Trying to master New Mexico cuisine.

One dish I have tried at Mexican restaurants is Carne Adovada; pork that has been marinated overnight in New Mexico chiles, cumin and oregano. Living in my area, Mexican restaurants are not readily available. We did have one place, but it was forced out of business...nice, right?

Anyway, I decided that it was time to tackle this recipe, and learn to make it myself. I researched the origins, read over recipes, and came up with a combination of ingredients. Usually Carne Adovada is very spicy, or the ones I have tried were; so I cut the spice down a bit. Anyone trying this recipe can up the spice then to their own liking.

I also wanted rice as a side dish, but I'm not happy with the Mexican or Texas dry rice recipes, so came up with a combination of both which is moist and very flavorful. Eaten together with the pork, each dish compliments the other.

Carne Adovada

While this dish is primarily made with pork; beef or chicken can be substituted and cooking time will need to be adjusted.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp flour

3 Tbsp New Mexico red chili powder

2 ½ cups water

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp dried crushed oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp salt

4 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into cubes

Preparation:

In a medium skillet, heat the oil on medium heat; whisk in the flour and let cook until golden brown; whisk in the chili powder.  Gradually add the water and continue to whisk to prevent clumping.  Add in the garlic, oregano, cumin and salt; reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Place pork cubes into large bowl; pour cooled mixture over pork and mix to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (minimum 12 hrs).

Next day, set a 4 quart crock pot on low; place pork and marinade inside; cover and cook for 5-6 hours; until pork is tender.

Makes 8-10 servings.

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Tex-Mex Skillet Rice

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ cup diced onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp chili powder

3 cups cooked long grain rice

1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

½ tsp dried crushed oregano

2 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro

Preparation:

In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, sauté onion in oil until softened; stir in garlic and chili powder; mix thoroughly.  Add rice and mix to coat rice with seasoned onion; cook an additional 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low; mix in beans, corn, tomatoes and oregano and let cook for 10 minutes.  Before serving, sprinkle cilantro over all.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

My baby boy is one today; he deserves brisket!

Happy Birthday Tippy!  He’s made it to one year old, and deserves whatever he wants; he loves mama’s brisket.   The vet estimated that Tippy was 4 months old when I found him; abandoned, he had been wandering the streets of a neighboring town.  His breed is primarily Australian Shepherd with another breed mixed in, but can’t be sure which one.

The poor little guy was only 17 lbs., had stopped making red blood cells and was in the first stage of Parvo; he was given an 85% chance to live. His treatment was supposed to take two weeks, but surprisingly it only took one week before he was home once again.

Today, Tippy is a very happy, healthy dog; weighing in at 70 lbs, muscular and a wonderful bundle of love. He has deep brown eyes that can quickly put anyone under the spell of absolute cuteness. He is protective of his family and home; and his growls warn anyone to stay away if not invited. Yet, he is gentle with the cats, and lets our little Basenji, Nefertiti, roll him onto his back while she playfully mauls him; she’s only 15 lbs.

Tippy is my baby boy, but daddy’s buddy; you’ll always see Tippy sitting by Roy’s feet, or walking by his side.  Every night, when Roy comes home, he has to lift Tippy up onto his lap, and cuddle him like a father would his small child.  Yep, Tippy is one of the best little creatures that has come into our lives, and we love him dearly.  Happy Birthday Tippy, Love from Mommy and Daddy.

Now when I made the brisket, the weather kept me from using one of my smokers. Instead, I set my gas oven to 225F; seasoned a 4 lb. brisket with my homemade All Purpose Rub for Grilling and Smoking, previously posted on April 21, 2011, and wrapped it in aluminum foil. I placed it on the rack, inside a roasting pan, put it in the oven, and just let it do its thing for 8 hours. The next day, in 30F weather, I had the brisket on the barbeque, high heat, getting a good char on both sides and basted with my homemade barbeque sauce. Only took me about 15 minutes for the whole process, and the cold hands was worth it.

All Purpose Barbeque Sauce
Ingredients:

2 Tbsp peanut oil (if not available, use canola oil)
1 small onion, diced
1Tbsp minced garlic
1 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground horseradish
¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp each salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup dark molasses

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium-high heat; sauté onion and garlic till softened; be careful not to burn garlic. Add in remaining ingredients, stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes; sauce will thicken. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking or burning. If sauce thickens too much, stir in a tablespoon of water until desired consistency is achieved.

Use warm or cold; store in refrigerator in airtight container; will keep for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 2 cups.

Mary Cokenour

Arches Chinese Restaurant is so-so.

