Saucey Things

A pesto should be fresh and bright. Use only fresh ingredients. Do no toast or roast anything. Makes about a 2/3 of a cup of pesto.

Ingredients

• 3 stalks Fresh basil

• 2 stalks Fresh parsley

• 1 small Garlic clove, crushed

• 1/8 cup un-toasted pine nuts

• 1/3 cup Olive oil (a variety with a naturally fruity flavour is best)

• 1 Tbs Lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp salt (more to taste)

• Dash of coarsely ground pepper

Equipment

• Food processor or blender (I use a NutriBullet)

Instructions

1. Separate basil and parsley leaves from stalks.

2. Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

3. Taste, and stir in more salt if desired.

Notes

Serving suggestions: with fresh bread, pasta, or potatoes.

Store in the fridge for up to a week.

A smokey and tangy salsa that will make many other salsas seem like lamely spiced tomato sauce. This is an original recipe modeled after Papalote from San Francisco.

Ingredients

• 4 whole dried chipotles (smoked jalapenos)

• 1 dried chile pasilla (or guajilo or ancho)

• 4 Roma tomatoes (or equivalent volume of other tomato, cherry tomatoes make a deliciously bright and tangy salsa)

• 3-4 cloves Garlic

• 1/2 Cup + 2 Tbs Olive oil

• 1 - 1 1/2 Tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425º F.

2. Remove stems from the dried chiles, and use a knife or your hands to break them into small pieces (Approx 1 inch - 2 cm in size). Spread the pieces and seeds (omit some or all of the seeds if you want to opt for a less spicy version) in the center of a baking dish lined with parchment paper.

3. Slice the tomatoes into quarters and arrange atop the chile pieces, covering them as much as possible. The juice from the tomatoes will rehydrate the chiles during the roasting process. Note: if the tomatoes aren't very juicy or if using previously roasted tomatoes, for example if they were roasted then frozen, sprinkle the tomatoes with water as well and add more water as needed during the blending process (step 6) if the salsa appears too thick.

4. Crush the garlic and place next to the tomatoes. Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic with 2 Tbs olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 Tsp salt.

5. Roast for 45 min, until garlic is browned and tomatoes are blistered.

6. Cool in oven or at room temperature. Then transfer to the bowl/cup of the blender, add remaining oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend until smooth. Add more salt to taste.

Notes

Freshly made salsa tastes most amazing if its still slightly warm when blended.

You may notice that the salsa becomes slightly spicier over time as the capsaicin diffuses through the oil.

Can be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Dried chiles can be found in some grocery stores (or a Mexican grocery store if you are lucky enough to have one.)

In Toronto: Ave Maria Latin Café and Grocery, 631 Bloor St.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup Tahini

• 1/4 cup Cold Water (maybe more depending on consistency of the Tahini)

• 1/2 tsp salt (+ more to taste)

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 minced clove of garlic (mince as finely as possible)

• Smoked paprika (to taste, I use ~1/2 tsp, or chipotle powder for a spicy version)

Instructions

1. Prepare the sauce in the container you want to store it in. Use a fork to stir water into tahini, add just 1 Tbs of water at a time. The sauce will initially become more solid as the water is added but will become smoother with stirring.

2. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and garlic.

3. If a thinner consistency is desired add more water. I aim to make a pourable sauce that then becomes a bit more firm in the fridge. Add more salt and paprika to taste.

Notes

Serving suggestions: with tacos, roasted veggies, on sandwiches, or grain bowls.

The sauce can be stored in the fridge for about a week.

A simple tahini sauce can be made using just tahini, water, and salt. Add as many or as few of the other ingredients as desired for flavour. My preference is to add all of them.