Sauces, Dressings and Condiments

[Zana]

Magic Sauce Recipe

<http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/magic-sauce-recipe.html> September 1,
2011

I call this magic sauce. In part, because it makes everything it touches shimmer with deliciousness. It's magic like that. Technically, it's a riff on a chimichurri sauce - one that veered off the rails in a big way. Much tweaking has rendered it a distant second cousin. If that. In fact, the hallmark of that sauce, parsley, I skip entirely. But I love this. Love love love. And I use it a hundred different ways.

Let's just start by putting one thing out there. You're best off making a double or triple batch. This is the sort of stuff you burn through in minutes. Not exaggerating. I cook eggs in it - scrambled, omelette, frittata, you name it. I drizzle it on soups. This time of year that means corn soups <http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/corn-soup-recipe.html> ,
brothy bean pots, or lunch time slurpy noodle bowls. I can attest it's the sort of thing that makes baked potatoes
<http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/sea-salt-baked-potatoes-recipe.html>
even better than usual. And salads welcome it as well - particularly shaved salads, or ones made from spicy greens. You can use it to marinate or slather ingredients before grilling or roasting. And its the sort of dressing that turns a bowl full of farro or quinoa or soba noodles into something close to a full meal - just toss in another favorite seasonal ingredient or two.

It's as versatile as a black dress. Although, it's not really the little black dress of sauces. Think more bohemian that that - earthy, intricate and interesting. Completely approachable. The way the garlic-perfumed oil suspends flecks of rosemary, thyme, and oregano is really nice. And the rusty red tint of the paprika makes everything this sauce touches look just that much more special. If you do anything extra special with it, give a holler in the comments. I still have a half-full mason jar of it ready for business.

Magic Sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 medium cloves of garlic, smashed into a paste
1 well-crumbled bay leaf
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon + fine grain sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Gently warm the olive oil over medium-low heat in a skillet or pan, until it
is just hot. When hot remove from heat.

While the oil is heating, lightly pound the rosemary, thyme, and oregano in
a mortar and pestle.

Stir the paprika, garlic, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and salt into the
oil. Then add the bruised herbs and lemon juice.

You can use this now, but know - the oil just gets better as it ages over a
few days. Keep it in a refrigerator for up to a week/ten days-ish. It
thickens up when cold, so if you need it in a liquid state, place it in the
sun or in a warm place for a few minutes.

Makes ~2/3 cup.

Prep time: 5 min - Cook time: 5 min

Ginny Butterfield

Cranberry Twp, PA

[sprtsguy76]

Zana that Cucumber, Wasabi and Fresh Ginger Salsa sounds really good. I'll have to try it soon!

Damon

[Zana]

I am putting this recipe here because of the salsa and chutney - not because of the meat. LOL I think you could also switch out the filet mignon with a chicken breast or some roast pork or a firm fish....and it would also go well with some slow cooked flank steak.

Zana



Smokey Filet with Serrano-Papaya Salsa and Serrano-Mint-Cilantro Chutney

Aarti Sequeira

1 piece filet mignon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 cup papaya, peeled, pitted and diced
1 serrano pepper, minced
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup pepitas, toasted
Fresh mint leaves, chopped, for garnish
Serrano-Mint-Cilantro Chutney, recipe follows

Directions

• Rub the beef filet with allspice, cumin, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

• In a large bowl, combine the papaya, serrano, avocado, lime juice, and cilantro. Season the salsa with salt, and pepper. Set aside.

• Heat a drizzle of olive oil in an oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the filet on both sides, about 1 minute on each side. Place the pan in the oven and cook about 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 140 to 145 degrees F for medium. Remove the beef from the oven and allow the meat to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

• To serve, toss the pepitas with papaya salsa. Spoon a mound on your plate. Place a few strips on the steak and top, and drizzle with chutney and finish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs.

Chutney:

2 bunches fresh cilantro
5 sprigs fresh mint
2 Serrano peppers
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or creme fraiche
Extra-virgin olive oil, enough for desired consistency
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
• In a blender or food processor, puree the cilantro, fresh mint, serrano peppers, and yogurt together, streaming in some extra-virgin olive oil just until the mixture is thickened.
• Season the mixture with salt, and pepper.
• Chill the chutney in the refrigerator until ready to use.

