Adventures in the Kitchen: Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing

I made this for a strawberry and spinach salad on New Year's Eve, and ooh it was good.

Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup grated/minced onion (half of a small onion)
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1-1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions:

Add minced onion, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt to a blender or food processor and mix until combined. With the blender/food processor running, add the oils in a thin stream through the hole in the top. Blend until well mixed. Add poppy seeds and pulse just until mixed.

SALAD TIME!

Adventures in the Kitchen: Salsa Verde

Vee's Salsa Verde

So I followed a recipe I found online, but the end product was less than satisfactory. I started adding stuff that I felt it needed, like I always do. What resulted was one of the best things I've ever made IN THE HISTORY OF MY LIFE. I was so impressed with myself. Haha. Anyway. This stuff is the shit. And it goes on everything! Tacos, chicken, fries, crackers, scrambled eggs, baked potatoes...the list goes on. Please make it, and enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 Qt water
9 Whole Tomatillos (large, tomato-sized)
10 medium cloves garlic, whole
3 chiles serranos (vary according to preference for spice)
3 Tbsp + 1/2 cup white onion, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, with a bit of stem
3 Tbsp heavy cream
3 Tbsp chicken bouillon /caldo de pollo powder
juice from 1/2 a lime

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add tomatillos, 4 garlic cloves, chiles and 3 tbsp onion. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes and remove from heat. Drain and let cool. Meanwhile, puree remaining garlic cloves in a molcajete or food processor, adding salt to taste. Add cilantro, 1/2 cup uncooked onion, and blend. Add tomatillo mixture , cream, bouillon, and lime juice. Blend to desired consistency.





I <3 tomatillos.

Adventures in the Kitchen: Guacamole

Now that I've graduated and am once again living at home while I wait for the TEFL ball to start rolling, I've found myself with quite a bit of free time. One thing that I did a lot at school (but not quite as much as I wanted to) was cook; now seems like a good time to start it up again. I've somehow convinced my parents to let me have a grocery budget, so I've decided to peruse the internet for fun recipes and share all my kitchen adventures. Lucky you.

This first one though, I've been making for a while and is nottttttt from the internet. A Mexican friend initially taught me how to make guacamole, and I've since tweaked it a little bit. I know it's not technically "cooking," but I've been told it's pretty good and have been asked how to make it, so here it is. Measurements are more estimates than anything, but I tried to be as accurate as possible and pay attention to how much I was using this time. So, here it is:

Vee's Guacamole! I hope you like my happy cilantro garnish.

Ingredients:

2-3 large avocados
1/2 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
1 jalapeño, diced (keep the seeds for more spice)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 large lime
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp salt (at least!)
1 tsp chicken bouillon powder


Directions:

Peel avocados and mash them with a fork. As soon as you've done this, squeeze the lime over them (this keeps them from getting brown). Mix in all other ingredients, and add more salt/lime juice if needed. Mmm tasty. Now go get some chips.