Salsa Verde

Once again my attempt at attending yoga on a gym off day was foiled. This time, my little man Anthony had a dental appointment which resulted in two extractions. I shall save you the gory details, but suffice to say that we will soon be paying an orthodontist good money to fix this poor kid's grill.

So, he is home with me today, and quite miserable. On a more positive note, I am ecstatic to report, that my Inov8's arrived, and I cannot wait to break those puppies in tomorrow!! OR, I could give them to Dave to wrap up for Mother's Day....NAH! They're super cute; black with hot pink...because I'm truly a girly-girl, and I am not ashamed to admit that I love the color pink. I also love nail polish..which is usually pink as well...Wow, I'm really getting off topic. Well, I guess not really, since I'm talking about things I love. This could be a great segway into the point of today's blog, which is also my very first post about condiments.

My new love is green salsa. My mom makes green salsa all of the time, but hers is super hot, super delicioso and hasn't been diluted with tomatoes. Who am I kidding, my mom makes the best salsa. Either with or without tomatoes added. However, what I'm talking about at the moment is salsa verde made with tomatillos. Normally my mom makes that to add to her green enchilada sauce, which happens to be the most delicious dish on the planet...and the gears are currently spinning in my head to figure out how to make her green chili enchiladas into something that I can eat.

Anyhow, last evening I made grilled chicken fajitas for dinner. While I was at the market, I was grabbing some Anaheim peppers, and I saw the tomatillos. (insert hamsters running on wheels here to simulate my brain going.) I picked up about 8 tomatillos, and hurried home to experiment. I began by roasting my Anaheim peppers with some jalapeños that I had on hand already. When they were sufficiently blackened, I put them in a container and covered to let the skins steam off. *The best way to roast peppers is to grill them on the grill, or roast them under the broiler in the oven. 

While the peppers are steaming, I husked and washed the tomatillos, quartered them; roughly chopped half of a sweet onion, and peeled and smashed about 5 cloves of garlic. I placed all of these into a heavy pan and added an 1/8 cup of water over med-high heat, and let them cook down until the tomatillos were soft, and the onions were tender.

By the time the tomatillos, onions, and garlic were cooked, the peppers were ready to peel, and seed. If you like super spicy food, you don't have to remove the seeds, but I have little people who can't necessarily take the heat. I then placed everything into my blender with 1 1/2 tsp of sea salt, and about 1/2 cup freshly chopped flat leaf parsley. (Remember...I don't like cilantro, but as always if you like it, go for it.) I pulsed everything until it was not super chunky, but not smooth either. 

I served it over my fajitas, and instantly fell in love...more like obsession. Even my non-salsa eating husband liked this stuff which is a HUGE deal...seriously. It's tangy without being sour, spicy, just salty enough. It's truly AMAZING. Below are my grilled chicken fajitas with the salsa. 

Naturally, this morning the first thing I thought of was how I could eat the salsa. So, I made hash browns (sweet potato), and fried eggs. I heated the salsa up in the pan along side my eggs, and when they were done, I spooned the salsa over them and crumbled some queso fresco over top. I wish I could have licked my plate when I was done.

So there you have it. Now go make it!

Salsa Verde

4 Anaheim Chili peppers

3 Jalapeño peppers

8 tomatillos, husked, washed, and quartered

1/2 of a sweet onion, roughly chopped

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

1/8 cup water

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley OR if you must, cilantro

1. Roast, peel, and de-seed peppers

2. To a heavy pan over med-high heat, add tomatillos, onion, garlic, and water. Cook until tomatillos, and onion are tender.

3. Add all ingredients to blender, and pulse until semi chunky-smooth consistency. 

4. Eat over absolutely everything your heart desires...I just discovered this is great with pork rinds ;)

Epic Fail, Date Night, Cinco de Mayo, Another Fail, And The Dawn Of A New Week

Wow, the weekend completely got away from me. I'm so sorry! Friday's WOD totally sucked, and I sucked even worse! My old muscles are not liking me very much for going back to crossfit after such a long hiatus. We had a 3RFT WOD, and my quad cramped up on me half way through the 2nd round. Let me tell you, I have never in my life quit a WOD. I've stopped, rested and got back at it. Even after effectively shaving 2-3 layers of skin off of my shin and was in so much pain I wanted to vomit, I still went back and finished. Not this time...and I felt like such a loser for having to quit. I sat on the side line trying desperately to rub the knot out of my thigh with a ball while I watched everyone struggling and finishing. I felt like shit...especially since I'm the new girl. Having said that, I took a pic of the WOD on the board, and will revisit this WOD at the end of the month on a make up day. The evening however, was great...even if I was hobbling along, and having serious issues climbing up into Dave's truck! The hubby and I began our date night with a wonderful dinner at the Matador in downtown Tacoma. To prove that one can eat well while out, I took a couple snapshots of my food....yeah, I'm that lady.

