Mint-Pineapple Pico de Gallo

We made this to go on top of Carnitas.  So awesome!!  I am a sucker for guac on everything but this was really tasty!!  Nice twist to your typical salsa!!

Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1 small red onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (seeded, if desired, to reduce heat)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 pound fresh pineapple, cut into small pieces (you can also use 1/2 pound mango, 1/2 pound pineapple)
Juice of 1 lime
kosher salt

Combine all ingredients except for the salt in a small mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt. If possible, allow to stand for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving. This will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Cinco de Mayo cookbook in the house!!  This was very different than your typical salsa, and we kept feeling like it should taste like quac since it kinda looked that way - but it was a really good different!  It had some heat - but didn't last long tonight!  And don't worry if you don't have a food processor....the blender worked just great! (some day I'll get a processor!)

Ingredients:

1 lb tomatillos, husks removed

3-4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and quartered

1 jalapeno pepper, cut in half lengthwise

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

1/4-1/3 cup chopped green onions

Chips

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

After husking the tomatillos, rinse them well in cool water (they can be sticky). Cut the stems and hard portions (if any) off the tomatillos and cut any very large ones in half.

Combine the tomatillos, unpeeled garlic, onion, and the jalapeno on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss the ingredients with your hands to make sure they are all well-coated.

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. If the vegetables have not charred, turn the broiler on to high and cook for 3-5 more minutes or until the skins of the peppers and tomatillos begin to turn black. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

When the vegetables have cooled, carefully squeeze the skin of the roasted garlic, releasing the soft, roasted garlic clove, into the jar of a blender or workbowl of a food processor. Add the remaining roasted vegetables and then add the salt, pepper, and lime juice. Process until the desired consistency is reached and then transfer to a serving dish. Stir in the chopped cilantro and green onions and serve with chips.

Mango Pico de Gallo

Who knew I could find another app that I like as much as quac?!  AND it has fruit in it!!  This was super yummy!!  This lasted about 5 min at cookbook tonight - so I think it's a keeper.....and it was super easy to make - and it was HEALTHY too!!

OBB Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup small cubes of mango (about 1 medium to large mango)
1/2-1 large jalapeno pepper (1/2 without seeds is a nice, mild-medium heat; go from there)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Combine ingredients. Serve. This will keep for a day or so (like it will last that long), but after that, the mangoes will get mushy.

Pico de Gallo

AHHH can't go wrong with pico de gallo and chips!!  Super good snack - and hey, besides the chips it's healthy :)

OBB Cookbook

Ingredients:

About 3 Roma tomatoes

1 smallish jalapeno pepper

1/2 small red onion

THESE MEASUREMENTS ARE APPROXIMATE:

Freshly squeezed lime juice (use 1/2 lime for a little zing, use the whole thing for distinct lime flavor. In case you were wondering, I use the whole thing)

A very generous pinch of chopped cilantro--I just grab some using all my fingers at once. It probably comes out to about 1/4 cup.

Kosher salt to taste; some people leave it on the bland side because a lot of foods pico de gallo is served with tends to be salty. Personally, I like it on the salty side.

Cut ends off tomatoes and then slice in half lengthwise. Under running water, gently run your finger under the membrane that contains the seeds. It's okay if some seeds get in there, but if you have all of them, it's going to get a little sloppy. Cut into small chunks.

Finely dice the onion. Toss with the tomato mixture.

Finely chop the jalapeno, removing the seeds if desired (the seeds contain the majority of the heat, although the flesh is still pretty hot) Toss with the tomatoes and onions.

Add the fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 of the lime. Taste. If you want to walk on the limey side, add a little more.

Add your giant pinch of cilantro. Combine well. Add a generous sprinkling of Kosher salt, taste, and add more if desired. This is best if it stands for a few hours before you serve it, but it also may (okay, will) get a little wet in the bottom of the bowl, so you might want to strain it before serving it. It's great just straight up on tortilla chips.

Fresh Orange-Apple Chutney

Headed over to brothers house for dindin tonight, and Heidi made a YUMMY shrimp and veggie curry.  I made up the chutney to go with it - and it was spicy and great!!  Super easy to make too :)  This would also be good with quesadillas or pork/turkey.

Makes 2 cups

1/4 cup = 50 calories

Ingredients:
1 1/2 navel oranges - cut all whit pith from oranges, following contour of fruit, and cut into 1/3 inch cubes
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/3 inch pieces
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeno chile
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon (generous) garam masala
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

Place everything in medium bowl - and toss to blend.  Season to taste with salt.  DO AHEAD - can be made 8 hours ahead.  Cover and chill.

GUAC!!

So this isn't new - but it's probably the only "dish" I've perfected :)  We had tacos tonight - which means GUAC!!  I put my perfected recipe down below - along with some suggestions / tips....it's ALMOST as good as Chipotles!

Ingredients:

3 avocadoes (peeled, pitted, mashed)

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 red onion, diced

salt / cayenne pepper      (this is something you can skip if you don't have on hand)

2 tablespoon cilantro       (this is something you can skip too...but it tastes oh so yummy!)

1/2 jalapeno                       (you can skip this too if you want - esp if you don't like the kick)

1 tablespoon garlic

1 limes juice

Mix all together - refridge a bit before serving.  If you have leftovers - throw a little more lime juice in to keep it from turning brown.

Also, while I was making it - I thought it might be very Rachel Ray of me to put some cooking tools on here as well.  During cookbook club - I realized not everyone has been to quite as many Pampered Chef parties as I have, so thought it would be fun to put some of my favorite "go-to" cooking tools.  Pay attention you engaged girls - I would totally register for some of these :)

So the minced garlic - yeah you can't register for that but it's such a lifesaver!  We pretty much have garlic in about everything we eat....so instead of having to mince a garlic clove daily - we just went this route.  It works great - and if you like flavor, my only suggestion would be to double the amount it says.

On to the scissors...I for real use this EVERY meal.  If you don't like to touch / cut raw chicken - this is your friend.  I use this to cube/cut any meat....even bacon.  The reason I used it for quac - was for the cilantro.  It's such an easy way to cut up herbs- you just need to put the fresh herbs kinda in a bunch and then just cut away.  It's so awesome - and way faster than actually "cutting" up herbs.

Last (but not least!) is the nifty little tool in black....I use this everytime I make quac / mashed potatoes.  Basically it's just a "spoon" to mash up the avocado - but it works really good!  I also use it with mashed potatoes (once they are soft) - to sort of mix it all together.  I got this at a Pampered Chef party - so if you ever attend what and are panicking about "what you really would use" - if you like either, buy it up!!