Arches

1770 E. 20th Street
Farmington, NM, 87401

(505) 327-1351

Website: N/A

As with other Chinese restaurants in the Four Corners area, the main cuisine of Arches is Mandarin cuisine based. However, I noticed that when it comes to sauces, this restaurant favors sweet and sour sauce; it seemed to be everywhere. It was available as a condiment.

At the buffet serving tables, it was included in such dishes as “Beef with Broccoli” and “General Tso Chicken”; the actual “Sweet and Sour Chicken” was so saturated in the sauce, it was a goopy mess. The first two dishes mentioned are normally in a brown sauce, but not at Arches.

The individual serving units were one quarter to half full with many other dishes, with the sauces congealing, and a skin forming over whatever dishes they covered; or the vegetables were obviously limp from sitting over the steaming tables. The fried rice and pork lo mein were kept piled high with fresh servings, as was the fruit table. The restaurant was busy, so there was no reason why the food was not refreshed as it ran low. For the dishes I tried, I found the food to be mediocre, at best, and lacking in seasoning.

The saving grace for Arches hot food was the spring and egg rolls; crispy on the outside and the cabbage filling was finely shredded, so easier to bite into and eat in small portions. The sweet and sour sauce plus hot mustard were a great accompaniment for these. The fruit table contained many varieties, all tasting and looking fresh.

All in all, the price for the buffet is reasonable, especially if you’re not picky about the quality.

Mary Cokenour

What to do with Chicken Thighs?

I am not a big fan of chicken thighs; I don't like dark meat on poultry, and they are too fatty for my tastes. My hubby and his family though don't agree, so I usually make the thighs just for them...either fried or barbequed. His mom likes to pick up grocery items when they are on sale, and have me cook them up, and what did she buy....you guessed it, chicken thighs.

I didn't want to pull out the deep fryer; I didn't want to put the oven on to have them roast in barbeque sauce; I wanted something a bit more creative this time around. Southwestern....no, Italian....no; lets go a little Asian this time; but instead of the usual sweet and sour sauce, lets use up the apricot and pineapple jams in the pantry.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
3 cups dried seasoned bread crumbs
peanut or canola oil for frying
1 cup each sugar snap peas, chopped broccoli
1/2 cup each chopped onion, red, yellow and green bell peppers
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup each apricot, pineapple jams

Preparation:

In a large bowl, coat the chicken with the bread crumbs. Fill a large skillet with about 1-1/2 inches of oil and bring temperature up to 375F. Fry, about 5 minutes, 12 pieces of the chicken at a time and drain on paper towels.

When all the chicken is done, remove all the oil but 2 Tbsp; place into the skillet the vegetables, soy sauce and ginger; mix and cook for 7 minutes. Add back the chicken and mix in jams, making sure to coat all the chicken and vegetables. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Kuchu's at Ute Mountain Casino; nothing to brag about.

Kuchu's Restaurant
- located at Ute Mountain Casino -

3 Weeminuche Drive at Yellow Jacket
Towaoc, CO 81334

Phone: (970) 565-8800 - or - 1-800-258-8007
Fax: (970) 565-6553

Website: http://www.utemountaincasino.com/kuchus.html

Being the Memorial Day weekend, we decided to do something different. I had told Roy about how, since the renovation of Atlantic City in New Jersey, I had gone to the casinos there once a year until 1994. He had never been to a casino; Ute Mountain Casino was only about an hour away, so why not? The casino itself is small compared to any at Atlantic City, and I had to keep in mind that this was certainly not Atlantic City. Any staff we dealt with were friendly and helpful, and we quickly found a couple of slot machines to play on. The slot machines here are all controlled via buttons; oh, some have pull arms, but not many; and you won't hear the clinking of money falling as you win. Coins aren't used to play, and a ticket is dispensed when you cash out on a machine. I found it to be equal to playing a video game, and rather boring. Roy said it was ok, considering it was his first time at a casino, and then again, he plays video games on his computer, so he could relate to this type of play.

We had heard pro and con reviews about Kuchu's, so tried the lunch buffet...and wished we hadn't. Kuchu's interior reminds one of a school cafeteria with white walls, and someone resembling a "lunch lady" behind the buffet.

The spare ribs were very fatty with little meat; the crust on the chicken pot pie was like paste; the macaroni in the dish resembling "hamburger helper" was so overcooked, it dissolved in the mouth. The vegetables were swimming in a cloudy water with an oily sheen on top. The soup was thin and tasted canned. The "hot" food was barely warm, and had the taste of prefrozen products that had been sitting in the freezer for months. The saving grace of this awful meal was the mashed potatoes which were creamy and buttery. If you don't mind having all you can eat mashed potatoes for $9.95, and nothing else, you'll do fine.

