Delicioso Comida

I, like Jenna, have a love of cilantro. I love it almost as much as I love lime juice on anything and everything Mexican. I developed this easy dinner combining all my favorite Mexican ingredients for several components of the meal, so to cut down on the groceries. The sauce is delicious! It is a chimichurri variation that has so much flavor, but could also be a great substitute for guacamole (it cuts out a lot of the calories). I use it to top the meat and I also stirred it in to prepared rice. I served this dinner with some simply grilled yellow squash that I brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and cumin. This meal is smoky, tart, bright and spicy. Seriously, I could eat the sauce every day and be happy. 

For the Meat: 

1 LB Chicken Breasts or Skirt Steak (serves 3-4)

Marinade Meat for 30 min and up to 3 hours in: 1/2 Tablespoon of Salt, 1/4 Tablespoon of Pepper, 1/2 Tablespoon of Cumin, 1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne, 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil, 2 cloves of chopped Garlic. Whisk together, place meat in large freezer bag, pour marinade in the bag, massage into meat and chill in the refrigerator. 

Grill Meat over a high heat until cooked. Slice against the grain of the meat. Serve with the Chimichurri. 

For the Cilantro and Lime Chimichurri:

Combine in a mini-chopper, blender or food processor until finely chopped and well mixed: 2 cloves of Garlic, 4 husked Tomatillos, 4 trimmed Green Onions, 2 cups roughly chopped Cilantro, juice of 2 Limes, 1 deveined and seeded Jalapeno, 1 Tablespoon of Green Tabasco, 2 Tablespoon of White Wine Vinegar, 1 large Avocado, 2 teaspoons of Salt, 1/2 teaspoon of Pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of Cumin. (makes 1 1/2 cups)

For the Rice:

Prepare as much rice as instructed on package for the amount of people you are serving. Stir in a healthy portion of the chimichurri once prepared. Eat. 

To make your life as easy as possible, you could make the chimichurri a day in advance or early in the day, as well as marinate your meat. That way all you have to do is make your rice and grill your meat and veggie. 

Last step: DEVOUR. :) 

Enjoy! 

xoxo

Erin 

Corny, But Delicious

I am a huge fan of fresh corn in the summer. Especially here in the Midwest, you know that your ears are coming from a local farm possibly just down the road from your market. Here is a side dish recipe from my own kitchen that I think is fantastic and can really be served with anything (grilled chicken, steaks, fish). It is sweet, smoky, tart with a bit of heat. Feel free to add more or less of any of the ingredients to your taste. This could also be served in the fall with roasted butternut squash as a substitute for the red pepper. Also, I used herbs from my garden that I like, but you could use whatever you have on hand or in the backyard.

Fresh Corn with Sherry Vinegar and Herbs (3-4 servings)

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

1 Clove of Garlic, chopped

1 Small Red Onion, chopped

1 Red Pepper, diced

3 Ears of Fresh Corn, shucked, kernels cut off the ear

1/2 Teaspoon of Each, Salt and Pepper

1/8 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon of Cumin

1/8 Cup of Sherry Vinegar

1/2 Tablespoon of Fresh Basil, chopped

1 Tablespoon of Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is heated, toss in the garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant (You do not want to brown or burn it). Add the red onion and cook until the onion has started to become translucent and slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Add in the red pepper and corn and turn the heat to high. Add the salt and pepper and combine. Let all the ingredients cook until they begin to brown, stirring frequently. Once the vegetables are cooked and slightly browned (about 15 minutes), add in the cayenne pepper and cumin, stir to combine. Slowly add the vinegar all around the pan to deglaze, then scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and stir everything together. Let cook for 2 minutes, then add the herbs. Stir to combine and serve.

Enjoy!

xoxo

Erin