Welcome Back!  I had a super frenetic time last week--preventing me from blogging.  I really miss hearing and cooking with you all.  So to kick start a comeback, I am placing next week's ever popular Take a Tortilla And...class on sale at last year's price of $95.00.

With the crisp, refreshing cool air providing a very welcome introduction to fall--spicy foods seem all the more welcome.   Did you know that the earliest of mankind discovered many of chiles' virtues?  Somehow--most probably through trial and error, they discovered that liberal amounts of red chiles preserved perishable, precious meats gained through hunting.   

Hence, centuries later, the development of Carne Adobado.  As you probably remember, "Carne" was created by the early Spanish settlers, who learned from the Native Americans that rubbing generous amounts of red chile on the butchered pork kept it from perishing or going bad. 

Chiles were discovered and nurtured by the earliest of mankind in the Americas and spread to Asia over the Bering Strait to Asia.  And most agree that the Magyars, a very early tribe from Hungary and surrounding areas discoverd chiles from the Americas and brought them to Europe.  Thus creating the spice for the popular Paprikosh.

I would like to share some of our favorite spicy chiles with you at at a very special 40% off sale through the rest of this week, sale ending midnight on Friday.  The sale is on for our very special "Fairy God Mother" or earliest of all chiles--Pequin  Quebrado, Chipotle and our ever popular Caribe--the essence of Carne Adobado.  (Just for a reminder--we always include our well tested recipes with  your purchases.)  

Here's a couple of recipes--

CHICKEN FAJITAS WITH PICO DE GALLO,

SOUR CREAM & TORTILLAS

 Chicken breast is perfect with the traditional fajita marinade.  I have always preferred the fresh pure flavors of lime and garlic to the “foreign flavors” such as soy sauce and monosodium glutamate.  My favorite way to serve these chicken fajitas is with grilled rather than sauteed vegetables.  Select large red onions and the biggest bell peppers you can find.

 Yield:  6 to 8 servings

 2 pounds lean boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Juice of 2 limes

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 large red onions, halved crosswise

1 each large red, green and yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

Pico de Gallo,

Dairy sour cream

Guacamole, optional

6 inch diameter flour tortillas, warmed 

1. Cut each breast in half, following the natural division of the cartilage and removing any fat. Pound between sheets of plastic wrap to uniform thickness. 

2. To prepare the marinade: Combine lime juice, garlic, salt, black pepper, and oil in a bowl.  Dip each side of the chicken breast into the mixture and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 1 hour in the refrigerator.

 Preheat the grill, allowing enough time to get hot. Use mesquite wood or chips to flavor the to give a real authentic flavor. Lightly brush onion halves and bell pepper strips with oil. Start vegetables 20 25 minutes before starting the chicken. When they are done, cut into ½ inch wide strips and mix together. Keep warm. 

4. Grill chicken about 3 inches from coals for about 4 minutes to the side. Cut into strips about 1 inch wide when done. 

5. Serve the grilled chicken over the grilled onions and peppers. Serve with bowl of Pico de gallo and sour cream and guacamole if desired. Pass napkin-lined basket of hot tortillas. 

VARIATIONS:          Pan-saute the onions and peppers, cutting them into strips before cooking using minimal oil, cooking only until slightly crisps.

PICO DE GALLO

As hot as the top of a cock’s comb is the literal translation of this dish’s name.  The salsa originated in northern Mexico and was originally made with chipotle chiles.  I have found that fresh jalapeno chiles with a pinch of pequin chile substitute quite well, if chipotles are unavailable.  This salsa is a staple with fajitas.

Yield:  1-1/2 cups

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground chipotle

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

1 Spanish onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro¼ cup fresh lime juice

Combine all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl, cover, and marinate at least 1 hour to develop natural juices before serving.