Part 2 of Mexican Cuisine (Chiles)

Variety of Fresh Chile Peppers

When you say "Mexican Food" different ingredients quickly come to mind.  Each of us may be different about which ingredient comes to our minds first but eventually it comes to "Chile Peppers."  They are what puts the spice in some of our favorite foods.

Today and tomorrow we will talk about both fresh and dried chiles.  The most common or used. The different ranges of heat they offer and how to handle them.

Let's start with naming some of the most popular ones and give a little description of them.  They will be in no particular order.  You'll note that many of the chiles come in more than one color.  The longer they are on the vine causes that change.  The heat of the chiles really doesn't change that much because of color.  I will show the Scoville scale for each chile.  The higher the number means the higher the heat.  Each has a range of heat.  Each chile can be different in its heat level.  That's why you sometimes think a dish hotter than the last time you eat it.

Jalapeno:  One of the most popular and known chile peppers.  These are great in salsa.  They run about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length and 1/2 to 1 inch in width.  You can find them in green or red color.  They run 2,500 to 8,000 on the Scoville scale

Serrano:  This pepper is slightly hotter than the Jalapeno.  Works anywhere you would use the Jalapeno too. It's length is about the same as a Jalapeno but is much thinner.  They are green and red in color and run 5,000 to 30,000 on the Scoville scale.

Anaheim:  Light green is the color of this chile and one of the mildest of chiles.  It can run up to 6 inches in length.  The Scoville scale has this one at 500 to 1,000.

Poblano:  These chiles are about 3 1/2 inches long and dark green in color.  Sometimes called heart shaped, they go about 2 1/2 inches wide.  They will turn red as they ripen.  These and the Anaheim are used a lot for stuffed peppers (Chile Rellenos).  Their Scoville scale is 1,000 to 2,000.

Habanero:  This has become a very popular chile in the USA over the last 10 years or so.  It is much hotter than the other chiles mentioned already.  usually orange in color it comes in at 100,000 to 350,000 on the Scoville scale.

The chiles listed above are all "Fresh" chiles.  Below I will list a few "Dried" chiles.

Chipotle:  These are red (ripened) Jalapeno chiles that have been dried and smoked.  You will find these in cans.  They will be in a tomato sauce called "Adobo."  It is hot and has lots of flavor.  It's listed at the same 2,500 to 8,000 of the fresh Jalapeno but seems to always be spicier.

Ancho:  These are dried Poblano chiles and they are reddish in color.  If they are black in color, then they're called Mulato chiles.  Both are Poblano chiles to start and no one knows why they turn out this way. However, even though they are listed at the same Scoville scale, they seem hotter.

Gaujillo:  This is a dried red chile.  They are long, tapered an reddish in color.  The Gaujillo is used for added heat, some flavor and mostly for color to the finished product it's in.  Scoville scale of 2,500 to 5,000.

This has been only a short list of the many chiles grown and used in Mexico.  Tomorrow I will continue talking about how to "Roast"  fresh chiles, "Re-hydrate" the dried chiles, how to "Handle" chiles while working with them and a few "Tips" regarding chiles.

There will still be two recipes too.  One on Thursday for "Chiles Rellenos" and then on Friday for "Salsa Verde with Roasted Tomato."

Cannellini Bean Dip

Cannellini Bean Dip

(about 1 ½ cups)

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can Cannellini Beans, drained & rinsed

2 cloves Fresh Garlic

2 tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

1/3 cup Olive Oil

¼ cup Fresh Italian Parsley (loosely packed)

to taste Salt & Black Pepper

serve with Pita Chips

Directions:

Place the beans, garlic, juice, oil and parsley in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove to the serving dish you wish to use. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with pita chips and/to crackers.

Note: You can spice this up by adding a Jalapeno pepper. Remove seeds or not depending on your degree of desired spice.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Spicy Mustard Dip

Spicy Mustard Dip

(1 ½ cups)

Ingredients:

8 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature

¼ cup Dijon Mustard

¼ cup Sour Cream

1 tbsp. Fresh Green Onion, finely chopped

1 (4 ½ oz.) can Tiny Shrimp, drained

garnish Fresh Green Onions, sliced

Assorted Vegetables and/or Pretzels (your choice on types of vegetables & pretzels)

Directions:

Using an electric hand mixer on medium, blend cheese, mustard, sour cream and onion in a medium bowl. Stir in shrimp carefully and place in desired serving dish. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with green onions and serve with vegetables and/or pretzels.

