Houston Style Green Salsa

Tomatillos are a funny little fruit.  They look like green tomatoes but come wrapped in a papery husk.  Though they look like tomatoes, they have a very tangy taste.  I guess I would describe the taste and texture as a hybrid of a tomato and a lime--heavy on the lime in terms of flavor and a lot like a tomato in terms of texture.  Tomatillos are the basis of many green salsas.  I find these days I am reaching for green salsa over traditional tomato based salsas.  When I came across this Houston style green salsa I knew I had to try it.

I discovered this green salsa through Secret Recipe Club.  This month I was connected with Karen's blog, Cinnamon Freud.  Isn't that a cool name for a blog?  Even more so because Karen is a "counseling psychology doctoral student who loves food, cooking, and baking."  Her blog was new to me and it was such a treat to browse all her delicious looking recipes.  Karen has a nice mix of sweet and savory offerings.  And for once in my life, I gravitated to the savory recipes.  Once I saw the green salsa, my recipe for this month was a done deal.

Hubby and I enjoyed this delicious salsa during Super Bowl, alongside homemade tortilla chips and carne asada.  I've never been to Houston so I don't know what their green salsa tastes like.  But according to Karen this is reminiscent of a salsa she ate many times at her favorite local restaurant.  I loved it.  It's got tang from the tomatillos and lime juice and a lush creaminess from the avocados. An awesome flavor combination.  I topped it with a little cotija cheese to bring a little saltiness to the mix. All in all it was a hit!

Enjoy! 

Houston Style Green Salsa
adapted from Cinnamon Freud (originally adapted from Homesick Texan via Foodie Bride)

4 medium to large tomatillos
1/2 onion finely chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped
3 small cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 small avocados, pits and skin removed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Cotija cheese for garnish (optional)

Bring a medium sauce pan of water to a boil (large enough to hold the tomatillos).  Remove husks from tomatillos and boil 5 minutes until softened.  Drain and set aside.  Once cooled chop into quarters.

In a small skillet heat olive oil and add onion and jalapeno and cook for about 5 minutes until soft.  Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Using a food processor or blender, blend tomatillos, onion, jalapeno, garlic and lime juice until smooth.  Add avocado and cilantro and blend again until desired consistency is reached.

Serve with homemade chips and garnish with cotija cheese.

Avocado Cup Salad

From the looks of my blog it might appear like I eat desserts for every meal with an occasional shrimp dish or salad tossed in here and there.  It's true I have been known to eat a dessert or two as my breakfast.  And when I'm not eating desserts, I'm not always eating the most healthy thing I can get my hands on.  A girl likes homemade nachos after all!  But.  In order to eat the number of desserts I do, I try to eat somewhat healthy meals most of the time.  If I didn't, I would have to buy a new wardrobe.  And that would be expensive.  So in the spirit of continuing to fit into my current wardrobe, I bring you a healthy recipe. 

I came across this salad at Corner Bakery a few weeks ago.  It's one of their trio side salads called the Southwest Avocado Wedge.  I'm not sure if it's new to their menu or I just never paid attention before.  Regardless, I'm glad I discovered it.  Actually the thanks go to my friend Crystal who ordered this little beauty and was kind enough to extend me a bite.  I immediately knew I wanted to recreate it at home.

What drew me into this salad was how refreshing, bright, creamy and crunchy it was.  And did I mention, healthy?  Plus I adore avocados and the avocado is the main centerpiece in this one. 

The first layer of this salad is a crisp, tangy, jicama slaw dressed simply with fresh lime juice and minced cilantro. 

A half of an avocado sits atop the slaw and fresh roasted sweet corn salsa...

...fills up the avocado cup and spills over the sides.  The final touch is a crumble of tortilla chips for a little salty crunch and sliced green onions.

This is a nice alternative to a lettuce based side salad.  I have made it a couple times, once as an accompaniment to shrimp with mango salsa for dinner and another time as lunch.  For lunch it was on the light side so you may want to add some grilled chicken or shrimp on the side to round out your meal.

I see many more avocado cup salads in my future. 

And don't worry.  The desserts aren't going anywhere.

Enjoy!

