Authentic Homemade Fire Roasted Mexican Salsa!

This salsa makes me angry. It makes me angry because I have been paying $4 for little jars of salsa for year and years, and now I find out that making your own big jar of salsa is not only delicious and easy, but it's also dirt cheap! Do you have access to some tomatoes, garlic, onions, and jalapeno peppers? Then you have the making of some great salsa on your hands.

This being me, I am also excited to have more control over the ingredients, and I can keep out nasty villains like corn syrup, excessive sodium, and preservatives, and risky chemicals like BPA or whatever else they use to line cans and jar lids. But that's just me and my ever lasting quest to get more healthy food into my family!

I have only made this one way, but I like to think that this is a good base recipe for making different flavors of sauce. Here are some suggestions for flavors:

Three Pepper: Add 3 cored bell peppers to roasting pan, in red, orange, and yellow
Garlic Chipotle: Replace jalapeno with 1 - 2 canned Chipotle peppers (depending on how spicy you want it) and 1 tsp adobo sauce. Increase garlic to 5-6 cloves
Pineapple: Add 2 thick slices cored fresh pineapple, or 1/2 a cup drained canned pineapple
Spicy Smoky Peach: Add 1 fresh peach, slices in half and pit removed, and replace jalapeno with 1/2 a chipotle pepper + adobo (or more if you like it hot!)
Double Chipotle: Add 1 - 2 canned chipotle peppers + adobo sauce, and 1 teaspoon smoke chipotle chili powder

Authentic Homemade Fire Roasted Mexican Salsa Recipe
adapted from Everyday Food, June 2011

Ingredients
4-5 ripe tomatoes, sliced in half, and seeds removed
2-4 jalapeno peppers, tops cut off, and seeds removed (use your discretion here - if you like your salsa mild, use one pepper with the seeds removed. It you like it really spicy, do 4 peppers with the seeds still in, since that's the spiciest part.
2 cloves garlic, skin on
1 large white onion, peeled and cut in half
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped (about 1 cup loosely packed)
lime juice
sea salt
cracked black pepper
additional pepper if desired, such as cayenne or chipotle

1. Turn on oven broiler. A gas stove is best, since you will get that awesome flame kissed flavor, but an electric stove will work too. Place tomatoes and onion cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet, along with garlic and jalapenos. broil 5-10 minutes, until tomatoes and onions are softened and charred (if garlic begins to burn, remove it early). Remove from boiler, and let cool to handle.

2. Roughly chop tomatoes, onion, and jalapenos, and peel garlic. Place in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add chopped cilantro, the juice of 1 lime (about 1.5 tablespoons), sea salt, pepper, and chili (if using), and pulse until incorporated. Taste, and correct seasoning. Serve immediately, or transfer to a container, and refridgerate up to 4 days (or, you could can it and stock your pantry!) enjoy!

Chili Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

I don't know about you, but for me and for the longest time, "sweet potatoes" conjured up images of mushy orange lumps poured out of a can, topped with a molten layer of charred mini-marshmallows. The only time I ever came in contact with a sweet potato was during the thanksgiving meal (their traditional venue), so I didn't really have to work hard to avoid them either. Like many of the other "scary" foods in the produce section (rutabaga anyone? Jicama?) I gave sweet potatoes a wide berth, and went straight for the more familiar Idaho potatoes.




This was, of course, a huge disservice to a totally delicious vegetable, because sweet potatoes, fresh (not canned) and not topped with high fructose corn syrup? Delicious! Nutritious! In addition to tasting wonderful (really), they pack a powerful nutritional punch. They are full of all kinds of healthy goodies, like beta carotene, vitamins C and B6, calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Compared to white potatoes, they are a superfood! And add to that their low glycemic index, and you have one very body-friendly food, and did I mention how great they taste? Oh, I did. Well, just in case you forgot already, THEY TASTE REALLY GOOD.

This particular recipe is what got me turned onto sweet potatoes in the first place, and let me warn you: these are not your mother's sweet potatoes! Rich, sweet, smoky and spicy, these make a great snack or side dish. Try them with burgers, tacos, or grilled steaks, or try them as an afternoon snack.