Note: You could try spicy brown mustard for a little more tang. Or one of your choice.

Ideas for Future Efforts

March Madness Dips for Basketball

NCAA Men/s & Women's Basketball Championships are coming.  March and early April are crazy months for basketball in the USA.  The big one is, of course, the Division I Men's Championships.  But Division II and III also have their championships at this time.  Not to mention the women's side of all these tournaments goes on at the same time.

The 2nd & 3rd weekends of March gets everyone through their league tournaments and then you have the announcement of the teams going to the big dance that 3rd weekend.  If your team is in it, then it's basketball party watching time.

My excited this year as my almamater, Creighton University Bluejays, are having an outstanding year so far. I'll be watching them and others as the games play out.

What's a person to do with so many games and weekends involved for party food? Don't want to get bored with the food and beverage during these sometimes stressful games.  So I guess it will take a little game plan just like the teams are doing to get ready.

There are always a few staples that you can have game in and game out.  But you need to change up the menu just to keep everyone guessing what's next.  The b-ball coaches do this with their offense and defense each game.  Yes they have that core but there is always a few different wrinkles for each team they face.

The easiest place for you to put in few wrinkles is in the snacking area.  Offer different dips or salsas for each party day.  It doesn't matter if you're hosting or bringing something to a friends place.  Have something different each time.

I'm giving you two quick, easy and different dips to try out this year.  The first one is "Spicy Mustard Dip" and it goes well with veggies or pretzels of any kind.  The second dip recipe is for a "Cannellini Bean Dip" works with pita chips.  As I mentioned earlier, both are quick and easy to make.

Also, don't forget that there are plenty of great recipes already in the links above.  I'm just going to remind you of a few dips and salsas to mix and match with these two new recipes.

To start, there standard Mexican ones like Guacamole (Villa del Arco) (V), Mango Salsa (V) and Tomato Corn Salsa (V).  Then a few dips like Party Shrimp Dip, Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Dip (V), Greek Layered Dip (V) and Matt's Hot Artichoke Dip (V).

These are dips and salsas out of the "Odds & Ends" recipe tab above.  There are some other recipes that would make for great items to offer at any of the b-ball parties too.  Of course, under some of the other recipe tabs there are some other neat offerings for these events.  Check them out and "Happy Cooking" too.  I also hope your team or teams do well in any of the different divisions (men's & women's).

Sauteed Halibut with Lemon-Parsley Sauce

Sauteed Halibut with Lemon-Parsley Sauce

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

2 large Shallots, thinly sliced

1 cup Water

½ cup Heavy Cream

4 cup Fresh Parsley, loosely packed

2 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

as needed Salt & Black Pepper

4 (6 oz.) Halibut Steaks, ½ inch thick

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. of oil over moderate heat. Add shallots and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Next add water and simmer until reduced by half (about 6 minutes). Add the cream, mix and reduce by 1/3 (about 6 minutes). Let mixture cool for 10 minutes and then add the parsley. Carefully transfer mixture to a blender and coarsely puree. Return the mixture to saucepan and add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and then keep warm. Using 2 large nonstick skillets with a tbsp. of oil in each, bring to a shimmer over high heat. Season both sides of each steak with salt and pepper before placing in pans. Saute the steaks until brown and just cooked (for about 4 minutes total) turning halfway through the process. The halibut should flake when done. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with the lemon-parsley sauce.

Note: You could use Red Snapper or Striped Bass instead of Halibut with this sauce.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Roasted Cod with Orange & Fennel Marinade

Roasted Cod with Orange & Fennel Marinade

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

¼ cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

1 tsp. Fresh Orange Zest

¼ tsp. Fennel Seed

¾ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper

4 (6 oz.) Cod Fillets, ¾ inch thick

Directions:

In a pan large enough to hold the cod fillets, combine the juice, zest, seed, salt and pepper. Place the cod fillets in mixture to coat both sides and leave in dish. Cover dish and refrigerate overnight turning the fillets several times during the process. Spray a 9x13 baking dish before removing the fillets to it. Place the dish in a pre-heated 450 degree oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until fillets are done and flake. Serve with favorite side dishes.

