Conference turris::cooks

    This is excellent.  Servings are small, so fix a veggie and a salad
    with it.
    
    			Spicy Hot Enchilada Bake
    
    6 (6-ounce) chicken breast halves
    Vegetable cooking spray
    2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
    1-1/4 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium)
    1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
    2 Tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
    1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
    1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons instant nonfat dry milk powder
    3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
    1-1/2 cups water
    3/4 teaspoon chili powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    1/4 teaspoon pepper
    8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, halved
    1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
    1/2 cup seeded, chopped, unpeeled tomato (about 1 small)
    1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
    Jalapeno pepper slices (optional garnish)
    
    Place chicken in a large Dutch oven; add water to cover.  Bring
    to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken
    is tender.  Drain chicken; discard broth.  Cool chicken slightly;
    discard skin and bones.  Shred chicken with two forks, and set aside.
    
    Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over
    medium-high heat untill hot.  Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper,
    and minced jalapeno pepper; saute until tender.  Remove from heat;
    stir in chicken and green chiles.  Set aside.
    
    Combine milk powder and flour in a small saucepan.  Gradually stir
    in water; place over medium heat, and cook until thickened and bubbly,
    stirring constantly.  Stir in chili powder and next 3 ingredients.
     Add to chicken mixture; stir and set aside.
    
    Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and then in aluminum foil. 
    Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until softened.  Arrange half
    of tortillas in a single layer in a 12 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish;
    top with half of chicken mixture.  Repeat with remaining tortillas
    and chicken mixture.
    
    Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25  minutes or until heated. 
    Uncover and sprinkle with cheese; let stand 10 minutes.  Top each
    serving with 1 tablespoon tomato and 1/2 tablespoon yogurt.  Garnish
    with jalapeno pepper slices, if desired.  Yield: 8 servings (about
    289 calories per serving).
    
    Protein 29.1 / Fat 8.6 / Carbohydrate 23.4 / Cholesterol 71 / 
    Iron 29 / Sodium 388 / Calcium 250
    

    You might want to try these:
                          
    			Stuffed Jalepeno Peppers
    
    	Carefully split the peppers lengthwise
    	Scoop out the seeds
    	Fill with a softened mild cheese
    
    
    			Natchos
        
    	Heat your oven to about 350 Deg. (F)
    	Place corn chips (crips) in a single layer on a cookie sheet
    	or oven proof plate
    	Cover with shredded mild cheddar cheese
    	Slice or coarsely chop the peppers
    	Place a slice on each chip or sprinkle evenly with chopped peppers
    	Put the covered chips in the oven long enough to melt the cheese
    
    	Serve hot with cold beer, sour cream, and salsa if your friend brought
    	some to you.
    
    	NOTE: Do not use potatoe chips they do not hold up too well.
    	

    The following is my favorite salsa recipe.  Salsa is great with
    tortilla chips, on nachos, as a sauce for enchiladas or tacos, etc.
    But one of my favorite uses of salsa is on top of scrambled eggs
    (the standard southwestern way to serve scrambled eggs).  Salsa
    is also a good dip for corn chips if tortilla chips are not available.
    
    
			SALSA FRESCA


  Combine in medium sized bowl:
	2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
	3 medium tomatoes, chopped
	1/2 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
	1 4-oz. can chopped chiles
	1-2 finely chopped green chile peppers 
	1-2 finely chopped jalapeno peppers
	1 can Old El Paso tomatoes with green chiles
	
  Mix well, and taste.  Add more of whatever seems to be lacking.  You may
  also want to add some comino for extra zest.  Refrigerate at least 8 hours.


NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS (because some ingredients are difficult to locate):
    1.  Canned chiles come in both whole and chopped varieties; the chopped
	ones are just more convenient.
    2.  Canned chiles come in mild, medium and hot varieties.  The 'hot' are
	quite hot, so you may want to eliminate or modify the rest of the
	hot pepper ingredients.
    3.  If you can't find chiles, you can use hot Italian or Hungarian peppers
    4.	You can use canned jalapenos, but add them one at a time to reach 
	desired heat level.
    5.  The seeds of hot peppers carry much of the heat, so use with care
	(or just use the flesh of the pepper).
    6.  An 8-oz can of Hunt's sauce can be used instead of the Old El Paso
	tomatoes with green chiles; thin it with a little water.        

    Comino (cumin) is a "warm" spice frequently used in southwestern
    cooking.  It is usually available in the ethnic sections of
    supermarkets (labelled as comino).  It probably is in the regular
    spice sections as cumin.
    
    I have noticed that spices are usually less expensive (and better)
    if they are ethnic brands.  
                               
    Joan            

RE: .-1
    Aha!  I know what cumin is!  Thanks!
    
    Another way to use jalapenos.  As quick a meal as you'll ever find!
    
    				QUESADILLAS
    
    2 flour tortillas per serving
    1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese per serving
    about 1 ounce canned green chile, chopped, per serving (amounts
    						are *really* flexible)
    as much chopped jalapeno as you can stand, per serving
    cooked chicken strips, or shredded chicken if desired
    
    On top of a tortilla, spread all the other ingredients.  Top with
    another tortilla, sandwich-style.
    
    Brush a skillet with oil.  Grill the quesadillas in a hot skillet
    till cheese is melted and tortillas are just spotty brown on both
    sides.
    
    Keep warm while cooking the others.  When all are done, cut into
    quarters and serve with salsa.
    
    							Pat

And on pizza!  Yum!

While in Tucson, Arizona this last month, I picked up a H/P cookbook called
"Hotter than Hell".  All the recipes have some type of chilis in them.  And
it tells you how to handle them...like don't rub your eyes after handling
them without a good handwashing.  They prefer you to wear rubber/plastic
gloves when preparing chilis.

I like hamburgers with Cheddar cheese and chilis laid across the top.  
Splendid!

Judy

    There are probably as many ways to make this as there are Mexican food
    afficionados, but here's one I like.  Feel free to substitute,
    eliminate, or change ingredient amounts to suit your own tastes. 
    
    1 large tomato, or 2 small ones
    1 Spanish onion
    2 - 3 fresh jalapeno peppers
    2 cloves garlic
    1/2 tsp pequin or caribe chile or a pinch of crushed red pepper
    3 Tbsp. chopped fresh coriander
    1/2 tsp salt
    
    Coarsely chop the tomato and onion.  Mince the peppers and garlic.
    Combine all ingredients and let stand for at least one hour.
    
    Makes 6 servings.

    Two more I have come across that are unusual.

    To the regular Brownie mix for a pan 9 inches by 13 inches, add two
    cans of chopped chilies (I would add about four to six fresh ones
    chopped). At least the kids won't wipe them out before all the guests
    arrive. I saw this one on TV, The Frugal Gormet, Jeff Smith.

    If you make your own ice cream, add a bunch of the seeds to the
    vanilla recipe. My brother came across this at a restaurant, they
    called it "Fire and Ice."

    

    To confirm an earlier reply about how to handle the peppers: I found a
    pepper that formed a crooked "J", it was slender and if straightened
    out would have been about ten inches long and about an inch and a half
    thick at the stem. I can usually eat jalopenos like pickles, but this
    thing was hot enough to make my ears hurt. BOY WHAT A GOOD PEPPER! I
    have been unable to find another one. My wife had tried stuffing it
    before baking it (just like the bell peppers her mother used to make),
    she rubbed her nose with the fresh juice on her fingers. About an hour
    later, when she could again see the numbers on the phone, she called me
    at work to ball me out for not telling not to do that.
    
    					Bob Cleary