Chipotle Chicken with Creamy Spinach and Sweet Potatoes

Originally, this recipe calls for broiling the chicken which I assume would give it a nicer sear, but as mentioned before, we don't have a broiler on our oven (only a "grill") which doesn't exactly work for making a sauce out of this. It's all for the better because baking instead allowed me to add some sweet potatoes to the mix that works very well with the smoky chipotles. Note for the spinach that baby spinach here is going to become a mushy mess. Use regular spinach or might I suggest even kale or some chard?

One year ago: Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad with Arugula and Hazelnuts
Two years ago: Turkey and Sweetcorn Meatballs with Roasted Peppers
Three years ago: Aromatic Green Beans with Pounded Mustard and Cardamom
Four years ago: Pork in Green Peanut Sauce
Five years ago: Apple and Cheddar Scones
Six years ago: Breakfast Tacos

Chipotle Chicken with Creamy Spinach and Sweet Potatoes (adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen)

Ingredients
2 to 3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo finely chopped
1 1/4 cups whipping cream or creme fraiche, divided
4 medium-large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 to 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
6 cups (about 10 ounces) stemmed spinach, rinsed
salt

1. Combine chopped chipotle with 2 tbsp cream. Smear over chicken breasts and refrigerate for several hours if time permits.
2. Preheat oven to 425F.
3. Toss sweet potatoes in olive oil and salt and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Lay chicken breasts in a baking dish just large enough to hold them.
5. Roast chicken and sweet potatoes in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked. After 10 minutes, flip chicken and add remaining 1 cup plus 2 tbsp around the chicken.
6. Keep chicken and sweet potatoes warm while you make the sauce and spinach.
7. Pour cream mixture into a saucepan and add broth and spinach. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until spinach is wilted and cream is reduced and thick, 3 minutes.
8. Spoon sauce around chicken and sweet potatoes and serve.

Fish Tacos with Cantaloupe Salsa

This week's seafood box brought rock fish. Rock fish usually arrives skinless and while it's a lovely white fish, I sometimes get a little tired of white fish. The CSA newsletter suggested fish tacos which seemed reasonable, but I didn't want to run to the store to pick up more ingredients for a slaw (red cabbage slaw was recommended with the fish), salsa, or guacamole. Luckily, we had a cantaloupe waiting on the counter and some feta hiding in the fridge. The slightly spicy tequila-lime of the fish paired great with the cantaloupe for a quick, refreshing weeknight dinner (or it would've been quick if I hadn't made my own flour tortillas ...).

Two years ago: Nutty-Tart Bell Peppers with Peanuts
Three years ago: Black and Blue Buckle
Four years ago: Chicken Tikka Masala

Fish Tacos with Cantaloupe Salsa (from Good Fish and Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients
Fish
1 lime, vested and juiced
2 tbsp tequila
1/2 tsp salt
2 small jalapenos, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb halibut, skinned
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Feta or cojita to taste
flour or corn tortillas
Salsa
1 cups diced (1/4 inch) cantaloupe (from a 2 1/4-lb piece)
1/2 cup diced (1/4 inch) sweet onion (such as Vidalia) or red onion
1 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 (2-inch-long) fresh hot red or green chile, minced
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Combine lime zest, lime juice, tequila, 1/2 tsp salt, sliced jalapenos, sliced red onion, and olive oil in bowl.
2. Place halibut in large bowl and pour marinade over fillet. Set aside for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, chop the fruit for your salsa and mix together.
4. Heat saute pan over high heat and add vegetable oil.
5. Add halibut to pan, reserving marinade with onion slices and cook 3 - 4 minutes per side until cooked through. Transfer to a platter.
6. Add marinade to pan and cook over high heat until liquid evaporates and onions are lightly charred. Pour over fish.
7. Fill tortillas with fish, cantaloupe salsa, and cheese to taste. Enjoy!

