Monday, October 8, 2012

Chicken Broth

for chicken broth
  • Desired chicken: Whole (Chop into pieces, leave innards if you like OR just use vertebra, breast and leg, use the rest for something else), Legs, Breasts {my Tia Doris likes to rinse the chicken in water & use a lemon to rub the chicken down before she uses it} I like to remove the skin, your choice
  • 1/2 head of garlic
  • 1/2 onions
  • salt to taste
Cover the chicken, garlic & onion with enough water to double in layers.
Once it boils remove the "gunk" that surfaces and add salt to taste
Bring down to medium heat and let simmer until the marrow bursts out, the chicken is tender and the broth is colorful & flavorful, add small amounts of water to broth if it starts evaporating too quickly, but not so much it loses taste & color
Warning:  It takes practice to get a yummy broth, NEVER GIVE UP!
This broth can be served w/ cilantro, onions & lime OR it can be the base to a thousand soups!

Entomatadas Casserole

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients
  • 1/2 a pack of family size cooked chicken breasts (3 large chicken breasts) from chicken broth recipe shredded, salt & pepper to taste
  • 18 tortillas
  • preferred cheeses shredded, salty & mild are a good combo (cotija or parmesan, queso fresco, oaxacan, mozarella, etc.)
  • oil of your choice
  • chives or onions, cotija, lettuce, Mexican sour cream for garnish
salsa (let marinade for at least an hour)
  • bring to a boil tomatoes (about 16 medium sized), 1 or more chile jalapeƱo or serrano (test of degree of desired heat) until tender to touch
  • blend w/ 4 cloves of garlic & an onion quarter
  • salt to taste
Create a work station with the salsa divided into fourths, shredded chicken, shredded cheese mix and using a casserole dish next to your stove.
Pour a thin layer of salsa on the bottom of your casserole dish
Heat up enough oil to thinly cover the bottom of your skillet
Carefully place a tortilla in and gently and swiftly bathe both sides, but do not over fry them b/c they will start falling apart (It is no big deal, except for aesthetic value, my husband suggests just to fry the top tortillas to cut back on the fried ingredients).
Place in casserole dish and repeat, laying tortillas side by side to create the first layer
Sprinkle shredded chicken for the second layer
Pour salsa for the third layer
Sprinkle cheese for the fourth layer
Repeat the tortilla, chicken, salsa and cheese layers
Add one more layer of tortillas, salsa & cheese
Cover with aluminum & bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese melts
Sprinkle w/ chives & cilantro, serve with shredded lettuce & Mexican sour cream on top


Chicken Pozole

Serves 15
for "color" (I like to let it marinade over night)
  • 5 chile guajillos
  • 5 chile pasillas
  • 1/2 head of garlic
  • salt to taste

for chicken broth
in a big "pozole" pot
  • chicken breast- 2 family size chicken breast packages
  • 1 head of garlic
  • 4 onions
  • salt to taste
in smaller pot
  • chicken legs- 1 family size chicken breast packages
  • 1/2 head of garlic
  • 1 onions
  • salt to taste
  • 2 big cans of hominy
  • fresh or dried oregano
pour broth into one pot
add "color" to chicken broth
add rinsed hominy
add fresh or dry oregano to taste
let boil & simmer for at least 2 hours
Serve w/ tostadas, cabbage, radishes, onions, chili pepper flakes, dried oregano & limes