salsa verde

i was rereading some old blogposts last night before i drifted off to sleep and i happened upon a post from may of twenty-thirteen. and wow was i emo. 

the entire post was literally about me crying. 

it made me sad for the younger me. so uncertain of what the future would hold. so desperate to mold my life into the dream that was in my mind. 

three years later, many of my dreams are materializing. my day to day involves food, i married the love of my life, we have an adorable place to live, where we grow our own food and our close friends and family are scattered across the globe enabling us to see the world. life is pretty sweet right now. 

but even with all of that wonderfulness, the truth is everything is still uncertain. even the most steadfast things and people come and go. but instead of looking at the uncertainty with fear, i'm looking at uncertainty as an opportunity for adventure. 

on saturday wes and i catered our fifth party. and it was quite the adventure. we served dinner for twenty five in a barn ten miles from the mexican boarder and smack dab in the middle of nowhere.of course i have not a photo to show for it. 

but this tasty tomato salsa alternative was a hit at the salsa bar we served. it's great to eat with chips, served over tacos or as an enchilada sauce. 

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salsa verde
serves: 6 cups
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 40 minutes 

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1.5 lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed and chopped. 1 small yellow onion, diced. 1 tbs olive oil. 5 garlic cloves, smashed. 2 green onions, chopped. .5 c cilantro. .25 c fresh oregano, chopped. 1 tsp cumin. 2 cups water. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper. 

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in a large pot, combine the tomatillos, onion and olive oil. season well with salt and pepper and cook the tomatillos and onions over medium high heat until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. 

add in the garlic and cook until it is fragrant. about 1 minute. 

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stir in the green onions, oregano and cilantro, the rest of the salt and pepper and the cumin. when everything is well combined and the cumin is fragrant, pour in the water. about 1 minute.

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bring the liquid to a boil. reduce it to a slow simmer and cover. simmer the salsa till the tomatillos are breaking down. about 20 minutes. 

remove from heat. allow to cool slightly and blend with a hand emersion blender or in your blender/food processor. serve cold or at room temp.

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xoxo
a

salsa verde
serves: 6 cups
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 40 minutes 

1.5 lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed and chopped. 1 small yellow onion, diced. 1 tbs olive oil. 5 garlic cloves, smashed. 2 green onions, chopped. .5 c cilantro. .25 c fresh oregano, chopped. 1 tsp cumin. 2 cups water. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper.
in a large pot, combine the tomatillos, onion and olive oil. season well with salt and pepper and cook the tomatillos and onions over medium high heat until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
add in the garlic and cook until it is fragrant. about 1 minute.
stir in the green onions, oregano and cilantro, the rest of the salt and pepper and the cumin. when everything is well combined and the cumin is fragrant, pour in the water. about 1 minute.
bring the liquid to a boil. reduce it to a slow simmer and cover. simmer the salsa till the tomatillos are breaking down. about 20 minutes.
remove from heat. allow to cool slightly and blend with a hand emersion blender or in your blender/food processor. serve cold or at room temp.

whole wheat banana + choco chip muffins

what do you think about when you think of bananas?

ew... gross. get your mind out of the gutter. 

bananas remind me of my mother. i bet you didn't see that one coming. but it's true. banana has always been her flavor. she is literally the only person i know who likes banana now&laters. 

i myself over dosed on bananas after seventeen years of swimming and i only eat them out of desperation or to cure a cramp. 

but i have a ton of appreciation for an ingredient i can still use after it has past it's prime. and let's be real. how often do you get to finish ALL the bananas you bought? 

not only are these muffins the perfect place to get rid of your over ripe bananas, it is quick to make and they are the perfect grab and go breakfast snack after a workout or before you start your day.

 

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whole wheat banana + choco chip muffins
serves: 12 muffins
prep time: 10 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 30 minutes

4 over ripe bananas. 1 cup brown sugar. 2 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .75 c butter (1.5 sticks), melted. 2 cups whole wheat flour. 1.5 tsp baking soda. .5 tsp salt. .5 c mini choco chips. .5 c chopped pecans plus extra for muffin tops.

preheat the oven to 375 f. in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl with a whisk or hand blender, whisk together the banana and brown sugar until well combined. 

with the mixer on, add in the butter, eggs and vanilla.
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turn the mixer to slow and pour in the dry ingredients till just incorporated. 
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fold in the choco chips and pecan bits. 
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pour the batter into prepared muffin tins (either with muffin cups or lightly buttered). top with a few pecans and bake for 16-20 minutes until golden brown on top. 

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serve warm or room temperature. 

xoxo,
a
image.jpg
whole wheat banana + choco chip muffins
prep time: 10 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 30 minutes
serves: 12 muffins

4 over ripe bananas. 1 cup brown sugar. 2 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .75 c butter (1.5 sticks), melted. 2 cups whole wheat flour. 1.5 tsp baking soda. .5 tsp salt. .5 c mini choco chips. .5 c chopped pecans plus extra for muffin tops.
preheat the oven to 375 f. in the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl with a whisk or hand blender, whisk together the banana and brown sugar until well combined. 
with the mixer on, add in the butter, eggs and vanilla.
turn the mixer to slow and pour in the dry ingredients till just incorporated. 
fold in the choco chips and pecan bits. 
pour the batter into prepared muffin tins (either with muffin cups or lightly buttered). top with a few pecans and bake for 16-20 minutes until golden brown on top. 
serve warm or room temperature.