Back in the day, when my husband and I first were married (almost 13 years ago), we lived in a very rural area of Central Florida. We had built a house there, because it was very affordable and near his parents, and lived there for about 3 years. It was just a little too rural for us and we found ourselves often driving the distance to where we live now to work and play. Although we were very happy to move when we did, we have some nice memories of life in our first house and the area it was in. Since we felt a bit isolated and were so far from our friends, we spent a lot of time finding ways to entertain ourselves – which of course included eating out at restaurants nearby.

One of our regular places to grab dinner was a little Mexican place, and this is where I tried Roasted Tomatillo Salsa for the first time. I remember not really knowing what a tomatillo was at the time, or even knowing that I was even eating tomatillos. All I knew is that I had to have this salsa every time I ate at this restaurant, it was usually the first thing I requested after ordering our drinks. I loved it with chips, but I loved it on pretty much anything I was eating from tacos to rice and beans to salad. Obsessed.

Tomatillos are naturally tart when eaten raw, but roasting them really brings out their sweetness and such a great flavor. I have used them in verde sauce and served over these Cheese & Onion Enchiladas (so good!!) and roasted them to make in salsa like this one I’m sharing today. Although I cheated and used jarred salsa, I’ve added green tomatillo salsa to soups like this Summer Chicken Chili Verde as well as Skinnytaste’s Easiest Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken plenty of times. Delicious!!

What ingredients are in salsa verde?

• 1.5 lbs tomatillos, husk removed, cleaned and quartered
• 2 poblano peppers, cut into large pieces
• 1 jalapeno, cut into large pieces
• 2 onions, cut into large pieces
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• large bunch of cilantro
• 2 limes
• coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

How do I make salsa verde?

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place tomatillos, pobalnos, jalapenos and onions into a large bowl. Season with cumin, salt and olive oil and coat evenly using a spoon to mix.
3. Roast in oven for 15 minutes until soft.
4. Once cooled, place ingredients into a large food processor. Add cilantro, juice from 2 limes, a big pinch of coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Process by pulsing 12-15 times or until you reach desired texture. Taste for salt and adjust. Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, grilled chicken or fish.

Making your own Roasted Tomatillo Salsa also knows as Salsa Verde is truly simple, and such a treat to serve as part of a salsa bar when you’re entertaining. I like to include it along with fresh tomato salsa, guacamole or a chunky dip like this Mango, Avocado and Black Bean Salsa when putting together a Mexican inspired spread to serve family and friends.

If you cook with tomatillos and make something other than salsa with them you’ll have to let me know! I would love to try them in different dishes.

Hope you are enjoying your summer!!

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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

• Author: Aggies Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 cups
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Mexican

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Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs tomatillos, husk removed, cleaned and quartered
• 2 poblano peppers, cut into large pieces
• 1 jalapeno, cut into large pieces
• 2 onions, cut into large pieces
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• large bunch of cilantro
• 2 limes
• coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place tomatillos, pobalnos, jalapenos and onions into a large bowl. Season with cumin, salt and olive oil and coat evenly using a spoon to mix.
3. Roast in oven for 15 minutes until soft.
4. Once cooled, place ingredients into a large food processor. Add cilantro, juice from 2 limes, a big pinch of coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Process by pulsing 12-15 times or until you reach desired texture. Taste for salt and adjust. Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, grilled chicken or fish.

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I discovered this amazing pineapple salsa a few years back when my friend Heidi brought it to one of our get togethers. I’ve made it several times since (when I’m not asking Heidi to make it for me) and it’s always enjoyed by everyone. Really, what’s not to love when you combine fresh pineapple with lime, jalapenos and cilantro – each bite truly makes your taste buds sing. Or break out into a little dance. Or whatever suits your fancy.

This pineapple salsa was part of a spread I put together for my husband Larry’s 40th birthday bash this past weekend. We celebrated my husband with all of his favorite things – food being a big part of it obviously. Our good friend, Rich, worked his smoker the day before the party cooking up a ridiculous amount of pork and beef that we served sandwich style with horsey sauce along with several bottles of Larry’s favorite barbecue sauces. In addition to this salsa there was this Cucumber and Feta Greek Yogurt Dip paired up with pita chips (my weakness!) as well as tomato and mozzarella skewers and fresh fruit skewers. We also picked up some glorious macaroni and cheese and cornbread salad from our favorite local BBQ place. There was some good eating going on.

