A while back in yet another gumbo post, my mini-food whacker thingie was in one of the pictures and Deb said she had one too, and wondered what I made with mine.
We use it for lots of things. It usually depends on how lazy I am feeling at the moment.
"Do I chop this garlic by hand and avoid one more dirty dish item, or do I get the little wacker out and go to town?"
It just depends on my mood, but I love that machine for the following:
1) Any soup base or roux ingredient chopping.
2) Any off the cuff veggie/rice "pilaf" ... toss in veggies, chop, drop in some olive oil, sautee, add some rice, sautee bit more, add chicken broth .... bingo.
3) ALWAYS FOR SALSA
I can't eat store bought salsa anymore, it tastes too much like Mexican ketchup after eating the fresh stuff. It's also ridiculously easy to make with this little whacker.
Here's what I do.
In the whacker, chop a bell pepper, an onion, a bunch of grape tomatoes, couple cloves of garlic, a bunch of pickled jalapeno peppers.
(We tried it with fresh, raw jalapenos and there was a bitterness none of us were crazy about. I think we just prefer the pickled flavor)
Dump that all together into a bowl.
Add salt, oregano, a good healthy splash of vinegar, and a dollop of the jalapeno jar juice.
Stir it.
Eat it.
I've mentioned before that I don't like fresh raw tomatoes and it's true. I can not eat a tomato in a salad or a slice on a sandwich, but I can gobble this salsa relentlessly ... and it's loaded with fresh, raw tomatoes.
Weird.
SIDE NOTE:
Next week is FCAT (the big high stakes test) week at our school. We've been doing all kinds of fun stress relief and motivational activities this week to prime the kids and it will culminate today with an FCAT PEP RALLY in the gym during the last period of the day.
I will be dancing to High School Musical music ... "We're All In This Together".
Yes, you read that correctly... dancing.
In front of the student body.
In the middle of the gym.
I'm only telling you this because you might pause around 2:15 pm eastern standard time and send me a wish and a prayer.
I will be the only guy teacher in a bevy of lady teacher dancers.
Send two wishes and prayers.
Somehow, when they put out the call for teachers to help out with the dance number, I was the only guy who showed up ... and stayed.
Of course, yesterday at our final after school practice, it did hit me as I was dancing that I was surrounded by laughing, prancing, dancing pretty ladies and that maybe this teaching gig was not such a bad deal after all.
14 comments:
You can't eat raw tomatoes unless they are in salsa????? They are the world's number one best raw fruit, period, the end! I could literally live on raw tomatoes (provided they're not hot house). A giant beefsteak, fresh off the vine with a picnh of salt and a half pinch of sugar- be still my heart.
And you're right about salsa- it's only really good fresh. We love the addition of cilantro and a fresh serrano pepper.
FCATS: But will you annoint the desks with prayer oil? Another big controversary down state as the principal and teachers held a prayer service and annointe all the desks in hopes of higher scores. I wonder if the class problems got more, as in "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"?
Have a great weekend!
P.S. Did you print out, "How to dance like Zac"?
COuld I come visit? oh please oh pretty please? My mouth is watering so bad right now!
Such an interesting salsa recipe. I think I'll have to try that. We have always used fresh jalapeno, but pickled sounds like a delicious addition. Yum.
I do hope someone will be photographing that little dance number. That's something I know I'd love to see. Good luck with it, and I'll be thinking of you at 11:15 our time!
yes!!video of the dancing!! oh yeah....mmmmmmm salsa. maybe you could post a pic of your food chopper. we have some fresh robin-made salsa in the fridge.
FC-
Break a Leg! Of course you know I don't meant that in a bad-TamiJean sorta way!
Its 2:00, you are getting ready to go on stage and I am praying for you! You are a good sport, FC!
Mmmm...now I know what my food processor will be doing next summer when the tomatoes are ripe!
And somehow I'm not surprised by the dance thing, seeing as how you're such a renaissance man! Did you have any offspring taking pictures?
Vicki,
I know it's weird but a plain raw tomato is verboten.
No FCAT annointing here.
We watched the tutorial on the DVD.
Paintsmh,
I'll run out for more tortilla chips :)
Robin,
It's so colorful, you know it has to be good for you.
The chips may not be, but it's all a balancing act.
Dance photos, I hear there were some, but so far I've not seen any.
roger,
that's it in the middle of the ingredient photo. just a little whacker.
lucky for me i have dial up and could never upload video.
Lightnin,
Thanks! It went okay so I guess I did!
Cathy S,
Thanks! It turned out to be alot of fun and the kids were high fiving me all afternoon.
It seems I'm "COOL".
Who knew?
:)
Deb,
I think salsa cruda is one of those forgiving recipes that needs no set amounts and allows for lots of flexibility.
Some teachers were photoing so I think my Monday email may have embarrassing evidence.
Seems vaguely like way too much jalapeno. But I guess you Crackers are inured to that, it bein' so hot down there and all.
Hoss,
It kills those nasty subtropical intestinal parasites.
I want a mini food whacker thingie! Wander to wandering to read about OUR glorious FCAT pep rally!
Now I'd pay good money to see that show! Nice lookin' salsa, as well. 8-]
Me, I am not so crazy about salsa because I can't eat raw peppers and onions...although it always LOOKS good to me.
However...that dance in the auditorium...must have been interesting indeed. lol
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