Name: Refried Beans Recipe
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped up; 1 15 oz can of black beans (don't rinse them - use straight from can); 1/2 teaspoon cumin; salt + pepper to taste; Additional: cilantro to garnish

Cheesy Jalapeno Omelet

Oct 11 2018

Need some healthy breakfast ideas? Start your day with this Cheesy Jalapeno Omelet, one of the best Keto Recipes to boost you up! This is one my yummiest and budget-friendly keto recipes. #breakfast #keto

KETO RECIPES

The truth is that I made this Cheesy Jalapeno Omelet for the first time in June. It was when the jalapeno plants in the garden started exploding with peppers all over. And then after I tasted it for the first time I knew I had to share the recipe with you guys.

Now it’s October and the recipe is finally here. What took me so long? Well, I’ve been eating these Cheesy Jalapeno Omelets nonstop!

This new keto diet has pushed us to our limits, trying out Keto Recipes and turning to the new healthy can be difficult when we don’t know which recipes actually qualify as keto recipes. Whether it is cauliflower casserole or this cheesy jalapeno Omelet, I’m digging out new Keto Recipes each day. And this recipe makes for a great breakfast!

Sep 05 2018

131

EASY Crockpot Pumpkin Chili recipe. This easy slow cooker dinner is healthy made with ground turkey, beans, vegetables and Mexican spices! Add shredded cheddar cheese on top! You can freeze leftovers for your family!

In this Crockpot Pumpkin Chili recipe we have the usual Chili ingredients, but then we’re throwing in pumpkin because whenever you can you should throw pumpkin into any dish. Here’s the great thing about pumpkin, it’s full of great nutrients but hardly changes the taste of meals. It’s an amazing way to make your dinner or pumpkin brownies more healthy and better for you. Who doesn’t want that?

Now I know what you might be thinking.. usually “Mexican” and “Pumpkin” don’t usually go together, but in this recipe they are best friends. They are holding hands, whispering secrets (not about you), planning adventures – they are great pals.

What I’m saying is that you’re going to love this Crockpot Pumpkin Chili! It’s one of our favorite Fall Slow Cooker Meals!

Pumpkin Chili Recipe

This pumpkin chili recipe is so easy to make and only takes 5 hours in your slow cooker! First you’ll want to brown the ground turkey in a pan with the peppers before throwing it in the crockpot. After that, throw all your other ingredients inside!

I love beans in my chili so I had to add both black beans and kidney beans. Also I love using ground turkey for chili as a healthy alternative to ground beef.

So what makes this Chili Mexican? Well we’re going to spice it up with green chiles, salsa verde, cumin and we’re going to throw corn into this! If you want you can even throw avocado, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream on top when it’s done!

Aug 12 2018

108

FRESH Tomato Salsa made with roma tomatoes straight from our garden! This easy HOMEMADE recipe is made in minutes with tomatoes, onion, peppers, cilantro, and red pepper flakes! Friends BEG for me to make this salsa because it’s everyone’s favorite! Serve with Chips or with your next Mexican meal!

This right here is my go to salsa. This Fresh Tomato Salsa wins hearts, it makes bellies happy. It’s a win win situation. We make this salsa all the time to snack on, it’s also one of my most requested recipes to make to bring to get friends houses during the Summer!

Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe

I think one of the main reasons why people love this Fresh Tomato Salsa much because it’s so fresh. Every single vegetable in this recipe comes straight from the garden. I also try not to pick the tomatoes, peppers and onions until the day of or the day before to really make it SUPER fresh. Nothing beats the taste of home grown tomatoes!

Btw looking for more fresh tomato recipes? Make sure to try my Stewed Tomatoes and Roma Tomato Sauce!

This salsa took me some time to get perfect over the years. Sometimes I would make it and it would be too runny, too chunky, the peppers would be too mushy, the tomatoes would be too whole, the tomatoes would be too smooth. But after summers of practice, I got it. I perfected this Fresh Tomato Salsa recipe! And now I’m here to share it with you!

