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Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce

Is making the homemade Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce verses the store bought, really worth the extra effort? One thing for sure is that not all the store bought enchilada sauces are the same. Looking closely they all use similar ingredients but the big factor is all about the flavor profile differences. This prompted me to see if making a homemade enchilada sauce is  worth the effort.

Lessons to be learned

In the past I have made many different southwestern red sauces, using all different types of chilies. I love hot sauces, that was my biggest mistake. Most of my red sauces was so hot they overpowered the foods. Lessons to be learned save my super hot chilies for the hot sauces, but not in the red enchilada sauce.

Where to start

First thing to start when you are looking to make enchilada sauce, is the chilies. So this prompted me to use Hatch Dry Red Chilies. Why Hatch Chilies? Well Hatch New Mexico is the Red Chili Capital of USA. They produce most of the Red Chilies, they are so famous that they have Chili festivals every year. These New Mexican Red Chilies are mild and flavorful, perfect for making enchilada sauces.

Next is choosing the right companion chilies, this is where I always made my mistakes. I use some of my super hot chilies that would peel the paint off the wall, that’s not a good match. So this time tried ancho chilies which have a good depth of flavor without all the heat. The red sauce turns out darker in color but with a more deep complex flavor. Giving the sauce a wonderful flavor profile. Making this a perfect companionship to enchilada sauce.

Over the many of tries in making enchilada sauces, key is to have the right aromatics. Again in the past I always put too many aromatics and messed up the end flavors. So this time kept simple, using just garlic, onions, cumin, chipotle pepper for smoky flavor, salt and pepper.

Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce
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Red Enchilada Sauce recipe uses Hatch Chilies that makes this sauce worth extra effort. This recipe has wonderful mild flavors of chilies perfect for Chicken or Cheese Enchiladas.
Servings Prep Time
3 cups 15 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
Servings Prep Time
3 cups 15 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce
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Red Enchilada Sauce recipe uses Hatch Chilies that makes this sauce worth extra effort. This recipe has wonderful mild flavors of chilies perfect for Chicken or Cheese Enchiladas.
Servings Prep Time
3 cups 15 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
Servings Prep Time
3 cups 15 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
Ingredients
Enchilada ingredients
Aromatics
Servings: cups
Units:
Instructions
  1. Mise en place enchilada sauce, peeling garlic, chopping onions, measuring aromatics, gathering chilies.
    Ingredients to make Red Enchilada Sauce
  2. Heat olive oil and garlic until light golden brown, stirring often with spatula. This takes about 1 to 2 minutes.
    Sauté garlic cloves with olive oil in sauce pan
  3. Add the chopped onions to light golden brown garlic cloves. Stirring well until onions start to caramelize. Remove from sauce pan into holding bowl.
    Sauté garlic and onions with olive oil in sauce pan.
  4. Add the dry chilies to sauce pan add a little extra olive oil if need. Toast dry chilies turning often with tongs. Do not allow the chilies to burn. Remove from heat right away, to prevent chilies from burning.
    Toast dry chilies with olive oil in hot sauce pan.
  5. Add onions and garlic back to sauce pan with chilies. Pour water to cover chilies about 4 cups. Place plate on top of chilies to keep them covered with water. Bring chilies, garlic and onions to boil. Keep cooking chilies for about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.
    Cook chilies with water, onions and garlic. Weighting down with plate.
  6. Remove any stems from chilies using tongs. Be sure to wear gloves when handling chiles.
    Remove the stems of the chilies using tongs.
  7. Place cooked chilies, onions, garlic and most of cooking liquid into blender. Reserve the remainder of cooking liquid if needed to finish cooking process.
    Placing cooked chilies, onion and garlic with most of cooking liquid in blender.
  8. Process the enchilada sauce in blender, starting at low speed and going to high speed. Be sure to place a towel over blend to prevent any splattering of chili puree as it's blending.
    Blending chilies mixture until smooth puree.
  9. Pour chili puree into sauce pan.
    Pour puree into sauce pan.
  10. Add the aromatics, oregano, cumin, chipotle powder, salt, pepper and Turbinado sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to simmer.
    Adding all the aromatics to chili puree in sauce pan.
  11. Cook the enchilada sauce for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust with salt, pepper and sugar as needed.
    Finished cooking of the enchiladas sauce
Using Enchilada Sauce
  1. Coat baking dish with food spray like PAM. Spread a nice layer of enchilada sauce on bottom of baking dish. Place filled rolled enchilada like beef taco meat on top of enchilada sauce. Cover all enchiladas with enchilada sauce top with cheese. Bake in 350°f oven or grill until internal temperature reaches 165°f.
  2. Place some warm enchilada sauce on plate and lift with spatula cooked enchiladas onto plate. Garnish with cheese, radish slices. Enjoy
Recipe Notes

