We have lots of fun, special classes coming.  First, we still have spaces left for our Red and Green Chile Favorites class that sold Out 10 days ago.  This next class is  this coming Thursday, January 20 at 5 PM and features Red Chile Beef and Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, Award Winning Green Chile Stew, Jane's Best Red Chile Barbecue  Sauced  Ribs and Green Chile Coconut Pie.  And we get to sit down and enjoy it all with your favorite beverage.  All of these classes are 100% full participation.

In Feburary, we have just scheduled a special , first ever Sweetheart Valentine's Day special class for Saturday afternoon, February 5.  The menu is Composed Nachos, Pesto Topped Grilled Salmon, Peppered Rice, Grilled Calabacitas, Flan Caramelisado all topped off with Perfect Margaritas. 

On February 10, we are featuring  tortillas and dishes you can create with them in Take a Tortilla and.....  Our award-winning weekend cooking class is February 18 - 20, featuring  favorite New Mexican specialties such as Sopaipillas, Tamales, Carne Adobado, Blue Corn Parfait Bread and much, much more .   February 24, we have a class featuring chili--Chili It Up just in time to possibly inspire you to enter one of the many Chili Cookoffs scattered around the world.

To encourage you to come--each class is featured on a Special 20% discount until this Sunday, January 23.

I look forward to cooking with you and answering any questions you may have.  We do require that you have the Covid vaccinations and or a negative test within 72 hours.

Following are two favorite quick and easy recipes from my Quick and Easy Southwest cookbook that I am also featuring on sale for $15.00 for the soft bound 2nd edition and $17.50 for the hard bound first edition.

AZTEC PORK CHOPS 

We have the Aztecs to thank for chipotle chiles. With their spicy, smoky taste, they are delicious combined with cinnamon in this dish. Serve them with grilled Jicama for crunch, whipped sweet potatoes with carrots, and a spinach salad for a meal fine enough for company. This is a “Sunday Best” recipe.

Yield: 4 servings

Cooking time: 16 minutes

2 dried Chipotle Chiles, reconstituted, or 1 teaspoon Chipotle Chile powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup honey
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground pure mild red chile
4 pork loin chops (1 inch thick), trimmed of excess fat
4 cinnamon Madagascar sticks sent as a bonus with any ground cinnamon order as long as our supply lasts
4 slices Jicama, each ¼ inch thick

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the drained chiles, garlic, honey, ground cinnamon, and ground chile. Add enough chipotle cooking liquid to make a thick paste. Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.

1. Preheat the grill, stovetop grill, or a large, heavy, seasoned skillet to medium high. Grill the chops for 8 minutes per side. At the same time and on the same surface, grill the Jicama until it is slightly edged with brown on each side. To serve, top each chop with a cinnamon stick. Overlap each chop with a slice of the grilled Jicama. 

PER SERVING: Calories 281, Protein 25 g, Carbohydrates 20 g, Fiber 1 g, Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Sodium 53 mg.

CHICKEN TORTILLA CHOWDER

The hearty, full flavor and creamy consistency of this chicken soup tastes like work, but this dish is actually fast and easy to make. Cutting the chicken breast is the most time-consuming part of the recipe. This is a versatile dish that you can vary in many ways. Instead of chicken breasts, you could use leftover roast chicken or turkey, firm-fleshed fish or shellfish with fish stock, roast beef, or ground chuck with beef stock.

Cooking Time: 10-12 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

1, 14 ½ oz. can chicken broth, preferably low sodium, with water added to make 2 cups

2 white or yellow corn tortillas, broken up

1 pound chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

3 scallions, thinly sliced (some reserved for garnish)

1 ½ Tablespoons minced pickled jalapenos with juice

Optional Garnishes:

Cilantro leaves

Crushed red caribe chiles

Lime wedges

1. Place the chicken broth and water in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the tortillas and chicken. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Add the scallions and jalapenos with juice. Stir to combine well. Simmer for approximately another 5 minutes. Serve garnished with the reserved scallion and, if desired, the cilantro, chiles, and lime to squeeze on the chowder.

Per Serving:  Calories 326, Protein 50g, Carbohydrates 14g, Fiber 2g, Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 130mg, Sodium 338mg.

Reprinted with permission from Jane Butel’s Quick & Easy Southwestern Cookbook.