Roasted Tomatillo Sauce Over Whole Wheat Linguine

Ingredients:
1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed
6 cloves garlic
1 T. olive oil
8 oz. dry whole wheat linguine or spaghetti (you can use regular too instead of whole wheat)
4 c. fresh spinach, loosely packed
2 T. chicken broth
2 T. fresh oregano leaves
2 T. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. each sugar, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
shredded Parmesan for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Combine tomatillos with garlic in a bowl; add oil and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to a baking dish roast for 35 minutes.
Cook linguine in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions.
Place roasted tomatillo mixture in a food processor; add spinach, broth, oregano, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper flakes. Process until sauce is blended.
Drain linguine; transfer to a bowl with cherry tomatoes. Add sauce and toss to coat linguine and tomatoes. Garnish each with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 45 minutes.
296 calories per serving

Verdict:
Blake and I both liked this. The kids thought that it was weird that it wasn't red sauce and so would therefore not eat it.

Crockpot Chicken Chili Verde

Ingredients:
3 poblano chile peppers
1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. fresh cilantro, chopped, loosely packed
2 T. garlic, minced
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. sugar
1 lb. bone in chicken breasts, skin removed, chicken seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T. lime juice
Crumbled queso fresco cheese

Directions:
Roast poblanos over gas burner until blackened. Transfer poblanos to a bowl; cover in plastic wrap. When poblanos are cool enough to handle, remove skin and seeds. Chop poblanos.
Layer poblanos, tomatillos, onion, 1/2 c. cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, and sugar in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Place chicken on top, meaty side down; add broth.
Cover; cook until chicken is tender, on low heat setting for 4-5 hours.
Remove chicken from slow cooker; allow it to cool slightly. Shred meat, discarding bones. Add chicken, lime juice, and remaining 1/2 c. cilantro to the slow cooker to high heat setting; cook 10 minutes. Serve chili with crumbled cheese.

Makes 4 servings. Total time: prep- 30 minutes. Cooking time 4-5 hours.

Verdict:
Slow cookers make life so easy. I never cook on low though. I guess I just don't have enough faith in my crockpot. So I cooked this for 3 hours on high. I was a little scared about the bone in chicken however it was really good. We ate this as a soup with tortillas on the side. I think as leftovers this would make some good enchiladas.

Tomatillo Chicken

Ingredients:
2 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed, washed and halved
1 T. vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast
coarse salt and pepper
2 jalapenos, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 garlic, cloves, finely chopped
1 can hominy, drained
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Puree tomatillos in a blender.
In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot.
Cook until browned on both sides (don't cook through). Transfer to a plate.
Add jalapenos and onion in pot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Stir in tomatillo puree and hominy. Nestle chicken in sauce.
Cover pot and simmer until chicken is cooked though, 22-25 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:
When I read this recipe it didn't say to take the seeds out of the jalapenos so I left them in. It gave it a good kick. This tastes like green salsa. We ate ours with rice. I think that you need to eat this with rice. If you don't want it as spicy I would take the seeds out of one jalapeno.