Volume 10, Issue 091 - May 8, 2006

Hello ,

Our host this week is Carolyn Niethammer and she is sharing some recipes from celebrity chefs of New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona. These recipes com from her cookbook, New Southwest Cookbook published by Rio Nuevo Publishers.

Carolyn Niethammer's New Southwest Cookbook showcases 135 recipes from the region's hottest chefs and top-rated restaurants and resorts. Bring fresh style to your menus and dazzle your dinner guests with special dishes from such well-known establishments as Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona; Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona; La Cocina de Luz in Telluride, Colorado; Pink Adobe in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Café Central in El Paso, Texas; and Zion Lodge in Springdale, Utah.

Let's look at our first recipe.

Lon's at the Hermosa, Paradise Valley, AZ

Lon's is housed in the former home and studio of cowboy artist Lon Megargee. The art on the walls of the sprawling hacienda includes a collection of Megargee's works, traditional Native American rugs and blankets and other Western memorabilia.

The Navajo Churro lamb used in the restaurant is a heritage breed brought to the Southwest by Spanish settlers in the sixteenth century, making them America's oldest breed of domesticated sheep. They have been prized by shepherds for their hardiness and adaptability and by the Navajos particularly for their long silky wool, ideal for weaving rugs. Once listed among our endangered species, the Navajo Churro is now making a comeback.

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Braised Navajo Churro Lamb
Lon's at the Hermosa, Paradise Valley, Arizona

You may substitute your favorite root vegetable for the carrots to personalize this satisfying dish.

Make 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 fresh green chile
3 tomatoes, cored and halved
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 1/2 pounds shoulder or leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste
all-purpose flour for dredging
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cups wiped and sliced mushrooms
2 cans (12 ounces each) beef broth
2 cans (12 ounces each) chicken broth

Preparation:

Rub the chile, tomatoes and onion with 1 tablespoon of the canola oil. Place the vegetables directly on a medium-hot grill and cook, turning often, to char the skin of the tomatoes and chile. Just brown the onions lightly and soften. When charred, enclose the chile in a plastic bag and steam for 3 to 4 minutes. Peel off the tomato skin and cut the tomatoes into small pieces. Remove the stem, skin and seeds from the pepper. Cut the chile into small cubes. Set all aside.

To cook the lamb, put 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy pot and set over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the lamb to season and then lightly flour the meat. Brown the lamb pieces in the oil, turning to cook evenly. Add the tomato paste, garlic, carrots and mushrooms. Cook the vegetables and meat, stirring to prevent browning the vegetables, for about 5 minutes. Add the beef and chicken broths and bring the liquid to a boil.

Decrease the heat to a slow simmer, cover tightly and continue cooking for about 1 hour. Add the grilled chile, tomatoes and onion to the pot, cover, and finish braising the lamb for about another 45 minutes or until the meat yields easily when pierced with a fork.

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Velvet Elvis Pizza Company, Patagonia, AZ

A restaurant that features both Elvis and the Virgin of Guadalupe in the same setting certainly deserves the term "eclectic." Located in the little southeastern Arizona town of Patagonia, the Velvet Elvis opened in 1998 on December 12, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, so she decorates one of the restaurant's walls.

In contrast, one of the long-standing offerings in gift shops across the border in nearby Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, has been paintings on black velvet. In honor of this regional art form, a black-velvet painting of Elvis hangs over the bar. The restaurant serves mainly designer pizzas and calzones, but there are salads and soups as well. Chef-owner Cecila San Miguel says, "Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to bless the Velvet Elvis, and the Guadalupe Salad is our most popular."

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Guadalupe Salad with Avocado Dressing
Velvet Elvis Pizza Company, Patagonia, Arizona

This recipe makes large meal-size salads. For side salads, scale all ingredients down. You will have more Avocado Dressing than you need. Refrigerate and use as a topping for chicken or fish or other salads. Covered tightly, it will keep for up to two days.

Makes 4 large main servings or 8 side servings

Ingredients:

1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
12 cups spinach, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
16 thinly sliced red onion rings
4 large Roma tomatoes, sliced

Avocado Dressing:

1 avocado
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed fresh garlic
pinch of dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of dried oregano
1/2 fresh jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

Preparation:

For the Salad:

Put the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and add just enough boiling water to cover. When soft, slice the tomatoes into ribbons and set aside.

For the Avocado Dressing:

Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process to achieve medium consistency of heavy cream, adding more water if necessary.

To Serve:

Toss 1/2 cup Avocado Dressing with the spinach. Divide among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with 1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 4 onion rings, and a sliced Roma tomato.