Roasted Tomatillo salsa!

You can thank my local market for having a huge bag of tomatillos for a buck. Hello! How can you say no to that?! Now you say what the heck is a Tomatillo, some describe the taste being like a tart green tomato. I dunno, what I do know is they make a delicious salsa. It’s simple too, let’s begin, vámonos!

Ingredientes:

1/2 pound Tomatillos, husked, rinsed

2 Serrano peppers or 1 Jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves

1 small to medium onion
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1-2 fresh lime juice

Instructiones:

Now for the roasting, turn your oven onto about 375. Place your cleaned tomatillos, garlic cloves and chili baking sheet or oven safe dish. Let them roasted, until they turn brown you will want to flip them over. This takes around 15-30 minutes depending on pre-heating, and your oven.
 

Once this is done, I recommend you use a blender as it will make the progress a lot easier. I’m all about easy, that’s my style. In the blender you will place the roasted tomatillos, garlic and chili. Turn it on and let her rip!

While everything is mingling in the blender, you will chop up some cilantro. Also, dice the onion if you don’t own a "chop-chop" I suggest you get one (See picture, it will save you from tears).

Now in a mixing bowl you will combo all your ingredinetes, add the lime juice and salt.

Boom! You just created a mouth water salsa, it keeps well in the frig. You can add the salsa to , quesadillas, tacos, sopas but spooning it with chips is always my favorite.

Hope you enjoy, till next time.

 

Chiles Rellenos

Well, it's been awhile hasn't it? As for me, lots has changed and much remains the same. Life goes on, la-di-dah. So yesterday, I remembered I had this wee blog on Mexican cooking you know the one I’ve neglected for so long.

Therefore, I decided to make a comeback with one of my favorito home-cooked meals. CHILES RELLENOSSSSS. Not exactly healthy food but oh so delicioso, it'll keep them comin' back por más!

Now on with the show....

Ingredientes:
For the salsita:

• 8-9 Roma tomatoes
• 1/2 medium white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium Serrano chile (2 if you like it caliente)
• 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
• tsp dried oregano
• 1 Cube of vegetable (chicken) bouillon
• Flour (to thicken sauce)

For the Chiles rellenos:

• 6-8 Poblano chiles
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 32oz (2lbs) Monterey Jack cheese, other options or a mixture (PepperJack, Queso fresco, Oaxaca cheese) 
• 1/2 medium white onion
• 6 Large eggs ( separated and at room temperature)
• 1-2 Cups Vegetable or Canola oil for frying
• Salt (Optional)
• 1/2 Cup Flour
•   Plastic bag (like a Zip-lock)

Instructiones:
Sauce:
In a pot place the following in 2 cups of water to boil: Tomatoes, and Serrano chile. 
Once they have boiled, carefully transfer them into a blender add the 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves, bouillon, cumin powder, oregano and about 1 cup of the water. Mixture well.
 
Once the mixture is done. Time to sauté, place about Tablespoon of oil in a pot, making sure it's hot, now it's time for the mixture to go in, watch out for splatter. Bring to boil, sprinkle flour to thicken sauce a bit. (Also, option for texture and extra yumminess I like to add some of the chopped onion to the sauce.)

Chiles (roasting):
There are different techniques on how to roast the chiles but this is how I did it.
In a nonstick large nonstick pan (or cast iron), I place the chiles pan and had them roast it they started to blister and blackened. You have to keep moving them making sure they get blistered on all sides. This takes about 7 minutes on high, then one at a time you will place them the plastic bag zip it and let them sit till they have cooled down a bit. This will make the skin come off easier.

Once they have cooled carefully, or warm one at a time peel the blistered part off, taking off as much of it without taking apart your chile. I like to run it under the sink in running water, makes this part a lot easier. Also, at this time you will slightly open, about 2-3 inches and remove all the seeds and membrane. Try not to tear the chiles flesh any more than possible. Once you have done this part place on a napkin to are dry.
 
Cheese: I like to use the block of cheese, I guess because that's what my ma uses (you can use shredded cheese if you wish to). Cut the block into sticks or cubes whatever you prefer really doesn't matter though sticks, stripes are easier to place and stay inside the chiles.

Place some diced onion and few slices of cheese into the chile, but don't force it. If the cheese is too large, trim it down until it fits inside. Don't over-stuff it. Make sure the open edges of the chile still come together.

Batter: Place the separated egg whites in a mixing bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Using a hand mixer would be the quickest way but whisking them by hand works also. Once they have stiffened you will add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking you don't want to lose the peaks so keep mixing. It's okay if the yolks look kind of streaked through the batter. Do not stir them in, or the whites will break down and the batter will become soupy.

Oil: Place 2 cups of oil on Medium high. You want to make sure the oil is hot before the chiles go in for a swim. 

The assembly line and a plate of flour:
At this time you have you chiles filled and aliened, the oil is hot and you're ready for action! One at a time, carefully, grab a chile and roll it in the flour you just want to slightly coat it like a powered donut. Mmmm.


I hope you washed your hands because this is the easiest way. Drip the side of the chile without the opening then carefully slide into the hot oil. Careful. Using a spatula cover the egg white with oil, then the side with the opening use a spoon and cover with the egg mixture again using a spatula douse with oil and flip till lightly brown.

Once they are lightly brown, place on a napkin to remove excess oil.

Now after all that, it's time to go for a saucy swim! Mmmm, taste like home, I hope you enjoy. Till next time and it won't be years till then.

Disfrutar su comida!