A South Of The Border Spice Blend Recipes

S.O.B. (SOUTH OF THE BORDER) CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until almost tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Crumble the turkey in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook and stir until evenly brown; drain. Add onion to browned turkey meat and cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, gravy mix and chili powder until combined then mix in the corn and macaroni. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Serve on a bed of tortilla chips topped with shredded lettuce and sour cream.

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER QUICHE

Steps:

• Line unpricked pastry shells with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer., Sprinkle chili powder and cumin over shells; sprinkle with cheeses. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, chilies, olives, onions, cilantro, salt and pepper. Pour evenly over cheese. , Cover and freeze one quiche for up to 3 months. Cover edges of remaining quiche loosely with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired. , To use frozen quiche: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Cover edges of crust loosely with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER ESSENTIAL: ALL-ROUND SPICE MIX

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will need a spice or coffee grinder to make this mix.
• 3. Helping Spices Out Most spices, with the exception of things like salt, can benefit from an additional step before using... Pan heating. Add the spices to a cold pan, and then bring it up to medium heat. Continue to stir until the spices smell fragrant, about 2 - 3 minutes. Be advised that from the moment they smell fragrant to the moment that they overcook and burn, is a matter of 10 - 15 seconds, so as soon as you smell them, remove the pan from the heat, then immediately remove the spices from the skillet. Even if you turn off the heat, the spices will continue to toast in the residual heat of the pan. Why Does This Work Since the whole point of using spices is to enhance the flavor of the dish you are making, it makes sense to do everything you can to make them more flavorful, yes? Heating the spices (blooming) draws out the oils from the spices, emphasizing and emboldening their flavors. It can even take spices that are a bit long-in-the-tooth and bring them to new flavorful life. Note: If you are making a spice mix, do not cook the spices when you make the mix, cook them just before you "use" the mix in your recipe.
• 4. Salt If you are on a salt-restricted diet, then you can leave it out, or reduce it. You can always add a bit more later. Chili Powder The chili powder contributes to the heat and overall flavor of this spice mix. I like ancho for its deep smokey flavor notes, but if you have a favorite chili powder, use it. Full Stop. Paprika Smoked paprika works best, but if you have mild or hot, feel free to substitute. Dehydrated Onions The dehydrated onions add a mellow onion flavor to the mix; almost, as if you sautéed the onions before adding them. I use them in all kinds of dishes. If you do not have any, no worries, just replace them with about 2 teaspoons of onion powder. My goal of using the ancho chili powder and smoked paprika was to give the spice mix some nice mellow smokey flavor notes, and the white pepper imparts a nice sweet heat.
• 5. Storage of homemade condiments and spices Because homemade spices and condiments do not contain any preservatives, it is important to store them properly. Non-reactive (glass) containers with tight-fitting lids are a must. If I am making a dry spice, I love to use old spice bottles that I have run through the dishwasher. If I am doing homemade sauces, I love using Weck jars. They are all glass, come in all sizes and shapes, and have excellent leakproof lids. If you shop online, you can go to Amazon, and type in "Weck Jars" and you will find a ton of them. Dry spices should be kept in a cool space, away from sunlight (spice cabinet), and sauces, in most cases, should be stored in the fridge. If properly stored, this spice mix should last up to a year.
• 6. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 7. Mix all the ingredients together, grind to a uniform consistency, then store according to the provided suggestions.
• 8. PLATE/PRESENT
• 9. Use in any Mexican dish where you want to kick it up a bit. Enjoy.
• 10. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

EMERIL'S SOUTH OF THE BORDER VEGGIE CHILI WITH FIXINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to the broil setting.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the onion, poblano, red and yellow bell peppers until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the jalapeno, cilantro stems, garlic, chili powder, Southwest Essence, cumin, oregano, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the beans and continue to cook at a simmer until the flavors come together, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
• While the chili is simmering, toss the zucchini with 1 tablespoon from the remaining oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the remaining salt and place on a large baking sheet. Broil until caramelized around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes (keep an eye on them, being careful not to burn). Remove from the oven and repeat with the yellow squash, remaining tablespoon of oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Set the zucchini and squash aside to cool while the chili is simmering.
• Once the chili has simmered for about 40 minutes, add the zucchini, yellow squash, masa harina, and chopped cilantro and cook for 10 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
• Serve the chili hot, with bowls of the sour cream, Cheddar, green onions and crispy tortilla chips or strips for guests to garnish their bowls, as desired.
• Chef's Note: this chili is best made a day in advance.
• NOTE # 2: If you are using bouillion for your chicken or vegetable stock, realize that because it contains salt, you may not want to add the full measure of salt as part of your ingredients. Rather taste for salt content at the end of cooking time and add or not according to your preference.
• Emeril's Southwest Seasoning:.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 1/2 cup. Store in an airtight container. NOTE: only use 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix for the chili recipe. The remainder is meant to be stored and used for many other dishes.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Combine evaporated milk, grits, chicken broth, and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add Cheddar cheese and stir until incorporated. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp and browned, about 3 minutes per side. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and chop when cool enough to handle.
• Add bell peppers to the bacon grease. Add shrimp and taco seasoning. Cook and stir until peppers are heated through and shrimp are bright pink on the outside and the meat is opaque, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chopped bacon.
• Place a dollop of grits in each bowl and top with shrimp mixture and hot sauce.

SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER ESSENTIALS: CHORIZO SPICE MIX

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. The proportions listed are enough to flavor 1 pound of pork, beef, or chicken.
• 3. What is Chorizo? A lot of sausages use the name chorizo, but the most well known (and can be found in well-stocked grocers around the country) are Spanish and Mexican. The Spanish variety uses diced pork and is cured for a long period of time. The Mexican version (the one we are making) uses ground meat and spices and is traditionally ready in about 3 days. This recipe creates awesome chorizo, and can be used right away.
• 4. Uses for Chorizo • Stirred in with scrambled eggs. • Sautéed up with potatoes and spices to make Mexican hash. • Used to make tacos, enchiladas, and queso dip. • Mixed in with a bowl of red beans and rice. • Add some to ground beef and make a Mexican meatloaf. The possibilities are endless... Have some fun with it.
• 5. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 6. Add all of the dry spices together.
• 7. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 pound of ground chicken, pork, or beef.
• 8. Add the ground spices, the baked garlic, and apple-cider vinegar, then mix together. I like to use my hands.
• 9. PLATE/PRESENT
• 10. Use immediately with your favorite Mexican recipes or freeze for later use. This is my version of a Mexican meatloaf. Enjoy.
• 11. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.