Red Pepper Sauce (fresher than roasted)

Developed Summer 2019

About 30 years ago, I first learned about spaghetti squash, and though it was fun, thought it was a horrible substitution for pasta with a traditional marinara. Everyone raved about it as a “healthier” substitute, and I thought I was crazy. Then, about 10 years ago, I had zucchini squash thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler and topped with roasted red pepper sauce and thought, “Ah, that is good and would be good with all kinds of mild squash.” 

Last summer I was inundated with squashes from my community farm share and decided to do some research on good red pepper sauces, borrowed from many, and finally settled on this. It is very forgiving and quite delicious. I’ve used it as a sauce for squash and regular pastas, drizzled on homemade hummus, as a base for red pepper soup, and with curries.  My favorite pasta with red pepper sauce combination follows the recipe. 

This recipe is very forgiving and can be modified without loss of deliciousness.

EQUIPMENT

Cutting board

Chef’s knife

Measuring cup

Zester, such as a microplane

Food Processor (or blender)

Rubber spatula or spoon

INGREDIENTS

3-4 roasted red peppers (about 2 cups) 

2-3 non-roasted jarred red peppers (about 1.5 cups)

1 fresh red pepper, seeded and cored

2T shallot or mild white onion

2 cloves garlic

1T capers

1 lemon, zest and juice

2T fresh basil or ½ T dried basil

½ t sea salt; ¼ t black pepper

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¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

 RECIPE

1.    Shake off the brine from the roasted and regular red peppers, rough chop them and toss them in the blender or food processor. (Rough chopping the ingredients helps ensure they are evenly distributed in your sauce.) 

2.    Peel and rough chop the onion and garlic then add to the peppers. 

3.    If you are using dried herbs, pulverize them by rubbing them between your palms as you add them to the peppers. This helps release their essential oils. 

4.    Add the remaining ingredients aside from the olive oil to the food processor. Blend until smooth. You may need to open the blender and scrape ingredients off the side of the container with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Once the ingredients are fairly smooth, turn on the processor again and slowly blend in the olive oil.
The sauce is ready for use. It keeps well refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for 5 days or longer. 

My favorite pasta for this sauce:

Rigatoni with red pepper sauce and garlic, parsley, zucchini, mushrooms, capers, green olives, feta cheese. Any or all of these ingredients are optional; any hearty pasta will work. 

(serves 4-6 people)

·      Prepare the rigatoni as the package indicates while you make the sauce.

·      Quarter 8 oz (the standard package) of button mushrooms, cut the zucchini into ½ inch rounds and then in half-moons, mince ¼ cup of parsley leaves, and thinly slice 2-3 cloves of peeled garlic. 

·      Bring a sauté pan to temperature over medium heat. Once, it is hot, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Then pop in 2-3 thinly sliced cloves of garlic. 

·      When the garlic begins to slightly brown, add the mushrooms and zucchini, a pinch of salt, and bring the temperature to low, stirring frequently until mushrooms and zucchini are cooked, about 5 minutes. 

·      Pour about 3 cups of the roasted red pepper sauce into the pot with the veggies and increase the heat to medium. Use more sauce if you feel like you need it. Add about a tablespoon of capers and ½ cup of olives sliced in half. If they have pimento, you can leave it – that is actually red pepper. The feta cheese can be crumbled and added now which will make the sauce creamy or as a garnish later.  Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, then take it off the heat. 

Hummus from Scratch

I have a ton of dried beans that I am learning to use... and with the ease of making homemade hummus on the fly and being able to season and flavor it on a whim, I developed this basic recipe.  The recipe is a "quick" boil rather than overnight prep or crockpot overnight.  You could also add the spices and cook the chick peas over night on low.

The volume of beans that I've used here produces an amount of hummus similar to what you get in a grocery store container.  Flavoring the beans during the cooking process is fabulous as you can eat them plain, add them to salad, rice or quinoa, dry roast them for a snack... and of course, grind them to a paste to make hummus.

