Sweet Potato-Chicken Hash with Poached Eggs and Green Chile Hollandaise

Hi.  I missed you.  Actually, not really.  Is that bad?  Should I just lie about things like that?  Ok, I kinda did.  But not enough to cry about it.

I apologize for my vacay from the blog.  I was having a blast.  Which apparently can be very distracting.  I have about 85 recipes to post in order to catch up.

Here is one of them.  I made this for Scot's birthday brunch.  There was no doubt in my mind that he would love the heck out of this brunch dish.  After he took his first bite, and proclaimed his love, I booyeah'ed at least 3 times in my head.  It is important to stay grounded.

I would explain what is in this, but actually Bobby's title says it all.  It is a perfect sweet potato dish for me too.  I like when sweet potatoes are savory with a hint of their natural sweetness.  And adding spice is ideal.  I guess this is a brunch item at Bobby Flay's restaurant, which is why it uses 160 pots and pans and also why there is tons of prep.  It is definitely a restaurant type meal, but nice to make for a special occasion.  I didn't patty the hash up, like it says in the recipe.  In fact, the hash is particularly patty-able.  I just cooked it all loose in a big skillet and served it in mini cast irons skillets.  Makes sense.  

Sweet Potato-Chicken Hash with Poached Eggs and Green Chile Hollandaise

by Bobby Flay via FoodNetwork

2 large sweet potatoes

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup canned chipotle peppers

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups water

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 eggs

To prepare the hash: In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes, peel and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and place in a saucepan of simmering water. Poach for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through. Cut each breast into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the potatoes, chicken, scallion, cilantro, chipotles and honey in a large bowl and mix gently until combined, season with salt and pepper. Form into 4 equal-sized patties. Heat the oil in a large saute pan until just smoking. Season the patties with salt and pepper to taste and saute the patties on each side until golden brown. Keep warm.

To prepare the poached eggs: Heat the water and vinegar until simmering in a large frying pan. Break each egg into a cup and gently add to the water. Poach for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the yolk is nearly cooked. Remove the eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon to drain the liquid and top each hash patty with 1 poached egg.

Green Chile Hollandaise

3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch white pepper

1 large poblano pepper, roasted, skinned, seeds removed and finely chopped

1 stick unsalted butter, melted until foamy

Place the yolks, salt, pepper in a blender and mix until smooth. Slowly, drop by drop add the warm butter to the mixture and blend until emulsified. Place in a bowl and fold in the chopped poblano peppers. Serve immediately or place the bowl over a pot of simmering water to keep warm, stirring occasionally.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 1 hr., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

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foodforscot Ratings:  

Shanon (taste) :  9/10
Scot (taste):  10/10
Effort:  4/5
Dishwashing Effort:  4/5

Ajiaco (Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup)

WANTED: an in-state little sister to peel all the ping-pong-sized red potatoes I bought for this dish.  What was I thinking?  I'll tell ya what I was thinking, I forgot I needed to peel the potatoes at the moment of picking out this grocery purchase.  It was like the scene in Pretty Woman..."slippery little suckers".  It was borderline miserable, but I got through it!

So, Ajiaco.  I have never been to Colombia, but my red headed, firecracker of a friend, Kim is there right now.  Several weeks ago, she told me all about how delicious this country's famous soup is.  It is often made at home, but lots of restaurants also make it, often as a special.  As soon as I started researching this recipe, I could not wait to make it.  

To summarize, this soup is a starchy, rich, thick potato soup with shredded chicken topped with Aji salsa, sour cream, capers, cilantro and avocado and chunks of corn of the cob floating around.  

Now, traditionally this recipe is not exactly how Ajiaco is made (but well adapted for the US dreamer).  First, the soup has three different kinds of potatoes in it.  One is a starchy Russet.  Another is a red potato.  The third is a waxy yellow potato, but a specific wild variety grown at the high altitude of Colombia called papsas criollas.  They are supposed to break down completely into the soup and help create the thick creamy texture.  The "best" substitution is a Yukon gold, which is what I used.  However, you may be able to find the papas criollas at a Latin market around you.  You can also buy online here or here.  