Avocado Cup Salad
by The Ginger Snap Girl, inspired from Corner Bakery

This side dish starts with a bed of jicama cilantro slaw.  A half of an avocado is nestled on the slaw and topped with roasted corn salsa, finished with crushed tortilla chips.  Easy.  Simple.  Refreshing.

Serves 4 side salads
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn (if fresh corn is not available I use C&W frozen petite white sweet corn)
1/2 red, yellow or orange pepper, diced
2 roma or plum tomatoes, cut in half, seeded and diced
1/4 cup red onion finely diced
1 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon cilantro
1/2 anaheim green chile or jalapeno (if you like spicy), finely diced
2 limes
1 small jicama, peeled and cut into matchstick size strips (about 2 cups)
2 small to medium sized ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced in half lengthwise
2 green onions, thinly sliced at an angle
12 round tortilla chips broken into small pieces

Start by making the corn salsa.  Heat a small non stick skillet on medium high heat and add the olive oil frozen corn, red, yellow or orange pepper, and the chile.  Saute stirring occasionally until the corn, pepper and chile begin to take on roasted appearance, about 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
Once mixture is cool, add tomato, red onion, 1 teaspoon of cilantro, the roasted corn, pepper and chile mixture to a medium bowl and stir together.  Squeeze the juice of one lime on the salsa and season with salt and pepper if desired and stir.

Next make the jicama slaw by combining the jicama, juice of one lime and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cilantro in a small bowl.  Stir to combine.

Assemble by diving the jicama slaw amongst 4 plates.  Create a well in the center of the slaw and place a half of avocado cup on top, nestled in the well.  Top the avocado generously with corn salsa, allowing it flow over the sides.  Finish each salad with 3 crushed tortilla chips and a sprinkle of green onions.

Serve immediately.

Mango Salsa

Hubby and I spent Super Bowl at a friends house this year.  They had quite the set up, including an enormous spread of food, tons of cold beverages and multiple TV viewing areas.  We spent most of the afternoon/evening lounging on their backyard patio watching the game, one of the benefits of living in Southern California in January.  The other cool thing about being outside was we were close to the grill and the deep fryer.  Yes.  A deep fryer.  There was ALL sorts of fried goodness going on.  We arrived a little late so we missed the corn dogs (which I'm sad about), but we were there for krinkle cut fries, wings, chimichangas, funnel cake and....

Wait for it.

Deep fried Twinkies. 

I have to be honest.  I had my doubts about the deep fried Twinkie.  I have had one at the Orange County Fair in the past and I wasn't impressed.  But this Twinkie was pretty stinkin good.  It was coated with a pancake batter base with cinnamon, vanilla and other ingredients I can't recall at the moment.  I shared a very small bite of this tasty fried concoction with Hubby and scarfed the rest myself.  It was yummmmmmy. 

There were a few non fried foods at the party too, including this mango salsa.  This salsa is fresh, sweet, spicy and bursting with flavor.  It's super duper healthy, making me feel a little better about eating that Twinkie (and the weenies in BBQ sauce, hot dog, chips and onion dip, fries, funnel cake, strawberry whipped cream cake--good lord!).  This mango salsa is all fresh fruit, veggies and herbs.  It's great on chips of course.  But it also makes a tasty topping for grilled fish or grilled chicken.  Or use it to finish homemade nachos or tacos.  So many possibilities. 

Choose mangos that are ripe, that have a slightly soft given when you press the skin.  The skin may be green in spots but should also have rosy tones too.  I will say that preparing mangoes can be a bit of chore.  I start by peeling it.  But I've seen some people leave the skin on and then score the fruit and pop it off the skin, like seen here.  I prefer to peel it and then cut it so I can get a nice small even dice, which I like for salsa.  Also, a thin, wide seed runs nearly the length of the mango.  It's not a seed like you find in a peach or plum where you can slice down the middle, twist the fruit and pop it out.  You have to cut around the seed.  I usually start by cutting from top to the bottom on the widest part of the mango.  This is where you'll get the most fruit off in one piece.  Click here to see an example.  Despite the extra effort required to cut a mango, it's absolutely worth a little extra work to make this awesome salsa. 

Enjoy!