CHICK PEA BOIL INGREDIENTS:
½ cup dried chickpeas

water

... later more water

2 bay leaves

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

½ teaspoon black pepper (I use telicherry pepper from a specialty store, but any will do)

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

⅛ teaspoon ground sumac

small pinch of cinnamon (maybe 1/16 teaspoon)

pinch of salt (start with ½ teaspoon)

optional: ½ t baking soda to further soften the beans (it will effect the taste, but in a fine way)

HUMMUS INGREDIENTS
the cooked beans (about 2 cups)

reserved seasoned water from your chickpea boil

juice  and zest of 1 lemon; maybe 2

½ cup of tahini

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (go to a restaurant supply store and buy it in a large container, for making dressings, sauces, etc.)

2 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons cumin (paprika and za'tar are also great)

salt, ground pepper if needed

OPTIONAL GARNISHES
extra virgin olive oil

kalamata or similar olives

parsley

EQUIPMENT NEEDED
colander
4qt or larger pot
chef's knife
zester (a microplane is a great tool to have)
cutting board
measuring spoons/cups
large bowl
ladle
stick blender, blender or food processor

INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse the chickpeas well in a standard colander, making sure to remove any debris.  Put the chickpeas in a 4 qt saucepan and cover with 3" of water.  On an appropriate sized burner, bring contents of the pot to a rolling boil.  Turn off the heat and let the chickpeas sit in the pot for an hour.  They will double in size.

Drain and rinse the cooled chick peas in the colander.

Cover with water 4-5" above the beans.  They will double in size again during this cooking phase. Add all of the ingredients listed under "Chickpea Boil Ingredients" aside from the salt (you will add this in the last 15 minutes of cooking).

Bring the contents to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Be sure to check the pot to ensure you haven't boiled all of the water off.  You can certainly add water, need be.  At this point, add your salt.  Boil for another 15-30 minutes to desired tenderness.

For softer beans, you can add ½ teaspoon of baking soda and/or leave the lid partially covering the pot during the boil.  Experiment with that to see what you prefer.

Turn off the heat on your pot. Put the colander in the large bowl and drain your beans, keeping the boiling liquid in reserve.  Remove the bay leaves from your beans.  Either transfer the beans to a blender or food processor or a bowl in which you can grind them with a stick blender.

Add the zest and juice of one lemon, fresh garlic, cumin, olive oil and tahini.  Blend until it starts to get smooth.  Taste the paste.  Add some more lemon juice or even a bit of tahini if you want the flavor to change.  Blend. If the hummus is too thick, little by little add some of your reserved liquid until you are satisfied with the thickness.  If you forget to reserve liquid, water will do.  Keep blending.  When it is your desired thickness, taste and add a little salt or pepper if you want to.  Blend again.

Serve in a beautiful bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of fresh parsley.  I love adding olives, too!  Serve with pita, sliced veggies or even feta cheese!

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A note on tahini:  It keeps quite well in the refrigerator.  Two things I love doing with it:

Make a vegan dressing: tahini, lime juice and zest, rice wine vinegar, mirin (optional), sea salt, freshly ground black pepper.  I use this to make a vegan cole slaw... here is my recipe: Vegan Cole Slaw

Make a sandwich: baked tofu on a toasted crusty whole-grain bread, thinly sliced cucumber, mung bean sprouts. Mix equal parts of tahini and peanut butter.  Thin with a little rice wine vinegar and add a drop or two of liquid smoke.  Spread some on the bread and enjoy!!

Delicious and Easy Szechuan Sauce for a Quick Meal

Star Anise

1 cup chicken both, vegetable broth or water
4 teaspoons corn starch
4 tablespoons dry sherry
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon black bean sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (unseasoned)
2-4 whole star anise
1 teaspoon dried red pepper (hand crushed dried chilis or crushed red pepper are both fine)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

DISH INGREDIENTS
1 pound regular or soft tofu (not silken) cut into 1” pieces (or other protein of your choice)
2-3 stalks celery slivered, cross-wise
2 carrots, slivered cross-wise
1-2T peanut, coconut or olive oil
splash of dark sesame oil
** you can use whatever fresh vegetables you love or have on hand.  Beans, sugar peas, broccoli, napa cabbage, and any vegetable you would add to a stir fry would all be fabulous in this sauce.