Chili Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
Adapted from Everyday Food

Tis the season for sweet potatoes, so they are at their best right now. Look for ones that are crisp and firm, without bruises or soft spots. Store them on the counter, and don't keep them around too long. Unlike white potatoes, they store for weeks, not months, and once they get old they will get tough and lose their flavor.

If you want this recipe to be even lower on the glycemic scale (or you don't eat sugar, etc. etc.), I am sure you could substitute agave nectar, honey, or even grade A maple syrup for the sugar. The chili isn't actually very spicy, so if you want your potatoes to have a little more kick, you can also add in 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper.


Ingredients
3-4 medium sweet potatoes
2 tbs olive oil
1 tablespoon fine sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshy ground black pepper




Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut 3-4 medium sweet potatoes into wedges, and arrange on a baking sheet.




In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon fine sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Whisk with a fork, and drizzle over sweet potato wedges.




Toss to combine, and until potatoes are completely covered in the chili sauce.




Bake in preheated over for 15- 20 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven, and let cool.




Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, two ways

Before James was born, I thought that a baby would have zero impact on our food budget. After all, babies are so tiny! They couldn't possibly eat more than a few tablespoons of food at a time.. right? Well, maybe some babies don't eat much, but my baby has an appetite the size of Manhattan. I cannot fill that kid up! I feel like I spend most of my time roasting, steaming, and sauteing food for that kid, because, number #2945 of things-they-don't-tell-you-before-you-have-a-baby, BABIES EAT A LOT. You think that a person who only weighs 20 lbs would eat less than his parents, but sometimes I think he eats more than the both of us put together.

If you are new here, I can't eat gluten (wheat protein), and James can't eat casein (milk protein) or soy, and James isn't old enough to eat eggs or meat yet, which means, essentially... I have a voracious infant vegan on my hands. Who is also gluten-free and soy-free. Oh my. (I would like to point out that we eat this way for legitimate medical reasons, not as an affectation or because it happens to be the fad right now. Why people think diet restrictions are hip or sophisticated is beyond me. After three years of eating gluten free, I would kill for a chocolate croissant or a slice of sourdough bread that wouldn't, you know, kill me.)





In the beginning, I had no idea what to feed him, and so for the first couple of weeks we ate quite a lot of bananas, rice noodles, apple sauce and steamed carrots (and oh, how that child needed more fiber in his diet. Whoops! Sorry baby.) But after a while I started to get my groove on and got smart to some excellent vegan alternatives: coconut oil for butter, almond milk for cow's milk, coconut milk for cream. After a while, it actually got a little fun, and to be honest, this whole "feed a vegan baby" has turned out to be quite a good thing for all of us. We are cooking lighter and fresher, and it has forced me given me the opportunity to try all kinds of new vegetables. Scary vegetables. Vegetables I have been putting off trying for about 20 years. Things Like kale (yummy), brussel sprouts (so fun!), beets (stains everything pink), and squash (FAAAB!). I can't believe that until now I have never even tried butternut squash. If you like pumpkin flavored anything, you'll like butternut squash. It's got the same rich buttery taste and smooth texture, but is pumpkin's sweeter, lighter cousin. It's great roasted, steamed, mashed, sauteed, slathered in butter, sprinkled with kosher salt etc. etc. I love it and we have been eating one or two a week all month.

The following recipe can be made two ways: soup for mama, and soup for baby. Vegan, and not vegan. Mama's way includes butter and half & half, baby's vegan way includes coconut oil and coconut milk. Both ways are delicious!





Roasted Butternut Squash Soup • Vegan and Not-Vegan

Butternut Squash is in season right now and tastes its best this time of year. Roasting it is my favorite way of eating it; it really brings out the flavor and adds in all these delicious caramel notes. Look for fruits that are very firm with smooth waxy skin, and are heavy for their size. Those ones taste the best!


Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash
1 medium brown onion, diced
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh thyme, minced (2-3 tablespoons)
4 cups stock (vegetable, beef, or chicken)
2-3 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup half & half or coconut milk
kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, and roast, cut side down, on a baking sheet, until skin is browned and flesh is soft when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool. Scoop out seeds.




Scoop and scrape the flesh from the skin, and reserve in a large bowl.




Meanwhile, heat butter (or coconut oil) in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until softened and beginning to brown.



.
Add stock, scraping up any browned bits that cling to the pan. Add squash, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you stir. Bring to a boil.





Lightly puree soup in a food processor to taste - some people like it more chunky, some like it less. Just don't over-puree it so that it has no texture at all! Return soup to pot, add 1/2 & 1/2 or coconut milk, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Depending on the thickness of the soup, you can add more stock (or some water) to thin it our, or if it is too thin simmer it down to the desired consistency. Adjust seasonings, serve, and enjoy!

Sundried Tomatoes - in the oven!

Dear Internet,

I'm sorry I haven't written. I still love you. It's just that I have been very busy with PROJECT TUDOR WEDDING GOWN 2009, and it's kept me, well, busy. Please accept this sun-dried tomato recipe (IN! THE! OVEN!) as sort of, um, an "I'm sorry" present. What, exactly is PROJECT TUDOR WEDDING GOWN 2009? Well... You may or may not remember that my real job, the one that pays actual money (as opposed to my "mom" job, which definitely does not) is a dressmaking business. Specifically, I make period attire for weddings, reenactments, balls and masquerades, etc. It's a fantastic job where I get to be creative, work flexible hours, and most importantly (to me anyways) I get to stay home with Little Lord Thunder Thighs.




I think it's bad luck to talk about a gown before it's finished, so I'm just going to keep the actual gown under wraps until it's done. All I can say it, it's going to be FABU-FRICKIN-LOUS. I can, however, show you my "practice" gown I made in a different fabric and size. I had never made this specific period, so I wanted to practice before I made the real thing. This gown, by the way, is for sale on Ebay RIGHT NOW! BUY BUY BUY! Just kidding. Kinda.



So, anyway. Internet, let's get together next week when I'm done with this whole PROJECT WEDDING GOWN 2009 business. Let's have brunch. In the meanwhile, please accept this offering of sundried tomatoes: IN! THE! OVEN! Good times.

love forever,

Becks.



Sundried tomatoes - In! The! Oven!

Every summer, I vow to make hundreds and hundreds of these and pack them in olive oil, and then invariably I only make one pan, and I eat them all up in one day like candy. Because that's exactly what they are: TOMATO CANDY!

Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, or other type of tomato actually, but cherry tomatoes are the best IMHO
- that's it.



Preheat oven to 200 degrees, or whatever the lowest setting is. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Arrange, cut side up on a baking sheet.



Bake in 200 degree oven until withered and gummy, but not crunchy, rotating every hour or so and letting some of the heat out of the oven. Takes anywhere from 2 hours to more, depending on the size of the tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes take about 2 hours. enjoy!

Sauteed Summer Corn with Mushrooms and Cilantro

This is one of those recipes where you read the list of ingredients and say "those flavors don't go together!" but then you taste it and it's AMAZING. Like, completely, mind-blowingly amazing. I first had this dish, well, ok, a similar dish, last summer when we ate out at The Slanted Door in San Francisco. I know everyone is always raving about the Slanted Door's shaking beef or whatever, but this dish is the one I couldn't get out of my mind. Fresh sweet white corn. Mushroom. A hint of heat. Butter. AMAZING. If I recall, the original had green onions and chanterelles, but I've been making it with cilantro and crimini mushrooms and loving it.



It's getting to the end of the summer, and I imagine you are starting to get tired of corn on the cob, and you're ready to shake things up a bit. And also, you probably have fresh sweet corn coming out your ears this time of year. This would be a great bring-along dish for a barbecue, or just a great side for a weeknight dinner.




