I joined my four year-old twins Dylan and Becca on a pre-school field trip to Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark, CA last week. Not only did they get to scale bales of haystacks, they learned all about seasonal veggies and harvesting. The coolest part was taking a wagon trip out to the fields where all the mom, dads and kids got to pick beets, fennel, lettuce and cilantro.
I promised some of the parents and teachers (the amazing Linda, Lynn, Aviva and Karen!) from our class that I’d post a recipe using one of the fruits of our labor — cilantro. I love this Asian twist on a traditional chimichurri sauce. It’s so easy to make and it’s loaded with fresh and bright flavors. This is an incredibly versatile sauce you can brush onto grilled shrimp, steak, pork and is also a fantastic dip served with wonton chips. Omit the Srircha if cooking for small children.
2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Srircha sauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast filets
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
