A Life, Lived

Chili Sauce

This is an old family recipe . . . one I confess I do not love. My mother, on the other hand does. She was moaning the other week about not having had the time of the energy to make a batch this year. I question that because if we have had anything during the pandemic it is time!

Whatever - Paul and I went off to the market to purchase the necessary ingredients (the tomato lady said we were 'saints' for doing this thankless task LOL). Later that day we spend the afternoon chopping, cooking, and processing 8 pints of Chili Sauce.

Of course it proved to be the hottest day of the fall.

I'm used to a spicier chili sauce. I think many people are these days with Sriracha, Tabasco, salsa and other hot sauces. This is one of those old recipes from a time when there were no Asian hot sauces and spicy wasn't a thing. It is a sweet sauce with flavour from the spices. While there isn't heat there is plenty of flavour.

Mom said it was good so I guess we did OK with something we don't like. :-)

Chili Sauce

30 ripe tomatoes (8 lb) about a level 6 quart basket or 2-3litre baskets
2 ½ cups chopped onion (5-6 medium cooking onions)
2 ½ cups chopped sweet red peppers (4 or 5 medium)
1 large bunch celery, chopped finely
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
4 cups cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
3 Tbsp. whole allspice
½ – 1 Tbsp. celery seed

Blanch tomatoes in boiling water (about 2 – 3 minutes). 

Spoon tomatoes  into ice cold water and peel, core and cut into pieces.  Place in a large pot.  Add the onion, peppers, celery, sugar, salt and cider vinegar and mix well. 

Tie the cloves, allspice and celery seed loosely in a cheesecloth bag and immerse in mixture. 

Cook, uncovered, on the stove over medium high heat until it boils down and thickens to a desired consistency (about 2 – 2 ½ hours).  Stir frequently. 

Remove from heat and remove the spice bag. 

Ladle into hot, sterile jars and seal immediately.  Process for 15 minutes in caner.

Horseradish Sauce

It is a long weekend in Canada which means many people will be firing up the BBQ and tossing on some steaks. One of my favourite accompaniments with steak is horseradish sauce. This creamy horseradish rivals the best I have tried in restaurants.

This horseradish cream sauce is so easy and will impress your dinner guests! It keeps well in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks and only gets better as the flavors meld.

The horseradish taste is not overwhelming at all so 'horseradish phobic' folks (like Paul) will be happy. I would have added more horseradish if it were just for me.

Horseradish Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp chives

In a small mixing bowl, stir all of the ingredients together. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for about 2 weeks.

Microwave Hollandaise Sauce

This recipe is the easiest recipe EVER.

I confess that prior to this I always used a packet of powder to make my hollandaise sauce for things like eggs benedict or to serve with steamed salmon or asparagus. This is simple and easy - trust me, you'll never use another method. This recipe makes enough for 2 servings of eggs benedict or asparagus. I've tried several ways to make hollandaise sauce; this method works every time and is very quick. 

Microwave Hollandaise Sauce

2 egg yolks
1/4 lemon juiced, or to taste
pinch salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup butter, melted

Beat egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Slowly stream melted butter into the egg yolk mixture while whisking to incorporate.

Heat in microwave for 15 to 20 seconds; whisk.

Roasted Salsa Verde

A basic salsa verde made with simmered tomatillos and cilantro.

There is nothing basic about this!

This salsa verde is fresh, bright and not too salty like those store-bought versions. I tried making it with raw tomatillos, but they’re borderline sour. Roasting them really brings out their best side. Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes with husks, but they aren’t tomatoes—they’re cousins. I’ve had an easy time finding them at grocery stores lately.

Some purchased roasted tomatillo salsas I’ve tried taste too roasted/smoky (artificial flavourings, anyone?), but not this one. You can also control just how roasted those tomatillos get when you roast them yourself. I think it turned out just right with the times specified in the recipe below.

Roasted Salsa Verde

4 lb. tomatillos, husks removed
2 medium-size white onions, each cut into 8 wedges
2 jalapeño or serrano peppers
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1⁄2 cup lime juice (about 6 limes)
1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange tomatillos, stem side down, on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place onions, jalapeño peppers, and garlic on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes or until garlic is softened. Remove garlic from baking sheet. Bake onion mixture 15 more minutes or until onion is tender and tomatillos and peppers are slightly charred. Remove from oven and cool slightly. When peppers are cool enough to handle, remove stems and seeds.

Process roasted vegetables and garlic, in batches, in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a 4-qt. stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Stir in lime juice and remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.

Ladle hot salsa into a hot jar, leaving 1⁄2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place jar in boiling- water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

4. Process jars 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Rhubarb Chutney

Last weekend I decided to do a cedar planked pork loin roast on the grill.

No, there was no special reason - it was just me (Paolo was working). Work has been so crazy that I haven't been cooking as much so this was relaxing for me.

