Tomatillo Sauce

Welcome to the 2nd installment of Dawn’s, the newest contributing writer of Over Coffee – the green edition, bi weekly yummy and easy to follow recipes. Enjoy!

I'm sure nothing is easier than opening a can of . . . whatever, and heating it up. But in my mind I take a certain amount of satisfaction in the fact that I take the time to make something from scratch that most people would never dream of. Enchilada sauce seems to be one of those foods.
Why, I'm not sure.

There is very little effort and time involved in making green enchilada sauce, or Tomatillo Sauce, it is even less involved than it's more popular red cousin.

So the day that something that came out of a can tastes better than something that came out of my kitchen I'll get off my high horse. But until then, I would like anyone who likes green enchilada sauce to give making it at home a try.

Some people even grow tomatillos in their garden. I understand they are easy to grow, and need very little fussing over.

So for you adventurous types, here is what you'll need:

• 1 lb. Tomatillos, remove husks and rinse
  
• 1 small Onion, peeled and quartered
  
• 1 cup coarsely chopped Cilantro
  
• 2 medium Garlic Cloves, peeled
  
• 1 Serrano or Jalapeno Chili (or to taste), seeded if desired
  
• 1 14oz. can Chicken Broth (or homemade)
  
• Salt, to taste
  
• Juice of 1 Lime
  

Now, just like the Tomato & Basil Salad, this isn't really a recipe. I seem to cook a lot that way, but one day I got tired of purchasing lack luster canned sauce and decided to try making my own. So unfortunately I don't have specific amounts of ingredients. The plus side to that is that this "recipe" is very forgiving and adaptable to individual tastes.

1) In a medium saucepan, place tomatillos, onion, garlic, serrano or jalapeno, half of the cilantro, and the chicken broth. I add half cilantro to cook, and keep the other half after the sauce has cooked for a fresher cilantro flavor. If you don't particularly care for cilantro, cut down on it, or cut it out entirely. Same with the chilis, if you like things spicy, add more, if not add less or be sure to seed them first, that will cut down on their heat.

2) Over medium heat, bring to a simmer, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until onion is softened and tomatillos have split open. Remove from heat.

3) Add remaining cilantro, and blend sauce. I use my trusty immersion blender, or you can carefully pour the contents of your saucepan into a standard blender and blend. If using a standard blender, I would recommend holding a folded kitchen towel over the lid to ensure protection from the hot contents

4) Season to taste with salt and lime juice.

You should now have a wonderful and fresh tasting Tomatillo Sauce. Great served with tamales, enchiladas, or even chilled as an alternative salsa.

Buon Appetito!