Sopa Seca de Fideo con Tomatillo y Queso

The Bay Area is a pretty magical place for fresh produce, but even with nearly year-round abundance, late summer is a pretty magical time of year. I had initially passed over this recipe while flipping through this cookbook, but while searching for a way to celebrate the availability of fresh tomatillos at the market, I looked at this one with fresh eyes. Tomatillo salsa, chorizo, pasta, chevre, and avocado! How had I passed over this one? If you want to simplify this recipe into quick and easy territory, I think you could easily replace the homemade tomatillo sauce with 1 cup of quality jarred stuff. Not that it's difficult to make, but it is sometimes hard to find fresh tomatillos depending on your location and it will save 20 minutes (and the first 2 steps), moving this into a quick weeknight meal. The author suggests Hoja Santa for the chevre, but I didn't feel like hunting for it. I also went with a slightly thicker pasta than the recommended capellini.

Two years ago: Chilled Cucumber Soup
Three years ago: Gooey Ginger Chicken
Four years ago: Pearl Couscous with Olives, Roasted Tomatoes and Feta

Sopa Seca de Fideo con Tomatillo y Queso (from Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese)

Ingredients
Salsa
12 ounces tomatillos, husks removed
1 - 2 serrano chiles, stems removed
1/4 medium onion
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Rest
5 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
4 ounces Mexican chorizo, crumbled
7 ounces capellini, broken into 1/2" pieces
1 tsp sea salt (less if your stock is on the salty side)
pepper
2 1/3 cups chicken stock
1 (5 ounce) round of Hoja Santa or other chevre, chopped and broken apart
1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and diced
crema fresca or sour cream (I omitted because I forgot to buy some!)

1. Place tomatillos, serrano chiles, and onion on a sheet pan and broil for 15 minutes until charred.
2. Place broiled vegetables along with garlic and cilantro in blender. Puree.
3. Place 3 tbsp of oil in large saucepan and heat over medium-high. Add chorizo and cook 3 - 4 minutes until crispy. Use slotted spoon to remove and set aside.
4. Add pasta to saucepan and return to medium-high heat. Cook in chorizo oil until well browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Add remaining 2 tbsp of oil to pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo salsa and salt. Allow to reduce for about a minute (only a 1/4 cup reduction).
6. Add pasta and cook until it absorbs the liquid.
7. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook undisturbed fro 15 - 17 minutes or until pasta is soft, but not mush and liquid has mostly been absorbed.
8. Scoop into bowls and garnish with fried chorizo, chevre, avocado, and crema fresca. You can also garnish with more cilantro if desired.

Snapper with Creamy Almond-Chipotle Pesto

You may be noticing a theme of quick and easy recipes in these posts. The best thing about having less energy/desire to cook during my time at home in between trips was it pushed me towards quick and easy recipes and reminded me that food doesn't have to be complicated or time-intensive to taste great. This dish is full of flavor with smokey chipotles and tangy cream fraiche, but can be on the table in less than 30 minutes with very little effort.

(Note this recipe is from a relatively new to me cookbook. I managed to pick up an e-book edition for a couple of dollars and the few recipes I've made have made it worth that small investment. If you're looking for something a bit simpler than Rick Bayless, but full of flavor, this may be a good book for you, especially if amazon puts it on sale again.)

Two years ago: Lentil Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Three years ago: Pesto and Proscuitto Stromboli
Four years ago: Pad See Ew

Snapper with Creamy Almond-Chipotle Pesto (from Pati's Mexican Table)

Ingredients
8 red snapper fillets
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Pesto
1 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan or cotija
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce plus 1 - 2 tbsp adobo sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Garnish
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. Place fish fillets in container large enough to hold them in a single layer. Sprinkle with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and marinate for 15 minutes - 2 hours in the fridge.
2. To make pesto, combine cream, almonds, cheese, chile, adobo sauce, and salt in a blender and puree.
3. Preheat oven to 375F and butter a large baking dish.
4. Arrange fillets in a single layer in dish. Spread 2 tbsp of pesto on each fillet. Bake 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Garnish with almonds and serve.

Seared Fish with Tangy Habanero

I was pleasantly surprised with the the ease of this recipes, the bright flavors, and the beautiful presentation of a light pink sauce. Don't be afraid of the habanero in this recipe as the cream helps to mute it a bit (we actually made a 1/2 recipe using a whole habanero and found the heat rather mild). If you have a very thin and delicate fish (I was using Dover Sole), skip the initial sear and just poach the fish in the sauce.

