serrano chili

Chile Verde Guacamole

Anaheim chile

serrano chile, finely chopped

white onion

cilantro leaves and tender stems

avocados,

Cilantro-Mint Chutney

cilantro leaves

mint leaves

mango pulp (from 1 small mango, or

lime juice (from about 2 large limes),

serrano chiles, halved and seeded

Kosher salt

Tomatillo salsa, one of the great taco toppings, is a cinch to make. In this 2011 recipe, the tomatillos, stripped of their papery skin, are paired with Serrano chiles and cilantro. Made from just four ingredients, it comes together in moments and is a superb complement to tacos or tortilla chips.

Tomatillo Salsa

tomatillos,

salt

Purée the ingredients in a blender or food processor with 1/2 cup ice water. The salsa is best the day it is made but will keep a couple of days in the refrigerator.

This dish is adapted from a grilled eggplant salad recipe in Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid’s wonderful book "Seductions of Rice" (Artisan, New York). Jasmine rice is an aromatic, soft, long-grain rice widely used in Thailand. The Thai dishes that employ fragrant rice are also well seasoned, so this rice is traditionally cooked without salt. I like to use my panini grill for grilling eggplant. 

Steamed Jasmine Rice With Grilled Eggplant Salad

Thai jasmine rice

Water

Salt

eggplants

canola oil

plum tomato, diced

mint

cilantro

lime juice

Thai fish sauce

sugar

serrano

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with water and swirl the rice around. Drain and repeat this step two or three more times until the water runs clear. Drain, place the rice in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan, and add enough water to cover the rice by a little more than 1/2 inch. (Measure by placing the tip of your index finger on the surface of the rice; the water should come to just below the first joint.) Add salt if desired, and bring to a boil. Allow the water to boil hard for about 15 seconds, then reduce the heat, cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.

Turn off the heat, and leave the lid on the rice. Let stand for five to ten minutes. Remove the lid, and gently turn the rice with a paddle to bring the rice up from the bottom of the pot. Return the lid, and let stand while you prepare the eggplant.

Heat a panini grill to high, or prepare a hot grill. Brush the eggplant slices with canola oil. Grill for three to four minutes in the panini grill (five to eight minutes per side on a regular grill) until the slices are slightly browned and tender all the way through. As each batch is done, remove to a bowl. When all of the eggplant has been grilled, cover the bowl tightly and allow the eggplant to steam and eventually to cool.

Coarsely chop the eggplant, and toss together with the herbs and diced tomato. Mix together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chile. Toss with the eggplant mixture. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour, then taste and adjust seasoning.

Place the rice on a platter or on individual plates, top with the eggplant mixture and serve.

This spicy egg-and-cheese on toast has its roots in the social-club circuit of Mumbai, though chefs in London, New York and Oakland have riffed on it recently, too. The dish is quick and simple, ideal for breakfast or a hearty snack between meals, and can be customized with a variety of cheeses and toppings. To make this updated Eggs Kejriwal, toast good bread and smear it with mustard, then pile on some grated cheese mixed up with chopped up green chiles, red onion and cilantro leaves. Once the cheese is bubbling under the broiler, just slide on a fried egg.

Eggs Kejriwal

butter

Pullman bread

mustard

Cheddar cheese, grated

serrano chile, finely sliced

cilantro leaves,

red onion

eggs

Salt and pepper,

Ketchup (optional)

Butter the bread on both sides, and lightly brown in a frying pan (use the pan you like most for frying eggs). Smear one side of the toasts with mustard, and transfer to a sheet pan, mustard-side up. Turn on the broiler.

Mix together the cheese, chile, cilantro and onion, then split the mixture evenly between the toasts. Place under the broiler just until the cheese is melted.

While the cheese is melting, fry the eggs in the same pan you used to make the toast, until the white edges are crisp, but the yolks are still soft. Gently loosen the eggs from the pan, and slide one on top of each toast. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with ketchup on the side, if you like.

This one pot, Thai-influenced dish couldn’t be easier to assemble, and its beautiful presentation makes it look like you spent a lot longer on dinner than you actually did. The poaching liquid does double duty by gently cooking the fish and wilting the bok choy. If bok choy is unavailable, another sturdy green, like kale or Napa cabbage, can be substituted. Serve with steamed jasmine rice to soak up some of the fragrant coconut milk broth.

