Salsa Verde

Ever since my mom was deported I have felt this void in me. It is hard to think about a loved one being torn away from you and sent to the other side of the continent on their own. My mom had no family or friends in Tijuana, Mexico. The one thing they do not tell you about immigration is that when you are taken "back to where you belong" as some like to ignorantly say, they may take you back to a country you no longer know because you were too young to remember it or no longer have connections with. My mother had built a home and family in the United States and had it all taken away from her and had to start from scratch. 

These events have caused a great deal of emotional trauma leading me to fall into depression and even attempting suicide at one point. But I have learned to cope with those feelings and still try to keep in touch with my mother whether it is via Facebook or texting. My mom's situation has given me a new found appreciation for my culture and heritage. I openly embrace my Mexican heritage and when I cook I feel closest to her. 

I am fortunate enough to have the funds to be able to travel and visit her so this past week I paid her a visit. Tijuana is not the cleanest or safest city so I wanted to giver her a little vacation away from the ugly truth she has to live in. Chase and I rented a small home at a resort in Ensenada, Baja California. It was so nice to be able to look out the window and see the beach or go out and walk around the shore and even jump into a jacuzzi.  While we were in Ensenada we went out the town and visited the little shops and restaurants. It's amazing to see so many people out and about and have all these amazing scents of all kinds of delicious foods wafting around. I think one the things that is most popular in pretty much any Mexican city is the street tacos. You will find a vendor in almost any corner selling all kinds of tacos: chorizo, carne asada, al pastor, birria, etc. They all look and smell amazing but after having become a vegetarian I had to give all those things up. 

I wouldn't say that I gave them all up because I can certainly modify any dish to fit my dietary needs. Take for example these street tacos, they are so simple to make you just need some fresh tortillas, a protein, some good salsas and chopped onions and cilantro. Delicious! So I took my favorite meat substitute which is the Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo and made some tacos. This chorizo is so good! Granted I haven't had real chorizo in over a decade but it tastes just like the real thing. You simply pan fry it a little bit and then serve it on some warm tortillas as a taco and top it off with your favorite toppings. One of my favorites for vegetarian chorizo tacos is this salsa verde al molcajete. 

This salsa de tomatillo is really easy to make too. To continue on with my Mexican tradition I used a molcajete again but you can certainly use a food processor if you're feeling lazy. I start by setting my oven to broil on high and moving the rack to the highest notch in my oven which I think it's about 4-6 inches, the only time you want something that's 4 to 6 inches, am I right? 

Then cover a baking sheet with some aluminum foil. I suppose you could go bare but you'll end up with a mess no one likes to clean up. Shuck about 4 to 5 tomatillos and rinse them along with 4 serrano peppers. Place them on the baking sheet with 2 cloves of garlic and then throw them in the blazing hot oven. 

Keep an eye on it though because it will burn quickly, you want it to char but not turn to coal. Turn them over a couple of times in the process. The garlic should be done in like a minute or two. The peppers will come out in like 5 minutes and the tomatillos can stay in the oven for about 10 but like I said, keep turning them. 

While your ingredients are embracing the fiery pits of Hell or as we call it in NC, summer, small dice 1/4 of a white onion and about 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro. After you take your tomatillos out of the oven and they have a nice char to them add them to your molcajete or food processor along with your garlic, serranos and a good pinch of salt. Mush it up or blend it up until you get a somewhat smooth consistency, some chunks are good. Once that’s done fold in the chopped onions and cilantro and adjust your seasoning. Thats it!

Bon appetit!

Salsa Verde al Molcajete

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

4 to 5 tomatillos

4 serrano peppers

2 garlic cloves

1/4 onion, diced

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

pinch of salt

Set oven to broil on high. Place rack at highest level in oven.

Shuck and rinse tomatillos and serrano peppers. Pat dry.

Place peppers, tomatillos and garlic on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake and char turning occasionally.

Remove garlic after about 2 minutes, remove peppers after about 5 minutes and tomatillos after 10 minutes. Keep turning.

Place peppers, tomatillos, garlic and salt into molcajete/food processor and pulse until somewhat smooth.

Fold in chopped onions and cilantro. Adjust seasoning and serve on your favorite tacos or enjoy with chips.