It was only meant to be a marinade for carne asada one weekend when we made tacos. I had tasted chimichurri here and there, but have never made it at home so we gave it a try.

Then it became a condiment…for everything. Significant Other started requesting it every week. It had turned into not just a marinade, but a taco sauce then a quesadilla filling then a pizza topping then a dip for turkey sandwiches then an after dinner drink.

I had created a monster. I’ve no doubt that sometime soon he’ll ask for Chimichurri Ice Cream, marrying his two affinities into one harmonious addiction.

But I guess I can understand. It’s delicious, and surprisingly indulgent. Chimichurri is green sauce of parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar and a bit of chile pepper. To my surprise, after some interwebz poking around, I discovered that it was created by the British in South America. Shocker.

Adding cilantro, mint and jalapeno to the mix will create a habit, as it seems. Give it a shot, because apparently it makes just about anything better.

Chimichurri Recipe

1 c fresh cilantro, stems and leaves, packed
1 c fresh Italian parsley, stems and leaves, packed
1/2 c fresh mint, leaves only, packed
4 cloves garlic
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 jalapeno, stem trimmed, cut into chunks (optional – only for those who like heat)
1 c extra virgin olive oil

Add everything to a blender except for the olive oil. Begin blending, and gently stream the olive oil in as it purees. Stop blender and stir around ingredients if they become too stubborn to puree. Continue blending until you have a pesto sauce consistency. Done!

This is also perfect for freezing. Fill sandwich or snack size zip top bags. Gently push out all of the air and seal. Here’s a good example. Wrap the closed the bags in foil. This will keep out the light, keeping the herbs bright green instead of turning brown.