I probably shouldn't complain about how cold it is here in Small Town, Mexico, since technically our daytime high's are somewhere in the 80's, which in some places is still shorts and flip-flops kind of weather.  But that's not the case here.  Our morning and evening temperatures drop drastically to somewhere between the high 40's and low 50's. For us that's practically freezing, so we bundle up with knit hats and gloves, and thick, woolly scarves.  And since Mexico uses the metric system, our degrees are in Celsius, which makes the temps seem even colder.  I'm sure you'll agree that 10 degrees Celsius sounds way colder, with visions of icicles dancing in your head, than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Thank goodness for hearty soups like Sopa de Lentejas (Lentil Soup), made with bacon, spinach, and a few extra veggies for added flavor to help keep us warm.    

Not only are lentils high in protein, my suegra (mother-in-law) used to say that lentils are also a great way to lose weight.  She'd then go on to tell the "story" of how a local doctor often prescribed a cup of lentils a day to anyone who wanted to lose weight.   But the catch is that you aren't allowed to actually eat the lentils.  You're supposed to just drop them on the floor, then bend over to pick them up.  One. at. a. time!  

Now, I don't know if that little trick actually works, but my suegra enjoyed telling that joke every time she cooked with lentils, and I remembered it the other day as I was preparing this Sopa de Lentejas that my family loved!  



Sopa de Lentejas (Lentil & Spinach Soup)
(Recipe adapted from Muy Bueno Cookbook)

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups dried lentils
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 10 cups water
  • 6 slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 serrano chile, finely chopped (optional) 
  • 1 cup roughly chopped spinach (espinacas) and/or Swiss chard (acelgas) (I used both.)
Directions:
Sort through the lentils to remove any rocks or debris.  Rinse lentils in a colander with cold water.

Fill a 3 to 4-quart stockpot with 10 cups of water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Add the lentils, celery ribs, and garlic; reduce heat to low.  Cover the stockpot and let simmer until the lentils are tender.  (About 20 minutes.)

While the lentils are cooking, cook the bacon in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp.  Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.  Remove most of the bacon drippings from the skillet, leaving just enough to coat the skillet.

Add the carrots and tomatoes to the skillet and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion and serrano chile; saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until the onion has turned translucent.

Season the lentils with salt.

Using a potato masher, mash some of the lentils (to help thicken the soup) until desired consistency.  Stir in the cooked bacon, carrots, tomato, and onion.  Cover and let simmer about 15 to 20 minutes.  Once the lentils are fully cooked and the soup flavors have combined, stir in the spinach and/or Swiss chard.  Season with more salt, if necessary. Enjoy! 

Receta en español 



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Sopa de Lentejas (Lentil & Spinach Soup)

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When the weather starts to get a little chilly, I don't think there's anything more soul warming than a steaming bowl of chicken soup.  That's why for this week's Soul Warming #SundaySupper, hosted by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen, I'm sharing my recipe for Pozolillo Verde.  

For those of you wondering why it's called Pozolillo in Spanish and not Pozole, it's because literally translated, Pozolillo means "little Pozole".  The reason we call it "little Pozole" is because Pozolillo is made with regular corn kernels, which are smaller in size than hominy, which is what is traditionally used to make Pozole.  Another reason is because Pozolillo is made with chicken instead of pork, which makes the cooking time considerably shorter than Pozole.

And that my friends, concludes today's Spanish lesson.  Now back to the soup...

What I love most about Pozolillo Verde is that it's made with what I think is one of the greatest flavor combinations ever invented: chicken, corn, and roasted poblano peppers.  The roasted poblano pepper offers just the right amount of spice to make the broth flavorful, but not overly spicy, making this soup a wonderful addition to your menu when you're looking for something to warm you up when the weather outside is frightful.  Or if you're like me, this soup is also delightfully soothing and soul warming when you're feeling under the weather.

lacocinadeleslie.com

Pozolillo Verde
(Green Chicken & Corn Pozole)

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in large bite-size pieces
  • 2 cups yellow corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
  • 1 medium onion, cut in half 
  • Fresh cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 large Poblano pepper
  • 8 tomatillos, husks removed
Garnishes: 
  • Shredded cabbage 
  • Finely chopped onion 
  • Thinly sliced radishes 
  • Limes
  • Tostada shells or corn tortillas


Directions: 
Fill a 3-quart pot with 8 cups of water.  Add the chicken, corn kernels, the medium onion, one clove of garlic, and a couple of sprigs of fresh cilantro; season with salt.  Cover pot and bring soup to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for  about 45 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion, garlic and cilantro.

