Authentic Mexican Molé Sauce for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Traditional Mexican Molé Sauce and Turkey

Thanksgiving Traditional Mexican Molé Sauce and Turkey Molé sauce and turkey have been a Southwestern/Mexican Thanksgiving tradition for many years. My daughter’s girlfriend, Mica Chavez, is a famous Santa Fe, New Mexico Chef and shares her recipe for molé which has been in her family for over 100 years. Mica has cooked for four US presidents and one Mexican president. If you want to do something a little different for Thanksgiving, I can’t recommend this enough. It’s just the best! Bon appétit and happy Thanksgiving.

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The Hash Browns at the Best Breakfast Restaurant in America (The Editors of Esquire Magazine)

If you like hash browns as I do, you must watch this video. The editors of Esquire magazine recently reported that the Silver Grill café in Fort Collins, Colorado  is the best breakfast restaurant in America. Furthermore, they went on to say that the hash browns at the Silver Grill are worth getting on a plane and flying to Fort Collins just to eat them.  Well, I have a guest in this video, none other than the owner of the Silver Grill Cafe, my friend, John Arnolfo. He’s going to show you how to make the best hash browns in America. I made these at home and they are over the top. There are a lot of secrets and tips to what seems to be simple. Watch, and learn how to become a hero in the breakfast kitchen. Bon appétit! 

Black Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas

3 cups of dry black eyed peas

A pound of diced bacon

Fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon of garlic

2 tablespoons of better than bouillon

Two diced jalapeños

One diced onion

4 ounce can of diced green chilies

One sliced jalapeño (leave the seeds in)

In a large stock pot saute the bacon, onion and jalapeños in butter and olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add garlic, cilantro and green chilies. Add the beans and enough water to cover completely. Do not soak the peas but rinse them thoroughly. Add better than bouillon. Bring to boil and reduce heat to a vigorous simmer until the peas have a nice semi-firm consistency. Add additional water as necessary. This could take up to 90 minutes.

Cheese Square Brownies

One of my favorite childhood memories from Christmas in Oklahoma was the wonderful cheese Squares Mama Mable made. We called them cheese brownies. This is a simple and delicious hors d’oeuvre. it is perfect to have around the house during the holidays. Or, what a great gift for friends and neighbors. Enjoy!

Ingredients and directions for this recipe:

• 5 Eggs

• ¼ Cup of flour

• ¼ TSP of baking powder

• Pinch of salt

• One cup of cottage cheese

• ½ Stick of melted butter

• 4 oz. Can of green chiles

• 2 Cups of grated monterey jack cheese

Put in 9 x 9 glass dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup for Four

- 6 Sweet Onions

- Olive oil, Butter, Salt, White Pepper, Sugar

- Beef Stock

- Fresh Thyme

- White Wine

- Croutons

- Gruyere Cheese

- Manchego Cheese

Caramelize 6 onions in a mixture of olive oil and butter. Add pepper, salt, sugar and reduce to golden brown. Add beef stock and 4 springs of thyme. Reduce. Add white wine. Put croutons on top of that. Put in oven at 425 degrees and broil for about 10 minutes until manchego is toasted and browned. Yum yum!

BLT Sandwich

9 Tips

1.- Thick Bacon

2.- Bake, don't fry the bacon

3.- Use Iceberg lettuce

4.- Use thick/heavy bread

5.- Grill the bread

6.- Brush the bread with bacon grease

7.- Use only pure mayonnaise

8.- Only juicy tomatoes

9.- (Optional) Add avocados

Rapturous Meat Rub

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup ground black pepper

1/3 cup smoked paprika

1/3 cup garlic powder

1/3 cup granulated onion

1/3 cup ground mustard seed

mix thoroughly in a bowl and apply liberally to meat coated in a mustard and honey (or brown sugar) wet mix.

PIG CANDY

This is really easy! You can’t mess us up!   But beware, this stuff is really addictive. Eat at your own risk.

 Tips

·      Go to the butcher shop and have them cut a slab of bacon into ½ inch thick strips

·      Cut the strips in half and then lengthwise into small square strips

·      Rub the strips liberally with a mixture of yellow mustard and brown sugar

·      Place in the oven for about 45 minutes at 375°

 That’s it! It really is that easy.

Remoulade Sauce

In a bowl mix:

 Hellmann’s Mayonnaise (about one cup)

 Sriracha sauce to taste

 Hot sauce to taste

 Cumin to taste (one teaspoon?)

 A big helping of dill pickle relish

 That’s it, it really is that easy and simple.