Green Chile Stew

Well readers, yesterday was very bittersweet: it was my last day working at the restaurant. I start my new career at a law firm downtown on Monday. I am excited to be moving forward but will definitely miss all the friends I've made working at Spring Rolls dearly. I came to work yesterday to a bouquet of roses, balloons and a bottle of wine all wishing me well; do I have some great friends, or what? A large portion of my regular customers came in to see me off and I left feeling lucky to have had such a great opportunity to work with such amazing people.

Last night I made my favorite fall comfort food: Green Chile Stew. However, this time I even made my own green chile sauce, which I've never done before. This recipe for green chile sauce I got from The Best From New Mexico Kitchens cookbook published by New Mexico Magazine.

Green Chile Sauce

1/4 C olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 C onion, minced
1 Tbsp flour
1 C water
1 C diced green chile
Salt to taste

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes. Blend in flour with a wooden spoon. Add water and chile and bring to a boil, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.

Now that you have your sauce, you're ready to make stew! Green Chile Stew has many variations and is a fall staple in my Home State, this is the version I've been eating since I was a kid. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do. 

Green Chile Stew

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 onion, diced
5 Russet potatoes, diced
4 C green chile sauce (homemade is better, but Cervantes or Sadie's green chile sauce is good too)
4 C water
Flour tortillas or tortilla chips, for serving

In a large stockpot over medium heat, brown turkey in olive oil with onion and garlic. Season the meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder. The good thing about using ground turkey as opposed to beef is that you don't need to dump off the fat, however ground beef could certainly be used as well or even ground pork. Just omit the olive oil and pour off the excess fat.

Once the meat is browned, add in the diced potatoes, sauce and water. Stir to combine. 

Drop the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer the delicious stew for 20 minutes. Check the seasonings and serve with flour tortillas or tortilla chips.

This stew always reminds me of New Mexican falls: the International Balloon Fiesta, the New Mexico State Fair, cooler weather, and watching Halloween movies and making pumpkin treats with Nate. I hope you guys enjoy this stew just as much as Nate and I do!