Chicken with a savory Gravy~Pollo Guisado

"The fact is that it takes more than ingredients and technique to cook a good meal. A good cook puts something of himself into the preparation -- Pearl Bailey, 'Pearl's Kitchen"


Since our return from living in Mexico I have craved certain Mexican dishes which are not as easily found in restaurants here in the states. Some meals are just good homemade versions of things which are probably comfort foods in any culture. Any one dish meal that a cook puts their heart & special touch to has bound to be well recieved. Pollo Guisado is just that type of meal. A Mexican comfort food. Like your Grandmother's steak & gravy or Chicken & dumplings, Pollo Guisado translates to Chicken in Gravy. Simple & hearty this poultry dish is easy and hits home with the depth of flavors as well as being an all in one pot meal. Browned chicken, an easy roux and veggies are all that are needed for this Guisado.
This summer I have had a bounty of tomatoes & peppers from the garden which are an essential part of this dish. Moreover making this meal gave me reason to travel to a favorite grocery store to pick up a few extras for this dish.
On a recent trip to our local Fiesta Mart grocery store my daughter Bytes from Texas & I found Yoki Cheese bread mix (Pan de Queso) a typical Brazilian preparation for a very tasty cheese bread. There are certainly recipes I could try to locate for this bread but we had very much enjoyed the unique warm bits of bread during an evening we spent at Fogo de Chão. Upon finding the boxes of Yoki mix we added them to our shopping cart without another thought. Any foodie knows that a trip to an ethnic grocery store can yield astonishing surprises. Keep an open mind & don't miss a single aisle. We have been shopping Fiesta Mart for more years than I can count & I am always amazed by some new product I've never seen before. We will continue to scour the local stores & shops keeping up with current trends & flavors. Some of those adventures will bring us here to the New Blog, Bytes from Texas & I have started. Enjoy the last days of summer & buen provecho~



















Simple ingredients can scent the kitchen with flavors that satisfy & soothe.

Pollo Guisado
4 Tbsp Oil
2 lbs fryer parts, or Chicken thighs (your choice)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 large seeded, sliced red or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
4 Tbsp flour
1 tsp ground cumino
1 tsp fresh or dried thyme leaves
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce*el Pato brand with chilis is preferred,
(found in Latin American grocery stores)

Sprinkle chicken parts with salt & pepper tossing so the seasonings are coating the chicken. Saute the chicken parts in oil in a deep Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown chicken for approx 15 min turning so that the pieces are evenly browned. Set the browned chicken pieces on a plate & scrape up bits which may be at the bottom of the Dutch oven. Those bits are just an additional flavoring to the roux which you make next.
Saute the garlic in the oil, browning slightly before adding in the 4 Tbsp flour & then brown oil, flour mixture till it attains a "tawny brown" color. Add the onion, peppers & fresh tomatoes. Stir continually so this mixture does not burn, scrap any pieces which stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven, cook 2-3 min.
Add in slowly 2 cups of chicken broth, mixing continually, to this add the tomato sauce, cumin & thyme. Place the Chicken pieces back into the Guisado/Gravy. Bring all of this to a slow simmer. Cook approx. 30 - 45 minutes. The chicken will be very tender & flavored with the rich gravy once it is ready to serve. If the gravy reduces, add a little more chicken stock. Skim any excess oil off the Guisado-Gravy. (Grease is not gravy) Serve this hot with either tortillas, french bread or cornbread. Enjoy!

*I cooked this dish with Chicken thighs because the moist dark meat tends to have a little more flavor for a Guisado.
Shopping a Latin American or Grocery store can yield many surprises, try something new to give a standard dish a new twist. My daughter & I frequent a large Latin American grocery store here & found easy to prepare Yoki cheese bread mixes such an great "go to" addition for a weeknight meal. (they are gluten free too!) If you cannot find Yoki Cheese bread but would like the mix you might check here.

Hatching up some Spicy Food!

What do Green Apples, Sage & Hatch Green Chiles have in common? Why...my Hatch Green Chile Stew of course!

When cooking up some Spicy foods & using Hatch Green Chiles I've been testing the limits of dishes which I can mix in these fleeting seasonal favorites. Gloria Chadwick of Foods & Flavors of San Antonio has even created a new blog to pay tribute to this quintessential pepper!





