The end of summer has officially come, and ironically my parents decided to host our annual neighbor barbecue. Of course, I thought it was a perfect excuse to take it up a notch; make some new recipes and add a few floral touches that showcased the end of summer and beginning of fall.
I wanted to keep the food simple, as we wanted to offer a few different dishes that were grilled and simply seasoned. Truly tasting of summer’s flavors. The very first thing I knew I wanted to make was salsa and baked chips. I was longing for some delicious Mexican food that I loved eating while living in Arizona, and wanted to recreate them. I was totally channeling my old roommate’s salsa, which she first cooks, and uses tomatillos.
The vegetables in this salsa, can as they should be grilled outside, but you can use a stop top grill pan, griddle, broiler, or sauté pan. My intention was the grill the tomatoes and chiles, but weather didn’t quite permit me to, but it tasted just as delicious roasted on the stove.
By now you know I love using herbs in all my dishes, whether it’s fresh herbs during warmer months, or my homemade dried herbs during months I can’t go outside and pick them fresh. I chose basil because its sweetness would compliment the sweetness of this salsa. But it’s smokey too, a peppery kind of smokey spice. It’s what I enjoyed the most about this salsa.
I brushed each tortilla with olive oil before getting a sprinkle of spices. They don’t take long to bake, and before you can manage to get your hands on some freshly baked chips. They are crunchy, but the spicy flavors melt in your mouth. We not only ate the chips with this salsa, but with a herbed hummus {which I’ll be sharing later this week}. And I’ve since then been enjoying them everyday. They’re honestly addicting, and this coming from someone who doesn’t really care for chips…
So with football season in full swing with games on Thursday, Saturday, all day Sunday, and Monday Night, typical game foods can become unhealthy. But these are healthier choices, and delicious football watching foods that are easy to make too.
Seriously they’re too good not to make and share with others! I’m warning you right now, make plenty of extra, you’re definitely going to devour everything. 
- 2 to 3 tablespoons - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 small - Red Onion {peeled & quartered}
- 1 - Shallot {peeled & chopped
- 1 - Hatch Chile Pepper {seeds removed & quartered}
- 1 pound - Cherry or Plum Tomatoes {quartered}
- 3 - Tomatillos {halved}
- Salt, Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, to taste
- Juice of Lime
- Small handful fresh cilantro {chopped}
- Heat a large sauté pan, and add olive oil. Sauté the red onion and shallow, cook until translucent and slightly caramelized {about 3 minutes}. Place tomatoes, hatch chilled, tomatillos, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper {about 20 minutes}. Roast until cooked through, and char marks appear. Remove from heat, and stir ingredients together.
- Cool enough to handle, then place vegetables in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Add lime juice, and blend until combined. Stir in cilantro, if using, then add salt and pepper to taste. Chill in an air-tight container, until ready to serve.
- Can be kept in airtight container, refrigerated up to a week.
- 30 (4-inch) - Flour Tortillas {cut into quarters}
- 3 tablespoons - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon - Dried Basil
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon - Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon - Sea Salt
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon - Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tortilla wedges on a nonstick baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, and brush each chip with the olive oil. In a small bowl, stir together the dried basil, paprika, salt and pepper. Sprinkle it evenly over the tortillas. Bake the chips until slightly golden and crispy {about 10 minutes}. Cool completely, then serve.
- I found it best to dry out your tortillas before baking, or frying. Layer tortillas flat onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and layer atop each other. Leave out over night or place in a low oven until slightly dried, about 1 hour. - Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
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