Enchilada Sauce

My sister Adrienne introduced me to making enchilada sauce.  As sisters, we would get together to make enchilada sauce and can it.  Since moving here to Queens, I have missed that enchilada sauce. Recently when I made the chili I posted here, I thought about changing the way I make enchilada sauce too.  Enchiladas are so yummy and I wanted to use the chilies I had left from making chili.  This recipe for sauce has me thinking about what I like in sauce and about those sauce making days with my sisters. 

 I really do love seeing jars fresh from the pressure cooker and ready to be stored on my shelf,
waiting for whatever destiny I have in store for it.

 Ingredients for this recipe are: 1 #10 Can Tomatoes, 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds (Or ground),
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Or Ground), 1 Tablespoon Paprika, 1 Yellow Onion, 6 Cloves
Peeled Garlic, 2 dried Ancho chilies, 2 and Costeño Chilies (Or Chili Powder).  

Use less chilies if you don't like spicy sauce.

 Toast chilies, cumin, and coriander in a dry pan over a medium flame for 3 minutes.

If you are using dried powder, disregard this step.

 Grind cumin and coriander in spice/coffee grinder.  If you are using powder forget
about this step.

 Freshly ground spices, mmmm.  Of course if you opted for pre-ground spices you will not
enjoy the aroma emanating from your spice grinder, sorry.

 Soak dried chilies in hot water for 15 minutes. You may skip this step if you chose chili powder.

 Finely dice the onion and push garlic through press. I love cutting onion really small, I don't
 know why.   I'm weird I know.

 Saute onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil over a medium-low flame...

 Until translucent, and done.

 Add tomatoes and ground spices. Increase flame to medium.

 Add chilies (removing seeds) and blend with an immersion blender. Cook until boiling, reduce
heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

 Isn't it pretty?

 Pour into clean sterilized jars.   Mine fit into 7 pint jars.

Pressure can on high for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Garam Masala Sauce

Near my home, is a wonderful store, Patel Brothers.  It is an Indian Grocery store in a very Indian neighborhood.  This store has the best selection of herbs and spices and everything Indian.  I bought the whole Garam Masal spice/herb mixture from here.  I love all the Indian food.  A lot of it I have no idea what it is and I feel a little awkward being so white when I walk through this store, but it is so fun to see all the imported Indian food.  I think I now understand why all the fuss from the early explorers trying to get to India the fastest way possible.

I would have gladly made Garam Masala Chicken tonight with my Patel Brothers finds, but my children requested chicken nuggets.  This is my compromise.  I made Garam Masala Sauce to dip the chicken nuggets in for our American take on Indian food.  You may use this sauce to cook chicken in if you want Garam Masala chicken (curry chicken).

 Beautiful color, don't you think?  This is the start of yummy Indian food.

 Ingredients for this recipe are: 1 tablespoon whole Garam Masala spice/herb blend, 1 cup
whole tomatoes in puree, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon
cardamon pods, 6 cloves of peeled garlic, 1 inch piece of ginger peeled, 1 teaspoon turmeric,
 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup yogurt (I used homemade, recipe found
  here).  You may use ground spices instead, be sure to skip the next three steps.

 Toast all the whole spices and herbs in a dry pan until they begin to become fragrant.

 Grind spices and herbs in a spice(coffee) grinder until fine.  Sift mixture through a sieve to
remove larger pieces.

 Puree tomatoes, add half the spice mixture and yogurt together in a small sauce pan.  Cook
sauce on low for 10 minutes at least. 

Store sauce in a lidded container.  Eat with the chicken nuggets we made earlier, or cook it with
 chicken like they do in Indian curry.

Enjoy!

Chili

Tonight's chili began last night.  Well before last night I had found a 1 lb. bag of black beans in the back of my cupboard and wanted it to be chili.  I also wanted this chili to be different than my previous versions.  I like chili, my husband even asked for chili the other day.  Here it is, a new take on chili.

Cornbread and chili, mmmm yummy.

 Ingredients for brining beans: 6 tablespoons coarse salt, 4 quarts water in lidded container,
1 lb black beans.

 Add 6 tablespoons coarse salt or Kosher salt to 4 quarts of water in a large lidded container, mix until salt is dissolved.  Rinse black beans and add to salted water.  Allow beans to brine over night.

Ingredients for this recipe are: 1 lb. brined black beans (rinsed in cool water and allowed to drain), 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow onion, 1 bunch of fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dry), 2 ears of corn on the cob, 28 ounces diced tomatoes, 2 lbs. beef chuck roast,  1 1/2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds, 1 1/2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds, 3 dried Ancho chilies, 2 Costeño Chilies.

 Ingredients for searing meat: salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 lbs. beef chuck roast.

 Preheat pan, sprinkle both sides of beef with salt and pepper.  Add oil to pan, watch for rippling
in oil and then add the beef.

 Sear meat on all sides.

 Remove from heat and cut into small pieces, varying the cut size form 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes.

 Dice the yellow onion and saute in the oil used to sear the beef.  Saute until translucent.

 In a dry pan over medium flame, toast cumin, coriander, and chilies until you see smoke.
Remove from heat and grind in spice grinder, or blender.

 Add spices and chilies to 1 teaspoon Better than Boullian and 1/4 cup water.

 Cook spice mix for 3 minutes.

 Mix beef, beans, spice mix, diced tomatoes, sauteed onions, and 1 quart beef broth (I used water and Better Than Boullian Beef) in a pressure cooker (or in dutch oven or stock pot on stove top).  Set Pressure cooker to high for 90 minutes.

 

After 90 minutes, and the natural pressure release we have this beautiful chili base, 

lets add the fresh stuff.

  

Dice bells peppers, and cut corn from cobs.

 Saute corn and bell peppers in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 5 minutes, add fresh oregano
(cut into small pieces) or dried and cook another minute.

 Add sauteed vegetables to chili.

If you want a thicker chili, mix 1/4 cup Maseca with 1/2 cup water and
add as much as your desire to thicken.

Heavenly Southwestern aromas will fill your home.

Enjoy!