The January Monthly Spice Box
By: RawSpicebar
Published: Friday, January 16, 2015 - 11:33am

Ingredients




RAWSPICEBAR SPICE BLENDS:
Ground Chiles
Posole Spices
Sumac & Herbs
Juniper Berries Blend
FOR THE POSOLE:
2 pounds pork shoulder (or beef shoulder, whole chicken)
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
1 pound dried or canned hominy (can also substitute garbanzo beans or frozen corn)
24 oz canned whole tomatoes in puree
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
Sliced radishes, chopped avocado, fresh cilantro or lime wedges for serving
FOR THE FLATBREADS:
2.5 cups bread flour (white or wheat)
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup warm water
FOR THE POACHED APPLES:
5 apples (we like Fuji, Pink Lady or Braeburn)
3 cups fruity red wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar (or preferred sweetener)
2/3 cup water

Preparation

1 New Mexican Posole 2 Spice Blends: RawSpiceBar's Ground Chiles & Posole Spices 3 The star of this month's spice box, this classic New Mexican posole is a lightly brothed, deeply flavorful & moderately spicy stew perfect for a chilly day. Made with hominy, which are large kernels of puffed white corn (posole just means "dried corn" and hominy means "cooked posole"), for body & traditionally made with pork shoulder for flavor. Our red chile blend of New Mexican, Ancho, Guajillo & Arbol chiles provide fruity, peppery depth with a bit of heat. The beauty of this dish is the ability to swap in vegetables, chicken or beef for pork and garbanzo beans for the hominy (if you can't find it locally). Top 4 Navajo Flatbreads With Sumac Spice Blends: Sumac & Herbs 5 Easy and versatile, these Navajo flatbreads are a hybrid of Mexican tortillas and Indian naan and are perfect for sopping up delicious broth and chunks of vegetable or beef from the posole. We add New Mexican inspired herbs like Mexican oregano, Mexican sage, rosemary, thyme and fennel plus a tangy, peppery twist of sumac, peppercorns and cinnamon. Apparently, in the old days, if a Navajo woman couldn't whip up a batch of fluffy flatbreads, her marriage chances were low. Luckily, these are super easy to make. Get the full Navajo Flatbreads With Sumac recipe. 6 Poached Apples With Juniper Berries 7 Spice Blends: RawSpiceBar's Juniper Berries & Spices 8 A healthy and warming apple dessert, these poached apples with juniper berries are a nod to a traditional Native American apple compote. We've amped up the flavor with star anise, cinnamon and allspice and included the slightly tart flavor of juniper berries. Valued by Native Americans, juniper berries were used medicinally for arthritis and rheumatism and for detoxification as a diuretic, with antiseptic properties. While we're not sure about the medicinal properties, we do know that poaching these apples with juniper berries and spices makes the room smell incredible. Get the full Poached Apples with Juniper Berries recipe.

About

Winner of the Native Chef Competition at the Smithsonian's National Museum in 2013, Chef Bitsoie is on a mission to incorporate healthy & flavorful Native American dishes into mainstream cuisine. He has been featured on PBS Food with Lidia Bastianich and has worked with Yale University, The College of Holy Cross and the Heard Museum. Learn more about Native American cuisine and the dishes Freddie Bitsoie is creating at FJBits Concepts in New Mexico or read on to check out this month's spice blends and dishes.  
* It is by www.rawspicebar.com