ACCOMPANIMENTS
Garnish with chopped cilantro, green onion, sesame seeds or chili flakes
Serve over white rice or julienned cabbage

RECIPE
Prepare Tofu: Poach the tofu by gently sliding it into a simmering pot of water and keep it at a bare simmer while you make the sauce.  Drain and pat dry.

Make Sauce: In a small saucepan, bring the sherry (dry white wine or rice wine will work in a pinch), soy sauce, garlic sauce, ginger, garlic, star anise, red pepper and sugar to a simmer over low heat.  Dissolve the cornstarch in water while you are waiting for the sauce to simmer.  Once simmering, add the cornstarch mixture and stir until the sauce becomes glossy and thickens.  Turn off the heat.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a wok or heavy bottomed skillet to high heat until hot. Once hot, add a tablespoon or two of your preferred oil [this is where you add your meat if you are cooking with something like chicken or pork and you want to cook it completely in this step].  Now, carefully drop in the chopped veggies, stirring continuously.  Once the veggies have cooked for a minute or two, add the tofu and sauce. Turn down the heat to medium and bring your dish it to a simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer until it completely thickens. Once the Drain the tofu and gently add to the pot. Gently stir in the tofu and return the sauce to a light boil.  Once the sauce returns to a boil, remove from the heat and serve.  

(Please note that the star anise are not edible). 

Hot (habanero-coriander), Medium (jalapeno-basil) and Not-So Hot Sauce

 [pictured is the jalapeno-basil sauce.  Great sweetness; awesome sauce]

What you need is several ball jars and a good month's worth of patience.  Homemade hot sauce is well worth the work.  The trick is to tightly pack the jars with the ingredients for each type of pepper sauce.  Cover with distilled plain white vinegar and ensure that all ingredients are completely submersed in the vinegar. You may need to put the lid on and gently turn the jars over a few times to get all of the air pockets out and add more vinegar. Turn the jars over daily to move the spices through the veggies.  After a minimum of 4 weeks passes, you are ready to puree the hot sauce in a blender.  If you prefer thin, shakeable hot sauce, seperate solids from liquid using a strainer or cheese cloth.  solid paste mixed with a little olive oil in freezer.  Store liquid in an airtight container and refrigerate if you like.  It will discolor over time because I don't recommend using color maintaining additives.

You also may be aware that the heat of store-bought peppers fluctuates tremendously throughout the year.  Peppers grown at home or purchased in August-September will peak at the peak of their heat; those bought during the winter will be more mild.

HABANERO-CORIANDER Pepper Sauce (HOT)
Enough habanero's to appear to mostly fill the number of containers you choose.  I prefer to use 32 oz ball jars.

Prepare the ingredients by slicing long sections of white onion and carrot. I like to cut the onion in 8ths and the carrot in about 3" sections. Peel 5 or more garlic cloves for each 32-oz jar.  Slice the tops off of the hot peppers, wearing gloves if you are sensitive to the hot pepper oil and be certain to wash your hands immediately after handling the peppers.

Put 1T of black pepper corns and 1T coriander seed into the bottom of each jar.  Line the sides of the jar with the veggies, making sure to alternate for best results.  Pack full with peppers and a couple of the remaining vegetables.  Overall, my sauce is about 1/4-1/3 vegetables other than peppers by volume.  Cover with vinegar, place lid on jar and store in a cool place where you will remember to turn the jars over every day.

JALAPENO-BASIL Pepper Sauce (Medium Heat) (shown in pictures)
Following the same process as above, use the following ingredients: Jalapeno peppers (sliced lengthwise), garlic, fresh basil (about 3/4-cup for 2 ball jars); white onion; 1T black peppercorns; 1/2T coriander seed.

