Green Hushpuppies
First off I would to apologize for being gone so long. Been under the weather for too long. I guess time flies when you’re miserable as well as when you’re having fun. Almost back to normal now, what ever that means.
How about a southern favorite with a southwest twist? I’m talking about Green Hushpuppies. Now I have to tell the truth here, the first time I heard of these, they didn’t sound all that good. But one taste changes your mind. So let’s get going…
- 2 cups of corn meal
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 small onion - finely minced (if you like em, if not leave them out)
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 egg - well beaten
- 1 can of chopped green chili (you already know I prefer the fresh ones)
- 2 tablespoons of melted shortening
- enough oil for frying
Blend all the dry ingredients together. Mix together the milk, beaten egg, onion, chili and shortening. Add the dry ingredients; you should have a thick batter.
Drop the batter by teaspoons full into hot oil. Cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Serve these warm with whatever main dish you may be having. Enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin, it ain’t chili
Chuckwagon 505
PS. Make some extra because I have found out they are great dipped in Blue Cheese Dressing for a late night snack. I know I’m sort of strange, but trust me; they really are tasty that way.
Green Chili & Corn Soup
Ok, I realize this is not the time of year for soup. Well I guess some of you do live where it’s getting cold now. So whether you are cold or hot, this soup hits the spot…
- ½ lb of bacon - diced
- 2 cups of frozen corn (thawed) or 1 can of cream corn
- 1 large potato - cubed
- ½ an onion - diced
- 1 can of chopped green chili or 4-5 fresh seeded and chopped
- 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
- ¾ cup of water
- 3 cups of light cream or milk
- salt to taste
Cook the bacon. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Remove half of the drippings. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the potato and water and cook until tender but not mushy.
Process the frozen corn in a food processor or blender until broken up but not a puree. Add to the potato mixture along with the mushroom soup, green chili, the cream and salt.
Simmer on low for 10 - 15 minutes. Adjust salt if necessary.
Garnish each bowl with the bacon bits. This soup goes great with corn bread or just tortilla chips on the side.
Enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin, it ain’t chili,
Chuckwagon 505
New Mexico Chefs Salad
I’m in the mood for a salad today. We call this a New Mexico Chef Salad. I don’t know why, I guess because it has a lot of ingredients, we’re in New Mexico and it taste awesome…
- 1 lb of ground beef or pork. (I like to shred leftover pork roast to use in this. Taste better in my opinion.)
- 1 16oz can of pinto beans or black beans - drained and rinsed.
- 1 16oz can of whole kernel corn - drained
- 1 can chopped green chilies (fresh are better if you have them)
- 1 cup of sliced black olives (reserve a little for garnish)
- 1 cup of your favorite cheese - grated
- 2 cups of crushed tortilla chips
- 1 head of lettuce - shredded
- 1 cucumber - peeled and diced
- 3 tomatoes - diced
- 2 avocados - 1 diced the other sliced for garnish
- 1 onion - diced (optional)
- Dressing of choice (I like to get a container of Green Chili dip, add just a little lime juice to loosen it up a bit, and pour it on. But that’s just me.)
Brown the ground meat. Drain off the fat. Add the beans and chilies. Add salt to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl. Lightly toss the avocado, cheese, olives and chips into the lettuce mixture. Add the meat and beans. Mix lightly again.
Garnish with sliced avocado, some of the sliced black olives and sliced tomatoes. Place some tortilla chips around the edge so it looks pretty. Chow down and enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin it ain’t chili,
Chuckwagon 505
Chimichangas
One of the reasons I got into cooking was I like to know what I’m putting into my body. Store bought frozen and even some restaurant Chimichangas have ingredients you really shouldn’t be ingesting. We have sort of combined different recipes we have come across and came up with this one. I think you’re going to like these…
- 1 stewing chicken
- ½ cup of cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup of sour cream
- 1 can of chopped green chili or ½ cup chopped fresh chili
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon of cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 flour tortillas
- oil for frying
- 1 28oz can of enchilada sauce - your choice green or red
For the garnish
Chopped tomatoes sour cream chopped lettuce grated cheese guacamole or diced avocado
Boil the chicken until it’s falling off the bone. Drain-reserving the broth. Freeze it for future use. Remove the skin from the chicken then de-bone and shred it. Add the soup, sour cream, chilies, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Taste for any adjustments needed in the spices.
Heat a couple of inches of oil in a deep skillet until a cube of bread browns in 40 to 60 seconds.
Warm one tortilla at a time on a hot griddle. Place ¼ to ½ cup (depending on the size of your tortillas) chicken mixture across the middle of the tortilla. Fold the sides in, then roll and secure with a toothpick. Fry on all sides until golden brown. Place on a dish in a warm oven until all your chimichangas are rolled fried and ready to serve.
Garnish as desired. I like to serve these with Spanish rice and refried beans. Enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin, it ain’t chili,
Chuckwagon 505
Awesome Chili Bites
Today we have an easy to make snack food that’s perfect munchies for that next movie or ball game. Grab a plate of these Chili Bites and a cold one, kick back and relax …
- 1 can of refrigerated biscuits
- 1 egg white - slightly beaten
Filling
- ½ lb of bacon - cut in ¼ inch squares
- ½ an onion - chopped
- 1 can green chili - drained and chopped (use fresh if you got them)
- 1 3oz package of cream cheese
- ½ cup of your favorite cheese - shredded
- ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 375°
Fry the bacon until crisp. Remove from the skillet. Add the onion to the bacon drippings. Cook until there translucent. Remove the onion.
In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients for the filling.
Press or roll each biscuit to about ¼ inch thick. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle. Brush the edges with water. Fold over and seal with a fork. With the point of a sharp knife make 2-3 vents in each “biscuit”
Brush them with the beaten egg white. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.
They’re great as is but a little dip never hurt anyone.
There is one problem though, you’re most likely going to run out before you want to.
Enjoy!
If you ain’t sweatin, it ain’t chili,
Chuckwagon 505