avocado tomatillo salsa & fresh pico de gallo.

here’s my ideal situation:

chips, guacamole, fresh pico de gallo, a creamy green salsa, and beer with lime.

this avocado tomatillo salsa is inspired by the most delicious green salsa in town at rosita’s mexican grill in the greenlake neighborhood of seattle. my relationship with rosita’s runs deep and holds a very special place in my heart of the first years i lived in seattle.

my friend ashleigh and i were even in a very embarrassing tv news spot about rosita’s when we were having happy hour there once. the news guy had us talk to the camera about why we love rosita’s (my worst nightmare already - i am famous for awkward word vomit and i belong behind the camera, folks). Then after we had finished our margaritas & food he CAME BACK to ask us to record it ALL OVER AGAIN because his sound was off (double whammy nightmare post-margaritas).

all that to say…rosita’s green salsa is incredible and i wanted to try and recreate it at home. i’m not even 100% sure what is in their salsa, but the version i came up with was very goooooood.

i have a very vague guacamole recipe from like 4 years ago here on my blog. i will have to redo that guacamole post to make it more specific because it deserves it’s own spotlight!

while i was at it, i wanted to add a super fresh pico de gallo recipe to my arsenal!

so i made all three recipes last friday afternoon, just in time for a weekend trip to visit my bestie and her hubs. there were rave reviews of all three items and we even did a funny little taste sesh to put their taste buds to the test to see how many flavors they could identify. v wild friday night! this is how i know i’m getting older….lol. but it was fun!

there’s soooo much chopping involved here - making all three of these items at once is a labor of love.

i’d recommend putting a show up on your device and the time will fly as you chop chop chop away. the time spent is worth it for all these super delicious flavors that are ideal to share with a group or at a party!

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yields about 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 5-6 large tomatillos, peeled and rinsed and cut in half

• 3 large garlic cloves, kept in their skin

• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup water (+ 1-3 TB extra)

• 1 TB diced jalapeño

• 1 serrano pepper, seeded & diced (optional, for extra heat)

• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

• 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion

• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

• juice of 1/2 a large lime + some pulp

• 1 TB. white vinegar

• 1 medium avocado (I used 3/4 of a large avocado)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place the cut tomatillos cut side down on the foil. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on the tin foil as well. Roast the tomatillos and garlic for about 15 minutes, until very fragrant and tomatillos begin to brown and bubble. Remove from oven and let cool. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins; discard garlic skins.

In a large food processor, add the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeño, serrano pepper, olive oil and water. Process for a few minutes, until very well combined. Add the chopped cilantro, white onion, salt, vinegar and lime juice and process on high for a few more minutes until you can barely see the cilantro bits.

Finally, add the avocado to the food processor and run until the salsa is very smooth. Add 1-3 tablespoons of water until the salsa reaches desired thickness.

Chill in an airtight container before serving. Enjoy within one week.

Fresh Pico de Gallo

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yields about 3 cups

Ingredients:

• 4 red roma tomatoes, diced and some seeds & juice removed

• 1/2 cup of diced grape or cherry tomatoes

• 1 cup finely minced white onion

• 1 cup finely minced red onion

• 1/2 a large jalapeño, finely diced

• 1 serrano pepper, diced

• 1/2 cup finely diced cilantro

• juice of 1/2 a large lime, plus extra to taste

• 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus extra to taste

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Instructions-

Chop and dice all the vegetables as instructed and add to a large bowl. Toss thoroughly with a spatula. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice and toss with a spatula until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Add extra salt or pepper as desired.

Chill in an airtight container before serving. Enjoy within 3 days.

qp

chicken noodle style pappardelle.

i’m getting ready to say bye-bye, ta-ta, toodle loo mf-er to winter. the sun has been shining in seattle the last few days, and i am so excited for the first signs of spring. but sure is cold here still…..brrrrrrrrr.

this chicken noodle style pappardelle dish is so cozy and delish with all kinds of herbs & spices. those big fat pappardelle noodles are too. good. to. be. true.

plus, i love anything that serves as a canvas for all the black pepper. more black pepper for me, the better.

the tiny bit of turmeric in here makes the noodles bright yellow and adds some earthy depth to the whole dish. be careful with that stuff and rinse your kitchen tools & bowls right away - it kinda stains!

you could make this into a true chicken noodle soup by using extra broth and fewer noodles. don’t forget to add some extra salt to taste.

this version is more of a pappardelle dish in the style of chicken noodle soup :) you may know that i don’t give much of a hoot about liquid brothy soups and i’m just here for all the textures.

pappardelle is such a treat and i always feel fancy when i get to buy some specialty pasta from the nice part of the store, lol. can’t wait to use the rest in something different, like stroganoff.

enjoy these scrumptious late winter noods!

Chicken Noodle Style Pappardelle

Serves 4-6

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1-2 celery stalks, sliced into bits

• 4 large carrots, sliced

• 2 TB. unsalted butter

• 1 chicken breast, cooked & shredded

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1/4 tsp. paprika

• 1/2 tsp. turmeric

• juice of 1 lemon, divided in half

• 32 - 40 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

• 4-8 ounces uncooked pappardelle noodles

• fresh thyme sprigs & sage leaves

• green onions, sliced

Instructions-

Cook and season the chicken breast as desired and shred on a cutting board. Toss the shredded chicken breast in juice of 1/2 a lemon & black pepper. Chop and dice all the vegetables.

Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven to medium heat and melt the butter. Add the diced onion and cook 3-5 minutes until translucent and browned, stirring frequently. Add the chopped celery and carrots and toss everything to cook a few more minutes until slightly tender. Add the salt, black pepper, paprika, and turmeric and stir. Add some fresh thyme sprigs and sage leaves to the pot.

Add the shredded chicken and chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir everything well and lower to a light rolling simmer. Add the uncooked pappardelle and toss with tongs, cooking for about 10 minutes until the noodles are tender. Squeeze the other half of lemon all over and toss to combine.

If you’d prefer a true chicken noodle soup, use more chicken broth and fewer noodles. Add extra salt & pepper to taste.

For noodles like I made in these photos, use 32 ounces of chicken broth and 8 ounces of uncooked pappardelle noodles.

Serve in bowls with extra thyme sprigs, sliced green onion, and plenty of black pepper. Store in covered dutch oven or airtight container in the fridge and reheat as needed. Enjoy within 3 days.

qp