POMEGRANATE-LEMON Pepper Sauce (Mild)
Use a combination of orange bell pepper, ahaheim pepper (if you want any heat) and ajeio peppers.  Seeds from one pomegranite, thinly sliced lemon (about 1 lemon per 32-oz ball jar); garlic; 1T coriander seed, 1T black peppercorns.

Spicy Homemade No-Cook Pickles (dill or not)

With all of the vinegars and hot sauces I make, I finally decided it was time to make some pickles.  These are a "cold brew" and made to be eaten within a couple of weeks after they are cured.  The brine can be used twice and will create a delicious pickle both times.

For an even quicker pickle, choose either pickling cukes or an English cucumber (the one with the thin skin in the plastic wrap. Slice them into one-inch rounds and follow the directions below.  They'll be full flavor within 6 hours.

What you need: 2 16-oz ball jars, a sharp knife, one large stainless bowl, a ladle, measuring cup and spoons...your fingers and a bit of patience.

Fresh Ingredients: 
12 pickling cucumbers (or so); you can use English if you like
1 cubanelle pepper, sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup fresh oregano (or dill), finelychopped

Dry Ingredients
1T black peppercorns, (I like tellicherry)
1T coriander seed
1/2 - 1 t celery seed
3 whole cloves (optional)
2T sea salt
2T sugar (turbinado works perfectly fine)

Wet Ingredients
2 c water
2 c white vinegar

Recipe
Rinse the cucumbers well.  With a sharp knife, remove a thin slice from each end of the cucumber.  If you don't have pickling cukes available, you can use an English cucumber or any other thin skinned variety (just don't use the thick-skinned waxy standard you find at the grocery).  If using a large cuke, remove the ends and then slice into 1/2 rounds.  Places your cucumbers in a stainless steel or glass bowl large enough to hold the entire batch.

Add the hot pepper slices to the bowl.  Be certain to use fresh peppers here.  Also, if you haven't worked with hot peppers before, it is always essential to wash your hands immediately after handling them. Cubanelles have medium heat and are nice for pickles almost anyone can enjoy.  Fresh banana peppers, anaheim peppers or cherry peppers are fine, too.

Now, add your herbs, spices and chopped garlic to the cukes.  (If you want a more mild garlic flavor, use whole or halved garlic.  The finer it is chopped the more pungent it is). Mix this with your hands at this point to combine.  Add the water and vinegar.  This is a case where you want to use plain white vinegar and nothing fancy.  You want absolutely nothing in there to add sugar or flavor that you don't choose.  I always have a large bottle of vinegar on hand not only for many of the vinegars I make, but also for cleaning the floors and windows (mixed with a few drops spearmint oil to make it smell good), killing weeds (works as well as round up), and cleaning drains in tandem with baking soda.

Next, add the salt and sugar to the bowl.  Mix everything together well with your hands.  Let the mixture rest for at least  2 hours so that the salt and sugar fully dissolve and the spices will be fully infused throughout the liquid.  You certainly can mix, smell and taste the briny mixture as it sits.

Once the two hours elapse (longer is fine), pack the pickles and peppers into the jars using your fingers or a pair of tongs.  They don't have to be tightly packed -- you want enough room for them to be immersed in brine. Then, ladle brine over the pickles until they are completely covered.  The coriander and peppercorns will float.  That isn't a problem.  Close the lids tightly over the jars and refrigerate for 7-10 days before eating if whole pickles and about 6 hours for sliced pickles.

Enjoy!

Chopped parsley salad with asparagus and green apple vinaigrette

This is a very refreshing green salad and wonderful as you come out of any type of fasting for health reasons.  Onions have a very high glycemic index, and together with the apples will serve to make a nice, sweet dressing.  You do absolutely need a blender to make the dressing.

