Roasted Brussels Sprouts

As a kid, my mom would make Brussels sprouts for dinner.  My dad cheerily would say “can you feel the vitamins coursing through your veins?”  Ummm…no.  Then he would cut them in half and say “now they are smaller bites.”  Yes, but now I have 2 bites vs. 1 to choke down.  And what do I do as a parent?  I cook Brussels sprouts.  Do my kids like them?  Not really but it is something green on their plate (I also give them a Flinstone vitamin with their breakfast just in case they hide their Brussels sprouts in the mashed potatoes like I did). 

At this point, I’ve decided that writing to you through the blog has to be better than therapy.  No one asks me probing questions “how did this make you feel?” or “what other kinds of issues did you have with your parents?” and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper so thank you!

Brussels Sprouts

PS - buy a good bottle of extra virgin olive oil and Kosher salt.  It's going to be one of those weeks.

Ingredients

1. 1 ½ lbs Brussels sprouts
2. 3 T extra virgin olive oil, or enough to coat
3. ¾ t Kosher salt
4. Ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400.

Wash the Brussels sprouts then cut off the ends and remove any outer leaves which don’t look good.  I then cut the sprouts in half.  Toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper to coat.  Spread into a single layer on a cookie sheet or pyrex dish.  Roast for 35-40 minutes (mixing/flipping periodically) until crisp outside yet tender inside.  Once done, sprinkle with more salt.

Lasagna

Dean Martin was at our house tonight singing: “When the stars make you drool like a pasta fazool.  That’s amore.”  This recipe is not for fazool (yes Virginia, there is such a thing) but lasagna doesn’t exactly rhyme with drool so we’re adapting just like this recipe. 

I am at a crossroads.  My friend Susan swears by Barefoot Contessa’s Turkey Lasagna; my Uncle Willy uses a different recipe.  What to do – what to do.  I attempted to marry what sounded like the most appealing components of each recipe and here it is.  Obviously tastes differ.  Try a few adjustments for yourself to suit the taste preferences in your house!  Can’t we just all get along? 

Remember the words of Garfield, the smartest cat: “Lasagna: the world's most perfect food!” and of Mr. T: "I pity the f(az)ool" who doesn't try a bite of this lasagna.

Ingredients:

Lasagna

For the meat sauce

1. 1 lb ground beef or a combination of beef and pork (BC uses ground turkey and Susan has tested them all – her fave is Whole Foods bulk ground turkey breast with the WF mild Italian spice mixed it – the meat market will do that if you ask)
2. 2 cloves garlic, minced
3. ½ T dried parsley
4. ½ T dried basil
5. 1 t salt
6. 28 oz crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
7. 6 oz tomato paste

For the noodles

1. ½ lb lasagna noodles (regular, not the “no boil” kind)

For the cheese layer

1. 15 oz ricotta (Willy uses 24 oz of cottage cheese and decreases the parm to ½ c and ½ lb of mozzarella)
2. 2 eggs, beaten
3. 2 t salt
4. ½ t pepper
5. 1 c grated parmesan cheese
6. 1 lb thinly sliced mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 (Willy cooks at 375).

Brown the meat and then drain any excess fat.  Return the meat to your pan and add ingredients #2-7 from the “for the meat sauce” section.  Simmer for 45-60 minutes.

While the meat is simmering, put hot tap water into a pyrex dish and place the lasagna noodles in the dish for 20 minutes.  Drain the water.

For the cheese layer, mix ingredients #1-5 (aka, everything but the mozzarella).

In a 9x13 pyrex dish, spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce into the bottom of the dish and spread evently.  Layer half of your lasagna noodles, try to overlap or minimize the gaps in between noodles.  Spread half the mozzarella over the noodles and then top with half of the ricotta cheese mixture.  Spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce on top.  Make another layer – noodles; mozzarella; ricotta mixture.  Top with the remaining 1/3 of meat sauce and then sprinkle ¼ c of grated parmesan cheese on top. 

Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly.  Let sit for 10 minutes, cut and serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Macadamia Nuts

Have you ever had your heart set on a certain food and then you arrive at the place salivating and that food is not there?  My heart was broken last week – in the cold rain, no less – while searching for snack for Sunday school so I was being sort of holy... (Can you hear the violins playing in the background signifying my sorrow and woes?  A teardrop falls...)  Empire Baking Company used to serve delicious chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts.  I must have been their only fan because they have stopped.  My kids are fine with that because the M&M cookies are still available.  I love the crisp, clean crunch of a macadamia nut.  I used the basic Tollhouse cookie recipe (yep, the one on the back of the semi-sweet morsels bag), chopped macadamia nuts with my nut chopper, stirred and baked. 

In the words of Cookie Monster: "Me want cookie! Me eat cookie!  Om nom nom nom."

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookies
with Macadamia Nuts

1. 2 ¼ c all-purpose flour
2. 1 t baking soda
3. 1 t salt
4. 1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
5. ¾ C sugar
6. ¾ C packed brown sugar
7. 1 t vanilla
8. 2 large eggs
9. 2 C Nestle® Toll House® semi-sweet chocolate morsels
10. 1 C chopped macadamia nuts (yes, you can use any type of nut or no nut at all)

Preheat oven to 375.

Place ingredients 4-7 in a mixing bowl and beat until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well into the mixture.  Gradually and slowly (so as not to create a dust storm) beat in ingredients 1-3.  Pour in chocolate chips and nuts and stir.

(I like to refrigerate the dough for at least 5 minutes – the colder dough rolled into a ball tends to create thicker cookies).

Spoon about a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown (mine take 14 minutes since they are cool from the ‘frig and are in a ball). 

I miss the cookies, Empire, but you still make the best challah in town.

Fat Tuesday

Hey, hey, hey – it’s Fat Tuesday!  Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday which “refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday.”  So let’s get our fatty on with a few recipes that look oh so good but your cardiologist and trainer would not endorse you eating on a regular basis.  Pancakes are a traditional food – been there, done that - as well as other related fried breads or pastries.  Start your own tradition and try a few of these!

• French Toast Casserole
• The Luther
• Hash Brown Quiche

Laissez les bons temps rouler! Let the good times roll!

French Toast Casserole

David makes the best French toast using challah.  Seriously, it’s that good – come over one Saturday or Sunday – I welcome an excuse for him to make it.  I think it’s the teaspoon of vanilla.  And then I came across a FT casserole by Paula Deen which my friend Angela endorsed having tried it before.  15 years of marriage and I feel as though I’m cheating.  Ca c'est bon!  C'est magnifique!  Merci Beaucoup PD!

Want to know why this qualifies for the Fat Tuesday post?  French bread soaked in 2 cups of half-and-half and then essentially topped with a praline - 2 sticks of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar.  The recipe calls for maple syrup but the extra flavor, sugar or calories would just be too much.

Cut yourself a small piece and commit to eating better tomorrow.

Ingredients

French Toast

French Toast Casserole

1. 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces) 
2. 8 large eggs
3. 2 C half-and-half
4. 1 C milk
5. 2 T granulated sugar
6. 1 t vanilla extract
7. 1/4 t ground cinnamon
8. Dash salt

Praline Topping

1. ½ lb (2 sticks) butter, softened
2. 1 C packed light brown sugar
3. 1 C chopped pecans
4. 2 T light corn syrup
5. 1/2 t ground cinnamon

For French Toast: slice the French bread into 1-inch thick slices. Arrange bread in 2 rows in a generously buttered 9x13 baking dish.  Overlap the slices or arrange to minimize the non-bread space. In a large bowl, combine ingredients #2-8 and beat with a whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all of the bread are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. I removed the top layer, poured some egg mixture, flipped the bread and then placed the top layer of bread down and poured the remainder of the egg mixture.  Your goal is to ensure all of the bread is covered.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For Praline topping: place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

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Happy Anniversary D!