Mar 07 2018

PRETTIEST Cheese Dip ever! MEXICAN Vegetable Bowl MONTEREY JACK Cheese Dip! This easy dip recipe is made with grated Monterey Jack cheese and Mexican spices! Cover the top with chopped up vegetables to make the most beautiful homemade dip! This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mission®. All opinions are entirely my own.

Cheese lovers, this dip is calling your name! This Vegetable Bowl Monterey Jack Cheese Dip is made with Monterey Jack cheese, which is perfect for 2 reasons. First, Monterey Jack cheese melts beautifully, it’s one of the best melting cheeses in my opinion, so it makes a perfect cheese for dip. Secondly, when you add a little seasoning and spice, it’s a great cheese to use for Mexican inspired dishes, like this cheese dip!

I got to thinking about what makes the perfect dip. It needs to be cheesy, creamy and full of flavor. But it also needs to have perfect partners in crime, in this case Mission Organics® Blue Corn Tortilla Chips and vegetables! Instead of putting the vegetables on the side, I decided to include them in the dip to make a Vegetable Bowl Cheese Dip!

Feb 19 2018

DELICOUS, NO SOAKING REQUIRED, Refried Beans! This easy homemade recipe cooks dry pinto beans in the slow cooker! We always make these healthy crockpot beans for authentic Mexican meals, I will never use canned beans again! Make sure to add shredded cheddar cheese on top!

I love refried beans. Not only do they make the perfect side with your favorite Mexican dish (for us, usually tacos!), but they make a pretty great meal by themselves too! Have you ever had a bowl of perfectly cooked refried beans with a little shredded cheese on top? It’s delicious!

These homemade refried beans are made from dry pinto beans. Dry beans are not only super cheap but in my opinion make the best refried beans. Did you know growing your own dry beans in the garden is easy too? These refried beans are extra special to me because they are made with our own yellow eye beans we grew in the garden last Summer! Feel free to use regular dry pinto beans or yellow eye beans for this recipe, they both make delicious refried beans.

Oct 02 2016

This recipe for Roasted Tomatillo, Onion & Jalapeno Salsa is delicious for dipping chips in! The vegetables are roasted in the oven which creates a creamy salsa!

This year we’ve grown the most tomatillos in our gardening history so I’ve been excited to experiment with new tomatillo recipes. I usually rely on my Tomatillo Salsa Verde recipe to make with our tomatillos (plus it freezes great for preserving) but I wanted to make a Tomatillo Salsa that was creamy, thick but not too thick and very tasty.

Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

This recipe calls for tomatillos, onions and jalapenos which makes it a triple threat if you have all 3 growing in your garden. Roasting them in the oven gives them a rich, smoky taste and helps in making the salsa creamy instead of watery.

This is a perfect salsa to serve alongside tortilla chips, but it’s also delicious to add on top of tacos, burritos and even chili. If you’re looking for a new salsa to try I hope you give this a shot!

Before:

Sep 21 2016

This recipe is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice. All opinions on flavor are my own. Enjoy this quick Burrito Bowl!

Vegetarian Mexican Burrito Bowl that includes rice, refried beans, corn, tomato, pepper and salsa. Perfect for work lunches or quick dinners as it only takes 5 minutes to make!

Day 3 of Tomato Week! Monday was Marinated Italian Diced Tomatoes. Tuesday was Creamy Roma Tomato Soup. Now I want to show you how to easily use fresh tomatoes in a Mexican dish.

I am loving this 5 minute burrito bowl right now because it’s quick, filling, delicious and uses fresh vegetables from our garden. It’s perfect for lunch (at home or take to work) because it’s so fast to make. I like preparing 2-3 bowls worth of ingredients in the beginning of the week, so I can just throw everything in a container, head to work and then microwave it once it’s lunch time. If you’re craving a quick Burrito Bowl for dinner, this is the recipe for you too! You could even add some extra protein to it, such as chicken or more beans.

Aug 29 2016

This MEXICAN VEGETARIAN LASAGNA Bake is filled with vegetables, noodles, ricotta and mozzarella cheese! Taco seasoning gives it a delicious Mexican flavor! This healthy meal recipe is easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time for a quick weeknight meal, all you have to do is bake it!