THE SALAD
3 cups chopped curly parsley (Italian will work, but curly adds a great texture)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup granny smith apples, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked bulgar wheat or whole wheat couscous (optional)
1 cup chopped, blanched asparagus

THE DRESSING (if you don't use alot of dressing, you may wish to halve this recipe)
3-4 small white onions, peeled and halved
1 granny smith apple, peeled (optional), quartered and cored
zest and juice from 1 lemon
1T poppy seeds
apple cider vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
course sea salt, pepper to taste

Chop your asparagus into 1-1/2 inch pieces.  Fill a bowl with ice water and set aside.  Blanche the asparagus by tossing it into a saucepan filled with water that is at a rolling boil.  As soon as the asparagus turns bright green, strain it from the water and pop it into the ice water.  Assemble the remaining salad ingredients and add the asparagus to the  mixture once it is cool to the touch.  Continue to cool by refrigerating the salad.

To make the dressing place the onions, apple, zest, lemon juice, poppy seeds in your blender.  Add a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Pour in enough vinegar up to about 1/2 inch from the top of the whole ingredients.  Pulse until combined; blend until nearly smooth.  Once smooth, remove the pour hole from the top of the blender and slowly pour olive oil in until dressing begins to thicken.  Taste for balance and add vinegar and oil until you are pleased with the flavor.   Mix lightly through the salad and enjoy. [I prefer to hand mix dressing into parsley salads so I can make sure the greens are nicely coated and not drenched].  Extra dressing can be refrigerated and used for up to 3 weeks.

Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

This dressing is inspired by Cleveland's Souper Market -- a terrific soup kitchen that makes soups and salad  dressings from scratch.  It's very simple and great served with greens, tomatoes olives and shaved cheese.  It's also terrific with a summer tomato-mozzeralla salad. This dressing can also be used on pasta with steamed vegetables, a topping for scallops or any white fish, or dolloped as a pungent topping for white bean soup.

You'll need to pull out your blender for this one.

INGREDIENTS
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 c fresh basil and 1/2 c fresh parsely, firmly packed
~1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
~1/2 c sherry or cider vinegar
1T dijon mustard
pinch of fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

RECIPE
Add garlic, basil, and vinegar and mustard to blender.  Pulse until well chopped.  Add a small pinch of salt and black pepper.  Turn blender on and slowly stream olive oil into mixture until desired thickness.  Start with about 1/2 cup and taste.  Balance the oily/tart taste by adding more oil or vinegar sparingly.  Remember, it's a dressing and should have nice strong flavor and be used sparingly!

VARIATIONS
Of course, a great addition is lemon zest and fresh lemon juice replacing some of the vinegar (you knew it wouldn't be my recipe without some citrus sneaking in somewhere).  You can make this dressing with mint or flat leaf parsley.  I would suggest mixing a bit of sage in with the mint to mellow it.  The parsley should definitely include lemon zest and perhaps a bit of green or kalamata olive blended in to the mixture.

Another great addition is to throw 2-3 medium tomatillos (paper removed and quartered) into the blender with the basil.  Adds a great tartness to the dressing.

Corn and Edamame Salsa

This salsa is great with any Mexican style food (I make it in the winter when fresh corn on the cob isn't available).  Leftovers are terrific mixed into scrambled eggs the next day.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 cup frozen edamame beans
1/4 cup onion, diced to 1/8 inch pieces
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced to 1/8 pieces
1/4 cup cabbage, diced to 1/8 pieces
1 jalepeno pepper, finely minced
1 1/2 t chili powder
1 t garlic powder (NOT garlic salt; and not fresh garlic either if you are going to cook it by the method below)
1/2 t dried thyme
zest from 1 lemon
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extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
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juice from 1/2 lemon

RECIPE
Put the frozen veggies in a bowl.  Add the remaining vegetables and lemon zest.  Mix thoroughly.  Coat lightly with olive oil and mix.  Add the spices crunching the time into the veggies, freshly ground pepper and a tiny pinch of salt if you like.  Mix thoroughly, set aside until all of the beans and corn is thawed, allowing the flavors to meld together. A half hour should do.  Longer, even overnight, will not hurt the dish.

Bring a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil to temperature over medium-high heat.  Add the salsa and cook, stirring nearly constantly until the edges of the vegetables begin to brown.  Deglaze with freshly squeezed lemon juice.   Remove from pan as soon as the lemon juice is reduced to avoid burning.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  It's great along side fish tacos, as a filling for quesadillas, or even chilled as a dip with chips.