Grilled, Garlic Shrimp with a spicy, olive oil marinade

Grilled, Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños, stuffed with goat cheese

Carne Asada, grilled broccolini, and romaine salad with olive oil and sherry vinegar dressing

Dinner was awesome, and the weather was so gorgeous. We were able to eat outside, and it was just perfect.  Dave and I enjoyed each other's company so much that we decided to make it a night and stay. Totally worth it...even if I did drink too much.

Onward and upward. This weekend was also Cinco de Mayo, and I have to totally laugh as I think back to my earlier post about how much I love grilled meat. Truly when I said grilled meat, I was referencing grilled beef. I could eat grilled steak every day. This is evidenced by the fact that I made my own Carne Asada yesterday for Cinco de Mayo! I'm such a nerd. 

As always I began by gathering the ingredients required to create awesome culinary magic!

I used minced garlic, and jalapeño, roasted cumin, freshly squeezed lime juice, and lemon juice, fresh chopped parsley (I hate cilantro, but you can use it), sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil

Place skirt steak into gallon size zip-loc bag and squish around to coat thoroughly, and then let marinate for at least 4 hours...it's much better if you do overnight, but didn't I tell you before that I'm a procrastinator extraordinaire???

Now, a little side trip to talk about failure...as if my opener wasn't bad enough. While my meat was marinating, I decided to try my hand at making some Paleo tortillas to go with my Carne Asada. I should have known better, but I went into Pinterest, and grabbed a pin that I pinned a few weeks ago just for this day! Yeah...um...they didn't turn out so well. They tasted like cheesy eggs...even though there was no cheese (odd), and they completely fell apart.  

No bueno

So, I wont be making them again. Back to the Carne Asada. Once the meat marinated, we grilled it. It came out like this

YUM!

I paired my meat creation with homemade guac, and a chopped salad that made D's mouth burn because it had sliced, fresh jalapeños. 

 

Dave and I ended up eating our dinner outside again, by the light of tea lights placed under cut wine bottles, and the fire pit. It was nice.

Sorry it's so dark. I was trying to capture the ambiance ;)

Super Simple Carne Asada

1 1/2 pounds of skirt steak

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 jalapeños, seeded and minced

2 tsp of roasted cumin

the juice of 2 limes

the juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp of sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1. Whisk together all ingredients except for the meat in a bowl.

2. Place skirt steak into zip-loc bag, and pour marinade over.  Close bag, and smoosh around to completely coat meat.

3. Marinate for 4-24 hours.

4. Grill

Now, onto the new week! I completely rested my muscles this weekend. By Sunday, I was able to walk up and down my stairs and sit on the toilet without pain. This morning I carb loaded prior to my WOD by drinking "green lemonade," (Thanks Sarah!!) which is fresh juice made from 1/2 cucumber, 2 large handfuls of baby spinach/kale mix, 5 stalks of celery, 2 small apples, and 1/2 a lemon. I drank this about an hour before my workout, and I felt so strong and full of energy! I did much better today. I finished the WOD, and while it was for reps and not time, I don't think I did too shabby. Post workout I had a protein shake, (which I know isn't really Paleo), but it was quick, and great for muscle recovery. I'm not sore yet, although I'm sure it will come by morning. But, it was great to move past Friday's failure! 

My Take On Chicken Satay...Which Is Really A Fancy Word For Skewered Chicken

Yay it's Friday!  The best part is that it's totally sunny and gorgeous outside. This morning's WOD completely sucked, and I got a horrid cramp in my quad, but at least we were outside soaking up the sun. I'm very much looking forward to revisiting that WOD in a month or so. Another good thing about today is that it's a date night with the hubby, so that has given me something to look forward to as I hobble about the house this afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon I was desperately searching my freezer for some sort of inspiration...ie., something that wouldn't take forever and a day to make. (I was already behind given I hadn't gotten anything out to defrost yet, lol.) I really need to sit down this weekend and plan out some meals so I'm not flying by the seat of my pants. Anyhow, I had two packages of organic chicken breast tenders (this seemed like the fastest thing to defrost), so I grabbed them and went to the fridge for another dose of inspiration. I found a jicama, a lime, , carrots, coconut aminos, and garlic-chili paste...and garlic. I always have garlic. With that, the hamsters in my brain began to spin the wheel. To the pantry I went, and found sesame oil, tahini, sesame seeds, and ginger (next time, I will definitely use fresh ginger), and raw, local honey. With that I knew that I wanted to make chicken skewers, so I dug my bamboo skewers out of the drawer and started soaking them in water. *This is important as if you don't soak them, they can catch on fire which is no bueno.

