Chimichurri to the rescue!

Chimichurri sauce, some say, is credited to the Argentinians. Venezuelans may argue it's their brilliance, however Mexicans try to steal the glory and claim it originates from their homeland. Personally I don't care who first thought of combining herbs like cilantro and parsley with lime (or lemon), olive oil, and vinegar. This incredibly zesty condiment is pretty darned GOOD and has made several appearances in my kitchen of late!

Photo credit: laylita.com

I made some of this deliciousness the other week by blending left-over cilantro, parsley, salt, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice until smooth--a great way to use up herbs that are looking kinda sad!

Here's the basic recipe I used as a guideline:

Chimichurri Sauce

(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice

6 large cloves garlic, chopped

Chimichurri is most commonly served on top of grilled meat or fish. I used some of it to adorn a delicious steak I had cooked for dinner one night, but after about a week in the fridge, there was still a lot of sauce leftover. Of course I couldn't bear the thought of throwing it out, so as I was thinking of what to do, I came up with a brilliant idea--if it goes well on top of meat, why not inside! Voila: Nina's Chimichurri Burger was born! I decided to use lean ground turkey breast, as it's high in protein and very low in fat (99% fat free).

Chimichurri Turkey Burgers

3/4 C chimichurri sauce (save about 2 T and mix into greek yogurt or mayonnaise for a tasty condiment!)

1 20-oz package ground turkey breast (can use chicken or lean beef instead)

To make the burgers, simply mix the chimichurri sauce into the meat and let it rest for at least a few hours (preferably overnight) in the fridge so the flavors can meld. No need to add extra salt, as the flavor of the sauce is perfectly seasoned. Remove from fridge, form into 4-oz patties and cook on a grill or stove. These burgers are incredibly juicy and flavorful, I was pleasantly surprised!

I suggest serving on a nice hearty (multi-grain if available) toasted bun topped with lettuce, a thick slice of sun-ripened heirloom tomato, and some of that chimichurri mayo/greek yogurt!

Now THAT'S a burger!!!

Pass the Prego! Non grazie.

I don't think I will never understand why the most popular brand of "tomato sauce" (in quotations for added effect) in America is called "you're welcome" in Italian--which is what "Prego" means. To me, it should be called "Non, grazie--no, thank you!" This "tomato sauce," in my humble opinion, is a travesty to authentic Italian cooking--it's the Olive Garden version of neighborhood trattorias lining the streets of Florence, it's the Wonder bread of artisanal Parisian baguette--simply put, a mere carcass (by look and taste), a shadow, of what it could be, what is should be. I admit I'm terribly spoiled, having been raised on homemade tomato sauce usually made from homegrown tomatoes. But I did have to eat Prego once in my life, and I will never forget the horrible taste of that pasty, disgustingly sweet (why do they insist on adding high fructose corn syrup?!), unnaturally thick, absolutely wretched red goo clinging to my pasta. It was simply unworthy of my tastebuds.

Yes, I'm a food snob.

Don't hate. Appreciate.

The top two reasons why people insist on buying jarred sauce are because "it takes too long to make" and "it's too difficult." What a misconception! For in a mere 15 minutes (the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta--or order and wait for delivery if you're that kind of person) and with four easy to find ingredients, you can be well on your way to naturally sweet, tangy goodness that will make your pasta sing! And heck, why not bust out with your own aria or two--or just leave it up to Pavarotti. And of course, if you have the time, there simply is nothing like a pot of tomato love that has simmered for 3 hours--the rich flavor of slow cooking just cannot be synthesized in 30 minutes (take that, Rachael Ray!).

I admit I do on occasion buy jarred pasta sauce, especially when tomatoes are out of season. And I am known to bring back 6 jars of my favorite over-priced sauce from a little store in Manhattan each time I go to visit--shameful, I know. But lucky for me, tomatoes are in season at my farmers market and the extra ripe ones were on clearance! Can't beat this deal---a big pot of organic sauce for $5! You can thank me later ("Grazie, Nina!"), and I'll be sure to respond with an enthusiastic "Prego!"

Grazie! (a more suitable name for authentic Tomato Sauce)

What I Used For Inspiration:

Extra ripe tomatoes from the market ($1/lb!!)

Basil that was about to go bye-bye

Ingredients: (makes a LARGE pot of sauce--feel free to scale down)

2 large onions

6-8 cloves of garlic (or 2 cloves of elephant garlic)

5 lbs tomatoes

1 C packed fresh basil

Check out this elephant garlic I bought!! One clove was like 4 times the size of my thumb nail! (and surprisingly not pungent--don't think I'll buy again)

Directions:

Roughly chop onions and garlic--they'll be pureed later. In a large sauce pot, heat up some olive oil. Add onions and garlic and cook on medium-low heat until softened.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and basil, and add to the pot! What beautiful colors!

Cover and let simmer for at least 30 minutes (or if you have the time, cook for a few hours on low heat--Nonna was right, it does make a difference)

When the tomatoes are sufficiently squishy...time to blend!

One of the best things God invented was the hand-held stick blender. Of course you can blend in a normal blender, but this is WAY more fun--you can blend liquids right in the pot without dirtying another dish!

Once thoroughly blended, season to taste with salt and pepper. Because most of my tomatoes were the yellow variety, my sauce has a pretty orange color and tastes more mild than if I had used all red tomatoes. And as a side note, because of the more mild flavor it could totally pass as tomato soup. HA!

Buon appetito!!

It's cool to make some coulis!

What I Used for Inspiration:

Strawberries on the fritz

I made the mistake of not refrigerating the strawberries I bought yesterday at the market (and to make matters worse they were suffocating in a plastic bag! horrors!)--this morning they were definitely on their last leg! There's no way I was going to throw them out, so instead I made a puree the French call coulis (say cool-ee). Coulis is basically a strained puree of fruit, traditionally made with berries. It's great to use as a topping for yogurt or ice cream, and can also go on top of cake (angel food, anyone?) or I suppose can be the base for making homemade jam (which is a lot easier to make than you'd think!)

In any event, I turned my berries-gone-wild into this delicious culinary canvas. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to give this a try! It's more of a technique than a recipe, so below are the step-by step photos.

Coulis aux fraises (Strawberry Coulis)

My berries don't look so bad in this photo, but trust me, they were on the verge of fermentation! haha

Instead of using the stove, I harnessed the power of microwave energy

After about 3 minutes in the microwave oven, the berries were nice and squishy. Be careful when you cook them--they have a tendency to boil over in the microwave and make a mess!

Next step is to pass them through a strainer...

....and squish the pulp! (it's good exercise, I swear!) The seeds and any other tough bits will be left in the strainer, the yummy pulp and juice ends up in the bowl.

Mmmmm pulp

All that should be left in the strainer is a bunch of insoluble fiber bits and seeds--ready for the compost bin!

What's remaining in the bowl is a smooth, semi-viscous puree of strawberry goodness. As the coulis cools off, the natural pectin from the fruit will thicken the liquid.

Berry coulis is a perfect naturally sweet topping for yogurt, ice cream, or cake. Enjoy!!