Hash Brown Quiche

Paula Deen does it again.  Oh so good yet oh so you can’t eat this everyday.  Our kids love to eat quiche.  In our house we call it “egg pie” because who doesn’t like to eat pie for breakfast?  After spending more than my fair share at Whole Foods buying prepared quiches, I started searching the web for recipes and came across this one.  The hash brown crust caught my attention!

I adjusted components and quantities of the recipe based on reviews.  Here is a link to Paula's original recipe.

Hash Brown Quiche

Ingredients

1. 4 cups shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained (I used Ore Ida hash browns and measured 4 cups when still frozen)
2. 4 T (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3. 4 large eggs, beaten
4. 1 C half-and-half (I decreased the half-and-half and substituted some of it with milk)
5. ¾ C diced cooked ham
6. 1 C shredded Cheddar (I used mild)
7. Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Thaw the hash browns.  Once thawed, dry them as much as you can between paper towels.  Place them in a 9 in pie pan and mix with the melted butter.  Spread evenly on the bottom and sides of the pie pan – this will form your crust.  Bake the hash browns until golden brown or starting to crisp.  It took me about 25-30 minutes for them to start browning.  The sides browned first; the middle takes longer.  To expedite the browning at the end, you can either turn up the oven to 500 or broil for a few minutes to achieve greater browned consistency.

While the crust is baking, mix ingredients 3-7 in a large bowl (you can adjust the ingredients to include things like green onions, mushrooms, spinach, etc.)  When the crust is done, pour the egg mixture into the pie pan and return to the oven. 

Lower the oven temperature to 350 and bake for about 30-35 minutes until the quiche is cooked through (check the middle – that was the last to settle for me).

The Luther - Bacon Cheeseburger on a Donut

As Adam Richman, host of Man vs. Food on the Travel channel, says “oh my goodness, oh my goodness.”  Sink your teeth into a bacon cheeseburger on a Krispy Kreme donut. (If you keep kosher, forgive me as I have probably offended you on so many levels). 

We watched Adam taste this concoction on the “Baseball” episode (in case you want to Hulu).  At the GCS Ballpark in Sauget, IL, you can cheer on the Gateway Grizzlies and dine on this sandwich which tends to run between approximately 800 and 1,500 calories.  In some circles this is referred to as the Luther Burger after singer-songwriter and record producer Luther Vandross.  Whether he was the inventor or just a fan, try the Luther “Here and Now”; it will become an “Endless Love”.

The Luther

Man v Food Nation pop quiz: what 3 restaurants did Adam visit when in Dallas?  Answer at the bottom of the post.

Ingredients:

1. Krispy Kreme or other glazed donut 
2. Ground beef slider, aka mini-hamburger patty
3. Slice of cheese like extra sharp cheddar or American
4. Bacon

Cook the burger on the grill.  A slider fits the size of the donut better than a full size hamburger.  Cook the bacon.  As the slider finishes cooking, place the bacon on the meat, then the cheese.  Slice the donut in half and grill the donut on the inside to create a crisp “crust” for the bun. 

To assemble, place the burger-bacon-cheese on a donut half (glazed side up, touching the meat) and then top with the other half of the donut (glazed side down, touching the meat). 

The picture does not accurately reflect the assembly instructions above given that the donut is inside-out and the bacon is on top of the cheese vs sandwiched between the meat and the cheese.  So sue me – it still tasted good – and David would not permit me to make - or eat - another.

Answer to the MvF pop quiz:

1) Kuby's to sample their sausages

2) Sonny Bryan's for good TX bbq

3) Sprout's in Arlington for their meat lover's pho (pronounced: fuh as in "what the...")

Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

Where were you in 1986?  Watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or Pretty in Pink?  Listening to Walk Like an Egyptian, Greatest Love of All, Danger Zone, or Manic Monday?  Still in high school? 

In that year, my mom compiled a Family Heirloom Cookbook with family and close friends’ special recipes.  Many pages are worn, torn and smeared as it is my first cookbook.  This recipe is dated 1964 and was given to my mom by her roommate and one of the women for whom I was named.  Thank you Mrs. Buatt!

