Pesto Mushroom Pita Pizza is a simple, satisfying sort of spicy Mediterranean individual pizza with lots of yummy stuff like feta cheese, spinach, mushrooms – or whatever you want on it.
My advice on this recipe? Don’t follow it – just use it as a guideline. It’s basically a combination of yummy ingredients that work together, thrown onto a pita and baked. It’s a great way to make a scrumptious lunch quickly. You can leave out many of the ingredients and it will still be good – just keep the pesto and the cheeses at a minimum. And the chiles, yeah – that would be good.
I might serve an appetizer version of this at a party – just use Pitettes, those mini pitas made by Toufayan Bakeries. They are adorable little 3 inch diameter pitas.
Got any interesting variations on this? Love to hear about them. Hope you enjoy this!
Sautee the mushrooms in a glug of olive oil until soft, then add garlic and cook another 2 minutes over medium heat, then stir in green chiles.
Sprinkle the spinach on the pita, then cover with provolone.
Spread the mushrooms over the provolone, then layer on the shaved onion and red bell pepper.
Top with the feta cheese.
Pop into the toaster oven and bake at 350 degrees or until provolone starts bubbling and feta is getting melty. If cheeses start browning, it's time to take it out of the toaster oven. (Yes, regular oven will do, too).
Serve & enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: My advice on this recipe? Don’t follow it – just use it as a guideline. It’s basically a combination of yummy ingredients that work together, thrown onto a pita and baked. It’s a great way to make a scrumptious lunch quickly. You can leave out many of the ingredients and it will still be good – just keep the pesto and the cheeses at a minimum. And the chiles, yeah – that would be good.
I might serve an appetizer version of this at a party – just use Pitettes, those mini pitas made by Toufayan Bakeries. They are adorable little 3 inch diameter pitas.
Got any interesting variations on this? Love to hear about them. Hope you enjoy this!
Coyote Chili won the ICS World Championship for Green Chili in 2016. It’s a spicy hot, full-flavored green chili great for serving a crowd.
This was my 4th year providing 2 big crockpots of green chili (1 mild & 1 hot) to the fireworks stand at Kipling & Coal Mine in Littleton. On July 3 & 4, these guys work 10-12 hour days selling fireworks & my green chili has become a ritual indulgence. Want to see their reactions? Here’s the video.
I often use these guys as guinea pigs for trying out the latest ICS World Champion Green Chili, so this year I made the 2016 winner. How was it? Pretty good, but I liked last year’s better. I made some adjustments to the recipe. There were a few red flags – first, it called for 4-6 serrano peppers and 2-4 jalapenos to be added to the dish right at the beginning. That would make a fiery hot dish even with fairly small peppers (and size was not specified). After making hundreds of chili recipes, I’ve got a sixth sense for too many chiles and too much spice; so when I see these, I cut the amount and then gradually add more in to taste at the very end. This recipe also had a lot of cumin, so I cut that down a bit.
Note that this has a special ingredient, Verde Bravo Green Chili Powder. According to the sales page at All Things Chili, “This is the green chile powder blend that has won more Chile Verde contests than any other.” Do you need it? I find that few people can tell the difference, even if you leave it out completely. I used a hot green chile powder. You can buy hot or mild at The Chili Guys at 55th & Federal or at Savory Spice Shop, along with other chile stands and Hispanic stores.
So here’s my version of the 2016 world champion recipe (my adaptations are noted). This is a very good green chili, and pretty easy to make – hope you enjoy it!
Bring to a boil, reduce heat (or transfer to crockpot), and simmer for 2 hours.
Add the green chiles and cook for another half hour.
Taste for desired heat level and add more minced serranos and jalapenos if desired. Add the cilantro and Verde Bravo Green Chili Powder (which adds a bit more heat) and simmer another half hour.
Add more Green Tabasco as desired to increase heat and adjust salt to taste. Thin with water if needed.
