Every August Central Market fills their stores with fresh hatch chiles, and I am always one of the first customers. We love spicy food in our house and I swear Alex eats a jar of salsa a week. This year I decided to buy some of the fresh-roasted hatch chiles and give homemade salsa a try. A few batches of hatch chile salsa later I finally received the stamp of approval from Alex, followed by the request for a large batch to last until next August. I swapped sugar for agave nectar and cut down the cilantro because it’s not my favorite but both can be altered to your liking. I also used a mixture of mild and hot hatch chilies, but a little bit of hot goes a long way in salsa so it’s always better to start with less. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Download Hatch Chile Recipe

11 medium tomatillos – husks removed, cored, and quartered

1 cup roasted Hatch chiles – a mixture of mild and hot

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons pressed garlic

1 tablespoon agave nectar

In a large pot over medium heat, boil tomatillos until tender. Add cilantro, onion, lime juice, garlic, and agave nectar to the food processor and pulse until mixed well. Add hatch chiles and tomatillos to a food processor and pulse until well combined and chiles are all chopped. Can salsa and keep refrigerated, or serve fresh.

The past week has been a little strange for me. We had multiple plans canceled, and with the exception of walking the dog have not left the house since Friday. All this extra time at home has been a nice break but I am starting to get a little antsy. I have found myself spending much more time in the kitchen trying to create recipes with our minimal ingredients. Alex was sick of pasta on day two, so I decided to get a little creative a create a Mexican dish. These Verde Chicken Enchiladas are very simple and use ingredients that most people already have on hand. This dish makes great leftovers, for two people, or easily can feed four. I am a sucker for good Verde Chicken Enchiladas at restaurants and was glad to create something similar while we are at home. Hope everyone is staying safe, healthy and checking in on loved ones. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips. 

Download Verde Chicken Enchiladas Recipe. 

2 cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 onion, chopped

12oz green chilies

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 tortillas (corn or flour)

1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Verde Salsa

1/2 cup light sour cream 

1/4 cup shredded cheese

Using a food processor, mix shredded chicken, onion and green chilies until well combined. Roll about 1/3 cup mixture into each tortilla and place in baking dish. I use Trader Joe’s whole wheat tortillas, but flour or corn work well too. My baking dish holds about 6 rolled tortillas, but you want them to fit compact in your dish. In a separate bowl mix verde salsa and sour cream until well combined. Pour mixture over rolled tortilla and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until top begins to brown. Best when served warm. Easily doubles for a larger crowd.