Mango Salsa
from Weight Watchers

1 large (or 2 medium) mangoes, finely diced
1 sweet red pepper, finely diced
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed and finely minced (for a spicy version, use the whole jalapeno and leave in seeds)
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  For a less spicy version you can leave out the jalapeno.  I like to make it a few hours before I serve it to allow the flavors to meld together.  Given it a good stir before serving.  Serves 8 people about 1/3 cup of salsa each for 1 Weight Watchers point per serving.

Restaurant Style Salsa

Earlier this week I posted Nancy's Mexican Cornbread.  A recipe I received from my close friend, Shannon's Mom, Nancy.  When Shannon sent me her Mom's cornbread recipe, I found it was not your standard side of cornbread...it was in fact a main dish attraction, filled with ground beef, onions, jalapenos and lots of cheese.  Nancy and Shannon both recommended serving this dish with a good salsa.  I decided a jarred salsa would not do, and remembered that I had bookmarked a recipe from Brown Eyed Baker for homemade restaurant style salsa a few months back.  Both the cornbread recipe and the salsa shared some of the same ingredients (onions and jalapenos), so I figured why not make them both at the same time.  Homemade cornbread deserves homemade salsa, right?

When I saw the recipe called for canned tomatoes, I was a bit skeptical.  I had assumed most fresh made salsas were made from fresh tomatoes.  But my skepticism was unfounded because this salsa is as fresh tasting as it gets and totally delicious.  I loved this salsa!  It is light years and universes away from anything that comes out of a jar.  It really is like the fresh salsa you get in a good Mexican restaurant.  What I like most about this recipe is how easy it is to make.  No cooking involved...just throw everything into your food processor.  Pulse, pulse, times 3 and done!  All future salsa served at this house will be fresh made.  Or at least I'll try my best.  Cause this is the good stuff.

If you haven't popped over to read the post about Nancy's Mexican Cornbread yet, go take a peek.  It's about more than cornbread (which is yummy, by the way) and tells the story of mine and Nancy's recent battles with breast cancer and how my friend Shannon was inspired to take on a 60 mile walk to support a great cause.  Shannon is walking in the 3-Day for the Cure as I type this post and will be doing so today, tomorrow and Sunday.  See Shannon below at the opening ceremony.  She is front and center with a cutout of Nancy, both sporting cute pink bows in their hair!  Go Shannon!

I want to extend my sincerest thanks to everyone who left comments, well wishes and contributed to Shannon's 60 mile walk.  She has now raised a total of $3,385!  My friends, family and readers are awesome!

Thank you!!!


Restaurant Style Salsa
adapted from Pioneer Woman via Brown Eyed Baker

28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
2 10 ounces cans Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)
1/3 cup chopped white onion (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, stem removed, quartered and sliced thin (I also removed the seeds and ribbing to reduce the heat...even with the seeds gone, this is still a very spicy salsa.  If you like a milder salsa try using 1/2 a jalapeno or even use a milder chile such as anaheim or poblano)
1/2 cup cilantro
Juice from 1/2 lime (if large or whole lime if small)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to desired consistency. (Note: I have an 11 cup food processor and this was pushing max capacity...if you have a smaller food processor, be sure to work in batches).  Transfer salsa to a bowl or resealable container, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour.  The salsa keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nancy's Mexican Cornbread and 3-Day for the Cure

Today's post is a special one.  It's about cornbread.  And it's about breast cancer.  I know that cancer isn't as fun to talk about as cornbread.  But life isn't always as simple as cornbread, unfortunately.  Sometimes things like cancer show up on our doorstep one day and things change.

Let's begin the story with the fun stuff...the cornbread. 

This is no ordinary cornbread.  Normally I think of cornbread as a side served with chili or ribs.  Nancy's Mexican Cornbread is no side dish.  It's the main course.  This delicious southern style cornbread is baked in a cast iron skillet and is filled with hearty ground beef, onions, jalapenos and cheese.  It's warm, delicious comfort food.  Serve it with home made salsa (recipe to be posted later this week) and sour cream, chopped cilantro or some avocado slices and you have a seriously tasty dish on your hands. 

It presents beautifully in pie shaped wedges.  And the best part is it's really easy to make.   You mix up the cornbread batter and pour half the batter into a 10 inch cast iron skillet.  Pile on the delicious filling....browned ground beef, onion, jalapenos and cheese and then top with the remaining batter.  Baking it in the iron skillet gives the cornbread a nice crisped outer edge that I love.  No one would ever know what yummy flavors lie inside.  This dish would be great for dinner or brunch and looks great served straight from the skillet.

