Sunday Dinner

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Jalapeño-Peach Poppers

Grilled Flank Steak 

Tomatillo and Guajillo Salsa

Brown Rice

Tomatillo Salad

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars

When you have tomatillos, jalapeños, and peaches (did you see my FB post?) in your garden, this is what your Sunday dinner menu might look like.  My inspiration for this menu comes from an old Gourmet special edition magazine.  It featured the meat, salsa, and salad all together on one page, but seeing how this is my little space in the world, I wanted to feature each component on it's own.

I call this salsa, but it is easily used as a dip or sauce for pretty much any meat, veggie and/or carbohydrate.  Again, love those multi-purpose recipes!  The guajillos add a nice smokiness and the tomatillos add a fresh and zesty lemon essence. The recipe calls for dried guajillo chiles, but pasilla chiles can be substituted.

One can never have too many salsa recipes.  Happy Sunday!

Chicken Chilaquiles with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

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I wish I could give you all a bite of this before you saw it. This is one of those meals where taste trumps appearance.  In fact, besides the bits of cilantro on top, it is probably hard to tell what's in there.  So, let's dive on in and dish.

Thrown together to use up ingredients, like leftover meats and day-old tortillas, chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican peasant dish.  Unlike some meals where the meat reigns supreme, it is the tortillas that are the star of the show.  They are cut into strips and fried until crisp. The original recipe called for shredded, cooked turkey and it is tasty (and a great way to use up leftover holiday birds), but I always have leftover chicken on hand.  Both the tortillas and chicken are tossed with a roasted tomatillo salsa into which I add some poblano peppers and lime juice to kick up the flavor . A generous portion of cheese is thrown into the mix and then it is baked until golden brown.  Each bite is a symphony of texture ranging from soft and chewy on the bottom, crisp and crunchy on the top, and gooey cheesy all in between.  

Served with a dollop of Mexican crema or sour cream, crumbled queso fresco, a garnish of chopped cilantro and a spoonful of the remaining salsa-- this is dish I hope you all get to know and love.  Although best made the day it is served, it can be made a day ahead.  Cool completely, cover and refrigerate; reheat when ready to serve. We enjoy it with Quick Stewed Black Beans and Pickled Red Onions on the side.

Chicken Flautas in a Roasted Tomatillo Broth

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Several months ago, I had never eaten a flauta.  Come to think of it, I had never even heard of them. Taquito-- yes.  Flauta-- no.  But, after reading a restaurant review and seeing a picture of a bowl of them "drowned" in a tomatillo broth, I had to have them ASAP.  So, into the kitchen I went.

I started with the flauta which means flute in Spanish.  I knew that with a fried and crispy outside, I wanted a contrast of texture on the inside.  I choose shredded chicken, refried beans, and Chihuahua cheese-- a combination my whole family enjoys.  With the addition of sautéed onion and a little spice, it made for a flavorful and creamy bite.  For the broth, I used my roasted tomatillo salsa as a base and added jalapeños and chicken stock to make a broth with a little kick.   My husband claims he could drink shot glasses of the green magic liquid.  

The lovely part of this recipe is that both the flautas and the broth can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator or freezer; perfect for a busy weeknight.  You can also make this according to your own preferences.  You can use other meats or go vegetarian.  Remove or add more spices and heat from the peppers to taste.  All together now, "Make it for you, make it your own:)" When ready to serve, fry the flautas in a skillet with a little oil until crisp and golden.  Place the edible flutes in a shallow pool of the warmed broth, top with some avocado slices, pico de gallo, and sour cream-- WOW!  It's the flavor-- Es el sabor-- that will have you coming back for more.

Chicken and Spinach Tortilla Pie with a Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

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Whenever I make burritos, I am always left with one tortilla.  Of course I could use it for an after school snack or a quesadilla, but when I came across this recipe inspiration, that leftover tortilla got a whole new meaning.  

I found this recipe in a Cook's Country magazine where the bottom layer or "crust" utilizes the lone tortilla.  The original filling looked a bit bland to me, so I added onion, spinach, chiles, a few spices and some herbs.  I serve it with a roasted tomatillo sauce and some Mexican crèma.  Mmm--this is so good.  It is creamy and cheesy with a little cracker-like snap when you cut through the tortilla crust.     

So, if you have an extra burrito-sized tortilla hanging around, please make this. Otherwise, put a package of 10-inch burrito sized flour tortillas on your next grocery list and use the leftover nine tortillas for after school snacks, quesadillas, or weeknight burritos.  This dish will not disappoint.