Absolut peppars

Soooo many peppers at Hollygrove market this weekend.  As soon as I saw the beautiful variety I knew that enchilada sauce was in my future.  Home made is very easy to make, and it’s all local!  Since tortillas are unavailable locally, I chose to stuff peppers and cover them in enchilada sauce.  It made for a deliciously spicy south of the border meal!

                           To make the sauce

                                                                 you will need

                                                            1 onion finely chopped

                                                           2-3 garlic cloves, minced 

                                                             3-4 red chile peppers

                                                                1 crushed tomato

                                                                2 tbsp cooking oil

                                                                1 tsp dried oregano

                                                                       1 tsp salt

1.Place peppers in a pan and cover with water boil peppers for about 20 minutes.  When peppers are remove to let cool, saving the water you boiled them in for later use.  Once peppers are cooled halve and remove seeds.

2. While peppers are cooling, sauté onions and garlic in oil until soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Once peppers are cooled place them in a food processor with about 1 cup of the reserved boiling water and puree on high until peppers reach a very fine consistency.

4. Place pepper puree in to pan with sautéed garlic and onions, add spices, salt,  and another cup of pepper water , and bring to a boil,  reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

 

 

 You can add any spices you have on hand to this sauce.  Oregano gives the sauce a nice, traditional, smoky flavor.  I had coriander on hand given to me by another ELC participant http://www.facebook.com/#!/thecrumbybaker  Aryanna which gave my sauce a wonderful bright flavor.  Basil would also be a nice addition if that is what you have available. 

                                                          For the peppers

                                                             You will need

                                          5 anaheim, bell, or green chile peppers

                                                            1 cup cooked rice

                                                 1/2 lb ground hamburger cooked

                                      Veg option, 2 cups shredded cheese instead of beef

1. Cut tops off of peppers and de-seed.  If using bell peppers keep their “hats” to top while cooking.

2. Stuff peppers with chosen mixture.  I made mine with beef and rice, but cheese would be a fantastic option.  Ryals dairy is making a queso fresco now that would be fabulous stuffed in an Anaheim!

3. Place stuffed peppers in a casserole dish, cover peppers with enchilada sauce, cover dish with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove tinfoil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove, let cool , and enjoy!

And for some reason, this song just seemed completely relevant to the post, hope ya’ll enjoy!