The second ingredient that is very traditional and very important is an herb called quascas.  It was also not available in Boulder (I checked everywhere).  I read the best substitute was a combination of bay leaves and parsley.  Quascas is often thought of as a weed in many parts of the world.  Someone suggested going to a park and looking for it (weird).  It is also a weed that spreads very quickly, so most people don't like to grow it.  In the US, it is known as "gallant soldier".  Apparently it adds a grassy or weedy taste to the soup, which, to me, seems like something parsley can do.  Kim said she isn't a huge fan when it tastes too weedy.  You can also buy online here or here.

Also, the corn used in Colombia is a little tougher with bigger kernels than the sweet corn we are used to.  Therefore, it is often cooked as long as the potatoes to tenderize the kernels.  US sweet corn is a perfectly fine substitution (maybe even better!) and only needs to be added at the end of the cooking time.  PS:  corn on the cob sucks bad right now.  

Lastly, the recipe I came up with first develops a nice homemade chicken broth with the addition of some tasty vegetables and then adds the potatoes later which simmer until they break down quite a bit.  Then, I whipped out the old immersion blender to give the soup a nice texture.  Traditionally, the soup is cooked forever and the potatoes are broken down by smashing them up against the side of the pot.  That would work just as well, but a little slower and takes more effort.  

The bottom line is that I really love this soup.  Even though it might not be exactly the same as the real Colombian version, having the Aji salsa (which, btw, is delicious...recipe included), capers and all the other toppings really make it delicious.  Plus, I have never had the real thing, so what do I know.  

Thank you to all the others who have already written about Ajiaco.

Ajiaco

For soup:

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces

6 quarts of water

1 small bunch of parsley

1 small bunch cilantro

3 bay leaves (traditionally quascas is used instead of the parsley, cilantro and bay leaves)

2 carrots, cut into thirds

2 stalks of celery, cut into thirds

1 large white onion, cut in half

1 leek, cut in half, cleaned well, whites only

6 chicken bouillon cubes

1 tbsp kosher salt

3 ears of corn

3 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

4 lbs red potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes (traditionally papas criollas are used, if you can find

them), peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

kosher salt

black pepper

To serve:

Aji salsa (recipe follows)

Capers, drained

Avocado, diced + lemon/lime juice to avoid browning

Cilantro leaves

Sour cream

Place chicken pieces in large pot or Dutch oven, cover with 6 quarts of water. Bring pot to a boil.

In a cheesecloth tied shut with kitchen twine, put parsley,1 small bunch of cilantro, and bay leaves (or quascas). Once the pot has come to a boil, skim the fat that floats to the top off with a spoon and discard. Continue doing this for about 10 minutes, then add the herbs, carrots, celery, white onion, leek chicken bouillon cubes, and 1 tbsp kosher salt. Bring back to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Remove chicken from the pot and set aside to let cool. Add corn and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until kernels are tender. Remove from pot and set aside. Remove carrots, celery, onion and leek from the pot and discard.

Add all the potatoes to the pot. If you are prepping as you go (which you should) add them in this order: Russet, red and Yukon (or papas criollas). Bring the pot to a boil, partially covered, reduce to simmer and cook for an hour or longer, until Yukon potatoes are falling apart. Cut ears of corn into thirds and add to the pot after about 30 minutes (also take out the herb bouquet at this time).

While the potatoes are cooking and once the chicken is completely cooled, remove all the skin and bones from the chicken and shred the meat. Depending on the timing, you might want to throw the shredded chicken into the fridge while the rest of the meal is prepared. Re-warm the chicken carefully/slowly before serving.

Taste soup for seasonings. Add a generous amount of black pepper and adjust salt (you will probably need to add quite a bit more salt, ~1.5 tsp). While the potatoes are cooking, you can smash them against the side of the pot to break up the potatoes and thicken the soup. Alternatively, at the end, you can smooth it out a bit with an immersion blender. Make sure to leave plenty of big chunks of potato, but blend enough to give a nice thick texture to the soup.

To serve the soup, ladle into a big bowl and top with shredded chicken. At the table pass around Aji salsa, capers, avocado, cilantro and sour cream to top the soup.

(Servings: 8-10, Cook time: 3 hrs., Difficulty: Easy)

Aji

from Fine Cooking

4 scallions (white and light green parts only)

1 medium tomato, peeled and seeded

1 small white onion, peeled

2 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles or 2 fresh hot red chiles, stems and

seeds removed (wear gloves, and don’t touch your eyes)

3 Tbs. fresh cilantro leaves

3 Tbs. white vinegar

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

In a food processor, pulse all the aji ingredients until they’re finely minced.  Transfer to a serving bowl.