Note: You could also use Orange Roughy or Haddock in place of the Cod.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Fish Goes Hand in Hand with Lent.

One presentation of our Mahi Mahi at Villa del Arco in Cabo.

Since I'm talking fish this week, thought i should start with a photo of one of the presentations that Executive Chef, Saul Garcia Ramos, and his staff prepared of the Mahi Mahi fish we had caught in Cabo in January.  It is being served here as Ceviche (raw marinaded fish) on the left side of plate and as Sushi (Japanese dish) on the right end.  It was delicious.

So now on to cooking and eating fish.  As the title of the blog today states, fish and Lent go hand in hand. For many Christians in years past one did not eat meat of any kind of Fridays.  Now that tradition is followed just during this Lenten period.  It also includes Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of these 40 days of Lent.  But there is more to eating fish today.

Today dietitians and health experts say everyone should eat fish and/or seafood twice a week.  They recommend two 3 1/2 ounce portions each week.  One of the reasons behind this is to help get more Omega-3 fatty acids in our system.  These are very good for us.  But remember that not all fish are equal in the Omega-3.  Those of you that think just taking Fish Oil pills will cover you, think again.  Fish is good for you for many other reasons too.

I know there are people who say they don't like fish.  I know, I was one of them most of my life.  Today I do like fish, but not every kind.  I am not a fan of Salmon.  I'm sure it goes back to my childhood days and eating canned salmon with bones in it.  Today I have a few favorite fish to eat.  I love Walleye for a fresh water fish.  For salt-water fish, I like cod, haddock, red snapper and fresh tuna.  I'll eat others but the ones mentioned I'll pick first if offered.  You need to find a type of fish or two that you might like.

How the fish is prepared does make a difference for many people.  Deep fried is probably the least healthy pick for preparation but if it gets you to eat fish, then do it. There are many other ways to fix a piece of fish. You might want to try pan-searing, poaching or roasting (baking) your fish.  Each of these techniques are easy to do. Just make sure that you cook your fish to an internal temperature of 145 degrees or until it easily separates or flakes.  I'm not going to go into each of these techniques today.  If you do want to know more about them, let me know and I will follow up at a later date.

One of the reasons I hear from those that say they do not like fish, is that they smell and/or taste fishy.  Well they are fish and should taste like fish but not fishy as people refer.  Part of this has to do with the fish you are buying and how you handle them.

If you are buying fresh fish, there are things to look for to insure freshness.  The eyes of the fish should be clear and fresh looking.  There should be no fishy smell and the gills should be bright in color.  That's fine for whole fish but many fish counters offer fillets or steak cuts of fish.  Here you need to get to know the people you are dealing with when purchasing fish.  They can and are very willing to help you.

Frozen fish is another matter.  Today most fishing ships process and freeze product right on-board the ship. The fish are as fresh as possible for you.  But how do you need to handle the frozen fish?  This goes for fresh fish as well as frozen.  Thaw or hold fish in the refrigerator by placing them in a rimmed pan with a rack.  The rack keeps them out of most liquid that drains.  You want to keep the fish covered with ice until you are ready to use them.  This may mean that you have to drain the pan from time to time and add more ice.

Another way to thaw frozen fish and help keep that fishy smell or taste away, is to thaw it in buttermilk.  The buttermilk draws out that problem.  Before processing to cook in whatever recipe you have chosen, rinse the fish off and pat dry.

If you are using whole fish (either filleting or cooking whole), don't waste the scraps.  You can make a good fish stock for future needs.  Just put the pieces left (skin included) into a pot.  Cover with cold water and add some vegetables and/or herbs and heat to about 180-185 degrees for 2 to 3 hours.  Drain through a fine colander or cheesecloth.  Then seal in a container, make it with date and what it is and freeze it until needed.

This week's recipes are for "Roasted Cod with Orange & Fennel Marinade" and "Sauteed Halibut with Lemon-Parsley Sauce."  Enjoy trying them and eat more fish.  Until next week "Happy Cooking."