You can make this with whole or half chicken breasts or cut the chicken into strips to make chicken fingers.  It’s good straight from the oven or the next day on a picnic. 

Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

Bueller… Bueller…  Bueller?

Ingredients

1. 1-1 ½ lbs of boneless, skinless chicken 
2. 1 C bread crumbs
3. 2/3 C parmesan cheese
4. ¼ C chopped parsley
5. 1 clove minced garlic
6. 2 t salt and pepper
7. ½ c butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix ingredients 2-6 in a bowl (depending on the quantity of chicken and/or breasts vs tenders, you will learn to adjust the quantity of crust (#2-6) - you will need more for tenders (greater surface area) and most likely you can use half the recipe above if you are cooking a few breasts).  Melt butter in the microwave.  Dip chicken pieces in the melted butter and then roll in bread crumb mix.  Place in a shallow, greased (i.e., with Pam) pan.  If you wish, you can sprinkle with remaining butter and bread crumbs.

Cook uncovered for 30-45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  The time will depend on the thickness of the chicken - less time for the tenders, more time for a full breast (use your handy meat thermometer to check).

CLARIFICATION on DEALS: Williams-Sonoma Complimentary Knife Sharpening - Feb 18-19

Every Williams-Sonoma is offering a different date and time for knife sharpening based on the date of their Knife Sharpening Techniques Class this weekend.  Free knife sharpening requires attending this free Techniques Classes.

• Galleria - Saturday, 9:30am
• NorthPark - Sunday, 11:00am
• HIghland Park Village - Sunday, 12:00pm

Keep your kitchen tools in tip-top shape.  There's nothing better than a sharp knife when preparing food to cook.  Let Williams-Sonoma do the work for you!

Saturday and Sunday, February 18-19 - call your local store for more details

Williams-Sonoma is offering a Complimentary Knife Sharpening Day

Bring your favorite straight-edge knife* into your local store, and we’ll be happy to sharpen it for you.

*Limit of one knife per customer. No serrated, ceramic-blade, single-beveled or pocket knives.

Find a store near you.

Kale Salad

Kale the super food!  Listen to this: kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. It claims to have potent anti-cancer properties, has a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells, provides cardiovascular support by helping lower cholesterol, and assists in the body’s detoxification process.  Kale is a cousin to broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts and it peaks from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring.  Flowering kale looks nice in your garden.

Kale Salad

But enough about that.  How does it taste?  Let’s just say that my oldest proclaimed “I don’t eat salad.” However after he tried it, he changed his tune: “can I have a whole plate?”  My friend Julie W. loves eating this salad when she is in Aspen, CO.  She found the recipe, made it for a girls’ lunch recently, and the kale salad has arrived on the Dallas scene.  This salad originated at the restaurant, LuLu Wilson, which has since closed but if visiting Aspen, stop by CP Burger and try it there.  Or if not traveling soon, make one at home.

Ingredients

1. 1 bunch dark green kale with no yellow edges (once cut, it makes about 2 cups)
2. 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1 T lemon juice
4. ¼ C currants
5. ¼ C grated parmesan cheese
6. ¼ C pine nuts, not toasted

Using a very sharp knife, cut away the kale leaves’ tough center stems. Roll the leaves like a cigar and cut them into very fine thin slices, about 1/8th-inch wide (aka, chiffonade).  Put kale and olive oil into a bowl and toss by hand. Add the lemon juice and toss again. Add the currants, parmesan, and pine nuts and toss by hand until completely mixed. Taste and adjust quantities if needed. The salad can be made a few hours ahead, but better if prepared just before serving.

Knife Sharpener

Since Williams-Sonoma won't sharpen your knives for free on a regular basis, you may want to invest in a good knife sharpening tool for your home.  Sometimes you don't realize how dull your knives have become until you sharpen them and bang - just like a ginsu!

