Apple Coffee Cake

 Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 C white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 C apple cider
• 1 C chopped tart apples

For the Topping:

• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 5 tbsp butter

Mise En Place

Let stick of butter warm up to room temperature.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Add in egg, vanilla extract, and apple cider until creamy. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until combined. Stir in chopped apples.
4. Prepare topping by stirring together flour, sugars, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Spread batter into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pozole Rojo

 This makes an amazing stew.  Think about the garnishes as you would for a bowl of ramen.  

Ingredients

• 2 oz Guajillo chiles
• 2 oz Pasilla Chiles
• 1 large can Hominy
• 3 lb Pork shoulder
• 8 Cloves Garlic
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp ground Cumin
• 2 Tbsp dry Oregano
• 2 tsp Salt

Garnishes

• Cabbage
• Avocados
• Cilantro

Mise en Place

Deseed the chili pods and cut into large pieces.  Bring 3 cups of water (or stock) to boil, then turn off heat and soak chili pods in water for 15-20 minutes.

Cut pork in to bite sized chunks. 

Add soaked chili pods to blender with 2 1/2 cups of soaking liquid.  Add 2 tsp salt, 4 cloves garlic, cumin, and oregano.  Puree into sauce.

Method

Add oil to pressure cooker and brown pork chunks.  Add purred sauce to pot.  Add bay leaf and hominy.  Pressure cook for 45 minutes.   Meanwhile prepare garnishes. 

Pollo en Barbacoa

This is a versatile dish.  The chicken can be swapped out for another other braising meat. I serve with rice and/or beans. 

Ingredients

• 5 Guajillo chiles 
• 5 Pasilla Chiles 
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 10 Garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 Tsp Black Peppercorns
• 3 Whole Cloves
• 1 Stick Cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp dried Oregano
• 1 Can Diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 Bottle Tomatillo salsa
• 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
• 10 Avocado Leaves
• Chicken Thighs & Legs

Mise en Place

Deseed the dried chiles and chop into smaller pieces.  Let chiles soak in boiling water (or stock) for 20 minutes.  The soaking liquid is good for making beans in while Barbacoa is cooking.

Chop onion and peal garlic.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Method

Quickly sweat onions and garlic in a pan.  Add other spices.  Add soaked chiles to blender with all of the other ingredients except of the avocado leaves and chicken.  Puree into sauce.  

Add sauce to Dutch oven.  Arrange chicken and avocado leaves in the sauce.  Cover and bake in oven for at least an hour.