For recipe to make Chicken Enchilada Air fryer

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Greek Style Spinch Stuffed Chicken Breasts made in Air Fryer
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Air fryer Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts:

Greek Style Spinch Stuffed Chicken Breasts made in Air Fryer
Greek Style Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts made in Air Fryer

Greek Style Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Looking for a new Spinach Stuffed Chicken recipe using the Air Fryer? This Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast with Greek flavor is perfect choice. The Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast only takes 20 minutes in Air Fryer with moist flavorful Greek profile. Key is to use Cavenders Greek Seasoning in stuffing and on chicken breasts.

Greek Style Spinch Stuffed Chicken Breasts made in Air Fryer
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
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Greek style spinach filling stuffed into chicken breasts that only takes 20 minutes in the Air Fryer to make.
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 15 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 15 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Greek Style Spinch Stuffed Chicken Breasts made in Air Fryer
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
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Greek style spinach filling stuffed into chicken breasts that only takes 20 minutes in the Air Fryer to make.
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 15 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 15 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Ingredients
Greek Spinach Stuffing
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Servings: Portions
Units:
Instructions
Greek Spinach Stuffing Mixture:
  1. Sauté onions with mince garlic and olive oil in skillet until fragrant. This should take about 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat.
    Sauté onions with garlic and olive oil
  2. Next sauté the onions, garlic, spinach, Greek seasoning, oregano, salt and pepper with some olive oil in the same skillet. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes to cook, until the excess moisture is evaporate off the filling.
  3. Combine cooked spinach mixture with, Manchego cheese, Feta Cheese in mixing bowl. Adding some extra Greek Seasoning and Oregano, with salt and pepper to taste. Mix this filling with spatula until combined.
    Combine cooked spinach mixture with cheeses and Greek seasoning, salt and pepper.
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
  1. First Butterfly boneless skinless chicken breast using sharp knife, folding chicken breast open with cut side up. Next sprinkle with Greek Seasoning, Oregano, Salt and Pepper.
    Butterfly boneless chicken breasts and sprinkle with Greek Seasoning, Oregano, Salt and Pepper.
  2. Flattening seasoned chicken breasts with plastic wrap and meat mallet. Use the flat side of mallet by pounding chicken until even thickness.
    Flattening seasoned chicken breasts with plastic wrap and meat mallet. Use the flat side of mallet by pounding chicken until even thickness.
  3. Stuff each flattened seasoned chicken breast with Greek Spinach Stuffing mixture. Then carefully fold the chicken breast up covering all the stuffing.
    Stuff each flattened seasoned chicken breast with Greek Spinach Stuffing mixture. Then carefully fold the chicken breast up covering all the stuffing.
  4. Rolled Stuffed chicken breast, sprinkle with Greek Seasoning, Oregano, Kosher Salt and Black Pepper. Spray with Olive Oil using EVO Sprayer to get an even coating of Olive Oil over all the chicken.
    Rolled Stuffed chicken breast, sprinkle with Greek Seasoning, Oregano, Kosher Salt and Black Pepper. Spray with Olive Oil using EVO Sprayer to get an even coating of Olive Oil over all the chicken.
  5. Placed the Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts carefully into basket of the Air Fryer. Set the Air Fryer to chicken setting. Using the PowerXL default setting 20 minutes at 350°F.
    Placed the Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts carefully into basket of the Air Fryer. Set the Air Fryer to chicken setting. Using the PowerXL default setting 20 minutes at 350°F.
  6. Air Fried Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast coming out of Air Fryer. See that wonderful golden brown color, that’s still in the Air Fryer basket.
    Air Fried Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast coming out of Air Fryer. See that wonderful golden brown color, that’s still in the Air Fryer basket.
  7. After air frying spinach stuffed chicken breasts, be sure to check the internal temperature. The thermometer should read 170°F. Be sure to stick the probe right in center of the stuffed chicken to make sure the filling reaches 170°F.
    After air frying spinach stuffed chicken breasts, be sure to check the internal temperature. The thermometer should read 170°F. Be sure to stick the probe right in center of the stuffed chicken to make sure the filling reaches 170°F.
  8. Allow the Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast to rest 5 minutes. Next cut each of breast in half on a diagonal. Place cut chicken breast onto plate in attractive manner. Try using Ranch Dressing as sauce smeared onto plate. Finally place your choice of cooked vegetables onto plate. Garnish with Manchego Cheese and Enjoy.
    Greek Style Spinch Stuffed Chicken Breasts made in Air Fryer
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Italian Tomato Sauce
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Canning Italian Tomato Sauce

