11/24/2011 - Happy Thanksgiving

Last Thanksgiving, Lulu and I were about 25 miles west of the Pacific coast of Baja, out in the ocean, 4 days out of Ensenada. Our feast that day consisted of crackers, cheese and smoked marlin. Today will be better. We've been invited to dinghy out to a 3-boat raft-up to enjoy turkey, et al, with about 20 other cruisers. Should be a good time and an excellent example of a cruiser's Thanksgiving. I'll report back tomorrow.

In the meantime, maybe you can adapt the following recipe to your turkey leftovers, after you get tired of sandwiches. I picked up the basic concept of this recipe yesterday while standing in line waiting to buy a couple bagels from the Bagel Lady. The ingredients sounded intriguing so I had to try it out last night. Turned out to be really good. Of course, the best part is that I got to use a can of Campbell's Cream of Chile Poblano soup. Try finding that at your local Safeway in the States. However, you're all smart folks (else you wouldn't be here, right?), so I know you can improvise.

Bon Provecho and Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Pollo Poblano

4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 seeded chile poblano, finely diced
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons white wine
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chile Poblano soup (substitute Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom if you can't find the Chile Poblano)
3 tablespoons (mas o menos) of half & half (or crema media)
2 cups (uncooked) white rice

Cook the rice by whatever is your chosen method (our method follows)

While the rice is cooking, combine the soy sauce, wine and corn starch.
Soak the chicken in the corn starch mixture making sure all pieces are coated. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat half of the olive oil.
Add the onions to the oil and cook until clear.
Add the garlic, the red pepper flakes, and the chile poblano and cook, stirring frequently, until chile pieces are limp.
Add the rest of the oil and let it heat.
Remove the chicken from the corn starch mixture with a slotted spoon and add to the vegetable mixture.
Cook, stirring now and then, until chicken is cooked through. About 5-8 mintes depending on how hot the oil is. I put a lid on between stirrings to speed things up a little.
When the chicken is cooked, add the can of soup. Stir in to mix.
Thin the mixture down to a good thick gravy consistency by adding the half and half as needed.
Heat through.
Serve over hot rice.


How we cook white rice:

Rinse rice and put into an appropriately-sized pan with a lid.
Add water until there is 1" of water above the surface of the rice.
Put on the heat, cover and bring to a boil.
When the water is boiling, remove the lid and reduce the heat so the rice is gently boiling.
When the water has been absorbed to the point that the rice looks like bubbling lava, reduce heat to a minimum and cover.
After 10 minutes, turn heat off. Leave rice on the hot burner and leave cover on.
After another 10-15 minutes*, the rice is done. Fluff and serve.

*If you start the rice before you start cooking the Pollo Poblano, you can just leave it sitting on the stove until everything else is done. It won't overcook since the water's all gone.