I used what I had that needed to be used up and came up with this delicious salsa. You can adjust the heat and acidity to your liking. Serving size is difficult to judge because I don’t know if you need a small amount for a mini taco or a lot to cover a big burrito. This recipe made around four cups so that might be around 8 servings.

Ingredients for around 8 servings

1 1/2 lbs tomatillos – peeled, washed, rough cut

1/2 cup cilantro (leaves & fine stems, rough cut)

1/2 cup parsley – leaves only

2 teaspoons sea salt

5 garlic cloves – fine chop

2 serrano chili peppers – fine chop

2 pickled jalapeños (preferably home made or purchased from a farmer’s market) – fine chop

1 avocado – pit removed, flesh scooped out and rough chop

1 med onion – diced

brine from the jalapeños to taste (I think I used around 1/3 cup)

Directions

Blend and adjust heat and acid to taste

Enjoy!

A couple Thai restaurants in Phoenix offer this delicious Thai Treat called Miang Kham. It’s a minty type of leaf that not always but usually contains a combination of (sometimes shrimp), small whole pieces of lime, coconut, peanuts, shallots, hot chili (Thai or Birds eye), and ginger and also come with a tamarind based sauce. It might not sound as great as it really taste! It really is delicious and you should try it when you see it on a Thai Menu. Chada Thai AZ & Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery both are located in Scottsdale and both serve slightly different versions of this dish. I did an easy quick version of this dish. I think you can use almost any lighter protein if you want to add protein to this dish. Today I added some chicken breast. I think any fish would taste great here too! Portion size is difficult to judge because it depends on how much protein that you add and also on how many leaves that you want to eat. I’m guesstimating that this will make around the amount of stuffing and a light amount of sauce for around twenty leaves. I’ll guesstimate 4 servings. Also around here Perilla are easy to find at Asiana Market. They are not actual sesame leaves but are also called sesame leaves because of their appearance.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

4 Tablespoons cooking tamarind (nuuc me chua)

1/2 teaspoon galangal powder (sold at Asiana market)

1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

2 Tablespoons date syrup (can substitute honey)

1 teaspoon Red Boat Fish sauce

1/2 lime – slice thin on mandolin and then cut into small pieces

1/2 cup toasted coconut chips

1/2 a small red onion – sliced thin and rough chopped

1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts – lightly crushed

1 Thai Chili pepper – fine chop (the smaller the better)

1 teaspoon crystallized ginger – fine chopped

optional protein

Directions

In a small mixing bowl combine the tamarind, galangal, extract, ginger, date syrup, and fish sauce. Mix well and set to the side.

In a small bowl combine the lime, coconut chips, onion, peanuts, Thai chili, ginger, and if you are using protein add that too in small pieces. This is what gets added to the leaves. I used mini bite size paper cupcake liners to hold the leaves. Serve sauce on the side and enjoy!

ENJOY!!

I was reading a recipe about Turkish Stuffed Pasta that was served over yogurt leeks. They made a green Chile butter for the Turkish pasta….So I thought that a Calabrian Chile Brown Butter would taste good on any pasta. I made my own ricotta gnocchi…you can make any pasta that you desire. I don’t have a pasta recipe with this one but I do have ricotta gnocchi recipes on my blog so you can find them if you want. I didn’t think that yogurt leeks would be very appetizing so I made up a creamy version that taste delicious. The recipe might need some adjustments to the leeks because I thought mine were unusually small inside….This makes only enough brown butter and leeks for only around two portions. You might get more if your leeks are bigger than what I had.

Ingredients for around two servings

2 ounces unsalted butter

1 dried Calabrian chile – crumbled

pinch dried mint

2 leeks – cleaned, dark greens removed, sliced thin

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon flour

4 Tablespoons white wine

1 ounce cream cheese (or a splash of heavy cream)

1/4 cup vegetable stock

sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the butter on medium heat till it turns brown. Strain it and add the crumbled Calabrian pepper and a pinch of dried mint. Set to the side.

