Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients

  • Salsa
    • 2 lb. tomatillos
    • 1 cup chopped onion (we used yellow onion)
    • 3 serrano chile peppers, seeded, chopped (we cut the serranos lengthwise in half, only threw away half of the seeds and minced the peppers afterwards)
    • 1/4 cup lime juice
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (we used table salt)
  • Chips, for serving

Directions

  1. Peel the husks off the tomatillos, rinsing the tomatillos off afterwards. Take a large saucepan and add the tomatillos to it, pouring enough water in to cover the tomatillos (our tomatillos started floating so we never truly got to “cover” them). Set the saucepan over high enough heat for boiling to occur (we went with medium-high heat). Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium, putting a lid on the saucepan next. Let the tomatillos cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until they’re soft, transferring them to either a food processor with a metal blade or a blender (we used a blender).
  2. Pulse the tomatillos just until they look smooth. Place the tomatillos in a large mixing bowl with the other ingredients, stirring to combine.

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Oh man, this salsa tastes so good ! The tomatillos and lime juice bring a bright acidity to the salsa but you still get a nice heat from the serranos. The onion brings a crunch and a bit of sharp flavor, which contrasts to the smooth tomatillos. This salsa is called for in a chicken enchilada recipe we’ll be making that should end up being delicious if this salsa is any indication !

Recipe source unknown.

Take care everybody !

Easy Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs. lean ground chicken (we used ground turkey)
  • 1 celery rib, diced
  • ¼ tsp. pepper (we used freshly ground black pepper)
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup Louisiana-style hot sauce (we used Frank’s RedHot original)
  • 3 Tbsp. brown sugar (we used light brown sugar)
  • 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp. yellow mustard
  • 12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves (we used Boston lettuce leaves)
  • Crumbled blue cheese, optional

Directions

  1. Take a large skillet out and add the chicken to it. Crumble the meat and let it cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix the celery and pepper in with the chicken, constantly stirring for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken’s fully cooked and the celery’s crisp-tender.
  2. Excluding the lettuce and blue cheese, mix in the remaining ingredients and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down so it’s at a simmer and cover with a lid for 5 minutes to let the flavors blend, stirring once in a while. Serve the skillet mixture in the lettuce leaves, topping with the blue cheese afterwards (if you’re using the cheese).
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This was such a delicious, quick and easy recipe to make ! You get some sweetness at first but then you taste the vinegar and the heat as well. We wish it was even spicier but it is nice that you get to taste more than just heat in this dish. We didn’t get any crunch from the celery so you could omit it if you wanted to without it changing how great the meal tastes. The lettuce and blue cheese do help temper the heat of the buffalo chicken (or buffalo turkey in our case). While the blue cheese does pair wonderfully with the buffalo flavor, we think this dish is still great even if you choose to omit the cheese.

This recipe came from Taste of Home.

We weren’t paid in any form to promote Taste of Home or Frank’s RedHot.

Take care everybody !

Skillet Rice and Beans with Corn and Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups fresh or thawed frozen corn (we used thawed frozen)
  • Salt and pepper (we used kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper)
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle in adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 12 ounces grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 5 scallions, sliced thin
  • ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions

  1. Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a 12-inch nonstick skillet, setting the heat to medium-high. Once the oil’s hot, toss the corn in and let it cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the kernels start to brown and pop. Take the corn out of the skillet and place it in a small mixing bowl. Season the corn with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Pour another tablespoon of oil into the skillet. Once the oil’s hot (which shouldn’t take long at all), add in the onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir frequently for 5 minutes or until the onion’s softened. Add the garlic, chipotle, cumin, coriander and oregano to the skillet, stirring constantly for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Mix the beans, broth and rice into the skillet, waiting for the mixture to come to a simmer afterwards. Put a lid on the skillet, turning the heat down to low afterwards. Let it simmer for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, stirring occasionally (we stirred every 3-5 minutes).
  3. While the bean & rice mixture is cooking, take a large mixing bowl out and add to it the tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, lime juice and the remaining tablespoon of oil, stirring to combine. Take a bite and add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Once the liquid’s absorbed and the rice is tender, take the skillet off the heat and sprinkle the corn over the top of the rice mixture. Put the lid back on the skillet and let it sit for 5 minutes. Take the lid back off and fluff the rice with a fork, taking a bite afterwards to see if you want to add any salt or pepper. Sprinkle the tomato mixture over the rice and beans and you’re ready to eat !

Serves 4 to 6.

