This is the sauce I make for DH’s enchiladas (and for mine when I don’t feel like making two different sauces!) It’s far better than the stuff you get in cans from the grocery store and really doesn’t take a lot of time or effort. You will need either an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor to make this, though.
The sauce itself is vegan so, even though I throw it on DH's chicken enchiladas, it's great to use with any veggie enchiladas, too.
Enough for 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1 (28-oz) can tomatoes, diced (make sure to add the juice, too!)
1 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. sea salt
Method:
1. Saute the onions over medium heat until they are softened. Add all the other ingredients and let the mixture come to a simmer then remove the pan from the heat.
2. Let the sauce cool for a little while then puree in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender.
Reference:
Based on the "Enchilada Chile Sauce" that is part of the recipe "Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce" from Veganomicon.
My Changes:
*I use jalapenos for the "large green chiles." Mine are not roasted.
*I use both marjoram and Mexican oregano instead of one of the other.
That's it, really.. not a whole lot to change in that recipe. :)
Showing posts with label Sauce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sauce. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Avocado Enchiladas Redux
I actually managed to improve on the already fantastic avocado enchiladas! If you read my original avocado enchilada post, I mentioned wanting to try them with mole sauce. Well... it really works! I had actually been at a great local Mexican restaurant on Monday and they had avocado enchiladas on the menu. I was offered mole sauce with them so I was not about to pass that up! They were good (but I have to say my filling was more interesting!) - at least I knew the mole-avocado combination wouldn't be weird!
One of my friends hosted a "healthy food event" last night so I decided to make these (as well as the vegan chocolate cupcakes). I found local avocados for 33 cents each so that helped seal my decision to make this recipe.
Both items were a hit and my home-made mole turned out great!
Here's the updated avocado enchilada recipe that I used yesterday, including the mole sauce. Other than the mole, I also changed them by adding more tomato and some black beans for protein.
Yield - Makes 4 enchiladas (since we had a variety of other stuff, we cut them in half; normally this would serve 4).
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic, minced (I actually think I just used 5 cloves)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
4 ripe avocados, halved and seeded (yes, 1 whole avocado per enchilada!)
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped roughly
Juice of 1 lime
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed (I might actually add more next time)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. For the mole sauce, heat 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon to the hot oil. Cover and cook until onion is almost tender (about 10 minutes). Stir occasionally during the cooking process.
3. Mix in the chili powder and flour. Stir three minutes.
4. Gradually mix in the broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Boil until reduced (it took mine about 15 or 16 minutes). Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate.
5. While the mole sauce reduces, prepare the enchilada filling. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Smush up the avocado in a glass bowl. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, tomatoes, jalapeno, lime juice, black beans, and salt and pepper. Mix together to create a guacamole.
6. Spoon the avocado mixture into the tortillas and roll them up. Place tortillas in the prepared baking dish and cover with mole sauce. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
Reference:
Based, rather loosely, on Deena Kastor's Avocado Enchilada recipe.
I found the mole sauce recipe on RecipeZaar. My only change was to add a little extra chocolate after tasting it. Oh, I also changed the chicken broth to vegetable broth!
One of my friends hosted a "healthy food event" last night so I decided to make these (as well as the vegan chocolate cupcakes). I found local avocados for 33 cents each so that helped seal my decision to make this recipe.
Both items were a hit and my home-made mole turned out great!
Here's the updated avocado enchilada recipe that I used yesterday, including the mole sauce. Other than the mole, I also changed them by adding more tomato and some black beans for protein.
Yield - Makes 4 enchiladas (since we had a variety of other stuff, we cut them in half; normally this would serve 4).
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic, minced (I actually think I just used 5 cloves)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
4 ripe avocados, halved and seeded (yes, 1 whole avocado per enchilada!)
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped roughly
Juice of 1 lime
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed (I might actually add more next time)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. For the mole sauce, heat 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon to the hot oil. Cover and cook until onion is almost tender (about 10 minutes). Stir occasionally during the cooking process.
3. Mix in the chili powder and flour. Stir three minutes.
4. Gradually mix in the broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Boil until reduced (it took mine about 15 or 16 minutes). Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate.
