Creamy Tomatillo Dip

Creamy Tomatillo Dip | A Thought For Food

Creamy Tomatillo Dip | A Thought For Food

It's funny that just a few days ago, as we prepared for our trip to Texas, our CSA sent us a bag of tomatillo just to get us in the mood. I have a lot of love for these little guys. First off, aren't those husks just so cool? And then there's the flavor. Ever since I first cooked with them, I've been struck by their tartness. Where most dishes need acid to give it a boost, tomatillos have enough that additional lemon or lime juice is unnecessary.

The last time I played around with tomatillos, I turned them into a pesto and tossed them with pasta. Of course, my mind went in a similar direction this time, but to spruce things up, I made a creamy (and spicy) dip. Roasting allows them to blister, adding a bit of smokiness to the dip.

I may or may not post next week (who the heck knows?!?!) as we'll be touring (aka eating and drinking) our way through Austin and Dallas.  We're super excited to spend some time with friends and family. I'm ready for a taco and a margarita! That's what they eat there, right?

Creamy Tomatillo Dip | A Thought For Food

Creamy Tomatillo Dip | A Thought For Food

Creamy Tomatillo Dip

Tools Baking pan Immersion blender (or a regular blender)

Ingredients 8 oz tomatillos, husks removed 2 serrano peppers, seeds removed 3 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt 1/4 cup fresh cilantro 4 oz goat cheese

Tortilla chips, crackers or pretzels, for dipping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

2. Toss tomatillos, peppers, and garlic cloves in olive oil and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt.  Transfer tomatillos and peppers to the prepared baking pan. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the skin of the tomatillos and peppers become blistered. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.

3. Transfer these ingredients to a large bowl (or use the large measuring cup that comes with most immersion blenders) and puree with an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can use a regular blender to do this.  Add cilantro and goat cheese and blend to incorporate.

4. Check for seasoning and, if necessary, add additional salt.  Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa | A Thought For Food

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa | A Thought For Food

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa | A Thought For Food

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa | A Thought For Food

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa | A Thought For Food

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa | A Thought For Food

I shouldn't complain. I really shouldn't.  Our kitchen is quite lovely, especially for a city apartment.  I've heard about (in fact, I've cooked in) some tiny spaces that barely fit one or two people.  We actually have a table in ours and have managed to fit 15+ folks in the room (standing, of course).  For me, the real challenge comes with the light. If you're just eating in there, it's fine... but for those of us who obsessively take pictures of our food, well, a well-lit kitchen is key.

Rarely do I photograph dishes in our kitchen, instead I move things out to our living room or our back deck to get the shots. It often means I need to get creative, shooting things close up or using textured backgrounds to make it pop.

If I need to work on a bigger project, I pack up bags of props, my lenses and any ingredients and I take a trip to my mother-in-law's to use her newly renovated kitchen.  The light in there is magnificent and with all the beautiful appliances, I get a little spoiled by the experience.

This is what I did just last week on a day when I needed to do a shoot for a client and wanted to also work on a dish for the OXO "Very Vegetarian Recipe Challenge," which I'm really thrilled to be a part of. The guidelines for this competition are as follows: use three of the six OXO gadgets they were so generous to send participants to make a vegetarian dish that can serve at least 2 people, be made in 30 minutes or less, and incorporated veggies, a starch/grain, and dairy. Sounds easy, right? Well, we also couldn't use certain things, like blenders, a Dutch oven, or my favorite kitchen appliance, a food processor (WAH!!!!). But, you know what? When forced to think outside the box, you tend to do your best work and, I have to say, I think this was one fantastic salad.  In fact, I plan on putting this on my Thanksgiving menu.  Yeah, it was that good.

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa | A Thought For Food

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa | A Thought For Food

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa

Tools Sauce pot Mandoline slicer (from OXO) Whisk (from OXO) Salad dressing container (from OXO) Sauté pan

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients 1/2 cup uncooked red quinoa 1 cup veggie broth (low sodium is fine if preferred) 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed 1 honeycrisp apple 2 cups mixed greens, rinsed and dried 2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt

Dressing Ingredients3 tablespoons Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons honey 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Juice of 1/2 a lemon Kosher salt

Instructions

1. To cook the quinoa, add the veggie broth to a pot and bring to a boil.  Stir in the quinoa, cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer until all the veggie broth has been absorbed, approximately 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the rest of the salad.  Place the greens on a platter.  Using the mandoline, thinly slice the fennel bulb and apple. Drizzle a little lemon juice on top of the apple slices so they don't brown.  Decorate the greens with the fennel and apple and set aside.