This Mexican Cornbread recipe is extra special because it comes from my close friend Shannon's Mom, Nancy.  Thanks for sharing Nan!  We met Shannon 10 years ago when Hubby and I were living in Chicago and she has been one of my best pals ever since.   She has a fabulous sense of humor and always makes me laugh.  Even during difficult times, like last year when I fought against breast cancer (and won, by the way)!

At 36 years old I was diagnosed with breast cancer and it was scary and confusing.  I had a lump in my left breast and after a number of tests it was determined that I most likely had stage 1 with a slow growing type of cancer.  Which is actually good news in the cancer world!?  But that's when the confusion really set in.  Because of the type of cancer I had, there were a number of options, including removal of both girls (even though only one had cancer!) and reconstruction, removing just the tumor (a.k.a "Fred" as Hubby named it), various radiation treatments, possible chemo and hormone therapy.  It was all very overwhelming and Hubby and I met with umpteen doctors to explore all the options.  Ultimately I ended up having just the tumor removed followed by partial radiation.  I was lucky and did not have to have chemotherapy.  And the best news is I continue to remain cancer free!

What was most impressive about going through this process was the amazing treatment options that were available.  My radiation therapy was a newer advancement in radiation treatment that cut the radiation time down from 30 - 35 treatments to just 5 treatments.  As little as a decade ago, breast cancer was a condition that often resulted in mastectomy as the standard course of treatment.  Today there are a number of possible treatment paths that can be taken depending on the situation.  

These amazing strides have been made possible by so many people, including the wonderful groups out there raising money for breast cancer research and support.  The Susan G. Komen organization is the leading non profit group focused on raising money for this cause.   I am incredibly humbled by all the women that have come before me and battled with this disease as well as the talented medical professionals who have been treating breast cancer over the last several decades.  Their experiences coupled with organizations like Susan G. Komen, have made the advanced treatment options that are available today possible.  

So how does this all tie back to my good friend, Shannon (besides her fabulous sense of humor keeping me smiling during a sucky time)?  She was inspired by my battle with breast cancer and decided to sign up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure, 60 mile walk.  I was so touched that my experience inspired her to commit her time and effort to walk 60 miles in support of breast cancer.  60 miles is a lot of miles!  To quote Shannon's 3-Day for the Cure web page, "3 DAYS (wow), 60 MILES (where's the Ben-Gay?), NO SHOWER......NO PROBLEM." See what I mean about her sense of humor? :)

What Shannon didn't know when she signed up for this great cause, was that just a few months later, her own mother would also be diagnosed with breast cancer.  Nancy's battle with breast cancer has been much more complex and difficult than my own.  Shannon describes her Mom's cancer as being "a lot like the mexican cornbread, simple at first glance then when you cut into it, 'SURPRISE', but in a bad way."  You see initially Nancy's cancer was thought to be similar to my own situation.  But upon getting the pathology results back after her first surgery it was revealed that she actually had two kinds of cancer.  One slow growing and one very aggressive.  Thankfully they caught it early. 

Shannon and Nancy

Nancy is kicking cancer's butt and taking names as we speak!  She has had multiple surgeries and continues to endure chemotherapy and weekly IV infusions.  She is 2/3 of the way through her chemotherapy treatment and will be finished in September. She is also on a breakthrough drug called Herceptin which hinders the growth of new cancer cells and will finish with that part of her treatment in Spring of 2012.  Shannon says Nancy is doing fantastic considering everything and that "she's rockin' the bald look" and wears it well! 

Shannon's takeaway message/life lesson that she has has learned from this experience is that if you are diagnosed with breast cancer, get yourself a TEAM of doctors so that the communication and continuity of care is part of your treatment process. 

I concur with Shannon and say to anyone out there who has been diagnosed to not be afraid to ask questions.  Don't be afraid to get a second or even third opinion.  This is a complicated disease and education is key to determining the path of treatment best for you and your circumstance.

Donate to a great cause!

