Chicken in Salsa Verde: Quesadillas and Enchiladas

With the abundant tomatillos and poblano peppers at the end of the growing season, I made great salsa verde two ways: roasted in a hot oven and gently poached on the stovetop.  I had lots of chicken meat from a roast chicken, and the last bit of cilantro from the garden, so I made a filling for either quesadillas or enchiladas, incorporating chicken, salsa verde, additional chopped roasted poblano peppers and torn cilantro leaves. 

For the quesadillas, spoon the chicken and salsa mixture onto flour (or corn) tortillas sprinkled the mixture with Monterey jack cheese, and grilled the disks on a stovetop griddle. These made delightful wedges for snacks or lunch.

Rolled in tortillas and topped with more salsa verde and cheese, the chicken mixture made a great filling for baked enchiladas topped with a few oven roasted baby poblanos. Every time I make one of these dishes I wonder why they’re not a weeknight staple.  With ample tomatillo salsa in the pantry and a new technique of roasting the sauce on a baking sheet in a really hot oven, I could be on to something.

Quesadillas with Chicken in Salsa Verde

2 flour or corn tortillas (I used 9-inch flour tortillas)

3 tbsp shredded chicken

1 tbsp sautéed or roasted green pepper (combination sweet bell pepper and poblano)

3 tbsp salsa verde

Torn cilantro leaves

3-4 tbsp finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Vegetable oil

Accompaniments: pico de gallo, salsa verde, sour cream

Preheat a stovetop griddle to medium high heat. Place the tortillas next to each other on a flat surface. Combine the chicken, pepper, salsa verde and fresh cilantro. Sprinkle half the cheese on one tortilla, add the chicken mixture and top with the remaining cheese and the second tortilla, Glaze the heated griddle with vegetable oil and place the tortilla on the griddle, weighting it with a grill press or a teakettle. Cook for a few minutes until brown and crisp, flip and cook the other side. Serve warm, cut into wedges and accompanied by homemade pico de gallo (tomato salsa), salsa verde and sour cream. Serves 1 or 2.

Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

1 c shredded chicken

¼ sautéed green pepper (combination sweet Bell pepper and poblano)

1 c salsa verde, divided

Torn cilantro leaves

Hot pepper sauce or chopped jalapenos

4-5 flour tortillas

Vegetable oil

1/3 c finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the chicken, pepper, 1/3 c salsa verde and cilantro. Taste for seasoning and increase the heat by adding prepare hot sauce or chopped fresh hot peppers such as jalapenos.

In a baking dish large enough to hold the finished tortillas (a 10×10 baking dish held 5 filled tortillas), smear the bottom with a few tbsp of the salsa verde.

Place ¼-1/5 of the filling on each tortilla, wrap it into a tight cylinder and place it in the baking dish. Pour the remaining salsa verde on top and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve hot, on top of rice combined with sautéed hot peppers and chopped fresh cilantro or alongside a dish of black beans and rice.  Serves 2-3.

Read Full Post »

Salsa Verde Two Ways: Roasted and with Ground Cherries

During the last weeks of October, leading up to our Halloween weekend snowstorm, we were harvesting ground cherries and tomatillos in considerable volume, a quart of tomatillos a week, or more if you could use them. Also in abundance at our CSA were ground cherries. Sometimes referred to as husk cherries, these are sweet-tart fruits (vegetables?) that look like miniature tomatillos, and are harvested when they fall off the vine (hence the moniker ground cherries).  Earlier this year, I cooked them into a jam first as- is and then a second batch infused with the piney flavor of rosemary.  

 At the end of October, I also had a giant poblano pepper plant in my garden, so huge that I nicknamed it the “great ancho-lada,” ancho being the dried version of poblano. It was five feet tall and had at least two dozen peppers on it after I’d already harvested at least a dozen. (It came from Seed Savers Exchange.) Right before the storm hit, everything left on the vine was harvested and stored in the refrigerator.

