Posted on by kitchenadmin

Chimichurri Variation

One of the most delicious things that I have found on my visits to Argentina is the chimichurri that is often served with their steaks. As I was playing around with some herbs from my garden and what happened to be in my fridge, I came up with this variation on the Argentinean classic. It is quick, easy, and tasty! Try it out and play with your own variations on it! Log in and post your results below as well.

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves
½ sweet onion (vidalia)
¼ tsp chili pepper flakes
3-4 mini bell peppers
1/3 cup kalamata olives
3 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
3 tbsp chopped mint leaves
3 tbsp chopped basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
juice from half a lemon
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp sea salt

Instructions:
Peel and press the garlic. Chop the onion very finely and cut the leaves of the herbs into razor thin short strips. Mix this together with the chili pepper and vinegar. Add two thirds of the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Chop the peppers and olives very finely and add to the mix along with the oregano. Stir well and taste it. Does it need more of something? Go ahead and add it according to your taste. Add remaining olive oil until you reach a desired consistency. Enjoy with a steak or fresh bread!

Posted on by kitchenadmin

Mango Salsa

This is one of easiest and most delicious snack items one can make. You just chop it all up and mix it. That’s pretty much all there’s too it. The biggest challenge is making sure to chop it finely enough and to peel the mango. I have some great tools and tips for that, though.

Ingredients:
2-3 Mangoes–peeled and finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup fresh cilantro—chopped with mostly leaves and no coarse stems
1 finely chopped small jalapeno
¼ tsp chili flakes
juice from ½ squeezed lime

Instructions:
Chop all the ingredients and stir together in a bowl and add the lime juice last. Let it sit for about an hour in the fridge for the flavors to blend, but you can also serve it directly.

Variations & Tips:
Use serrano pepper if you want more heat to the salsa. The sweetness of the mangoes will temper some of the heat. If you want a milder salsa, omit the seeds and pith from the pepper. You can also choose a milder pepper, such as poblano.
Yellow mangoes tend to be sweeter and juicier than the red/green larger variant. For the salsa, I prefer the smaller mangoes.

How to Peel a Mango:
This Mango cutter tool makes it quick and easy to cut and peel the mango. The first cut will separate the pit. After that, you can easily scrape the peel off against the sides of the plastic part. Cut the remaining fruit off the pit, chop it all up, and you are done!

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