Coconut-Poached Fish With Bok Choy

shallot,

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

ginger,

coconut milk

fish sauce

brown sugar

baby bok choy, ends trimmed and stalks separated

scallion greens

Lime wedges (from 1 lime),

Flaky salt (optional)

Season fish well with salt. In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, ginger and chile, and cook, stirring often until they become translucent, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

Add coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar, and whisk together until combined and sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer. Add cod fillets and turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook until cod is just cooked through and opaque, about 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully remove the fish and plate in bowls.

Add bok choy to the coconut milk broth and turn heat to medium-low. Cook bok choy until leaves are wilted and stems are tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Divide bok choy evenly alongside the fish and ladle the coconut milk broth over each portion. Top with cilantro, scallions and a good squeeze of lime, and serve with remaining wedges on the side. Garnish with flaky salt, if desired.

I often use cod for ceviche, one of my favorite ways to enjoy seafood. The cod that gets the Environmental Defense Fund’s highest rating is Pacific cod.

Pacific Cod Ceviche

Pacific cod

garlic cloves, minced

jalapeño

pepper

Hass avocado, diced

extra virgin olive oil

cilantro (1 bunch)

radishes, sliced

head Bibb lettuce spinach

Remove any pin bones from the fish with tweezers or needle-nose pliers. Cut the fish into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Add the lime juice and toss together well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 5 to 7 hours, stirring from time to time.

Add the onion, garlic, chilies, salt and pepper, avocado and olive oil, and stir together. Refrigerate for another hour. Shortly before serving, stir in the cilantro and the radishes.

Line wide bowls or plates with lettuce leaves or spinach. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the ceviche over the leaves. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, and serve.

The best recipes often make a good ingredient great through minimal effort. For this easy appetizer, start with good-quality feta, preferably in brine, which is creamier than the squeaky supermarket varieties. Many commercial fetas use only cow’s milk and can taste somewhat one-note, so look for one that contains both sheep’s and goat’s milk, which provide the cheese’s signature tang. Dice the feta, toss it with preserved lemon, peppercorns and chile, and refrigerate overnight. Spoon it onto crostini, or serve it alongside eggs, fish, salad, grilled or roasted vegetables or atop a bowl of pasta.

Marinated Feta With Herbs and Peppercorns

extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

parsley

orange

red serrano chile, very thinly sliced (optional)

oregano

Greek feta,

Crostini

In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, parsley, preserved lemon, chile, oregano and peppercorns.

Cut the feta into 1/2-inch cubes and add them to the olive oil mixture. Gently fold together until feta is evenly coated. Transfer to a jar or lidded container and drizzle with more olive oil, if needed to immerse the feta. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving to allow solidified olive oil to return to liquid form. Serve with crackers or crostini, or spoon on top of seared fish, grilled or roasted vegetables, pasta or salad.

There is no other aroma coming from the kitchen — not truffle, not freshly peeled orange, not a chocolate cake baking — that will stop you in your tracks and make you inhale as deeply as this ranchero sauce simmering away. Here’s a large batch to use in many ways: Poach eggs in it for brunch, simmer shrimp in it for taco filling, or spoon it over shredded chicken with avocado slices inside a flour tortilla for lunch for the kiddos. Put it in tightly sealed Mason jars and bring it to friends as a host gift.

Big-Batch Ranchero Sauce

tomatoes

cilantro, leaves and stems washed and roughly chopped

garlic cloves

serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed then roughly chopped

guajillo chiles, stems detached

achiote paste

Kosher salt,

Combine everything in a large pot or rondeau, and simmer over gentle heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent any scorching on the bottom. Add a little water if it becomes any thicker than ketchup. Allow to cool before puréeing.

Working in a blender in batches, purée until smooth. Check the salt seasoning. Let cool.

Transfer to quart or pint containers, and stock your freezer, or put the sauce in something more attractive — rubber-sealed jars with hinged lids? — to make gifts of the stuff. Ranchero sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 year. (It may separate a little, in which case you can simply reheat and give a new buzz in a blender to reunify.)

Fany Gerson makes her paletas, Mexican fruit ice-pops, the traditional way: with real fruit for intense flavors. Although this flavor isn't traditional, it was inspired by esquites, a favorite Mexican street food of corn dressed with sour cream, lime and chile. To make it, infuse milk with fresh sweet corn and chile, and then blend it into a smooth base. Fold in some lime and sautéed corn for texture, and freeze for a rich, sweet-savory treat.