I bought this tool during Partner's Card one year (20% off, of course!) but you don't have to wait until the end of October to purchase yours.  Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrell, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc. all carry the brand: Chef's Choice.  I chose the Chef'sChoice® Diamond Hone® FlexHone/Strop® #320.  See the whole line at:
http://chefschoice.com/

Lemon Squares

Lemon Squares

Pucker up!  Chefs tend to have a signature ingredient – Ina loves lemon; Paula Deen favors butter and cream; Bobby Flay prefers anything grilled.  This recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook delivers on the tart and tangy that you would expect from a lemon square.  If you prefer a doughier version, let me know and I’ll send you Sharon’s crust-on-crust lemon square recipe.

This recipe has graced many friends’ tables, Julie K. and Chris B., to name a few.  The intent of The Baker’s Mann is to cook and share your best.  It is recommendations like this from friends that inspire the blog so please keep the recipe ideas flowing.  All you have to do is share the recipe – the cooking, picture taking and write up are all included in your subscription and provided by the “professional” staff at TBM. 

Pucker up as you bite into this treat and pucker up on this Valentine’s Day while giving a kiss to your loved ones – a spouse, a child, a parent, a friend, a dog, a cat – those special people who give you unconditional love every day.  They nourish your heart and soul just as food nourishes your body.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-bars-recipe/index.html

Beef Kabobs

In an effort to recreate the Mongolian beef at Pei Wei, I started searching for beef kabob recipes.  I found this one and while not as sweet as Pei Wei, it does have some soy flavor.  If you serve it with a side of rice, spear a mushroom and close your eyes… no, not really.  I’ll keep searching but this flavor doesn’t disappoint.

This is my youngest’s (that is younger by 1 minute but his sister still likes to claim that she is his big sister) favorite dishes.  The original recipe calls for beef tri-tip which is a cut of meat that comes from the sirloin.  Kuby’s sells beef tenderloin tails for $10/lb less than a center-cut tenderloin (do the math with me – I know it’s late - $25/lb vs $15/lb).  I figured that the tips are from the same place (the short loin) as a center-cut tenderloin and as a kabob, you’re cutting it into smaller pieces anyways so why pay more?

Beef Kabobs

Ingredients

1. 1 – 1 ½ lbs of beef tenderloin tails or tri-tip
2. 3 T olive oil
3. 1 T soy sauce
4. 1 T Worcestershire sauce
5. 1 T chopped parsley
6. 1 T thyme
7. Salt and pepper
8. 1 onion
9. 1 box (16 oz) of mushrooms, cut in half

Combine ingredients #2-6 to make the marinade.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the beef tenderloin tails or tri-tip cut into cubes for a 1-3 hours.  Skewer the beef with onion and mushroom.  David thinks skewers are cumbersome so he places everything individually on the grill and then does lots of flipping.  Either way.

Beef: it’s what was for dinner.

DEAL: Meat Thermometer

If you didn't win the Maverick Redi Fork Pro meat thermometer in the drawing, the nice folks at Barbecues Galore on Lovers Lane in Dallas (4360 Lovers Ln near the Tollway) have offered 10% off this meat thermometer if you mention The Baker's Mann.

And the Winner is....

Lauren S.!  Congratulations!!! 
And thank you to everyone for signing up to stay connected to The Baker's Mann. 

Lauren is the lucky winner of a Maverick Redi Fork Pro meat thermometer.  I have to say - I heard from many of you - this was a coveted item.

The nice folks at Barbecues Galore on Lovers Lane in Dallas (4360 Lovers Ln near the Tollway) have offered 10% off this meat thermometer if you mention The Baker's Mann. 

We will have more drawings for prizes in the coming months.  Until then, keep cooking!

Roasted Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze

Eat your veggies.  Those words are about as appealing to me as “pull over” or “it’s time for your annual eye exam.”  Dress up your grilled vegetables with this balsamic glaze.  It’s a tasty combination of tangy and sweet.  Almost enough to drown out the taste of the veggies.  Just kidding!