 While the chicken is cooking, roast the poblano pepper over an open flame for a few minutes on each side, until the skin has charred.  (You can also roast the poblano pepper on top of a griddle or comal, or in the broiler.)  Place the roasted poblano pepper in a plastic bag and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.  (This allows the poblano pepper to "sweat", which will make removing the charred skin much easier.) 

 In a medium saucepan, boil the tomatillos with two cups of water over medium-high heat until fully cooked.  Let cool slightly.

 Peel the poblano pepper by removing the charred skin.  Remove the seeds and stem.  (*Important note: If you are not accustomed to working with chile peppers, please wear disposable gloves when peeling the poblano pepper. And as a precaution, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and baking soda afterwards.)  

 Puree the roasted poblano pepper with the remaining clove of garlic, the cooked tomatillos and about 1 cup of the water they were cooked in.  Pour the puree into the chicken soup; season with salt.  Cover and let simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the corn kernels are fully cooked, if using fresh.

Ladle Pozolillo Verde into bowls.  Top with shredded cabbage, chopped onion, thinly sliced radishes, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.  Serve with tostada shells or warm corn tortillas.  Enjoy!!!

lacocinadeleslie.com

*You might also like Pozolillo Rojo and Traditional Mexican Pozole.  

For more Soul Warming dishes, be sure to check out what my #SundaySupper friends have cooked up this week.


Main Entrees: 
Chili/Stews:
Soups:
Desserts/Beverages:
Join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat. 
All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.
We’d also love to feature your Sunday Supper Soul Warming Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.


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Pozolillo Verde {Green Chicken & Corn Pozole} #SundaySupper

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I am SO excited about Food 'n Flix this month!  One, because I'm hosting.  And two, because the movie I've chosen is Julie & Julia, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.  Maybe you've heard of it.

I absolutely LOVE (and adore) this movie!

There are just so many elements in this movie that I identify with.

On one hand we have  Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep), who before she was THE Julia Child, was just an American expat living in Paris, immersing herself in the culture, learning the language, and mastering the art of French cooking.

And on the other hand we have Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams), a frustrated writer turned "pencil pushing bureaucrat", who turns her love of cooking into a highly successful food blog by cooking her way through Julia Child's masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

But the real star of this movie is the food!  Fabulously rich and exquisite French food that I can't help but crave (and drool over) every time I watch this movie: Beef Bourguignonne, Artichokes in Hollandaise sauce, Chocolate Layer Cake, Raspberry Bavarian Cream, Bruschetta, and Apple Tarte Tatin, just to name a few.

Ooh. La. La!

So, who wants to try there hand at French cuisine and cook alongside me, Julie & Julia this month?



How to Participate:

1. Watch the chosen film (Julie & Julia). Taking inspiration from the film, head into the kitchen and cook or bake or make something.

2. Post about it on your blog with a link back to THIS post and a link to Food 'n Flix. Use of the logo is optional.

3. Your post must be current (during month of film). And of course we don't mind if your post is linked to other events...the more the merrier.

4. Have fun with it!

5. Email your entries to me at: leslielimon@lacocinadeleslie.com and include:

~Your name
~Your blog's name
~The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you're submitting
~Attach a photo of any size (or just give me permission to "pull" one from your post)
~Indicate "Food 'n Flix Submission" in the subject line

Deadline for submission is: Wednesday, November 28th (11:59 pm Eastern)
*watch for the roundup to be posted on November 30th!

