Aztecpie Recipes

AZTEC FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Prepare an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ancho chile powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in the almond, apricots, chocolate, cranberries, dates, figs, brown sugar and popped amaranth. Use your fingers to make sure that everything has been coated with the flour mixture evenly.
• In a separate bowl, using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the honey, vanilla and egg until thick in texture, about 1 minute. Add the egg mixture to the fruit and flour mixture and mix using a spatula until everything is coated with the egg mixture. Spread onto the prepared baking pan, pressing to even out.
• Bake until the batter is golden brown and can pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting.
• Lift the bar from the pan by the edges of the aluminum foil. Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 even squares.

AZTECA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet and carefully drop in half the tortilla strips. Fry in batches until golden brown and crunchy. Place fried tortilla strips on a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry. Sprinkle salt on tortillas, tossing to coat both sides.
• Using a blender or food processor, blend tomatoes, onion and cilantro until completely pureed.
• In a saucepan, heat chicken broth, chipotle chili, and pureed vegetables. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Prior to serving, add tortilla strips and avocado. Buen provecho!

AZTEC CHICKEN

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter with vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add all onions; cook until deep brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add sugar and sauté until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup vinegar; sauté until almost all liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl.
• Preheat oven to 200°F. Mix salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and pepper in small bowl. Rub chicken breasts all over with spice mixture. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken breasts, skin side down. Sauté until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to baking sheet. Keep warm in oven.
• Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 20 seconds. Add caramelized onions, 1/4 cup vinegar, tomato, olives, capers, and Sherry. Cook until liquid reduces slightly, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, chicken broth, lime juice, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Add avocado; cook until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add 4 tablespoons butter and stir until blended into sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 chicken breast on each of 6 plates; spoon sauce over.

AZTEC PIE

Steps:

• Remember that you will need to cook the pork before preparing the rest of the casserole.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the corn oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions until soft.
• Add the garlic, poblano, and tomatillos and let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the poblano is soft.
• Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add cream and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Purée the poblano sauce in a blender until smooth, strain, and return to the pan.
• Season with salt and reduce some more if necessary.
• Sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
• Heat a few tablespoons of corn oil over medium-high heat and cook the tortillas in it for no more than 10 seconds.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place 6 tortillas on the bottom of a shallow baking or casserole dish (about 9 by 11 inches or 10 by 10 inches in size; shape does not matter).
• Cover the tortillas with half of the shredded pork, ladle on half the sauce, and sprinkle with half of the cheese.
• Repeat with a second layer.
• Cover and cook for 35 minutes, then uncover and lightly brown on top.
• Cut into serving-size pieces and garnish with cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

AZTEC PIE

Steps:

• Saute onion in oil in a skillet over medium heat until soft.
• Add garlic and cook another minute or so.
• Transfer to small bow.
• Cook beef in skillet until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
• Return onion and garlic to skillet.
• Stir in chili powder, sugar, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cinnamon; cook 2 to 3 minutes more, stirring to blend falvors.
• Stir in undrained tomatoes and chlies; break up tomatoes.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place half of chips in an even layer on bottom of large casserole dish.
• Spoon half of the meat sauce over.
• Sprinkle with green onion.
• Reserving 6 olives, scatter remainder of olives over green onion.
• Sprinkle with half of the cheeses.
• Press down with a spatula to compress slightly.
• Top with another layer of chips and meat sauce.
• Press down slightly again.
• Top with remaining cheeses.
• Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• Let stand 10 minutes befire serving.
• Garnish top with reserved olives and additional green olives, avocado and lime, if desired.

AZTEC PUDDING

Steps:

• For sauce mixture: Place the tomatoes, onion, chilies, water and chicken consume in a blender and blend well. Pour mixture into a pot and boil. When sauce begins to boil, place a lid on the pot and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Add the corn, zucchini, squash flowers and cooked chicken or pork to the simmering mixture. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked. Adjust for salt and mix in the epazote and cilantro. After mixed well, set aside to cool.
• For base of pudding, fry each tortilla very quickly in hot oil -- only a few seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• In a blender blend all ingredients for the cream mixture together until smooth. Set aside.
• Assemble in a 9 1/2 by 13-inch pan. Layer tortillas to cover the bottom and sides of pan, then layer cheeses, sauce, cream mixture, and continue layering in that order, ending with the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees, for about 20 minutes or until bubbly. Salt to taste with chicken consume.
• The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.

TORTILLA CASSEROLE (BUDIN AZTECA)

Steps:

• Place chiles directly over the flame of a gas-stove burner on high heat. Roast chiles, turning with tongs, until blackened all over. (Alternatively, broil chiles on a baking sheet, turning, until skin has charred.) Transfer to a bowl, and cover immediately with plastic wrap. Set aside to steam, about 15 minutes. Peel chiles; discard skins. Remove stems, seeds, and ribs; cut chiles into 1-by-1/2-inch strips. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush tortilla halves on both sides with 3 tablespoons oil. Arrange on baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until tortillas begin to bubble (before becoming crunchy), 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Wash spinach, and drain but do not dry. Add spinach to skillet. Cover, and cook until spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a cutting board; let cool slightly. Squeeze out liquid. Coarsely chop, and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in chiles; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add beans and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, mashing slightly with the back of a wooden spoon, 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• Line bottom of a 10 1/4-inch-round, 2 1/2- to 3-inch-deep baking dish with 12 tortilla halves, overlapping slightly. Layer with chile mixture, half the bean mixture, and half the crema. Spread 3/4 cup salsa over top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat for second layer, using spinach instead of the chiles. Top with remaining tortillas, 3/4 cup salsa, and 1/2 cup cheese.
• Bake until heated through, 45 minutes to 1 hour; cover with foil for last 15 minutes if browning too quickly or becoming too dry. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serve with more salsa and crema.

SOPA AZTECA

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add chile peppers and boil until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer peppers to a dish and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes; reserve chile water. Remove and discard stems and seeds from peppers, keeping a few seeds if you like a spicy soup.
• Combine chiles, tomatoes, onion, bouillon, oregano, and thyme in an electric blender; add as much reserved chile water as possible to fill line. Blend until liquefied.
• Strain chile mixture into a large pot. Add remaining chile water, adding additional water if necessary. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, 20 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry tortilla strips in the hot oil under golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
• Distribute soup evenly between serving bowls and garnish with fried tortilla strips, crema, lime wedges, and avocado.

AZTEC PIE

Steps:

• Simmer chicken in broth with whatever seasoning you like (I use garlic powder, some chopped onion and celery) and cut up. Cut tortillas into wedges.
• Mix soups, chilies, onions, olives, chicken and 1/2 of the cheese to make the sauce.
• Prepare 9x13 pan, spray with cooking spray. Layer the pie by spreading a layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan, arrange layer of tortilla wedges over the sauce, repeat layer of sauce, tortillas, top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
• Bake uncovered 1 1/2 hours at 300°F. Let cool to firm a little before serving. Cut into pieces (like lasagna).