We are loving this dish right now in our house because it’s easy to make and filled with garden fresh veggies and comforting cheese. Many times I’ll prepare this lasagna earlier in the day so all I have to do is turn on the oven and throw it in when it’s dinner time. Whenever I make this I text Matthew a photo of the lasagna and he’ll text back hearts and swoony faces. Back-to- school season is one of the busiest times of the year, and families are on the lookout for easy meals that deliver big on flavor. This is a lasagna that the family will fall in love with.

This lasagna is filled with veggies that go perfect with the “Mexican” flavor. Most vegetarian lasagna recipes use eggplant and zucchini but I don’t. Why? That’s easy. We don’t grow those vegetables, hah. Case closed. Instead I use the veggies that are grown in our garden to make this as fresh as possible. There’s kale, tomatoes, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion and black beans stacked inside 3 layers of lasagna noodles, alongside ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

Aug 25 2016

Arugula Refried Bean Burrito is a healthy Summer meal made with canned refried beans and fresh arugula. Dinner is made in 5 minutes!

Can you feel that Summer is here? I sure can. With the temperatures rising, the last thing I want to do is eat hot food. Even worse, I definitely don’t want to turn on my stove! These fresh burritos are full of vegetables and will cool you down. They’re perfect to take already made to work, or you can take all the supplies to the park for a picnic with friends and let everyone make their own.

You’ll need 4 flour tortillas. I found these low calorie (60) sundried tomato and basil tortillas in the grocery store that I love. My favorite canned beans are Goya (especially the Rancheros) and Rosarita. You can eat these directly from the can, or you can heat them in the microwave for 1 minute. If you’re going for homemade check out my Refried Black Beans recipe!

May 09 2016

EASY SLOW COOKER black beans made with dried beans! This healthy, vegetarian recipe cooked in the crock pot for 4 hours is so easy and healthy! Because it uses dried beans it’s cheap to make too! We love serving these beans on flour tortillas for black bean tacos! It’s one of my families favorite comfort foods!

I’m guilty of it. Yup, the big sin. What’s that you ask? Oh, it’s shameful. Sometimes I buy…. canned black beans. What’s my excuse? They’re so easy, all I have to do is take the lid off, heat them up and they’re ready to go.

And yet, that bag of dried black beans sits on the bottom shelf (always) at the grocery store, for half the price and twice the amount and I always look at it for forgiveness “Dry black beans, I’m so sorry, I just don’t have time, I’m so so so sorry”. Then I throw the canned beans in my cart and run out of the aisle before the dried black beans can look at me again.

Once I started growing our own black beans, I started to see the beauty of dried beans. The only thing that was holding me back 100% from joining the dried bean team was the overnight soaking, which I almost always can never remember to do (we aren’t a house that plans our meals in advance). So I came up with this recipe of throwing them in the slow cooker for 4 hours which leads to a yummy bean perfection!

Mar 31 2016

This Corn and Tomato Rice Salad is a healthy recipe for dinner, picnics and potlucks. With it’s Mexican inspired flavor it’ll be a hit with everyone! And even better, it’s easy to make in 15 minutes!

I’m in love with this rice salad. I took a version of this recipe to a potluck last week and I’m proud to say it was the first dish that was empty. This is a great fresh ingredient recipe that lightens up dinner. You can serve it as a side dish or a main dish, preferably served alongside some fresh bread.

What I especially love about it is that due to the lime juice, crushed red pepper flakes and cilantro it has a Mexican flavor added to it. Anyone else love Mexican flavored everything? This salad is so good you could even fill up a burrito with it and call it dinner.

And because I love fresh recipes that are quick to make, this salad is ready to serve in 15 minutes.

The main ingredient is Minute® Whole Grain Brown Rice so you’ll have great-tasting fluffy rice in just 10 minutes. Brown Rice is a nutritious option as it has similar nutritional values to regular long cooking brown rice, but it’s done in 1/4 the time. I love brown rice because of it’s versatility – you can use in cheesy casseroles or light lunch options. One tip to get the tastiest brown rice is instead of boiling in water, try vegetable broth.

Mar 16 2016

Vegetarian Taco Casserole recipe! By substituting black beans and corn for ground meat, we can make a delicious Meatless Cheesy Taco Casserole that will become a family favorite!

