Pico de Gallo

 

This has been my favorite side dish at our local Mexican place.  After years of loving it and carefully assessing what was in it, I finally had a go at making it myself. This is served with the fresh tortilla chips and salsa at the restaurant and it's my favorite part.  It's really like a salad... and a dip, and something to sprinkle on your rice and beans!  I can be whatever you want it to be. 

Be sure to chop things a bit smaller than you think they should be... you want to have a bit of everything in each scoop of your tortilla chip.

Ingredients

Makes about 4-5 cups

1 cup of red cabbage, diced small

1 cup of green cabbage, diced small

1 cup of tomatoes, diced small

3 jalapenos, diced small (remove the seeds)

1 cup of white onion, diced small

1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped

2-3 limes, juiced

1/2 cup of pickled jalapenos, diced small

2 tablespoons of the picked jalapeno juice, optional

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and let sit for an hour or two before serving.  Lasts a day or two in the fridge, but it's best the day you make it.

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Damn Good Salsa

I love salsa! 

Recently we did a Salsa & Chips day at work and I brought in a couple of store bought kinds (no judging, it was a big group, LOL) and also a batch of my Chipotle Sour Cream. We had some other people bring some in and this one was so good I asked for the recipe.  They sent me a picture of a work email from 2007 where the recipe had been shared before.  It was so good and so easy, I wanted to make sure to blog this for posterity's sake!

It seems like a lot of spices with 1 tablespoon of each, but believe me, it makes it great! Heck, I even added more pepper and salt to make it just as good as my co-workers version! This is best if you make it a day or two before you need it, but it also tastes great right away.

Thank you for my neighbor, Chrissy, who had an extra chili powder when we didn't have chili powder at our vacation home.  I'm stunned I did not have chili powder at this place!

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp of the following:

-Salt

-Black Pepper

-Cumin

-Paprika

-Chili Powder

1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

1/2-3/4 cup diced white onion

1/4 cup green onions, diced

2 jalapenos, diced small

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

6oz spicy V-8 tomato juice

Juice of 1 lime

Mix and chill until ready for eating!  We pretty much put salsa on everything, so go for it!

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Green Salsa with Tomatillos & Avocado

Working from home this year, I have missed many things. One of them is definitely connecting with people at work over food, like potlucks!  My coworker brings the best green salsa and we are all wild about it.  Luckily she shared her recipe, so I was able to make my own.

Note- In a true "Got It Cook It" fashion, I substituted canned pickled jalapenos as I was out of fresh chilies. While this tasted really good, I think that a fresh serrano chili (or two) is best!

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

7-8 tomatillos (depending on size)

2 tbsp. of olive oil

1-2 serrano chiles (depending on how spicy you want it)

½ of a small onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic (depending on size)

1 handful of cilantro

2 avocados

Juice of ½ lime

1 tsp of chicken bouillon seasoning

1 tsp pepper

Salt to taste

Water to cover

Fill a pot with enough water to boil the peeled tomatillos. Boil tomatillos for about 5 min or until soft but don’t let them burst. Drain water and add tomatillos to blender.

Add 1 (of the 2) tbsp. of olive oil to a pan and sauté serrano chiles, onion and garlic on med/med high heat until slightly browned. Add to blender.

Add remaining ingredients to blender. Blend to combine, but don't process too long, you will want to have a very slight texture for best appearance.

Add water to change consistency if too thick, I added about 1/3 cup while blending it Adjust salt to taste. 

Avocado Dressing/Dip

This is my made up recipe for an avocado "green goddess style" dressing.  We were having spicy grilled steaks (using my Cajun spice rub recipe here) and wanted to use up an avocado that I feared was nearing to be over ripe (it wasn't luckily). I thought the dressing would be great to have the spicy grilled steak on a green salad, and it was!  

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

1 large avocado, or 2 small (peeled and pitted)

1/2 bunch  of cilantro, washed and bottom 1/3 of stems removed

Juice of 1 large lime, or 2 small

1/4 cup of mayo

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1 clove fresh garlic

1 tsp salt

Add all ingredients into a blender, and puree until the dressing is smooth. Store covered tightly in the fridge. The avocado dressing remains bright green for about a week.  

We also used this for a sauce on tacos later in the week. Yum!

Lazy Girl Chile Verde Pork Stew

This is variation of one of my all time favorite ways to cook pork, Chile Verde.  However, the recipe I have always used calls for tomatoes, which are RED, and not VERDE (green) at all, so it has always bugged me a bit that the end result was a reddish dish.  In this recipe, I have substituted the tomatoes with canned tomatillos instead.

As I was making this, my hubby walked in and said "aren't you going to brown that pork?". To which I answered,"No, I am not" feeling a bit grumpy at being challenged about being a accomplished lazy girl. Now, honestly people, I do realize that browning adds carmalization and therefore, more flavor.  BUT, in this case, there is SO much more flavor ingredients in this dish, you honestly should save yourself some time (and a greasy stove top) by skipping the browning and throwing it altogether in your crock pot.  Set it, forget it, do something awesome with your day and come back to a great dinner.

