The Cardiologist's Wife

Making Time For Illness (Mini Mexican Tortas and Salsa Verde)

[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on July 5, 2012 ][ In Pork, Sandwiches, Snacks and Appetizers ]

 

MMMMM!  Doesn’t that look good?  Best of all, it is fast and simple to make on these hot summer nights when you don’t feel like cooking.  It was a winner in taste too.  But first a bit of whining.  I am done with summer and the heat and the lack of rain.  I’m one of those weird people who hate summer.  When everyone else is depressed in the winter because it’s cold, cloudy and rainy, I feel good.  In fact, I feel great!  But come summer with it’s ungodly heat, the drought and the insects, I stay indoors, feeling listless and sullen.  The sun is so bright, everything has been bleached out and the harsh glare hurts my eyes.  Here it is only July 5th and I can’t wait for late September and early October.  I hope it rains for a month.

 

But (you knew there’d be point to this whine-fest, didn’t you?), that didn’t stop me from going for a walk with my dog this morning while many of you were snoozing in bed.  Since I am finally seeing a physical therapist for my back problems, she has forbidden me to do any other type of exercise until I’m better with the exception of the physical therapy exercises she gives me.  I was forced to go see Shawn when my neck pain flared up on Sunday along with my lower back pain.  I want to give a word of thanks and praise for physical therapists.  They work miracles every day and are so good at pinpointing what is wrong and how to fix it or at least make it better.  Now I’d much rather swim or at least lift weights inside where it’s air conditioned but no, I’m forced to walk the hot streets, dodging the bugs which make a beeline for me the minute I step outside.  I am usually surrounded by a noxious cloud of bug spray in the summer months.

 

So what’s your excuse?  Why didn’t you exercise this morning?  Needed some sleep, you say?  I only got 5 1/2 hours of sleep but that’s my fault.  I’ll go to bed earlier tonight and so should you.  Too hot?  Wasn’t too hot at 6:30 a.m. and there were hardly any insects.  Hurts too much to exercise?  Hurts worse when you have that heart attack, and the pain is really bad in your pocket book when you have to pay the doctor to fix what you didn’t take care of in the first place.  Injured or have painful joints?  Suck it up and find something you can do, like me.  Keep the following quote in mind when you don’t want to exercise.  Post it on your bathroom mirror, on your fridge, on the door so you’ll see it when you leave the house.

 

“Those who think they have no time for exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”  Edward Stanley

Got the point?  Get up, get busy, get moving.  It’s a matter of a better life or an early death.  Now that I’ve whined and nagged, here’s your recipe.  Give it a try soon.

Mini Mexican Tortas

1 17 oz. package refrigerated cooked pork roast

1 package corn muffin mix (I used Martha White’s which makes 6)

salsa verde (recipe below)

Make corn muffins according to package directions and whip up the salsa verde while they cook.  Remove muffins from pan and let cool at bit while you warm the pork roast according to package directions.  Slice the muffins in half horizontally, spoon some pork and salsa on top and dig in!  Use home made guacamole instead of salsa verde if you like.  Salsa verde really compliments the pork and the slightly sweet corn muffins though.

Salsa Verde

4 to 8 tomatillos, depending on size

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup finely diced red onion or chopped green onion

jalapeño pepper to taste

Wash the tomatillos and peel off the papery husk.  Drop them in a food processor along with 1/4 of a red onion and let the machine do the chopping.  Takes about 20 seconds.  Add remaining ingredients.  Chill if you have time.  Delish!!  Also good on chips or whatever else you can think of.

My family really liked this as did a guest who was eating with us.  Tomatillos, in case you don’t know, look like small green tomatoes with a papery husk at the top.  Next time I get some, I’ll post a picture.  I served avocado soup with this dinner, another dish that whips up in no time that you can serve slightly warm or even better for summer, chilled.  You can find the recipe in the index under soup.  Have a cool weekend.

Upadated on July 5, 2012