We opened this jar of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce and they were way spicier than we were expecting. We used one in a puree for our tamales but needed a way to use up the rest of the can so we created this yogurt sauce to tone it down but still get that amazing flavor and just enough heat.
My aunt has serranos coming out of her ears (not literally) and gave us a big bag full of them. They were all shades of green, orange and red and SUPER hot. To ensure this concoction was edible, we seeded some of them. We prefer things on the spicier side though so if you’re not so inclined you can totally tone it down by seeding more (or all, depending on the heat of your peppers and your tolerance for heat).
2 dozen serranos
4 medium sized tomatoes
2 elephant garlic cloves or 12 normal garlic cloves
1/2 a white onion
salt/pepper to taste
drizzle of olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 can fire roasted tomatoes
pre-heat oven to 350º F
halve and seed some of the peppers (depending on how hot you want it), drizzle w/ olive oil on a half baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes
line another baking sheet and lay out the rest of the peppers, tomatoes, garlic (leave cloves in their skin) and onion (halve but leave in skin), drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 50 minutes
remove and let cool
in a food processor blend roasted chiles, tomatoes, garlic (w/out skin), onion (w/out skin), vinegar and the canned tomatoes until fairly smooth then taste and season to taste w/ vinegar and salt and pepper
I went to my cousins’ wedding in Seattle and got kind of obsessed with smoked salmon. I literally ate it in at least one meal a day for two weeks, which was possible on my college budget thanks to Costco. They have this two pack of black pepper covered smoked salmon that is definitely, probably not sustainably raised or caught but it is delicious and is justifiable in my little budget. One day I will buy only sustainably caught fish but…you gotta do what you gotta do. So anyways here’s a smoked salmon salad recipe with a kick-ass yogurt sauce.
1/4 cup marcona almonds
a couple chunks smoked salmon
1/2 avocado
bed of lettuce
1/2 cup thawed frozen peas, corn, green beans (or whatever veggies you’ve got on hand)
dill yogurt sauce*
2 cups plain yogurt (on the runny side preferably)
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp capers w/ 1 tbsp caper water
1 tbsp dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tbsp tahini
10 sprigs of dill
mince garlic and juice lemon
in a bowl combine yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, mustard, capers and caper waters
pick dill of stems and incorporate into sauce
add a dash of water if it’s too thick and continue to stir
*this sauce is better the longer it sits, I’d recommend making it the night before for the ultimate flavor
My friends and I went to the Monterey Bay aquarium last week and got completely transfixed by the schools of sardines that swim in sync. Since then I’ve been craving sardines. Kind of messed up but hey, there are a lot of fish in the sea, especially sardines.
Sardines are not only tasty little guys but swimming in health benefits. According to The World’s Healthiest Foods, they promote heart, bone and cell health leading to “optimal health”. They’re also packed with vitamin D, omega 3s, protein and low in calories AND cheap.
Here’s a fun fact; sardines were the first canned fish and Napoleon Bonaparte was the genius behind this. They were a convenient way to feed his people. Thanks Napoleon
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 of a large eggplant
2 large sardines packed in oil
3 tbsp olive oil
salt/pepper
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 medium sized shallot
1/4 of a lemon
in a small pan heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat and chop eggplant roughly
add the eggplant to the pan with 1/4 cup water and generous sprinkles of salt and pepper, cover and let cook until fairly mushy
let cool and add to food processor
slice shallots and heat another tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, add shallots and cook over medium heat until they’re just starting to brown
add them into the food processor, squeeze the lemon in and add the mustard and yogurt then blend until smooth
break the sardines into chunks and add to the mix then blend until incorporated
My mom has been making this salsa for as long as I can remember. After Thanksgiving she always makes a big batch of it and then cooks up the leftover turkey in the green salsa for a taco or enchilada filling. It’s one of the tastiest and healthiest post-thanksgiving meals. The tomatillos make it slightly tangy and you can adjust the spiciness depending on how many chiles and what kind you use.
20 medium sized tomatillos
3 cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno
1 serrano
1 bunch cilantro
3-4 garlic cloves
salt
peel tomatillos and quarter, chop a jalapeno and a serrano in thirds
put tomatillos and peppers in a medium sized pot and add enough chicken broth to cover tomatillos
bring to a boil then bring it down to a simmer (uncovered) until tomatillos are soft, remove from heat and let cool
remove the big stems from the cilantro but otherwise you can leave it intact, wash
clean garlic and put cloves in a Vitamix, along with the tomatillo mixture and the cilantro
blend until fairly smooth (a few of seconds), then add salt or more chilis to taste
In our CSA we sometimes get large bundles of herbs and I always get excited and think that I’ll create a recipe specifically around those greens. But sometimes (often) they get pushed to the wayside and I get distracted by other more exciting things. Like cauliflower. Or pomegranates. Then they get sad and start to wilt and I haphazardly try to figure out a use for them before they’re gone. I was pretty happy with how this creation came out. Parsley has such a strong, unique flavor. It pairs well with a lot of different proteins. We had this with out breakfast hash and then I used it again later that day to marinate some tempeh for dinner. It would be great with chicken, steak or fish also.
1 bunch parsley
1 lemon (juice)
3 tsp ground pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
red chili flakes
slice stems off of parsley and chop parsley coarsely
juice the lemon into a food processor and add half the parsley and half the olive oil
blend until semi-smooth then add the rest of the parsley and olive oil
continue blending until the parsley bits are about the size of the red chili flakes
add red chilli flakes, pepper and salt and pulse briefly
this is great as a marinade or dipping sauce for fish, chicken or tempeh
10 plums (don’t worry if they’re unripe and tasteless, it’ll be better if they are tasty but it’s not absolutely necessary as evidenced by the swap meet fiasco)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
Slice plums and heat, covered, on medium-low heat with lemon juice.
Let cook undisturbed for 10 minutes, then stir in honey and cinnamon
Tilt lid up to let out some moisture and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until desired consistency is reached
This jam is great on toast, yogurt or cottage cheese as well. I think I am going to make baked brie w/ it tomorrow night. This tart was a wonderful and easy dinner/dessert. Puff pastry is a great pantry (er freezer) staple to have on hand because of its’ versatility and scrumptious-ness.
