Friday, April 10, 2009

Mom’s (Susanne's) Ranchera Sauce

Ingredients for the Slow Method (easy/quick method at the end)

Main Ingredients:
1 tbsp. margarine or butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped green chiles (*jalapeño)
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:
1. Combine margarine and flour in a medium-sized skillet and cook at medium heat just for a minute or so.
2. Add the onion, chiles, and tomatoes and cook until the onion is tender.
3. Stir in seasonings and the broth and simmer for 10 minutes at low heat. Set aside.

This sauce can be used over enchiladas or over eggs (for huevos rancheros) or any other way you can think of. Use your imagination!

*Varied amounts of jalapeño can be used, depending on how hot you like it. I use pickled jalapeño slices and only add one or two pieces, chopped, to the sauce. You can use a different type of chile if the jalapeños are too hot or if you don’t like their taste. Diced California green chiles (come in a can) would work as well, and they are milder.

Easy/Quick Version

Instead of doing all the cutting and chopping, use one can of Ro-Tel original (or mild) chiles and tomatoes. Place in the saucepan, with the flour and butter, stir in the broth, and then cook over medium, stirring constantly, until thickened. I find this to be virtually as good, but it takes a fraction of the prep time. You can still add onions and cilantro, if you wish. Just sauté the onion first, and add cumin to the mix before heating.

1 comment:

Laurie said...

The recipe for Susanne's Chicken Enchildas is actually one of the recipes people most ask ME for when they eat it with us here at our house. I always double both the Mexican Rice and the Ranchero Sauce recipes, and I always do the "easy/quick version" for the sauce. YUM!