No problem tracydr :) Green Chile Stew 2 TBSP oil 2 lbs pork butt, trimmed & cut into 1" cubes 2 red onions chopped 3 quarts + 2 1/2 cups water 30 chiles, peeled, seeded and chopped an entire bulb of roasted garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tsp oregano 2 tsp salt 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded (if our peppers are hot, I omit these) 2 cups cilantro 1/4 cup corn starch (or thickener of choice) Sour cream (we use cottage cheese) Cheddar cheese Chopped tomatoes Tortillas Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan. Brown the pork. Add onion and saute until tender. Add 2 cups of water and degalze the pan (scrape all the brown bits). Add 3 quarts of water and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Add chiles, garlic, oregano, and salt. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, until pork is tender (pork should be at least 2/3 covered with water throughout the simmer, add water if neccessary.) Puree the jalapenos, cilantro, 1/2 cup water, and corn starch or thickener of choice. *if you are going to freeze the stew, you will need to add your thickener when you defrost and reheat it.* Add jalapeno mixture to the stew, adjust seasoning (typically needs more salt) and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve. Garnish with sour cream (we use cottage cheese as our sour cream), cheddar cheese, and chopped tomatoes. We also serve tortillas on the side. I have modified the original recipe, but the original recipe came from "Coyote Cafe" by Mark Miller. Let me know if you make it, and if you like it :)

DMF: Here's my casserole/lasagna concoction. I do a lot of my cooking by taste, so I'll do my best. The following is for a 13x9 pyrex dish. 1) Chop and saute 1 extra large or 2 medium brown onions, 1 small head of garlic, fresh chiles of your choice(jalapenos to superhots ;) ), 1 lg TB of dried MEXICAN oregano, 2 TB of fresh thyme(half, if dried), 2 tsp of cumin, salt and pepper - set aside. 2) Skin,debone and cut into 1 inch pieces 1 rotisserie chicken and mix(coat) with some red sauce(explained below). 3) Make batter. In a large bowl whisk together 1 12 0z can evaporated milk 8 eggs 1 TB baking powder 1 tsp. salt 4 TB flour 4) Construction- a) Grease(Oil) dish. b) Layer roasted, skinned and seeded green chiles, chicken mixture, saute mixture, red sauce and shredded cheese like you would lasagna. You'll need a lb of cheddar and Jack EACH - or Costco has a Mexican blend already shredded. about halfway through layering, pour about 1/3 of batter over that layer. Continue with layering until done then pour remaining batter over entire dish. c) Make sure your last layer is cheese for a nice toasty cheese top. Also, I like to sprinkle a tad of cilantro in - make sure it's not on top or it may burn. d) Bake at 350F for 45-50 min. Cover loosely with foil if it appears browning TOO much with time left on the clock. e) Let cool for 5-10 mins. Garnish with red sauce, sour cream, and cilantro. Note on red sauce: My red sauce/salsa is a separate recipe which I make large batches of consisting of tomatoes, chiles ( anaheims, jalapenos, serranos, reconstituted chiles de arboles and guajillos; and sometimes hotter varieties (habaneros et al)), onions, garlic, MEXICAN oregano, french thyme, cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper. Plus a little white vinegar and sugar. All veggies and aromatics are fire-roasted (tomatoes and chiles are skinned). Everything is then pureed, then simmered for about 30-60 minutes. If you don't feel like making this, I'm sure some canned enchilada sauce or store bought salsa fortified with some chiles would do in a pinch. Any questions, ask. Good luck. Kevin

Cheese enchiladas or Chile Relleno Puffs - use all monterey jack instead of the extra cup of cheddar: These are so good & can be made ahead! Very addicting! Chile Relleno Puffs 1/4 c. butter, room temperature 1 1/4 c. flour 1 1/2 c. monterey jack cheese, shredded 1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded 1 small can diced green chiles - diced jalapeno to taste (jarred or fresh) 1/4 t. garlic powder 1/4 t. dry mustard 1/4 t. paprika 1/4 to 1/2 c. parmesan cheese Mix butter and flour in a mixer until blended. Add cheeses, green chilies, jalapenos, dry mustard, paprika and garlic powder, mix well. Roll dough into 3/4 inch balls, roll in Parmesan cheese. Place on a greased baking sheet and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes before baking. Bake in a 375º oven about 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Great served with hot sauce! I usually double this recipe & freeze the balls stored in Foodsaver bags. Bake right out of the freezer for about 20 minutes at 375º.

Well, inspired by my own recommendation ;-) I made a "southwestern lasagna" tonight. The sauce was essentially peppers, onions, ground turkey, diced tomato, a couple cans of diced green chilis, chili powder, a few other spices and hot sauces to add some life... and then I layered no-boil lasagna sheets with the sauce, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Yum! DW told me to feel free to add it to the rotation.