Calabacitas or Summer Squash and Corn

 A lovely Mexican and Mexican American summer dish, made with summer squash and zucchini, cooked with green chiles, bacon and corn.   

4 cups diced yellow squash and zucchini squash, mixed together

about 2 cups fresh or frozen corn cut off the cob 

4 slices of bacon cooked until crisp, then set aside

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

3-? cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped (use as much as you like)

about 1/4 cup, seeded and chopped green chiles of whatever heat level you prefer, I like to use roasted Hatch green chiles when available.    you can use more chiles if you wish, I often use ½ to 1 cup if the chiles are milder in flavor

1 cup heavy cream 

3-4 tbsp. bacon fat left from cooking the bacon

 Cook the bacon until crisp and set aside.   Remove all but 3-4 tbsp of the bacon fat from the pan.   Cook the onion,  and squash until lightly browned, stirring often.  Add the garlic and green chiles, cooking until the garlic is fragrant.    Add the corn and cook until the squash and corn are both tender.   Add the heavy cream and reduce the heat, cooking until the mixture is nearly dry.   Salt and pepper to taste.   Serve as a side dish or even as a main dish for a Mexican/Southwest themed meal.   It is addictive. 

 If you wish to add a protein to it, add cooked diced or shredded chicken, whatever amount you have or wish.   Some people will top this with cheese, but I find that with the cream it is gilding the lily.    

Frijole Rancheros or Rancher's Beans

1 pound of dried beans, pinto or black
1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp and set aside
about 1/4 cup rendered bacon fat, with the crunchies in the bottom of the pan if possible
1 medium sized onion, peeled and partially quartered so the onion holds together
1 whole green chile pepper, whole
3-4 large cloves of garlic, peeled
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1-3 green chiles, seeded and chopped
3-4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
3-4 ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped or a small can of diced tomatoes

Cover beans in cold water and then bring to a boil, boil about 15 minutes, then remove from heat, cover and allow to sit an. hour.    After the hour, add the whole onion, whole chile and who garlic cloves and bring the beans to a boil again, then reduce heat so the beans just barely simmer.   Simmer until very tender, another 45 minutes to an hour, until they are very tender.   When tender remove from the heat and set aside.   Take the whole vegetables from the pot and mash or chop finely, then add back to the beans.  

Next, take the reserved bacon fat and heat in another pan.   Add the chopped onions and green chiles, saute until they are are starting to brown, then add the garlic.   Fry just a few minutes and then add tomatoes.   Simmer this until the mixture is almost dry, stirring often.    When mixture is cooked, add it and the bacon into the beans, bring them back to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes or so. 

Is good with any kind of Mexican food or by itself.     If you have leftover roast pork, you can add that to the beans as well.   Makes a good meal by itself.  

Green Chile Chicken Stew With Green Chile Dumplings

Green Chile Chicken Stew with Green Chile and Cheese Dumplings

Heat about ½ cup oil in a large, deep Dutch oven. Add one large onion, peeled and chopped. When the onions are lightly browned, add about 3 large cloves and garlic that have been peeled and chopped, use more if you wish. Immediately after adding the garlic, add ½ cup flour and stirring constantly, cook until the flour is lightly browned. Pour in 2 quarts of chicken broth and about 1 1/2-2 cups roasted peeled and chopped green chile. Stir constantly until the gravy is thickened. Add 3-4 cups cooked chopped chicken. Reduce heat to a low simmer and stir on occasion to keep from sticking.

Now mix up the dumpling dough. Take two cups flour in a large bowl, add 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp. baking soda. Stir until all are mixed well. Melt about 2/3 cup butter and stir into the flour mixture and mix together, then stir in 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese and ½ cup grated Parmesan. Beat together 1 egg, ½ cup roasted peeled and chopped green chiles and about a cup of buttermilk. Stir this into the flour mixture until well blended. If too dry, add more buttermilk, if to wet, more flour. Then spoon the mixture on top of the simmering stew, cover and cook about 20 minutes. At that time stick a toothpick in the center of one of the dumpling, if done it will come out clean. Top each serving with some more grated cheese if you wish.

If you wish, you could do this with a beef stew or even a pork stew.   Would also be a good way to use up leftover turkey at Thanksgiving.   

Be sure to use a high quality roasted green chile, preferably Hatch.   I use the jarred 505 green chile that you can order from 505 or sometimes can be found in local grocery stores, the Topeka WalMart carries it.