Salsa Verde with Guava's and Avocado





I thought I might share this fun salsa I made this weekend using tomatillos, guava's and avocado. It might inspire you to make and bring something seasonal to the Super Bowl parties this weekend!

Salsa Verde with Guava's and Avocado
5-10 Tomatillo's
1/2 Serrano Jalepeno' (more if you like it spicy)
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves smashed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 large avocado chopped (more if you like)
3-4 chopped guava's
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)

Peel the tomatillos, rinse and cut into halves. Place cut side down on a lined sheet pan. Roast in an
oven under broil for 15 minutes or until they begin to brown. Keep the oven door slightly ajar to allow the steam to escape. Place the first 5 ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to mix. I like it a little lumpy. Pour it into your serving bowl and top with cilantro, avocado and guava. Serve with your favorite chips .





Productivity

I heard a friend of mine talking the other day about what a productive day she had. I could relate to her feeling and need to check off the "to-do's" and "get things done." Sometimes it seems if your day isn't "productive" then you just aren't living or maybe you're just not successfully living. I wonder how that happened? When did this become such a measure of worth? Unfortunately when I look in the mirror I can't deny that I perpetuate the myth that if you've got it all done - the laundry, the grocery shopping, the house clean, the e-mails cleared, the bills paid that somehow you're a more productive person. My favorite part of the day today was cuddling in my bed with a freshly bathed Max reading a book. Probably not the definition of productive...there was laundry to be done. I know it's a late New Year's resolution, but mine is to be less productive this year.

This week's seasonal ingredients are lettuce, napa cabbage, basil or arugula, butternut squash, spinach or mixed greens, radishes, broccoli, pink lady apples, tangerines, avocado, guavas, and oro blanco grapefruit.

I read one of my favorite blogs today; Sprouted Kitchen. I was surprised at the synchronicity in our thinking today and thrilled to see a recipe using some of this weeks ingredients. I'll be making this Black Bean and Butternut Soup for our Sunday dinner. A great way to end the weekend and something healthy to eat for lunch throughout the week.

Uses; Butternut Squash, Cabbage and Avocado

Monday    I'm calling this the everyone-has-a-cough-in-my-house dinner...
Homemade chicken noodle soup
Fresh squeezed orange juice
Biscuits

Chicken Noodle Soup
I made my own stock but you can use prepared stock if you prefer.

1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken or 4 boneless chicken thighs and/or breasts

3 quart(s) water or 1/2 chicken broth

6 carrots, peeled

4 stalk(s) celery, ends trimmed

3 medium onions, peeled

1 clove(s) garlic, crushed

10 sprig(s) parsley

2 sprig(s) thyme

2 bay leaf

2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon(s) salt

1 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper

3 cup(s) (5 ounces) medium egg noodles or fresh pasta

Make the stock: Place the chicken and chicken broth/water in a large stockpot and set it over medium heat. Roughly chop 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, and 1 onion and add to the broth. Add the peppercorns, garlic, 2 sprigs of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is very tender -- about 1 1/4 hours -- skimming the surface periodically. Remove the chicken and place in a large bowl. Strain the broth through a very fine sieve into a large, bowl or stockpot. Discard the vegetables.
Make the soup: Skim any fat off the top of the strained broth and discard. Slice the remaining carrots, celery, and onions into 1/4-inch-thick pieces and set aside. Shred the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and set aside. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until the onions are translucent -- about 7 minutes. Add the chicken, the reserved broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender -- about 1 hour. Stir in the egg noodles or pasta and parsley and cook until the noodles are tender -- about 10 more minutes. Serve hot.

Tuesday
Baked Broccoli with Ham and Cheesy-Creamy Cauliflower Sauce *kids loved this

Baked Pasta and Broccoli with Ham and Cheesy-Creamy Cauliflower Sauce
Recipe from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small head cauliflower, cored and chopped (about 3 cups)
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
4 medium shallots, roughly chopped (or sub about 1/2-3/4 cup diced onion)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
4 cups skim milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I did just under that, between 1/8-1/4)
6 ounces Pecorino cheese, grated (about 2 cups- could sub fresh grated Parmesan)
1/2 pound medium multi grain pasta shells or bow ties
1/4 pound sliced smoked ham, chopped (about 1 cups)
1 medium bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets (3-5 cups)
optional: 1/2 cup toasted whole-wheat panko (Japanese bread crumbs) for serving.

