For the Love of Salsa Verde

I love patios almost as much I love Tex-Mex themed happy hours. In my opinion, summer happy hours don't get much better than sitting on a shady patio with a limey margarita on the rocks, an ice cold Pacifico (That's right! In my ideal happy hour, I'm double fisting!), crispy chips and a firey salsa. Thankfully, I'm lucky enough to live in a climate where it's almost always patio season and there is an abundance of Tex-Mex restaurants.

In a fully ripe tomatillo, the husk is
beginning to separate from the fruit.

While living in Fort Worth, my default patio of choice was Chimy's. I probably spent way too many afternoons at this little joint drinking margaritas and consuming baskets of chops. This place is almost perfect, minus the fact that their salsa sucked. It tasted a lot like just chopped tomatoes. In fact, almost every Mexican joint I ever went to in Fort Worth* had bad salsa. For some reason, I've found that when you venture out of South Texas, the salsas you find tend to be seriously lacking in the heat department and only of the red variety.

Look for firm tomatillos with
bright green skin color.

While sub par salsa is doable for short sojourns away from Houston, in college I found myself homesick for the tangy, spicy salsa verdes I had grown up on and resorted to making my own. This recipe got me through many rough days when I needed the comfort of home and is still my go-to salsa recipe. It's super quick to make and a real crowd pleaser. Plus, one batch makes enough to feed an army.

*One notable exception to the below average salsa in Fort Worth is Mi Cocinita, a true hidden gem. It's located in the garage of a grandmother's house and most days she's the one the kitchen cooking for you. It's a must visit if you're ever in Fort Worth. And don't let the chickens roaming the streets scare you off!

Salsa Verde

Makes 5 cups

• 1.5 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 - 2 jalapenos, depending on desired heat factor
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 limes, juiced
• Salt
• Pepper

1. You need to char the outer skin of the jalapenos. If you're lucky enough to have a gas stove, this can be done by rotating the peppers slowly over the flame for a few minutes. If, like me, you're stuck with an electric cook top, lightly coat the jalapenos in olive oil and stick under the broiler, turning every few minutes. Once the skin is charred, place the jalapenos in a covered container or plastic bag for 15 minutes. This will allow for easy removal of the skin.

2. Meanwhile, bring a salted pot of water to boil and drop in the tomatillos. Let them cook at a gentle boil for 10 minutes, until the tomatillos have turned a very light lime green. Remove from pot.

3. Working in batches if necessary, add the tomatillos, quartered onions, jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice to a blender and blend until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve me with crispy tortilla chips and an ice cold Pacifico!

I prefer the salsa verde served warm with a cold cerveza, but it's also equally delicious cold.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

I have a slight love affair with butternut squash. It is hands down my favorite squash and one of my favorite vegetables. My old stand by recipe is butternut squash risotto with walnuts and blue cheese, a fantastic combination. Recently though, I've been trying to think outside of my normal cooking box and try using some of my favorite ingredients in new ways.

Macaroni and cheese is another favorite dish of mine as well, but I have to admit I rarely cook it. Most recipes are time intensive and involve dirtying multiple pots. And frankly, my wrist gets tired from whisking that Mornay sauce that makes baked mac and cheese so good. Most of the time, I'd rather get my mac and cheese fix while eating out at a restaurant, especially because this means I don't have first hand knowledge of all the cream, butter and cheese that goes into it.

For the past week though, I've had an intense cheese craving that just hasn't gone away, which isn't good considering I'm making a conscious effort to eat healthy(ish). However, I had a moment of genius on Monday -- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. I'd go full out on the cheese, but use 1% milk to make the Mornay sauce (blasphemy, I know) and add roasted butternut squash for a dose of vegetables.  While this is far from the rich, decadent macaroni and cheese that holds a special place in my heart, it's a pretty damn good substitute. And I don't feel as bad when I go back for that extra helping.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Serves 8 as a Side Dish

• Butternut Squash
• 8 oz. whole wheat pasta (I used a Pipe Rigate)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups 1% milk, room temperature
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated (plus some extra for topping)
• 1 cup  Emmentaler cheese, grated (plus some extra for topping)
• 8 sage leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 handfuls panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pepper

Fresh Out of the Oven

1. Preheat oven to 425. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds. Place the squash flesh side down on a greased baking sheet, rub olive oil on top of skin, and roast for 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool slightly and scrape flesh away from skin.

2. While the squash is cooking, bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta for 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and then combine it with the butternut squash in a greased casserole dish.

3. Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk and add the sage, nutmeg and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, being careful not to let the liquid boil and stirring frequently as to prevent scalding at the bottom. Begin to whisk at a fast pace and add in the cheese a few tablespoons at a time, making sure all the cheese has melted before adding anymore.

Delicious!

4. Once all the cheese has melted, pour the sauce over the pasta. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Cook for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until the sides begin to bubble. For a browner crust, leave the dish in the oven for an additional 5 minutes under the broiler. Cool slightly before eating.

Experimenting with Jerusalem Artichokes

I was strolling my farmers market when I happened upon a new vendor. They didn't have much, but a big basket of Jerusalem artichokes caught my eye.

I almost passed these babies up as
ginger until I realized exactly what they were.