Excitement was in the air the last 2 weeks at our local Grocery stores & markets as the famed Hatch Green Chile Peppers arrived in Texas. So much was the excitement when Hornsfan called me, that I rushed to our grocery store to see if the Hatch Peppers had arrived & had started roasting yet. I'm certain the produce people at our grocery store were thrilled to be rid of the crazy woman who seemed to be stalking them for hot peppers! The New Mexico Hatch Chile folks were even giving away CDs of cooking demos & helpful chile pepper advice. After living South of the Border our Pepper consumption has jumped a heat level or two! When the peppers hit the markets here they are hard to miss as most of the grocers set up a large gas or wood roasting pit. As the Chile Peppers roast they are turned to ensure even roasting & are manned by someone standing nearby with water to keep the flames from getting out of hand. Roasted, blackened & cleaned the Chiles are the perfect addition to so many dishes. How did I know the delectable peppers added enough heat enough at our house? My husband was eating his second bowl of my Green Stew when he had to keep wiping his forehead...one of those hurts so good meals!

The history of the Hatch is a bit murky since the origin somewhere close to 1896 when New Mexico rancher Emilio Ortega carried pepper seeds back to California which became the Anaheim Pepper....those seeds may have indeed been from what was later known as the Hatch Chile. Hybridized, refined & widely touted, the Hatch Chile Pepper is only from Hatch, New Mexico & can have quite a kick when compared to the somewhat milder Anaheim cousin. It is worth noting that these Peppers are in season once each year so if you are lucky enough to find them buy enough to roast an extra pound or two & freeze them. We have eaten them mixed into countless bowls of guacamole as this is probably one our favorite Hatch appetizer to eat this time of year. For a little more information about Hatch Chile Peppers check out this New Mexico site! I'm thinking we might have to try whipping up a batch of "Hatch-a-ritas" before the season is over.















Hatch Green Chile Stew

2 1/2 lbs Pork Loin, trimmed & cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Med Onion, diced
2 Cups Water
8 Hatch Green Chile Peppers, roasted, seeded & chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Red Bell Pepper
3 Green Granny Smith Apples, cored, seeded & chopped
5 Fresh Sage leaves, cut into slices or thin strips
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Celery Salt
Queso Cojita, semi soft Mexican white cheese, grated

Heat oil in large wrought iron dutch oven or large heavy skillet. Brown pork, add the onion, pepper & garlic. Add 2 cups of water, green apples, Hatch Green Chile Peppers, sage & salts. Simmer stew covered for 30 min. Remove lid & simmer for 30 min more till pork is tender. Add water as needed no more than 1 cup at a time. The stew should be thick not thin & soup-like. Serve garnished with Mexican Cojita cheese either crumbled or grated.
Yields 4 servings




















This recipe is based on a recipe which was wildly popularized in San Antonio Texas back in the mid 1960's. My mother has a worn Sunday school church cookbook from that time period which this is recipe is based on. This corn bread really can be a meal alone. Enjoy!
Hatch Green Chile Corn Bread

1 Cup Stone Ground Cornmeal
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Melted Shortening or Bacon Renderings
1 Cup Cream Style Corn
1/2 lb. Grated Cheddar Cheese
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Small Onion, diced
2 Roasted, Seeded Green Chile Peppers diced**

In a bowl stir together cornmeal, soda, salt. Beat eggs slightly & add to buttermilk; stir this into the dry ingredients. Add melted shortening or bacon fat. Stir in cream style corn. Mix, add grated cheese, onion, garlic & chile peppers to the cornmeal mixture. Pour into a greased baking pan (9 X 13 inches) Bake @ 375* for 35 min. or till cornbread tests done & is golden brown.
**2 diced pickled jalapenos may be substituted.



Green Chile Dressing
1/3 c. lightly packed cilantro with stems
2 roasted, seeded Green Chilies, chopped
3Tbsp white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic
1/2c oil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt,
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
Mix in blender till smooth...makes 1 1/4 cup

I served this dressing over a simple Spinach Salad with sliced onion, sauteed shrimp & garnished with sliced almonds.

