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I love to cook and experiment with various foods. After living in New Mexico, where Listen to the Mockingbird and Eye of the Mountain God are set, I’ve come up several original regional recipes. Here are a few: Northern New Mexico Black Bean Soup (An important side dish in Northern New Mexico restaurants, but I couldn’t find a good recipe. This is the result of trial and error–a lot of trial and error) 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup Onions, chopped 1/4 cup sliced Celery 1‑1/2 tsps. ground Cumin 3/4 tsp. ground Cilantro 1/4 tsp Coriander 1/4 tsp crushed Chile 2 14-oz cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes 1‑1/2 cups Water 1 envelope dry Onion Soup 1 tsp Salsa 1/4 cup light Sour Cream 1/4 cup finely chopped Onions Heat oil in saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté onions 4‑5 minutes or until onions turn golden. Stir in celery, cumin, cilantro, coriander, crushed chile. Add black beans, tomatoes, water, onion soup, and salsa. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve soup with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with the finely chopped onions. New Mexican Posole (This was created due to my living 10 years in Pennsylvania and dying for New Mexican food. You probably don’t want to know the ingredients of the original dish, called menudo, which makes even the contents of the Scots’ haggis seem appealing. Many New Mexicans claim menudo is a sure cure for a hangover. Posole, however, is more palatable for a gringo, and much tamer. ) 1 lb Frozen Posole (uncooked hominy) Can substitute 28 oz can of hominy but it isn’t as good. 1 Envelope Dry Onion Soup 1 Can Chicken Broth 2 tbsp medium Green or Red Chile 1/4 tsp crushed Red Chile ½ tsp Chopped Garlic 3 Cups Water 3 to 5 tsp Chicken Bullion or 3-5 cubes ½ Onion, diced ½ lb Pork cut in ½-inch cubes 1 tsp Olive Oil Heat olive oil in 2 or 3-qt sauce pan over med heat, add onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, then add pork and brown well. Add chicken broth, onion soup, chile, crushed chile, water and bullion; bring to simmer. Add posole, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for about 1 hr or until the posole has softened. Adjust bullion or add salt and pepper to taste. Note: the longer you cook any chile the hotter it becomes. If the soup becomes too spicy, add more broth. Quick Mexican Chicken for 2 (Vacationing in the Yucatan, I needed marinade ingredients available locally. This turned out to be a keeper) 2 boneless/skinless Chicken Breasts pounded to about 3/4 inch thick Marinate 30 to 60 min at room temp in: 1/4 cup Italian Salad Dressing 1/4 cup Tequila 1/4 tsp crushed Red Chile 1 tsp diced Garlic Dredge in flour and saute in 2 tsp each olive oil and butter
Quick New Mexico Salmon for 2 (Another result of living on the East Coast and yearning for Southwestern bite.) 1 lb Salmon filet Douse with: Lemon juice—let sit a few minutes, then sprinkle with 1 clove Garlic, chopped 1 Jalapeno, fresh or canned, seeded and chopped (or substitute a few shakes of cayenne) 1 green Onion, sliced, including green, or just finely chopped any variety onion Onion Powder Garlic Pepper (or black pepper and garlic powder) more Lemon juice Olive Oil Cilantro (fresh, chopped, or dried—or can substitute basil) Bake 10 min in foil lined pan at preheated 500 degrees for 10 minutes per inch of thickest part of fish; switch oven to broil for 2 minutes. Awesome Slaw for people who don’t like cole slaw (This one isn’t ethnic. It came as a side dish in an Albuquerque restaurant and was so good, I tried to imitate it at home) 2 Radishes, sliced 1/4 Onion, sliced Red Cabbage, a couple thin slices, chopped ½ Apple, sliced 1/4 Orange, peeled and sections cut in slices ½ Banana, sliced 1 tsp Lemon juice 1 tsp Honey 1 to 1-1/2 tsp Horse Radish sauce 1/4 cup Light Mayonnaise Mix and serve
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