Skirt Steak Tacos with Guacamole and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

It has been a while since I have written on my blog, but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. Spring is a very busy time at Quail Hollow. The frequent rains have created a challenge when it comes to gardening. This is the time we are tilling the garden and getting it ready to plant, but the persistent rains have not made this an easy task. I know I should welcome the rain after a couple of years of drought, and I do, just not when I need to be in the garden!

There is very little in the garden for harvest at this time, so I have turned to the grocery store for my inspiration. As Kenny and I wandered through Publix we noticed skirt steak on sale, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. A search on the Internet resulted in a number of recipes that sounded good, and for our meal I used several and this was the result.

Skirt Steak Tacos with Guacamole and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

1 onion, cut into wedges
1 pound tomatillos, halved
2 serrano peppers
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound skirt steak
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon achiote molido (ground annatto)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 flour tortillas
Fresh salsa, your favorite brand from the grocery store

Place the onion, tomatillos, serrano peppers and garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and broil in the oven for 5-8 minutes until slightly charred, stirring once. Moisten the skirt steak with 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let stand for 10 minutes. Combine the dry spices. Pat the steak dry and rub the dry spices on the steak.

Place half of the cooked onions in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar.

Remove the charred skin from the serrano peppers, cut in half and remove seeds. Place tomatillos, serrano peppers, remaining onions, 3 cloves of garlic (reserved 1 clove for the guacamole), 1 teaspoon lime juice and cilantro in a food processor and chop finely. Chill the salsa.

Grill steak on an oiled rack until medium rare. Remove the steak and let it sit for 5 minutes. Cut diagonally into thin slices.

While the steak sits, grill the tortillas until puffed and lightly browned, about 1 minute on each side.

Serve steak, onions, tomatillo salsa and guacamole wrapped in the tortillas. Yield: 2 servings.

Guacamole

1 avocado
1 garlic clove, roasted and minced
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed and chop. Combine the remaining ingredients.

Laura's Kitchen Sink Sopa de Lima and Farmer's Market Salsa Verde

For my first Taste and Create, I was paired with Laura of The Spiced Life. Laura has a great blog with lots of recipes so it was extremely hard to select just one. Laura's Kitchen Sink Sopa de Lima caught my eye because of the limes used the season the soup and the leftover roasted chicken in my frig that needed to be used.

This is simple recipe that packs a lot of flavor. I began by making chicken broth with the remnants of the roasted chicken last night. Today I assembled the soup using frozen tomatoes from our summer harvest and leftover corn. I also substituted flour tortillas for the corn tortillas in Laura's recipe. The results were delicious. I added jalopeno peppers to Laura's list of garnishes so Kenny can add as much heat to the soup as he wants!

Sopa de Lima

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
20 ounces of diced tomatoes
8 cups chicken broth
2 (14 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups whole kernel corn
3 cups shredded roasted chicken
2 flour tortillas, cut into small strips
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice from 3 limes
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and onions and cook the onions for 8 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add the tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Add the chicken broth, beans, corn, chicken, tortillas and cilantro and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Before serving, add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with garnishes. Yield: 13 - 14 cups.

Garnishes
Salsa Verde
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Homemade tortilla strips
Chopped jalopeno peppers

Laura loves green salsa so I decided to give it a try and created a variation of her Farmer's Market Salsa Verde.

Salsa Verde

1 poblano pepper
12 ounces tomatillos
1/2 large onion chopped
4 cloves garlic. crushed and peeled
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
jalopenos to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Wash the poblano pepper and pat dry. Remove the husks from the tomatillos, wash, and pat dry. Place pepper and tomatillos on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven until the tomatillos are olive green and the pepper is charred, turning as needed. The tomatillos will cook faster than the pepper, so remove them when they are done and continue to broil the pepper until it is charred all over. Place in a bowl to cool.

Turn the oven to 425 degrees F. and roast the onions and the garlic for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned.

Peel the poblano and remove the seeds. Place the poblano, the tomatillos, and juices in a food processor and pulse until pureed. Add the onions, garlic, and remaining ingredients to the food processer and pulse until pureed. Refrigerate. Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

Laura, thanks for these wonderful recipes that are sure to become a family favorite.