Pandora and Posole

Bob and I went to James Cameron's Avatar in 3D at the IMAX in the Pacific Science Center yesterday with nephews Nick and Baxter. We left our bodies for 3 hours and I, for one, found it difficult to get back to my real world. I saw a 3D horror show in the 50s and let me tell you, "Avatar" is not your mother's 3D. The ending was a teensy bit heavy-handed, but the movie was truly an entertaining experience.

Now to the poblano part. Although posole is not your typical Christmas Eve fare, this month's issue of Bon Apetit featured "simple and speedy" stews. We tried the chicken posole and although it was neither simple nor speedy, we ate every bite. Here's the recipe slightly adapted.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Chicken posole with poblanos, avocado, & lime

• 2 large poblano chilies (the triangular-shaped dark green ones)

Brine chicken pieces in a mixture of 2 Tbs. salt, 1 Tbs. sugar or Splenda and 4 cups water for 2-4 hours.

Broil or grill poblanos until blackened. Put in bowl, covered or in a plastic bag until cool.

Cut chicken into 1-2” pieces and marinate for 30 minutes in ¼ cup Frank’s Louisiana Hot Sauce, 1 tsp. chili powder, 2 Tbs. melted butter and ½ tsp. smoked salt.

Heat oil until lightly smoking and brown chicken pieces, one half at a time. Remove to a plate and reserve.

Add onion and garlic to pan and sauté until golden—3-5 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, and New Mexico chilies to pan and sauce for 1 minute.

Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, and hominy. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes.

Remove blackened skins from poblanos and chop into large pieces. Add browned chicken pieces and poblanos to posole and simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve with garnishes.