5. While the mole sauce reduces, prepare the enchilada filling. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Smush up the avocado in a glass bowl. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, tomatoes, jalapeno, lime juice, black beans, and salt and pepper. Mix together to create a guacamole.
6. Spoon the avocado mixture into the tortillas and roll them up. Place tortillas in the prepared baking dish and cover with mole sauce. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
Reference:
Based, rather loosely, on Deena Kastor's Avocado Enchilada recipe.
I found the mole sauce recipe on RecipeZaar. My only change was to add a little extra chocolate after tasting it. Oh, I also changed the chicken broth to vegetable broth!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Peanut Buttery Goodness
I've always had a thing for peanut butter - I always feel so bad for people with peanut allergies... they miss so much! Here's a yummy way to turn basic peanut butter into something far more exotic.
It does have quite a bit of fat from the peanut butter (20 g per serving according to the original recipe); however, only 3 grams of that are saturated fat so it's not so terrible! The protein content is fairly good and it's low sodium and calorie.
I had this with a salad - the recipe said to serve it with rice which would have upped the protein content even more but I ran out of time! Oh well, I think it would have been far too much food with a side of rice!
As far as I can tell, this is gluten-free. I'm trying to educate myself on gluten-free ingredients so I can start labeling more things. Actually, I'm a bit iffy on the GF status of the hot sauce! I always go for "better safe than sorry" so if you are on a GF diet, leave it out (unless of course you know better than me!)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 package extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (squeeze the excess liquid from the tofu first) - superfood!
Small amount of vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped onion (I used a red onion) - superfood!
1/6 cup tomatoes, chopped (the original recipe called for canned; I cut up some fresh grape tomatoes) - superfood!
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. hot sauce (the recipe wanted 1/2 tsp. of chili-garlic sauce.. I just mixed hot sauce and a small amount of garlic)
1/2 clove garlic, minced (superfood!)
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/6 cup creamy peanut butter (the organic stuff from Trader Joe's is cheap and yummy!) - nuts are a superfood! I wonder if PB counts? ;)
1/8 cup frozen cut green beans
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and place the tofu in a single layer on the bottom of the dish.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion in the oil for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, hot sauce, garlic, and thyme. Saute 1-2 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter, green beans, and 1/3 cup water. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
3. Pour the peanut sauce over the sliced tofu and cover the dish with foil. Bake 5-7 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 5 additional minutes or until heated through.
Reference:
I found this in the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine - Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce. Can't find the recipe on their website... :(
It does have quite a bit of fat from the peanut butter (20 g per serving according to the original recipe); however, only 3 grams of that are saturated fat so it's not so terrible! The protein content is fairly good and it's low sodium and calorie.
I had this with a salad - the recipe said to serve it with rice which would have upped the protein content even more but I ran out of time! Oh well, I think it would have been far too much food with a side of rice!
As far as I can tell, this is gluten-free. I'm trying to educate myself on gluten-free ingredients so I can start labeling more things. Actually, I'm a bit iffy on the GF status of the hot sauce! I always go for "better safe than sorry" so if you are on a GF diet, leave it out (unless of course you know better than me!)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 package extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (squeeze the excess liquid from the tofu first) - superfood!
Small amount of vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped onion (I used a red onion) - superfood!
1/6 cup tomatoes, chopped (the original recipe called for canned; I cut up some fresh grape tomatoes) - superfood!
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. hot sauce (the recipe wanted 1/2 tsp. of chili-garlic sauce.. I just mixed hot sauce and a small amount of garlic)
1/2 clove garlic, minced (superfood!)
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1/6 cup creamy peanut butter (the organic stuff from Trader Joe's is cheap and yummy!) - nuts are a superfood! I wonder if PB counts? ;)
1/8 cup frozen cut green beans
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and place the tofu in a single layer on the bottom of the dish.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion in the oil for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, hot sauce, garlic, and thyme. Saute 1-2 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter, green beans, and 1/3 cup water. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
3. Pour the peanut sauce over the sliced tofu and cover the dish with foil. Bake 5-7 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 5 additional minutes or until heated through.
Reference:
I found this in the April 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine - Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce. Can't find the recipe on their website... :(
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Fusili with Pizziola Sauce
This was very similar to the Pasta alla Puttanesca but it also included goat cheese which added a whole other layer of yumminess to it! The sauce is spicy but the cheese really helps mellow it out (but not too much that it's boring...)