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foodforscot Rating:

Shanon (taste):  8/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  5/5

Dishwashing Effort:  4/5

White Chili

Even though I wasn't around for Thanksgiving this year, I still longed for a big Thanksgiving meal.  So, I invited a whole lug of friends over for a big potluck dinner.  I made sure all the necessary Thanksgiving staples were taken care of by various people.  And we made the turkey.  And of course, the gravy and cranberry sauce to go with it.  I used Alton Brown's highly rated and used recipe.  The highlights of the recipe include brining the turkey, starting it off at a very high heat to get a nice golden, crispy skin and then finally cooking it until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 161 degrees F.  

This is after 30 minutes of crisping up the skin initially.

The scariest part for me (this was my first turkey, btw) was the fact that I was cooking a 25 lb turkey.  Woahhhh...that is huge.  We had over twenty people over for dinner so we needed a big guy.  The second scariest part is that I bought a new digital instant read thermometer.  It was supposed to read both the internal temp and the oven temp.  However, it was not reading the oven temp correctly so I was having a hard time trusting it period.  It all turned out just fine.  The turkey was totally delicious.  Lots of people said it was the moistest turkey they had ever had.  I loved the flavor.  It was a seriously good turkey.  Alton Brown is good at stuff like this, trust him.  

So, we have been using up the leftovers over this week.  I made this white chili and replaced the roasted chicken with the leftover turkey.  It is a great soup/chili/white chili.  And it is pretty healthy.  I didn't add the cream because I liked how it tasted without it.  I am sure most of you do not have leftover turkey anymore, but this would be just as good with the chicken.

White Chili

adapted from Melissa d'Arabian via Food Network

For the Roasted Garlic:

1 head of garlic

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the Chili:

12 shallots, chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 Anaheim chile peppers

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

7 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 15-ounce can navy beans, undrained

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated monterey jack cheese, for garnish

Roast peppers: Preheat the broiler. Place the chiles on a foil-lined broiler pan and broil until charred on all sides, turning, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel the peppers with your fingers or a paring knife. Stem, seed and chop.

Make the roasted garlic: After chiles are roasted, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel outer skin off the garlic. Slice the upper 1/2 inch off the garlic bulb. Place in a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil. Wrap edges of foil around garlic and roast in oven for 30-40 minutes or until the garlic is soft and squishes out.

Prepare the chili: Cook the shallots in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Add the minced garlic to the shallots and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the flour and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the wine; simmer 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the roasted chiles, 6 cups broth, the chicken, chili powder, cayenne, beans, and salt and black pepper to taste. Return to a simmer.

Meanwhile, squeeze the soft pulp from the roasted garlic into a blender or food processor. Add the remaining 1 cup broth and process until smooth. Add to the chili and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes, adding the spinach during the last 5 minutes. Add the paprika and cream and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the cheese.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 45 min., Cook time: 45 min., Difficulty: Easy)

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foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo

My MN/WI friends call casseroles hot dishes.  They love them up there.  Probably because it is below freezing 80% of the year.  The one casserole I have heard most about is a tater tot hot dish.  I have actually never even had it!  I haven't made many casseroles in my lifetime.  I am more of a non-casserole person.  

However, when I saw this casserole recently on Homesick Texan's awesome blog, I decided I could be a casserole convert.  For one night only.  

First, this casserole has hominy, chiles, and cilantro in it.  Three of my favorite ingredients ever!  And if you can believe it, they are even better together.  I first discovered my love of the hominy/cilantro combo in posole.  And who would of thought that cooked cilantro would be so good?

Now, add chorizo, cheese and sour cream.  All fat free ingredients.  Perfect!  

Also, this is a one pot wonder.

Green Chile Hominy Casserole with Chorizo

by Homesick Texan

2 poblano chiles

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casing and crumbled

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

2 jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 15-ounce cans of hominy, drained

8 ounces sour cream

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

2 teaspoons lime juice

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and black pepper to taste

Roast the poblano chiles under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tight and let the chile steam for 20 minutes. Take the chile out of the bag and rub off the skin. Remove stem and seeds and cut dice chiles.

Preheat the oven to 350.