Serves 5-6 
Ingredients

3lb pork, large, cut into large chunks
1 large can (14 oz) whole tomatillos, with juice
1/2 onion, diced small
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced small
2 jalapenos, diced small
1 small can (4 oz) diced ortega green chilies
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped small (about 1/2 bunch)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp oregano

Topping:

• green onions
• cojita cheese or feta cheese (optional)

Add all the ingredients to the crock pot, and cook for 8 hours on low.  Serve with green onions and cheese, as desired.

Below is a picture of the crock before I cooked it. I didn't brown the pork, as I guess, I am a lazy girl. LOL.  You can definitely brown it before starting your crockpot, and it just might be even better.  Me?  I can't decide if this stew is actually better for having browned the pork first.

Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder

It's a bit strange to buy 16 lbs of pork for a household with two people in it.
Yep, that is a BUNCH of meat!
However, you can really make a lot of people very excited by bringing smoked pulled pork to a party or picnic.  It's really our "go to" meal to do for a crowd.  

In addition, you can easily freeze some of the cooked meat so that you can make this for dinner at a future time.  Once I had about 5 containers of shredded pork in the freezer.  It made life very easy for weeks.

In addition to the sandwich below, we also use leftovers for the following ideas- tacos, enchiladas, "hash" with eggs, add to chili, epic fried rice, taco salads, and Loco Moco.

See below for an example dinner below...  I use Spicy Slaw on our sandwiches.

Brant's famous pulled pork

***for 2 pork butts, approx 16lbs in a 5 gallon covered bucket***
2 qts water in saucepan

1 cup sea salt
2 Tbsp rosemary (i use a sprig of fresh, but either works)
6 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp sage (i use a sprig of fresh, but either works)
1 gallon (4 qts) ice water (mix into brine solution after removed from heat and partially cooled)

Brine 24 hours, drain, pat dry and let dry (uncovered) in the fridge over night.

Depending on when you want to serve it, count ahead 12-14 hours.
Want to eat at 5pm on Saturday? Better put your pork on to smoke about 3pm on Friday to be safe.

Two choices... you can rub with a seasoning powder, here's my go-to recipe.
Or, you can skip the rub all togther as the brine has seasoned the pork very well.  
We still go back on forth on this one... to do, or to do not?  That is the question.

Set your Traeger (or other smoker) at 185 degrees for the first couple hours to get some good smoky action going on.  Then turn it up to 225 degrees and leave it for another 10-12 hours. We use a remote thermometer that has a probe in the smoker, and a reader/monitor inside, and watch it carefully until it reaches 200 degrees.  

Take off and let it cool, then pull it with a couple of forks, or the "bear claw" forks made for pulling pork.

You know it's tender when the bones fall out clean!

Here's the meat, getting ready to start shredding!

Here's the claws we use, it makes short work of it, but forks work too.

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Lazy Girl Creamy Enchilada Verde Soup

Need something easy on a lazy Saturday? Or after a hard day at work?
How about an almost instant soup?

The other day I made Chili Verde Turkey Meatloaf, but had about 2/3 of a large can of green enchilada sauce leftover in the fridge. If you ever have a partial can, you could also freeze the leftovers in a small plastic container, perfect for a recipe like this.


Grab a rotisserie chicken and a can of enchilada sauce, and dinner is almost made.
I must admit, I scrounged around the fridge for veggies that might be good in this soup.  What follows is what I had on hand... you might have other stuff.  Nothing wrong with canned tomatoes, or chopped carrots in this soup.  Use your imagination... 
 
Enchilada sauce has quite a bit of sodium, so you may not need much more in this recipe.  Be sure to completely finish the soup before tasting and adding any more salt.

You could throw all this in the crock pot and let in cook on low for 6 hours, but really, you can do it on  the stove top very quickly.  I used a Costco rotisserie chicken for my re-cooked chicken.  I love that chicken, I buy one almost every time I go there. It's my basic for my homemade easy chicken stock too.
 
Serves 4-6 
Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups Green enchilada sauce
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup onions
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup red bell pepper
1 cup corn, fresh, frozen or roasted
1/2 cup cilantro
1 tsp cumin
Chili pepper flakes, optional


Saute the onions, celery and bell pepper, over medium heat, in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften.

Add the enchilada sauce and chicken broth, and increase heat to high.  Bring to a boil, then add the chicken, spices and corn.  Taste and adjust the seasonings to you liking.  Reduce to a simmer, and let cook for another 5-10 minutes.  It will thicken slightly as it reduces a bit.

