Green Chili Sauce

This year has been a very good year for my peppers.  In fact everyone I've talked to has remarked about how their peppers have done well.  And the farmer's markets are selling all kinds of peppers at very low prices this years.  My Anaheim peppers are very large, and the plants are very full.  We've been enjoying them in many dishes, and my freezer is full for this winter.  One dish we like to use the Anaheim peppers in, is a green chili sauce.  It's so simple, and uses very few ingredients.  Yet, once you make it - you can use it in many dishes.

You will need:
8 - 10 good sized Anaheim peppers
3 Tabs. olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 teas salt

Preheat the broiler.  Wash and dry the peppers, then place them on a baking sheet.   Broil the peppers until they are nice and charred, turning them over after 5 minutes.

Note:  You can also roast the peppers on a grill outside.

 This is what your charred peppers will look like.

Next place the peppers inside a plastic bag, and close the bag.  Allow the peppers to cool, until you can handle them.  This will make peeling the peppers easier.

 Remove the outer skin, stem, seeds and membrane, (if you want your sauce to have some heat, leave a few seeds in).  Chop the peppers.

 Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan, over medium heat.

 Add the onions and saute until softened.

Add the chopped chili peppers.

Add the minced garlic.

We love garlic, so I always add a little more.

Add the salt.

Add the chicken stock.

Note:  You can use homemade, or store bought stock.

Stir well, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.   Make sure to stir every so often so the sauce doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

 You will notice the sauce is starting to thicken.

 After about 20 minutes, puree the sauce.

You can use an immersion blender, a food processor, or a blender.

Once the sauce is nice and smooth, it is ready to use.

You can use it for enchiladas, tacos, burritos, on pulled pork, fish, chicken, so many ways.

This will keep in the refrigerator easily, and you can freeze it for later use.

Tonight, I am using it over chicken.  I have one pound of chicken thighs that I seasoned and browned the outside.

I placed the chicken into a dutch over, covered the chicken with the green chili sauce, placed the lid on the pan, and baked it in the oven, (350 degrees), for 1 hour.

And I now have a delicious green chili chicken that we can eat with a couple of side dishes.  I can also shred the chicken and make tacos, enchiladas, or burritos.  And I have some sauce to spread over the top.

So, if you have a few peppers, and you're wondering what to do with them, give this green chili sauce a try.

Enjoy !

Chimichurri Sauce topping for meats

One of the easiest, quickest, and inexpensive ways to brighten up beef, chicken, or even pork is with a chimichurri sauce.  It requires very few ingredients, and leftovers can easily be frozen in a zip lock bag for future use.  Here is my recipe.  This recipe makes about one half cup.

Because I don't like to put cold meat into a skillet, I let my meat sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, (this prevents uneven cooking).  I am just using a few simple ingredients to season my steaks, (some kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder).   The rest of this recipe will come together very fast.

For the chimichurri sauce you will need:
3 cloves of garlic, (unpeeled)
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 scallions
1 Tabs. red wine vinegar
1/4 teas red pepper flakes
4 Tabs. olive oil
salt and pepper

In a large pan, (use the one that you are going to cook your steaks in), over medium-low heat, toast the garlic, (unpeeled), in the pan.  You will cook the garlic until it is fragrant and spotty brown.  Make sure to shake the pan occasionally, so the garlic doesn't burn.  This will take 3 or 4 minutes.

While the garlic is cooking, chop 1/2 cup of fresh parsley.

The garlic has cooked, and this is what it looks like - the outer skin has a light tan color, and there are a few brown spots.  You can also smell some of the garlic flavor.  Turn off the heat and remove the garlic to cool.

While the garlic is cooling, chop the scallions, both the white and green parts.

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin.

Into a food processor, (or blender), add the chopped parsley, chopped scallions, garlic, and 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar.

Add 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Pulse for a couple of seconds until finely chopped.

While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in 4 Tablespoons of olive oil and continue processing until the sauce is smooth and emulsified.

Give the sauce a quick taste.  Now you want to season it to taste.

Add salt, (I add about 1/2 teaspoon).

Add pepper, (I add about 1/4 teaspoon).

Pulse for a couple of seconds to incorporate.

Your sauce is now done and ready to use.

In the same pan that I cooked the garlic, I added 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, and now I will cook the steaks until they are well browned on the outside but medium on the inside, (just slightly pink), about 5 - 7 minutes per side.

Remove the steaks to a cutting board, and let them rest for 5 minutes, so the juices can redistribute back into the meat.  Then slice against the grain, plate, and add the chimichurri sauce.

And dinner is ready.

This sauce will brighten any meat.  And it's delicious anytime of year.  The red pepper flakes give just a slight bit of heat, but don't over power, and the fresh parsley is a welcome relief against any kind of meat or roasted vegetable.

Give this sauce a try.

Enjoy !

Teriyaki Chicken in the Crock Pot

Here is an easy way to make Teriyaki Chicken in your crock pot, and this recipe will easily feed 6 with very few ingredients.

You will need:
1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast, (or you can use chicken thighs)
1 Tabs. honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 Tabs. apple cider vinegar
1 teas. ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teas. ground black pepper
2 teas. corn starch
2 teas chicken stock

In the crock pot, add the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper.  Give these a good whisk to mix them together.

Note:  if you want a deeper flavor to your sauce, you can use molasses instead of honey.

Next add the chicken breast

Turn the chicken over a couple of times to coat the soy sauce mixture on the chicken.  You want it to have a good coating.  Cover the crock pot, and cook on low, about 3 to 4 hours, (until the chicken is cooked).

Every hour, give the chicken a turn to ensure even cooking in the soy sauce mixture.

It's been 3 1/2 hours and the chicken is browning nicely and the sauce has a nice rich ginger/garlic smell.  This is when I start cooking my rice and vegetables to serve with the chicken.


Note:  since I only need 2 teas of chicken stock later on to thicken my sauce, I set that amount aside in a small bowl, and use the rest of the stock, (with enough water), to cook my rice.  It adds nice flavor to the rice, but it's not necessary.

 Once your chicken is cooked completely, remove and set aside on a cutting board.  Notice the nice brown teriyaki coloring on the chicken.

When it has cooled a little, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Pour your teriyaki sauce from the crock pot into a small saucepan, and over medium heat, bring to a boil.

Into the small bowl that has your 2 teaspoons of chicken stock, add the 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and whisk together until combined.

Note:  If you want, you can substitute water for the chicken stock - then you don't have to open a new box or can.

Once the sauce is boiling, slowing add the cornstarch mixture, and stir in.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken, (stirring occasionally), for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chicken back to the empty crock pot.

Pour the thickened soy sauce over the chicken and stir to coat the chicken.

 Your chicken is now ready to serve over your cooked rice and vegetables.

And here is your meal, teriyaki chicken over rice with vegetables.  I chopped a couple of green onions and sprinkled them over the top and my supper is all ready to serve.  Very easy!

ENJOY !