Italian Tomato Sauce
Canned Italian Tomato Sauce cooling on wire rack

Tomato Season is here what to do with all those wonderful San Marzano Tomatoes that are ripe. Canning Italian Tomato Sauce is perfect solution to bumper crop of tomatoes. The San Marzano tomatoes are the best flavor for making Italian Sauce. 

Washed San Marzano Tomatoes

Start first Mise en place 

Mise en place is important part of canning process. Always have work space sanitized, and sterilize jars, lids and rims for canning. Be sure to wash all canning equipment, canner or large stock pot. Most efficient method is to get water boiling to sterilize jars, lids and rims. This takes some time to get up to boil and sterilize. While sterilize processing mise en place ingredients for sauce. The most time consuming process is blanching tomatoes and peeling skins off tomatoes. 

Peeling the skins off San Marzano Tomatoes

Getting Processing done quickly 

Processing the tomatoes after the skins are removed can be done quickly with aid of VitaMix Blender. Running the VitaMix Blender on low 5 speed setting works very well. Blend for short periods of time, just enough to chop tomatoes into slightly chunky sauce. Running VitaMix on too high of speed too long will turn into smooth puree.  A smooth puree is fine if your making that type of sauce. My preference is having some texture to Italian Sauce. Blend tomatoes in small batches filling the blender container 1/2 full gives plenty of head room to process. Running the bender only 35 to 45 seconds making gallon sauce goes quickly.

A food processor works too but it is messy and having to deal with a sharp blade everytime you dump batch into stock pot. The extra hassle of using food processor takes more time then it’s worth.

  • Processing Tomatoes on speed 5
  • Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes


