These are a tribute to Starvin’ Arvin’s in Grand Junction – the originator of the Green Supreme.  I was missing them the other day and decided to try my hand at making up my own.  It helped that I had some green chili on hand (leftover from the camping trip potluck the night before).

WHAT YOU NEED:

• eggs – scrambled, over easy, sunny side up, filled with garlic, whatever your preference
• green chili – you will need LOTS of this!  Well, if you are like us anyway.  Check out the recipe here
• sour cream
• cheddar cheese
• fluffy biscuits (we made ours with some cheddar inside – sooooo good!)

Basic Bisquick biscuits work great – just don’t roll them out.  You want all of those nooks and crannies to catch everything.   Put 1 to 3 biscuits on each plate – depending on the size of the biscuits and the appetites you are serving.

<biscuits>

Lay an egg or two over and around the biscuits.

<eggs & biscuits>

Cover both with lots of green chili.  Then add some more   Oh, and cheese.  Generously sprinkle the cheese over the eggs and the chili.  Top with a dollop of sour cream.

<all together now>

Voila!  These are soooo good.  Not quite heuvos rancheros, more than just eggs and chili, and just right.

Part of the beauty of these is that you can make most of it a day or so ahead & just warm it up.  Makes it good for a group.

This is one of those recipes that doesn’t have any exact measurements… just get the basic ingredients and you’re golden.

Oh, and it can be as hot as you can handle it, but it’s rarely terribly cool.  It all depends on the peppers used.  These are the basic guidelines…

Ingredients:

• 2 Anaheim chilis
• 2 jalapenos (the redder the better)
• olive oil
• 1 med sweet onion
• 6+ cloves garlic
• 6 pork chops, cubed
• 4 tomatillos
• 2 cans Herdez salsa verde
• water (usually around 2-4 cups)
• flour (1 Tbsp for every cup of water)

In a dry saute pan over med-high dry roast the chilies until the skins blister.  Cut off the stems and empty the seeds out (unless you want the heat they add).  Chop them up and set aside.

Chop the tomatillos and set aside.

Peel and chop the onion and garlic.  Drizzle some olive oil in the saute pan and caramelize the onion & garlic.  When the onion is translucent add the chilies and tomatillos and saute together until caramelized.  Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pan brown the pork on all sides.  Add the onion mixture and the Herdez salsa verde.  If you need more liquid, combine a tablespoon of flour with a cup of water and add to the pan.  Add more as needed.

Allow this to cook down for about 20 minutes.  The longer it sits, the more flavor it will have.

Serve with warm tortillas, chips, sour cream or as part of a green supreme (recipe coming soon).

Enjoy!

*It is also very tasty made with chicken.

** make it vegeretian by leaving out the pork, but be warned that the pork or chicken really adds a lot of “filler” and makes it go much further.

So, you have burritos or tacos, and you just want a little something to go with them, right?  Or perhaps you are one who likes to have rice inside your burritos… well, here is a great rice that’s a cinch to make!

Ingredients:

• pre-cooked rice (we use leftovers) about 1-2 cups is good
• 1 can Herdez Salsa Verde (not a jar, a can)
• 1/2 sweet onion – chopped
• garlic – minced
• diced fire-roasted chilies – optional
• olive oil – for the pan

Pour some oil into a large skillet or saute pan.  Saute the garlic and onions (and chilies if using) until they just start to carmalize.

Add the cooked rice to the pan, stir a bit, and pour the salsa verde over it.  Stir again.  Cook until it’s warmed throughout.

Serve, eat and enjoy!

Told you it was easy…

This also transports very well, and it’s even better after it sits for a day or so.  Some people don’t like any spice, but for those that do, you can easily substitute a diced jalapeño or two for the can of chilies.

This is a great recipe if you need to feed a crowd – it can grow as large as you need it to (the kids even like it!)  It is also a way to use up some extra pantry staples…

Ingredients:

• pinto beans – start with 4 cans/6 cups
• 1 large sweet onion
• 6 cloves garlic (or more, depending on your taste)
• olive oil
• chicken or turkey – at least 4 breasts or thighs
• crushed tomatoes – 1 large can
• 2 cans diced tomatoes – fire roasted are tasty!
• 1 can green chilis (or more, if you like it spicy!)
• 1 box chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• cumin
• jalapenos to taste
• 6-8 leaves espazote – minced

In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil and warm it up.  Dice the onion and cook until translucent.  Mince the garlic and add it to the onions.  If you are using jalapenos, shop them up and add them now.  When they begin to brown, add the chicken breasts and cook through.  Shred it and make sure it is all browned a little bit.

