Grilled Tuna with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

I'd never cooked with tomatillos until last night... theyve always been an enigma to me... little tomato looking things... wrapped up in a delicate paper skin.



Turns out they are quite tart.... but when combined with something sweet, like honey... you have a pleasant sweet and tart action going on.

We were really happy with this one... alot of work for a week night.. but there is enough of the salsa left over to have with something else.

First you start with a marinade-

1 medium sweet onion
3 cloves of garlic
.5 cup tightly packed cilantro
1 jalepeno (seeded if you want... we dont hehe)
2 T honey
2 T olive oil
1 T cumin
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Throw all that into a food processor and blend until smooth. Cover the tuna with it and let marinade for 1-2 hours.

Meanwhile... roast the following for 30 mins-
1 lb tomatillos, peeled and rinsed
2 jalapenos (again.. if you want.. seeded)
3 cloves of garlic
1 shallot

throw it all into a food processor and blend.. then add:
.5 cup cilantro
.5 cup white wine
2 T honey
salt and pepper to taste

Blend until smooth.

Pour into a saucepan and simmer for 30 mins.

While that is simmering... remove the fish from the marinade and grill.
Serve with the salsa spooned over the top. We had this with some Spanish red (brown) rice.

Lamb Chili

This is my twist on an American classic. I start it off as a classic chili... meat, tomato and spices ONLY. I based this recipe on a Chili cookoff champion's recipe... then I go astray adding veggies a beans... as I like a beanie chili. It is also my opinion that lamb is more suited for chili... but hey... I'm no cowboy! You can of course replace the lamb for beef... and leave out all veggies and beans.. and have yourself a very authentic Texas chili in your bowl.

Start with the below-

1 lb ground lamb (or beef), brown, drain, and add-
1 cup lamb broth
1 can (8 oz) no-salt tomato sauce
1 whole jalapeno, with slits cut into the sides
.5 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
.5 Tbsp Mexene Chili Powder

Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Then add-

3 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp white pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 cube lamb bullion
¼ tsp brown sugar
1 pk Sazon Goya seasoning

Continue simmering, covered for 30 minutes.

Then add-

1 tsp Mexene Chili Powder
.5 tsp cumin
½ tsp salt

Simmer for 15 mins.

Then add (optional)-

1 chopped onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 can red kidney beans
1 can white kidney beans
1 half a bottle of dark beer

Leave covered and simmer for additional 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Sorry you crazey Brits.... but we dont eat our chili on rice.... that was the strangest thing I'd ever seen when I saw chili and rice on menus in the UK! We eat our chili with corn bread!!!