avocado slices
Chicken Enchilada Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings
Here in the Southwest we love or Hatch Chile season! We’re right in the middle of the harvesting these flavorful versatile chiles that are known for their perfect balance of sweet and heat. Besides elevating the taste of enchiladas and rellenos, we also love hatch chiles in stews, soups, sauces and even smothered on burgers. In my opinion, there is no better hatch chile then when roasted or charred. It’s easy to do on an outdoor grill, in the oven, or with a grate over your gas cooktop! Just keep turning the chiles until they blister, place them in a Ziploc back while still warm and let them sweat. he charred skin will come right off and then you can scrape the seeds out and dice! While you can used canned chiles for this Chicken Enchilada Soup, the hatch chiles takes the freshness and flavor to a whole new level! Oh! And those cornmeal dumplings? The perfect topper to a this hearty Southwestern favorite!
Grilled Shrimp Tacos with a Zesty Cream Sauce
The Story
It’s like a south-of-the-border summer vacation of a platter. Plump, fresh shrimp seasoned in a spicy, citrusy marinade, char-grilled, and then tucked into a soft tortilla with a drizzle of zesty cream sauce on top. It says, “summer.” It screams, “more, please!” This was a recipe that was served at a pool party that I attended a few years ago. The tortillas were flour and street-taco sized. The tacos were served on a giant warm griddle with plenty of lime wedges, and the cream sauce was offered in plastic squirt bottles chilling in a tray of ice. I left that party purring contentedly with the recipe in my purse.
The marinade, my host had mentioned, was an adaptation from a spicy shrimp recipe in the iconic Silver Palate Cookbook. She had replaced the chopped dill with cilantro for a more southwestern flavor. The kicked-up marinade and zesty finishing sauce makes this dish perfect party fare or a satisfying supper anytime, especially during grilling season. Just remember to make it fresh, and don’t skimp on the shrimp!