Instructions
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add cauliflower, garlic, shallots, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until softened but not brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with flour; stir to coat well.

Gradually stir in milk; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; gently simmer until cauliflower is very soft, about 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Transfer all to a blender, and puree with nutmeg and half the pecorino until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta until slightly tender but not fully cooked, about 5 minutes.  (Note:  If you like your broccoli pretty tender, add it to boiling pasta water for a couple of minutes before draining)  Drain well; return to pot.  Add ham, broccoli, and cauliflower sauce; toss to combine.  Transfer to an ovenproof 3 1/2 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining pecorino, and bake until bubbling in center, about 30 minutes.  Heat broiler, and broil until golden brown on top, 1-2 minutes.  Divide among dishes, top with breadcrumbs (if using), and serve immediately.

Uses; Broccoli

Wednesday

Leftovers

Thursday

Sausage, Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

Use your fresh spinach here instead!

Uses: Spinach and Basil

Friday

Off or leftovers

Saturday

Spinach Salad and ? depends on how productive I am!

Avocado-Banana Smoothie

Spinach
Chopped hard boiled eggs

Dressing;
Mix together...to taste.
Tablespoon of honey mustard
Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Tablespoon of honey
Salt Pepper

Tasting the Orange

I found myself being grateful for, of all things, oranges the other day. It's as if I am discovering all their goodness for the first time. I grew up in Arizona and moved to San Diego in 1995. Oranges were a pretty run of the mill fruit for me until recently. I found myself eating the tangerines and oranges provided by my CSA and found in farmers markets right now as if they were a treasure of the season. A bright, diverse, flavorful surprise in an otherwise (in my opinion) rather boring time of the produce year.
I actually found myself limiting how many I was eating as if they were a delicacy and the boys are eating them like they're a real treat.

I thought all oranges were created equally for the most part.

I was sooo wrong;

There are two major varieties of oranges: Navels and Valencias. Seasonal specialties include the Moro, a blood orange, and the red Cara Cara, a navel variety. Then there are tangerines, tangelos, clementines and mandarines - satsumas being the seasonal variety we're seeing now. Every one of these has their own amazing taste and use. And there are so many more...And I'm enjoying trying them all.

Taste of the orange is a phrase I heard my friend use that means even if you read about it or see pictures of it until you taste it, you can't know the orange.

I love this phrase for its literal meaning as well as what it brings up around trying new things - sometimes even those that are right there in front of you and may seem ordinary. We're surrounded by so many chances for new experiences but sometimes we don't see them or don't want to see them because it would mean stepping out of our comfort zones.

So try a new variety of orange this week, and step into some thing new in your life this year - especially if it takes you out of your comfort zone.

This week's seasonal bounty includes; lettuce, arugula,carrots,acorn squash, tomatillos,cilantro,baby russian kale,spinach,apples, navel oranges, tangerines, avocado

I have included a few "orange" related recipes this week to play with, and some new twists on semmingly "old" recipes in hopes of fueling your own "tasting of the orange."

Sunday
Make some of  these yummy muffins today (really easy) and eat them for breakfast all week!
Blueberry-Orange Cornmeal Muffins
(make sure you use fine corn meal)

Uses; Oranges

Monday

Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
Rice Pilaf
Carrots (I used mine form last week here) and Peas or roast your acorn squash and serve here
If you double the batch you can eat 1/2 tonight and then shred the rest for Thursday night's dinner
I mix it up and use boneless breasts and legs (for the kids)
The sauce is the best to pour over everything

Uses; Acorn Squash

Tuesday
Pan Seared Tilapia with Citrus Vinaigrette

Uses; Oranges
Wednesday
Leftovers

Thursday
Chicken salad with avocado dressing

Dressing;

2 avocados

1 cup buttermilk

1 scallion (white and light-green parts only), thinly sliced

1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a food processor or blender, combine avocados, buttermilk, scallion, parsley, mint, lemon juice, and water. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and pulse until smooth.

