Ancho Rubbed Roast Chicken stuffed with Mexican Stuffing, Poblano Corn Pudding, and 'Calabacits Guisada' with Edamame

Hello!  How I've missed blogging.  And cooking!

In case you don't know, I've moved from PA to CO.  The Boyfriend and I lived here for a week out of backpacks.  Literally.  No dishes. ONE skillet, paper plates and cups, plastic silverware.  For a WEEK!  

Now that we're all settled in, I thought my first blog out here should showcase Colorado's food scene.  

Which is Mexican.  

Makes sense right?  Colorado really doesn't do their own thing

 (Philly- cheesesteaks, soft pretzels... Whole state of Colorado- meat and potatoes I guess!) 

I'd be willing to estimate that the restaurants here are 30% American food, 30% Asian food, and 40% Mexican food.

Quick breakfast:

 Philly-  Grab a Wawa sandwich or Dunkin Donuts.

Colorado- Grab a breakfast burrito

Quick lunch: 

Philly- grab a Wawa sandwich or a hoagie

Colorado- Grab a lunch burrito

:)

Not that I mind, the Mexican food here is SO MUCH better than on the East Coast.  

So for you, I made a Mexican dinner.  A Mexican feast.  

Suitable for a non-conventional Thanksgiving or Sunday night dinner.  I can't say how authentic it is, I have to check out more of the Mexican places around here.  But man was it good. 

The showstopper on this meal is was the Proscuitto and Poblano Corn Pudding. Trust me on this.  This recipe is one of the BEST things I ever ate.  I kid you not.  The bite from the poblano's, the salty bits of proscuitto, the sweetness of the corn, and the manchengo cheese....  you just don't understand.    It would be a great side dish to many, many meals.  If you make nothing else here, I'm telling you....

The Ancho Rubbed Roast Chicken was also amazing.  The skin was so crispy, with a bit of heat from the ancho chile powder (but not really spicy), the meat so juicy.  The Mexican stuffing I made at the last minute, as I had a bunch of bread-butts I wanted to use up.  I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but it was pretty darn good.  Maybe next time I'd add a little chicken stock for a little added  moisture.

'Calabacitas Guisada' is Mexican Stewed Zucchini, only I forgot to buy zucchini!  I had some shelled edamame in the fridge that worked pretty nicely though.  

All-in-all, a great meal!

Mango Chorizo Stuffed Pork Chops

I have a recipe from a cookbook by Chef Bob Peterik that I've been anxious to try.  It was for Mango Chorizo Stuffed Chicken, but it works great with pork.  The mango chorizo marinade and stuffing is pretty much his recipe, I made a few minor tweaks and changed cooking methods.

Mango Chorizo Stuffed Pork Chops with 
Raw Honey and Mango 

You will need:

Pork marinade:
2 bone in center cut pork chops
2 mangos, peeled and pureed
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

Stuffing:
1 mango, peeled and pureed
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 pound chorizo sausage
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, stem and seed removed, diced small
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup butter, melted

Baste:
1 mango, peeled and pureed
2 tbsp raw honey
1 tsp cayenne pepper plus a pinch


Combine the mangos for the marinade with the sugar and white wine vinegar in a tupperware, mix thoroughly.  Add the pork chops, and marinate for 2 hours to overnight.

Cook the chorizo in a saute pan until brown and crumbly.  Remove, drain accumulated fat, and set chorizo aside.  Using same pan, heat olive oil and add the onion and jalapeno.  Cook until onion is soft and getting tan, about 8-10 minutes.

Add the chorizo, 1 of the 2 pureed mangos, onion and jalapeno to a bowl and mix well.  Season with a little salt and pepper.

Preheat grill to med heat.

Remove pork chops from marinade.  Discard marinade.  Season chops with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne.  Using a paring knife or small sharp knife, cut a small pocket in the pork chop, cutting all the way to the bone.  Stuff the each chop with the stuffing, pressing as much in as you can.  Secure with a toothpick.

Place chops on the grill over heat.

Combine mango, raw honey, and cayenne. Reserve 2 tbsp, and baste the pork chops with remainer every 5 minutes or so (it keeps them nice and juicy!)  Flip after about 20 minutes.  Cook a total of 45 minutes, or until done. Top each chop with a reserved tbsp of mango and raw honey mixture.  Enjoy!


Some other favorite recipes:
Turkey Piccata with Charred Penne
Tomato Braised Kale