[Zana]

¡Olé! Quesadillas With Mango Jicama Salsa

We made these quesadillas for dinner last night and they were meltily delicious! The combination of flavors and textures was pretty darn perfect - rich melted cheese, crispy tortilla, savory sauteed summer squash and red onions, crunchy jicama, sweet, juicy mango, a little bite of red onion, and the tang of lime juice. Qué sabor!

You can make yummy quesadillas with just cheese but we opted to add some sauteed zucchini and summer squash since they are abundant right now. There are tons of other things that would work well in a filling, too - black beans, peppers, corn, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.


Likewise with the salsa. There were ripe mangoes and tons of jicama so that is what I went with but a peach or nectarine and tomato salsa would be delicious. Although there is some chopping and grating time involved, as tasty meals go, it's not too much work.


Mango Jicama Lime Salsa

Ingredients

* 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped
* 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
* 1/2 small jicama, finely diced
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, washed, dried and chopped
* Juice of two ripe limes
* Sea salt

Directions

Combine the first four ingredients, then add the lime juice, stir thoroughly, and add sea salt to taste!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Zana]

Quesadillas With Sauteed Squash & Onions

Serves 4

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, or pepperjack), shredded
* 2-3 small zucchini or summer squash, sliced thinly lengthwise
* 2 medium red onions, sliced
* Ground cumin
* Chopped cilantro
* Freshly ground black pepper
* Sea salt
* 8 large flour tortillas
* Olive oil

Directions

1. Sautee the onions and squash in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent and the squash have softened, season with salt, pepper and cumin and stir in the chopped cilantro.

2. Lightly grease a large frying pan and heat on a medium-low flame. Lay one of the tortillas in it and sprinkly with cheese, then distribute some of the squash and onion mixture evenly over the cheese. If you did not use much cheese, sprinkle a bit more on top of the squash mixture to ensure that it will melt through.

3. Top with the second tortilla and press it with a spatula then cover the pan for 1-2 minutes to help the cheese melt. When the bottom of the first tortilla looks nicely crisped/browned, it is time to flip the quesadilla over to toast the other side.

4. Once the second side is nicely toasted (2-4 minutes, depending on how hot the flame is), flip the quesadilla out onto a plate and cut into 6 pieces.

5. Serve with sour cream and mango jicama salsa or any variation on salsa you feel like making (or buying.) Buen provecho!

[Zana]

Caramelized Onion Jam Recipe

This savory jam is very good served with meats—we especially like it with venison. People who enjoy garlic and onions think it’s terrific. —Vanessa Lambert, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

56 Servings
Prep: 50 min.
Process: 10 min. + standing

Ingredients
4 whole garlic bulbs
1 teaspoon canola oil
5 cups chopped sweet onions (1-1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 cups sugar
1 pouch (3 ounces) liquid fruit pectin

Directions
• Remove papery outer skin from garlic (do not peel or separate cloves).
• Cut top off garlic bulbs; brush with oil.
• Wrap each bulb in heavy-duty foil.
• Bake at 425° for 30-35 minutes or until softened.
• Cool for 10-15 minutes.

• In a Dutch oven, saute onions in butter for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Squeeze softened garlic into pan.
• Stir in the cider vinegar, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, ginger and cloves.
• Bring to a rolling boil.
• Gradually add sugar, stirring constantly.
• Return to a boil for 3 minutes.

• Add pectin; bring to a full rolling boil.
• Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat; let stand for 3 minutes.
• Skim off foam.
• Pour hot mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace.
• Adjust caps.
• Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

Yield: about 3-1/2 pints.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (2 tablespoons) equals 103 calories, 1 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 52 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein.

Originally published as Caramelized Onion Jam in Taste of Home August/September 2005, p 37

Zana's note: I like to put this over cheese on crackers or toasted rounds of french bread. It is also good as a topping on top of a baked potato/sweet potato with sour cream.

[Zana]

Caribbean Guacamole

Categories: Dips, Mexican
Yield: 8 servings

1/2 lb Sweet bread, Hawaiian or Portugese
2 tbsp Coconut,sweetened,flaked,-dried
1 small Firm-ripe papaya
1 large Firm-ripe avocado
2 tbsp Lime juice
1 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Crushed dried red hot chilies

• Cut bread into 1/4â?³ thick slices, then cut diagonally into triangles.
• Arrange in a single layer in a 10x15â?³ pan.
• Bake in a 300'F. oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes; turn slices over halfway through baking.
• Cool on racks.
• If made ahead, wrap airtight and store at room temperature up to a day.