In a large crock pot, add the beans, broth, espazote, chilis and cumin.  Add the chicken and onions and cook for about an hour.  If you are using dried beans, make sure they are cooked through before adding any tomatoes, as the acidity will make the undercooked beans tough

Let it cook for 4+ hours, or until you are ready to serve it.  The longer it sits, the better the flavors meld.

To serve, gently crush some tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, ladle in the soup and top with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Ingredients:

3 corn cobs
1 can black beans
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 cup cubed mango
1/2 cup zucchini wedges

3 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
dash garlic powder
dash salt
dash pepper

Combine veggies in a bowl. I cut the zucchini in quarters lengthwise and then sliced it to make wedges.

In a measuring cup, combine juice, vinegar, oil and spices. Whisk together and pour over the veggies. Toss lightly and serve!

This is an easy kid friendly recipe that the whole family can help with!

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. shortening
1/3 cup warm milk

In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder and shortening.  Slowly add in the warm milk and mix.

Knead the dough until slightly tacky (like bread dough).  Form into 1.5 inch balls and roll out as flat as possible.

Cook in an ungreased skillet or griddle.

Butter, fold and eat!

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We made the double batch pictured above using whole wheat flour.  If you choose whole wheat, add just a touch more milk.

These are great to let the kids help with!  They enjoy getting to knead the dough and roll out the tortillas.  Getting them round is always a challenge!

I set out to make a pot of potato soup the other night… and it turned into something entirely different, but very tasty!

We had some leftover salmon from the night before, so I added that in with the garlic and leeks. Then I used a buttery sweet corn soup (from Pacific) that I had in the pantry instead of the milk. That made for a very tasty chowder in and of itself… but then I kicked it up another notch! We also had some spicy sour cream leftover from the night before – basically sour cream mixed with cholula pepper sauce & dry cholula seasoning – and a can of fire roasted green chilis. The result was nearly sublime!

I’m calling it Western Seafood Chowder, as it is a melding of Southwestern and Northwestern cooking. It is a great meal starter, or make it the meal!

5 red potatoes – peeled & chopped
5 carrots – peeled and chopped
1/2 cup corn nibblets

seafood options
pre-cooked fish (leftovers are great!)
scallops
clams
fish (salmon, halibut, cod, tilapia, etc)

2 Tbsp. minced leek
1-2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 small can ortega green chilis or jalapenos (depending on the heat you want) or 1 fresh jalapeno, diced and seeded
2 slices peppered bacon – cut into 1/2-inch pieces before frying
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
1-1/2 tsp. black pepper OR Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/4 tsp. white pepper
seafood seasoning of your choice

1/2 carton Pacific Buttery Sweet Corn soup
1/2 carton chicken broth
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Cheddar cheese – shredded
sour cream*

Boil the potatoes and carrots until soft. About 5 minutes before they are done, add the corn (frozen works well).

In a large saucepan melt 2 Tbsp. of butter, add the uncooked bacon pieces and saute the pepper, leeks and garlic until translucent. If you are using uncooked fish, scallops or clams, add them at this time. Add a touch of olive oil if the butter starts to cook off too soon. Add the black and white pepper and the seafood seasoning. If you are using pre-cooked seafood, add it now.

Sprinkle the flour over the garlic mixture and stir quickly to create a roux. Add the rest of the butter, and allow it to brown. If it is too thick, add the heavy cream.

Add some of the corn soup and stir to mix in the roux with no lumps.

Drain the potatoes and add them to the soup base. Add the rest of the corn soup and chicken broth – enough to make the soup slightly thinner that you want it to end up. If you haven’t added the cream yet, add it now.

Let it simmer for 10 minutes or so and taste it to see if it needs any more seasonings.

Sprinkle shredded cheese in the bottom of each bowl – enough to make a small mound. Ladle the chowder into the bowls and add a dollop of sour cream* to the top. Sprinkle with cheese and chives or dill to garnish.

Serve with warm tortillas or crusty sourdough bread.

*for a tasty upgrade to your sour cream, take 1/2 cup sour cream and mix in 1/2 to 1 tsp. hot chili sauce like cholula or tobasco. You can make it as hot as you want it by adding more or less sauce!

My honey was making us a tasty treat for dinner tonight – pork carnitas – and I was looking for a tasty little something to put alongside them.

I came across a fabulous food blog called Homesick Texan, which offered up an amazing sopapilla recipe…

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2007/01/sopapillas-with-side-of-honey.html

the picture just doesn’t do it justice… they are yummy!
Oh, and don’t let the sweet sopa corral you – they are also wonderful filled with savory goodies like beans and shredded pork, with a good green or red chili of course!

Of course, if you are craving sweet, try stuffing them with a good vanilla ice cream! Add in some fresh sliced strawberries and you’ll have a different take on the old strawberry shortcake.

Enjoy… I know I will!