Salad:

3 1/4 cups shredded cooked chicken (you can use your leftovers form Monday if you have them)

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 avocado, diced small

3/4 cup Avocado Dressing

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 large slices sourdough bread, toasted

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, celery, shallot, avocado, and dressing. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Serve on toast or spinach.

Uses; Avocadoes and spinach

Friday
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
Shrimp:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salsa:
1/2 pound tomatillos, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 avocado, peeled
1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

To prepare shrimp, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 4 minutes or until done.
To prepare salsa, place tomatillos and next 9 ingredients (through serrano) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide shrimp evenly among tortillas. Top each with about 1/4 cup salsa; fold in half.

Uses; Cilantro and Tomatillo's

Saturday
Looking forward to trying this new version of a "chopped salad"
Blow your salad to smithereens

Uses; Russian Kale

Food and all our stuff

Our Christmas dinner....

Many of us sat together as families and extended families these last few weeks around food. I of course deeply believe that it is around meals and food that so much of life's magic occurs. When you think about the memories that stick with you, they are so often connected to food in one way or another.

Memories as we all know, can cut both ways. For one of my very good friends, cooking reminds her of her mother who passed away 6 years ago. Her memories are both beautiful and painful as it was her mom who carried the recipes, traditions and passion for cooking. Those passions were not passed down and now only live in the memories. My friend and I are working to bring those passions and skills back and have uncovered so many emotions along the way.

Every meal is a chance to connect and learn more about those you share your life with. Sometimes those meals and learning's are filled with dysfunction and discomfort, but it's still connection and learning. Sometimes they are filled with traditions and ritual. If those traditions aren't passed down from generation to generation they can so easily get lost forever. Families need those traditions and rituals and connections now more than ever with so many distractions, stresses, and commitments swirling around.

I hope you took a moment through the holidays to appreciate all that those memories bring - even those that may be filled with pain. I am grateful for the time we spent together around meals these last few weeks - mostly because I was able to observe other people's rituals and traditions and to appreciate the rarity of them from a distance. If you aren't sharing, learning, and creating your own traditions through meals and food take the time this year to move in that direction in some way.

Here are some of my husbands side of the families traditions we shared this holiday season (still learning how to make them!)

Choppino and Crab

Canolli's

This week's seasonal offerings are mixed greens or lettuce, spinach, dill, parsley, carrots, chard, apples, tangerine,avocado,and oranges.

Sunday

Cheesy Meatballs and Pasta *kids love this

You don't need to make a double batch, you'll have extras you can freeze or save for later. Two meals in one!

Uses: parsley

Monday

Monday's are tough, I'm going to throw us a little cocktail party...

Ginger Red-Wine Spritzers (my favorite new drink - we tried it over the holiday) for the Big People and Flavored Soda water for the kids.

Spinach Pizza Rolls - use your fresh spinach here instead of frozen. Just put it into some coiling water for a few quick minutes until it gets limp. Then put in a big bowl of ice water (blanching). Then drain and cut up.

Uses: spinach

Tuesday

Lemon and Dill pasta Salad
1 pound bow tie pasta
Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cups torn arugula or spinach
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the lemon peel, lemon juice and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, bell pepper, arugula, eggs, Parmesan, pine nuts and dill. Add the lemon dressing and toss.

 

Uses; Dill, spinach

 

Wednesday

 

Leftovers

 

Thursday

 

Chard with Scallions, Parsley and Dill

Bunch of chard, stems removed. leaves blanched (see above re: spinach for how to blanche)

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 bunches scallions, including 2 inches of greens

3 tablespoons parsley

3 tablespoons chopped dill

salt and pepper

 

Coarsely chop the blanched chard. warm olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, then add the scallions and herbs. Cook gently until wilted and fragrant then add the chard and continue cooking until heated through. season with salt and pepper and serve with cous cous or quinoa.

 

Uses; Chard, parsley and dill

 

I'm craving berries (summer nostalgia...) so I'm going to serve this with a simple berry salad dusted with a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.

 

Friday

Off or pizza night

 

Saturday

Pasta salad for lunch

Whole wheat rotini pasta

Bite sized chopped carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, cheese and creamy Italian dressing (I use store bought for this) Sometimes I add salami or other veggies I have around. Mix together while pasta is still warm and serve cold or warm. It gets better after it sits for awhile.

 

Uses; carrots