What's to Eat?? Salsa and Chutney Lovin'

So this past weekend, my sister had her housewarming party, which means nonstop cooking!  It was a success so all the cooking was worth it!  Here's a very cute pullout cupcake cake in honor of their house someone made! 

Here is only A THIRD of how much food was made! Almost everything was made by us.  My sister loves healthier food, which means cooking yourself and that way you can see what goes in it, unlike if you bought it elsewhere.

Our family, especially, my sister and I, LOVE condiments, ESPECIALLY salsa; and that's a bit of an understatement.  We have found over the years different recipes to have tastier, fresher salsas.

Mint Chuntey::

This indian condiment is the perfect blend of mint, peppers, and cilantro.  It's minty smell makes the whole house smell amazing.

What you will need::

• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup teaspoons of lemon Juice or squeezed lemons
• Equal parts of mint to cilantro (we did 1 bunch each)
• couple of chillies (we love our food spicy, so we add 4-6, but this will differ depending on your spice tolerance)

Make sure to wash the cilantro, chillies, and mint thoroughly.

Start by adding the mint and chillies into the food processor.  If you aren't sure about your tolerance, add one pepper at a time and taste to your liking.  Next add salt and lemon juice.  This too varies to tasting.  Add any extra peppers.  Last, put the cilantro in to give it its nice green color.
Also, some people who do not like the spice as much, or even if you want a colder, yogurt-y taste, mix in some regular yogurt with some of this chutney.  Try it out to see if you like it as well! We usually mix 2:1 of yogurt to chutney and just keep adding more to taste!
 Enjoy!!

Tomatillo Chutney::

 This is definitely my favorite type of indian chutney.  Its blend of tomatillo and peppers is the perfect condiment to my indian dishes!  Mixed in with some chole or samosas, and you will not stop eating!

What you will need::

• handful of tomatillos (how ever much you would want to have)
• couple of chillies (again, to taste, depends on your tolerance.  I usually add 4-6)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice of squeezed lemons (again, this as well is to taste)
• salt to taste (1 -2 teaspoons is the amount I usually do)
• 1 bunch of cilantro

Make sure the thoroughly was the tomatillo, cilantro, and chillies.

Start by slowly adding the tomatillos until liquified.  Now add chilies to taste.  You may also add salt and lemon juice now as well.  Blend all together and add more chillies, salt, and lemon juice to your preference.  Finally add the cilantro and mix well.  You may now serve!

Tomatillo Salsa::

This roasted salsa is a nice alternative to regular salsas found in the grocery stores.  I've found that it is healthier too!

What you need::

• 8-10 tomatillo
• 2 jalapenos
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1/4-1/2 of lemon juice or lemons squeezed (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon of salt (to taste)
• 3-4 garlic coves
• 1/2 red onion

First, you want to place the tomatillos and jalapenos in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 mins to be roasted.  Halfway through, you want to turn them over.  Then you will put them slowly in the food processor  until liquified.  Add onions, garlic cloves, salt and lemon juice as well and blend together as shown in the picture below.  Last, put the cilantro in and blend in well.  This salsa is now ready to eat!

 Enjoy these salsas and chutneys with your meals and chips!  Which one did you like better?

ps, don;t forget to =) when your mouth is spiced up! 

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What's to Eat?? Oreo Truffles

I found on Pinterest a savory dessert recipe for Oreo Truffles! With my love of truffles, love for Oreos, and how easy it seemed to make it, I thought, "Why not?!" And boy was I pleased!
This double chocolate, oooey, gooey, truffle foodgasm bite in your mouth will explode our taste buds! It is the easiest thing to make, doesn't take much time, and it will surely please any friend, relative, or guests or yours! Heck, I'm pretty sure you would eat them all before anyone else could! With it being small bite size holes, add milk and you are GOLDEN.

What yall need:: 

1 package of Oreo's
1 package of cream cheese, softened. (I used Philadelphia)
1 package of  baking chocolate (I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate)
                               (1) Finely crush the Oreos.  I used a food processor but you can use a mortar and pestle or whatever is easiest for you.  The trick is, you want to make sure all the Oreos are finely crushed. You can put this in a bowl for use later.

(2) Now, mix the cream cheese until it is well blended. I used a mixer, but you can use your hands here as well and just mix the cream cheese really smooth.

 I then added my crushed Oreos and mixed it until it was all evenly mixed, like shown below.

(3)Shape the Oreo blends into a ball.  They can be as small or big as you want your truffle size to be.

(4) Now, double boil(which means to take a pot of water and boil it, then put a steel bowl on top to make for an easy melting pot) and add your chocolate chips into the bowl.
 Let it melt and then dip the Oreo balls into the chocolate, coating the ball with a layer of chocolate.

Dunk your Oreo ball…..

And load that sucker in with the chocolate!

Remember to place them onto a wax paper-covered baking sheet after they have been dipped.

(5) Refrigerate  for at least an hour, or until it's firm.  This yummy chocolate goodness can now go into your mouth! ENJOY!!
TIP:: Crushing an extra Oreo finely and sprinkling it on top of the Oreo ball after its been coated with chocolate makes for a great finish!

ENJOY!

ps, don't forget to =)

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