With these ingredients I concocted a marinade for my chicken. Yummy!! 

My thought was that the tahini would mimic the peanut butter usually used in this kind of marinade.

Skewers Soaking

I then placed my chicken breast tenders into the marinade and tossed to evenly coat. 

After marinating for about 10 minutes, I skewered these babies..3-4 breast tenders per skewer.

I let them marinate for about 30 minutes before we grilled them. In the meantime, I decided to make a slaw to go with which required me to run to the grocery store to grab a purple cabbage and an orange. I returned home to discover that I had slivered almonds in the pantry as well, so I decided to toast them. I concocted a dressing that would mimic the marinade. I then combined the dressing with the cabbage, jicama, and carrots that I had shredded and julienned, along with the orange that I had peeled and segmented, and the sliced, toasted almonds. Dinner ended up looking like this:

I know, totally GORG isn't it? Unfortunately, Dave and I both agreed that the slaw needed some tweaking, so I will hold off on posting a recipe for that, but it was still good. At any rate, that's how great recipes are born, right?

Chicken Satay

2 pounds of chicken breast tenders

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp dried ginger

1/2 tsp garlic-chili paste

1 Tbs sesame oil

1 Tbs raw honey

2 Tbs coconut aminos (use wheat free tamari if you cannot find the aminos)

1 heaping Tbs tahini

The juice of 1 lime

1. Combine ingredients in large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let marinate for about 10-15 minutes.

2. Place chicken on soaked bamboo skewers, 3-4 tenders per skewer. Let marinate for about 25 minutes. 

3. Grill until done; maybe 5-8 minutes per side. 

Two-fer Thursday...Spicy HB Eggs, and Zughetti Pesto

I am so sore today. Honestly, like I have to brace myself by holding on to the wall and counter just to sit my ass down on the toilet. It sucks. I am super thankful however that our new puppy finally slept through the night last night as I had to carry him down the stairs to go potty this morning, and found that to be a very painful venture. I'm so glad that I didn't have to do it throughout the night! My hand is on the mend, and I'm good to go for tomorrow morning--nothing like getting your ass handed to you to start off the weekend.

Last night, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and grilled steaks for dinner. I love meat...especially grilled meat. There's just something about it. I would eat it every day if I could. I love the smell, the taste...it's just amazing. To go with our steaks I made some roasted sweet potatoes, and zucchini. Dave's grandmother makes the most amazing zucchini, but it takes time to marinate, and since I'm the procrastinator extraordinare, I didn't have time to make it, even though I had bought like 5 zucchinis to make it! WTH Tommie!?! Anyways, I decided to make something a little different, which finally gave me a chance to use my new kitchen toy that I got for Christmas. Yes, I ask for kitchen tools for Christmas gifts, doesn't everyone??? 

I combined my Williams & Sonoma gift cards that I received, and ended up with a meat grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid, a Calphalon egg poacher, and the thing I wanted most, a julienne peeler. My five zucchini gave me the perfect chance to try my peeler out. What came of this was what my husband David called Zughetti. So, I have now formally named it Zughetti Pesto. Wanna make it? Here's the low down:

Zughetti Pesto

5 nice sized zucchini, washed, and ends trimmed

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pesto (I used homemade)

2Tbs Greek Dressing (again, I used homemade...I seriously need to do a post on condiments)

julienne peeler

1. Use julienne peeler to peel zucchini. As you run the peeler down the zucchini, it turns into gorgeous strands of "pasta."

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add shredded zucchini, and sauté until green brightens, and the zucchini takes on more of a noodle consistency.

3. Add pesto, and toss to combine.

4. Because I'm odd, and like to try new things, I added 2 tbs of my Greek Dressing to add a little hint of garlicky, vinegar goodness for depth of flavor.

5. Remove from heat, and plate up, and eat. The end result should look like this...

I served 6 people with this recipe. It was approved by all but one...but he's a picky eater.

Now, onto convenience out of necessity. I try to keep at least a dozen and half of hardboiled eggs on hand at all times. We have as my friend Mel likes to say, 20 kids, lol...just kidding, we have 4. But, my teenage son Jay could eat enough for 20! The other morning, I didn't really want just hardboiled eggs, but I didn't want to make a huge mess in the kitchen. My only regret is that I didn't document the process in photo, but it's truly so easy that if you can't follow a recipe, you have no business in the kitchen (smiling). So, the pic that I sent to my friends will have to suffice.

Spicy Jalapeño Deviled Eggs

2 hardboiled eggs, peeled

1 heaping TBS, or more of mayonnaise (homemade...of course it is...I can't take credit for that recipe. I used the recipe from "Well Fed")

maybe 10 pickled jalapeño slices, minced

Smoked paprika, and parsley for garnish

1. Carefully slice eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Place yolks in small bowl.

2. Mash yolks with fork, add in mayo and jalapeños. Stir to combine.

3. Spoon yolk mixture into egg halves, and garnish with paprika and parsley. 

Ta-done!