Italian Tomato Sauce
Canning Italian Tomato Sauce
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Canning Italian Tomato Sauce recipe has a far better flavor profile by using San Marzano tomatoes. This recipe uses fresh tomatoes, sweet onions, sweet peppers, herbs, and lots of garlic with hint of pepper flakes. The Italian Tomato Sauce can be used in so many creative foods, from casseroles, meat sauces or in favorite spaghetti. Enjoy.
Servings Prep Time
4 Quarts 45 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 Hour 2 1/2 Hours
Servings Prep Time
4 Quarts 45 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 Hour 2 1/2 Hours
Italian Tomato Sauce
Canning Italian Tomato Sauce
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Canning Italian Tomato Sauce recipe has a far better flavor profile by using San Marzano tomatoes. This recipe uses fresh tomatoes, sweet onions, sweet peppers, herbs, and lots of garlic with hint of pepper flakes. The Italian Tomato Sauce can be used in so many creative foods, from casseroles, meat sauces or in favorite spaghetti. Enjoy.
Servings Prep Time
4 Quarts 45 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 Hour 2 1/2 Hours
Servings Prep Time
4 Quarts 45 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 Hour 2 1/2 Hours
Ingredients
Servings: Quarts
Units:
Instructions
Mise en place ingredients
  1. Core and blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds. Shock in ice water bath, then peel skins off tomatoes. Set aside
  2. Place peeled tomatoes in VitaMix or food processer. Blend for 45 to 60 seconds on speed 5 or low. The tomatoes should be slightly textured not perfectly smooth.
  3. Peel and chopped onions finely. Set aside. Peel and mince garlic cloves, I use a large bulb of garlic per batch which produces very nice garlic flavor profile. Set aside
  4. Remove the stem and seeds from sweet mini peppers, then chop finely. Set aside.
Cooking Italian Tomato Sauce
  1. Heat olive oil in 8 quart stock pot with minced garlic until fragrant. Then add the chopped onions and peppers cook for 2 to 4 minutes until fragrant and softened. This should take about 5 minutes total cooking time.
  2. Next add the processed tomatoes to cooked aromatics, cook over medium heat caution not to burn sauce. Add the tomato paste and stir well. The next step is to add the dry herbs and Stir often. Cook the Italian Sauce for hour to get best flavor.
Safe Canning Process
  1. Wash all jars, lids and rings for canning. Bring large stock pot or canner with jars and lids and rings covered with water to boil. Boil jars, lids and rings for 10 minutes.
  2. Remove jars carefully with lifter draining all excess water off jar onto wire rack. Remove lids and rings onto paper towels.
  3. Fill each canning jar with hot Italian Tomato Sauce to 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. It's important to leave 1/2 air space to create a vacuum. Fill each jar using funnel to help keep jar clean. Note add 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid for quart jar or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid for pint jar of tomato sauce.
  4. Wipe each jar rim with paper towel dipped in white vinegar. This is to clean the top of each jar to achieve proper seal.
  5. Place on top of each jar lid and fasten down each lid with ring. Twisting ring until just snug.
  6. Place each jar in large stock pot or canner with water to just cover top of each jar. Bring water to boil for 15 minutes. Remove jars using jar lifter and place on wire rack to cool. Listen carefully for lids to click this means achieved proper seal.
  7. Check visualy for properly sealed jars the dimple on top of each jar should be depressed inwards. If not properly sealed the jar will have to be refrigerated and used within 2 weeks time. Or clean jar rim and reseal with new lid and go through water bath process again.
    Italian Tomato Sauce
  8. Make a label for each jar of sauce and place on jar with tape or glue stick. Store Canned Italian Tomato Sauce in dry cool area with minimal light. These should be good for up to 2 years in dark area.
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Texas Chili Chef Dave Style presentation in a bowl
formats

Texas Chili Chef Daves Style

Texas Chili Chef Dave Style presentation in a bowl

Texas Chili Chef Dave Style presentation

Texas Chili Chef Dave Style

This recipe is a new and improved version of my Classic Texas Chili, that I made for so many years teaching at Kirkwood. Many of students remember the heat level and running to walk-in refrigerator to get some milk to put out the fire. This is the recipe that’s improved and better with lots of extra heat too. Time to fine the fire extinguisher, grab a bottle of antacids and gallon of milk, it’s Texas Chili Chef Dave’s Style Time!

All about using the right chilies

Cooking dried chilies, garlic weighted down with plate.

Cooking dried chilies, garlic weighted down with plate.

Start off by choosing the best chilies which for practical purposes dried chilies work best. It’s better to use a good variety of dry chilies. Choosing good red chili like Guajillo or New Mexican Red Chilies, both are mild less then 1000 Scoville units of heat. Next is choosing a more complex flavor chili like Ancho Chili and Padilla chili adding slight smoky profile. Finally adding some good chilies that have lots of heat, like my super hot chili seasoning. The super hot chili seasoning is infused with some of my hottest varieties of chilies that grown in garden. These chilies are cooked with garlic and water until softened about 20 to 30 minutes weighted down with plate. Be sure to save all cooking liquids from chilies. This is chili stock that will be used throughout cooking process.

Making the Texas Gravy for chili

Blending chilies and garlic with chili stock.

Blending chilies and garlic with chili stock.

Texas Chili is all about having wonderful hot bright red chili gravy for chili. Don’t even think about putting in tomatoes! In Texas Chili it’s all about chilies and meat. To make this gravy you place all softened chilies with stems removed into blender. My preference is VitaMix, start on low speed with small amount of the cooking liquid. Blend into purée seeds and all. Adding more chili stock as needed to make wonderful red sauce. Taste the chili red sauce adjust flavors with salt, super hot chili seasoning and sugar. This is all a matter of personal taste preference. I love it super Hot where my wife likes it milder.

