Tomatillo Salsa, Upside Down Verde Tacos, and Go Fail at Something

Did you know I contribute to a fitness website?  Neither did I, but apparently, I do!  ((I'll link to it once I manuever myself into a position where I can add more content to the site.))  I found out about it, oddly enough, when I got asked if I could "clean up" some of the recipes, add a "healthy living" tab, or at least offer healthier substitution suggestions so that her readers don't get led astray.

Luckily, I was one step ahead.  It's now officially Spring, whether it feels like it or not where you are, that means it is time to quit eating our feelings and suck it up, Buttercup.  Given the pepperpalooza from Sunday, I thought tomatillo salsa would be a good addition.

Tomatillos are basically kind of like little green tomatoes that come in a husk.  Don't be scared.

Here's what you need:

12 tomatillos, shucked ((I have no idea if it is called "shucking" them like corn, but as previously noted, it's my blog and I'll write what I want to))
1/2 medium onion, chopped into big chunks
3 green onions, the white part ((save the green parts))
3 cloves of garlic, peeled, but whole
1 jalapeno, somewhat deseeded to reduce heat, and split in 4
1 handful of cilantro
1 lime for juice
Sea salt

Get after it:

Heat a large skillet over high heat.  You want it good and hot.  Spray it with cooking spray ((you could use a little bit of oil, but we have turned over a new leaf)) and throw in the tomatillos, onion, green onions, garlic, and jalapeno.  We are not trying to "cook" them, but we want to get the onions softened up, some black gunk on the sides of everything, and to bring out the flavors.  See?

About halfway there

Pull it off the stove and let it cool off for a while or until you get too impatient.  Pull out a few of the onions and set them aside.  Put the rest into a food processor ((I have a Ninja that I love because I like saying "Ninja")) or a blender.  Add in the cilantro and give it a few pulses to get everything pretty finely diced.  Pour it out into a glass dish, add several cracks of sea salt and squeeze a lime into it.  Stir it around, stick your finger in it, and sample.  If it needs more *something,* add some more *something.*  ((I usually find that a little more salt or another lime is the trick.))  It's not going to be the most beautiful looking thing you ever made, but here it is:

Very Verde

You can use it for chips, on tacos, on a salad, or whatever!   This probably makes about 24 servings, but I really am not sure.

Nutritional Info:  FREE!  This has under 10 calories and no fat in about 4 tablespoons.

This didn't come from any particular recipe other than the pile of nonsense in my own head.

*****

I decided to take this and some of the peppers from the other day and make something up for lunch.  I honestly had no clue what I was even setting out to make when I started and it turned into what shall now be known as Upside Down Verde Tacos because I can't come up with anything better for a name.

What you need (for two servings):

4 corn tortillas (although flour would totally work; I used the really small corn ones)
16 small, cooked shrimp
8 tablespoons sweet peppers, chopped
8 tablespooons *cooked* onion, chopped  ((I warned you to save this from the tomatillo salsa making process!))
Cilantro
Green onion tops
1/4 cup of Mexican shredded cheese
Dollop of sour cream

What I did that I'm not sure you should necessarily repeat although this was really yummy:

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a small glass baking dish, after spraying it with cooking spray, put 4 corn tortillas in, attempting to get them to stand up somewhat.  Add in about two tablespoons EACH of both the cooked onion and the sweet peppers.  Add a little bit of cheese and your fancy, new green salsa.  Put the shrimp on top and roll them into thirds as best you can.  Flip them around and put the seam side down.  ((They will probably not be cooperating the best, but things don't always have to be perfect.  Relax.))  Over the former bottom which is now the top, drizzle a little bit more of your salsa and another sprinkle of the cheese.

Bake, uncovered for about 15-20 minutes.  ((Because I used cooked shrimp, I was just trying to get the cheese melted and everything heated through.))

Remove to a plate and garnish with cilantro, the chopped green onion tops, a squeeze of lime, and maybe a dollop of sour cream.

I just put some of the sweet peppers on the side as a little salad...  You could do a side of pinto or black or refried beans, corn on the cob, Mexican rice, or a regular lettuce salad for the side.

 
There you have it!  Nutritional Info:  For two tacos, about 350 calories, BUT 260 of that is from the corn tortillas, so if you replace them with flour tortillas or the low-carb multigrain onces, you can shave off 120 calories.   I also went very easy with the cheese and didn't add sour cream.

*****

Yesterday, a friend who I hadn't seem in quite some time came up and said, "I would totally pay you to teach me to make some things.  I can barely boil water and I love your food.  Do you do that?"  Ummmmmmm, I do now!  I couldn't think of much that would be more enjoyable than to have a friend over for two hours, she brings the ingredients from a list I give her and a bottle of wine, and I show her how to make it!  We'll then take pictures for this corner of the internet, and I make a few bucks!  I can't believe people will pay me money just to have fun.  It's crazy.

In other news, our application is in and it looks totally, completely, and utterly amazing amazing amazing.  We worked really hard on it and it shows.  As I have said, even if nothing comes of it, we tried, we had a blast doing it, and it is super fun to dream about it.  So many people are afraid to try things and afraid to "fail."  EFF THAT.  If you haven't tried, you have failed.

With that, go do something that scares you.  I am.   Basically constantly.