Clementine Vinaigrette

Use your tired old clementines to make a delicious salad dressing.  It's easy and a great treat for heralding out citrus season in the US.  Get a few 8 or 16 oz ball jars and enjoy this for a few weeks.

CLEMENTINE VINEGAR
about 2 clementines per 8 oz jar, thinly sliced (make sure your knife is VERY sharp to slice wilting clementines)
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper corns per jar
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seed
white vinegar (do not use anything else or you will ruin the subtle taste of this vinegar)

Put the sliced clementines, peppercorns and coriander seed in the ball jars.  Cover with white vinegar.   (Two is about the minimum number of clementines you should use for this size jar; you may increase the amount to almost pack the jars if you like).  Let sit for a week and it will be ready to use.

If you have used all of the clementine vinegar, you may refill it with vinegar for full flavor one more time and let it rest for 5-6 days before using.

MAKING THE VINAIGRETTE
To about a quarter cut of extra virgin olive oil, add a teaspoon of dijon mustard and honey.  You may add some minced garlic if you like.  Mix thoroughly with a fork or small wisk.  Strain about 1/4 cup of vinegar into the oil mixture.  Sprinkle with a small pinch of coarse sea salt (I like to use grey salt, but any salt you have on hand will really do).  Mix thoroughly.  Taste for balance and adjust according to your palette.   This dressing is wonderful over a spinach salad and goes very well with goat cheese, too!

Fried Wontons & Dipping Sauce

Once you break into that package of wontons to make soup, it's always a temptation to make fried wontons for little afternoon snack.  I stuffed these with leftover crab dip from The Fish Guys at Columbus' North Market ... they just melt in your mouth.  Oh, so easy and oh, so good.

WHAT YOU NEED
10-12 wonton wrappers
1/2 - 3/4 cup stuffing (I used crab dip)
~ 4 cups safflower or canola oil
small diameter saucepan, 5-6 inches tall
long insulated tongs
jelly, jam or preserves (whatever you have on hand)
dijon mustard
rice wine or cider vinegar
pinch of salt

MAKING THE WONTONS
[note: if you aren't comfortable working with very hot oil, ask someone to help you.  This oil will be about 350 degrees which can burn badly]

Fill a small diameter high edged saucepan no more than halfway from the top with your oil.  You want enough so that the wontons can float freely as they cook.  Heat over medium high until a drop of water dances on the surface of the oil.  While the oil is heating, stuff your wontons as follows.  This amount of oil can certainly make more wontons than the recipe calls for.

Lay a wonton wrapper flat on the cutting board.  Imagine the wrapper in two triangles divided along the diagonal -- you will fold the filled wonton along that diagonal line.  Moisten the edges of the wrapper using your fingers or a pastry brush.  Put about a teaspoon of the filling in the upper right corner, about 1/2 inch from the edge.  Fold over and press firmly to seal the wrapper.  Bring the long corners together and pinch together to seal.  Set aside on a plate and repeat until you have made as many as you like.

Once the oil is hot, carefully place 3-4 wontons in your pot, using your tongs.   They should immediately bubble up and begin cooking.  Watch carefully to make sure that the oil is hot enough that the wontons are cooking well and not burning.  You may need to adjust the heat.  The trick is not to add so many wontons that you cool the oil, don't crowd them.  While the first batch is cooking, line a plate or baking sheet with paper towels.  Once the wontons rise to the top of the oil and are slightly browned, remove them from the oil one at a time using your tongs and set them on the paper towel.  Continue cooking the wontons 3-4 at a time until the batch is finished.  It is fine to stack them -- just be sure to add a couple of paper towels between each layer.   Set aside to cool and drain.

THE DIPPING SAUCE
Start with 1 tablespoon each of jam, dijon mustard and rice wine vinegar.  Add a few grains of course sea salt (or a tiny bit of fine sea salt).  Adjust the components to suit your tastes.

Serve and enjoy!

