I'm returning back to basics today with a very simple salsa verde recipe. Sometimes all you need is a very good sauce on a simple meal to bring it to life! I have a few I often go back to when I just fancy a fresh, healthy and very easy dinner but this salsa verde is my favourite.
Last night I had this salsa mixed into some stir fried broccoli and it was so moreish! It will also make a great accompaniment to BBQ's, griddled tofu, fish or meat and even just on top of a great tomato and avocado salad.
I have been cat sitting for my mum whilst she is away for the last week and a half so my routine has been all over the place! I'm lucky that she left me some delicious food to keep me going for the first few days and then after that I have been making very quick and easy meals where I have heavily relied on this salsa to do the work for me! (such as last nights broccoli feast which I served with cous cous)
Cat sitting has been quite nice really, escaping from everyday chores back home and having some space to clear my head. After two weeks though, as much as I enjoy playtime with the cats and raiding my mums freezer, i'm starting to feel ready to get back to my own kitchen and my own bed. Especially because I've planned another 2 week vegan/ gluten free detox! I love doing them every so often just to get myself back on track and this time I am going to do no alcohol too, give my body a real detox :)
The key to a good salsa is a nice mixture of herbs. For this I use soft herbs and you can really mix and match as you please. I also add garlic, chilli and lemon for a fresh rich salsa with a nice zing to it!
Soft herbs are great for eating raw and adding to salads, making into salsas and stirring into pasta or soup right at the end of cooking. They don't need any cooking really as their flavour is delicate and are more to add fragrance. Soft herbs include:
Hard herbs are great for adding to stews and soups right at the beginning of cooking. They release their flavour with heat and can be used fresh or dried. Hard herbs include:
This is the recipe I used, as usual feel free to experiment!
Large bunch Basil
Large bunch Parsley
Large bunch Mint leaves
2 Garlic cloves
1/2 Red Chilli (use a whole one if you want, mine was just particularly spicy)
2 tbspns Capers
2 tbspns Mini gherkins
Lemon Juice and Zest (I used 1/2 lemon)
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive oil
Get a big wooden board and finely chop all the of the herbs first to break them down, then crush the garlic on top of the herbs.
Finely chop the chilli, capers and gherkins and mix this all together on the board and continue to chop everything so that it mixes well.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and oil and mix well until you have a nice wet mixture which is chopped finely. (Or you can just add everything to a blender and blitz until fine)
This will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Here is a photo of Tibbs, one of the cats I have been looking after :) I will try get a nice photo of Murphy later as he is also beautiful... but hard to make keep still!!
I have linked this recipe to the ' No Food Waste' Challenge ' over at "I'd much rather bake" blog, this recipe is great for using up any herbs that may be starting to turn!