This was a quick and easy dinner - great for busy weeknights!
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion (superfood!)
1 tbsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1 tbsp. minced garlic (I just minced three cloves) - superfood!
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (superfood!)
1 tbsp. fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
Pinch of salt (1/4-1/2 tsp. is sufficient)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 pound fusili, radiatore, or other short pasta
1/4 cup pitted and chopped black olives (I used kalamata)
1 tbsp. capers, drained
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
Method:
1. In a medium skillet, saute the onion in the olive oil until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until golden, 1-2 minutes.
2. Empty the can of tomatoes, including the juice, into a bowl. Crush them using your hands or the back of a spoon. Add the crushed tomatoes to the onion mixture. If you are using dried oregano, add it now. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar and simmer until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes.
3. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta.
4. Stir the olives, capers, red pepper flakes, parsley, and fresh oregano (if you're using fresh) into the sauce. Simmer another minute or so.
5. Drain the pasta and mix the sauce and pasta together. Add the goat cheese and serve.
Reference:
Surprise! ;) This was from The Occasional Vegetarian from Karen Lee. I bought the April issue of "Vegetarian Times" yesterday so I'll be able to branch out a bit on my recipe sources! I also found an old computer CD (I've been spring cleaning this week!) that is full of vegetarian recipes... I'll have to dust that off and try some of those out, too!
This was a quick and easy dinner - great for busy weeknights!
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion (superfood!)
1 tbsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1 tbsp. minced garlic (I just minced three cloves) - superfood!
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (superfood!)
1 tbsp. fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
Pinch of salt (1/4-1/2 tsp. is sufficient)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 pound fusili, radiatore, or other short pasta
1/4 cup pitted and chopped black olives (I used kalamata)
1 tbsp. capers, drained
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
Method:
1. In a medium skillet, saute the onion in the olive oil until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until golden, 1-2 minutes.
2. Empty the can of tomatoes, including the juice, into a bowl. Crush them using your hands or the back of a spoon. Add the crushed tomatoes to the onion mixture. If you are using dried oregano, add it now. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar and simmer until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes.
3. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta.
4. Stir the olives, capers, red pepper flakes, parsley, and fresh oregano (if you're using fresh) into the sauce. Simmer another minute or so.
5. Drain the pasta and mix the sauce and pasta together. Add the goat cheese and serve.
Reference:
Surprise! ;) This was from The Occasional Vegetarian from Karen Lee. I bought the April issue of "Vegetarian Times" yesterday so I'll be able to branch out a bit on my recipe sources! I also found an old computer CD (I've been spring cleaning this week!) that is full of vegetarian recipes... I'll have to dust that off and try some of those out, too!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Red Wine Marinara Sauce for Pasta
This makes a wonderful meatless spaghetti sauce as well as a sauce for Chicken Parmesan, lasagna, and baked ziti. If you have family members (like my husband) who don't care for the carrots and celery, you can leave them out. The sauce is *almost* as good without them. :) I like to double the recipe and freeze the extra.
Makes 4 side-dish servings.
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion (1 large onion)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/4 cup sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes or one 14 1/2-ounce can of tomatoes
1/2 of a 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tsp. snipped fresh basil or 3/4 tsp. dried basil, crushed
2 tsp. snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1 tsp. snipped fresh marjoram or 1/4 tsp. dried marjoram, crushed
2 tsp. snipped fresh parsley or 3/4 tsp. dried parsley, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup dry red wine
Hot spaghetti or other pasta
Method:
1. In a large skillet cook onion, sweet pepper, carrot, celery, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in fresh or undrained canned tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, parsley, the bay leaf, wine, sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. If necessary, uncover and simmer 10-15 minutes more or to desired consistency; stir occasionally.
2. Remove bay leaf and, if you're anything like me, add a little more wine and stir well.
Reference:
This recipe is based on one found in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.
Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen (1996). Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. Meredith Publishing Group: Des Moines, IA.
Makes 4 side-dish servings.