Serve with tortillas and shredded cheese & enjoy!
Notes
* I used Las Palmas green enchilada sauce. I also like the Safeway version. Sometimes I will add extra (4-10 more ounces) green enchilada sauce as it has a very nice, well-rounded flavor and can help with the texture.
* Original recipe called for 4-6 serranos and 2-4 jalapenos. As size can vary drastically, I changed this to tablespoons of minced peppers. Keep in mind you can always add heat, but it's hard to take it away.
* Original recipe called for 4½ tsp ground cumin, which is a bit heavy; so I reduced it to 1 tbsp (or 3 tsp) - you can always add more cumin to taste at the end.
* Verde Bravo Green Chili Powder might be detectable in an international competition, but most people will have trouble detecting it. You can use regular green chile powder (hot or mild, your preference) or leave it out completely and the recipe should be fine. You can order Verde Bravo online at http://www.allthingschili.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=28
------------------------------------- * Commentary This was my 4th year providing 2 big crockpots of green chili (1 mild & 1 hot) to the fireworks stand at Kipling & Coal Mine in Littleton. On July 3 & 4, these guys work 10-12 hour days selling fireworks & my green chili has become a ritual indulgence. Want to see their reactions? Here’s the video.
I often use these guys as guinea pigs for trying out the latest ICS World Champion Green Chili, so this year I made the 2016 winner. How was it? Pretty good, but I liked last year’s better. I made some adjustments to the recipe. There were a few red flags – first, it called for 4-6 serrano peppers and 2-4 jalapenos to be added to the dish right at the beginning. That would make a fiery hot dish even with fairly small peppers (and size was not specified). After making hundreds of chili recipes, I’ve got a sixth sense for too many chiles and too much spice; so when I see these, I cut the amount and then gradually add more in to taste at the very end. This recipe also had a lot of cumin, so I cut that down a bit.
Note that this has a special ingredient, Verde Bravo Green Chili Powder. According to the sales page at All Things Chili, “This is the green chile powder blend that has won more Chile Verde contests than any other.” Do you need it? I find that few people can tell the difference, even if you leave it out completely. I used a hot green chile powder. You can buy hot or mild at The Chili Guys at 55th & Federal or at Savory Spice Shop, along with other chile stands and Hispanic stores.
So here’s my version of the 2016 world champion recipe (my adaptations are noted). This is a very good green chili, and pretty easy to make – hope you enjoy it!
Onion Garlic Chile Dip is a simple twist on the classic onion dip, with a robust combination of flavors and a distinctly fresher taste – great for parties.
I love caramelized onions with that sweet, rich taste – and you get an interesting, robust flavor when you add fresh garlic and green chiles. So I thought I’d make a special version of the classic onion dip made with sour cream and onion soup mix. Very nice result – it has a distinctly fresher taste. I made this on the light side, with relatively little green chile and onion soup mix; it was much lower salt and medium hot.
What I suggest here is make the recipe as is, refrigerate it for at least a half hour to let flavors blend, then add more green chiles and onion soup mix to make it the desired heat level and saltiness. I think it’s best made the day before.
This definitely runs circles around the classic onion dip – I hope you enjoy it!
¼ cup diced medium hot or hot green chiles (I used 505)
16 oz sour cream
2 tbsp onion soup mix (about ½ package)
Instructions
Heat a small skillet over medium heat.
Pour in olive oil and onion and stir to coat onions with oil. Cook for one minute, stirring several times.
Turn heat down to low, stir every minute or so, and let cook until onions start to turn golden.
Add minced garlic, stir well, and let cook another 2 minutes, then stir in chiles and cook another minute or so, then set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, blend onion soup mix and sour cream. Stir in the onion, garlic, and chile mixture, mixing thoroughly.
Refrigerate at least a half hour, preferably overnight. You can also add more onion soup mix or chiles to increase saltiness or heat.
