Green Sauce

Mmmmm, delicious, creamy, tart with just the right amount of heat: Great Green Sauce. I just made this for some friends last night. It went over well with The Three Amigos. Great as a dip, put some in a taco, use it as a sandwich spread -- is there anything green sauce can't do? Serve this at Middle East peace talks.. BAM ..hugs all around.

The original version of this comes from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain. After following her recipe I doubled the amount of avocado and halved the amount of garlic. It lasts a couple of days covered in the refrigerator.

Music choice while making this sumptuous sauce? Marty Robbins' classic,  El Paso works for me. Cheers, Felina! If you hurry, you can probably make a batch before the song ends...tragically.

Great Green Sauce

• 1 11-ounce can whole tomatillos
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 2 small or 1 big-honkin' serrano pepper, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 2 medium cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro (roughly a small handful ripped from a bunch)

1. Throw everything into a blender. Tomatillos on the bottom works well.
2. Blend until pretty smooth but maybe some small lumps.
3. Salt to taste

Green Sauce Confidential: Lisa Fain gives mention to Ninfa's in her recipe. I must also give a nod to the place I first had fajitas and a was served green sauce with my chips. My memory is weak, but I do remember loving it at the time. I have not checked to see if they are still doing business, but next time I'm in Houston I will give a look. Until then I will make this regularly. It's the bomb!

My Martini

This is my Martini. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My Martini

• 2 oz Beefeater gin
• 1/4-1/3 ounce Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth (see Martini Confidential below)
• 1 dash orange bitters (optional depending on how I feel)
• 1 lemon peel

1. Add gin, vermouth, and bitters if using to a mixing glass containing ice. 
2. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly chilled. Shake if you are in a hurry. The only downside is it will have air bubbles in it for a while. This makes the drink a bit gray. 
3. Strain into a  cocktail glass. I prefer smallish glasses holding a scant 3 to 4 ounces. Compared to their 5 and up ounce counterparts, these look downright puny. 
4. Peel a lemon twist over the glass. Express oil from peel into glass and rub peel round the rim. 
5. Twist the peel around a bar spoon and hang on the edge of the glass. 
6. Enjoy in moderation.

Chili con Carne #1

Crowd Pleasin' Chili
While cookin' up a mess o' chili I can't think of anything better to enjoy than some Stevie Ray Vaughn. Any song will do. This recipe is not the chili I learned to love at The Texas Chili Parlor, but it makes a lot and most folks like it.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage

Dry Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon bacon bits
• 2 tablespoons Ancho chile powder, or use another two tablespoons of regular chili powder here
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Mexican oregano if you have it
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt, leave out to reduce sodium

Canned Ingredients

• 45 ounces chili beans medium, canned, drained (3 cans)
• 15 ounces chili beans spicy, canned with the sauce
• 2 x 28 oz diced tomatoes with juice, canned
• 6 oz tomato paste

Vegetables

• 1 large Yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 medium Jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup beer
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Hot pepper sauce, e.g. Tabasco

Garnish

• corn chips, Fritos
• diced onion and jalapeños
• shredded cheese or velveeta-queso

Instructions

1. Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.
2. Add all the dry ingredients to the cooked meat and stir. 
3. Add the vegetables, wet, and canned ingredients. Stir to mix ingredients.. Simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.
5. To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips, cheese, some finely diced onion and a sprinkle of freshly minced jalapeños.