Mexican Street-Corn Paleta  (Corn, Sour Cream and Lime Popsicle)

milk

corn kernels (from 4 medium ears of corn; reserve the cobs)

serrano chile, halved

sour cream

lime,

Chile powder (optional)

Popsicle molds

Place the milk, 2 1/2 cups corn kernels, cobs, serrano chile, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and sugar in a stockpot. (If your corn is very sweet, reduce the sugar slightly.) Place over medium heat, stirring the bottom with a spatula. Bring to a simmer, and reduce the heat to maintain it; do not boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is mostly tender, about 15 minutes from when it comes to a simmer.

Let cool for 10 minutes, and remove the corn cobs and serrano chile and reserve. Working in batches if necessary, blend the milk mixture in a blender until smooth. Blend in sour cream, lime zest, lime juice and more salt or sugar to taste. Transfer milk mixture to a bowl, add the corn cobs (and serrano, if you like) and chill at least four hours, preferably overnight.

Heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until foamy. Add the remaining corn and a few pinches of salt. Sauté until the corn is nicely browned, 3 to 5 minutes. If the bottom of the pan is browning, stir in some water until it fully evaporates. 
Transfer to a bowl, chill and reserve.

Remove the cobs and serrano again and discard. Divide the sautéed corn among your Popsicle molds (about 1 tablespoon each if using 3-ounce molds). Divide the milk mixture into the molds. Give each a gentle stir to distribute the corn. Freeze for 50 minutes, or until just hard enough to stand the Popsicle sticks up, insert sticks and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours more. To unmold, dip the molds for a moment in hot water, and remove the paletas. Sprinkle with chile powder, if desired.

These crunchy, tube-shaped flautas ahogadas — the name roughly translates to “drowned flutes” — are served in a pool of spicy tomatillo sauce, and the idea is to slather each bite in the sauce as you eat. They’re immensely popular in Mexico City, where they’re prepared using long corn tortillas specifically made for the dish. This faster version uses standard corn tortillas and a quick rotisserie chicken filling, but the tomatillo sauce, which is tart with an underlying sweetness, deserves to be made from scratch. Prepare it a day in advance or freeze it to save time. It’s worth making a double batch of the sauce, because it brightens up just about anything: tacos, quesadillas or eggs.

Chicken Flautas Ahogadas

white onion, peeled

serrano chiles

garlic clove, peeled

cumin

Mexican oregano

Kosher salt and ground pepper

canola oil, plus about 2 cups for frying

corn tortillas

Mexican crema

cotija cheese (about 4 ounces)

Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil over high. Thinly slice half the onion crosswise into thin rounds, leaving the remaining onion half in one large piece. Add the onion wedge, tomatillos, chiles and garlic to the boiling water, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until softened and tomatillos take on a yellow-green hue, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and pour the remaining contents of the saucepan into a colander to drain.

While tomatillos cool, toss the chicken with the cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Coarsely chop the cooked onion, garlic and chiles, discarding chile stems. Transfer to a blender with 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and blend until chunky. Add the tomatillos and another 1/2 cup reserved cooking water and blend until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the saucepan over medium. Add the sauce and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup reserved cooking water into the blender jar, swirl around to catch any remnants in blender, then pour the mixture into the saucepan. Simmer over low, stirring often, until flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

While the sauce cooks, wrap the tortillas in a damp dish towel and microwave, 1 minute. Shuffle the tortillas to redistribute the heat, then microwave, 1 minute more. Transfer to a dry dish towel and wrap tightly to keep warm.

Heat about 1/2-inch oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high. To test if it’s hot enough, tear off a small piece of tortilla, add to oil and flip after 30 seconds; the tortilla should turn light golden-brown. (You’ll need to make sure the oil is properly heated so the flautas become crisp.) Working with one at a time, pull out a warm tortilla and add about 2 tablespoons chicken in a line down the center of the tortilla. Roll tightly and secure crosswise using two toothpicks.

Once you’ve rolled all 12 tortillas, gently transfer them to the hot oil using tongs and cook, seam side down, until golden brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Work in batches to avoid crowding.) Using tongs, tilt flautas over skillet to allow excess oil to drain, then transfer flautas to a paper towel-lined platter and carefully remove and discard toothpicks.

To serve, divide the sauce among 4 shallow bowls (about 1/2 cup per serving). Divide the flautas among bowls and slather flautas with crema. Top with cheese, sliced onion and cilantro and serve immediately.

