3-step Salsa Verde

I must admit I've been on a little Mexican kick lately with my cooking -- does anything else better represent late summer to a Texan?? With the tomatillos I received in my produce delivery this month, I decided to try my hand at preparing salsa verde -- or "green salsa," which is typically milder than the red salsa we all know from restaurant tables -- you know, jammed in between the chips and the margaritas.

Tomatillos have a lighter taste, and even have notes of citrus -- which compliments the lime juice in this recipe beautifully. This salsa verde can be put on eggs, tacos, even grilled chicken if you want to mix things up with a nice flavor. What's even better in my opinion, tomatillos only have 11 calories each, and the salsa can be set aside and frozen for months (if you or I get a fresh summer tomato craving in the middle of January, for example -- I have a feeling it will be me.)

Servings: makes about 2.5 cups

What you'll need:

• about 10 tomatillos
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1-2 jalapenos (depending on how spicy you like it!)
• 1 lime
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• Salt & Pepper
• Cooking Spray/Oven/Blender

The Step-by-Step (Peel, Roast, Blend)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray flat oven pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Peel the papery peel off the tomatillos. After rinsing them with water (the peels tend to leave behind a little stickiness,) set the tomatillos on the pan.
3. Peel garlic cloves and place on pan next to the tomatillos. Rinse the jalapeno(s) and place on pan as well. Roast for 25 minutes.
4. After the 25 minutes is up, place the tomatillos and garlic in a blender. Set aside. Take the jalapeno(s) and slice open to remove the seeds (leave the seeds if you're a daredevil -- thats where the heat of the pepper is stored!) Place the jalapeno(s) in the blender, and blend.
5. Twist off the top half of the cilantro and place in blender, along with the onion. Squeeze 1/2 a lime into the blender, adding a pinch of salt & pepper, and blend again. Taste. If you feel, squeeze in the other half of the lime and blend again.
6. OPTIONAL: the more you blend, the more liquid-y the salsa will be. If you want your salsa to be more chunky -- blend the first 1/2 of all the ingredients together for 10 seconds, then add the other 1/2 of each ingredient together and blend for just 2 seconds. The first 1/2 will give the salsa the flavor foundation it needs, and the second 1/2 will give you the chunks you're craving!

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Since you blend it hot to get the "roasted" flavors to come together, I would suggest making this the night before throwing a party -- so it can refrigerate before serving. Not only is this salsa super easy, but it makes you look super amazing/cool for not pouring it out of a grocery-store bottle! (I garnished it with a fresh cilantro leaf for even more coolness points.) Even more so, you're taking full advantage of all the health benefits that come along with fresh summer produce and herbs! Nothing in this salsa is artificial, and you can definitely taste that with every chip. Have a great late summer!

xoxo n