This Meatless Cheesy Taco Casserole is one of our favorite dinner recipes. It’s one of those dishes that you don’t get sick of having multiple times a week (we love it that much). Since going vegetarian, I’ve had to figure out how to change my recipes and that’s what I did for this casserole. Instead of ground beef, I’m adding in black beans and frozen corn.

Mix that with some elbow macaroni, fresh tomatoes, green peppers, tomato soup, taco seasoning mix and taco cheese and you have the perfect weeknight meal! I don’t want to call this recipe healthy, because it does have the word “cheesy” in the title, but the recipe only calls for 3/4 cups of cheese and if you want you can even add less.

My husband who still eats meat (but hardly does because I’m the chef of the house) loves this meal and doesn’t miss the ground beef at all! You know it’s a winner when he requests Meatless Cheesy Taco Casserole every week!

So without further ado…here’s our favorite taco casserole!

Nov 16 2015

EASY MEXICAN Cheddar Cheese Dip made with 1 bag of shredded cheese, milk and other simple ingredients. This delicious dip can be served with tortilla chips, crackers, vegetables or on top of nachos! It’s always the hit of the party!

Cheese.

You either love it or you love it. Have you ever met a person who doesn’t love it? Once I met a person who doesn’t like pizza and I ran away from them.

Cheese dip is one of those things that I love, no matter what time of the year or where I’m at. You’ll find cheese dips at pot lucks, friends dinner parties or fancy art openings. No matter what the event, you’ll find me at the snacks table swimming in that cheese sauce (not literally, the bowl isn’t big enough).

Recently my husband asked if I could stop including cheese in some of our dinners. I looked at him and said “What type of monster are you?”. To satisfy him I added some broccoli along with the cheese. See, I can compromise.

With a craving for a cheesy snack during a movie night I threw this together in minutes and served it with various foods to dip. You have your typical tortilla chips and crackers but you also have your vegetables for those wanting a fresh option.

Because nothing says delicious more than a piece of cauliflower smothered in cheese, right?

Jun 30 2015

Mexican Taco Salsa Hot Dog recipe. This hot dog, taco combination is super tasty! It’s perfect for Summer grilling too!

With Summer in full gear are you having outdoor get-togethers around the BBQ? If you’re on a rooftop in NYC and look around you’re guaranteed to almost always find a rooftop full of friends around a grill, laughing and sharing hot dogs.

I really love Mexican food, I mean look at the recipe index I have for it. So when it comes to hot dogs it might not surprise you that I wanted to try to give them Mexican flare. Imagine one delicious beef frank, covered with shredded cheese, salsa, tomatoes and jalapenos on top, inside a taco shell. My mouth is watering just thinking about this.

The key to this dog is you need some quality beef franks.

Now we’re going to place the hot dog inside a taco shell. It’s one of those ideas where if you tried it already you know the magic, but if you never thought of doing that you might have just had a “AHA” moment. By the way, I’m not magic (I wish). I always buy standing shells which if you love tacos will change your life. No more tacos that will fall over!

Now it’s time to load this hot dog up to make it a taco. You’ll need shredded cheese, lettuce, onions, jalapenos and some real delicious salsa. I always use my favorite salsa recipe here.

Now go ahead and put your hot dogs in your taco shells.

As soon as you’ll put the cheese on the dogs it will melt beautifully. Then go ahead and put the rest of the toppings on.

Now it’s time to get your hot dog taco on! Enjoy!

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Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Mar 23 2015

AUTHENTIC Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup! This easy to make tortilla soup is made with chicken, crushed tomatoes, hominy, black beans, corn and more!

I love tortilla soup – love, love love.

I used to get tortilla soup all the time from a local Mexican restaurant but one day I got some near closing time and it was a big disappointment It was like they gave me the entire bottom of the pot that was sitting all day long with every ingredient soggy. I was very upset. That night I told myself I would match their tortilla soup with my own. I would set up a table outside their restaurant serving small cups of my own soup and compare it to theirs.

