Mexican Stew

I had a request from a reader to cook some authentic Mexican recipes.
THIS is NOT an authentic Mexican recipe! I am going to do one in the near future, I've always wanted to cook with cactus, but I need to get to a specialty store first to see what's available.

The main part of tonight's dish was an altered version of this recipe. I added black beans and used chipotle peppers in adobo sauce instead of 'chipotle paste'.

I also used fresh tomatoes instead of canned.
I have a secret about using fresh tomatoes in a sauce..... Cut the tomatoes into chunks of various sizes, from small dices to ping pong ball sizes!
I have found that if I cut the tomatoes to approx the same size it doesn't really become a sauce, but rather a mash of hot tomatoes. I think the different sizes allows the smaller ones to cook down quickly while the larger ones remain more 'chunky'.

I also had some potatoes, celery and carrots that I wanted to use too, so I made up a side dish.
The finished product yields 6 generous servings!

Side Dish


5 idaho potatoes
1 onion chopped
2 carrots diced
2 sticks of celery diced
Throw all veggies into a roasting tin.
Season generously with salt and pepper.
Add enough olive oil to to coat potatoes (approx 3tbsp)
Bake at 400F (200C) for 60 minutes, stir every 20 minutes.

'Mexican' Stew


3 large chicken breasts, cut into thirds
1 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves sliced
500g tomatoes chopped.
430g tin of black beans
200g tin of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

In a large pan, fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil over a low heat until soft.
Add chipotle peppers and tomatoes.
Bring to a gentle boil.
Add chicken.
Bring back to boil and then lower to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Add drained black beans.
Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks.
Add chicken back to pan and bring to final boil right before serving.

I became worried after adding the chipotle peppers that I may have added way to many. A google search heightened my fear when I read that 10lbs of Jalapenos make 1lb of chipotle!!!

But I was worrying for nothing. The dish was spicy but pleasantly so, with a lovely smokey finish on the palate. 

The potatoes turned out great too. Although this side dish is not a typical Mexican food it still went well with the stew, adding some starch to mop up the juices. Maybe some Mexican seasoning would have made them 'more suited' to the stew.

Stay tuned for some authentic Mexian cooking in the near future!