NM is a special place to be during the holidays and I thought it would be nice to  share some of my favorite New Mexican inspired recipes   in the coming week.

Growing up, my adopted  mom, Jo, and her daughters would spend weeks before the holidays baking every kind of cookie imaginable!  I still remember baking with them during those years. My favorite cookie of all became biscochitos made with love from her grandma’s recipe. She still makes the best biscochitos I have ever tasted. They make my every Christmas wish come true.

Biscochitos are delicious anise and cinnamon flavored tea cookies that are light and airy, so delicate they melt in your mouth! The key is using lard to get that light texture.  I know some folks may turn up their nose or want to make a “healthy” alternative, but it turns out lard  makes a big difference in the texture of many of the best baked goods and isn’t really all that unhealthy!

Here is a great traditional recipe you may want to try at home from:

Biscochitos Recipe

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs. cinnamon

Instructions

1. Beat lard in a mixer until very creamy.
2. Add sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Add other ingredients (except for cinnamon sugar mixture).
4. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick.
5. Cut with a 2″ to 3″ cookie cutter.
6. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
7. Let Cool then dip in a cinnamon sugar mixture.

Yes, its that time. Christmas in NM is super special !  The smell of firewood, pinon and the sparkle of fresh snow.  Love to be here this time of year to enjoy the traditions which make this such a special place.

  Great times and food memories linger. I reminisce of spending time with my friends and family eating the best Christmas food around.  The Spanish and Native influence of food here in this place makes it very unique. We eat lots of blue corn and Red chile ladled over mashed potatoes. Green chile enchiladas, tamales, fresh greens with ham hocks and bowls of fresh pork posole topped with cilantro and cabbage!  And of course biscochitos and almond wedding cookies for dessert!  Yummy

In honor of the season and my friend Jayme who has asked me for this recipe a hundred times here is my Red Posole Recipe which I adapted from Foodnetwork:   I cook mine in the crock pot and use frozen pureed red chile from Bueno Foods when I want to savetime….but of course using traditional red chile is a treat:)  Below is the recipe with my adaptations.  Enjoy….and Happy, Merry , Ho, Ho.

Adapted from Food Network

Posole Rojo

Total time 5 hr
Yield:6 to 8 servings   Level:Easy
Ingredients
3/4 cup dried chiles de arbol
4 or 5 dried ancho chiles
6 cloves garlic (2 smashed, 4 finely chopped)  OR Use one 16 oz container of frozen pureed Bueno Red Chile)
Kosher salt
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut in half
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 bay leaf
3 15 -ounce cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
Diced avocado, shredded cabbage, diced onion, sliced radishes and/or fresh cilantro, for topping

Directions

Traditional  Red Chile  : Use any kind of dried NM Chile Pods. Break the stems off the chiles. Chile de arbol and ancho chiles both work well but you can use any flavor you choose.  Just be sure to shake out as  many seeds as possible!

1. Open and  remove stem and seeds. Put the chiles in a bowl and cover with boiling water; weigh down the chiles with a plate to keep them submerged and soak until soft, about 30 minutes.
2. Transfer the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the soaking liquid to a blender. Add the smashed garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth.
3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing the sauce through with a rubber spatula; discard the solids.)

   OR you can  cheat and get frozen red chile from store that comes in a plastic container from Bueno or another brand and use that as your base!

4. Rub the pork all over with the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat.
5. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the chopped garlic and cook 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high.
7. Push the onion and garlic to one side of the pot; add the pork to the other side and sear, turning, until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
8. Stir in 2 cups water, the chicken broth, oregano, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the chile sauce (depending on your taste).
9. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and cook, turning the pork a few times, until tender, about 3 hours.
   Stir in the hominy and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the pork starts falling apart, about 1 more hour. Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the pork to a cutting board; roughly chop and return to the pot. Add some water or broth if the posole is too thick. Season with salt. Serve with assorted toppings and the remaining chile sauce.
   Delicious!

Food Network.com

Green Chile Stew is my go to winter stew…especially after the last leaves drop from the trees. Time to warm up under my blanket and get the comfort food going.  My friend Jayme prefers my Red Pork Posole, but I have to say this delicious stew is warm and filling with a dollop of sourcream and cilantro on top!

Here is my favorite recipe for New Mexico green chile stew adapted from the folks at Kitchn.com  and Williams Sonoma. I have  added a few of my own additions from other recipes I have  experimented with….this seems to be the  winner!  I personally really enjoy the addition of the baby brown bella mushrooms which give it a nice flavor and texture .  You can purchase fresh or frozen green chile at your local grocer. Fresh will need to be roasted at home and seeded and peeled. More work for those who like to do it themselves.  If you are in a hurry the frozen chile works great too!  Buen Appetito@

For those who prefer a Red Chile Posole    check out my next post later this week!

GREEN CHILE STEW  (Chile Verde with pork)

• 3 Tbs canola oil
• 2 lb. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz. baby bella or brown mushrooms, quartered
• 3-4 yukon gold or white potatoes, peeled and quartered lengthwise
• 1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• 12 to 16 New Mexico green chilies, about 2 lb. total, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 6 Tbs. sour cream
• Cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions:

In a large, heavy pot over high heat, warm oil. Pat the pork dry and season with salt and pepper and  dip into flour . Working in batches, add the pork to the pot and brown well on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the onion to the oil remaining in the pot and sauté until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until the edges are browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the, coriander, oregano, cumin and bay leaves and return the meat to the pot and stir the spices for a few minutes until fragrant.  Pour the sherry into the pan  and add heat to pan to deglaze scraping up all the little brown bits, then add  the broth and add 1 tsp. of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the meat is just tender, about 30 minutes.

Add the chopped chilies and  the cut potatoes, simmer, uncovered, until the meat and potatoes are very tender, about  30-40 more  minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tsp. salt, then taste and adjust with more salt if needed. Remove the bay leaves and discard. This recipe gets better after one, two, and three days, so make in advance if possible. If you can wait a day to eat!   Serve , garnished with the sour cream and cilantro. Serves 6.

Yes, this time of year I have a few seasonal favorite foods that I adore! Pumpkin being on the top of the list, then yams, winter squash, and carrots!  Orange is actually one of my favorite colors and also THE favorite color of my 6 year old  Rainbow child nephew.

Funny that he chose orange to be his favorite color and has a fixation with eating orange foods. My mother reminds me that as a baby my skin turned orange and she took me to the doctor only to find out that if you eat enough gerber mashed carrots and sweet potatoes as a child you can literally change your skin tone!  Yes, I guess it runs in the family. Something about the earthy, sweet, smooth, rich texture of pumpkin and squash makes me feel grounded and safe.  I am forever seeking recipes for more ways to cook pumpkin, sweet potatoes and squash into delicious cakes, pies, and savory soups and stews. And…it doesn’t hurt that its also the color of my favorite football team the Denver, Broncos!

Here are a few of the recipes I found recently from some trusted chefs that I have tried and trusted. I know most foodies share their own recipes and I will , but I am also a firm believer in promoting other wonderful cooks out there who have spent their precious time and energy to come up with some tried and true recipes that are delicious!

Here are a few of my favorites that I  linked to my recipe page and to the author’s site .  Theses recipes are all dynamite anytime of year but particularly during the fall.  The pumpkin muffins are my favorite go to recipe for friends and clients and freeze well!  The soup is lovely!  The scones…divine! Cheesecake bites  to die for! Yep…..all of these are amazing.  Feel free to share your comments and recipes below.

1. Pumpkin Muffins 2.  Pumpkin Soup with crispy sage,  3.Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Pancakes, 4. Pumpkin Chocolate chip Scones  5. Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites