Salsa Verde

No time for chit chat today as I've quite the work load ahead of me. But enjoy this wonderful salsa verde. It's a treat with chips alone, but salsa verde also makes a great white chili base and in addition to playing well with chicken in a slow cooker.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

yields about 2 cups


The Ingredients:
1 lb tomatillos, hulls and stems removed
1 medium yellow onion, quartered
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
3-4 jalapeño, stems and seeds removed
¼ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp lime juice

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F

Arrange the onions, jalepenos, garlic, and tomatillos, stem side down, in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Roast, turning the vegetables once, until the tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 10 mintues.

Combine the roasted vegetables along with the cilantro, salt and lime juice in a food processoe. Blend and process until smooth.

Store, covered, in the refrideratro for up to 1 week.

Steak Tacos with Radish Relish

The relish really makes this dish. The entire meal comes together incredibly quickly, which is good. After all, who wants to spend a lot of time in a hot kitchen with gorgeous summer nights to look forward to.

adapted from Bon Apetit

serves 4

The Ingredients:
2 Tbsp oil, divided
1 lb skirt or flank steak
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4-5 radishes, trimmed and chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 lime, juiced and zested
8 corn tortillas
2 oz queso fresco or feta cheese, crumbled

The Process:
In a large cast iron skillet over high heat, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Sear the steak, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

At the steak rests, in a medium bowl combine the radishes, half of the cilantro, green onion, serrano pepper, remaining oil, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet, 1-2 minutes per side. Cover and keep warm.

Slice the steak cross grain. Divide steak among tortillas, and top with relish, cheese and remaining cilantro.

 

Black Beans and Brown Rice with Ginger Salsa

Keep it simple, keep it cheap...

I should really work on making this a regular mantra.  Good food needn't be fussy.  It certainly doesn't have to be expenxive. 

Want a quick, inexpensive and aboslutley delicious dish layered with flavors?  This dinner is for you.  The most time consuming part is cooking the rice.  Of course, my work around was to make the rice a day ahead of time while I prepped that day's dinner.  The rest comes together in no time flat.

adapted from Bon Apetit

serves 4

The Ingredients:

for the rice:

1 Tbsp olive oil, divide  

2-3 Tbsp chopped onion
1 cup brown rice

2 cups vegetable stock or water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
pepper to taste
 

 for the beans:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2-3 Tbsp chopped onion

1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

 

for the salsa

2 red Fresno chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded, and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2-3 Tbsp chopped onion
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 Roma tomato, finely diced
1 Tbsp lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
salt and pepper

 

to serve

1 avocado, halved, pitted, and chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta

fresh cliatnro
Lime wedges

 

The Process:

for the rice:

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, about 45 minutes.  Remove saucepan from heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and fold in cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

for the beans:

In a medium saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add coriander and cumin; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans and broth.    Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer.  Cook until heated through, about 8-10 minutes.  Mash slightly.

 

for the salsa

Using the flat side of a knife against a cutting board, or a mortara and pestal, mash the chiles, garlic, ginger, tomato,  lime zest, and onion until a chunky sauce forms. Spoon into a bowl and mix in the lime juice.  Season salsa with salt and pepper to taste. 

 

to serve:

Spoon rice into one half of a bowl, and scoop beans alongside.  Top with a dollop of ginger salsa and sour cream.  Sprinkle with feta and cilantro, Serve with avocado and lime.  Omit cheese and sour cream for a vegan dish.

Cheddar and Green Chili Corn Cakes with Mango Avocado Salsa

Is it an appetizer?  Or a side?  After eating a few I may suspect they may even fit into the breakfast category.  Regardless, these little corn cakes are incredibly tasty.  You'd think fifteen would go a long way, but between three folk, we barely had any left for the next day.

Thankfully these cakes are a breeze to whip up...only a hair more complicated than pancakes.  And likely as not you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

The salsa is a slightly sweeter spin on my usual guacamole, only the traditional tomato is substituted with mango.

Enjoy!

inspired by Alida's recipe at Simply Delicious

yields approximately 15 corn cakes

The Ingredients:
for the corn cakes
2 cups whole kernel corn
1-15 oz can creamed corn
2 eggs
1-4oz can green chilies
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

for the salsa
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder

The Process:
For the cakes:
In a medium bowl whisk together the corn, creamed corn, eggs, chilies and milk.  In a another bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.  Fold in the cheese.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Spoon about 3 Tbsp of the batter into the pan.  Fry for 4-5 on each side or until golden brown and crisp.  Transfer to a plate and keep warm

For the salsa
In a medium bowl, toss all of the ingredients until well combined. 

Spoon the salsa over the cakes, serve warm

Port Cranberry Sauce

As I mentioned in an early post, it's not really Thanksgiving dinner without the cranberry sauce.  The roasted beet cranberry sauce didn't' go over so well with Ross a few weeks back, but this one was a hit.

Perhaps is was the alcohol...

adapted from Food & Wine

yields about 2 cups

The Ingredients:

1/2 cup ruby port
Three 1-by-3-inch strips of orange zest, cut into thin matchsticks
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar 

The Process:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the port, orange zest and orange juice and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.  Stir in the cranberries and reduce heat to low.    Simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce is jam-like, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm or at room temperature.  

Roasted Beet and Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  Grocery stores are pushing their turkeys and hams.  Pie filling, stuffing, spices, cranberry sauce, yams, and other assorted staples burst off of the end caps.  All around the country households are planning their traditional family dinner.  I suspect most read something like this:

Roast turkey
pan gravy
sage and onion stuffing
mashed potatoes
corn
sweet potato casserole
green bean casserole
dinner rolls
pumpkin pie

and of course, cranberry sauce

There must always be cranberry sauce.  

Ross and I have had a tift or two over the proper sauce to serve at Thanksgiving.  I like mine from scratch.  Chunky and spiked with citrus and cinnamon.  And Ross...his prefers from a can.  Homogenous.  Jellied.  And preferably in the ringed log that slides out of the can with a satisfying plop.  We usually compromise.  I make the sauce.  He gets a can of jellied goo to himself.

So knowing a can of cranberry sauce may be close I had, I don't feel so bad for serving this version up.  He'd turn his nose up at the beets anyway.

This cranberry sauce has a very subtle sweetness.  It is far more tart than many other sauces, but feel free to up the honey if you prefer yours a little sweeter.  The beets add an earthy sweetness to balance the tart berries.  The citrus cuts through a bit.  Pecans lend a wonderful toasted crunch to the texture and a dollop of creme fraiche or a sprinkling of soft goat cheese offers a wonderful smoothness that mellows and blends the other flavors.

adapted from a recipe courtesy of Driftless Organics

serves 4-5

The Ingredients:
5-7 small beets
1 Tbsp oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 orange, juice and zest
3 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup toasted pecans
1 oz soft goat cheese or creme fraiche

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 400.  Scrub the beets thoroughly.  Trim the tops and root tips away, do not peel.   Cut the beets into wedges.  Toss with oil, salt and pepper and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast 30-40 minutes until the beets are tender and the outsides are beginning to caramelize.  Set aside to cool.

In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, orange juice, zest, honey and cinnamon.  Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to burst, 1about 10-15 minutes.  For a less chunky sauce, allow to cook about 5 minutes longer and gently mash the berries with the back of a spoon.  Add the roasted beets and stir to combine.  Transfer to a serving bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Sprinkle with pecans and cheese just prior to serving.

Garlic Dill Pickles

I while back I wrote about some of the canning adventures I undertook to overcome the influx of produce upon us.  Well, the day of reckoning is upon us.  The dill pickles have fully pickled and are ready to share world.  I'm sure the remaining jars will improve with age.

I however, am far to impatient to wait much longer before sampling the fruits of my labor.

Adapted from recipes at epicurious and food in jars

yields 3 one-pint jars

The Ingredients:
3-4 cucumbers
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and bruised
3 spring of fresh dill
3 tsp pickling spice
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups white vinegar (apple cider vinegar can be substituted)
1 1/2 Tbsp salt

The Process:
Sterilize the pint jars and lids in boiling water.  Keep warm until ready to use.

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the vinegar, water and salt to a gentle boil..

Wash the cucumbers and slice into spears or coins.  To each  jar add a sprig of dill, one bruised clove of garlic, 1 tsp of pickling spice.  Distribute the cucumbers evenly among the pint jars, being sure to pack them tightly in without damaging.

Carefully pour the hot brine over the cucumbers, stopping 1/2" from the lip of the jar.  Wipe the rims of the jars clean and top with lids, screwing them finger tight (not TOO tight). Submerge the  filled jars into a water bath of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes (process times may vary by elevation).

Remove the jars from the water and allow to cool.  Test the seals and reprocess any that have not properly sealed.

Store in a cool, dry place.  Pickles are ready to eat in about 1 week.  Will store for up to 1 year.

The Review:
Homemade pickles.  Better than store bought?  Perhaps to some.  These are not the Heinz Genuine Dill...in all their moth puckering glory.

But these pickles certainly aren't bad.  I have one small complaints...one I know I can rectify for next time.  First...this pickling spice I used was WAY too heavy on the cloves.  Note to self...make own pickling spice and stick with dill seed, corricader and peppercorns.

The texture threw me at first.  The slices weren't as crisp as I was expecting.  They improved remarkable once they was chilled.  And in retrospect...store varities really aren't that crisp either.

Next up, I believe is a jar or two of whole pickle, instead of slice or spears.  Time for a trip to the farmer's market...

Beer Marinated Pork Chops with Peach Salsa

Summertime and beer...they hand in hand.  I grew up in a state that took pride in its beer.  And brats.  Oh...beer boiled brats at every family BBQ, tailgate party, summer cookout...beer, everywhere.   But sadly the beer used was often the cheapest variety available, drinkability notwithstanding. 

Several weeks back my sister directed my attention to an amazing food blog...The Beeroness.  The blog is devoted to appreciating and cooking with craft beers.  And why not?  The food sphere is all a twitter with proper wine and food pairings, both for dining and cooking.  Beer really should be no different.  In the midst of the craft beer and home brew boom the market is awash with so many styles.  Each with their own unique flavor profiles.

With Ross' growing  passion in home brewing we've broadened our range of beers.  IPAs still are a hard one for me  to appreciate, but when I came across this recipe for marinated pork chops, along with highly recommended IPA I knew I would have to give these hoppy beers another shot. 

Do check out Jackie's blog. 

adapted from Jackie's recipe at TheBeeroness.com

serves 8

The Ingredients:
for the chops and marinade
8 bone-in pork chops, cut 3/4- 1 inch thick
12 oz IPA style beer
juice of two lemons
1 tsp sriracha, or more to taste
2 tsp agave or honey
2 tsp salt
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
additional salt and pepper to taste


for the salsa
2 ripe peaches, diced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 pablano pepper, chopped
1/2 large red onion, diced
2-3 green onions, sliced
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp IPA style beer

The Process:
In a large bowl or baking dish, combine the beer, lemon juice, salt, agave, garlic and sriracha, stir to combine. Add the pork chops, turning to coat. Cover and place in the refrigerator.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

To prepare the salsa, combine  all of the  ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat (I prefer a cast iron) until scalding hot but not smoking. Add the pork chops, cooking one or two at a time to not over crowd the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sear on each side for 3-4 minutes.  The chops will still be slightly pink at the center. Transfer to a baking sheet in a oven preheated to 200 to keep warm.  Cook remaining chops in the same manner.

Transfer the cooked chops to serving plates and top with salsa. Serve immediately.


The Review:
For this batch of chops, I went with Jackie's recommendation for Stone's Ruination.  If you can find it, I highly recommend trying it.  But at about $18.99 for a six pack, it is a bit of a splurge.  However, if you like me, are IPA averse, this may help to at least earn the hop forward style a little more appreciation.

