Chile Pesto

Barb Gertz's Note:

A cross between an enchilada sauce and mole, this pesto pairs well with grilled meats or vegetables. New Mexico chiles are sweet with a hint of spiciness, they can be found in the specialty-produce section of the supermarket & in gourmet-foods. Toast the nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes. The recipe comes courtesy eatingwell.com.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 cup pesto

• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 4 dried New Mexico chiles, stemmed, seeded and broken into 2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leave
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat; add onions and cook, stirring after about 2 minutes.
2. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, for 20 seconds more; Add chiles; cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
3. Add water and immediately turn off the heat, when the water stops boiling, pour the chile mixture into a small bowl; Make sure all the pieces of chiles are submerged; cover and set aside to soften, for 20 minutes.
4. Pour the chile mixture into a food processor or large blender; add the nuts, thyme, cumin and salt; Pulse a few times, then process until smooth, or until desired consistency, scraping down sides occasionally, Enjoy.