Ingredients:

For the balsamic glaze:

Grilled Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze

1. 1 ½ c balsamic vinegar
2. 1 T brown sugar
3. 2 T honey

For the vegetables:

1. ½ c balsamic vinegar
2. ¼ c olive oil
3. 1 T salt
4. 1 T black pepper
5. ½ t garlic, chopped
6. 3 carrots, sliced lengthwise, ¼ in thick
7. 2 celery roots, trimmed and cut in ¼ in slices
8. 2 large red onions, cut into rounds, 3/8 in thick
9. 2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise, ¼ in thick
10. 2 squash, sliced lengthwise, ¼ in thick
11. Oil for brushing grill

For the balsamic glaze:

In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add vinegar, brown sugar, and honey.  Let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until reduced by half.  Keep warm for glazing on the grill.

For the vegetables: 

In a 1 gallon resealable bag, add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and mix until combined.  Next, add the carrots, celery root and onions, remove excess air.  Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.  Then add the zucchini and squash and allow to marinate for 10 more minutes.  Obviously you can adjust the veggies to be whatever kind and quantity you like.

Brush grill with oil.  Preheat the grill to medium-high. Add onion, carrots and celery root.  Cook on both sides for 3-5 minutes brushing with balsamic glaze.  Mark and brown evenly on both sides.  Remove to holding pan and cover with aluminum foil.  Add squash and zucchini to grill, brush with glaze and cook for 2 minutes per side until marked and evenly brown.  Remove to holding pan and cover until ready to serve.

Drizzle veggies with remaining glaze and serve.  The more you allow the glaze to cool, the thicker and glaze-y-er it gets.  "Eat your veggies" never tasted this good!

WIN - Celebrate the 2 Monthiversary of TBM!

Let's celebrate the 2 monthiversary of sharing recipes on The Baker's Mann!  To participate in the drawing, you must be at least one of the following:

* Signed up to receive emails when there is a new post.  You can sign up on the blog by typing in your email where it says "Do you want to receive an email every time there is a post?"  Your email must be verified to be eligible
* Signed up to be a Follower.  You can sign up by clicking "Join this site" under "Followers"
* A follower of TBM on Twitter - @thebakersmann

The drawing will occur on Friday, Feb. 10.  You need not be present to win - the prize will be mailed to you.  The winner will be announced via a TBM post on Friday.

PRIZE: a Maverick Redi Fork Pro meat thermometer
http://www.thebakersmann.com/2012/01/meat-thermometer.html

Good luck!

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

Guacamole and football go together like Ernie and Bert; Laverne and Shirley; Starsky and Hutch.  Try a little twist this time with a tomatillo-avocado salsa.  My dad’s assistant for 16 years, Deb, obtained this recipe from the The Gristmill Restaurant in Gruene, TX.  When they sent her the recipe, it was in proportion to feed 500.  Thankfully Deb adjusted it – now it makes about 2 cups!

Eat it with chips or serve it over grilled chicken or fish.  As Jerry Jeff Walker might sing “I knew a man Bojangles and he’d dance for” this salsa.  “Aye, aye, aye, Katy” if you don’t share that salsa then I’ll back you “up against the wall.”  Now that’s some good dip!  (Name those songs and you’ll win the distinct pleasure of being a big JJW fan!)

Ingredients

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

1. 6 average sized (1.5” diameter) tomatillos
2. 2-3 serrano peppers, the size of an average finger (start with 2, you can always add more)
3. ½ average white or yellow onion, cut in quarters
4. 1/8 t garlic powder
5. ¼ bunch cilantro or to taste (recipe says stems included – if I was making it for 500, I’d agree – since I’m not, I pull off the leaves as much as possible)
6. 1 t salt
7. 4-5 avocados
8. 2-3 T lime juice
9. Corn chips, like Tostitos Scoops

Remove the skin from the tomatillos.  Wash in sink to remove waxy coating on the tomatillos.  Slice in half or quarters.

In a food processor, chop the tomatillos, onion, cilantro and serranos until you reach desired consistency. 

Transfer processed items to a bowl and add avocado (dice it into small squares about 1/8"), garlic powder, salt and lime juice.  Mix well.  "Cut" avocados more, if necessary, using the tines of a fork.  The salsa is even better after a few hours or the next day once the flavors blend.

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Happy Birthday CG!