5 herb-based condiments / that are freezable
Twenty-four days ago, I thought I had it all figured out. I was riding the highest of highs. I was at one of my favorite places with some of my favorite people, celebrating life, our accomplishments for the year so far, my best friend’s 30th birthday…… eating the best food, dancing all night long while watching the moon set and the sun rise. Pure pure magic. During a moment as I was euphorically watching the sun rise over mountains in the distance, showering the most gorgeous golden-hued light over the agave fields, I told myself to hold on to that feeling. It was so beautiful and so perfect that I wanted to keep it in my memory forever, because moments like that don’t come around often.
Leading up to that weekend, things were happening. I hit my stride, and 2020 was turning out to be the most epic year I’ve had so far. I had traveled to so many places already since January. I had been to ten countries, three continents, and had spent more time in the sky than I did with my feet planted in NYC. I had the most indulgent of work-related experiences, eating at some of the best restaurants, staying in the fanciest hotels….. and days later would be on a humanitarian mission, one time sleeping 5 to a room, in bunk beds that squeaked every time you shifted in your sleep, eating rice and beans for every single meal, for days on end. To me, that is living. That contrast of lifestyle makes me feel so full and alive. Professionally my wildest dreams were coming true, and personally I felt incredibly at peace and fulfilled, surrounded by the intense love of my friends and family. And then, I started having those visceral feelings that things were too good to be true.
I remember vividly the last time this happened. The last time I had these too-good-to-be-true feelings, so much so that it would keep me up at night, wondering when my world would come crashing down. It was right before my mom got sick. My life was on cruise control, everything felt so good, so perfect, and so easy. My career was taking off, my personal life was filled with love and felt complete. Friends were getting married left and right, and it felt like every weekend there was something new and amazing to celebrate. And then, as I was heading to the airport to fly to Las Vegas to celebrate an award I was being given for my work, I got that call that changed everything, and completely altered the trajectory of my life. I went from having a fairly carefree day to day, to being the main caretaker for my mother who could no longer take care of herself. It was daunting, depressing, and a complete 180 from my life before, or any life I ever knew.
During that time, it was very easy for me to wallow in self-pity and walk around wondering: why me, why me ….. especially when my friends got to continue on with their lives, and I was chained to my mom’s hospital bed for months and months and months, with no breaks, and no positive ending in sight.
I learned so much during that time that I have been able to apply during these crazy, scary, and strange days we are living in now. The biggest lessons being that life moves like a wave, there will always be ups and downs, everything is temporary, and those really hard experiences truly do make you stronger, better and more human. As difficult as that time was taking care of my mother, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. When it was over and she passed on, I was a completely changed person. I appreciated the little things so much more, I appreciated living and life so very much, and that new me and that new sense of appreciation made me and shaped me into the person I am now. I also believe that it made the most positive impact on the past five years of my life, knowing that our time here is not only short, but every moment is precious, and we need to live it EXACTLY how we want and are meant to. So, I draw from that experience now, and I know that looking back, I am not going to want to trade this extremely challenging time for anything. And that the perspective that we collectively are being given right now will not only change us each as individuals for the better, but maybe, maybe even collectively as a society.
Every morning that I wake up in my solo quarantine …. I promise myself that I am going to try my hardest to make the best of this time right now, to find the positives in each day, the beauty in the smallest moments, to stay in the present, and to believe with all my heart and soul that there is something even better, and more beautiful for us all after this is over. And that does not mean that I am not allowed to be sad, or confused, or mad, or cry for no reason. All that happens too, and I think it should. But at the end of each day, I want to really believe that life after all of this is going to feel that much fuller, and that we are going to see what we want for our future that much clearer. I’ve never had the opportunity to have this kind of perspective, and I’m so excited for the new life that it is going to propel us into.
I am currently quarantined at an airbnb in Mexico City, which is a long story for another day. The short version is that we made a couple of quick decisions on a whim that had to do with me heading to South America for work, thinking that this will all be a lot shorter lived than it is turning out to be. After a lot back and forth, and pros and cons, last week I decided to ride this out here, and it looks like I am going to be here for at least a couple of months, maybe more. Who really knows right now. For now, I am very happy here, and grateful for this incredibly introspective alone time, even though I am missing my people (and their hugs) so so SO much. But ….. aren’t we all are right now?
One of the biggest silver linings for me during these past couple of weeks has been spending time focusing on my recipes, learning new techniques and working on new cooking projects. However, though all of that, I am also trying to be extremely contientious about using all of my ingredients, and not letting things go to waste. So the other day when I had a bunch of herbs in the fridge that were starting to wilt, I decided I would make a collection of sauces / condiments etc, and freeze them, so they wouldn’t go to waste and so that I could have an easy way to make a fancy dinner for myself. And then I figured that these basic recipes, that could be very easily adapted depending on what you have on hand / or what’s wilting in your fridge, could be useful for you too.
5 herb-based condiments / that are freezable
CHILI, GARLIC + HERB COMPOUND BUTTER
1 stick of butter (salted or unsalted, your preference) at room temperature
2 tablespoons of minced parsley or cilantro, or a mix
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon of minced fresh or canned chilies (I used the leftover chilies and juice from a can of chipotles… or if you dont have any chilies handy, you can use 1 teaspoon of chili or chipotle seasoning)
METHOD
Place all of the ingredients in a small bowl, and mix to combine. Transfer the butter to the center of a piece of plastic wrap, and fold one side of the plastic up and form a log with the butter. Fold in the other side, and twist the sides. You can store this in the fridge if you will use it in the next week - 10 days, or in the freezer for a few months.
THIS GOES WELL WITH: a pan sautéed fish, steamed clams or muscles, spread over a loaf of toasted bread, in pasta, over steak.
CHIMICHURRI + AVOCADO
2 cups of loosely packed cilantro or parsley, or a combo of both
1/3 cup of onion (about 1 small, or 1/2 a large onion), diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 a jalapeño, de-seeded and minced
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (you could also use lime juice, or apple cider vin)
1 teaspoon of salt
a pinch or two of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 avocado, diced (optional)
METHOD
Roughly chop the herbs, and then add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to the herb pile and keep chopping the ingredients together, to incorperate, until they are the consistency you like (I prefer a more fine dice, but you can leave it chunkier if you like). Transfer to a small bow, and add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
If you’re adding the avocado, do this only if you’re not going freeze and you want to use in the next couple of days. If you plan on freezing, transfer this to a freezer friendly container or bag. It will keep for a few months in the freezer, or about five or so days in fridge.
THIS GOES WELL WITH: so many things! Over steak, chicken, fish, or veggies. I like to eat a spoonful over eggs in a tortilla for breakfast. It’s also is really tasty mixed in with rice or quinoa.
KALE + SPINACH + SUNFLOWER PESTO
2 cups of packed, dark leafy greens (I used a mix of kale and spinach)
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds (or any nut or seed of your choice)
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon of olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
5-6 basil leaves, minced
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt
freshly cracked black pepper
METHOD
Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Add the nuts or seeds, and after about 2-3 minutes add the greens and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir until the greens are wilted, and then transfer the greens and seeds or nuts to a cutting board and give it a rough chop. Add in the garlic and basil and give it another chop to incorporate everything. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. This will keep for a few days in the fridge, or transfer to a freezer-friendly container or bag and it will keep there for several months.
THIS GOES WELL WITH: pasta, rice, veggies, fish, chicken…. I even toss it in a chicken salad the other day (and used a spoonful of yogurt in lieu of mayo).
TOMATILLO SALSA
5 tomatillos (if you don’t have access to tomatillos, you can use plum tomatoes), de-seeded and diced
1/2 a red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
a large handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
a couple tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of salt
METHOD
Combine all the prepped ingredients in a bowl. Serve right away or this will keep in the fridge for around a week. You can also freeze this, even thought it’s not one of the most freezer-friendly sauce on this list, it will still be fine.
THIS GOES WELL WITH: chips, tacos, a rice bowl with veggies and/fish. Salmon, or any white fish. Over scrambled eggs.
GINGER SCALLION RELISH
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño (or a mild green chili) de-seeded, and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 tablespoon of lime juice
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon of salt
METHOD
Combine all the prepped ingredients in a bowl. Serve right away or this will keep in the fridge for around a week. You can also freeze this, even thought it’s not one of the most freezer-friendly sauce on this list, it will still be fine.
THIS GOES WELL WITH: Roasted salmon, or any seafood / rice dish. Chicken as well.