Getting My Ass Handed To Me and Lemon Chicken

As I vowed yesterday, I indeed followed through and joined Crossfit Finish First which is a great box here in western Washington. They promptly proceeded to kill me this morning as I welcomed myself back into the world of Crossfit. It's been a few months, and here is what I found:

1. I came in last
2. I felt like I was gonna die
3. The feeling of imminent death was soon replaced by the feeling of elation...crossfit had her way with me, and I was in pure bliss as I was laying on the floor, dripping in sweat.
4. I ripped my hand
5. My quads now hurt and feel like jello at the same time. It's wonderful.

Not bad for almost 3 months off and doing 20 TTB, and 48 PU's. 

So, last night, I made an updated version of my mom's broiled chicken that she used to make when I was a kid. It kind of stuck with me, and from time to time I want it, and it's easy to make. I have updated this by making my own seasoning blend which works well, and gives me the taste I crave. I also changed the way I cook it. Roasting makes the skin super crisp and the meat super juicy. I paired it with some roasted asparagus that I doused in homemade Greek Dressing prior to roasting, and cubed watermelon. What do you want from me?? I have 4 kids...we busy folks! I will post the dressing recipe next time I make more so you can see how it's done.

Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken

1 Whole Chicken, cut up (I used everything except the backside. I placed that in a freezer bag for when I make stock)

1 lemon for zest, and juice

1 clove of garlic, minced

sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, in spritzer bottle

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees, line a lipped baking pan with foil, and arrange chicken pieces. 

2. Zest the entire lemon, and place zest into bowl. Cut lemon in half, and squeeze juice all over chicken.

3. Place minced garlic into bowl with zest, add sea salt and cracked pepper. I really should measure this, but I kind of throw everything together. It would suffice to say to add a good, heaping teaspoon of each. Combine ingredients.

4. Sprinkle half the mixture over both sides of chicken, and then rub it in. You want the meat covered in this stuff. Then, flip so skin side is up, and sprinkle the rest over top, and spritz with olive oil.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 min-1 hour. Skin will get crisp, and chicken juicy. 

6. Eat it!

Home Fries...

So, I'm sitting here contemplating my future. I have been out of the gym for a couple of months, and I really need to get back in--if not for my own personal mental health and wellbeing, but for that of those who have to live with me: Dave, Jay, Alyssa, Anthony, and Hunter...and dogs, and cat, I'm SORRY. Today is the day, I vow; I shall find myself back in a box. I'm seriously stoked about that, almost as much as I was stoked about my breakfast this morning.

I love--LOVE hash browns. Seriously, in another life, they could have been an addiction. When I was a kid, Saturday morning breakfast was never complete without Mom's fried potatoes, homemade salsa, and tortillas. Anytime, I would go out to breakfast, I would need a side of hash browns. I have issues. Anyhoo, this morning I started out making my breakfast hash (which is yet another addiction left over from childhood), and I grabbed bacon instead of my pork sausage. I honestly do not know what I was thinking..oh yeah, I thought I would make the hash with bacon instead. I discovered as I was rendering the bacon that idea was not going to work. 

So, I diced up my sweet potato (I found the cutest, tiniest sweet potatoes at TJ's, each is perfect size for one person), minced some red onion, and a clove of garlic. When the bacon was done rendering, I took it out of the skillet to drain, and added the sweet potato, onion, and garlic to the grease. OMG, the aroma was amazing. As they cooked, the veggies began to caramelize along the edges. I have to say that I forgot to season them with anything, and I'm glad. The flavor that developed from the bacon grease was perfect. When the sweet potatoes were tender, I removed the veggies from the skillet and drained them on paper towels. They were crispy, like fried potatoes. To the bacon grease I then cracked two fresh eggs, and cooked until they were my desired doneness. I served this all up with my bacon that I originally cooked, a quick garnish of chopped parsley, and a couple of strawberries. It was AMAZING. 

Homefries:
1 small sweet potato, diced (small dice)
2 TBS minced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 slices of uncured bacon
chopped fresh parsley to garnish

1. Render the bacon in a skillet, (I used cast iron). When crispy, remove to drain on paper towels.
2. To the bacon grease, add the onion, sweet potato, and garlic. Fry in grease, stirring to evenly coat with grease and cook. Let the veggies get caramelized. When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove from grease to drain on paper towels. 
3. Garnish with parsley, and serve with bacon, and eggs.

Recipe is for one person. Adjust accordingly to accommodate more peeps.