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion (1 large onion)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/4 cup sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes or one 14 1/2-ounce can of tomatoes
1/2 of a 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tsp. snipped fresh basil or 3/4 tsp. dried basil, crushed
2 tsp. snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1 tsp. snipped fresh marjoram or 1/4 tsp. dried marjoram, crushed
2 tsp. snipped fresh parsley or 3/4 tsp. dried parsley, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup dry red wine
Hot spaghetti or other pasta
Method:
1. In a large skillet cook onion, sweet pepper, carrot, celery, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in fresh or undrained canned tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, parsley, the bay leaf, wine, sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. If necessary, uncover and simmer 10-15 minutes more or to desired consistency; stir occasionally.
2. Remove bay leaf and, if you're anything like me, add a little more wine and stir well.
Reference:
This recipe is based on one found in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.
Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen (1996). Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. Meredith Publishing Group: Des Moines, IA.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Jack Daniel's BBQ Sauce
I'm not a fan of J.D. at all so when we were given a big bottle of it, I had to go in search of some use for it! I found this online and just tweaked it a bit to my liking. It's an easy-to-make sauce and it's extremely tasty - do not be scared away by the long ingredient list!
If you'd like to make this recipe vegetarian or vegan, please substitute soy sauce (the lower sodium stuff is great!) or vegetarian Worcestershire (I like The Wizard's brand) for the Worcestershire sauce (Worcestershire has anchovies in it...) Other than that I'm *pretty sure* this recipe is ok for vegans. Please feel free to comment if I'm wrong!
This recipe makes 4 cups (read, a lot!) However, this sauce does freeze quite well. I make a big batch (usually half this recipe) and then divide it up into 2-person portions in freezer baggies. Just pull it out and re-heat when needed.
Ingredients:
1/2 large onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Jack Daniel's whiskey
2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (Wizard brand is vegetarian)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/3 tsp. Tabasco Sauce
Method:
1. Combine onion, garlic, and Jack Daniel's in a saucepan. Saute until onion and garlic are translucent (about 10 minutes).
2. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a medium simmer. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Run sauce through a fine strainer to remove the garlic and onion bits.
This sauce is excellent on chicken and salmon. I don't eat red meat, but I am sure it would be a great topping for a steak or burger. For the salmon, I like to let my salmon pieces sit in a little Jack Daniel's for about 10 minutes (refrigerated). Any longer and the fish starts to break apart! Top with the BBQ sauce and grill it as you would normally grill a piece of salmon (med. heat - gas - about 8-10 mins, turning once).
For chicken, I just brush the chicken with the sauce on both sides and grill as usual.
Probably good on steak, too, but I don't eat red meat so I can't really talk about that! I am planning on making this with a steak for the hubby soon, I'll let you know what he thinks!
Shrimp? Maybe! If you try it on shrimp, comment on how you like it :)
If you'd like to make this recipe vegetarian or vegan, please substitute soy sauce (the lower sodium stuff is great!) or vegetarian Worcestershire (I like The Wizard's brand) for the Worcestershire sauce (Worcestershire has anchovies in it...) Other than that I'm *pretty sure* this recipe is ok for vegans. Please feel free to comment if I'm wrong!
This recipe makes 4 cups (read, a lot!) However, this sauce does freeze quite well. I make a big batch (usually half this recipe) and then divide it up into 2-person portions in freezer baggies. Just pull it out and re-heat when needed.
Ingredients:
1/2 large onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Jack Daniel's whiskey
2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (Wizard brand is vegetarian)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/3 tsp. Tabasco Sauce
Method:
1. Combine onion, garlic, and Jack Daniel's in a saucepan. Saute until onion and garlic are translucent (about 10 minutes).
2. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a medium simmer. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Run sauce through a fine strainer to remove the garlic and onion bits.
This sauce is excellent on chicken and salmon. I don't eat red meat, but I am sure it would be a great topping for a steak or burger. For the salmon, I like to let my salmon pieces sit in a little Jack Daniel's for about 10 minutes (refrigerated). Any longer and the fish starts to break apart! Top with the BBQ sauce and grill it as you would normally grill a piece of salmon (med. heat - gas - about 8-10 mins, turning once).
For chicken, I just brush the chicken with the sauce on both sides and grill as usual.
Probably good on steak, too, but I don't eat red meat so I can't really talk about that! I am planning on making this with a steak for the hubby soon, I'll let you know what he thinks!
Shrimp? Maybe! If you try it on shrimp, comment on how you like it :)
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