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The bean and rice mixture is already tasty, the smoky heat of the chipotles comes through in it but it becomes even more delicious with that tomato mixture, which brings a really nice fresh and bright flavor to the dish. This is definitely a tasty and filling dish that we’d be happy to have again in the future !

We got this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen.

We weren’t paid in any form to promote America’s Test Kitchen.

Cabbage with Crisp Tofu and Peanut-Lime Dressing

Ingredients

  • 2 bricks firm tofu (12 to 14 ounces each), pressed and drained
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
  • Salt
  • 1 lime, halved
  • 3 tablespoons peanut butter (we used creamy peanut butter)
  • 3 tablespoons hot water
  • Hot sauce (optional) (we used sriracha)
  • 1 small head Savoy or green cabbage (1 pound), cored, quartered and then thinly sliced crosswise (we accidentally bought Napa  cabbage)
  • 1 small red onion, trimmed, peeled, halved and then thinly sliced
  • ½ cup peanuts, chopped

Directions

  1. Make sure your oven rack is 6 inches away from the broiler, preheating your broiler to high afterwards.
  2. Take a rimmed baking sheet out (we lined ours with aluminum foil) and crumble the tofu over it. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil, the chile flakes and a sprinkle of salt over the crumbled tofu, tossing the tofu to coat afterwards. Stick the tofu under the broiler for 20 to 25 minutes or until it’s brown and crisp, stirring occasionally (we stirred every 5 minutes).
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, juice of the lime, peanut butter, hot water, salt to taste and a dash of hot sauce if you’re using it (we added enough hot sauce so that we could get some heat but not have it overpower the other flavors). Add the cabbage, red onion and peanuts to the bowl, tossing to coat.
  4. Once the tofu’s crisp, add it to the bowl, tossing to distribute it throughout. Take a bite and adjust the seasoning if you think it needs it and enjoy !

Serves 4.

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We loved eating this so much that we came back for seconds ! The crispy tofu almost feels like croutons in this dish and you get a pleasant crunch from the rest of the dish as well. For maximum crunch, we’d suggest waiting until the tofu is already crisp to add the cabbage, onion and peanuts to the mixing bowl. The dressing has a nice balance of flavor going on between the peanut butter, lime juice and hot sauce. The onion also brings a nice sharp flavor to this dish.

We got this recipe from “How to Cook Everything Fast” by Mark Bittman.

We weren’t paid in any form to promote Mark Bittman.

Take care everybody !

Corn and Black Bean Salad with Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

  • 4 ears fresh corn, husked and trimmed, kernels cut off the cob afterwards
  • Salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne (we used ½ teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Pepper (we used freshly ground black pepper)
  • 4 large or 8 small radishes, trimmed and chopped (we sliced ours)
  • 4 cups cooked or canned black beans (two 15-ounce cans) (beans should be drained and rinsed if using canned black beans)
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 limes, halved
  • Sour cream for garnish (optional) (we didn’t use it)

Directions

  1. Put a large skillet on the stovetop, setting the heat to medium-high. Preheat your broiler, making sure the rack is 4 inches from the heat.
  2. Once the skillet’s hot, add the corn in, sprinkling salt in afterwards. Stir the corn around now and then for 5 to 10 minutes or until the corn looks like it’s lightly charred. Place the charred corn in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Take a rimmed baking sheet out (we lined ours with aluminum foil) and place the chicken on it. Rub the chicken with the oil, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper.
  4. Stick the chicken under the broiler and let it cook for 2 to 5 minutes, flipping the chicken over and letting it cook for another 2 to 5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (we had to cook ours for longer than 10 minutes total).
  5. Add the radishes, beans and cilantro to the bowl with the corn, squeezing the limes over the mixture afterwards.
  6. When the chicken is done cooking, take it out from the broiler and rub the raw garlic all over the chicken.
  7. Toss the bowl mixture together and take a bite afterwards, adding more seasoning to taste. Divide the corn mixture among 4 plates or bowl.
  8. Slice the chicken, laying it over the corn mixture and top with a dollop of sour cream if you’re using it.
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This is a delicious salad you could enjoy for lunch or dinner ! We didn’t really taste the garlic in the chicken but the meat did have a nice level of heat to it. We enjoyed the soft and crunchy textures in the corn and black bean mixture. While the chicken does make this feel like a complete meal, we think we could enjoy this just as much with tofu or some other meat substitute and it would make it a vegan dish (as long as you’re not using the sour cream) !

We got this recipe from “How to Cook Everything Fast” by Mark Bittman.

We weren’t paid in any form to promote “How to Cook Everything Fast”.

Take care everybody !