 What to do with such simpatico ingredients a couple of weeks later? I considered canning another batch of tomatillo salsa but I already have more in the pantry than I can imagine eating. I decided instead to make two versions of Mexican salsa verde: one roasted and the other gently poached on top of the stove, combined with ground cherries that were poached and then roasted on a baking sheet to deepen the flavor and diminish the liquidity. The latter method was so successful that I might try it on the canned tomatillo sauce this winter since, in order to gain the proper pH level for canning, the canned sauce contains a good amount of lemon juice.

The combination of ground cherries and tomatillos was perfect with a bowl of chips (my husband’s obsession), and the roasted salsa verde found its way into quesadillas and enchiladas.  

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

1 quart firm tomatillos, husked and rinsed

Vegetable oil

Salt

1 medium onion, peeled

1 clove garlic

1 jalapeno pepper (or more to taste)

1-2 small young poblano peppers (optional)

Cilantro leaves, torn

Lime juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve the tomatillos, toss them in a little oil and salt and place them cut side down at one end of a heavy baking sheet. Halve the onion lengthwise and slice it crosswise. Cut the garlic in half lengthwise. Toss the onion and garlic with vegetable oil and salt and place in their own zone on the baking sheet. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, seed them (being careful not to touch them with your hands, using a sharp knife and a thin-tined carving fork).  Sprinkle on a couple of drops of oil and place them cut side down on the baking sheet. (Since my poblanos were tiny, I roasted them whole and cut off the flesh after cooking.)

Roast the vegetables or about 15 minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn, removing them to the bowl of a wood processor as they are done. Process them to a smooth sauce and set aside to cool. When cool, taste for seasoning. Serve with torn cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

Salsa Verde with Ground Cherries

1 quart firm tomatillos, husked and rinsed

1 medium onion, peeled

1 clove garlic

1 jalapeno pepper (or more to taste), seeded

1-2 small young poblano peppers (optional), seeded

1 pt ground cherries, husked and rinsed

Water

Cilantro leaves, torn

Lime juice

Additional hot pepper (optional)

Cut the tomatillos in half and coarsely chop the onion, garlic, and peppers. Place in a saucepan and add a water to come up on the vegetables about 1/3 of the way. Place the ground cherries in another saucepan and add water to come up on the ground cherries about 1/3 of the way. Bring both pots to a boil on top of the stove, lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are broken down, about 10 minutes. Mash the ground cherries a little. When cooled, combine the two pots of ingredients and chill.  When serving, add torn cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime juice.

Optional reduction step: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a baking pan in the over. After the ground cherries are cooked, scrape them onto the hot baking pan and cook, stirring occasionally, to evaporate excess liquid and add a roasted depth of flavor.

Read Full Post »

October: Salsa – the Last Hurrah and a First Hello

As the growing season moves into its final, coolest stage, the last hurrah of summer vegetables, flowers and herbs beg to be harvested and welcomed to the pantry.  Lots of them. I’m like the squirrels scurrying to collect black walnuts fallen from our now-leafless tree and burying them in my freshly planted fall greens (thanks a lot). Or the 18 sparrows that tried to enter the birdbath at the same time, preening for a special event (wish I’d made a video). 

Hello to my pantry are the end-of-season salsas, canned tomatoes and tomato sauces in the dozens, herbs preserved in many ways, another round of jellies and jams (they don’t ever stop), some new pickling ideas, herbs drying in a dark room (sounds weird but looks and smells great). What kind of frenzied chaos would ensue around here if I also owned a freezer or a dehydrator?

Here’s (maybe) my final canned salsa of the season, a plain tomato version that lines up in the pantry with its colleagues: tomatillo, ancho chili, and peach. This makes as good a sauce (the definition of salsa) for fish, chicken or rice as it does a dip for the ever-present tortilla chips.  I promise I’ll get off the topic.

Tomato Pepper Salsa adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

7 c chopped tomatoes that have been cored and seeded

2 c coarsely chopped yellow onion

1 c coarsely chopped green bell pepper

5 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

3 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/3 c dense homemade tomato puree or a 5.5-oz can of tomato paste (preferably organic)

¾ c white vinegar

½ c loosely packed torn cilantro leaves

1½ tsp whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground OR ½ tsp ground cumin

If the tomatoes are especially juicy, salt them and let them drain for an hour or so before proceeding with the recipe.

