Pan-Roasted Chipotle Tomatillo Salsa

In keeping with the Mexican theme this week, we also had this pan roasted chipotle tomatillo salsa that I found on Elly Says Opa. It's also a Rick Bayless recipe, so I thought it would pair nicely with the salsa chicken. This had such deep, bold flavors with a hint of smokiness from the chipotles. We loved the flavor, but decided that we prefer salsas that are a bit lighter and more refreshing than such a deep, smoky salsa. Don't get me wrong...if you like smoky, spicy flavors you will love this. And we liked it, but we just figured out what we prefer in a salsa paired with chips. I added a few things to it, which I reflected in the recipe below. The original recipe calls for 2 chipotles, but that amount lit us up like a Christmas tree, so I added sour cream and cilantro to help ease the amount of spice, and it worked! So I would say to start with 1 chipotle, taste and add more if desired.

Pan-Roasted Chipotle Tomatillo Salsa

Source: Adapted from Elly Says Opa, originally from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Ingredients:
4 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half (about 8 oz.)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 chipotle in adobo (more if you want more heat)

1/4 to 1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. cilantro (or more to taste)

2 tbsp. light sour cream (*optional)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:
Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium high heat. Lay in the tomatillos (cut side down) and the garlic. When the tomatillos are well browned, about 4 minutes, flip everything over and brown on the other side. The tomatillos should be completely soft.
Scoop the tomatillos and garlic into a food processor and add the chipotles, about 1/4 cup water, cilantro, and salt. Process everything together into a course puree. Taste and add 1/4 cup water and sour cream if necessary to lighten up the spiciness.