I've previously mentioned, one of my 2011 cooking goals is to incorporate ingredients I've never used before in my cooking. As it happens, Jerusalem artichokes are on that list, so I bought a bag and headed home to brainstorm.

After some Googling, I was surprised at how few recipes were out there. The ones I came across were mainly for soups or purees. Feeling very uninspired, I tossed them in the crisper and actually forgot all about them. I rediscovered them the next week when I was in the mood for soup and rummaging around my fridge for some leftover vegetables.

For lack of better words, peeling
these are a complete pain in the ass.

Good news though, Jerusalem artichokes are fairly resilient. While not at their freshest, they were definitely usable for soup. I combined the Jerusalem artichokes with a bunch of leeks and let them simmer in vegetable stock with Parmesan rinds. The flavor was great. Jerusalem artichokes taste like a cross between a white potato and an artichoke heart, perfect ingredient for a soup.

Of note, be sure to really scrub these suckers. They have all sorts of crooks and crannies where dirt loves to cling. I gave mine two rinses, before and after peeling.

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Serves 2 - 3

• 3/4 lb. Jerusalem Artichokes, washed and peeled, sliced into chunks
• 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in halve lengthwise and then sliced thinly along the half
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 32 oz. vegetable stock*
• 4 Parmesan rinds
• Chili flakes
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 sprigs thyme, removed from stem

1. Heat butter in a pot over medium heat until melted. Add leeks, chili flakes, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add Jerusalem artichokes and sauté for an additional 3 minutes.

2. Pour in vegetable stock and add Parmesan rinds. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

3. Remove the Parmesan rinds. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. I pureed mine almost all the way through, but wish I had left it a little more chunky as I really enjoyed the flavor of the pieces of Jerusalem artichoke.

For the soup's base, I sauteed leeks with
the artichokes to enhance the earthy flavors of both.

*I used a vegetable broth that was a rather dark color, making my finished soup a not-so-appetizing brown color, which is why there isn't a photo of the final product. I loved the flavor, but if serving for guests, I would use a lighter colored vegetable broth or maybe even chicken broth.

Boyfriend Visits & Braised Oxtails

My boyfriend has always been a more than willing guinea pig when it comes to trying out new recipes I've concocted or stumbled upon. However, we are currently separated by some 250 odd miles of the barren landscape that is I-45 while he finishes up college. This means that my go-to taste tester is usually only available to me a couple of times a month. And I take full advantage of those visits. I'm not going to lie, I usually go a little crazy. I start to plan what I'm going to cook for him well in advance of his arrival. We have elaborate happy hours that usually involve more cheese and charcuterie than is healthy for two people to eat in a sitting. Sometimes we don't even make it to the main course. This past visit however was not one of those times.

I have several kitchen-based New Year's resolutions, one of them being to familiarize myself with ingredients that, for one reason or another, I've never cooked with or have been purposefully avoiding.  In the week before my boyfriend's visit I happened to notice that Central Market (maybe the best grocery store ever!) had packages of oxtails available. Perfect! A cut of meat that I happen to love but had never cooked with, mainly because I thought prepping oxtails would be very labor intensive. I was semi-right, but mainly because I shredded them.

After scouring numerous sources, I compiled a recipe for Oxtail Ragu loosely based on a recipe from one of my new cookbooks. The Ragu turned out fantastic and is definitely a recipe I'll be putting in my make again pile. Perhaps next time with homemade gnocchi, another item on my Kitchen Resolution To-Do List.

Braised Oxtails 

I served the oxtails over gnocchi, but it
would also be good with polenta or pasta.

Braised Oxtails over Gnocchi

Makes 4 - 6 Servings

• 2.5 lbs. Oxtail (look for larger pieces as these usually have more meat)
• 1/4 lb. Pancetta, diced
• 1 medium White Onion, diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 cup Carrot, diced
• 1 cup Celery, diced
• 1/3 cup Tomato Paste
• 2 cups Red Wine (I used a Pinot Noir)
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• Thyme Sprigs (I used four)
• Olive Oil
• Flour
• Salt & Pepper
• Chili Flakes
• Good quality Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1. Heat olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Working in batches, dust the oxtails in flour seasoned with salt & pepper. Brown the oxtails for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on plate that can accumulate any juices which may seep out.

2. Add onion and chili flakes into the pan. After sauteing the onions for about 5 minutes, add the pancetta to the pan and continue to cook for another 4 minutes. Then add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.

3. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir until mixed. Pour the red wine into pan to deglaze and then add beef broth. Bring to a simmer.

4. Place oxtails and accumulated juices in a dutch oven large enough to arrange in a single layer. Scatter the diced carrots and celery over the oxtails. Then pour the wine mixture over the oxtails. If mixture doesn't cover oxtails, add more liquid. Put thyme sprigs on top and cover.

5. Cook over low heat for 2.5 hours or until you can pierce the oxtail easily with a fork.

6. Remove the oxtails from the pan and let the sauce reduce by half, skimming off fat as the sauce cooks down. Once the oxtails have cooled, pull the meat off the bone and shred. Add the shredded meat back to the pot to reheat and serve immediately or refrigerate over night.

Right before serving, I also grated just a little Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top. I love the subtle salty, nutty taste the cheese adds.