One year ago: Stewed Chicken in a Mustard Greens-Spinach Sauce
Two years ago: Cucumber-Sesame Salad
Three years ago: Baked Potato with Barbecued Beef
Four years ago: Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita

Seared Fish with Tangy Habanero (from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen)

Ingredients
Salsa
1 small (4 oz) red onion
2 tbsp fresh sour orange or lime juice
10 ounces (2 small round or 4 plum) ripe tomatoes
6 radishes
1/2 - 1 whole habanero chile
12 large sprigs of cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
Fish
4 fish fillets
2 tbsp oil
1/3 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream

1. Very finely chop onion with a knife, scoop into strainer, and rinse under cold water.
2. In a small bowl, stir together onion and juice.
3. Core tomatoes, cut crosswise in half and squeeze out seeds. Finely dice tomatoes and place in medium bowl.
4. Finely dice radishes and add to tomatoes.
5. Deseed habanero (or not) and finely mince. Add to tomatoes.
6. Finely chop cilantro (all of it, including the stems) and add to tomatoes.
7. Stir onion with juice into tomato mixture.
8. Heat heavy skillet filmed with oil over medium-high heat.
9. Sear fish on both sides until brown. Remove from pan.
10. Add salsa to pan and stir until wilted and liquid reduces.
11. Stir in creme fraiche, nestle fish back into pan, cover and simmer over medium-low until fish flakes. Transfer to plates and serve.

Salmon in Luxurious Green Sesame Pipian

This is a bold dish, so the salmon gets a bit lost in it (i.e. don't waste expensive salmon on this recipe), but the flavors are so good that I don't care. The original also includes a cup of peas, but both of us are pea averse, so I left that out.

One year ago: Sri-Lankan Style Hard-Cooked Eggs with Coconut Milk
Two years ago: Cheddar Apple Bacon Strata
Three years ago: Pearl Couscous with Olives, Tomatoes, and Feta
Four years ago: Kung Pao Chicken

Salmon in Luxurious Green Sesame Pipian (from Mexican Everyday)

Ingredients
2 cups tomatillo salsa, blended to a smooth puree
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp tahini
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sugar
Four 4 - 5 oz skinless fish fillets (salmon, halibut, walleye, snapper, or striped bass)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salsa and cook until it reduces to the consistency of tomato paste, 5 minutes.
2. Stir in broth and tahini. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and sugar to taste.
3. Add fish to sauce, submerging them if possible. Simmer until cooked through, 5 - 6 minutes for 1/2" thick fillets.
4. Transfer to dinner plates. Spoon sauce over top and garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Halibut Soft Tacos

There are quite a few components to these tacos, but I promise that they're worth it and each part is simple. The end result is a wonderfully light and fresh tasting taco with just enough textural contrast to keep it interesting. If you don't already have cooked halibut on hand, roast at 375F for 10 minutes per inch (so 5 minutes if your fish is half an inch thick).

Two years ago: General Tso's Chicken
Three years ago: Zucchini and Goat Cheese Galette

Halibut Soft Tacos (from Big Small Plates)

Ingredients
Vinaigrette
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tacos
2 - 2.5 cups flaked cooked halibut (12 ounces)
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 scallion, white and light green parts, minced
1/2 cup minced celery leaves and stalks
1/4 cup chopped green olives (optional)
1 cup arugula
1 cup cilantro leaves
6 corn tortillas
1/2 - 1 cup tomatillo salsa
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 cup goat cheeese
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

1. To make vinaigrette, combine lime juice, mustard, cumin, salt, and pepper. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified.
2. To make taco filling, combine fish, 2 tbsp of vinaigrette, mayo, scallion, celery, and olives in bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together arugula and cilantro. Toss with vinaigrette.
4. Heat tortillas until warm and softened. Spoon layer of fish on tortillas, sprinkle with salsa. Top with mound of greens and drizzle of yogurt. Finish with a crumble of cheese and a slice or two of avocado. Serve with lime wedges.

