MOM'S GREEN POZOLE

 

Is it ever really posible to give your moms recipe justice?  Hmm, tough to say.  

I guess I always like to think I can come close to that perfection that only my mom can make, but let's be honest here, NOTHING can ever compare those beans, that mole, or the pozole only your mom can make right.  This week, in honor of mommy's day, I decided to give my moms green pozoloe recipe a try in the kitchen.  Of course, my girl Paola was there with me every step of the way and in the midst of our excitement, we decided to switch up a couple things up.   *Please note that Mom's original Pozole verde is made with shredded chicken, but us being the stubborn girls that we are, we decided to try something new and switched to shrimp.  Yes, that is correct. We made Green Shrimp Pozole and it was delicious!  

I hope all of you have fun with the recipe.  It's a simple and delicious way to surprise your mom with Mother's day brunch made from scratch.   

Enjoy! 

Apologies in advance to my moms if by any chance she hates the fact that I added shrimp to this pozole :/  Mom, I love you from here to the moon.  I promise to remake this for you next time you are in town 

xoxo

Ingredients

7 cups 2 quarts (or 8 cups) of chicken broth

3 bay leaves

2 cups of cooked hominy

2 lbs tomatillo, de-husked and quartered

2 cups of cilantro leaves

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup white onion, roughly chopped

2-3 chiles serranos, minced, deseeded 

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup sesame seed, toasted

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

2 corn tortillas

1 1/2 lbs shrimp

Kosher salt

 

Garnish

A bunch of radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

Dry oregano

A couple dozen tostadas

Preparation

Fill a medium stockpot with 5 cups of the chicken broth, bay leaves and hominy. Set stockpot on heat to bring to a simmer. 

Add to a blender the toasted sesame seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, tortillas and 2 cups of chicken broth, puree until smooth and add to stockpot. 

 Prepare the green salsa by pureeing in a blender the reserved 1 cup of chicken broth, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, onions and chiles until smooth.

 Heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add the green pureed salsa and cinnamon stick until the salsa thickens, about 15 minutes. Reserve.

 Add salsa verde to the stockpot and simmer for 10 more minutes. Adjust seasonings and add salt if necessary.

 Add shrimp and cook until the shrimp start turning pink, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and serve into deep bowls, top with garnish and serve with tostadas. 

 

Also, if any of you are interested in hearing me talk a bit more about this and other of my mamas recipes.  I will be joining an amazing panel of LA food peeps this Thursday, May 8th at the KPCC Crawford Family Forum from 7:30-9pm for Make What Your Mama Gave Ya: Dishing on family eats and tradition in LA.  Hope to see you there! 

RSVP HERE
 
Posted on May 7, 2014 by Bricia Lopez and filed under recipes and tagged Pozole Verde Entrees 1-30.

DRUNKEN RICE PUDDING

 

Ever since I first tried Ancho Reyes, I was hooked!  I mean really, what’s not to like about a 40%AV Chile Ancho Liqueur.  I have been trying it in different cocktail menus all around LA (all winners) but I had ben curious to give it a try in the kitchen for sometime now.  My first instinct was to use it on a dessert, so when Paola mentioned making Arroz con Leche, it just made perfect sense to bring these two together.  We were right; it was just way too good.

I am not going to lie to you all though, having a little Chile Ancho on ice with soda water may have helped a bit, but it made our cooking time a lot more fun.  Between boy drama and family heartaches, this arroz con leche and Ancho Reyes made for the perfect ending to our latest cooking date.  Paola and I look forward to cooking with this a lot more..

 

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

 

Xo,

B

You can find Ancho Reyes at K&L Wines

 
 

Ingredients

1 cup Arborio rice

2 cups water

3 cups milk

1 cup coconut milk

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/4 cup Ancho Reyes Liqueur plus 1/4 teaspoon for serving  

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Freshly ground cinnamon and chocolate shavings for sprinkling

Preparation

Combine the rice, cinnamon stick and water in a medium pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the water is almost gone, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, coconut milk, vanilla, Ancho Reyes Liqueur, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then lower to a simmer, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Serve into bowls and pour the remaining Ancho Reyes Liqueur onto the arroz con leche. Sprinkle with cinnamon and chocolate shavings and serve. 

 

 
Posted on April 9, 2014 by Bricia Lopez and filed under recipes and tagged Arroz con Leche Dessert 1-30.

ARROZ ROJO

 

I am heading to Oaxaca this coming weekend for my friends wedding, and have been laying low on the carbs for a while (you know, a girls gotta fit in her dress).  So I must admit that I was extra excited when Paola and I decided to remake this all time favorite rice recipe of mine.  Arroz rojo is a staple in Mexican cooking and there are several variations, but Paola and I decided to keep it traditional this time around and share an all time classic with you all.  I hope you love and devour it as much as we did.  We'll be sharing other rice recipes in the future.  Her mom told me over the phone today of a cilantro and lime recipe I cannot wait to try!

This arroz rojo recipe keeps super well, so if you decide to only have a small portion as a side dish and save the rest for a latter occasion, please do so.  But just in case you want to go all out and have it as your main dish (as I did), I recommend you top it off with a fried egg and accompany it with a few chipotle peppers and of course, a few tortillas and a cold beer.  I mean, after spending sometime in the kitchen making dinner, a gals gotta reward herself with a cold one right? 

Provecho 

B

Ingredients

1 15 oz can tomatoes in juice, drained

1/2 white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled, halved

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

Salt to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice

1/4 cups peas 

1/4 cups diced carrots

2 serranos, cut a slit down the center of one side

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear. Drain rice and reserve.

 In a blender puree the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. In a measuring pot, heat the chicken broth until steaming.  Keep warm.

 In a large sauté pan with a tight fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the raw rice and stir regularly until the grains become translucent and some start to turn brown. This takes about 5-6 minutes.  Add the pureed tomato mixture. Stir. Cook until liquid is reduced and the mixture is somewhat dry-looking, about 2-3 minutes.

 Add the warm broth, chiles, peas and carrots, and parsley. Stir thoroughly. Cover and cook over the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for about 5 minutes.

 

Uncover and test a grain of rice. If it is still a little hard, re-cover the pan and set back over the low heat for another 5 minutes. (If all of the liquid is absorbed, add 2 Tbsp of water before returning it to the heat.)

 

As soon as the rice is done, fluff it with a fork and turn off the heat, allowing it to rest until it releases all the steam to finish cooking. Use the two serranos for decoration when serving or eating. 

 

 
Posted on March 12, 2014 by Bricia Lopez and filed under recipes and tagged Red Rice Sides 1-30.