Prepare jars for water bath canning.

Combine all ingredients in a large stainless steel saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Pour salsa into hot jars. Process in water bath canner for 20 minutes (8 oz, 12 oz, 16 oz). Turn off heat, remove canner lid and remove jars to sit undisturbed until cool.

Makes six 12-oz jars.

Read Full Post »

Peach Salsa for the Pantry

I am astounded by the fast food phenomenon of corn chips and salsa that has invaded our homes. My husband has a daily habit, as do other members of our family (ahem, not called out, but might be in the future), to consume a bowlful of chips and a bowl of salsa on a daily basis. Snack food gone viral? I am offended by the astronomical price and poor quality of the salsas that line our grocery shelves. Not to mention the salt and chemical ingredients. What to do? DIY.

During the late summer and early fall when we have abundant tomatoes, peaches and tomatillos, I put up salsa for the pantry. Never in nearly enough volume to last the year, but enough to get us by for several months. I particularly like this peach salsa.

There are a few tips worth mentioning if you are canning the salsa by water bath. One is first to place the vinegar in the pot and drop each peach in it as it is peeled and chopped. This prevents browning.  The second is to remember that peaches absorb liquid and expand like sponges, which means that you need to leave enough head space in the jars and add sufficient liquid. You still will get some air bubbles. The third is to realize that hot peppers in a canned environment mellow as they age. Therefore, what may seem really spicy when the salsa is first cooked will probably be a few notches less so when it’s used.

Peach Salsa adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

½ c white vinegar

2½ lb peaches, about 8, yielding 6 c chopped

1¼ c chopped red onion

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

½ c loosely packed cilantro leaves

2 tbsp honey

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1½ tsp ground cumin

Prepare the canning jars and lids. I use 12 oz jars.

Prepare the peaches. Boil water in a large pot and place a second large pot, filled with ice water, in the sink. Pour the vinegar into a large, wide saucepan. When the water is boiling, place a few peaches at a time in the pot and remove them within about 30 seconds with a slotted spoon and put them into the ice water. Peel one peach at a time (the boiling water will cause the skin to slip off), pit it, chop it and place it in the vinegar, stirring to make sure that all surfaces have been covered.

Add all remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Ladle the salsa into the hot prepared canning jars, inserting a chopstick or other implement to remove excess air bubbles, taking care not to mash the peaches. Make sure the head space is ¾ inch for 12 oz jars and ½ inch for 8 oz jars after the air bubbles have been removed.

Process the jars in a water bath canner for 15 minutes (20 minutes if you use half-pint jars) after the water returns to a boil. Turn off heat, remove canner lid and let site for 5 minutes until removing to a counter to sit undisturbed until cool.

Makes 1 eight-ounce and 4 twelve-ounce jars, or 7-8 eight-ounce jars

Read Full Post »

Mango Salsa

While driving the other day, I listened to “A Prairie Home Companion”  on NPR spoofing a marital mini-spat in which the wife was trying to get her husband to stop chuckling, so she just re-named him “Chuck.” Well  I need to say that my now re-named husband “Chip” has a salsa obsession. He loves his bowl of tortilla chips and something to go with them. I object to those very expensive jars of glop sold in the grocery store as salsa, so during the summer, I can tomatillo sauce, several types of tomato salsas and peach salsa. The pantry by now is getting thin, so I’ve been looking for new alternatives beyond the other standards like hummus.

How we came to have a glut of organic mangoes in our markets is beyond me, but we’re enjoying them every which way. Here’s a flavorful salsa with sweet and hot peppers, red onion, lime juice and cilantro, all ingredients that I happened to have on hand. The relative amounts of ingredients can vary by taste and availability, but my rule of thumb is to mix colors (orange, violet, red, green), textures (soft mango, crunchy onions, semi-crunchy peppers, and crisp herbs), and tastes (sweet and hot at least).

Mango Salsa

1 yellow mango, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

2-3 tbsp minced red onion

2-3 tbsp minced red pepper

2-3 tsp minced jalapeno pepper

2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients and let sit for a few minutes to “get acquainted” before serving.