Food‘nFlix



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Julie & Julia {Food 'n Flix Announcement}

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Looking for last-minute Halloween recipes to make for your little monsters this Halloween?  These Deviled Eyeballs from my friends at Avocados from Mexico are cute and spooky, and oh so easy to make!  And they would be perfect served aside Sloppy Worm Sandwiches. 



Deviled Eyeballs

Ingredients:

  • 8 hard-boiled eggs
  • 2 fully ripened Avocadoes from Mexico, pitted, peeled, and diced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) 
  • 1 tablespoon grated horseradish, drained (optional)
Directions: 
Peel the hard-boiled eggs; cut in halves lengthwise. Remove yolks to medium bowl; arrange whites on serving platter. To bowl with yolks, add avocados and lemon juice; mash until smooth, mixing well. Season with salt and peppers.  For extra flavor, stir in the tablespoon of grated horseradish, if desired.  Fill each egg white half with heaping tablespoon of mixture, piling high; sprinkle with herbs, if desired.

To make devilish eyes: Thinly slice roasted red peppers to create veins on eyeballs, or drizzle tops with bottled red hot sauce.  Top with sliced black olives.  Enjoy!!!  

Have a safe and very Happy Halloween!


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*Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. Recipe & photo courtesy of Avocados from Mexico.  I was not compensated for this post.  

Last-Minute Halloween Recipe: Deviled Eyeballs

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I am so happy to be hosting the Trick-or-Treat #SundaySupper Halloween Party today!  It's like I finally get to host the Halloween party of my dreams.   I've loved Halloween since I was a little kid.  Dressing up as whatever TV or movie character I idolized at the moment, going to all the fun Halloween festivals and haunted houses, and trick-or-treating through the neighborhood with my pillowcase full of candy.

It's because of these fond memories that I continue to celebrate Halloween with my kiddies, here in Small Town, Mexico.  My kiddies love Halloween just as much as I do, even though they've never experienced a real Halloween in the States.  As soon as October 1st rolls around, the kiddies are the first to bring out the few Halloween decorations I have left.  And the only thing they want to talk about all month long is what they're going to dress up as for Halloween.  Of course, each of the kiddies changes their mind at least a dozen times.

One of our family Halloween traditions, is to watch our favorite family friendly Halloween movies, like "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown",  the week leading up to Halloween, to help get us in the mood.  Another family tradition is to eat fun Halloween themed foods, with super spooky names like Monster Mash and Spicy Vampire Bat Wings.

One of the kiddies' favorite Halloween dishes is Sloppy Worm Sandwiches.  Now, I know I've shared an exotic dish or two here in my Cocina, but I assure you, I've NEVER cooked with real worms.  The "worms" in these sandwiches are actually salchichas (hot dog sausages), that are cut into quarters to resemble worms.  Clever, right?

So, if you're looking for a fun Halloween dish to feed your little monsters this Halloween, these Sloppy Worm Sandwiches are slimy, yet very satisfying!

What are your family's Halloween traditions?


Sloppy Worm Sandwiches
(Inspired by Taste of Home magazine)

Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds salchichas (hot dog sausages) 
  • 3 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 serrano chilies, finely chopped (optional) 
  • 1-1/2 cups bottled BBQ sauce
  • Hot dog buns
  • Shredded lettuce (optional) 

Directions:
Cut each salchicha into quarters, lengthwise.  In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add the salchichas and let cook until slightly brown.  Gently stir in the chopped tomato, onion, serrano chilies, and bottled BBQ sauce. (Important note: If you have little ones at home who aren't used to eating spicy food, please omit the serrano chilies. If you still want the flavor,  use chopped green bell peppers instead.)   Reduce heat to low.  Cover skillet and let simmer until the salchichas are soft and pliable.

Serve on toasted hot dog buns spread with mayonnaise or Mexican crema.  Enjoy!!!  
Sloppy Hot Dog Worm Sandwiches for Halloween - lacocinadeleslie.com

For more Halloween recipe ideas, be sure to check out the rest of the #SundaySupper line-up:

Bewitching Brews

Ghoulish Gruel: 

Haunted Snacks: 

Spooky Sweets: 


Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day, this Sunday (October 28th) during #SundaySupper.  We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm (Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about all things Halloween.  All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us throughTweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your favorite Halloween recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.