Notes
Commentary: I love caramelized onions with that sweet, rich taste – and you get an interesting, robust flavor when you add fresh garlic and green chiles. So I thought I’d make a special version of the classic onion dip made with sour cream and onion soup mix. Very nice result – it has a distinctly fresher taste. I made this on the light side, with relatively little green chile and onion soup mix; it was much lower salt and medium hot.
What I suggest here is make the recipe as is, refrigerate it for at least a half hour to let flavors blend, then add more green chiles and onion soup mix to make it the desired heat level and saltiness. I think it’s best made the day before.
This definitely runs circles around the classic onion dip – I hope you enjoy it!
Chile Cheesesteak Rollups are a spicy, satisfying version of the classic favorite – rolled up instead of on a bun. Awesome flavor, easy to make, and a real favorite.
Everybody loves a great Philly Cheesesteak, right? And a Chile Cheesesteak is even better! Here’s an even more convenient, lighter version – a Chile Cheesesteak Rollup! (You’re not buying this, are you? Light? You might save 100 calories having it in a rollup…) I made a classic Philly Cheesesteak with hot green chiles in it, and rolled it up in a lavash. Works great. Lay out the lavash, place the cheese slices on it, spread out that scrumptious steak, pepper, and onion filling, and just roll it up. It even keeps pretty well and nukes beautifully. If you can’t finish it, save it for later. A lavash is a perfect size – about 9″ x 10″.
I bought the ribeye steaks at King Soopers, and used bone-in. About once a month, they put these on sale for about $5.29/lb. Of course, boneless is more convenient, but also more expensive. After I made the cheesesteaks, I roasted the bones that still had significant meat on them. It made a gourmet snack.
This is great for parties, especially those game day parties coming up. And, with a very sharp serrated knife, you can cut them into small servings, like maybe 2-3 inches. This recipe makes 1 lavash, which I think = 2 servings. Some might consider this one serving, but if you’re one of these, you might want to check yourself out on the scale. For more servings, just multiply the recipe.
4 square cheese slices, Provolone, Monterey Jack, Havarti, or Pepper Jack (more if desired!)
1 lavash
Instructions
Put your steak in the freezer for 30-60 minutes so it's halfway frozen. This makes it easy to slice.
When it's frozen firm but not hard, take it out and slice it against the grain with a very sharp serrated knife. Basically, the thinner the slices, the better.
Slice your onion & pepper into strips.
Heat a large skillet up, pour in a glug of olive oil, then add the onion. Sautee for a couple minutes on medium high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and cook until onions start to get a caramelized golden color.
Add pepper strips, and cook over medium low heat till they get soft.
Add the steak slices and green chiles, sprinkle lightly with Montreal Steak Seasoning, and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently.
Cook until meat is well browned.
Add salt & pepper to taste if desired.
Lay the lavash out with the short edge facing you and place the cheese slices 2 across, so you'll have 2 rows of 2. You'll have a few inches with no cheese at the top.
Spread the meat/onion/pepper mixture evenly over the cheese and roll up from the bottom to the top.
Place the rollup seam side down on a plate. The hot meat mixture should have melted the cheese, but if it's not melted enough you can always nuke it.
Cut the rollup in half with a very sharp serrated knife to serve.
Most people would eat half this as a serving, but some might eat the whole thing.
Notes
Commentary: Everybody loves a great Philly Cheesesteak, right? And a Chile Cheesesteak is even better! Here’s an even more convenient, lighter version – a Chile Cheesesteak Rollup! (You’re not buying this, are you? Light? You might save 100 calories having it in a rollup…) I made a classic Philly Cheesesteak with hot green chiles in it, and rolled it up in a lavash. Works great. Lay out the lavash, place the cheese slices on it, spread out that scrumptious steak, pepper, and onion filling, and just roll it up. It even keeps pretty well and nukes beautifully. If you can’t finish it, save it for later. A lavash is a perfect size – about 9″ x 10″.
