Chirmol

As many of you are fully aware, I have an exploding tomato population.  I went a bit "Little House on the Prairie" thinking I needed to sow all my seeds to get me through the long, hard winter on the farm apparently.  Well, now...  I am reaping what I have sown.   PUN. FULLY. INTENDED.

It's mass chaos back there.  I think the tomatoes get together in some sort of secret society at night while I'm sleeping, plotting to overthrow me.  One day I may wake up to them all crouched down waiting to pounce (think: Lord of the Flies).  OK, clearly I've gone off on a tangent...

Last week I made a joke about "101 things to do with tomatoes", listing all of the recipes that were likely to show up here because they are bountiful and I can barely keep up.  And while it is inevitable that more tomato recipes will appear, I would have to say in all honesty that the best thing to do with a tomato is eat it right from the plant, still warm from the sun.  Nothing beats it.

A friend of mine suggested I share a salsa recipe.  He said he's always looking for new ones to try and then another friend of mine said she needed one too, so here we are. 

There are no shortage of salsa recipes out there, that is for sure, but maybe you've never had one like this before. 

If you've ever spent time in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras or El Salvador, chances are you've had chirmol.  If you have friends or family from that area or if you've ever eaten at a restaurant representing one of those countries, it is almost a certainty.
It is the go-to condiment served with grilled meat and makes an appearance at every barbecue. 

The sharpness of the lime, the bite of the onions, the acidity in the tomatoes all work together perfectly to cut through the richness of the grilled meat.  I'm salivating just thinking about it...
It is a delicious combination.  Don't just take my word for it, get in the kitchen!

Chirmol is basically a pico de gallo or salsa.  It is scrumptious mixed in with rice and/or beans or scooped up with a tortilla chip. I even throw some in with my eggs in the morning.  If you like salsa, you'll love this.

Salsas are one of the quickest and easiest things to throw together.  In less than 10 minutes, it's done.  Start to finish.  It does not require incredible knife skills, so whether you have been cooking forever or are just beginning, everyone can manage this.  


Chirmol
8 plum tomatoes
1 small onion, finely diced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 - 1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
salt & pepper

Coat tomatoes with about a teaspoon of oil, just enough to slick their skin. Grill until skin is lightly charred, set aside in a bowl to cool slightly before peeling.  Sometimes mine burst open before they get charred enough.  If this happens, don't sweat it!  You can either let them hang out for another minute or just pull them off the grill.

If the tomatoes are the only thing you need grilled & you don't want to go through the trouble, you can do them in a pan on the stove or in the oven. 
If you don't feel like cooking them at all, that's fine too. 
We're not trying to split the atom, it's just a tomato...

Once the tomatoes have cooled enough to handle, slip the skins off and chop them up.  If you like a smooth salsa, puree them in the blender.

Let the diced onions hang out in the lime juice for about 10 minutes, this helps to mellow them out.  Then add the rest of your ingredients and mix to combine.  Season with salt & pepper.

This is the basic, traditional recipe for chirmol.  If you are in the mood for a more gussied up version, feel free to experiment and add in roasted or fresh corn, diced bell pepper, diced mango, peach or pineapple.
You can also switch up the chilies; add chipotles in adobo to make it even smokier or if you REALLY like heat, add in a habanero, or Scotch bonnet. 

Thai Chicken Salad

In my continuing effort to avoid turning my kitchen into the sweltering fires of hell,  I decided that this time I would cheat a little.  Just a little,  and it's for the greater good.   The heat index is hovering in the triple digits while beads of sweat are pooling at the nape of my neck.  The least entertaining thought at this moment is "let's fire up the oven".

Store-bought roast chicken: In the winter months, this would be considered sacrilege... but in the blistering heat of summer, it is sweet salvation! 

As if buying the chicken wasn't enough, the food processor is going to do the majority of the work!  Yep, this might be the perfect summer recipe.  The amount of work involved barely even registers.  If you don't own a food processor it isn't the end of the world, just a bit of chopping & grating.

For this recipe I only used the breast meat,  reserve the rest for sandwiches or soups,  the carcass for stock, etc.

For the dressing:

• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• zest and juice of 2 limes
• 4 tbsp vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil
• 1/2 shallot, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 red Thai chili (green if you can't find red), minced 
• salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

I went to 5, yes FIVE stores trying to find a red chili but with no luck, so I ended up with green.  The main difference is the heat level.  I couldn't find a pepper with a decent amount of heat to it, so I had to use what I could find.  If this happens to you as well and you like a little heat in your food, you can add a dash of sriracha or any other hot sauce that you like.

Combine all ingredients and set aside.  Let dressing sit for at least 30 minutes.  The acid will help break down and mellow garlic & shallot and the flavors along with the chili pepper will infuse dressing.   I like the acidic bite of vinegar & lime juice however, if you find it's too much cut the limes to one.

Thai Chicken Salad

• 1 small head green cabbage
• 2 - 3 medium carrots
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or finely sliced
• small handful of salted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch scallions (green onion), sliced on bias
• 1 cup snow peas, thinly sliced on bias
• 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp Thai basil, chopped
• 2 tbsp mint, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Shred cabbage and carrots in food processor. 

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, pour dressing over top and mix thoroughly.
How's that for easy?!

Chicken Soup for My Soul...

Last I checked April showers bring May flowers, right?  Well, someone missed the mark on that...  The weather here in New York has been unusual to say the least.  We had 80 degree days in March, freezing temps in April and it feels like it's been raining for weeks... 

Chilly, gray days make me want a bowl of something good.  I had a quart container of "liquid gold" in the refrigerator that had been giving me the stink eye every time I opened the fridge...  It felt neglected, and rightfully so.  

A few weeks back, I had braised some chicken, strained the liquid and set it aside for another use.  That is liquid gold.  It is intensely flavored, uber-chicken-y goodness and while looking around the kitchen I realized I had almost everything I needed for tortilla soup (otherwise known as Mexican penicillin).

So, with a quick trip to get an avocado and a lime it was time to get cooking...



Tortilla Soup
Sopa de Tortilla

• 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 stalks celery, finely diced
• 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 can diced tomato (15 oz)
• 2 ancho chile peppers + 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed & leaves picked
• 4 corn tortillas
• 1 avocado
• 2 limes

Ancho Chile Peppers

Ancho Chile peppers are dried Poblano peppers, they can be found in any Latin American market or some grocery stores in the Ethnic food section. 

1. Heat 2 cups water to near boiling and soak the ancho peppers for approximately 20 minutes.  When peppers are soft, blend to puree.
2. In a medium stock pot, heat canola oil over medium heat.  Add onions, celery and carrots.  Saute for about 5 minutes to soften.
3. Add chicken stock, diced tomatoes and ancho puree.  Bring to a simmer, not a boil. Turn down the heat if necessary.  Cook for 20 minutes.
4. Add shredded chicken, stir and simmer an additional 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, add half of the cilantro and stir to combine.  Reserve the rest of the cilantro for garnish.
6. Garnish with sliced avocado, tortilla strips, a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro.

Tortilla Strips

Heat 2 quarts of oil in a deep pot, leaving at least 3 inches of space from the top of the pot.  While oil is heating, cut tortillas in half and stack on top of each other.   Cut into thin strips.

When oil has reached 350- 360 degrees,  carefully place tortilla strips into oil.  Fry until golden brown and crispy (about 3- 4 mins). 

Remove from oil and lay on paper towels to drain.
Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.