Get your flu shots, people! The sickness is upon us. Val brought home a few bugs last week and infected our entire household. Why does the plague always happen to strike you when you have a million and one things on your agenda? Thank God for homemade chicken soup, antibiotics and H-E-B's Redi Clinic. Four days of delirium and five Beatles Anthology episodes later, we are back on the road to health, world!
And don't forget about Yello Echo's first official coming-out party at Walter's tomorrow night! Mani and the band have been rehearsing almost every day in preparation, so we guarantee that you won't be disappointed!
Here's a shot from their show at Bohemeo's on Saturday. They brought the mother-*bleeping* house down. People were gathered around the stage screaming and waving their arms from side-to-side. We were surprised too, it being a smaller show with a lot of bands and people we'd never met before. I guess you can say that Yello Echo passed its first true test before an audience of unbiased spectators. We have our fingers crossed that Wednesday's gonna rock. Also check out Val's Houston Press interview with local diva Karina Nistal on her upcoming album. It'll be both in the print edition and online tomorrow.
Putting music aside now, this entry is a long time coming, but it's better late than never. We went a little Hatch-crazy at the Central Market Hatch Chile Festival this year. It's a pity that these green little New Mexico treasures have such a short season because we do look forward to the mind-boggling variety of chile products that both Central Market and H-E-B have to offer each year. Among the more interesting items we picked up was a Hatch chocolate granola that's pretty tasty on vanilla ice cream. The hot and cold element is really nice.
On the menu for our home-cooked Hatch party that night was chicken tacos with a Hatch green chile sauce on Hatch tortillas with Hatch tortilla chips and guacamole. We know that was a mouthful of a menu, but it truly was a Hatch-tastic meal!
We grilled up two chicken breasts for our tacos, shredded some Oaxaca cheese, added in some corn and then ladled our Hatch green chile sauce over the top:
(makes two cups)
2 Tbs vegetable oil or olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 small onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken or pork broth
1 cup roasted, peeled Hatch green chiles or (if you don't have fresh chiles) 8 oz canned green chiles
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt (optional: 2 tsp or more chopped, canned or fresh jalapenos if you want it hotter)
1. Heat the oil in a 1-2 qt saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and garlic, cover and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes to wilt the onions. Don't let them brown.
3. Raise heat to medium, stir in flour, cumin and black pepper. Cook, stirring about 2 min.
4. When the onion/flour mix just begins to color, remove from heat and add broth, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
5. Add rest of ingredients. Return pan to heat, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat another 30 min.
6. The finished sauce should not be too thick; dilute with more broth or water if needed. You can puree it if it's not smooth enough. Will keep in fridge for a week; heat before using.
Guacamole
2 avacados
1/4 yellow onion
2-3 garlic cloves (we love lots of garlic)
Juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 lime
Salt, pepper, cayenne and chopped cilantro to taste
I've never tried Hatch chillies. O.O
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about them all over the place, though, so I will set out on a major Hatch-quest. Especially after seeing your Hatch fiesta food--it looks so yummy!
Muchos congratsios to Yello Echo! That's so cool that they've already had such a great response!