I bought the ribeye steaks at King Soopers, and used bone-in. About once a month, they put these on sale for about $5.29/lb. Of course, boneless is more convenient, but also more expensive. After I made the cheesesteaks, I roasted the bones that still had significant meat on them. It made a gourmet snack.
This is great for parties, especially those game day parties coming up. And, with a very sharp serrated knife, you can cut them into small servings, like maybe 2-3 inches. This recipe makes 1 lavash, which I think = 2 servings. Some might consider this one serving, but if you’re one of these, you might want to check yourself out on the scale. For more servings, just multiply the recipe.
Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms are full of spicy sausage and sharp cheddar cheese – hard to stop eating, they’re so tasty. Great appetizer!
Ok, this is one of those simple, can’t fail appetizers. How can you miss with sausage, green chiles, and cheese in mushrooms? This is easy to put together and really scrumptious. And you can easily substitute your favorite sausage and cheese. Make it super hot, medium hot, or however you like it.
I used Johnsonville Green Chile Sausage, which is a medium spicy brat. I used 505 Southwestern Green Chile to get the desired heat level. You can use any sausage you want and add more or fewer chiles to adjust the heat. Just taste as it’s cooking. It’s hard to mess this one up.
For the cheese, I used Trader Joe’s Extra Sharp Canadian Cheddar. Personally, I think this calls for an extra sharp cheese.
This is a recipe I’ll make a lot for parties and get-togethers. It’s a guaranteed hit and is just really easy.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with oil.
Wash mushrooms and remove stems. Chop stems into small pieces.
In a large skillet, brown the sausage, breaking it up into small chunks as it cooks. If sausage is in brat form, remove the skin first. Add the bits of mushroom stems and cilantro halfway through the browning process.
When the sausage is nearly done, stir in the green chiles and cook another 2 minutes.
Spoon the sausage mixture into the mushroom caps, top with grated cheese, and place in the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese melted and starting to brown.
Sprinkle with chile powder and serve.
Notes
Commentary: Ok, this is one of those simple, can't fail appetizers. How can you miss with sausage, green chiles, and cheese in mushrooms? This is easy to put together and really scrumptious. And you can easily substitute your favorite sausage and cheese. Make it super hot, medium hot, or however you like it.
I used Johnsonville Green Chile Sausage, which is a medium spicy brat. I used 505 Southwestern Green Chile to get the desired heat level. You can use any sausage you want and add more or fewer chiles to adjust the heat. Just taste as it's cooking. It's hard to mess this one up.
For the cheese, I used Trader Joe's Extra Sharp Canadian Cheddar. Personally, I think this calls for an extra sharp cheese.
This is a recipe I'll make a lot for parties and get-togethers. It's a guaranteed hit and is just really easy.
Chicken Angel Wings is an easy family favorite – seared and baked chicken breasts in a savory sauce.
This is a very easy family favorite with a simple, very flavorful sauce. I’ve made it with both mild and hot chiles, and I found that if I used hot, I needed to use only 1/2 cup instead of a full cup.
This would be particularly good over rice. I may try it next time, cutting the chicken into smaller pieces and making the entire dish in the skillet instead of baking it. All in all, it’s a classic and rather versatile dish.
I adapted this from a recipe in Best of the Best from New Mexico (one of my favorite cookbooks).
Lightly brown the chicken in a skillet in 1 tbsp of the butter and season with salt and pepper.
Lay chicken in a greased 9"x13" baking dish and splash with ¼ cup chicken broth.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
While chicken bakes, sautee onion in 1 tbsp butter until soft.
Add the chiles to the pan with garlic and flour. Stir and cook a minute or so. Stir in the remaining 1 cup chicken broth and simmer, stirring often, until smooth and slightly thickened.
Pour into blender or food processor and puree.
Pour back into skillet and stir in the sour cream. Heat just to simmering and pour over chicken.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 20 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 165 degrees and cheese is melted.