Seriously, if you visit the casino, have fun; but if you want a good meal; go to one of the many restaurants in nearby Cortez, CO.

Mary Cokenour

Stonefish Sushi and More is certainly more than expected.

Stonefish Sushi and More
16 West Main Street
Cortez, CO, 81321

(970) 565-9244

Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stonefish-Sushi-More/129798563719697

Walking into Stonefish Sushi, you're immediately greeted by an open atmosphere of feeling good; the decor is a perfect fusion of East meets West. It's the type of place you want to sit in for awhile, talking, eating, and just having a good time. The wait staff is very attentive, don't mind answering any questions, and make sure you are pleased.

Happy hour(4:30 - 5:30)was in full swing when we walked in, and the place was 3/4 full. The tables are arranged along the walls, with cushions and pillows covering the bench that is against the wall, and chairs are in the main walking area. There is only a couple of feet between tables, so if you're looking for privacy, you won't accomplish that here.

We ordered sake, Calamari dinner entree, Volcano and Vegas rolls. While we waited for our meal, we spied on the neighboring diners to see what they were eating, and how were they enjoying themselves. We also had the bar (duel duty of sushi bar and alcohol bar), and watched the two preparers work. The two guys preparing the sushi were working fast and hard to get the orders out; from what we saw of the plates coming out, the menu items looked fantastic. We heard comments of "oh, this looks so good"; "this tastes great!"; I swear, I believe one guy would have picked up his plate and licked it clean, if he could.

First our Calamari arrived with a semi-spicy Thai sauce that was delectable; the Calamari, however, was a little disappointing; very thinly sliced and fried to such a crisp that it fell apart like potato chips. The pieces were difficult to pick up with chopsticks, dip and eat; most of the flavor came from the sauce. Ok, it was classified as a dinner item, but was more an appetizer.

Next came the Volcano roll (avocado, cucumber, krab), and it was quite pretty to behold; and tasted wonderful. The pieces were uniform and fit perfectly in the mouth for that one bite sushi should be; the spicy lobster topping with roe was awesomely good.

Then came the Vegas roll(salmon, avocado, cream cheese)lightly fried tempura style with spicy mayo and unagi sauce. OH MY!!! It melted in the mouth and was purely succulent; almost like an obscene dessert.

Which brings me to dessert, and we tried the Green Tea ice cream. If you haven't tried this item before, beware, it is not your typical ice cream; not overly sweet, more of a savory nature, but you just can't put the spoon down and stop eating it.

Overall...we can't wait to go back again, and try out some of the other menu items.

Mary Cokenour

Copycat recipe for Stuffed Salmon

When I lived on the East Coast, there were two warehouse chain stores in the area, BJ's Warehouse and Costco.  The closest place now is Sam's Club, and that's about three hours to Grand Junction, CO, so I don't go there very often.  One item we really enjoyed eating was the stuffed salmon filets; of course it was stuffed with imitation crab meat, but we didn't care because it tasted so yummy.

Yesterday I wanted to make a romantic dinner for Roy and myself; and I just happened to have thick salmon filets and imitation crab meat on hand.  Time to get the brain cells going, remember how the stuffed salmon tasted and come up with a copycat recipe.  Well folks, it came out well, and very, very close to the actual product I used to purchase.

So, anyone looking for a copycat recipe for Costco or BJ's Warehouse stuffed salmon with crabmeat, try out my recipe, and I believe you'll be pretty impressed.

Stuffed Salmon

This is a copycat recipe I came up with for the stuffed salmon that is sold in warehouse chains such as Costco and BJ’s Warehouse.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided in half

4 (1/2 lb each) salmon filets, at least 1 ½” thick; deboned and skin removed

1 cup flaked style imitation crab meat, pulled apart

1 cup hot, cooked long grain rice

1 Tbsp melted butter

1 Tbsp softened cream cheese

½ tsp minced garlic

¼ tsp each crushed, dried celery seed, basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary and thyme

 1 tsp each salt and dill

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F.  Brush 2 Tbsp olive oil on bottom and sides of a 1.5 qt baking dish.

Make a cut lengthwise on each filet, leave ½” uncut space on each side, and on the bottom; create a pocket by gently running tip of sharp knife under each flap and leave ½” space each side.

In a medium bowl, combine crab meat, rice, butter, cream cheese, garlic and herbs (except salt and dill) well.  Spoon filling into each filet pocket; creating a small mound at the top.  Brush remaining olive oil onto salmon; sprinkle salt and dill over the salmon and place into baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes; check for doneness (thickest part of filet will flake) about 2 minutes before allotted cooking time.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour

May 24, 2011