Happy Monday, everyone!
I was home alone this weekend, so I did what I do best. I trashed the kitchen and blog cooked like there was no tomorrow.
I made a bunch of Fourth of July stuff that I’m excited to share this week (!!), but I did make some other regular ole stuff too. Over the past few months, I have been feeling really stuck blog-wise so it was nice to get back into the kitchen and get some cooking done.
One of the best things that resulted from my 48-hour cooking craze? This Cilantro Chimichurri. It’s super green, super sharp, and super lemon-y. All I want to do is grill up every single chicken breast in my freezer and slather this on it. (or eat it with a spoon… I’m flexible!)
I normally don’t have cilantro around the house because the majority of my crew thinks it tastes like soap, but I ended up with a big bunch of it after my farmer’s market haul yesterday. I thought I had asked for parsley and opened my bag to find a bunch of cilantro nestled in between my beets and lettuce. Whoops!
Because my family is super sensitive to cilantro, I decided to make this sauce that is packed with so many other flavors that the cilantro is highlighted, yet suppressed, at the same time. But beware! A little dollop of this goes a long way!
Grab your handy dandy food processor.And add in a bunch of cilantro leaves (some of the stem is okay!).
Now we add in all the other good stuff.
Some shallot, garlic, lemon zest, red chili flake, salt, and pepper.
Add in a big squeeze of lemon. The lemon helps perk up cilantro’s beautiful green color, but also cuts some of the soapy-ness.
Now, pop the top of the food processor on and pulse to combine. When everything is chopped into tiny pieces, turn the food processor on and slowly stream in some good olive oil. Stop when a sauce is formed.
All you need to do is pour into a container with a tight-fitting lid and dig in!
It is fresh, slightly spicy, and the perfect shade of summer green. Definitely a nice alternative to pesto this summer season.
What do you do when you get unexpected (but good!) surprises in your farmer’s market bags?
oxox,
Catherine
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves only
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Juice from one lemon
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients except for olive oil. Pulse to combine. When the cilantro leaves are broken down, turn the food processor one and slowly stream in olive oil. Stop the food processor when a sauce is formed. Store in an air-tight container for up to one week (if it lasts that long!).
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