• In a 7-8â?³ frying pan, stir coconut over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
• Pour from pan; set aside.

• Cut papaya in half lengthwise.
• Discard seeds and peel, leaving halves intact.
• From 1 half, cut 2 lengthwise slices, each about ¼” thick.
• Dice remaining papaya; set fruit aside.

• Cut avocado in half lengthwise.
• Discard pit and peel, leaving halves intact.
• From 1 half, cut 2 lengthwise slices, each about ¼” thick.
• Sprinkle slices with 1 teaspoon lime juice; set aside.
• Dice remaining avacado and mix with remaining lime juice, sugar, and red chilies.

On a platter, arrange avacado mixture and diced papaya side by side in separate mounds.
Fan reserved avocado slices next to diced papaya, and reserved papaya slices next to avocado mixture.
Sprinkle with coconut.
Serve with toasted bread.

Per serving: 157 calories; 2.8 grams protein; 7.3 grams fat; (1.1 grams saturated fat); 21 grams carbohydrates; 172 milligrams sodium; 0 milligrams cholesterol.

[Zana]

Chipotle Guacamole

2 avocados, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup salsa, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon adobo sauce from canned chilies, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

• Mash together cubed avocado, lime juice, sour cream, salsa, and adobo sauce in a bowl until blended.
• Season with salt and pepper.

[Zana]

Fresh Corn, Tomato and Chipotle Chile Salsa

4 medium ears of fresh corn, husked or 2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
2 tsp. olive oil or cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered, 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped or one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chopped green and/or red sweet pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped celery, red onion and/or green onions
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1 to 2 tsp. chopped canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce*
3/4 tsp. salt
Blue tortilla chips or scoop-shaped tortilla chips

• If using the fresh ears of corn, scrub corn with a stiff vegetable brush to remove silks.
• Rinse under cold running water.
• Place one ear of corn at a time in a shallow pan.
• Holding the ear at an angle, use a sharp knife to cut down across the tips of the kernels.
• Using the dull side of the knife, scrape the ear to release the milky juices into the pan. You should have about 2 cups of the corn with its juices.

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Add fresh or frozen corn and garlic.
• Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove from heat and cool slightly.

• Stir tomatoes, sweet pepper, celery, cilantro, lime juice, chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce and salt into corn mixture.
• Transfer to a large bowl.
• Cover and chill a least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before serving.
• Let salsa stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.
• Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 4 cups, 16 servings.

Test Kitchen Tip:

Because chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the peppers, wash your hands and nails well with soap and warm water.

[Zana]

Georgian Plum Relish - Tkemali



Recipe By :

Serving Size : 12
Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Condiment
LowCal (Less than 300 cals)

LowerCarbs LowFat (Less than 10%)



Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 1/2 pounds plum -- very UNRIPE,

1/4 cup water

3/4 teaspoon whole coriander seed

1 teaspoon fennel seed

2 garlic cloves -- peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon fresh minced mint

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro



DIRECTIONS
• Sterilize 3 one cup ball jars.


• Cut the plums in half, cut out the seeds and put in a heavy pot with the 
water.
• Bring to a boil, cover and cook til soft- about 15 minutes. 

• Meanwhile, grind everything but the green herbs in a mortar, to a paste.



• Put the plums through a chinois or food mill and return puree to pot.
• Bring 
back to boil, add spice paste, and cook about 5 minutes, until thickened. 

• Remove from heat and stir in the herbs.
• Pour into jars and store in refrigerator or freeze.



Note from poster Anna Werlander:

The little plate to the right is lobio tkemali-red beans and plum sauce. It 
is made with a half pound of soaked dried red beans, cooked until very 
tender in salted water, and mashed with 1/3 cup of the plum sauce, while 
still warm. You correct the salt, add a bit of pepper, and top with chopped 
cilantro. I am liking this very much on some toasted pitas. This can also be 
made leaving the beans whole. you mix with the plum sauce, garnish with 
cilantro and raw onion rings, and serve it cold.



Tkemali is a really distinctive taste, and I wasn't sure what I thought of 
it when I tried it plain...it's very sour. And I say this as a lover of sour 
things to eat. It is delicious in the bean dish, though...I am looking 
forward to trying it with something grilled, juicy and crisp.* Have I 
mentioned often enough how I love plums? Stay tuned for more plummy 
developments.



