A Sizzling Salsa Tuesday

We spent way too much on Christmas. We always do. Not so much on the commercial aspects of Christmas, but we do give more to support the Church and the Community during the holidays. That’s a good thing. It’s the kind of overspending that feels great.

Once the Holy Days are behind us, I try to cut back a bit on the groceries. It’s not that we need to tighten the purse strings and wondering about the next meal. It’s that the freezer is filled with things we bought “on special” before the holidays hit, and now it’s time to use what’s there. Besides, we need to make room for the next wave of specials. Lenten Season isn’t far off, and that means all sorts of specials for shrimp, crab, and fish galore. It’s been a while since we’ve grilled up a marinated Salmon – but I’m getting ahead of myself, as usual.

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I interupt today’s post for something I feel needs to be said. The division in this country is just getting out of hand. If you don’t go along with the mainstream thinkers or choose to watch a Half-Time show that shares your values, suddenly you are the bad guy. The Super Bowl half-time show has been objectionable long before Bad Bunny. It’s not politcs. It’s the hijacking of an American Tradition for no other reason than to see just how offensive or in bad taste entertainment can get and if you don’t like being offended by all the bump and grind, you are a narrow-minded racist. Really? In our Church we have a Mass in Spanish for those who need a Spanish Mass. We recite the Rosary together in both Spanish and English. It’s not the language that was the problem. It’s everything else. And that’s all I’m going to say. Sorry for this ranting interuption – and now back to our regularly scheduled post.

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When I stood in front of the freezer, door wide open, and took stock of all there was inside, I noticed we had not one, not two but three packages of Citrus Marinated Chicken on the Chicken Shelf. (Yeah, we stock the freezer with Chicken on the top, followed by beef, then pork, then seafood. It makes meal planning easier.) This summer we had some amazing pepper harvests. Peppers were still growing well into November. The box of drying peppers for next year’s grind is more than we need, so I’ll be bottling up the pepper powder for anyone and everyone with a need for heat. And I don’t think we can stuff any more fresh peppers into the upper compartment of the garage refrigerator. Usually that freezer is reserved for things like French Fries and French Breads.

If you have never frozen your peppers to use later, consider this a warning. When the peppers freeze, ice crystals form inside, trapping the oils and seeds of the peppers. This results in a pepper that is much hotter than it started out to be. Think of it as having the same effect as late harvest ice wines. When the grapes are allowed to freeze on the vine, the sugar becomes more concentrated, the wines sweeter and fruiter.

The salsa I create from our frozen harvest was almost too hot to eat. Oh, but it sure with great with the Citrus Chicken. A little dap of salsa went a long, long way. Enjoy!

Citrus Marinated Chicken Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
Tomatillo Salsa
1 Habanero Pepper
2 small Jalapeño Peppers
6 Serrano Peppers
4 Scotch Bonnet Peppers
1 large mild Chili Pepper of choice
12 Tomatillos
Jalapeño Olive Oil as needed
Salt to taste
1/4 Red Onion
Lime Juice to taste

Heat oven to broil. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, set aside.

Stem peppers, arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Peel Tomatillos while rinsing under cold water. Split the Tomatillos in half. Place cut-side-down on the baking sheet with the peppers. Drizzle with just a little of the spicy olive oil. Place under the broiler for about 10 minutes, turning as needed to blister everything without burning. Set aside to cool.

Place in a strainer to drain away the liquid from roasting. Place the Tomatillos and peppers in a blender, pulse to puree, scraping down the sides as needed. Season with just a pinch of salt. Strain well for a thicker salsa, transfer to a glass non-reactive mixing bowl.

Cut a wedge from the red onion. Peel the wedge, finely minx and stir into the Salsa Verde. Taste, adjust flavors as desired with a splash of lime juice. Salsa is not ready to serve. Hold at room temperature.

Citrus Marinated Chicken
1 (24 oz) package Citrus Marinated Chicken
Spicy Olive Oil as needed

Warm a skillet over medium-high heat. Dice marinated chicken into small, bite-size pieces if necessary. Add chicken to the skillet, spread out in a single layer. Drizzle with spicy oil. Fry chicken meat until cooked through, breaking into smaller pieces as it cooks. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Tacos
1 cup Iceberg Lettuce
2 Roma Tomatoes
Cilantro, optional garnish
9 Corn Tortillas
Cooking Spray as needed
Mexican Cotija Cheese
Mexican Style Crema as desired

Stack lettuce leaves, roll tightly, then shred. Seed and finely dice tomatoes. Snip cilantro. Set aside until ready to use.

Spray tortillas with cooking spray, warm on a flat tortilla pan over medium heat. Keep warm until ready to assemble the tacos.

To assemble: Spread Mexican Style Crema over the entire tortilla. Spread a small amount of the Salsa over the crema, use spairingly (this is super hot). Fill tortillas with chicken meat. Finish tacos as desired with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with rice and beans.

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I had rather one day in Your courts
than a thousand elsewhere