Roasted Mushroom Salad with Spinach and Chorizo

I wasn't sure what to think of this salad, but decided to give it a go since we had leftover mushrooms and chorizo. When I think of Mexican food, the sides that come to mind are usually refried beans or rice, so adding something a bit more vegetable heavy to taco night seemed like a good idea. This salad actually worked surprisingly well. The lime juice brightens up what had the potential to be too heavy of a dish. You could serve this as a main dish, but it also works well as a side. If you don't have chorizo, Bayless suggests bacon as an alternative.

One year ago: Carrot and Cumin Salad with Coriander
Two years ago: Key Lime Meringue Pie
Three years ago: Chocolate Orbit Cake with Blackberry Cassis Sauce

Roasted Mushroom Salad with Spinach and Chorizo (from Mexican Everyday)

Ingredients
8 ounces Mexican chorizo, casing removed OR 8 thick slices bacon cut crosswise into 1/4" pieces
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (shiitakes, oysters, chanterelles, etc)
1 large red onion, sliced about 1/4" thick
8 ounces salad spinach, long stems removed (we used baby)
3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1. Heat oven to 425F.
2. Break chorizo into small clumps onto baking sheet with sides or scatter bacon.
3. Sprinkle mushrooms and onion onto meat and roast for 10 minutes.
4. Stir and resturn to oven until onion is browned and meat is fully cooked, 10 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place spinach in large bowl.
6. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp water. Heat in microwave if desired.
7. Sprinkle mushroom-meat mixture over spinach. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Serve.

Pot Roast Studded with Almonds and Bacon

I realize that lately I've just gotten lazy. The effort to put up recipes has gotten higher as there's more going on. So that means the bar to appear on here is higher. A delicious gorgonzola cream sauce gets passed over because the beets in the sauce make it look like Pepto-Bismol. There's also no co-worker sniff test anymore to save a recipe from languishing away. With that in mind, we move on from a month of curries to a bit more variety. I had a bit of difficulty with this recipe trying to work out how the bacon and almonds should be fit into the meat. I decided not to work about that little detail. The meat in this turned out incredibly tender and moist. I expected the sauce to have more kick, but it's fairly mild with the meat. It's a good, hearty meal for fall. Note that the original calls for parboiling the potatoes and peeling them, I think you can safely skip that if your potatoes are small enough.

One year ago: Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
Two years ago: Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart
Three years ago: Asparagus, Oka, Pine Nuts, and Lemon Pasta

Pot Roast Studded with Almonds and Bacon (adapted slightly from Essential Cuisines of Mexico)

Ingredients
3 lb brisket (I made a half recipe using crossrib)
1 1/2 tbsp slivered almonds
8 ounces (225g) bacon, cut into small pieces
3 large ancho chiles, seeds and veins removed
1 1/2 tbsp mild vinegar
3 whole cloves, crushed
1/2 inch piece cinnamon stick, crushed
4 peppercorns, crushed
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 sprigs fresh marjoram
1/4 tsp Mexican oregano
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs small potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Pierce meat all over with a knife and insert almonds and bacon. (If that doesn't work, you can keep the almonds and bacon aside to add to the sauce later.)
3. Toast chiles lightly. Cover with hot water and let soak for 10 minutes.
4. Put vinegar and 3/4 cup water in blender. Add spices, herbs, and garlic and blend. Add chiles and blend until smooth.
5. Heat lard in a Dutch oven and when hot sear meat on all sides. Remove and set aside. Drain off fat, leaving only 2 tbsp.
6. Add sauce to pan and let cook for 5 minutes (if the bacon and almonds wouldn't stay in the meat, add them not). Add salt to taste.
7. Return meat to pan and baste with sauce. I added another 3/4 cup water or so and highly recommend you do the same. Cover and cook in oven for 2 hours.
8. Add potatoes to Dutch oven and if needed more water. Cook in oven until meat is very tender and potatoes are cooked through, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
9. Serve with sauce poured over meat.

