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Posts Tagged ‘cinco de mayo recipe’

Sweet-Sour Dark Chipotle Seasoning (Salsa Negra)

Posted in Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Salsa Negra Although the dark complex flavor of this salsa defies description, I would say, “deliciously sweet with a deep smokey flavor and a fiery punch that makes you take notice.” Using canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, this salsa comes together quickly and is versatile enough to be used as a seasoning base for other dishes, like the dip shown above.

Sweet-Sour Chipotle Seasoning (Salsa Negra)
Recipe by Rick Bayless as seen on Parade.com

INGREDIENTS
2 (7½-oz) cans chipotle chiles en adobo
2 Tbsp molasses
¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar or sweet sherry vinegar
½ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Place the chiles (with canning liquid), molasses, sugar, vinegar and ½ cup water in a blender and process until completely smooth. Scrape into a small saucepan over medium heat.

2. Let the mixture come to a brisk simmer, then turn the heat to medium-low and continue simmering, stirring regularly, until the mixture is the consistency of tomato paste, about 30 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the soy sauce. If necessary, add water, a splash at a time, until the salsa is the consistency of runny ketchup. Cool, taste, and season with salt if needed.

Chef’s Note: Refrigerate salsa in a tightly covered pint-sized jar, where it will keep for a month or two.

LINNELL’S NOTES
1. I was a bad girl. By not reading the directions thoroughly, I screwed up. I added the soy sauce with the other ingredients in my blender. I cooked down the salsa negra in step 2, but because I added more liquid by adding the soy sauce prematurely, I did not let it cook it down to a tomato paste consistency.

2. I used light soy sauce with good results and added no more additional salt.

3. In Food and Wine, Chef Bayless says of this salsa, “Balsamic vinegar might seem like an unusual ingredient in Mexican food, but it is common in Baja. This recipe makes more salsa than you’ll need to make Shrimp with Spicy Chipotle Tomato Sauce, but it keeps in the refrigerator for weeks and can add an intense, smoky heat to grilled meats, stews and tacos.”

4. Taking Chef Bayless’s recommendation, I made a dip using the salsa negra. Using 16 ounces of room temperature cream cheese, I added some salsa negra (to taste) and some crumbled bacon. The dip packs enough flavor alone, if you just want to spread it on a bagel. I like it spread on a blue corn tortilla chip, drizzled with Mexican crema, and topped with a cilantro leaf.

Enjoy!

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Cilantro and Lime Rice

Posted in About me, Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 26, 2011| 1 Comment »

“What can I bring?” I asked my friend as we planned a surprise birthday party for another one of our friends. “Can you bring rice?” she said. “Sure, no problem!” I replied. After all, rice was an easy dish for this Asian gal to prepare. But then my friend added, “Can you bring cilantro and lime rice like they serve at Chipotle?” While trying to remember if I’d ever tasted Chipotle’s rice before, I uttered, “Ohhh, okay . . . !” My friend cheerfully said, “Great!” and I mumbled back, “Yeah, great . . . .” and headed off to find the nearest Chipotle restaurant.

That conversation began my quest for a cilantro and lime rice recipe. Luckily, I found several online and I diligently read through them all. After experimenting with a few recipes, I ultimately found one that needed only a few minor tweaks and that tasted really good. Wanting to simplify the recipe, I cooked the rice in my rice cooker instead of a saucepan and was delighted with the results!

The light and refreshing flavor combination of cilantro and lime just can’t be beat and makes this rice dish a perfect accompaniment for grilled meats and seafood. Particularly, it’s a great complement to any of your favorite Mexican entrees. Serve this easy rice dish at your upcoming Cinco de Mayo celebration and be prepared to share the recipe with your guests – you’ll be asked for it!

Cilantro and Lime Rice:
Adapted from a recipe by Rockin Robin

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 cup basmati rice
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 + tbsp fresh lime juice
zest from one lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Add the oil and butter in a saucepan and heat on low until butter has melted. Add the garlic and rice (uncooked) to the oil mixture and saute for two minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently and being careful that the garlic does not burn.

2. In a mixing bowl stir to combine the chicken broth, salt, and lime juice.

3. Transfer the rice mixture to a rice cooker (or leave in the saucepan if not using a rice cooker). Add broth mixture to the rice. Cover and cook. (If not cooking a rice cooker, bring rice and broth to a boil, then cover saucepan and cook over low heat until done.)

3. When rice is cooked, add the lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir gently to mix. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Linnell’s Notes:
1. It is easiest to use a rice cooker – both to cook and keep the rice warm. No worries, though, if you don’t have a rice cooker, this delicious rice can be made in a saucepan. See above instructions.

2. I rarely add the full teaspoon of salt that is called for in the recipe. Depending on the sodium level of your chicken broth, you may need to adjust the amount of salt you add. I use low-sodium chicken broth and find that 1/2 teaspoon is enough for my taste buds even when I make a double batch.

2. After adding the lime zest and the chopped cilantro to the rice, taste and then adjust the seasonings. I often add more lime juice at this point and most of the time will not add the full amount of cilantro.

3. It’s better to add the zest and the cilantro as close to serving time as possible, so that their colors remain vivid and fresh – inevitably their colors will darken as they heat up.

Enjoy!!

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