Where’s the BEEF!

Diced Beef Round cooking in cast iron pot.

Diced Beef Round cooking in cast iron pot.

Texas Chili has lots diced beef, some chopped onions and minced garlic. I like to use bottom round or sirloin tip diced into 1/2 inch pieces.

Cooking beef cubes in heavy cast iron pot has excellent even uniform heat. When meat is nice and brown, add onions, spices and herbs. Continue cooking to build layers of flavors.

 

Simmering low and slow

Long and slow simmering Texas Chili Chef Dave’s Syle

Long and slow simmering Texas Chili Chef Dave’s Syle

Combining the red chili gravy with the browned seasoned beef, then simmering long and slowly. Developing flavors, tenderizing the beef and building some heat. If needed adding extra chili stock as Texas Chili thickens. After a good two to three hours of slow cooking adjust seasonings with, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper and super hot chili seasoning to taste.

Topping of your choices

Time to build bowl of Texas Chili Chef Dave’s Style filling bowl of piping hot Texas Chili and topping chili with, some cheese, tortillas chips, chopped cilantro. Of course many more possibilities, like sour cream, guacamole, olives, chilies and of course hot sauces. That’s the fun of enjoying chili and putting out he fire with some beers. Fond memories wonderful eats, time to make

 

 

 

Texas Chili Chef Dave Style presentation in a bowl

Texas Chili Chef Daves Style

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So hot it came out of both ends!
Servings Prep Time
8 people 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 1/2 hours 2 hours

Servings Prep Time
8 people 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 1/2 hours 2 hours

Texas Chili Chef Dave Style presentation in a bowl

Texas Chili Chef Daves Style

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So hot it came out of both ends!
Servings Prep Time
8 people 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 1/2 hours 2 hours

Servings Prep Time
8 people 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
1 1/2 hours 2 hours

Ingredients


Servings: people

Units:

Instructions
Chili Sauce
  1. Trim the beef of all gristle and excess fat, then cut into medium dice, about 1/2" cubes. Season with some salt and pepper. Set aside covered on ice.

  2. Heat canola oil in heavy duty stock pot or cast iron dutch oven with garlic, continue cooking garlic until skins loosen. Remove garlic onto side plate and take skins off. Add to hot oil pasilla chili, ancho chili and guajillo chili with tongs toss in the hot oil until toasted. They will puff up a little and have nice chili aroma. Note do not burn chilies. Remove from hot oil and place on plate to cool. Save oil to make the Texas Chili

  3. Place the toasted chilies, garlic in saucepan cover with water and weight down chilis with plate. Cook chilies and garlic for 15 to 20 minutes until tender.
    Cooking dried chilies, garlic weighted down with plate.

  4. Remove the chiles and garlic from cooking liquid, but do not discard cooking liquid. Take the stems off chilies.

  5. Place the chilies, garlic and cup of chili cooking liquid in blender, (VitaMix) Process on low speed then turn up to high, adding extra cooking liquid if needed to blend into red puree.
    Blending chilies and garlic with chili stock.

Cooking Texas Chili
  1. In Dutch Oven heat oil left from toasting chilies and garlic add the diced beef when oil is hot, brown meat well. Add the cumin, oregano and onions and saute for 5 minutes until onions are tender.
    Diced Beef Round cooking in cast iron pot.

  2. Add red chili puree, to beef mixture, and some Code Red fire in the hole pepper, if needed some extra cooking liquid bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Cook Texas Chili for 2 1/2 hours adding extra cooking liquid if needed.
    Long and slow simmering Texas Chili Chef Dave’s Syle

  3. Taste Texas Chili, adjust with Super Hot Chili Seasoning, salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, oregano and cumin. This Texas Chili should be hot enough to eat bowl make you sweat. For some grab quart milk. Toppings, shred cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions and cilantro.

  4. Time to build bowl of Texas Chili Chef Dave’s Style filling bowl of piping hot Texas Chili and topping chili with, some cheese, tortillas chips, chopped cilantro.

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