There are countless variations of this style of salad from Karnataka, but my favorite is a simple version made with crunchy raw carrots, dressed with a little tempered fat, coconut, citrus and chopped herbs. If fresh coconut isn’t available, keep a bag of frozen grated coconut in the freezer. It’s easy to find at most Indian grocery stores and, when you have it on hand, you can bring this salad together in less than five minutes.

Gajjara Kosambari (Carrot Salad)

neutral oil,

green finger chile (or serrano chile), halved lengthwise

cumin seeds

white sesame seeds

black mustard seeds

moong dal (split green gram), soaked

carrots,

coconut

cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

lemon,

In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the chile, cumin, sesame seeds, mustard seeds and moong dal, if using, and sauté for 1 minute.

Scrape out into a large bowl. Add the carrots, coconut, cilantro, salt and sugar. When ready to serve, squeeze lemon on top and mix to combine.

Lightness is not an attribute usually associated with enchiladas, the most comforting of Mexican tortilla foods. But these enchiladas, filled with a mix of blanched seasoned chard and succulent diced chayote and covered with a classic cooked tomatillo salsa, are both light and incredibly satisfying.

Greens and Chayote Enchiladas With Salsa Verde

chayote

white onion,

garlic cloves; 2 whole and 2 minced

cilantro sprigs, cilantro

canola

stock

olive oil

Black pepper

queso fresco or feta

Strip chard leaves from stems and wash in 2 changes of water. Rinse stems and cut in small dice if wide, or, if thin, slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Set aside stems with chayote in one bowl and leaves in another.

Make the salsa verde: Combine tomatillos, jalapeños and onion in a medium saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, until tomatillos have gone from pale green to olive and have softened. Using a slotted spoon, transfer tomatillos, onion and one of the jalapeños to a blender. Do not drain water from pot. Let vegetables cool in blender while you blanch greens and chayote.

Add more water to the pot so it is about 2/3 full. Return to a boil, salt generously, and add leaves. Blanch until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer leaves to a bowl of cold water to quickly shock, then drain and dry. Chop coarsely and set aside.

Return water to a simmer and add chayote and chard stems. Simmer 5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain through a colander and again on paper towels.

Add whole garlic cloves and cilantro sprigs to ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Taste for heat and add remaining jalapeño if desired.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add tomatillo purée and partly cover to protect from splattering. Cook, stirring often, until it thickens and begins to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes.

Stir in stock, add salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring often, until sauce is thick and coats the front and back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat and add minced garlic. When fragrant, after about 30 seconds, stir in oregano, blanched leaves, stems and chayote. Cook, stirring for about 3 minutes, until tender, fragrant and coated with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 cup salsa verde and set aside.

Prepare the tortillas: Heat 1/3 cup canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, until oil bubbles around the edges of a tortilla when you dip it into the pan. Place a platter covered with paper towels next to pan. Using tongs, slide tortillas, one at a time, into hot oil. As soon as tortilla begins to puff, about 10 to 15 seconds, flip over and leave another 10 to 15 seconds. Immediately remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Cover with foil to keep warm.

One by one, quickly dip tortillas into the remaining warm salsa verde, lay on serving platter, and top with about 1/4 cup filling. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down on platter. When all tortillas have been filled, pour remaining salsa verde on top, sprinkle with cilantro and queso fresco and serve.

Top 13 serrano chili recipes from across the web

The most viewed serrano chili recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Chile Verde Guacamole

Cilantro-Mint Chutney

Tomatillo Salsa

Steamed Jasmine Rice With Grilled E...

Eggs Kejriwal

Coconut-Poached Fish With Bok Choy

Pacific Cod Ceviche

Marinated Feta With Herbs and Peppe...

Big-Batch Ranchero Sauce

Mexican Street-Corn Paleta (Corn, ...

Chicken Flautas Ahogadas

Gajjara Kosambari (Carrot Salad)

Greens and Chayote Enchiladas With ...

Top 13 serrano chili recipes from across the web

The most viewed serrano chili recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chile Verde Guacamole

Cilantro-Mint Chutney

Tomatillo Salsa

Steamed Jasmine Rice With Grilled E...

Eggs Kejriwal

Coconut-Poached Fish With Bok Choy

Pacific Cod Ceviche

Marinated Feta With Herbs and Peppe...

Big-Batch Ranchero Sauce

Mexican Street-Corn Paleta (Corn, ...

Chicken Flautas Ahogadas

Gajjara Kosambari (Carrot Salad)

Greens and Chayote Enchiladas With ...

The most viewed serrano chili recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine