Smoky Grilled Tomatillo Coins

Here's how this side dish came to be - I was standing in the produce aisle staring at my options (and you know how many options there are in the produce aisle; endless). I already had dinner set in my mind, but I thought, "If I find something that inspires me, I'll add it." The tomatillos inspired me - their papery skin, bright green fruit... I was excited and they were in my cart before I had a clue what I would do with them.

When I got home, I started browsing recipes for tomatillos. I found a gazillion recipes for salsa verde (green salsa), and plenty of soups and sauces where tomatillos were woven in. But I did want to mask the tomatillos by weaving them into a sauce or salsa. I wanted the Mexican husk tomato to stand on its own. Be a star on the plate. And although they can be eaten raw, I find them acidic and too sharp for most people (including me). A quick grill or roast mellows the flavor, softens the flesh and allows their subtle sweetness to shine through. So I decided to slice them, coat them with a smoky spice blend and sear them on a hot grill. Once they caramelized, they got a little squeeze of lime. WOW! This dish POPS!

It immediately occured to me that the coins would be amazing on top of chicken and fish. There's always next time...

About the spice blend: I chose Smoky Chile by The Spice Hunter. No, I'm not sponsored, I just love this blend. In fact, I discovered it while filming my cooking show; the culinary team brought it in for one of my recipes. Not gonna lie, I packed it in my suitcase on the last day of shooting. It's basically a combination of ancho and chipotle chilies, cumin, paprika, garlic, oregano, and other seasonings, including cocoa, which gives it great depth. Choose your favorite Mexican spice blend or use this combination: 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/8 teaspoon each: onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Smoky Grilled Tomatillo Coins
Note: If your spice blend doesn't contain salt, sprinkle the coins with a little coarse salt as they grill.

Cooking spray
6-8 tomatillos, papery skin removed and rinsed (so the skin isn't sticky)
2 teaspoons Mexican spice blend (see note above)
1-2 limes, cut into wedges
Fresh cilantro leaves, optional

Coat a stove-top grill pan with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high.
Slice the tomatillos into 1/4-inch thick rounds (and discard the stem end). Season both sides of the coins with the spice blend (and salt if your blend doesn't have salt in the mixture). Grill the tomatillo slices for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until you have nice grill marks and the flesh tenderizes.
Serve with the lime wedges and cilantro leaves.

Serves 4