Xochitl (so-cheet), located in the historic Headhouse Square district in Philadelphia, is named for the 11th century Queen of Tollan, Mexico who is credited with creating the elixir that would pave the way for the much beloved Tequila.  Xochitl has been featured in Food & Wine magazine and voted as one of 2007’s “Best of Philly” for its fun cocktails and selection of over 50 brands of Tequila.  Chef Dionicio Jimenez has become known for creating just as many equally exciting meals to compliment those many different Tequilas.  Today, he shares with us his Chiles en Nogada recipe which is a restaurant favorite and specialty of the Puebla region of Mexico, the same area in which Chef Jimenez hails from.

Ole!

Chiles en Nogada

By Chef Dionicio Jimenez, Xochitl Philadelphia, PA

Serves 6 

Chiles

• 6 poblano peppers
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 piece canela (Mexican cinnamon)
• 2 bay leaves
• vegetable oil
• 1 oz. raisins
• 1 oz. dried apricots, diced
• 1 oz. dried mango, diced
• 1 oz. dried papaya, diced
• 1 oz. dried pineapple, diced
• Salt and pepper

Sauce

• 1 lb. Mexican crema
• 8 oz. walnuts
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and pepper

Garnish

• Pomegranate seeds
• Toasted walnuts

Char the poblano peppers under a broiler or over an open flame until the skin blackens.  Remove the skin and carefully cut a slit along one side of each pepper to remove the seeds.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and sauté the ground beef with the onions, garlic, bay leaves and canela.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the beef is cooked, fold in the diced dried fruit.  Stuff the peppers with the ground beef mixture.

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend to combine.  Adjust the consistency with more milk, if necessary, and season with salt and pepper. 

To serve, place a stuffed pepper in the center of each plate and cover with the walnut sauce.  Garnish with pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts.  Serve at room temperature.  

About Xochitl

Pronounced so-cheet, this new authentic Mexican experience services a traditional Mexican menu featuring dishes from the Puebla region, guacamole made to order tableside, an extensive tequila list, traditional margaritas and a variety of tequila-based cocktails. The restaurant boasts two intimate levels perfect for casual dining, cocktails at the bar or late night in the downstairs lounge.

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It all started with Kale, I picked up some to go in a pot of slow cooked white beans I was preparing but then forgot to add it in.  So here I was sort of stuck with something that normally all I would do is sauté with a little olive oil and eat.  I dug out one of my trusty vegetarian cookbooks and found a great recipe for Kale and Potato hash.  The end result was a tasty side dish that will definitely get repeat performance in my house.  The next day I found myself with about two cups of leftover hash took one look at it and instantly thought “Frittata”.  The Frittata has tons of flavors coming from the Potato Hash, garlic, red pepper, and cheese. And it's a great creation for this month's Leftover Tuesdays.

Potato, Kale, & Tomato Frittata

Serves 2

• 2 cups of leftover Potato, Kale, & Tomato Hash
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil over med-high heat in an 8 inch omelette pan. 

Add the potato hash to the pan and warm through, about 2-3 minutes.  Add in the beaten eggs

Place in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes until the egg is cooked through and firm.

Remove Frittata from the oven, season with salt, pepper, and grated romano cheese.

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Photo courtesy of Chef Jason Bangerter

Now that we've covered the basics are you ready for the taste test?  Remember, when pairing wines with food follow the rule of matching or complementing the food and wine flavors.  Which of the following meals would you pair with Riesling?

a. Kung Pao Chicken
b. Mango tart
c. Turkey Chops with Cornbread stuffing
d. All of the above

The answer could be d, but actually it's a.  A little sweetness really helps to cool off the heat in spicy foods without eliminating the key flavors in the meal.  A late harvest Riesling would definitely work well with the Mango tart as a dessert wine, but Riesling would not necessarily pair well with the Turkey dish.  For the Turkey I would do a light red like a Pinot Noir or maybe even a rose. Riesling would work well with the Turkey chop alone, but not with the stuffing that traditionally has a heartier flavor requiring a fuller wine.

Next time, we'll conclude our study of the big "3" white wines with Sauvignon Blanc.

About Chef Heather

Chef Heather (aka Foodie Princess) is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City (formerly Peter Kumps New York Cooking School). She has worked for Gourmet Magazine, TV Personality Katie Brown, and the New York based Indian-fusion restaurant Tabla. Chef Foodie Princess resides in New Jersey with her husband and daughter and is in the process of launching her own Personal Chef Service "The Princess & The Pea".

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Believe it or not creating a new meal made from Leftovers is a new thing for me.  My husband is a pretty big eater so there are rarely any leftovers and if there are it's usually just enough for me to take to work the next day for lunch.  But when I heard that Project Foodie was doing another Leftover Tuesday I felt inspired and was immediately up for the challenge.  I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to make but then again I guess that's the whole point!  When I found myself with leftover cornbread stuffing, from an early Thanksgiving meal craving I had experienced, I knew that was just the ticket.  I wanted something tasty and autumnal, comfort food, and something reminiscent of my childhood meals.  I immediately thought of my grandfather's Shepard's Pie.  So here's my take on Grand pop's Shepard's pie using that fantastic leftover *Cornbread stuffing.   

Leftover Tuesday- Thanksgiving Shepard's Pie

Serves 4

• 3 boneless pork chops or loin, diced
• 1 cup of carrots, diced
• 2 cups of cornbread stuffing (the leftover)
• 3 cups of mashed potatoes
• 1tsp cinnamon
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Take the pork and season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. 

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over med high heat and sauté pork until just done, half way through add the carrots and continue cooking those until soft.

4. Prepare mashed potatoes as per your favorite recipe (or better yet maybe you have some of those leftover too)

5. Take a 13 x 9 baking dish or individual casseroles and spray with a little non- stick cooking spray or brush with a little olive oil.

6. Mix the pork and carrots with the leftover stuffing.

7. Pour the pork stuffing into the baking dish, top with the mashed potatoes

8. Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes start to brown on top, garnish with a little chopped parsley or chives if you have it.

* The Cornbread stuffing is what makes this dish a winner, chestnuts, onion, figs, celery, thyme, and apple a real treat. 

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