Older Bolder Life

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the Older Bolder Life Salsa Monday: Simple Salsa Criolla

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Recently on a trip to Austin my wife and I strolled by one of the many famous eateries on South Congress (what a fascinating slice of life to be seen there) and I stopped to read the menu posted outside. Their special that evening was a grilled, grass-fed, house-made hot dog (bratwurst for the purists out there) served with a Salsa Criolla.

I hung around long enough to see a platter of these come out, and I have to admit, the salsa looked delicious.

When back home I added salsa criolla to my recipe research list, and even pestered friend Chef Libby in Austin for her favorite version. She kindly responded with this recipe, and reminded me that both Peru and Argentina claim salsa criolla as regional salsas or side dishes, and of course there are a number of regional variations pending who you ask.

She seemed to think that the Peruvian version was a little more simple and typically made with red onions and rarely tomato, while the Argentinian version was more often made with sweet white onions and tomato.

Regarding the peppers, she also noted that her South American recipes for salsa criolla almost always call for an ahi amarillo pepper, native to South America, though here in the States recipes call for 1/2 of a bell pepper (use yellow or orange for the color), serranos or jalapeños, though she and I agree that the Texas-born Mediterraneo Dulce peppers is a nifty choice here if you can find them.

The lime juice adds the perfect burst of citrus tartness, and Libby and I prefer cilantro, though parsley might actually be more true to the salsa’s South American roots.

1 large tomato, blanched, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 medium red or white onion (red is more traditional)
1/2 bell pepper, 1 Mediterraneo Dulce pepper, or 1-2 serranos or jalapeños
1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
Juice of one lime (roughly 3 tbsp)
1-2 tbsp avocado oil or EVOO
1-2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
1/2 to 1 tsp good salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Optional
1/2 clove fresh garlic, grated
1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
Additional lime juice or white vinegar to taste

Blanch your tomato for 10-15 seconds in a pot of boiling water, then immediately immerse it in an ice-water bath to cool. Peel, cut in half, seed, chop into a 1/4-inch dice, and add to a medium bowl.

Slice the onion into thin slices, the pepper(s) of choice into 1/4-inch dice, and thinly slice the green onion; add everything to the tomato bowl. Add the chopped cilantro or parsley and oregano if using, then the lime juice, oil of choice, salt, pepper, and garlic if using. Stir well to combine, correct the seasonings to taste.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday: Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cashews and Ricotta Salata

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It’s not zucchini week here on the Older Bolder Life, but I have to admit we’ve been enjoying the bounty of fresh zucchini coming in now in North Texas several days a week.

We’re still crunching through the latest batch of Quick Zucchini Dills I shared on Monday, and my lovely wife has been pestering me to grill up another recipe of this Grilled Summer Squash, Feta, and Pepper Salad from a few weeks back.

Here’s another fresh zucchini dish perfect for that handful of young, very tender, smaller zucchini you picked up at the farmer’s market and weren’t quite sure what do with – a Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cashews and Ricotta Salata.

Of course don’t shave in that delicious cheese if you’re intolerant or hard-core, never venture off the trail Paleo, but you’ll be missing something here.

This happens to be another one of those recipes graced by a simple, tasty, and fresh vinaigrette-type dressing, and we think the red pepper flakes are essential to balancing out all the wonderful flavors here.

The mint is an almost surprising, and danged refreshing, flavor in the mix, as are the cashews (I’m sure other nuts will play, you’ll just need to experiment a bit.). And by the way, if you’re not familiar with ricotta salata, the saltier, aged, firmer-after-pressing version of fresh ricotta, you’re in for a treat…

3 small zucchini (roughly 1.5 pounds), trimmed, thinly sliced (see below)
1 cup mint leaves, torn
1/2 cup roasted, salted cashews
5-6 ounces ricotta salata, shaved into very thin slices

Dressing
1/4 cup EVOO or avocado oil
2-3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp good Dijon mustard
1 tsp (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of good salt

First whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Now thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise into wide, long ribbons; it’s a piece of cake with a vegetable peeler or a mandoline.

Place in a large bowl and coat with roughly 3/4 of the dressing, tossing gently so the ribbons don’t break. Now add the mint, cashews, and shavings of the ricotta salata you’ve shaved off with your vegetable peeler again. Again gently toss to combine, then drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Serve immediately, and enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Pickle Monday: Quick Turmeric Zucchini Dills

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It’s been a while since I shared a recipe for a quick pickle; several of our favorites posted here on the Older Bolder Life include these Tasty Quick Dills, these Quick Pickled Beets and Onions, and these Quick Pickled Daikon Radishes.