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Sloppy Worm Sandwiches for Halloween #SundaySupper

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lacocinadeleslie.com

I can't remember if it was Girlichef's idea or mine to make empanadas for She Made/Ella Hace this month, I just know that I was more than happy to oblige.  I'm always looking for an excuse to make empanadas, mostly because there are only two kinds of empanadas sold in my small town: Empanadas de Piña (pineapple) and Empanadas de Leche (vanilla custard).  That's it!  Well, sometimes you can also find strawberrry jam filled empanadas, with a crumbly cookie-like crust, which I love.  But for She Made/Ella Hace, there was really only one kind of empanada I wanted to make...Pumpkin Empanadas!

Pumpkin Empanadas have been my absolute all-time favorite empanadas since I was a little girl.  They were the only kind I chose at the Mexican panadería (bakery).  But as much as I enjoyed the Pumpkin Empanadas from the panadería, they were nothing compared to the ones my grandpa used to make.  The dough was buttery and tender.  And the filling was only slightly sweet, but bursting with flavor.  You could taste each of the spices as soon as the filling touched your tongue.


I really think my grandpa missed his calling.  He was an expert baker.  About once a month, Pappy would make three or four different kinds of empanadas.  My favorites were calabaza (pumpkin), manzana (apple), and ciruela pasa (prunes).  But like most Mexican cooks, he never wrote anything down, and never bothered to measure ingredients.  I wish I would have paid more attention to how Pappy made his dough, because to this day, I haven't been able to recreate it.  Thankfully, my go-to cream cheese empanada dough works perfectly with this recipe.

The important thing is that I've got the filling down perfectly.  As I was cooking the pumpkin filling for the empanadas, the aroma of the spices floated through the air, making my house smell like Christmas.  So warm and inviting.  Even Hubby and a couple of his customers commented about the intoxicating aroma in the shop.  If I closed my eyes for just a second, it felt like I was standing in my grandparents' little kitchen for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

lacocinadeleslie.com

Empanaditas de Calabaza
(Mini-Pumpkin Empanada Bites)

Ingredients: 
For the Pumpkin Filling:
  • 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree (or canned)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon butter
For the dough:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 6 oz. butter, room temperature
Egg Wash:
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions: 
For the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the pumpkin puree with the sugars and ground spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.  Cook over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the pumpkin puree is heated through.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter; set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Prepare the dough, combine the flour and salt.  With the help of a potato masher, add in the cream cheese and butter to the flour, until no trace of flour is visible.  Press the dough together to form a ball.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Divide the dough in half.  Return one half of the dough to the refrigerator, while you work with the other half.  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, or between two sheets of plastic wrap, to about 1/8-inch thickness.  Cut out circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter or empanada mold.

To make the empanadas, spoon about a teaspoonful of pumpkin puree into the center of each circle of dough.  Using the tip of your finger, lightly moisten the outer edge of the dough with water.  Gently fold the dough circle in half, pressing the edges together with the tines of a fork to seal in the filling.  Pierce the center of each empanada with a fork.  (This allows for the steam to escape.)  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Continue with the remaining dough.  Refrigerate the uncooked empanadas for about 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.  Brush the uncooked empanadas with the slightly beaten egg, then sprinkle a little of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.  Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes or until light golden brown.  Remove the empanadas from oven and let cool for about one minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Serve with coffee or Mexican Hot Chocolate.  Enjoy!!!

 Recipe yields about 24 to 30 Mini Pumpkin Empanadas.

lacocinadeleslie.com

Now head on over to Girlichef's blog!  She's made TWO different kinds of empanadas: Apple w/ Almond Paste AND Pumpkin with Piloncillo & Cinnamon.

What's your favorite kind of empanada?



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Mini Pumpkin Empanada Bites {She Made / Ella Hace}

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