Shannon has been training for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure most of the year and she kicks off the first leg of the 60 mile walk this coming Friday, August 5th, in the Chicago area.  Please join me in supporting Shannon on her walk and head over to her donation page by clicking here.  Shannon has raised $2,500 as of the date of this post I'm hoping that we can help her raise even more for this very important cause. 

If you want to learn more about my personal experience, you can head over my blog Gloria vs. Fred that I set up to keep my friends and family informed during my journey last year.  I had previously kept this blog available to friends and family, but I think it's important to share it with a larger audience.  If any part of my story helps just one person with their own journey then it is a success. 

Thank you so much to Shannon and Nancy for letting me share their story with those who read my blog.  You are both amazing and inspirational women!

If you would like to make a contribution to further breast cancer research and support head over to Shannon's donation page.

Oh, and you should totally make this cornbread. It's delicious!

Nancy's Mexican Cornbread

1 cup yellow cornmeal plus 3 tablespoons
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons oil
1 15 oz can creamed corn
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, chopped (use according to taste)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter or oil to grease your baking pan

Preheat oven to 350. 

Brown ground beef in a large skillet and season the meat with salt and pepper.  Drain fat off and set ground beef aside.   

Use butter or oil to grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet.  Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of cornmeal to coat bottom and sides of the skillet. 

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and stir until well combined.  Add milk, egg, oil, and creamed corn and stir until well combined.

Pour half of the cornbread mixture into the prepared skillet.  Spread ground beef evenly over the cornbread mixture.  Spread the onions, jalapenos over the top of the beef.  Top with cheese and then pour remaining cornbread mixture over the cheese and spread to cover evenly. 

Place skillet in the oven and bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until cornbread is golden brown and springs back to the touch.  Cool for 15 minutes and cut into wedges.  Serve with your favorite salsa, sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Note: If you don't have a 10 inch cast iron skillet you can use a 9x13 baking dish and make 1.5 times the recipe noted above and follow the same baking instructions.

Mahi Mahi with Mango and Avocado Salsa

Grilling season is officially in full swing at our house.  And hubby and I are trying to eat a little more healthy as a few extra pounds have crept up on both of us.  Plus vacation last week didn't help.  After a week of indulgence I thought a nice simple fish with a fresh salsa was the perfect meal to start our post vacation detox. 

I didn't grow up eating fish.  Unless you count fish sticks.  I ate a lot of fish sticks but never cared much for real fish.  Over the years I've introduced more and more fish into my diet, but I mostly stick to the mild white fleshed fish, like halibut, cod, tilapia, swordfish and mahi mahi.  I'm still not a fan of fish snapper, salmon or sea bass.  But mahi mahi ranks among my top fish picks.  I buy it at Costco and it's packaged in individual fillets and frozen. 

Mahi mahi is a firm and very mild tasting fish that is taken up about 10 notches with this delicious mango and avocado salsa.  The fish is like a blank canvas for the sweet mangoes and creamy avocados.  I have also made this salsa with white peaches in the past and it's equally fabulous.  This is a nice simple dish that can be put together in about 20 minutes (if your hubby or significant other is helping out by doing the grilling).  It's a nice light and fresh dinner.  We ate our fish with just the salsa.  It would also pair nicely with cilantro white rice if you want something a little more hearty.  Or you could flake up the fish and make fish tacos topped with this tasty salsa. 

Even if you are not a fish fan, I urge you to try the salsa.  It's simple and delicious and would make a lovely appetizer for your next summer barbecue.


Grilled Mahi Mahi

Mahi Mahi filets
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Drizzle fish generously with olive on both sides.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Grill on medium high heat with lid closed until fillet looks opaque on the sides (about 4 minutes depending on thickness).  Using a grill safe spatula flip fillet and cook for additional 3 minutes with lid closed until fish just feels firm.  If you don't have a grill you could use a grill pan or simply pan sear the fish.


Mango and Avocado Salad
adapted from williams-sonoma.com

2 large ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 large ripe avocado (or 2 small avocados), peeled, pitted and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except avocado in a medium bowl and stir.  Gently toss in avocado so the juices fully coat the avocado pieces (to prevent browning).  Serve a generous portion over grilled mahi mahi or enjoy as an appetizer with white or blue corn tortilla chips.