The neighborhood would love mine. They would put me on their shoulders, parading me down the streets while chanting “tortilla soup, tortilla soup!”. Well one of those things came true, I came up with a tortilla soup recipe that (dare I say) is better than theirs. *High Fives*

Feb 09 2015

Easy Refried Beans Recipe made from canned black beans! These homemade beans only take 15 minutes! These refried beans taste like your favorite Mexican restaurant! Perfect for Taco night meals!

We have tacos at least once a week, if I’m lucky maybe 2-3 times. No matter if we’re eating them in a shell, in a bowl or in a casserole form, we always need Refried Beans! I don’t think it’s Taco Night without the beans.

Refried Beans Recipe

This is my favorite Refried Beans recipe and it’s so easy to make. All you’ll need is a can of black beans, a jalapeno pepper chopped up to add some spice, and cilantro/salt/pepper to season. Easy, right? These beans are total Mexican restaurant style and is the perfect side for tacos and burritos.

Black beans have amazing protein-plus-fiber content. From one cup of black beans, you get 1/3 of your daily protein intake, it’s equivalent to eating 2 ounces of chicken or fish. Those beans are healthy little protein giving guys, aren’t they?

These beans take 15 minutes – max. Because we’re using canned beans, we don’t have to worry about overnight soaking like dry beans would need. We also don’t need to use your slow cooker all day to soften them. With this recipe we’re throwing everything in a saucepan and they’ll be done in a jiffy.

Even though I stress this recipe as quick and easy, it doesn’t lack in flavor. Even if I have all the time in the world for Taco Night, I’m still going to make the beans just this way. If you are looking for regular Refried Beans with Pinto Beans, just substitute the beans in this recipe and cook the exact same way.

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Looking for Slow Cooker Refried Beans?

Refried Beans Recipe

Easy Refried Beans Recipe made from canned black beans! These homemade beans only take 15 minutes! These refried beans taste like your favorite Mexican restaurant! Perfect for Taco night meals!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped up
1 15 oz can of black beans don't rinse them - use straight from can
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt + pepper to taste
Additional: cilantro to garnish

Instructions

Heat vegetable oil in small pot with jalapeno for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add can of black beans, cumin and salt + pepper into pot. Stir so everything is combined.
Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring very often. You want to boil off the excess liquid in this step.
Once done, turn heat off and let sit for 3 minutes.
If desired, put cilantro on top to garnish.

Cheesy Taco Ground Beef Casserole

Jan 07 2015

CHEESY Taco Casserole is EASY to make. This simple baked casserole recipe is made with elbow noodles, tomato soup, ground beef and lots of cheddar cheese! This is a yummy dinner that everyone will love – especially the kids!

Some people like to say “Taco Tuesday” but I like to say “Tacos Everyday!”.

Tacos are one of my favorite meals, I can basically eat them every night and never get sick of them. The thing I love about tacos is you can have them so many ways. Maybe you’re in a burrito mood, maybe you’re in a hard shell mood, maybe you’re in a salad moon, maybe you’re in a soup mood, maybe you’re in a pepper steak mood, or maybe you want a casserole. In the case of the casserole, I got you covered.

Say hello to your new favorite dinner, Cheesy Taco Casserole!

This is a good ol comfort meal, perfect after a hard day of work. In the Winter time, this really warms up my bones in all the right spots. It has plenty of fresh vegetables (green pepper, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers), along with tomato soup that is going to hold those noodles together and soak up the good stuff. And that extra cheesy layer on top? Yup, you will fall in love with it.

Nov 14 2014

Slow Cooker Lamb Tacos recipe! The meat is so moist!

What do you think of when you hear Leg of Lamb? What recipes come to your mind?

Tacos might not be the first… but I’m here to change that!

These Slow Cooker Chipotle Leg of Lamb Tacos are super delicious as they are slow cooked with a bunch of spices for flavor. The lamb itself gets to marinade in this sauce for 8 hours making it oh so juicy when you grab a fork and cut it up. Unlike sometimes when you slow cook, the marinade doesn’t always sink down into all the meat, but these tacos have flavor in every single bite you take.

Oct 06 2014

Slow Cooker Tomatillo Salsa Roja Chicken Tacos is a delicious authentic Mexican recipe made in your slow cooker. These are so easy to make and perfect for feeding a crowd!

