limes

Homemade Organic Chi-Chi’s Garden Fresh Salsa

I loved Chi Chi’s salsa.  Now I can make it anytime that I want, and you can, too.  I modified this recipe to make my own organic version of this salsa.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

  • 15 fresh organic Roma/Plum tomatoes, diced
  • 1 bunch organic cilantro including stems, chopped fine with food processor
  • 1 large organic yellow onion diced
  • 2 fresh organic serrano peppers (If you substitute the pepper it won’t make the same salsa; I use 2 whole Homemade Organic Pickled Serranos and brine to taste, when I can’t find fresh organic serrano peppers)
  • 3 organic cloves of garlic
  • 1 bunch organic green onions chopped (green and white parts)
  • 2 organic limes or about 1/4 cup organic lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp. Real Salt
  • 3 Tbsp. organic ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. Homemade Organic Chili Powder
  • 1 Tbsp. organic garlic powder or organic granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp. organic pepper
  • 1 tsp. organic cane sugar

Here’s How I do it:

  1. Put about 1/3 of the diced tomatoes in a blender with the serrano peppers, garlic, lime juice and all of the spices.
  2. Blend them until it is a pinkish orangish looking thick liquid.
  3. Mix it back into the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Refrigerate to marry the flavors.
  5. Enjoy!

Homemade Organic Limeade Concentrate

Here’s What You’ll Need:

  • 12 small organic limes
  • 2 cups organic cane sugar
  • unchlorinated water
  • 3 pint Mason jars with lids

Here’s How I do it:

  1. Zest all of the limes.  Be careful not to get the pith.
  2. Juice the limes and remove the seeds.  I like my limeade to have the pulp but if you don’t, strain the pulp out.
  3. Pour 1/2 cup lime juice with pulp into each pint jar.
  4. Place the lime zest, sugar and 2 cups of water into a saucepan.
  5. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  6. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes.  You want the mixture to create a lime sugar syrup.
  7. Pour 1/3 of the lime syrup into each pint jar.
  8. Fill to the top (Leaving 1/4″ headspace if you’re planning on water bath canning them.)
  9. To make limeade place the pint of concentrate into a half-gallon Mason jar.  Fill with water and stir with a wooden spoon.
  10. Yields three pints of limeade concentrate.
  11. Enjoy!

Homemade Organic Lemon-Limeade Concentrate

Here’s What You’ll Need:

  • 6 small organic limes
  • 6 small organic lemons
  • 2 cups organic cane sugar
  • unchlorinated water
  • 3 pint Mason jars with lids

Here’s How I do it:

  1. Zest all of the lemons and limes.  Be careful not to get the pith.
  2. Juice the lemons and limes, also remove the seeds.  I like my lemon-limeade to have the pulp but if you don’t, strain the pulp out.
  3. Mix the lemon juice with pulp and the lime juice with pulp.
  4. Pour 1/2 cup lemon and lime juice mixture into each pint jar.
  5. Place the lemon zest, lime zest, sugar and 2 cups of water into a saucepan.
  6. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  7. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes.  You want the mixture to create a lemon-lime sugar syrup.
  8. Pour 1/3 of the lemon-lime syrup into each pint jar.
  9. Fill to the top (Leaving 1/4″ headspace if you’re planning on water bath canning them.)
  10. To make limeade place the pint of concentrate into a half-gallon Mason jar.  Fill with water and stir with a wooden spoon.
  11. Yields three pints of limeade concentrate.
  12. Enjoy!

Homemade Organic Beef Fajitas

I found the original recipe from The Frugal Chef.  Her recipes are wonderful.  I have adapted this recipe to make it organic and adjust some of the seasonings.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

For the Marinade

  • 1 pound grass fed organic flank steak
  • 2 large organic limes, juiced or 3 Tbsp. organic lime juice
  • 1/2 cup first cold pressed organic olive oil
  • 1/3 cup organic cilantro, chopped or 2 Tbsp. organic dried oregano
  • 6 organic garlic cloves,chopped
  • 1 organic chili pepper, seeded and chopped ( I used one of my Homemade Organic Pickled Jalapenos and kept the seeds for more heat)
  • 1 Tbsp. organic lime zest (optional, if you only have organic lime juice on hand no worries)
  • 1 tsp. organic dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. Real Salt
  • 1 tsp. organic dried cumin
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground organic peppercorn blend

For the Fajitas

Here’s How I do it:

For the Marinade

  1. Cut meat into strips against the grain.
  2. Place meat into a quart jar with a wide mouth.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the jar.
  4. Next add the olive oil and organic lime juice.
  5. Add water, if necessary, to cover the meat.
  6. Refrigerate overnight.

For the Fajitas

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the tallow and allow to get warm and bubbly.
  3. Add the vegetables and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until softened but still crisp.
  4. Remove from pan and set aside. I use a medium sized bowl.
  5. Add more tallow to the pan and allow to get warm and bubbly again.
  6. Add the meat to the skillet and cook for about 7 minutes, or until cooked through.
  7. Add the vegetables to the meat, and warm until heated through and serve on tortillas.
  8. Save the drippings.  After the meat and vegetables are removed from the skillet, reduce the drippings until most of the water is out.  Now you have a great sauce to use in Homemade Organic Beef Fajita Casserole
  9. Enjoy!