Mexican Red Chorizo

I finally broke down and bought The Homesick Texan Cookbook. My only regret is that I didn't jump on it sooner (apparently I did at least order just in time because it is now only available through other sellers on Canadian Amazon). Other than the time spent rehydrating the chiles (30 minutes), this is remarkably quick and easy to make. Next time, I plan on making a larger batch and freezing it portioned out. In addition to saving me the trouble of searching for Mexican chorizo, making it yourself saves you the trouble of removing the sausage from its casing.

Mexican Red Chorizo (from The Homesick Texan)

Ingredients
2 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
450g ground pork (20% fat)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika (I used hickory smoked)
1/2 tsp dried oregano (I used Mexican)
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
2 tsp kosher salt

1. Heat dry skillet over high heat and toast guajillo and ancho chiles on each side for 10 seconds. Fill with water to cover chiles, bring to a boil, turn off heat, cover, and soak for 30 minutes. Discard water and rinse chiles.
2. In a blender, combine chiles, vinegar, onion, and garlic. Puree until smooth.
3. Add paste to pork along with remaining spices.
4. If possible, let flavours meld before using in other recipes. If just cooking chorizo, fry in a lightly greased skillet.

Pork and Tomatillo Stew

I wasn't certain whether to post this recipe or not. I loved this sauce and the meat, but found myself wishing it wasn't a stew. I could've done without the black beans and I think I would've been much happier to just shred the pork and stick it in some tacos. Maybe even some flautas? With all of that said, the flavour was too good not to share. How you serve it is up to you!

One year ago: Black Bean Pumpkin Soup
Two years ago: Creamy Carrot Soup

Pork and Tomatillo Stew (from Gourmet Today)

Ingredients
900g boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2" cubes
salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 large cloves garlic
1 bottle lager beer (I used fin du monde instead)
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
450g tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
1 28oz can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, and chopped (I used fresh)
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 2 cups cooked dried beans)
2 tbsp lime juice (optional)
1 8 ounce container sour cream (optional)
white rice (optional)

1. Pat pork dry and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
2. Heat oil in a 6 or 8 quart heavy pot over moderately high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes.
3. Add pork in batches and cook until browned on all sides. Transfer to a bowl.
4. In a 5 or 6 quart pot, combine beer, orange juice, tomatillos, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until soft, 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. When pork is browned, pour off all but 1 tbsp oil from large pot. Add onion and cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
6. Add tomatillo mixture, pork, cilantro, jalapenos, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper to onion and cook, scraping brown bits until well combined.
7. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally until meat is tender, about 2 hours.
8. Season stew. Add black beans and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
9. Stir lime juice into sour cream. Serve stew with rice and sour cream on the side.

Pork in Green Peanut Sauce

This week's CSA box came with a small paper bag of green tomatoes inside. I was excited, planning on making some fried green tomatoes. When I pulled them out to wash them though, I realized that they weren't green tomatoes at all, but rather already de-husked tomatillos! I had had my eye on this recipe before and even I had jalapenos, onions, peanuts, and a new batch of cilantro on hand as well as some pork for a pork vindaloo. The vindaloo got thrown out the window and this got bumped up in priority instead. Tomatillos and peanuts? A perfect combination. Serve with fresh, hot tortillas.

One year ago: Apple and Cheddar Scones

Pork in Green Peanut Sauce (from The Essential Cuisines of Mexico)

Ingredients
1 kg pork, cut into 1" cubes
1/3 cup roughly chopped white onion
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tsp salts
Sauce
4 tbsp vegetable oil or pork lard (I used peanut oil)
1 cup peanuts (140g)
250g tomatillos, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 small bunch cilantro
6 peppercorns, crushed
3 - 4 serrano chiles, roughly chopped (I used jalapenos)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup thinly sliced white onions

1. Put pork, chopped onion, garlic, and sauce into a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Cook about 30 minutes.
2. Drain the meat, reserving the broth.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry the peanuts, turning them constantly until they are golden brown.
4. Add tomatillos, cilantro, peppercorns, chiles, garlic, 3/4 cup broth, and peanuts to a blender jar. Blend until smooth.
5. Heat remaining 3 tbsp of oil in a heavy pan and fry pork and sliced onion together until golden.
6. Add blended sauce and cook for a few minutes longer, stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pan.
7. Add approximately 2 1/2 cups broth (add water if you don't have enough), then adjust seasoning and simmer for about 20 minutes or until well seasoned. The sauce should be the consistency of thin cream, you can add more water if needed.

