Serves: 10
Recipe Spy's Notes:
This recipe was used to promote the Texas agriculture industry by the Texas Department of Agriculture. Therefore, several ingredients include the word "Texas" and can be substituted with common kitchen ingredients.
Chiles Ingredients:
10 ancho chiles
1/2 cup Texas olive oil
1 white onion, sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 pound dark brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Stuffing Ingredients:
1 box couscous, unflavored
1/4 cup Texas olive oil
1 pound fresh Texas spinach leaves, chopped
8 ounces Texas mushrooms, sliced
1/2 of a red bell pepper from Texas, diced
3 green onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup Texas pecans, chopped and toasted
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dates, chopped
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ginger
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup Texas olive oil
1/4 cup Texas extra virgin olive oil
Procedure:
Clean the chiles by cutting a slit from the stem to the bottom of the chile. Remove all the seeds. (Note: I find it helpful to do this wearing “surgical” gloves so my hands won’t burn later.)
Heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry the chiles on each side for a couple of seconds, being careful not to burn them. Set them aside to drain. Fry the onions in the same oil. In a separate pot, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil, making sure that the brown sugar completely dissolves. Turn the heat down and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chiles and onions. The chiles must marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, but can remain in the liquid indefinitely.
To prepare stuffing: Put the couscous in a bowl and cover with very hot water by about ½ of an inch. Quickly cover with plastic wrap; set aside for five to 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium-high flame. Add the spinach, mushrooms, bell pepper, onions and garlic. Cook for 7-10
minutes until all of the vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. At this point, the covered couscous should be ready. Add the sautéed vegetables along with the remainder of the ingredients to the bowl with the couscous. Stir to combine.
Recipe Author: Chef Michael H. Flores
Chef's Background: Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, New York, 2003
Cookbook Author
Specializes in Eclectic Mexican and Continental cuisine
Original Photograph By: Tracey Maurer Photography
Photograph Retouched By: Recipe Spy
Source: http://www.gotexan.org/Portals/1/doc/pdf/publications/oliveoil_recipe_final.pdf