On medium-low heat, heat the vegetable oil and then cook the crumbled chorizo while occasionally stirring in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet until brown, about 8-10 minutes. With a slotted spatula, remove the chorizo and drain any excess grease

from the skillet, leaving 1 teaspoon. Add to the skillet the diced onions and jalapeños while occasionally stirring, cook on medium-low heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the diced poblano chile, chorizo, hominy, sour cream, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, lime juice and half of the cheddar cheese. Stir until well combined, taste and add salt and black pepper and adjust

seasonings. Top with remaining the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbling.

(Servings: 4-6, Prep time: 1 hr., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  8/10

Scot (taste):  10/10

Effort:  2/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Grilled Cheese and Roasted Green Chile Sandwich

This is named Pioneer Woman's favorite sandwich.  Since roasted chiles are one of my top 10 favorite things of all time.  And also because I love PW.  I knew this sandwich would be amazing.  

We went down to southern-ish Colorado at visit the Happy Apple Farms yesterday.  And the desert landscape made it impossible to fool me into thinking this farm was anywhere close to a true midwest farm/apple orchard/pumpkin patch experience.  However, it was an awesome little CO farm.  

We met the owner/farmer immediately upon our arrival.  I love farmers.  He greeted our dog and welcomed him to run free in the fields as we picked raspberries, blackberries, apples and pumpkins.  The farm was small but cute and quite busy.  

This is one of the few apple orchards I have found in CO, but what also intrigued me was that they roasted chiles and served a BBQ beef brisket for lunch.  Even though I am skeptical of CO farming potential, I thought that they could surely win me over with the chiles and brisket.  And btw, the BBQ brisket was totally good.  They only serve it on the weekends and start it on Tuesday.  

And we bought a 1/2 bushel of roasted green chiles.  Big Jim variety.  They have a little kick, but mostly mild.  And when we got home, Scot personally peeled and seeded the entire bag.  His hands burned until 6 am but, you know what, he made it.  

I used some of those green chiles to make this wonderful grilled sandwich.  It is such a delicious sandwich.  You can also just buy Hatch, whole green chiles, canned.  Or you could roast like an anaheim or poblano.  Or even a roasted red pepper would be good if you aren't into the spicier stuff.  The rye bread, the dijonaise, the two different cheeses, tomato, red onion and roasted green chile.  Love this combo!

Grilled Cheese and Roasted Green Chile Sandwich

adapted from Pioneer Woman

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, to taste

1 tablespoon mayonnaise, to taste

2 slices mild cheddar

2 thick slices of tomato

several thin slices of red onion

1/2 - 1 whole roasted green chile

2 slices Monterey Jack cheese

2 slices rye bread

butter

First, make the sauce. Measure 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and mix the together in a small bowl. Spread a very thin layer onto the inside of both pieces of bread.

Place two slices of mild cheddar on one slice of bread. Top with tomato slices, red onion, roasted green chile, and then the two slices of Monterey Jack cheese. Place other slice of bread on top. Butter the outside top.

Heat a skillet (non-stick is preferable here) over medium-low heat. Place the sandwich (butter side down) in the skillet. Butter the other side now that it is on the skillet. Cook it for about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and continue cooking for another couple of minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a cutting board and cut in half.

(Servings: 1, Prep time: 15 min., Cook time; 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  7/10
Scot (taste):  7/10
Effort:  2/5
Dishwashing Effort:  1/5

Roasted Cauliflower and Poblano Pepper Soup

This soup was really good! I would strongly recommend the goat cheese on top. It is tangy and creamy.

Also, I LOVE my immersion blender. It makes making soups and sauces so easy. I have used it a lot lately and wondered what I did without it?

Roasted Cauliflower and Poblano Pepper Soup

by Closet Cooking

1 head cauliflower (cut into florets)

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

3 cups vegetable broth

2 poblano chilli peppers (or any mild pepper)

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped, optional)

1 tablespoon goat cheese (crumbled, optional)

Using the broiler, blacken the skin of the peppers. Place in a brown bag (or in a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap) for 10-15 minutes. Remove peppers from bag and peel of all the skin, remove seeds, guts and top. Slice into smaller pieces.

Toss the cauliflower florets in the olive oil with the salt and pepper. Arrange the cauliflower florets in a single layer in a baking dish. Roast the cauliflower in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Bring the broth, cauliflower and peppers to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes. Puree with a hand blender. Mix in the heavy cream.

Serve garnished with goat cheese and cilantro or dukkah.

(Servings: 2, Prep time: 45 min, Cook time: 30 min, Difficulty: Intermediate)

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