Chicken in Peanut Sauce

This dish takes a bit long for a weeknight meal, but it's tasty and satisfying. It was pointed out to me that I seem to like cooking with peanuts a lot, so I fear I may be stuck in a rut with them and should perhaps be venturing onto something new.

I scaled this dish down a lot and substituted whole canned tomatoes for broiled tomatoes. It may've been better with broiled, but expedience won out. I used only skinless, boneless breast diced into tiny pieces as that's what was hiding in my freezer. The header notes state that the sauce is not very spicy, so I went ahead and doubled the chiles in my scaled down version to make the spice head happier. The original suggests serving with small boiled potatoes and that seems like a tasty and very filling idea to me!

One year ago: Heirloom Tomato and Rice Tart

Chicken in Peanut Sauce (from The Essential Cuisines of Mexico)

Ingredients
2 kg chicken parts
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 - 5 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 medium white onion, cut into 4 pieces
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 inch cinnamon stick
6 peppercorns
6 whole cloves
1 1/4 cup peanuts
450 tomatoes, broiled
4 chipotle chiles in adobo
3 tbsp vegetable oil (I used peanut)
2 cups water

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and lime juice and set aside.
2. Heat small, ungreased frying pan and toast onion and garlic until soft. Peel garlic and set aside.
3. Toss spices in pan and toast lightly. Set aside.
4. Toast peanuts until golden.
5. Put tomatoes, chiles, onion, garlic, and toasted spices in a blender and blend until smooth.
6. Add peanuts and blend until smooth.
7. Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy casserole and fry chicken until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
8. Fry blended ingredients in remaining oil (about 1/4 cup) over medium heat for 3 minutes, constantly stirring.
9. Lower heat and let sauce cook for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.
10. Add chicken and 2 cups water. Adjust seasoning and cook over low heat until chicken is tender, 35 - 40 minutes.

Pork in Adobo Sauce

I found the taste of the sauce for this to be a bit more bitter than I was expecting, which may be due to some of my substitutions. However, it tasted fantastic with a little bit of cheese in a tortilla, so I'm sharing anyways! There's plenty of sauce leftover which she suggests freezing and saving for use with shredded meat (or I'm thinking ground beef) in tacos.

I made two changes to the recipe: (1) omitting the pork neck bones for lack of will to try tracking them down and (2) substituting vegetable oil for lard. The original is included below.

One year ago: Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers and Basil

Pork in Adobo Sauce (from The Essential Cuisines of Mexico)

Ingredients
1.5 - 1.8kg stewing pork with some fat, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
450g pork neck bones
1/2 white onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves
8 peppercorns
1 tbsp salt
Adobo Sauce
6 ancho chiles, seeds and veins removed
10 pasilla chiles, seeds and veins removed
1" piece of cinnamon stick, crushed
5 whole cloves, crushed
6 peppercorns, crushed
6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
6 sprigs fresh marjoram or 1/4 tsp dried
1/4 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp mild white vinegar
Final Stage
1/4 cup lard
2 Mexican bay leaves
2 tbsp sugar
3 cups reserved meat broth
salt to taste
2 cups thinly sliced white onion

1. Put meat, bones, onion, garlic, peppercorns, and salt into a large saucepan and barely cover with water. Bring meat to a boil, lower heat and simmer until just tender, about 35 minutes. Let meat cool in broth.
2. Meanwhile, toast chiles lightly. Cover with hot water and soak about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer chiles to blender with 1 cup of water. Add rest of adobo ingredients and blend to a fairly smooth texture.
4. Drain meat, reserving broth and set aside.
5. Melt lard in a large casserole. Add adobo sauce, bay leaves, and sugar and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking until the sauce becomes a very dark red and thickens so it will barely slide off a spoon.
6. Gradually stir in broth and add salt as necessary.
7. Add meat and continue cooking the adobo sauce over low heat for another 10 minutes.
8. Serve topped with onion rings.