Paired with the chops, the IPA worked incredibly well.  The meat was tender and flavorful.  The beer flavor subtle.  The peach salsa truly stole the show.  Plan on having plenty of chips near at hand to scoop up the leftovers.  Or spoon it on top of a simple green salad for a refreshing lunch.

Here, beer is not the star, but it fulfills its supporting role with gusto.

Roasted Pear Chutney

I've been getting home late all week...which usually means far less time in the kitchen.  To make up for all of the dinners on the go, I promised myself I would make something stellar come Friday.  After perusing cookbooks, bookmarked blogs and Pinterest boards, Maple-Brined Pork Loin and Roasted Pear Chutney came out the clear winner.  Now I need to settle on a side or two.  I am a girl who loves her veggies...

And to up the anticipation just a little bit more I made the Roasted Pear Chutney ahead of time. It made the kitchen smell absolutely divine AND gave me something a little more interesting to stir into my oatmeal in the morning.  Call it a trial run...

adapted from Thyme in Our Kitchen and Epicurious

yields 2-3cups

The Ingredients:
2 pears, peeled and halved
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup maple syrup
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 Tbsp currants
3 Tbsp dried cranberries
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

The Process:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Toss the pears with the lemon juice, brown sugar, the cinnamon, and cloves. Coat a roasting pan or baking dish with 1 Tbsp of the vegetable oil. Set the pears cut side down on the pan. Brush the pears with the remaining oil.And place in the center rack of the oven.  Roast until the pears are tender and the coating has caramelized to a deep golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Riper pears may need less time. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

While the pears are roasting, in a medium saucepan bring the remaining ingredients to a gentle boil. Reduce   heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow to cool.

When the pears are cool enough to handle, scoop out the cores and seeds with a small spoon or a melon baller. Cut the pears into slices or small chunks (I prefer chunks...about 1/2-inch cubed). In a 1 1/2 qt bowl toss together the pears and onion mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.  

The chutney will keep for up to two weeks...if it lasts that long.

The Review:

It was really, incredibly, unbelievably difficult NOT to dig right in with a spoon the moment all of the ingredients finally came together.  From the minute I tossed the pears with the cloves and cinnamon I knew we'd be in for a wonderful treat.  Sincerely, right out of the oven, I wanted dearly to drizzle each pear with a little mulled wine reduction and indulge in dessert...

I showed restraint...

The onion, vinegar dried berries and thyme began simmering away on the stove, slowly replacing the pears spicy aroma with a clean tangy scent.  I knew that smell...but I couldn't quite place my finger upon it. Watching the red onion slowly weep it's color to lend the mixture its pink blush, the scent memory became clear.  My Grandmother's kitchen.  Vinegary red cabbage from scratch.  As a kid I hated red cabbage.  And sauerkraut. And now my own kitchen was wrapped in a cloud of old world aromas and I couldn't be happier.  I immediately made note to try this chutney again with rabbit, venison, boar...any rich gamey meats.  With a side of spaetzle and red cabbage...

Twenty four hours later any lingering thoughts of red cabbage were wiped away with the first bite of the fully marinaded concoction.  The fragrant warmth of cinnamon and clove greeted my tongue, balanced with the slight acidic tang of the vinegar.  The bite of the onions followed, offering up a savory hint and a pleasant crunch.  In that moment I was glad I had nixed any notion of first caramelizing or sauteing the onions...their sharpness was actually mellowed a touch by the vinegar, and the crunch from the mere 5 minutes in the pot was an amazing layer of texture.  A touch of thyme nosed through.  And then the pear.  The sweet anchor of the chutney, dancing off all of the other players. A touch of tart from the dried fruit mingled with the sweetness.  And in the last moment the gentle heat of the red pepper lingered, just enough to remind me it was there.  Yet another twist and turn upon my tongue.  I couldn't decide which flavor or texture I enjoyed more, as I continues to sample from the blissfully fragrant bowl.  I had to remind myself that this was made for Friday's dinner.  Though I'm not certain that poor pork loin will be able to hold a candle to its accompaniment...