The leeks take 15-20 minutes to prepare. Have you pasta done accordingly.

Make your leeks – Melt butter on medium/low and add the leeks. Cover pot and let them go around ten minutes. Add garlic and cook another two minutes. Stir in flour cook one more minute. Add wine and cook till the wine has evaporated. Then stir in cream cheese and vegetable stock. Stir till smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning (add salt and or pepper)

Plate the leeks. Toss the pasta in the Calabrian Chile Brown Butter. Top on top of the leeks.

Enjoy!

Had an idea today and thought about making Mexican flavored meatballs. I did something similar before but today I thought that instead of adding breadcrumbs I’d add crushed tortilla chips instead for more of a taco taste. Then I needed sauce so I thought a guajillo chili laced tomato sauce would be good with them. This came out tasty and delicious. I note that I did use lots of ingredients for the meatballs that you might not have. I also might have made more sauce than you will use for the meatballs. Extra sauce can be used for tacos, enchiladas, and burritos or can be frozen for. a latter use. For most people the meatballs will be six servings.

Ingredients for around 6 servings

2 oz guajillo dried chilies – washed off, stems off, shake out the seeds (sauce)

4 cups hot water (sauce)

2 lbs tomatoes (skins removed and slow roasted) or use Italian canned (sauce)

6 garlic cloves – ground to paste (sauce)

1 onion – fine dice (Sauce)

2 Tablespoons (slightly heaping) reduced sodium vegetable bouillon paste (I use Better than Bouillon Brand…..(this is healthier and tastier than salt) (sauce)

4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (sauce)

2 Tablespoons fresh epazote – chopped (sauce)

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro – chopped (Sauce)

1 lb ground meat (I used lean 93% ground turkey)

2 oz tortilla chips crushed to crumbs (preferably Calidad Brand White Corn Chips)

2 eggs – lightly beaten

1 Tablespoon (slightly heaping) reduced sodium vegetable soup paste (preferably Better Than Bouillon. Brand reduced sodium vegetable soup paste…this is less sodium than salt and better tasting than salt)

1 hot chili (or to taste) (I used one fire roasted hatch chili) – chopped fine

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1. teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground annatto (also called achiote)

1 teaspoon ground chipotle

1/2 cup. scallions sliced thin ). a few. extra. for finishing

1/2 cup cilantro chopped (fine stems are ok to use) a few extra for finishing

1 Tablespoon fresh epazote

3 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1/4 small onion – grated or mince fine

1 Tablespoon water

non stick spray

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

The guajillo chili pods go in a single layer on a sheet pan to toast. Put them in for two minutes on the middle rack and then turn them over and give them one more minute. The pods should have darkened and should smell aromatic. Many more seeds are in them and now you can shake the rest of the seeds out.

Put the chili pods in very hot. or boiling water 4 cups of water. Leave them soften up. for around 30 minutes. After 30 minutes put this water and chili pods and soup paste on medium high heat. Add the onions and when this boil use a stick blender to blend it. up. Let it cook about ten minutes. Now add the tomatoes and blend again. Add the garlic, vinegar, epazote, and cilantro. Blend again. Taste and adjust seasoning iif necessary.

Make the meatballs. Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Use non stiick spray and spray sheet pans for around 20 meatballs.

In a large bowl mix together ground meat, tortilla chips, eggs, soup paste, hot chili, black pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, annatto, chipotle, scallions, cilantro, garlic, epazote, onion. Mix well. The mixture will be kind of soft. But might need to be slightly softer. I added just one tablespoon of water. Too much water will make mushy meatballs. Not enough water and the meatballs can be dry. I do warn you that this mixture will be sticky and is hard to work with but does make great meatballs. I make my meatballs about 1.3 ounce each and space them out a little so they can cook. Use the middle rack for most of the meatballs and the lower rack for the rest. Cook till cooked threw. In my oven this takes 15 minutes.

Serve with the guajillo sauce. Finish with a small amount of fresh cilantro and epazote.

This goes well with chipotle lime butter green beans.

ENJOY!!!