Estofaristo!

A few weeks ago, Evaristo and I went to have lunch at our favorite local restaurant. The special included cream of spinach soup, which neither of us had had in a long time and sounded really good. Evaristo was pretty disappointed to learn that they had run out cream of spinach soup and after our meal he left the restaurant thinking about how he was going to go about making something similar at home.

When I first met Evaristo, way back in 2004, he did all the cooking. I was pretty impressed with his cooking chops because he was always able to come up with something delicious regardless of what he had in his kitchen. He always told me that he wanted me to feel like a queen in his house and that I better enjoy all his pampering and cooking while it lasted because there would come a day when it would end. Ha. In truth, I am still pretty spoiled; to this day Evaristo goes out of his way to make me comfortable and happy in our house, which includes cooking lovely meals. He usually makes me breakfast in the mornings and regularly brings it to me in bed. I am one lucky girl and don't think I don't know it.

But I digress. Shortly after our lunch at the restaurant, Evaristo and I went to a friend's birthday party where they made a delicious estofado, or stew in English. This particular estofado was made with seafood but chicken, beef or pork ones are also very popular and delicious. Evaristo was immediately inspired to make his own version of an estofado that somehow incorporated spinach and thus satisfy his earlier craving. I asked him what he was going to make and he answered that he would get a pot and put some things inside the pot, cook the things inside the pot for a while, add some more things to the pot and then that we would eat what was inside the pot. I said OK. The man clearly had a plan.

When Evaristo told me his wonderful plan for a recipe, aside from the lack of details, I thought that we were sure be in for something interesting and that that something would involve spinach. I was not disappointed. Not only was what he made incredibly interesting, but it was also phenomenally delicious. He named his new creation "Estofaristo" and I'm going to tell you how to make it, this time with the details.

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breast, cubed
• 2 tomatoes, fire roasted
• 2 large green chiles, fire roasted
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 3 leeks, sliced
• 3/4 cup Real del Castillo cheese (or other white cheese that doesn't melt quickly), cubed
• 3-4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 cups fresh epazote, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tbs chicken broth powder
• 1 tbs flour

Start by fire roasting the tomato and chile. When they are done roasting, remove their blackened skin.

In the mean time, slice the leeks and chop the garlic. Add a drizzle of oil to a hot pan and add the leeks and the garlic. Let them cook for about five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chop the fire-roasted tomato and chile and add them to the pot and stir. Let everything cook about three to five minutes and then remove the contents from the pan and place in a container.

Return the empty pot to the heat and add the cubed chicken. Allow the chicken to cook nearly all the way through and then add the chopped spinach and epazote. Stir everything about and cook until chicken is done.

Once the greens have cooked down and the chicken is done, add the vegetable mixture back to the pot. Stir everything to mix well. Then add the milk, flour, chicken broth powder, and cheese to the pot.

Mix everything and cook about five to seven minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors have come together.

Serve and enjoy.