Aztec Vegetables Recipes

AZTEC CHICKEN WITH SWEET POTATO-CORN MASH

Steps:

• Combine oil, honey, ancho chile powder, garlic, and hot sauce in a bowl; whisk together. Place chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag; pour in marinade and close bag. Marinate in refrigerator, 3 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Place corn in a shallow baking pan. Brush with canola oil; season with salt and pepper. Cover pan with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until corn is roasted and brown, about 25 minutes. Continue baking until sweet potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes more.
• Allow corn and sweet potatoes to cool until easy to handle, about 20 minutes. Cut kernels from ears of corn; transfer half to a blender. Peel and cube sweet potatoes; add to the blender. Add cream; puree. Transfer mash to a bowl; stir in the remaining corn. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.
• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from bag and place on preheated grill; discard remaining marinade. Cook until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 6 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Cut chicken breasts into 3 equal pieces; serve on top of sweet potato-corn mash.

AZTEC PUDDING

Steps:

• For sauce mixture: Place the tomatoes, onion, chilies, water and chicken consume in a blender and blend well. Pour mixture into a pot and boil. When sauce begins to boil, place a lid on the pot and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Add the corn, zucchini, squash flowers and cooked chicken or pork to the simmering mixture. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked. Adjust for salt and mix in the epazote and cilantro. After mixed well, set aside to cool.
• For base of pudding, fry each tortilla very quickly in hot oil -- only a few seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• In a blender blend all ingredients for the cream mixture together until smooth. Set aside.
• Assemble in a 9 1/2 by 13-inch pan. Layer tortillas to cover the bottom and sides of pan, then layer cheeses, sauce, cream mixture, and continue layering in that order, ending with the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees, for about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Salt to taste with chicken consume.
• The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.

MEXICAN STYLE MEAT AND VEGETABLE STEW - AZTECA'S MOLCAJETE

Steps:

• Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy; remove from pan, reserving drippings, cut into small pieces, and set aside.
• Add the oil to the bacon drippings over medium temperature, then sauté the chicken and beef strips until browned, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
• In another large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the boiling water and bouillon granules until dissolved.
• Add remaining ingredients (including reserved bacon) and the cooked meat strips, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Garnish, serve, and enjoy!
• Note: to make the seafood version of Azteca's Molcajete, omit the chicken/beef and instead have 1/2 pound shelled and deveined shrimp, 1/2 pound scallops, and as much skinned and deboned whitefish fillet pieces as you'd like (about 1/4 pound or more) which you will add in during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Note #2: we've also added a can of black beans to the recipe, to good effect. If the soup isn't as thick as you'd like it to be, try adding a can of refried beans - it works well! We've also served it with crisp tortilla strips and a dollop of Mexican crema instead of monterey jack. It's a versatile recipe, so experiment and enjoy yourself! :) If you have made the Rich and Delicious Enchilada sauce recipe of mine, you might recognize many of the soup ingredients - to make the sauce into soup, use 2 cups of the sauce, add 1 cup hot water and 1/2 teaspoon chicken stock granules, then add the cooked chicken and garnish ingredients as usual.

AZTECA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet and carefully drop in half the tortilla strips. Fry in batches until golden brown and crunchy. Place fried tortilla strips on a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry. Sprinkle salt on tortillas, tossing to coat both sides.
• Using a blender or food processor, blend tomatoes, onion and cilantro until completely pureed.
• In a saucepan, heat chicken broth, chipotle chili, and pureed vegetables. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Prior to serving, add tortilla strips and avocado. Buen provecho!