Hatch Green Chili Stew

As I was strolling through Whole Foods with my dear friend and mentor, Mary Jane, I saw the most mouth-watering sight!  It was the Whole Foods version of a green chili stew and it was yummy.  I took a look at the ingredients and decided to try it myself.  All I can say is if you like spicy, you will really enjoy this recipe.  Hatch green chilies are in season right now so you can either roast your own, or buy the large can of whole Hatch green chilies.  For me, I had some left over Hatch chilies that I roasted a few nights before so I combined those with the canned whole Hatch green chilies.

Ingredients:
1 large can whole green chilies (or 10-12 roasted fresh chilies, roasting instructions below)
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch chunks
2 tbsps. canola oil 
13 oz. can vegetable broth
2 tbsps. flour
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 jalapeno chilies, diced
3 tomatillos, diced
Salt to taste


Instructions:
In large frying pan, saute' chicken in 1 tbsp. oil until almost cooked through. Add another tbsp. oil, onions, garlic, jalapenos, tomatillos, and continue to saute until onions are translucent.  In small mixing bowl, add flour to vegetable broth and stir until flour mixture is smooth with no lumps.  Add to chicken mixture.  Coarsely chop green chilies and add to mixture.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  This recipe is great served over brown rice or in a bowl by itself!


To roast fresh whole green chilies:
Place chilies on a cookie sheet.  Turn oven to broil.  Broil until the skin of the chilies blackens and blisters.  Remove from oven and immediately place chilies into plastic ziploc bag.  Leave the chilies in the plastic for 30 minutes.  The skin of the chilies will peel off easily. You must remove the skin and most of the seeds from the inside of the chilies. 

Saucy Southwestern Barley

I was never a barley aficionado!  To me, barley was something you added to canned vegetables (yuck), noodles, canned tomatoes, and called it Minestrone Soup.  One of the nutritionists at Scottsdale Cardiac Rehab encouraged us to take a look at barley as a grain to add to our diet.  So I did.  I looked up a lot of websites and info about barley and was amazed at all the health benefits contained in barley.  Apparently barley can not only lower cholesterol but can also lower the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Here is a website  I really enjoyed that taught me a lot about barley:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127

For us, the real test was in the tasting because no matter how beneficial, if we HATED barley, we wouldn't  eat it.  First I tried cooking it plain.  I washed, then simmered the barley in water until all the moisture was absorbed.  Then added a little salt and a little sesame oil.  Wow...so many possibilities!  Cooked plain, barley has a mild, nutty, and totally delicious flavor!  I imagine I will now be using barley as a whole grain for breakfast with some honey, raisins, and cinnamon or just adding honey and chopped fruit.  Also, I can add veggies and herbs and create tasty side dishes as well.

Following is a barley concoction I created which I usually use to make Spanish rice and as I discovered, it is delicious with barley too.


Ingredients:
1 cup barley
2 1/2 cups water
1 ear fresh corn
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 poblano chili, diced
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
salt/pepper to taste
2 tsps. canola oil
2 tsps. sesame oil

Instructions:
Thoroughly wash barley in colander.  Bring water to boil in medium saucepan and add barley.  Simmer for about 45 minutes until water is absorbed.  (You can reduce cooking time by soaking barley in water over night.)  Shave corn off the ear then saute' corn, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and poblano chili in canola oil until onion starts to brown.  Remove from stove and add to cooked barley.  Salt and pepper to taste. Instead of butter, I like to flavor with sesame oil.  In this particular recipe, sesame oil really enhances the nutty taste of the barley.

Tonight, Don and I are going to have Ancho-Honey Glazed Chicken Breasts with this barley recipe as a side and our yummy kale salad. (Check out the January and February archives on this blog)  We've been eating vegan for the last week and are having chicken as a treat!

Ranch Dressing for the Heart with Vegenaise

For those who have a heart condition or are struggling with high cholesterol...thanks to my favorite non-dairy, gluten-free mayo substitute,  no one has to say good-bye to ranch dressing! Vegenaise has a great tangy flavor and the ingredients contained in Vegenaise are very healthy.

The company that produces Vegenaise is called Follow Your Heart.  Check out their website to get a list of all the wonderful products they make.  The website has some great recipes too.

http://www.followyourheart.com/

 Ingredients:

1 cup reduced-fat Vegenaise

1/3  cup milk substitute (almond milk, soy milk, etc.)

1 clove  garlic

1 tsp. dill weed or 2 tsps. fresh chopped dill weed

2 tsps. fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 small shallot 

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to food processor and puree for about 30 seconds or finely chop ingredients and stir together thoroughly.

Black Bean and Spinach Vegan Enchiladas

Absolutely NO cholesterol in this vegan recipe however, adding 2 cups of cooked and diced chicken breast is a tasty option.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. frozen chopped frozen spinach, drained
1/2 diced med. onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
*1 chopped poblano chili, optional
 2 fifteen oz. cans black beans, drained
1 pkg. cheese alternative e.g. rice, almond, or soy cheese
28 oz. can  Las Palmas Red Colorado Chili Sauce 
18-24 corn tortillas
Canola oil for frying tortillas


Instructions:
Saute' onion, poblano chili, and garlic in frying pan in 1 tbsp. canola oil until onion is translucent.  Drain spinach,  then add spinach, tomatoes, and black beans.  Add 1/2 cup of red chili sauce and 1/4 cup of cheese alternative.  Stir together in frying pan then set aside.  Soft fry tortillas and blot oil with paper towels.  Tortillas can also be heated in microwave until they are pliable if you want to reduce fat.  In a 9" by 12" casserole dish, assemble first layer enchiladas by adding a dollop (approximately a heaping tbsp) of black bean/spinach mixture and rolling up in tortillas.  After first layer of enchiladas is assembled, pour chili sauce over and top with 1/2 remaining cheese alternative.  Assemble second layer of tortillas, top with cheese alternative, and pour remaining red chili sauce over the top.  Cover  with foil and bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes.