I got this recipe from one of my favorite chefs, Rick Bayless. I love the freshness of the sauce, and the versatility of the sauce. You can put it on anything, tacos, burritos, eggs, taquitos, salad, any meat, shrimp or just dip some tortilla chips in it. The original recipe uses this sauce on shrimp tacos, and the ingredients were: corn tortillas, sauteed shrimp, cojita cheese and Adobo Verde Chili Sauce. Delicious! But, we didn't really understand the true value of the sauce itself until I started experimenting with leftovers, it's just so tasty! The spiciness of this sauce depends on your personal preference. The original recipe calls for 4-5 serrano chilies. Serrano chiles are about three times hotter than jalapeno's. I decided to use a combination of both jalapeno's and serranos, because I haven't embraced the super spice yet.
Adobo Verde Chili Sauce
2 whole cloves garlic
3 jalapeno chiles
2 serrano chiles
2 cups loosely packed, roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed
2 cups loosely packed, roughly chopped parsley, stems removed
1 cup olive oil
salt
1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, lay the garlic and the chiles, and cook until the chiles are very soft and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly. Place garlic in blender or food processor. Carefully slice chiles in half and scrape out seeds. Roughly chop chiles and add to blender or food processor with garlic. (OR, use your best judgement and add a few seeds to the blender as well.)
2. Add the cilantro, parsley, olive oil and salt to the blender with the chiles and garlic. Process or blend everything in the blender until the sauce is smooth and looks like pesto.
3. Serve with anything you'd like!
There are tons of recipes for Huevos Rancheros, they're all different and they're all right. The best thing to do is cook what you like. There is a lot of versatility with this recipe. I like it because it's crunchy, it's spicy, it's different and delicious. This can be made with fresh salsa or Adobo Verde Sauce.
Huevos Rancheros for One
A handful of tortilla chips, or a corn tortilla deep fried
1 egg
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup refried or black beans
1/4 cup chorizo
1 Tablespoon cojita cheese
Garnishes: avocado, tomato, salsa, adobo verde sauce, olives, cilantro, and hot sauce.
1. On a plate, place the handful of tortilla chips. Fill a small saucepan, about half way with water, and add 1 tablespoon vinegar. Bring water and vinegar to a boil. When the water is at a very gentle boil, carefully crack the egg into the boiling water. Use the back of a wooden spoon to create a gentle whirlpool around the egg, this helps the egg white get fluffy.
2. As the egg cooks, cook the refried beans in a small skillet. When heated through, put beans on top of tortilla chips. Wipe out skillet, and add chorizo. Saute chorizo until it's cooked and hot. Add chorizo to the top of the beans and tortillas.
3. Check the egg to see if it's cooked. If done, carefully remove egg with a slotted spoon, add to the top of chorizo. Add garnishes and enjoy!
Serve with corn salad, and a margarita! Cheers!
Easy Chicken Tostadas
1 pound boneless chicken pieces
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more oil for frying
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lime
1 can re-fried or black beans
1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
avocado, cut into strips
Cojita Cheese, crumbled
corn tortillas
Adobo Verde Sauce
Other optional toppings: black olives, shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese, salsa, red onion, cilantro
1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and place in oven.
2. Lay chicken pieces onto a cutting board, and pat dry with paper towels. Slice chicken into small pieces. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, when the skillet is almost smoking add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the diced chicken and spices. Cook until chicken is cooked through. When done, put into a bowl, cover with foil and set aside, or keep warm in oven.
3. Heat beans in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and warmed through.
4. In a small skillet, just big enough to fit the corn tortillas, add vegetable oil until about 1/2 inch deep. Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat, careful not to splash the oil. When hot, fry corn tortillas until golden brown and crispy. Keep warm in oven on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Assemble Tostadas. On a crispy tortilla, spread on beans, then top with chicken, tomatoes, cojita cheese, avocado and Adobo Verde Sauce. Add any other toppings that you desire. Enjoy!