Notes
Commentary: This is a very easy family favorite with a simple, very flavorful sauce. I've made it with both mild and hot chiles, and I found that if I used hot, I needed to use only ½ cup instead of a full cup.
This would be particularly good over rice. I may try it next time, cutting the chicken into smaller pieces and making the entire dish in the skillet instead of baking it. All in all, it's a classic and rather versatile dish.
I adapted this from a recipe in Best of the Best from New Mexico (one of my favorite cookbooks).
Chocolate Chipotle Avocado Truffle is a rich, creamy, decadent candy – yet very simple to make. Just a hint of heat and smokiness adds another dimension
Ready for a dessert or treat with a hint of heat? These truffles are very simple to make, but quite decadent. And it’s pretty easy to overdose on them.
I made a few variations – and they all are good. If you want heat, but none of the smokiness of chipotle, use chile powder. I also made them with the chipotle powder in the truffle itself instead of the cocoa coating – that was very good and more subtle. It takes a higher dose to detect the heat if you’re using that method.
The avocado adds creaminess, but you can’t detect the taste at all. If you add more avocado, the truffles will be very soft. If you add less, they will be firmer. This recipe makes them basically soft but holding their shape well. Adjust to your own preference, but you can’t really tell until you chill the mixture and make a truffle.
Hope you enjoy this – I think it will inspire experimentation!
¼ cup completely mashed avocado (about ½ of a medium avocado)
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (for dusting)
¼ tsp chipotle powder (see notes for variations)
Instructions
Mash avocado with a fork and measure out ¼ cup.
Bring a small pot with an inch of water to a simmer. Add a bowl on top that is wider than your pot so that it doesn’t touch the water (or use a double boiler). Place in chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth.
Put chocolate and avocado in a food processor and blend until smooth. Take the blade out and stir to make sure all bits of avocado blend in and don't get stuck off to the side of the food processor. Blend thoroughly, making sure no avocado streaks remain.
Chill the chocolate mixture for about 20-25 minutes in the fridge so that it is slightly less sticky and a little more firm, but still soft and malleable. If you chill the dough too long, the chocolate will firm up too much.
Measure out 1 tbsp of chocolate mixture and roll between palms to shape a smooth, round ball. Repeat with remaining chocolate. Place finished balls on a sheet of parchment paper or plate.
Blend the chipotle powder and 1 tbsp cocoa powder, then spread onto a plate. Roll balls in cocoa powder. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge.
Notes
Variation 1: Use chile powder instead of chipotle powder for heat without smokey flavor
Variation 2: Instead of putting the chipotle powder in the cocoa used for dusting, increase it to ½ tsp and blend it in with the chocolate and avocado. The result is a more subtle heat that is a bit delayed. .......................... Commentary: Ready for a dessert or treat with a hint of heat? These truffles are very simple to make, but quite decadent. And it's pretty easy to overdose on them.
I made a few variations - and they all are good. If you want heat, but none of the smokiness of chipotle, use chile powder. I also made them with the chipotle powder in the truffle itself instead of the cocoa coating - that was very good and more subtle. It takes a higher dose to detect the heat if you're using that method.
The avocado adds creaminess, but you can't detect the taste at all. If you add more avocado, the truffles will be very soft. If you add less, they will be firmer. This recipe makes them basically soft but holding their shape well. Adjust to your own preference, but you can't really tell until you chill the mixture and make a truffle.
Hope you enjoy this - I think it will inspire experimentation!
This is a new twist on a classic summer garden vegetable dish, healthy and with a good combination of flavors. I made this with pattypan squash for the summer squash. Never cooked with them before – they taste just like yellow summer squash but look sort of like flying saucers (cute, huh?). I cut them in half horizontally so they still look attractive but aren’t such big chunks. Essentially the sausage is for flavoring. I would substitute 4 cups of just about any vegetables in this dish. I see this as the kind of dish you make for using up the vegetables you have. It would be good with mushrooms, too.