Goat Cheese Dressing

This recipe was developed in my kitchen by a dear friend.  It's amazing what a little inspiration and good wine can do for you...

3 tbs Goat cheese

2 tbs Plain yogurt

1 tsp Honey

2 tbs Olive oil

3 tbs Rice vinegar

1tsp fresh lemon juice (Meyer lemons, if available)

2 tbs Chopped scallion

freshly ground pepper

Whisk ingredients together until smooth & serve

Holiday Cocktail Sauce

While picking up fresh oysters at the seafood counter, my partner asked, "Would you hand me a jar of cocktail sauce?"   I responded, "I can make that.  I have the ingredients."  "Do you have horseradish?"  "Of course," I told him.

INGREDIENTS
juice from half lemon
1T horseradish
1/2-2/3 cup crushed tomatoes
2T tomato paste
1T vodka
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce (or pickapepper for vegetarians)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
sprinkle of grey salt

RECIPE

Squeeze 1/2 lemon into a bowl.  Add 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes (I like to use fire roasted, but any will do).  Add the remaining ingredients aside from the salt.  Check for desired thickness.  You may wish to add more crushed tomato until you the cocktail sauce is the thickness you prefer.  Sprinkle a touch grey salt (or any course salt you have on hand) over the top, right before serving. Those who are lucky enough to get a crunch with their bite will be delighted.

Serve with crudite, fresh oysters, grilled shrimp, calamari, smelts, hard boiled eggs, or with a savory omelet.  You can also use this as a base for a wonderful Bloody (or Virgin) Mary.

Coconut Chutney

I learned the basics of this recipe from my dear friend Rahul when we were in grad school. This is a great topping for vegetable biryani, or baked fish (or even chicken). For a special meal, I often top halibut steaks with this chutney and bake in parchment paper. You may leave the peppers out entirely if you do not enjoy spicy food.

1 cup unsweetened grated coconut (you can easily purchase this from an Indian grocer)
2-3 jalepeno peppers
zest and juice from 1-2 lime (you need 2-3 T depending on how moist the other ingredients are)
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and minced or finely grated
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, large stems
1/4 cup sofrito
1T toasted cumin
2-4 T extra virgin olive oil

I often make the chutney completely by hand, so it is very possible to make a great chutney even if you do not have access to a food processor or blender, grate the coconut and mince and/or chop the ingredients finely. Mix by hand. In this case, you will want the mixture to sit for at least an hour so the flavors may be nicely blended.

-or-

In a food processor or blender, combine the coconut, peppers, lime, ginger, cilantro and cumin. Once well blended, continue to blend gently and stream in olive oil until it the mixture is a texture you like (perhaps more course for vegetable toppings; you might like it more smooth for baking with meat or protein).

Basic and Simple Vinaigrette Dressing

This is the very basic. Add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl.

1T dijon mustard (works as an emulsifier to add body to the dressing)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sherry vinegar (balsamic or red wine vinegar make great dressings, too)
small pinch of course sea salt and pepper to taste
if you prefer a sweeter dressing, 1/2 - 1T honey (an emulsifier)

Wisk the mustard [and honey] until they are are suspended thoroughly in the vinegar. Add the oil and wisk again. Add the salt and wisk. I prefer sea salt and usually use grey salt in this very simple vinaigrette, but what you have on hand will do just fine. Taste the dressing for balance. (Remember that it will have to compliment the salad you prepare and will seem much more strong by itself).

If it's too tart, add a bit more honey and/or olive oil. If it's too sweet, add a bit more vinegar and/or mustard. Once balanced, add pepper to taste.
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Other additions you might consider:
   minced garlic
   hot sauce
   horseradish
   fresh lemon or lime juice (replacing some of the vinegar)
   mashed and strained berries
   blood orange juice and ginger
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The possibilities are endless...

My Favorite Yogurt Sauce

This is a very good sauce for spicy dishes...it replaces a dollop of sour cream and is more refreshing.

