Green Magic

***Green Magic*** 
(Indian-inspired chutney)

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch cilantro (leaves & stems)

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/8 cup honey 

4-6 cloves garlic

1-2 jalapeños 

1/8 cup lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1/2 inch square size chunk raw ginger, peeled
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Directions:

Combine cilantro, mint, honey, garlic, jalapeño, lime, cumin, ginger, coconut oil, and salt in a small food processor, and puree until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of water, if necessary.  Taste and adjust salt as desired.

Use on EVERYTHING!

SWEET HEAT

SWEET HEAT

This is one heckuva spicy salsa!  I love small-batch, extra-potent salsas...you can easily reduce the amount of jalapeno, or increase the amount of other ingredients, to stretch it further or to reduce the incendiariness (yep, just made that up!).

Ingredients:

1/2 (length-wise) jalapeno, cut in a few chunks
Good size chunk (maybe 1/6-1/4) white onion, cut in chunks
1 clove garlic
Handful (maybe 1/8 cup) canned corn kernels, drained
Juice of 1/4 lime
Sprinkle of dried thyme, crumbled by hand
Splash of orange juice
Sprinkle of salt
Sprinkle of black pepper
Handful cilantro leaves, torn by hand

Directions:

1.  Place all ingredients in a small food processor (I like the kind that attaches to a hand blender).
2.  Blend for a while.  Stop and scoop all ingredients from the sides of the container back into the blade so consistency is uniform.  Continue blending a while longer (total of maybe 1 minute).

Notes:

*The corn gives a nice, smooth consistency and adds to the sweetness a bit.

*Definitely go easy on the OJ - too much will overwhelm the other flavors.

RESISTANCE-IS-FUTILE SALSA

RESISTANCE-IS-FUTILE SALSA
(A modified version of my Caliente Salsa proportioned for use with a hand blender.)

Just got my first immersion (hand) blender at Costco and already I love it!  Whipped up this salsa in less than 5 minutes and couldn't stop eating it until the bowl was empty.

Ingredients:

4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/6 large red onion, diced
1 baby carrots, sliced
1 radish, diced
1 Tbsp. minced or crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 dash salt
1 dash black pepper
Small pinch dried thyme

Directions:

1.  Add all ingredients to small mixing bowl (preferably one made for your hand blender).

2.  Mix on high speed until desired consistency (15-30 seconds).  Try not to eat it out of the mixing bowl with your fingers.

Notes:

*Adding a bit of chopped cilantro leaves would make it even more irresistable...I just didn't have any on hand because, despite my best efforts, my attempts to grow cilantro have heretofore been unsuccessful...

TEQUILA-MANGO BBQ DELIGHT

TEQUILA-MANGO BBQ DELIGHT



Ingredients:
(Makes enough for 4 entree portions, i.e., enough to cover 4 chicken breasts or fish filets)

1 mango
1 clementine or tangerine
1 cube Trader Joe's frozen cilantro (or 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, minced)
6 Tbsp. Cholula hot sauce (or to taste)
1 Tbsp. crushed garlic
1 cup veggie or chicken broth
1 tsp. olive oil + 1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tomato, chopped
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Tequila, poured to a count of 4
Splash of cooking sherry
Garlic powder, to taste
1/2 - 3/4 avocado, diced
1 yellow (crookneck) squash, thinly sliced and sprinkled with garlic powder
3/4 - 1 white onion, sliced
[Optional: 1 tsp. corn starch]

Directions:

1. To remove flesh of mango, slice with a sharp knife from one end to the other, repeat about an inch away and remove "wedge," slicing it from the center stone if necessary. Gently slice the skin off the wedge. Put mango in a blender.

2. Add Cholula, clementine, cilantro, tomato, 1 tsp. olive oil, apple cider vinegar, broth, crushed garlic, tequila, and black pepper to blender. Blend on high or "liquefy" until thoroughly mixed. Remove any chunks. Stir in garlic powder and salt to taste. Should yield approximately 2 cups of sauce.

3. In a deep sauce pan or wok, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and sherry over low-medium heat. Add squash and cook for 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in 1 1/3 cups of sauce and mix well. Continue to cook until sauce begins to thicken, stirring as necessary to prevent sticking or browning. [Stir in corn starch, mixed in water, if thicker sauce is desired.]

4. 3 minutes prior to serving, stir onion into sauce and mix well.

5. Barbecue chicken breasts or fish filets, basting each side with remaining 2/3 cup mango sauce 3 minutes prior to removing from flame.

6. Ladle sauce over chicken breasts or fish filets atop brown rice. Top each piece with avocado bits.

Notes:

*Consider making half the sauce without Cholula and tequila for kids' portions.

*I think halibut would be a good fish choice.

*Careful with this one...you might spoil your spouse who will then no longer be satisfied with leftover macaroni and cheese or cereal for dinner (unless he's my husband, and then cereal for dinner is always a welcome and viable option).

BETTER-THAN-TARTAR SAUCE

BETTER-THAN-TARTAR SAUCE

This is so much more than a mayonaisey, globby substance for trying to mask the flavor of less-than-fresh fish...

Ingredients:
(Makes 1-2 servings of dip)

2 Tbsp. mayonaise
1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
Splash Tabasco Sauce
1 tsp. sweet relish
1 tsp. horseradish cream style

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.

Notes:

*Use for dipping fish sticks, bread, veggies, and more!

*Kids can stir.