Oh you slow cooked tacos with tomatillo salsa roja.

How many ways do I love you? Many.

I made these last week. We already had them twice. They are already being requested a 3rd time. They are out of this world tasty.

What makes them that special? They are slow cooked, they are made with fresh ingredients and they have that authentic taste. Yeah, they are really good.

For this recipe it’s full of fresh ingredients, down to the salsa which is made from just picked tomatillos, so let’s get started!

Salsa Verde Tacos

The salsa is a mixture of salsa verde + red mexican sauce. For the salsa verde I use my favorite recipe (found here) but I cut it in half. If you can’t make it homemade, just buy a jar of it.

The Red Mexican Sauce includes includes tomatoes, peppers, onions, salt, garlic and coriander. In other words, it’s delicious.

Slow Cooker Tomatillo Salsa Roja Chicken Tacos Recipe

Just mix these together and we have our Tomatillo Salsa Roja already made! I always take a spoonful of this right away. You know, just to check… 🙂

To give it a little bit of a extra kick I like to add green pickled jalapeno peppers to the slow cooker. Once slow cooked the pickled flavor isn’t strong, but instead it’s more about the spice of the jalapenos.

You’re also going to add some dry black beans to this recipe. See these gorgeous black bean? Yeah, we grew them. And yes, I’m totally proud of them.

When it’s almost ready for dinner time, start preparing your toppings and shells. I like to use tostadas. Tostadas are basically a flat taco shell. They are made with corn and extra crunchy. I can usually find a bag of 25 at the bodega for less than $2 so it’s also a steal.

For more toppings, we love cheese, tomatoes, cilantro and lettuce. Why not throw on some sour cream and avocados too?

I always love to have a little bit of salsa verde left so I can pour on a big spoonful on each. I’m a big salsa verde lover, I can’t get enough.

And hello beatiful, let’s eat these!

Crunch Crunch. Delicious!

Hope you guys enjoy these tacos! Make it for a Mexican fiesta one night this week!

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Slow Cooker Tomatillo Salsa Roja Chicken Tacos

Slow Cooker Tomatillo Salsa Roja Chicken Tacos is a delicious authentic Mexican recipe made in your slow cooker. These are so easy to make and perfect for feeding a crowd!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8

Ingredients

For the tomatillo salsa roja

6 ounces tomatillos husked
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 tablespoon lime
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
1/4 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
7 oz can of La Morena Red Mexican Sauce

For the Slow Cooker Tacos

Tomatilo Salsa Roja that you made above
2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast - cut in half
1 cup dry black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/3 cup of La Morena Pickled Jalapeno Peppers - drained

Other

Tostadas

Toppings of Choice

Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Diced Tomatoes
Lettuce
Sour Cream
Avocado
Cilantro

Instructions

To make the salsa

Place all ingredients except bouillon cube and Red Mexican Sauce in a blender. Blend until everything is combined and is salsa consistency.
Pour salsa verde into saucepan and heat on medium high heat. Bring to a boil.
Add bouillon cube and Red Mexican Sauce and stir into salsa verde.
Once boiling simmer for 15 minutes.

To make the Slow Cooker Tacos

Add salsa, chicken, dry black beans, corn and jalapeno peppers in slow cooker.
Set on low for 7.5 hours.
Shred chicken with 2 forks, put back in slow cooker. Cook for additional 30 minutes.
Serve on tostadas and top with your favorite toppings (I do cheese and tomatoes!).

Easy Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

Aug 11 2014

The best Salsa Verde recipe using fresh tomatillos and onions. This recipe is easy to make and freezes great too!

This was the first year trying to grow tomatillos and it was a great big experiment. I was buying a bottle of Salsa Verde almost once a month and then I got Matthew hooked on it too. Then I decided we must grow our own.

How to Grow Tomatillos

So let’s grow some tomatillos.

Tomatillos are a plant of the nightshade family and are related to the gooseberry. They are small, green and grown with a paper like husk around each of them. When growing them first the husk will grow to it’s full size, and then the tomatillo itself will grow next filling the husk.

