Maybe I shouldn't admit to this but up until about 5 years ago I didn't know anything about tomatillos. Now I have them growing in my garden. The tomatillo plant is from the nightshade family and, lucky for us, the deer won't touch them. Once the tomatillo is taken out of its husk it looks like a baby green tomato.
After removing the light husk, the tomatillo may feel a little sticky. Even after you rinse the fruit off it may still seem a little tacky, but it's good to go at that point. When buying tomatillos look for fruit that is firm, but not hard.
Tomatillos can also be roasted if desired. You can do this by cutting the tomatillos into pieces and placing them on a slightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven. This changes the flavor a bit and is especially delicious in salsas.
Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa
Serving size: 5
Calories per serving: 31
8 ounces tomatillos, husked and rinsed (finely chopped)
1/2 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
1/2 cup red onion (finely chopped)
1 small jalapeño pepper (finely chopped)
1 large, ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lime juice
Directions:
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Salsa Verde
Serving size: 5
Calories per serving: 9
8 ounces tomatillos, husked
1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/2 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 cups water
Directions:
Tip: When blending hot ingredients in a blender make sure you don’t overfill the blender and that you start out on a slow speed.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Café Rio Style Tomatillo Salad Dressing Knockoff
Serving size: 5
Calories per serving: 380
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3 tomatillos
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 small jalapeño pepper (seeds removed)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Directions:
This dressing is great over chicken, pork or beef salads.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
- Photos by Ross Wolfley
Jeanne Wolfley
Monthly Newsletter Contributer since 2008