I had some rhubarb on hand and thought that a nice fresh chutney would be a good accompaniment with the pork.

This recipe was from Martha Stewart. It was easy to make and the taste was out of this world. So good in fact that I found myself with a spoon and the container enjoying 'tastes' all week!

I think it would be amazing with some goat cheese, in addition to the grilled pork I had it with.

The only change I made with the recipe was using regular raisins instead of golden raisins.

 

 Rhubarb Chutney

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger (from one 1-inch piece)
Coarse salt
1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1/3 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
12 ounces rhubarb, trimmed and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and add wine and raisins. Return to heat, and bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute. Add sugar, and stir until it dissolves. Stir in half the rhubarb. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, until rhubarb breaks down, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining rhubarb. Raise heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until second batch of rhubarb just begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Let cool completely.

Sample the finished chutney, and adjust the flavor. If it's too tart, add sugar. If it's too sweet, add a little white-wine vinegar. Chutney can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

I know that there are some folks out there who will cringe at calling this 'salsa'; to them salsa is a tomato, onion, pepper mixture. It is savoury - never sweet. They would look on with an amused expression if someone started talking about a peach salsa . . . or a mango salsa . . . or a pineapple salsa.

Oh well, I have never been a big fan of dogmatic food purists.

Salsa entered English as the Spanish word for sauce. In this case it has a wide meaning.

This salsa is a simple one. You start with pineapple, peppers, and red onion - fruits and veggies which only improve with time over flames. After they were taken off of the grill they were diced and mixed with herbs, lime juice, and seasoned with some salt and pepper. The result is an amazing combination of sweet, spicy, and savory - all with a delicious crunch.

We served this with grilled ham steak but it would also be wonderful served with grilled fish or chicken.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

1 large pineapple, skinned, cored, and cut into 1-inch rounds
1 red bell pepper
1 medium jalapeño
1 red onion, sliced into rounds and secured with toothpicks
1/2 cup loosely-packed, finely chopped cilantro
2 small limes, juiced
Kosher salt

Clean and oil the grilling grate. Light the grill and heat to medium-high. Place the pineapple slices, bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion slices on the grill.

Cook the pineapple until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, chop medium, and place in a medium sized bowl.

Cook the peppers until completely charred all over. Remove from the grill to a bowl. seal the bowl with plastic wrap to steam the charred skins from the peppers. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes, remove their skins and chop the red pepper medium and the jalapeño finely. Add to the bowl with the pineapple.

Grill the red onion for about 2 minutes per side. Remove the onion from the grill and allow to cool. Remove the toothpicks from the grilled red onion, chop, add to the bowl with the pineapple and peppers.

Add the cilantro, and lime juice to bowl and toss until well combined. Season with salt to taste and serve.

Santa Maria-Style Salsa

On Monday I shared a great recipe for beans we made to serve with a grilled Santa Maria Tri Tip. The classic accompaniment to the slow grilled steak is this salsa. You'll find the tomato and celery-based salsa is not spicy, rather it yields a fresh crunchy counterpoint to the meat.

The salsa takes about 15 minutes of chopping to prepare. You should make it at least an hour before you plan on eating so that the flavours have an opportunity to develop properly.

Santa Maria-Style Salsa

2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 1/2 cups total)
1 stalk celery, peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup)
4 scallions, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 fresh California green chili (Poblano or Hatch can be substituted), diced (about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt

Combine tomatoes, celery, scallions, chili, cilantro, garlic, vinegar, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl and toss. Season to taste with salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Serve. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Sometimes when we are planning our dinners things come together based upon what is in season, what we're craving, or even because of something we need to use up. This was a fine example of the latter. I had a hunk of gorgonzola that needed to be used up prior to becoming more blue than even blue cheese is supposed to be. Then there were those bags of porcini mushrooms that I bring home from every trip to Italy that kept falling at my feet whenever I opened the pantry.

I googled 'porcini gorgonzola sauce for steak' and found a recipe by none other than Giada De Laurentiis. You'd think it was Paula Deen given the listing of mayonnaise. In fact, that was enough to send me packing. The trouble was I could not find another one that looked interesting.

I whipped this up for dinner the other night and was instantly pleased that I had ignored my mayo prejudice. This was an amazing sauce to serve alongside steak. There is absolutely nothing low-fat about this, in fact you'll feel your arteries constrict with every bite, but for a once and awhile treat this is a dish fit to serve to your most loved company.

Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4-pound (about 1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms, soaked and strained
1 shallot, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces (about 3 tablespoons) Gorgonzola
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the shallots and cook until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, white wine, salt, and pepper and continue to cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, put the Gorgonzola, mayonnaise, and mustard in a food processor and combine until smooth. Transfer the Gorgonzola mixture to the skillet with mushrooms and shallots. Gently stir the cheese mixture into the mushroom mixture.