with water) and add liquid to make a thick sauce that will still slightly run. Taste and add salt if desired. Serve either warm or cool as desired.

    Makes about 3 cups.

    Salsa Verde

    An old Mexican favorite that is good over almost any meat or tortilla dish or as a dipping salsa. Fresh tomatillos should always be used. (Canned tomatillos do not have as much flavor.) Don’t substitute unripe green tomatoes, because they lack the subtle, sweet taste of the tomatillos.

    2 cups quartered, fresh tomatillos, husks removed

    2/3 cup chopped onion

    1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro

    1 jalapeño chile or serrano chile, chopped

    1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

    Place tomatillos in 1 inch boiling water in a heavy pot. Cover and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until color deepens and they are almost fork-tender. DO NOT OVERCOOK!

    Remove tomatillos from cooking water with a slotted spoon, reserving the water. Process tomatillos in a blender or food processor until coarsely chopped. Add onion, cilantro, chile, and salt, if using; process to combine, adding cooking liquid to create desired consistency. Taste and if necessary, adjust seasonings.

    Makes 2 cups.

    Pico de Gallo

    As hot as the top of a cock’s comb is the literal translation of this dish’s name. The salsa originated in northern Mexico and was originally made with chipotle chiles. I have found that fresh jalapeno chiles with a pinch of pequin chile substitute quite well, if chipotles are unavailable. This salsa is a staple with fajitas.

    Yield: 1 1/2 cups

    1 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder*

    1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

    1 Spanish onion, chopped

    2 garlic cloves, minced

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    3 Tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

    1/4 cup fresh lime juice

    Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl, cover, and marinate at least 1 hour to develop natural juices before serving.

    *Note: If chipotle chiles are unavailable, 1 small jalapeno chile, minced and 1/2 teaspoon pequin chile or to taste can be substituted.

    Mango and Grilled Corn Salsa

    This salsa is a great dipping salsa, or served with salmon, over a grilled chicken salad, or over any seafood or fish dish. The juicy mango flavors combine quite well with the grilled corn. Peach and other fruits such as nectarines can be substituted.

    2 large ears yellow or white corn

    1 Tablespoon good-quality olive oil, preferably Spanish

    1 small green or red bell pepper, chopped

    1 medium white onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

    2 ripe mangos, chopped

    1 Tablespoon crushed Caribe chile or to taste or 1/2 teaspoon minced habanero chile

    1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (1 lime)

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    Preheat grill to 400°F (205°C). Shuck corn. Then brush with olive oil. Place corn on grill. Rotate corn as it chars on edges of kernels. When corn is cool enough to handle, slice kernels off cobs into a nonreactive bowl. Add bell pepper, onion, mangos, chile, lime juice, and salt. Then taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Allow to set about 30 minutes before serving.

    Makes 3 cups or 6 servings.

    Variation: If fresh corn is not available, frozen or canned corn can be substituted. Use 1 cup whole kernel corn, drained, and place on a cookie sheet and put under the broiler to brown the kernels slightly. Frozen corn on the cob can be grilled.

    Mango Lime Salsa

    1 large mango, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes (3/4 cup)

    1/4 cup diced Spanish onion

    1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

    2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)

    2 teaspoons pequin quebrado chile (optional)

    Combine mango, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and pequin quebrado, if using, in a bowl and toss together. Allow the flavors to blend for at least 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

    Makes 1 1/2 cups.

    Salsa Fresca

    This is the original Mexican salsa, known to save lives after one of the country’s revolutions, which was won by a very narrow victory. To create a greater majority for the winning side, those who were in charge enlisted the omnipotent national police force, known as the Federales, to go to the homes of those influential Mexican families of questionable loyalty at mealtime. If no dish being served was comprised of the colors of the Mexican flag—red, green, and white—they were charged with treason and executed on the spot. Salsa was found to be a perfect answer for salvation. If it was on the table, they were saved, making it a very popular table relish or salsa.

    This refreshing salsa can be as mild or as hot as you like, depending on the chiles used. Any leftovers can be added to guacamole, made into a salad dressing or chile con queso, and can be frozen for up to four months for later use in cooked dishes.

    1 large fresh tomato, chopped

    1/2 cup finely chopped onion

    4 green chiles, parched, peeled, and chopped, or 4 ounces (1/2 cup) frozen or canned chopped green chiles, or 2 to 4 fresh jalapeño chiles, finely minced

    1 clove garlic, finely minced

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro (optional)

    Combine tomato, onion, chiles, garlic, salt,

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