Fresh Sweet White Corn, Sauteed with Crimini Mushroons and Cilantro

Ingredients
- 5 ears sweet white corn, husks removed and kernels cut from cobs
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms, stems removed and cut into a medium dice
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 a stick) (to make this dairy free, substitute coconut oil or olive oil. Both are healthy and delicious!)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro (about 1/2 a cup)
- kosher salt
- cracked black pepper

In a medium heavy bottomed skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat. When butter has melted and is just beginning to brown, add 1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms, and saute until softened and browned.

Reduce heat to medium high, and add corn kernals from five ears of corn, as well as the rest of the butter. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika. Stir to combine. Continue to saute until corn kernals are softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro. Enjoy!

Four Pepper Black Bean Salad with Tangy Lime Vinaigrette

Oh internet. How I've missed you. What happened to us? Remember back when we used to hang out and talk about recipes every other day? And then tell each other secrets and brush each other's hair? Good times.

So. I don't even want to go into where I've been over the past two weeks, I don't want to bore you with tales of mystery soup and the odds and ends of our pantry and freezer. Honestly, I'm just too tired to even go into it all right now. Lets just say that the baby has been difficult (night. waking. every. hour. ack.) and there may have been a week or two where I mismanaged the budget and consequently, we didn't buy much in the way of groceries. There were also some failed pickles. I don't even want to talk about the stupid failed pickles. GAR! Damn pickles. I will conquer you yet!

Aaaanyway.






Lets talk about brighter things. Bell peppers! Oh, how I love them. I love them especially in this salad, in all it's tangy goodness. And darlings, it's so simple! This is one of my go-to recipes for summer, and it's a great on a hot summer evening, or as a pot-luck item at a summer barbecue. And of course, bell peppers are in season right now, so they are delicious and cheap. What's not to love?



Four Pepper Black Bean Salad with Tangy Lime Vinaigrette


What's the difference between a green, yellow, orange, and red bell pepper? They are actually all the same vegetable, just in different stages of ripeness.* The riper the pepper, the more red and sweet it is. I like that this salad has all four colors, because it provides a broad range of flavors, from the crisp tartness of a green pepper to the sharp sweetness of a red one, and the mellow flavor of the oranges and yellows between. Mix it up with some creamy black beans and lime vinaigrette, and you've got one hec of a salad.

* UPDATE: I stand corrected. While green and red peppers are indeed the same plant, yellow and orange strains are different altogether. Thanks Elizabeth! :)

Ingredients
4 bells peppers, preferably in green, yellow, orange, and red
1 14oz can of black beans
1 small red onion (or 1/2 a medium one)
1 bunch cilantro
3 limes
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (reduce to 1/2 if you want it milder)
kosher salt
black pepper



Take your four bell peppers and dice them up. Oh, what's that you say? You want me to explain how to do that? Oh! Oh! So excited! K, here goes: First cut the top off a bell pepper. Set it aside. It is a tasty snack for you to eat.




then cut off the bottom of the bell pepper. Revolutionary, right?




Cut pepper into thirds, and remove ribs and seeds.




Slice each third into strips...




... then cut across the strips to make little cubes. Voila! diced bell pepper. Wasn't that easy?




Remember that bottom? We are not done with it.




Slice into strips...




...and then slice crosswise. Wow, we are having SO MUCH FUN. Why did I neglect you for so long, internet o' mine? After this, let's go boil some water! Yeah! Good times. Repeat with other peppers, and then put all those peppers in a medium bowl.




Open 1 can of black beans. Oh yuck. What IS that stuff around the beans? I don't know, but let's wash those beans off.




Oh, so much better. Add to the bowl of peppers.




Now take 1 small red onion.




Slice into, er, slices.




Then slice those slices into, er, dices. Woo! I'm on a roll here. Add to peppers and beans.




Finely chop 1 bunch cilantro. Add to peppers, beans, and onions.




Ready for that vinaigrette? Add the juice of three limes.




Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk together. Add 1/3 cup olive oil in a slow steady stream, still whisking. Whisk until combined.




Add 3 tablespoons honey.




Whisk in 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Whisk together and pour over pepper black bean mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly.




Let rest 5-10 minutes, to give the flavors a chance to meld. Enjoy!