holy posole

in honor of a new year filled with spice, magic and luck, I made an extra large batch of my favorite: posole. hominy is good luck and quite possibly magic, which is why this soup represents more than just spicy. plus, it's perfect for winter eats. this might knock your socks off and burn the insides of your mouth (in a good way), but rest assured you can always cut back on the chipotle for a milder version. this recipe varies slightly from the other posole recipe that I shared previously, and is the one that i make most often.

POSOLE 2012

2 lbs pork shoulder (cut into 1-2 inch cubes)

2 bulbs garlic, peeled, smashed & diced

1 large yellow onion chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

2-3 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (chop or blend)

1-2 tbsp chipotle chile powder

4 14 oz cans of Rotel tomatoes (blended)

8 cups chicken broth

1-2 mexican beers (tecate or corona)

2 limes (juiced)

1 30 oz can of white hominy (rinsed and drained)

Garnishes

Cabbage, sliced

Yellow onion, chopped

Cilantro, chopped

Red Radishes, sliced

Lime wedges

In large soup pot sauté the garlic and onion in olive oil.  Add in pork and chipotle chile powder, brown the pork and cook about 10 minutes.  Add in beer, chicken broth, blended Rotel tomatoes, juice of two limes and chipotle chiles in adobo. Cook for 2-3 hours, until pork is tender and broth has reduced a bit. Add in drained hominy. Serve garnished with cilantro, radishes, cabbage, onions and a generous lime wedge for added tang.   

spicy sausage pappardelle

Are you in need of a quick weeknight meal that is meaty, but also easy to prepare? Look no further. I've recently received feedback that MORE dishes with LESS ingredients would be most appreciated. Since I'm a lady of the people, I'm going to work on collecting accessible recipes with simplicity in mind.
This pasta dish contains approximately eight ingredients, only four of which you probably need to go out and buy...these would be the sausage, tomatoes, cream and red onion(and fresh thyme if you don't harvest your own herbs). Chances are if you cook from time to time you already own your own garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and some pasta noodles. Enjoy!

SPICY Sausage Pasta
(serves 2)
olive oil
1 red onion, diced
a handful of thyme leaves (fresh or dried)
1/2 tbsp. red pepper flakes (dried chili flakes)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 pork sausages (Uli's HOT italian!), meat removed from casings and separated into small pieces
1 28 oz. can of peeled, sliced or diced tomatoes
1/2 pint cream
salt and pepper
pappardelle (from trader joe's, any noodle that you love will work)
parmesan to serve
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Brown the pieces of sausage in the oil, breaking the sausages as you cook. Add the thyme leaves to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook until soft. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the sliced or diced tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta in salted water. A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the cream to the sauce and stir. When the pasta is cooked, plate and serve with a heaping spoon of sauce.