Have a cold? Make some chimichurri!!
I’m so sick of being sick. I’m sick of eating and drinking things that are supposed to be helping me get better. I’m a naturally healthy person but I’m losing my mind with the amount of oranges, grapefruits, grapes and concord grape juice that aren’t doing anything but make me bloat. So…we’re having roasted chicken tonight with a ton of chimichurri on top. I’m gonna eat my weight in chimichurri and it’s gonna be awesome.
Chimichurri is to Argentina what ketchup is to America. It’s the condiment they put on Everything. And it’s delicious! Not to mention healthy! The main ingredient is parsley and parsley has a ton of vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, dietary fiber, many antioxidants, and is also a natural diuretic. (maybe it will help the bloat.) I have been making salads all winter long using parsley as the green, and make a cold-fighting smoothie with a ton of it in there, but I can’t believe it took me so long to make this. Duh.
The following is a recipe that shouldn’t really be called one… It’s so easy to make and although there are several thousand recipes out there for chimichurri, this is the way I was taught by my Argentinian friends when I lived in L.A. and worked in the restaurant world. And as far as I’m concerned, there is no better source.
*Abbey’s Chimichurri
(makes roughly 1 cup)
In a blender, combine the following:
-1 large bunch of fresh parsley leaves (some stems are completely allowed)
-a small handful of oregano leaves (if all you have is dried then don’t let that keep you from this recipe. Just use about half that amount and add more if you think it needs it later)
-2 peeled cloves of raw garlic
-several shakes of red wine vinegar..oh, I don’t know..1 TB, maybe up to 2?
-a small splash of extra virgin olive oil
-a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
-a few good pinches of kosher salt
Blend this until mostly smooth, adding water* to get it moving if need be.
Once puréed, transfer to a dish and drizzle some more olive oil on top.
Serve with your favorite grilled meat.
(*I strayed from tradition and took away a lot of the oil because I don’t think it’s that necessary.. As long as you get the flavor from it then there’s no reason to not use something else (like a touch of water) to get the consistency you need without adding more fat.)
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