Easy Chile Dip

l 16 oz. tub sour cream

1 Tsp Ristras de Santa Fe Red Chile Powder

Or Ristras de Santa Fe Red Chile Flakes

Or Ristras de Santa Fe Green Chile Powder

Or Ristras de Santa Fe Green Chile Flakes

1 Tsp. Garlic powder

½ Tsp. Cilantro

1/4 Tsp. Salt

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate one hour or overnight.

Serve with Potato Chips or Tortilla Chips.

Chicken Tamale Pie

1 Onion chopped 1 Tsp. Ristras de Santa Fe Chile Powder

1 Green Bell Pepper chopped ½ Tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Butter 1 Pkg. Corn Chips crumbled

2 Cups Chicken, cooked Butter or margarine

And diced

1 Cup ripe olives, chopped 31/2 Cups stewed tomatoes

Saute onion and green pepper in butter or margarine. Stir in chicken, olives, tomatoes, chile powder and salt. Cook 10 minutes. Pour into 2 qt. casserole. Top with corn chips dot with butter or margarine. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 6.

Tostadas

8 Corn tortillas 1 Tsp. Salt

l Lb. lean ground beef 1/4 Tsp. Oregano

1 Medium onion, chopped ½ Head lettuce, chopped

l Garlic clove, minced 2 Tomatoes, chopped

Cooking oil 1 Cup grated cheddar cheese

1 Small can tomatoes, mashed Sour cream

2 Cups refried pinto beans Green or black olives

2 Tbsp. Ristras de Santa Fe Avocado slices

Green Chile Flakes

Brown the meat, onion and garlic in hot oil. Add the tomatoes, chile flakes, salt and oregano. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fry the tortillas on both sides until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Place a tortilla on each plate and spread with some refried beans and then a layer of the meat mixture. Cover with chopped lettuce and tomato. Garnish as desired with grated cheese, avocado slices, olive and sour cream.

FYI

New Mexicans consume more chile per capita than any other state. From as early as late July until the first freeze, we pick the green chiles, roast them, peel them, chop them, freeze them, can them or dry them.

Red chile is harvested before the first hard freeze, usually between mid-September through the last week in October. They can be dried by spreading them on netting, laying them out on rooftops, or by tying them into Ristras. Ristras are made by tying three or four chiles together at the stems with string. These are then fastened in tiers one on top of the other, on a long cord.

Ristras can run from one to six feet in length and are usually hung on the southern exposure of a house to dry. Once they are dry the red pods are picked off the Ristra and used as needed.

Green Chile Flakes

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