Supper Club Apps - Grits Toast with Soy Chorizo & Tomatillo Topping

So if I had access to Trader Joe's Vegan Soy Chorizo everyday, I may seriously consider going vegan or at least vegetarian.  I promise you, you would be hard pressed to taste the difference between this plant based product and it's piggy counterpart.  It would be delicious in breakfast burritos or maybe even somehow formed into a pattie for a new take on a spicy burger.  For last night's Supper Club Surprise, we had it atop grits toast, mashed with roasted tomatillos and topped with a little dollop of my favorite - 2% plain Greek yogurt. Grits toast is a cinch and fun to do.  Here's how it came together:


Quick Fix Grits - 3/4 cup
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp of salt (can be omitted, chicken broth is plenty flavorful)
1/3 link of Trader Joe's vegan soy chorizo (or 1/2 cup when crumbled and cooked) or your favorite chorizo
8 tomatillos
1/4 hot pepper
olive oil
garlic salt
pepper
1 tbsp lite cream cheese
1 tbsp olive oil mayo
2 tbsp shredded monterey jack/cheddar blend and more for topping
2% plain Greek yogurt

Start by fixing the grits...and as Paula always says, stir your little heart out in the beginning or you'll end up with lumpy grits. Once the broth comes to a boil, it should take about 5 minutes to get them to a creamy consistency.  They should pour easily into a jellyroll pan and smooth out evenly.  Too long and they'll be one big, pasty lump.  The grits then go into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. I would have liked for the final 'toast' to be a little thicker, so next time I will either use a smaller pan (I used a 9"x13") or make more grits.  Here's the jellyroll pan shot:

While the grits are chillin', move on to the topping and try not to eat it all before you can put the final product together (I struggled a little with this step).  Cook up the chorizo in a fry pan and roast the tomatillos and hot pepper with some olive oil, garlic salt and pepper at 400° for about 10-15 minutes until you have a little char (flip on the broiler if you need to).  If you haven't had tomatillos, they add a cool green color and a little tartness to a sauce or salsa.  You'll usually find them near the tomatoes, look for a smaller fruit in an earthy green husk.  The husk comes off and they need a good rinse to remove the stickiness.  I think the insides look like an eggplant which is confusing but who cares?  They are very cool and tasty. So, after the roasting is done, give them all a rough chop and then transfer the veggies and the chorizo to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients (except for the Greek yogurt, that's for the top).  Give them all a stir to combine.

Crumbled Chorizo

Now, take the chilled grits from the fridge and use a medium sized cookie cutter to form the toast rounds.  Transfer to another non-stick cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes, flipping once.  The grits will get a little browned around the edges...delicious.  Now they are ready to be topped with the chorizo blend, a few shreds of cheese and baked again until heated through and the cheese is melted.  Top with the yogurt and serve it up warm!  The chorizo and pepper give it a hit of spiciness, the tomatillos a little tartness and the yogurt cools it right off.  These were a supper club hit!

Aren't they cute on Woo's pretty polka plate?

Rick Bayless recipe for Chorizo Verde

In keeping with the 'green' theme, I wanted to try a new recipe that uses fresh herbs, peppers, greens and pork...Chorizo Verde. I saw Rick Bayless making this on his PBS show.  The finished product turns to a queso like tortilla filling and is a slightly spicy treat.  I also put together a roasted tomatillo salsa that is super easy and adds a sweet element to contrast the heat.

Chorizo Verde:

1 lb pork

1/2 onion

2 medium poblano chilis

1-2 serranos

cilantro

beer

1 cup to 1.5 cup manchego cheese

2 cups raw spinach

Start by roasting the poblanos over a grill flame until charred. Remove charred skin by running under cool water and peeling off with your fingers. Poblanos then go into a food processor with the serranos and a medium bunch of cilantro.  Pulse until pureed.

In a large skillet, brown pork and then add the 'verde'.  Saute for a bit and add a pinch of salt and the onions.  Onto the queso!   Give the skillet 1 to 2 full turns of beer, enough to almost cover the pork mixture.  Add the shredded cheese and spinach.  Turn the mixture until the cheese melts and the spinach wilts - that's it!

Tomatillo salsa:

In the same food processor used for the poblano mixture (a little flavor will be left over), blend a roasted tomatillo, half to a full jalapeno, 1/4 cup onion, 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, handful of fresh cilantro.  Pinch of garlic salt, cumin and cayenne pepper and the juice of 1/2 a lime.  Pulse, pulse, pulse until it's the texture you like.  I like this one pretty thin.

Put it all together! Warm tortilla, scoop full of the chorizo verde, a few leaves of raw spinach and a couple of slices of avocado.  Yum!  Add the salsa to the tortilla, enjoy the salsa with chips or over some shredded lettuce.  Do whatcha like.  A margarita on the side never hurt anyone either...