Tomatillos: Simple Salsa Verde & Hummus

Tomatillos? What do I do with them? 

Make salsa! Better yet...  make hummus! I've got it... DO BOTH!

Tomatillo means "little tomato" in spanish. Tomatillos are a member of the gooseberry family and are a staple in Mexican cuisine.  You can use them just like you would any tomato. They keep longer than red tomatoes; Husk them and I swear that they will stay ripe in the fridge for weeks! You can freeze them, too.

In a food processor add...

• 8 medium Tomatillos, peeled and washed  
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large handful of fresh cilantro (most of the stem removed)
• 10 spanish olives 
• 1 jalapeño pepper (The heat is up to you. Seed it or leave 'em in there. Want it really hot? Roast the jalapeño, first) 

Blend the above ingredients until smooth.

Add the blended tomatillo concoction to a storage container and add...

• 3 tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper
• The juice of one large lime (or two small ones)
• 2 tsp Tajin* (I loooove Tajin!) 

Stir them together and TASTE IT! Adjust the flavor:  Need more salt? More pepper? More heat? It's up to you! You can serve it right away, but, it tastes much, MUCH better after a few hours. Overnight even.

Now. You have a choice: Eat it as salsa... or... go a step further and combine it with some homemade hummus. Duh!

First, make tahini paste, unless you have some store bought stuff? If not:

• 1 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup olive oil

In a food processor, blend the seeds together while drizzling the olive oil into the seeds. Pulse until a paste forms. Scrape the sides of the blender in between pulses. Scrape it out of there and put it in a container.

Now for the HUMMUS:

• In the same food processor add...
• 2 cups of canned chick peas- liquid strained & reserved
• 1tsp salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup of tomatillo salsa
• 2 tbsp reserved chickpea water

*Add a tsp of Tomatillo Salsa, Cilantro and Cracked pepper to serve

Pulse all of these bad boys together and VOILA! Heaven. This recipe should satisfy even the veganist Vegan and Paleoist Caveman at any party, anywhere under the flipping sun!