Todd's Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble..... 

Now please grab your favorite spoon everybody.   It's time to celebrate!

I'm sure the rest of you are cooking cranberries plus baking rolls and pies today as we always do.

I on the other hand have been thinking about one of my all time favorite Thanksgiving Days.  It was 50 years ago to be exact, when my baby brother, Todd was born.  I was elated and enough older to help care for him.  He's always had a big place in my heart.

He was a true gift to our family.  Now he's got 4 kids of his own and an adorable little granddaughter and recently he's become a gourmet cook.    He makes the best fresh tomatillo salsa you will ever taste.  It's tasty on chips, eggs, burritos, tacos, or just by the spoonful...ask my sister, Kim!

 Fire up your broiler.  Remove the paper husks from the tomatillos.

 Cut the tomatillos in half along with the chilies, garlic and onion and put them under the broiler.

After 5-7 minutes, be sure to watch them, flip them over and broil for another 5-7 minutes.  Puree in the blender or food processor with cilantro, salt, and sugar.

Chill salsa well.  Overnight is best for flavors to blend and enjoy.  


Todd's Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos
• 1 or two fresh Serrano chiles
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped 
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 3 Tablespoons sugar (I used a little liquid stevia)

Preheat broiler.  Remove hulls from tomatillos and rinse under warm water to remove stickiness.  Broil chiles, garlic, and tomatillos on rack of a broiler pan 1 to 2 inches from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, usually about 5 to 7 minutes per side.  Peel garlic and pull off tops of chiles. Purée all ingredients in a blender.  Add sugar and salt.  Chill well to let flavors blend, overnight is best.

Note, I roasted my onion too, Toddy does not, no worries!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving I am grateful for too many things to express.  Faith, family, friends, freedom to worship, and those individuals that lead and defend us, top my list.   I extend heart felt thanks to so many of you who visit and cheer me on!  I enjoy doing the same.

Have a wonderful weekend...and to my favorite turkey who turned 50 today, I still see you running around our pool with our poor mother chasing you with her flyswatter!  Love you Toddie...    

Counting my blessings....one by one.

Happy Thanksgiving all!   

12-12-12 Update:

I have been making and loving this salsa.  Last night I added it to Ranch dressing and it was sensational, just like Cafe Rio's!

Shrimp Mazatlan

Before you stuff that turkey, fire up your grill!

I just returned from our annual Girl's Week where I partied with my mom and 5 sisters in Scottsdale, Arizona. I would have a fabulous time with this group anywhere, but there is just something about the desert.  I love the light air, amazing mountains, high clouds, and Mexican food.  I would eat it every day if I could!
 
I'm still dreaming about Tia Rosa's, in Phoenix, where we had lunch.  Their "flying saucer" chicken tostadas are so fresh and yummy.  Mom ordered a specialty of the house, shrimp, pineapple, peppers, and onions, grilled on skewers and basted with ancho butter.  They serve it over rice and garnish with radishes, limes and salsa.  Special thanks to them for sharing their recipe.
 
Shrimp Mazatlan

• 7 large frozen shrimp
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 quart iced water
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 white onion, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch triangles
• 2 (10-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes before using.

 For the rice

• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 2 cups rice
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/8 cup chives, chopped
• 1/8 cup carrot, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Ancho chile powder

Pour boiling water in a bowl. Add kosher salt; stir until salt is almost dissolved. Add iced water; stir until salt has completely dissolved. Add shrimp; let stand 45 minutes. Drain liquid; rinse, peel and devein shrimp. Place shrimp on a skewer.

Place bell pepper, white onion and pineapple onto the second skewer.

In a large stock pot, heat oil and rice; stir until rice turns golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add water, tomato sauce, onion, salt and granulated garlic. Stir once, then cover and bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Stir once, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed into the rice, about 20 minutes. Pour rice onto a baking pan; spread evenly. Stir rice every 5 minutes until it has cooled completely, about 20 minutes. Stir in chives, carrots and black pepper. Store rice in the refrigerator.

Combine butter, honey, Mrs. Dash, Old Bay seasoning and Ancho chile powder. Heat mixture in the microwave for 1 minute; stir to combine.

Place vegetable skewer on the heated grill; baste with butter mixture. Turn and baste vegetable skewer often until it caramelizes, about 10 minutes.

Place shrimp skewer on the grill. Baste shrimp with butter mixture. When shrimp begins to turn pink, turn and baste again. When shrimp are completely pink, remove shrimp from the grill. Place shrimp and vegetables over a bed of rice.

Serve with your favorite salsa, lime and radishes. 

Gracious amigas.  Now... on to the bird!  

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Happy Fallidays All!

I hope your Halloween was awesome. I wanted to share a winning recipe with you.

This creamy chicken chili was named "tastiest chili" at our Trunk or Treat this week.  It's so easy, I felt a little guilty accepting the prize.   

Add all the ingredients to your slow-cooker, leave it for 6 to 8 hours, and you are party ready.

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

• 2 chicken breast, (still frozen works)
• 1 (10 oz.) can Rotel tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, do not drain
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 package Ranch dressing mix or (3 Tablespoons)
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder*
• 1 onion, chopped or (1/3 cup minced onion)
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, cubed

Put the chicken in the crockpot.  Top with undrained tomatoes, corn, and rinsed black beans.  Add ranch dressing, cumin, onion and chili powder.  Stir to combine then top with cubed cream cheese.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring once or twice to blend in the cheese.  Before serving remove the chicken and chop to bite size pieces.  Serves 4.

* I have found the type of chili powder used makes a difference.  If you are using a fresh, strong, one like Penzey's Chili 3000, you may want to start with 1/2 teaspoon.  If you are a wimp like me and some of my grankiddies, cut back.  For those like my kids that enter fresh chili take downs, you may want more!  

Note:  I recently made this for tailgate party and quadrupled the recipe filling my 12 quart roaster oven.  It is delicious served over rice.  You may also garnish with fresh, chopped, cilantro.  For my Trunk or Treat friends, I doubled the recipe almost filling my 6 quart crock-pot.

courtesy Rita's Recipes

     
Loving the chilly Fall nights!

Thanks for visiting SWB