Feeling Minnesota? ….Set the Winter Blues on Fire!

As much as I love Minnesota and its people, I cannot help but wish I lived somewhere a bit warmer in the winter. Spending years in the southwestern deserts and getting used to having sunburn rather than frostbite in mid-February, my mind can’t help but wander out of winter mode and into a “‘Caliente” mindset.

Those that know me understand the influence the southwest and its cuisine have had on me and my cooking. It's understandable that when I look out the window and see my grill buried in the snow, I tend to get a little antsy for some heat. Grill season is a little more than a month away, yet March seems an eternity to me and all backyard chefs and grill enthusiasts.

I have learned that a good way to set the winter blues ablaze is to start adding words like Ancho, Pasilla, Guajillo, Chipotle, New Mexico Red and Chiltepin to your home menu. Most Minnesotans tend to fear the chili rather than embrace, simply because they are unaware of the total variety and the uniqueness each chili has and what they can bring to the simplest of recipes.

When starting, a general rule is the bigger the chili, the lower it ranks on the Scoville Scale. (This is the method for measuring the Capsaicin level in each pepper. Capsaicin is what gives peppers & chilies their bite!) The higher the measure on the Scoville Scale, the hotter the chili. The dried Ancho chilies that you see in most grocery stores are a great chili to start on your journey towards the Southwest. They have a dark, almost smoky flavor that brings out the southwest in most any dish. They have minimal heat with maximum flavor. What more can you ask from a chili?

Simmering an Ancho pepper in my favorite soups and stews instantly brings me back to the mountains of Arizona and the vision of Pinion Pines and Prickly Pears. Below is a recipe that I have used many times over the years not only because it is good, but it is fast when you need to have dinner ready on the fly. Simply purchase a rotisserie chicken from your favorite grocery store, pull the meat from the bone, and toss in the soup. Not only does it save time, but the flavor of a whole roasted chicken simply adds another dimension to the soup. …and you don’t have to worry about raw chicken around all your fresh ingredients.

Hope this recipe melts the blues and heats things up!
\m/ Richard Dollarhide

Ancho Chicken Soup

The What:
6 white corn tortillas – cut into strips and fried
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Ancho Chili (chopped)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 carton (32 oz size) chicken broth
2 tomatoes (Diced or a large can of Diced Stewed Diced tomatoes)
1 pound shredded chicken
Chopped avocado
Lime sour cream ** Recipe below
Chopped fresh cilantro
Shredded Cheese

The How:
In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in ancho pepper, garlic, cumin and bay leaves. Add broth and tomatoes and shredded rotisserie chicken. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves
Top with avocado, Lime sour cream, tortilla strips and cilantro, if desired. For additional heat top with your favorite hot sauce

**Lime Sour Cream
Simply squeeze the juice of one like to ½ cup of sour cream.