Note about cubing mangoes: Mangoes have a central pit that clings to the fruit. So the best way to produce cubes, after peeling the mango, is to grid the fruit. I grid it pole to pole along the widest part (the pit is like a bulging ellipse) since it lays flatter that way. Laying it flat, I cut through to the put this way that way to produce squares, then stand it up vertically and peel the cubes off the pit.

Read Full Post »

Ancho Chili Tomato Salsa

This salsa is smokin’ good! With a deep, rich color and an immediate flavor that’s hot but not too hot, it has a kick and a smoky aftertaste from the ancho chilis.  Ancho chilis are dried poblanos and are generally pretty mild. I get mine from our local health food store where they’re stored in a jar. Whether or not they’re actually fresher than the ones packed in cellophane, at least I get to choose the size I want. Since you reconstitute the chilis submerged in hot water for about 15 minutes, you can usually tell from the water how hot they will be and adjust the rest of the recipe accordingly.

I can tomatoes and all kinds of tomato sauce and other concoctions in September when the paste tomatoes are ripe for picking at our CSA farm. In August, we have plenty of slicing tomatoes and they work best when combined with other ingredients. My obsession with tomatoes (notice my new banner!) is a family joke as we end up with rows and rows of ripening tomatoes on every indoor horizontal surface out of the sun but within sight of the kitchen. With ten pounds carted home from the CSA farm last week, bulk canning of salsa for the Tigress Can Jam did the trick.

I couldn’t locate the recipe that I used the last time I canned salsa two years ago (last year was a tomato bust because of late blight) but I had notes that pointed me to a certain recipe in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving that I had ignored last time but decided to try. I used the same proportion of red wine vinegar to tomatoes and added fewer fresh jalapenos than the Ball recipe, so I figured the acid ratio was safe. After I peeled, cored and de-seeded the tomatoes (saving that wonderful juice) I lightly salted them and let them sit in a colander over a bowl to drain for an hour before cooking, adding that liquid to the saved juice. The method removes excess liquid and lets the salsa reduce without overcooking.

Ancho Chili Tomato Salsa adapted from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

4 medium ancho chilis (dried poblanos)

Boiling water

12 c diced cored and peeled tomatoes in ½-inch dice (about 9 lbs)

3 c diced red onion

7 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and minced (or more to taste, depending on the heat of the dried chili)

1 ½ c finely packed cilantro leaves (lightly chopped or torn if large)

¾ c red wine vinegar

1 tbsp salt

Optional: red pepper flakes

Pour boiling water over the chilis in a bowl just to cover and weight them down so that they stay submerged. Let them sit while you prepare the other ingredients, or at least 15 minutes.

Prepare the tomatoes. Wash ripe, unblemished tomatoes to remove any dust or dirt. Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Set a large pot of ice water in the sink. Have ready a cutting board with a trough for capturing the juice, a colander set over a bowl (to capture the juice and not the seeds), a small bowl for the discarded cores and skins and another large bowl for the chopped tomatoes Plunge the tomatoes, two to four at a time, into the boiling water for a few seconds. Remove to the ice water.  Core a slightly chilled tomato with a small paring knife and slip the skin off, discarding into a small bowl. Cut the tomato in half crosswise. Continue until you’ve filled up a good part of the board. Squeeze the halved tomatoes gently over the colander to release the seeds and excess juice. Then chop them into ½ inch pieces. When you’ve skinned, seeded and chopped up all of the tomatoes, salt them lightly and let them drain in a colander over a bowl for about an hour, reserving the liquid to add to the juice collected in the colander with the seeds.

Remove the chili from the water, remove the stems and seeds (leave the seeds for heat if you like your salsa very hot) and puree them in a food processor with half of the soaking liquid.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large stainless steel saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to keep the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Turn down the heat and boil gently until thick, 10-15 minutes,

Ladle the salsa into hot jars prepared for canning leaving ½ inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rims and cover with lids that have been doused in boiling water. Process in boiling water for 15 minutes (for half-pint, 12-oz and pint jars). Turn off heat, remove canner lid and let sit for 5 minutes before removing to sit undisturbed until cool.

Makes seven 12 oz jars and a little more to taste.

Read Full Post »