Cinnamon Rolls-Scents from heaven~~~~

My mother has always been my kitchen inspiration, I recently asked her for a recipe she used to make when our family lived in Alaska. In my memories there will never be a more sensual & wonderful experience than the rich spicy cinnamon scents drifting from Mom's kitchen. Whether it was the warm home cure of cinnamon stick tea or her cinnamon rolls the scents will always be heavenly. As the days here in Mexico grow shorter & the heat seems to lessen I am more nostalgic about baking & things "Fall-like" even when the temperatures still seem tropical. Mom used a batter bread recipe for her rolls which makes up fast & delivers great cinnamon bread or cinnamon rolls. My variation uses dried cranberries & raw mascobado sugar. With the wide variety of dried fruit & nuts available truly any flavor or variation would be nice. Experiment, enjoy & share!




















Cinnamon Rolls

* 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 1 1/3 cups warm water
* 3 1/4 cups flour
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 teaspoons salt
* 1 tablespoons shortening, softened
* Cinnamon, 2 Tbsp (more if needed)
* 1/2 Brown Sugar or Mascobado (raw) Sugar
* 1/2 Pecans, chopped
* 1/4 Dried Cranberries

Directions
Dissolve yeast in water, in a large bowl.
Add half the flour, and the sugar, salt,and shortening.
Blend at low speed, then beat 2 minutes at med speed.
Mix in remaining flour by hand.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Stir the batter hard for 30 seconds.
Spread onto floured board into a rectangle(batter will be sticky). Use enough flour to work into smooth dough. On the center of the rectangle dot with dried cranberries, chopped pecans, sprinkle with cinnamon & brown or mascobado sugar & 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Roll lengthwise into long log shape. Cut into 2 to 2/1/2 inch cinnamon rolls. Place upright, exposing sliced end upward into a prepared baking dish (9X13)*Prepare the pan by spraying with baking spray, sprinkle with 3 Tbsp. pecans, 1/4 c. brown or mascobado sugar. Lay the cinnamon rolls inside the pan. Bake at 350* for 30 min. or till the cinnamon rolls are golden brown & brown sugar is bubbling around the edge of the pan. Turn the cinnamon rolls out onto platter after the pan is cool enough to touch but still warm. Rearrange any of the "topping" so the glaze is evenly distributed onto the cinnamon rolls. Serve warm.

Empanada time!

When in the "kitchen mode" most of us can replicate, duplicate, remake, remix & remember almost any recipe we are given & give it our own signature spin! This one has truly endless possibilities! I have seen it called Easy Empanadas, Gringo Empanadas, White Girl Empanadas, even Ensenada Empanadas...No matter what you call it, try it & give it your own flavor! I am generally happy about making a Quick & Easy version of anything in the Summer. Less time in the kitchen means more time with family & friends~ Enjoy this recipe & get a little creative!




















Gringo Empanadas~
1/2 lb. lean ground beef** or turkey
1/2 cup Salsa or Rotel Tomatoes.
4 tablespoons celery, saute
20 pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 c. onion, saute
1/4 c. Hatch Green chilis, roasted & diced
1/2 c. shredded low fat cheese
1 (1 lb. 1.3-oz.) can Grands Refrigerated Golden Corn Biscuits or 1 Grands Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits


DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.
2. Add Tomatoes or Salsa, reduce heat to medium; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until most of liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
3. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. With serrated knife, cut each biscuit in half horizontally to make 16 rounds. Press or roll (with a rolling pin) each to form 4-inch round. Spoon 2 level measuring tablespoons beef mixture in center of each round, top with ingredients you want with your filling. We used the onion, green chilies, celery & cheese. Use egg wash around the edge of the inside of the dough round. Fold dough over filling; press edges with fork to seal. Brush with egg wash & sprinkle with cheese if desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake at 350°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.
**We used Shredded beef from a slow roasted brisket but there are so many possiblities for Empanada fillings. I love the Rajas con Queso(cheese & peppers)you can stuff your Empanadas with Spinach & Cheese, Peppers, Turkey, Tuna the variety is truly endless. Have fun with it & make it a family dinner project!