1 C plain or fat free yogurt (I only use organic dairy)

1 lime; zest and juice

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

pepper to taste

Place a metal sieve that can hold your yogurt over a bowl. Insert a cheesecloth, large flat coffee filter or a couple of paper towels over the sieve. Put the yogurt on top of the cloth to drain, refrigerated, for at least 1/2 hour.

Zest and juice a lime, making certain to strain out any seeds. With a mortar and pestle, grind the coriander seeds. The grindings don't have to be very fine; what you have the patience to do is okay. Mince the cilantro if you plan to add it.

Once the yogurt is strained (and anything really between unstrained and overnight is good depending on your preferred thickness and application), discard the residual liquid. Use a spoon or silicone spatula to transfer the thick yogurt to a bowl. Add your lime juice and spices and mix thoroughly. Add freshly ground pepper to the top and fold in.

Enjoy this on chili, Mexican rice, fish tacos, biryani, or any other dish that you would like a cooling influence.

Greek Variation (Tsatsiki)

Tsatsiki is often used as a condiment for gyros and other spicy Greek dishes, and includes:

1 cup yogurt

1/4 cup shredded cucumber, drained

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/8 cup fresh mint leaves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Indian Variation (Raita)

1/2 seeded, towel dried and diced cucumber

1/2 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced cilantro leaves (mint or italian parsley are fine if you don't prefer cilantro)

Avocado Dipping Sauce for Steamed Artichoke

For those of you who love steamed artichoke, this is a great alternative to the standard hollandaise sauce, butter and garlic, or a simple vinaigrette...

1/2 ripe avocado
juice and zest from one lemon
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 rounded teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch of salt
black pepper for taste

Bring a few inches of water to a rolling boil in large saucepan or stockpot. Trim two artichokes; slice in half lengthwise. Place the artichoke halves in about an inch or two of boiling water and add the juice from 1/2 lemon to the water to help the artichokes maintain good color. Don't worry about straining the seeds; you can do that when the artichoke is cooked. Steam covered until leaves are easily removed from the artichoke (about 20 minutes). Watch the water to make sure it doesn't boil dry and burn the artichokes. Strain and set aside to cool.

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In a bowl, mash the flesh of 1/2 an avocado. Add the lemon and olive oil and continue mashing. Add the remainder of ingredients and taste. If the mixture is too tart, add a bit more oil; if it's too oily, add a bit more vinegar or dijon mustard depending on the desired thickness or your personal taste.

Let the artichoke cool so that it is easy to handle, and enjoy!

Kale & Parsley Salad

This is a delicious salad in the early fall when the ingredients are in season.  If you have only seen kale and parsley as garnishes before, you will be surprised at how delicious they can be.  I recommend using the most tender kale you can find and curly parsley.  Curly parsley stands up to this treatment better than the more subtle Italian (flat leaf) parsley. The older, tougher kale is great in soups and stews.

1 cup kale, rinsed and stemmed
1 cup curly parsley, trimmed and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped tomato (heirloom if you can find it)
1/2 cup granny smith apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup pepitas
~1T ground cumin
~2T sherry or cider vinegar
[optional] a sprinkling of crumbled gorgonzola or other blue-veined cheese

Once rinsed, shake the water off the kale and parsley.  Then remove the long stems from the parsley and the center vein from the kale.  Break the kale into bite sized pieces and place the greens in a large mixing bowl. Add the tomato, apple, dried cranberries and nuts and combine them through the greens.

Now, sprinkle enough ground cumin over the salad to coat the leaves and using your squeaky clean hands, blend the cumin thoroughly through the salad until you do not feel any clumps of the spice.  It is very important to use your hands to feel that there are no clumps of cumin hiding in the greens.  Then, repeat the process with your vinegar, using just enough to coat the leaves and have the cumin disappear into the mixture.

You will be absolutely amazed at how delicious this salad is and it's so terrific for you.   If you must have some cheese, the only possible thing to stand up to this salad is a sprinkling of gorgonzola (otherwise, don't bother).  Mix a light sprinkling of gorgonzola gently through the salad after dressing with cumin and vinegar.  This recipe makes about 2 main course servings and stores without getting to soggy for a day.