por Bridget O’Donnell
Imagínese una comida casera construida en torno a la coliflor asada entera marinada, servida con una cucharada de salsa de aguacate. Añade puré de boniato, relleno de panes artesanos, ensalada de col rizada con aderezo casero y una bebida artesanal (o dos). Después de una breve pausa, termine la comida con un postre decadente y rico, coronado con rodajas de fruta, y una taza de café recién molido (opcional).
Si no hubiera estado allí, probablemente no sería capaz de imaginarlo, pero aquí estamos meses después. Aunque algunos de los matices sutiles pueden faltar en mi descripción, la comida me causó una impresión duradera. El surtido era tan colorido como la paleta de un artista y estaba lleno de nutrientes y sabor, pero no eran necesariamente maridajes que yo hubiera pensado hacer. La comida tampoco es algo que pueda replicar fácilmente (o rápidamente), si es que lo hace. Sin embargo, podría replicar la salsa de aguacate o «salsa verde mágica» sugerida en la receta «Coliflor asada entera» de Minimalist Baker. La salsa parecía complementar todo lo que comimos esa noche. Sin embargo, a pesar de lo delicioso que resultó con todas las opciones de plantas en la mesa, algo me convenció de que también iría bien con un filete a la parrilla. La receta parecía manejable, incluso con las pocas modificaciones realizadas por nuestro anfitrión.
«SALTAR A LA RECETA«. Desplácese rápidamente hasta los ingredientes y las instrucciones…
Title of Recipe: Magic Green Sauce (10 Minutes!) – https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-chimichurri-sauce-10-minutes/
Author of Recipe/Blog/Cookbook: Dana Shultz
What prompted you to check out this recipe? Fresh herbs, including flat-leaf parsley, were available in my CSA’s Pick-Your-Own and we had everything we needed to grill.
What did you like about this recipe? The sauce vaguely reminded me of pesto (sub. parsley) or guacamole. If I’d read the entire recipe before writing this blog entry, I would’ve known inspiration was drawn from guacamole, Chimichurri and chutney. So, in retrospect, I learned that Chimichurri is an Argentinian condiment traditionally made from parsley, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and a little vinegar. Among its many applications, it’s most commonly used as a marinade or dipping sauce for grilled steak (you don’t say).
The recipe required relatively few ingredients that were easily accessible or already at home. Additionally, the sauce was raw, so prep time and cleanup were reasonable, and more importantly, the ingredients retained their nutrients.
It worked as a dipping sauce for grilled steak, a condiment for turkey burgers, a spread on artisan bread with cheese and with fish. Originally suggested in a vegetarian recipe, I’m not sure why I was surprised that it also worked as a dip for the raw vegetables from my salad. If you’re interested, Whole30 and Just Add Sauce provide additional suggestions for using Chimichurri (sub. magic green sauce). A more involved avocado sauce called “Green Goddess Dressing” can be found in Vegetables Unleased.
What didn’t you like about this recipe? My magic green sauce didn’t taste anything like our host’s. It was flaming-hot and tasted predominantly of parsley! I probably should have asked our host a few more questions. Not quite ready to admit defeat, I made a special trip to the grocery store for a ripe avocado to help cut the heat. Then there was twice as much green sauce.
Favorite recipe (that you tried from the cookbook/website): Magic Green Sauce (made by our host)
Did you alter the recipe or make any substitutions? If so, what were they? Eager to use what I’d picked from the farm, I may have been overzealous when adding the parsley. I omitted cilantro and substituted one serrano pepper for a little less than a tablespoon of frozen diced jalapeno peppers. As a corrective measure, a second avocado was added the next day.
Would you recommend this recipe? Reading about the origin of Chimichurri piqued my interest. For comparison, I’d like to try this recipe again (but a little less liberal on the parsley and hot pepper) next to a more traditional Chimichurri. Like pesto, I’ll consider freezing leftover sauce as ice cubes for use at a later time.
*Spoiler alert – Visit us at the Luau at the Library Saturday, July 30 from 10 am-12 pm to sample a few mocktails and infusions, the highlight of next month’s What’s Cooking Blog.
References:
Websites –
“The Best Whole Roasted Cauliflower (5 Ingredients!)” / Minimalist Baker
“Magic Green Sauce (10 minutes!)” / Minimalist Baker, Dana Schultz.
Minimalist Baker (blog)
“Chimicurri: Famous Sauce of Argentina” / by Bodega Argento, The Real Argentina (blog)
Books –
Just Add Sauce: A Revolutionary Guide to Boosting the Flavor of Everything You Cook / the editors at America’s Test Kitchen. After the What’s Cooking Entry #18 went live, I came across a recipe for Za’atar rubbed chicken with (pg.44).
Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking: 101 Entirely Plant-Based, Mostly Gluten-Free, Easy and Delicious Recipes / by Dana Shultz
Vegetables Unleashed: A Cookbook / José Andrés and Matt Goulding ; photography by Peter Frank Edwards.
The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom / Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig; with Chef Richard Bradford; photography by Alexandra Grablewski.
Quick Subject links to the Library catalog:
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