To say we had a great time would be an understatement. It brought me such pleasure to see my husband surrounded by all of his favorite people, dancing to his favorite music, watching clips from his favorite videos on the big screen, drinking his favorite drinks, eating his favorite food. Larry provided the entertainment – because in case you didn’t know, that’s what he’s good at – and we partied the night away. Since his birthday isn’t actually until this Friday, the 8th, the celebration continues this week…but in a little more low key let’s-go-out-for-fondue-with-the-kids kind of way.

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In case you haven’t noticed, I really enjoy cooking fish for dinner.  I’ve talked to many people who seem intimidated by working with fish, but it’s really so easy and has saved me many nights when I’m in a pinch to get something quick and healthy together.  I purchase a lot of my fish frozen, from Costco or Publix…and I prefer and try to buy only wild.  I don’t think I was comfortable cooking fish a few years ago as much as I am now…so if you’re new to it, just experiment with different techniques and recipes.  My favorite way to cook it is pan seared like in this recipe or broiled like this Sockeye Salmon with Citrus Glaze…it’s quick, easy clean up and I really love the seasoned texture it gets after it’s cooked.

As far as a side dish for a busy night, you really can’t get any quicker than cooking up some couscous.  I normally like to kick it up a bit by adding chopped veggies and eating almost like a salad but at room temperature.  Play around with flavors and ingredients…this Adobo Lime Fish with Confetti Couscous was very light and perfect for a nice summer meal.

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Adobo Red Snapper with Confetti Couscous

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Category: Fish
• Method: Stovetop

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Trying to add more fish in to your diet? Add this Adobo Lime Fish with Confetti Couscous to your meal plan for a ridiculously quick and perfectly light meal to your week!

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Ingredients

• 1 lb red snapper, if frozen defrost in fridge or under cold running water (I used frozen from Publix)
• 1 1/2tsp Adobo seasoning
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 box couscous (I like to use Near East)
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp olive oil (optional)
• 2–3 green onions, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup drained and rinsed black beans (I like to use Bush’s)
• juice from 1–2 limes

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Instructions

1. Prepare couscous according to cooking directions, I like to use only half of the seasoning packet to reduce the sodium. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Take fish fillets and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle adobo seasoning on both sides of fish fillets and gently place into pan. Cook fish fillets 3-4 minutes on each side until slightly browned and flaky.
3. While fish is cooking, fluff your couscous with a fork and add chopped veggies, beans and lime juice. Gently toss to combine. Taste for salt and pepper.

More fish recipes:

Parmesan Crusted Fish with Lemon and Capers

Salmon Spinach Bake

Chili Rubbed Fish with Quinoa Salad

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I’ve been hooked on this corn salad lately.  It goes so well as a side or topping to any of your favorite Mexican or even barbecue dishes and it’s fairly simple to put together.  It’s basically a copycat recipe of Chipotle’s corn salsa but I like to bulk up on the extra veggies and add crumbled queso fresco (which I get at Costco but have seen at Publix too, queso blanco is also a good sub).  I’m a huge fan of cilantro and lime so I add a ton of it, and as you can see in the photo I’m a little lazy about chopping the cilantro… I usually just roughly tear it and add it and the cheese to the salad right before I serving.

Great for a potluck summer barbecue…or to add to your Cinco de Mayo menu!  Enjoy!

Fresh (or frozen) Corn Salad

Ingredients:

• 6 ears of fresh corn (or about 3 cups of frozen corn kernels)
• 2-3 poblanos, roasted and chopped (see directions)
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 jalapeños, chopped
• handful of cilantro, roughly chopped or torn
• queso fresco, crumbled
• juice from 1-2 limes
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Roast poblanos on grill or in 425 degree oven turning often until skin is charred. Place in a bowl with lid or covered in saran wrap for about 10 minutes (this helps with removing the skin). Once peppers have cooled, gently remove skin, seeds and stem and chop.
2. Cook corn in boiling water for about 5-8 minutes. Carefully cut kernels off stems and add to salad bowl. If you want a roasted corn, cook in water first, then throw onto hot grill for a few minutes to char skin.
3. Combine corn, chopped roasted poblanos, chopped onion and jalapeños into a bowl. Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Right before serving add cilantro and queso fresco and toss gently to combine.

Recipe adapted from The Secret Recipe Blog

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