3. Next, make the dressing by whisking together the greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, and honey.  Transfer the yogurt mixture into a salad dressing shaker and add 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt.  Shake vigorously for 10 seconds.

4. Once the quinoa is done cooking, open the pot lid and let rest for 2 minutes.

5. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a medium sauté pan.  Set over medium-high heat.  Once the oil has heated, add the quinoa to the pan and spread out across the surface.  Refrain from stirring as this will allow the quinoa to crisp up.  After 2-3 minutes, give the quinoa a stir and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt.  Remove from heat.

6. Using a spoon, sprinkle the quinoa on top of the sliced fennel and apple.  Drizzle dressing on top and serve.

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa

I shouldn't complain. I really shouldn't.  Our kitchen is quite lovely, especially for a city apartment.  I've heard about (in fact, I've cooked in) some tiny spaces that barely fit one or two people.  We actually have a table in ours and have managed to fit 15+ folks in the room (standing, of course).  For me, the real challenge comes with the light. If you're just eating in there, it's fine... but for those of us who obsessively take pictures of our food, well, a well-lit kitchen is key.

Rarely do I photograph dishes in our kitchen, instead I move things out to our living room or our back deck to get the shots. It often means I need to get creative, shooting things close up or using textured backgrounds to make it pop.

If I need to work on a bigger project, I pack up bags of props, my lenses and any ingredients and I take a trip to my mother-in-law's to use her newly renovated kitchen.  The light in there is magnificent and with all the beautiful appliances, I get a little spoiled by the experience.

This is what I did just last week on a day when I needed to do a shoot for a client and wanted to also work on a dish for the OXO "Very Vegetarian Recipe Challenge," which I'm really thrilled to be a part of. The guidelines for this competition are as follows: use three of the six OXO gadgets they were so generous to send participants to make a vegetarian dish that can serve at least 2 people, be made in 30 minutes or less, and incorporated veggies, a starch/grain, and dairy. Sounds easy, right? Well, we also couldn't use certain things, like blenders, a Dutch oven, or my favorite kitchen appliance, a food processor (WAH!!!!). But, you know what? When forced to think outside the box, you tend to do your best work and, I have to say, I think this was one fantastic salad.  In fact, I plan on putting this on my Thanksgiving menu.  Yeah, it was that good.

Shaved Fennel, Apple and Crispy Quinoa

Tools Sauce pot Mandoline slicer (from OXO) Whisk (from OXO) Salad dressing container (from OXO) Sauté pan

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients 1/2 cup uncooked red quinoa 1 cup veggie broth (low sodium is fine if preferred) 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed 1 honeycrisp apple 2 cups mixed greens, rinsed and dried 2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt

Dressing Ingredients 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons honey 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Juice of 1/2 a lemon Kosher salt

Instructions

1. To cook the quinoa, add the veggie broth to a pot and bring to a boil.  Stir in the quinoa, cover and reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer until all the veggie broth has been absorbed, approximately 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the rest of the salad.  Place the greens on a platter.  Using the mandoline, thinly slice the fennel bulb and apple. Drizzle a little lemon juice on top of the apple slices so they don't brown.  Decorate the greens with the fennel and apple and set aside.

3. Next, make the dressing by whisking together the greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, and honey.  Transfer the yogurt mixture into a salad dressing shaker and add 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt.  Shake vigorously for 10 seconds.

4. Once the quinoa is done cooking, open the pot lid and let rest for 2 minutes.

5. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a medium sauté pan.  Set over medium-high heat.  Once the oil has heated, add the quinoa to the pan and spread out across the surface.  Refrain from stirring as this will allow the quinoa to crisp up.  After 2-3 minutes, give the quinoa a stir and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt.  Remove from heat.

6. Using a spoon, sprinkle the quinoa on top of the sliced fennel and apple.  Drizzle dressing on top and serve.