Some might ask why the quick pickle?

In times like these when the fresh produce is rolling in, it’s nice to prepare the freshest and best of the crop in a variety of ways; by the way, we’ll be looking at another great zucchini-based salad later in the week. Quick pickles can be set up with ease, thrown in the fridge, and enjoyed almost immediately; there’s no hot water bath processing to deal with, no fermenting, no waiting, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I still make a batch of fermented dills every year, but bright, acidic, spicy quick pickles have evolved to be my very favorites over time, due (at least in part) to their bright flavors and well-preserved crunch. Frankly you can quick pickle almost anything, and with a little creativity you can adjust spice levels and seasoning to bring smiles to you and yours at the summer (or whatever season) table.

Zucchini are abundant this time of year, a bargain at the farmstead or your favorite grocer, and easy to prep and process. This particular recipe packs in a fair amount of spice and the tiny bit of turmeric adds both flavor and color to the final pickles. Give it a spin and customize as you go.

2 pounds small zucchini, trimmed
1/4 cup pickling salt, divided
2 1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
12 fresh dill sprigs
4 garlic cloves, halved
4 red jalapeños or Fresno chiles (split) or 6-8 dried de arbor or Thai chiles
2 tsp yellow or brown mustard seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp dill seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric

Optional
1 large shallot or small red onion, trimmed, quartered, and cut into slices
1-2 tbsp sugar

Trim the zucchini into 4-inch pieces, and then quarter lengthwise and throw in a large bowl; add the sliced onion if using. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of salt, add 4 cups of ice and stir, then set aside for at least an hour. Drain and then rinse quickly.

While the zucchini is “brining”, bring the vinegar, remaining 2 tbsp salt, the water, turmeric, and sugar if using to a boil in a small saucepan; set aside to cool slightly when the salt (and sugar) have dissolved.

Into two quart jars divide the dill sprigs, garlic cloves, peppers of choice, mustard, dill and coriander seeds, then pack in the zucchini spears (and onion if using). Now pour the hot vinegar mixture into the jars, leaving roughly 1/2-inch headspace, and loosely cap. Leave on the counter to cool, then into the fridge they go.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Sambal Ginger Sriracha Grilled Chicken

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Now and again we stumble across a recipe that makes me wonder where has this delicious food been all our lives?

Today’s Sambal Ginger Sriracha Grilled Chicken is one of those recipes; working through some trials to dial this one in has led to my lovely wife consistently stealing all the leftovers for her work lunch, and her insisting this one drop immediately into the weekly rotation.

This recipe, intended I suppose originally for the grill, was crafted to use chicken thighs, given their deep, rich flavor and tendency to not dry out when properly handled quickly over the fire, though chicken breasts, reasonably thinly sliced in long strips and threaded on the skewers work well too – just don’t overcook and dry them out.

That said, rained out one evening I had a recipe version test planned, I seared the chicken up in a big carbon steel skillet and it was outrageously good, so there’s your backup plan if for some reason grilling is out.

Finally, with regard to something to sweeten the recipe, traditionally most would reach for brown sugar here. Count me among those who would rationally argue that a tablespoon or two (or even a little more) of brown sugar in a marinade, over the long run and done occasionally, isn’t something to lose sleep over (though no doubt there are those among the Paleo and Keto police who would disagree vehemently).

We have trialed this one with several different sugar / sweetener subs, and found them all off-putting compared to the recipe as written below using a bit of brown sugar. One of the great things about being a big kid and cooking your own food is that you get to make the call on your own ingredient list – modify to your heart’s content.

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp rice vinegar (best with unseasoned)
1/2 cup hot chile paste
1/3 cup Sriracha
1/4 to 1/2 cup sweetener of choice, see note above
2-3 tbsp finely sliced green onions, white and pale green parts
1 tbsp grated or finely chopped fresh ginger
2-3 tsp grated or finely chopped garlic

1 and 1/2 pounds chicken thighs (skinless, boneless) cut roughly into 2-inch pieces

Combine the marinade/sauce ingredients in a small bowl, whisk well to mix and dissolve whatever sweetener you’ve elected to use. Pour approximately 1/3 of the mixture into a large resealable bag, reserve the remainder in the fridge.

Now add the chicken to the bagged marinade, and squish it around to coat all the chicken. Seal the bag and let is rest in the fridge for at least an hour, up to overnight.

When ready to cook, fire the grill, and thread the chicken pieces onto your skewers of choice (don’t forget to soak the bamboo skewers for an hour beforehand if that’s your cup of tea). I like to use the double skewer technique to keep the pieces from spinning on the turns.