I like to cook with pesto a lot – quick way to get exceptional flavor, and it always goes well with chiles. This is the kind of recipe I use as a guideline rather than sticking to exactly.
2 cups bell pepper, cut in strips (red, yellow, green)
1 cup onion, cut in 1" strips
1 cup summer squash or zucchini
¼ cup Greek yogurt
3 tbsp basil pesto
1 tbsp 505 diced green chile (medium hot)
¼ tsp Spanish smoked paprika
salt & pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish, if desired
Instructions
In a large skillet, break up the Italian sausage into crumble size, then add the onion and bell pepper.
Sautee over medium heat , stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft and the sausage is nicely browned.
Stir yogurt, pesto, green chiles, and paprika together, then stir into the vegetables.
Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with smoked paprika and cilantro (if desired)
Serve & enjoy!
Notes
Commentary: This is a new twist on a classic summer garden vegetable dish, healthy and with a good combination of flavors. I made this with pattypan squash for the summer squash. Never cooked with them before - they taste just like yellow summer squash but look sort of like flying saucers (cute, huh?). I cut them in half horizontally so they still look attractive but aren't such big chunks. Essentially the sausage is for flavoring. I would substitute 4 cups of just about any vegetables in this dish. I see this as the kind of dish you make for using up the vegetables you have. It would be good with mushrooms, too.
I like to cook with pesto a lot - quick way to get exceptional flavor, and it always goes well with chiles. This is the kind of recipe I use as a guideline rather than sticking to exactly.
Caramelized Onions make a perfect cookout topic for grilled burgers and hot dogs – spicy, flavorful, and succulent. Great by themselves or on any grilled meat.
Having friends over for a Memorial Day BBQ? These caramelized onions are an absolute must, perfect on hamburgers or hot dogs … or eat ’em by themselves. Just the right amount of spiciness and flavor. And easy to make! You might find this called “caramelized rajas” in Mexican cookbooks. “Rajas” means “slices” or “strips” and is typically referring to strips of poblano chiles; usually this dish is made with poblanos and, as a result, is milder. I’ll try using poblanos in this dish another day.
Note there’s no sugar in the recipe – onions contain their own natural sugar. And something to watch out for – 4 cups of onion slices cooks down into only 1 cup of caramelized onions. So if you’re having a cookout I’d at least double or triple the recipe.
I did serve this on a cheeseburger (where it was awesome), but I actually ate over half this recipe all by myself straight out of the bowl. So maybe you better quadruple the recipe!
Garlic Chile Chicken is an easy, succulent dish with caramelized spicy drippings that make this dish particularly tasty.
This dish is very easy and especially flavorful. I got the idea for it from The Complete Garlic Lover’s Cookbook (from the Gilroy Garlic Festival). Chile, garlic, and sage go together like birds of a feather. When you cook this up in a skillet, the drippings and seasonings make an amazing paste that coats the bottom of the skillet (some call it gunk). I scrape it up with a spatula and serve it with the chicken. Blend it in with more green chiles and some water, and you get a wonderful sauce.
Can’t go wrong here. I’ll make this over and over! Hope you like it!
Pour the 2 tbsp olive oil into a very large skillet with a cover.
Stir the sage and pressed garlic in with the olive oil to blend.
Add the chicken, then spread them around the skillet and turn them over so they are coated with the oil, sage, and garlic mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook over medium high heat until browned, about 10 minutes on each side.
Place covered skillet in oven and cook another 20 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees (test with a meat thermometer).
Place chicken pieces on a serving dish and top with the green chiles.
optional: After removing the chicken, I like to put another ¼ cup green chiles and water (1/4 to ½ cup) into the skillet and stir it to blend with the drippings. Add water to desired consistency. Then you can drizzle it over the chicken or serve it on the side.