When the tomatillo fills the husk completely then you know they are ready to be picked. Once you bring them into your kitchen, then you peel off the husks and give them a good warm wash as tomatillos are naturally very(!) sticky. From there you can use them in various recipes, freeze or can for later usage.

This year we got some tomatillo seeds and decided to give it a shot. We were pretty unfamiliar with how they would grow, or even what they would look. The season started out a bit rough. Hardly any of our seeds came up when planted inside and we thought it was going to be a bust or only have 1 plant. Having a single plant isn’t the best as most tomatillos need 2 plants to grow successfully for pollination.

After hardly any seeds came up, then we planted a few more (also a bust) then a few more. I’m not one to easily give up when it comes to vegetables! We transplanted our single seedling outside in the container and then a few weeks later transplanted a few more once we finally got some actions from the seeds. The tomatillos grew in large size containers and 5 gallon buckets. Right away we realized we underestimated the size and power of tomatillo plants.

Here we were double caging the tomatoes to prepare for their height when we should have been getting ready for the incredible growth of the tomatillos instead! These plants grow tall and bushy. They are also extremely hearty and have very strong stems.

You can see the tomatillo plants to the left and in the back.

When the plant started growing we were both surprised (and quite happily startled) by the amount of flowers on a tomatillo plant. Almost every single one of these flowers would turn into a tomatillo! Bees were buzzing happily around these plants pollinating.

Here, the first tomatillo is spotted.
Which then turns into a full size husk. Eventually this will fill up with the tomatillo inside of it.

And then your plants will become taking off and you’ll have tomatillos all over!

This was the first harvest of the tomatillos. I’m pretty happy here! Tomatillos tend to blend in with the plant itself, so finding them basically consists of rooting around in the plant and gently squeezing each husk to see if the tomatillo is full inside. If it is, then pinch it off and throw it in your basket.

This here is a few pounds of tomatillos with many many more pounds to pick! From seeds that didn’t come up originally to plants that are now battling for the largest yield of the season these tomatillos have come a long way! They’ll be a permanent fixture in the garden now!

So with all these tomatillos what’s a girl to do besides make Salsa Verde right away? I created this recipe based off many of the backs of bottles ingredient lists that I read over the years of my favorite sauces I buy in store, but keeping it all natural.

This salsa is incredibly easy to make and you won’t believe how much it tastes like your favorite brand. It’s really amazing to learn how much flavor a tomatillo has in it’s tiny size!

Your 2 main ingredients in this recipe are tomatillos and a onion. The rest of the ingredients are spices.

We’re going to blend them first instead of blending them later. Why? Tomatillos are juicy inside which means you don’t need to add much water to the recipe itself. If you blend them after the fact, then you need to add water to simmer on the stove which means you’re watering down the recipe.

By blending them first we are providing them their natural juices to make it much more full of flavor instead of added water that isn’t needed.

Then after a few seconds in the blender and 15 minutes on the stove, you’ll have some delicious (and amazing smelling!) Salsa Verde!

Did I take a spoonful of this and eat it right away? Yes, I did!
What can you do with this recipe? Well first you can use it as a salsa for chips, it’s incredibly delicious that way.
I love to cook with it though and it’s the perfect sauce to pour over cheesy enchiladas and tacos. It also makes a great companion to creating a Mexican tasting broth for soup.

Only a pound of these tomatillos are going to make 4 cups of sauce. I often make a few batches of this Salsa to both eat fresh, store in the refrigerator for a few days or to freeze. To freeze just pour into a freezer bag and put in freezer. I like to store 1 cup servings in freezer bags as it makes it easier to grab a cup and use in a recipe.

Enjoy!

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Easy Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound tomatillos husked
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 jalapeno peppers chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro
2 tablespoons lime
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
1/2 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube

Instructions

Place all ingredients except bouillon cube in a blender. Blend until everything is combined and is salsa consistency.
Pour salsa verde into saucepan and heat on medium high heat. Bring to a boil.
Add bouillon cube and stir into salsa verde.
Once boiling simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve immediately, refrigerate or freeze.

Recipe Notes

Makes 4 cups.

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