As the grill is heating, pour the reserved marinade/sauce into a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Bring it to a simmer and slowly reduce until thick enough to coat a spoon, then set aside.

Grill the chicken turning every two minutes or so and basting at each turn with the reduced sauce; these will need 8-10 minutes pending how hot your fire is.

Great hot or cold, and set the remaining sauce on the table for who want to drizzle a little more heat on…

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday: Grilled Summer Squash, Feta, and Pepper Salad

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Like many of you, we’re always on the lookout for new ways to prepare grilled vegetables along with our favorite proteins, especially given the bounty of summer gardens and farmer’s markets coming in these days.

One of our favorite restaurants years ago served a simple side of grilled summer squash slices hot from the fire; we always ordered one or two for the table, and you had to be quick or they’d be gone in a flash. Being avid gardeners, we’ve always had plenty of zucchini around to grill at home too.

I came across the predecessor of this recipe in Bon Appetit a couple of months back, and changed up the onions and herbs a bit to suit our family palate. We’re big fans of grilled onions, and in the land of 1015s here in Texas, it’s hard not to throw one on the grill anytime we’re roasting the protein of the day.

By the way, the oregano plays very well with the feta sprinkled over the top here, and the pepperoncini adds a sharp, acidic bite to the ocean of vegetables you’ll throw together. This one is really good and will be in our weekly rotation during the summer…

4 medium large summer squash (yellow, zucchini, etc), sliced as per below
1 small sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges through the root end
1 small red onion, cut into 8 wedges through the root end
2-3 sprigs fresh oregano
Good salt and fresh ground pepper

For the dressing
1/2 cup good extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
1/4 cup good white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated
1-3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

To serve
6-8 pepperoncini, drained, stemmed, and sliced thin
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
More good salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Fire the grill; this one is great over real wood charcoal. Whisk the dressing together and set aside.

Scrub the squash, trim the ends, and then slice length-wise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cut the two onions into 8 wedges each through the root end (keeps the onion layers together).

Now toss the cut squash, wedged onions, and oregano sprigs on a rimmed baking sheet with 3-4 tbsp oil, then aggressively salt and pepper. Place on the hot grill and cook, turning the squash pieces when well-marked on the first side (roughly 3 minutes pending your fire) and cooking another 1-2 minutes on the second side, taking care not to overcook (it make the slices too soft).

Remove the squash to the baking sheet; the onions will need a few minutes longer to take on good color; remove when marked and beginning to brown.

Plate the squash and onions on a large platter or shallow, wide bowl, then crumble the feta over, followed by the sliced pepperoncini. Drizzle with the dressing and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Sauce and Dip Monday Recipe: Butterbean Hummus

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Living in the nutritional ketosis world for the past 15 months or so, I’ve only pulled together a hummus plate a couple of times; now that I think about it, both were for entertaining company with a big crudite spread before the main meal event.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re big fans of a well-prepared and flavored hummus; some of our favorite eateries here in the DFW metro serve up a wonderful butterbean hummus as part of their Southern-inspired menus – and it’s always delicious with an innovative platter of crispy vegetables alongside.

We just haven’t served up hummus of late as I’ve been running (very comfortably I might add) at or below 20 grams of soluble carbs per day for more than a year now, and let’s face it, a nice hummus with a plate full of crispy crudite could easily double or triple amount in one sitting. (For the record, I’ve never played the keto game as if the keto police were looking over my shoulder; I’ve simply felt great at that level, and it’s allowed me to fairly painlessly accomplish my weight loss and body recomposition goals this past year.)

And like many of you as well who are thriving eating a low/lower carb nutrition plan, we pretty much carved legumes out of our routine several years ago, not only for their carb load relative to nutrient content, but their anti-nutrients as well. Truthfully, I can’t even recall the last time I cooked a big “pot of beans” at home, though I have to confess we very rarely and thoughtfully nibble at some when eating TexMex out with friends.

That said, my lovely wife recently developed a hankering for some hummus and veg to take to work for lunch during these blisteringly hot Texas summer days; the same week, two clients asked me if we had a favorite hummus recipe to share as well.

This Butterbean Hummus recipe is one that we worked out years ago, originally of course with chickpeas, though it works with just about any other cooked legume; here we’re using butterbeans, though Great Northerns would work as well. And as in the image above, we like ours with a bit of fresh ground pepper and a dusting of a good paprika as well.