*addendum-It was very nice with marinated [favorite] grilled on skewers, 
rice, and a salad of parsley and raw onions.



3 cups



AuthorNote:

Tart and spicy, tkemali is used on most grilled meats and fish 
and just about everywhere in Georgia (the republic, not the state), much as 
Americans use ketchup. So says Darra Goldstein in her book, The Georgian 
Feast. It is a sauce made of sour plums, called tkemalis, not generally 
available elsewhere.



Both Darra Goldstein and cookbook author Anya von Bremzen suggest the 
substitution of other kinds of unripe plums for the unobtainable tkemalis. 
The Georgian Feast recipe calls for Santa Anna plums. Please to the Table, 
Anya von Bremzen's anthology of recipes from the former soviet republics, 
uses prune plums instead. Otherwise, the recipes are very similar. I tried a 
sort of combination of the two.



The plums I bought were called "Red Plums." An honest name. Smaller than a 
Santa Anna, larger than an Italian type prune plum, they were, at least, 
red-which is apparently the color of the original. They were also my sole 
available choice, and gratifyingly unripe and rock-like. I was probably the 
only Iggle shopper to appreciate this feature. One recipe calls for the 
addition of lemon juice, for sourness, but after a taste of these guys, I 
knew none was needed. Who knew there was a use for unlocal, out of season, 
hard as a rock, unripe fruit?



If your plums are not very sour, you will want to add a bit of the lemon. 
Two days after I made this, the two leftover plums had ripened slightly, and 
were even slightly sweet. And, of course, it is not every supermarket which 
can be counted on to offer such thoroughly inedible fresh fruit.



Tkemali keeps unsealed and refrigerated for several weeks, and the recipes, 
with pretty much the same quantities of ingredients, are said to make either 
2 or 3 cups of sauce. I decided to make a small amount to try soon, and to 
seal whatever was left for later. With this in mind, I sterilized 3 
half-pint ball jars. I wound up with 2 full jars-sealed, and one half jar in 
the fridge. I thought I'd let the fridge jar sit for a few days for the 
flavors to meld, and try a bit with the beans or a little hen this weekend. 
My finger-licking of the scraped pot told me that this is definitely sour 
enough. Seriously puckery.



Cuisine:
"Eastern European"

Source:
"Lindy posted to: Toast: Saving the World with Food"

S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):

"June 2011"
Yield:
"
3 cups"


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



Per Serving (excluding unknown items):
31 Calories
trace Fat (9.8% calories 
from fat)
1g Protein
7g Carbohydrate
1g Dietary Fiber
0mg Cholesterol
90mg Sodium.

Exchanges:
0 Grain(Starch)
0 Lean Meat
0 Vegetable
1/2 
Fruit
0 Fat.



Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 2130706543 0 0 0 0 20062 0. 


[Zana]

Volume 14 Number 367
US Library of Congress ISSN: 1530-3292
_______________________________________

RECIPE DU JOUR
Archives are at http://lists.topica.com/lists/rdj/read
_______________________________________

Radish Butter

4 medium radishes, minced
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)

Stir together minced radish, softened butter, and, if desired, lemon juice.
Serve mixture with crackers or fresh vegetables.

Radish-and-Chive Butter: Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives.

(Also good on steak or corn on the cob.)

[Zana]

Olive Salsa

Source : Linda Larsen, Your About.com Guide To Busy Cooks

Use any combination of your favorite olives in this zesty salsa. This is
a chunkier version of tapenade, the classic French appetizer spread.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped pimiento stuffed green olives
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup zesty Italian salad dressing

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and stir to blend.
Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours to blend flavors.
Serve as an appetizer dip, or as a condiment with grilled beef or pork.

[janezee]

Zana, these all look delicious! Anything with mango and spices gets me salivating.
So this is how you spend your recovery? Lucky us!

jane

[z_willus_d]

Just copied a number down. Now I just need the fresh ingredients. Come on garden, come on!!!

[Zana]

You're quite welcome, Janezee, z_willus_d and Tracydr. Hope you enjoy them.

And yeah....can't move to much yet, so sitting here at the computer passes some of the time. Cutting and pasting. LOL Will post more later, I'm sure....but may change threads. LOL

Zana