WC 100720

Today's topic is recipes from city/state/country

New Mexico has a state question, if you visit here you'll need to be able to answer it. The question is: Red or Green? That's red or green chile.

Enchiladas can be vegan, vegetarian, have beef, chicken, or pork using either green or red chile. Most people prefer red for enchiladas.

Restaurants also serve burritos smothered in chile sauce, or stuffed sopapillas done the same way.

We have hand held burritos as well. Mostly today they are breakfast burritos. Eggs, potatoes, chile, ham or bacon or sausage wrapped in a flour tortilla. 

Tacos, tamales, pasole, menudo are also favorites of Mexican restaurants. Usually they have pinto beans, Spanish rice (rice mixed with tomato sauce and chile.)

Fajitas came by way of San Antonio, TX, but is a favorite here. Cooked on cast iron skillets, beef, chicken, shrimp or pork sizzled with onions, bell peppers in fajita seasoning. Small flour tortillas are provided to wrap some of the meat and vegetables, with guacamole, sour cream, and Pico de Gallo. Makes for three or four mouth watering soft tacos. 

If you come here and eat in any of our restaurants many dishes, not just New Mexican or Mexican will have chile in it. One of our favorite ways of eating green chile is putting it on hamburgers. We have contests for who offers the best green chile cheeseburgers. 

We have green chile in just about everything. From tartar sauce, ranch dressing, cheese sauce, jams, jellies, candy and I love a green chile cheese bagels offered in a grocery store. 

If you don't like spicy hot food you can get green chile in mild, medium, hot or fire eater levels of capsaicin.

New Mexico also enjoys standard American foods.

I love a good meatloaf, chicken fried steak or chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and cream gravy. 

Here are some recipes picked up in bachelor days.

1. Cream cheese and chopped ripe olives. Take Philadelphia cream cheese and a can of chopped ripe olives. Mix together, chill and use it as sandwich spread, or on crackers.

2. Cream cheese, sour cream and diced green chile. Mix together makes a fantastic salsa.

3. Simple margarita. Get a quart of limeade, a quart of lemonade. Mix and add one bottle of tequila, salt glass and pour over ice. Most margarita mixes are 80% corn syrup. 

5. Sloppy joe's. Brown one pound ground sirloin, add chopped onions, diced bell pepper, or diced green chile. Smother in mesquite barbecue sauce.

6. One box angel food cake, one can chopped pineapple, mix, bake as directed on box. Optional add coconut. 

7. Cook a pound of ground beef, stir in green chile. Put in casserole dish, place a bag of frozen tater tots on top of beef, pour one can golden mushroom soup and one can cream of celery soup on top of tater tots. Microwave for 20 minutes.