Of note, many prepared hummus products you will find at your favorite grocer are make with canned beans (BPA risk), terrible seed oils, and other preservatives and stabilizers. It’s far better to soak and cook your legumes of choice (even better if fermented too), use quality oils and tahini, fresh lemons and spices, and you’ll craft a hummus worthy of an indulgence now and again.

4 cups cooked and cooled legume of choice (chickpeas, butterbeans, Great Northern, etc)
1/4 cup cold water
Freshly squeezed juice of 1-2 lemons (2-4 tbsp)
2 tbsp good tahini paste (more to taste)
2 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp (generous) ground cumin
Good salt and pepper to taste

For service, drizzle with more olive or avocado oil, finely chopped cilantro, maybe even a dusting of paprika or cumin/coriander.

This one is easy and intuitive to stir blend together. Into your trusty food processor go the cooked legumes, followed by the next 7 ingredients. Blend together until as smooth as you like (we like a little texture in our hummus), and adjust the tahini, lemon, cumin, salt, and pepper to your tastes.

Serve either at room temp or chilled (we like it chilled during these hot summer days), and drizzle with more oil and any of the optional finishing touches above.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salsa Monday: Grilled Jalapeño, Onion, and Pepita Salsa

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Here’s a nifty salsa that will fit right into your summer grilling routine – a Grilled Jalapeño, Onion, and Pepita Salsa.

Grilled onions are a favorite side around our kitchen, they’re crazy simple to do – just quarter a medium to large sized red, white, or yellow onion through the root end (it keeps the onion layers together), slather with your favorite oil (olive or avocado for us), douse with a generous sprinkle of good salt and fresh ground pepper, and throw em on the grill.

This salsa highlights the onion’s grilled sweetness, and along with the spice of the jalapeños, the crunch of the pepitas, and the tart burst from the lime juice, this salsa is a wonderful accompaniment to any protein hot off the grill.

It’ll hold for a day in the fridge, though we think it’s best eaten soon after stirring it together (the pepitas are still crunchy).

2 quarters of medium white onion, cut through the root end
1 quarter of medium red onion, cut through the root end
3-4 jalapeños
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup roasted pepitas, chopped
1/4 cup good olive or avocado oil
3 to 4 tbsp fresh lime juice
Good salt to taste

Grill the onions and jalapeños until blistered, let cool. (If you’re not firing the grill for another reason, you can also blister in cast iron skillet over medium high heat, or directly over the flame of a gas burner).

Finely chopped the onion and stemmed and seeded jalapeños, then combine with the cilantro, pepitas, oil of choice, lime juice, and salt in a small serving bowl.

This will hold in the fridge for up to a day, but as it sits the pepitas soften and their flavor begins to dampen a bit. Serve at room temp.

Enjoy.

The Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Smokey Chipotle Coffee Rub

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As I’ve shared in many of our recipes over the past year, we’re enthusiastic fans of big flavors around our camp, and have rarely come across a spice rub we didn’t enjoy.

For years now we’ve played with a variety of rubs (and sauces & marinades) featuring coffee in one form or another, and this Smokey Chipotle Coffee Rub has come to be our very favorite coffee based rub for most proteins – it’s absolutely wonderful on beef and pork.

As with most spice mixtures, using the freshest spices you can get your hands on yields the best results, as does grinding the coffee beans just before use (if you’re geared to do so). Chipotle peppers bring such a nifty smokey flavor to the flavor game here and it plays incredibly well with the coffee notes; using a good smoked paprika adds another layer of flavor as well.

As we’ve become Primal/Paleo aligned in 99% of our cooking, I’ve taken to leaving the brown sugar out or cutting it down, though both my wife and can taste the difference, and frankly you can count us among the crowd that considers a whisp of sugar in a marinade or rub a reasonable indulgence now and again.

Try this one using the core five spices at least once, and experiment with the optional flavors listed as well, or throw your favorites into the mix next time around. I used this on a couple of grass-fed New York strips last weekend….

2 parts dark roast or espresso coffee, finely ground
2 parts fresh chipotle chile powder
2 parts kosher salt
1 part ground coriander
1 part good paprika (try a smoked paprika here too)

Optional
1 part brown sugar
1/2 part freshly ground black pepper
1/2 part garlic power/granulated garlic
1/2 part powdered ginger

Combine the 5 core ingredients (the first in the list) along with whatever optional ingredients you’d like to throw in the mix. Stir to mix well.

Rub your protein generously with the rub and let rest for at least an hour (in the fridge if longer).

Grill/roast/smoke per your routine; the NY strips I did this past weekend were some of the best steaks we’ve done in a long time – one hour at 129 in the sous vide followed by a quick sear over hardwood charcoal. Hot damn.

Enjoy.