Green Chile, Chicken Enchiladas.

This is an unconventional approach to a recipe post ... and I hope that's ok. But if you know what you're doing, then you know what you're doing ... you know?

It all comes down to browning and roasting chicken, then cooking together mushrooms and onions, making a béchamel with cooked chicken, roasted fresh green chile and garlic. Layer it all in a casserole, starting with lightly toasted or fried corn tortillas along with good quality sharp cheese and more raw onion. Build it just like you would a lasagna. Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is browned. I like to garnish or present with a red chile sauce my mother sends me from El Parasol in Santa Fe. The only real secret is using the best quality roasted and peeled green chile ... the kind only New Mexico can grow.

Enjoy.

Quick* Posole

* I use the word quick loosely. This recipe comes out best if allowed to simmer for at least an hour before serving.

While I usually obsess about authenticity and never mind spending a whole day lovingly fussing over a pot on the stove, sometimes it’s nice to be able to put something as labor-intensive as posole together on a whim, and on a school night. As a New Mexican marooned in the Midwest, the cravings I get for flavors like this are often overwhelming … this is a method I came up with for those nights when slow simmering a whole pork shoulder just isn’t in the cards.

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 - 29 oz. cans of hominy, drained and rinsed

1 - 7 oz. can of chipotles in adobo

64 oz. of chicken stock (if you’re buying it from the store, I recommend a low sodium variety)

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3-4 sprigs of fresh oregano, tied into a bundle with kitchen twine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil

salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

+ Cut the chicken thighs into rough cubes, no larger than 1 inch. Melt butter in a stock pot over medium high with a tablespoon of oil and brown chicken thoroughly in a single layer with salt and crushed red pepper … in batches if need be. Remove from pot and set aside.

+ Add another tablespoon of butter to the pot and add the sliced onions. Allow to sweat on medium low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and reserved chicken.

+ Add hominy, chicken stock, chipotles and adobo (use as much or as little as you like, depending on your love of spicy foods … I usually use the whole can, rinsing it out with some of the stock to get every last bit) and bundled oregano.

+ Stir to combine, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for at least an hour. Keep in mind that you don’t want to simmer for too long, as the chicken will get grainy and stringy if over-cooked.

+ Remove oregano and skim the surface to remove excess fat. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. You’ll also want to remove and discard the chipotle peppers before serving.

+ I like to eat this with some warmed flour tortillas and slices of fresh avocado.