Great on it's own, or you can add some topping suggestions:

• cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• chopped tomatoes
• green onions
• fresh cilantro
• olives
• minced jalapenos
• tortilla chips

Chili Verde Turkey Meatloaf

I love verde anything.
Something about green chilies make me very happy, and green enchilada sauce is one of my favorite canned items.
I like to buy the lean ground turkey at Costco in the 4 pack.  It's much leaner (7% fat) than what I can usually find in the grocery store at 20% fat.  Usually I make turkey patties and barbecue them, or make Turkey Keema Curry.  
But I'd been thinking of a meatloaf... so here's my plan.
However... This is ugly food. 
Below is a picture of it the day after, after firming up in the the fridge. It won't win any beauty contests, but it made a terrific lunch.
 

Here it is at dinner time.
I may have gasped out loud when reviewing the pictures to add to my blog.  UGLY!
But tasty!

One note, it might make a firmer meatloaf if you used half turkey and half pork, or beef.   But this recipe is easy for using up the full package of turkey in the 20oz packs from Costco.

Serves 4 
Ingredients

20 oz fresh ground turkey
1/2 cup green enchilada sauce, divided into 2 1/4 cup portions.
1/2 onion, minced
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp green hot sauce
1 tsp cumin
Sprinkle of chili powder
Salt & Pepper (but go easy the enchilada sauce can be salty)

Preheat the oven to 375
 
Combine all ingredients together (except half the enchilada sauce for the top) and mix well.

Shape into a loaf pan and pat down firmly.  Add the extra 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and sprinkle with a little chili powder, if desired.  Bake for about 1 hour until cooked through.

I got mine up to about 165-170 internal temperature using an instant thermometer.  That's the easiest way to see if something is cooked through.

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Chorizo Baked Eggs

Some days you just wake up spicy!
Yesterday was one of those days.
Slept in late, enjoying the middle day of a three day weekend.  
Yay, I love that.

I loved these Italian Caprese Baked Eggs, but I wanted something spicier, plus I had a lb of chorizo sitting in the fridge.  So this dish happened.
There are many ways that you could change this up, so have some fun and create something delicious!

One note, even if you want your eggs fully cooked, I'd recommend not over cooking these.  They come out of the oven so hot, you need to let them sit and a cool a bit to you don't burn off your mouth.  Ask me how I know...
As they sit and cool, those eggs continue to cook.  Take them out when the white is still a bit giggly.

Makes 2 big breakfasts
Ingredients

1 cup onions, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 oz chorizo, bulk
1 canned chipotle pepper, minced
1 cup canned tomatoes, pureed
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half (optional)
Salt & Pepper
4 eggs
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Green onions, for garnish
Toast for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cut up the onion and fry up with the chorizo until the onion is soft and the meat is cooked through.  If you have a lot if fat in your chorizo, it would be best to drain it now.  My chorizo was not too much, so that was great.  

Here's the meat and onions.

I added one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.  The pepper is very easy to mince up very small.  Pick a small one as they can be spicy.  Or, you can omit this pepper altogether. 

Add the tomatoes and tomato puree.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until the cherry tomatoes start to soften.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add sauce to baking dishes, or you could cook this all in your cast iron pan.  Make a small "hole" and crack an eggs into each one.  Top with cheese and bake for about 12-15 minutes, depending on how you like you eggs cooked.  

One NOTE, let the baked eggs cool for about 4-5 minutes before serving, and remember the eggs will continue to cook during that time.  It's best to take them out when they are a bit undercooked.  Serve with toast.

Here they are when I took them out of the oven.  Sprinkle with green onions before serving.  Maybe a little sour cream on the side, if desired.

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Lazy Girl Pot Roast with Easy Molé Sauce

Yummy tender pot roast with a terrific but easy molé sauce.
Molé sauces are known for their complex flavors, each one adding some nuance to the sauce.  Chocolate, fruit, spices, nuts- every cook has her version.  This one was an easy one that I came up with one day when I had a pot roast I wanted to make on a chilly day.
 
This is perfect for tacos, burritos, over rice, over polenta, as filling in tamales.... how do you want to eat it?

Servings: 10 to 12

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Mexican Style Chili Powder

2 tsp Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ground Cloves

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Ground Cumin

2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce), minced

2 1/2 – 3 lb Beef Pot Roast, visible fat trimmed

1 Medium Onion, chopped

1 - 28oz can diced Tomatoes With  Juice

3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

8– 10 cloves  Garlic, peeled

6 dates, or 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
3 Tbsp peanut butter


Cook on low for 6-8 hours. The meat should be very tender and will shred easily.
Carefully remove the meat from the crockpot and put on a platter.  Add the liquids to a blender and let it settle a bit.  Skim off as much of the fat showing on top as possible.  Blend the remaining liquid into a great sauce.  You will have more sauce than you might need, but this would be great on top of enchiladas, or other grilled meat.

Serve the meat with extra sauce on the side, or shred the meat and mix the sauce with it.

With the meat, I removed whatever fatty bits I could see and then "chunked" or shredded the rest of the meat.  You could also slice it, or serve it whole, serving at the table.