spicy salmon tacos with hatch blueberry salsa

My love for Hatch chiles has been well-documented on this blog. We've done sliders, enchiladas, pizza (of course). My local grocery store does a big Hatch chile festival every August, and I look forward to it with an embarrassing amount of enthusiasm. And last year, I almost got it together enough to roast and freeze some so that I could have them all year long! Almost. Whoops.

So I was totally thrilled when The Hatch Chile Store offered to send me offered to send me their frozen chiles. I was like a kid on Christmas when I came home to the TEN lbs. of chiles they sent me (virtual high five, you guys).

These tacos are the perfect meal for the summer! The salsa is spicy and sweet and is also amazing with sweet potato chips or a giant spoon. No shame.

Spicy Salmon Tacos with Hatch Blueberry Salsa
serves 4

for the tacos, you'll need:
12 oz. salmon filets
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
flour tortillas

for the salsa, you'll need:
2 roasted, peeled, and seeded Hatch chiles, chopped
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine the paprika, chile powder, cayenne, and salt in a small bowl. Lay the salmon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and rub with the spice mixture. Bake salmon for 12-15 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before flaking with a fork.

While the salmon is cooking, make the salsa. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse a few times. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Divide salmon over tortillas and top with salsa. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro, if desired.

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havarti hatch sliders

Happy Labor Day! Hope you guys are having a great long weekend! I'll keep it short today and just offer up a last minute idea for any end-of-summer celebrations you might have going on. These sliders make perfect summer party food! They have a little heat from the chiles, a tang from the soy sauce, and fabulous flavor from sharp Havarti cheese. What's not to love?!

Enjoy your day (and these sliders)!!

Havarti Hatch Sliders
makes 12 sliders

you'll need:
6 Hatch chiles
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 garlic clove, minced
4 teaspoons soy sauce
12 slider rolls (I used challah dinner rolls)
6 ounces grated Havarti cheese
about 4 tablespoons butter

Broil chiles on a rimmed baking sheet, turning as needed, until blackened on all sides. This will take about 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then peel skin and remove stems and seeds. Finely chop the chiles and set aside.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of butter on a griddle over medium heat. Mix beef with garlic and soy sauce until just combined. Divide into 12 slider-size patties.

Cook sliders in batches as needed (depending on the size of your griddle), about 2 minutes per side. During the last minute, place a bit of cheese on each patty. Set aside cooked sliders. Lightly butter cut sides of rolls and toast on the griddle for about 2 minutes.

Top each roll with a slider and some of the chiles. Cover, serve with ketchup, and enjoy!

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hatch chile & bacon pizza

You know I had to get another hatch chile recipe in here before they disappear! I absolutely love the things, and try to use them as much as possible during our short season. Luckily, I've roasted and frozen some of these guys already, so don't be surprised if you keep seeing a hatch recipe here and there all year round...

It's very well-established on this site that I adore homemade pizza. Whenever I'm at a loss of what to cook for dinner, pizza usually happens. I used my no-knead whole wheat dough recipe for this one, and it was perfect for this pizza, which is deliciously smoky from the chiles, bacon, and smoked mozzarella. Use a plain, sweet tomato puree like Pomi for a little sweetness to cut the smoke.

How's this for dinner tonight?

Hatch Chile & Bacon Pizza

you'll need:
1 whole wheat pizza dough
1/2 cup tomato puree, such as Pomi
1/2 cup hatch chiles, chopped (If you can't find Hatch chiles, I would substitute poblano for this recipe.)
3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup whole-milk mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup smoked mozzarella, shredded
olive oil, for brushing
2 tablespoons chopped chives
freshly ground black pepper

Place a pizza stone in your oven, and preheat it to its highest temperature (mine is 550 degrees F). Allow to preheat for at least 30 minutes.

On a pieces of lightly floured parchment paper, press out the pizza dough to desired thickness. Spoon the tomato puree over, then top with chiles, bacon, and cheeses. Brush the crust lightly with olives oil.

Carefully remove the preheated pizza stone from the oven and slide the pizza on parchment paper onto it. Return to the oven and bake for 7-12 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Remove pizza from oven and sprinkle with chives and freshly ground black pepper. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

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hatch chile beef enchiladas with avocado salsa

I have always either been a student or a teacher, so my years really feel like they begin again in August. Since I'm a huge nerd and have always loved school (hence never really leaving), this time of year is always super exciting for me. A fresh start, renewed enthusiasm, brand new faces... and can't forget the joy of school supplies shopping. Who doesn't love new school supplies?!

This time of year is also exciting for me because I can finally get my favorite Hatch chiles again! Here in Texas, we're only able to get these from early August to the beginning of September usually. My favorite local grocery store even holds a Hatch Chile Festival every year in their honor! If you've never had Hatch chiles, you must try them if you can find them!

I used my first Hatches to make these enchiladas. These were a major hit around here. My husband has requested that I make these as often as possible! Super tender BBQ beef made in the crockpot and the easiest tomatillo-avocado sauce poured over the top makes these out of this world delicious.

Hatch Chile Beef Enchiladas with Avocado Salsa
makes 12 enchiladas

you'll need:
1 lb. shredded beef (for meals like this I use this simple method; you can also cheat and pick it up from your local BBQ restaurant!)
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 Hatch chiles, seeded and chopped (If you can't find Hatch, substitute 2 seeded and chopped jalapenos)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups freshly shredded pepper jack cheese (I found a Hatch chile jack at Whole Foods - delicious!)
1 (16 oz.) jar of tomatillo salsa
1 large avocado, peeled and pitted
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper
12 tortillas (I used homemade flour tortillas - just make sure you use good quality!)
handful of chopped cilantro, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and green onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add beef and cheese to the bowl and toss to combine everything together.

To a blender, add tomatillo salsa, avocado, and lime juice. Blend until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Pour a bit of the salsa into the bottom of a baking dish (I used two 8x8 dishes for this recipe) - just enough for a light layer over the bottom. Now, assemble the enchiladas by placing a bit of the beef/pepper/cheese mixture, then rolling them tightly. Place seam side down into dish. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and tortillas.

Once all the enchiladas are assembled, evenly pour the remaining avocado salsa over the top. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with chopped cilantro and whatever else you like - and enjoy!!

P.S. Don't forget to enter to win the cutest tea towel from Sunday Drive Designs! Giveaway ends this Friday!

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