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Tag: Sauces

Shrimp Cocktail


Cocktail Sauce:
1-1/2 cups Cherry Tomatoes [or other fresh, very ripe tomatoes, cut in half]
14 oz canned Diced Tomatoes [in juice]
1/4 cup Sweet Onion [diced]
1 Garlic Clove [minced]
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 tsp White Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
+/- 3 tsp Horseradish

2 lbs Key West Pink Shrimp [peeled + deveined]
1/2 Meyer Lemon
1/4 cup Red Onion [cut into chunks]
Sea Salt

Heat olive oil in a small sauce pan. Saute onion + garlic over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes + their juices. Bring all to a simmer over very low heat. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by about half.

Patiently puree all ingredients until very smooth [using a hand blender or allowing to cool then blending].  Return to the stove + add vinegar, brown sugar, +chipotle chili powder.  Stir very well.  Gently simmer for about 30 minutes more until thickened, stirring every 10 minutes or so.  Remove from heat.

Bring a large pot of water, with lemon + red onion, to boil. Add raw shrimp and simmer for 1-2 minutes until shrimp are just cooked through. Remove to an ice water bath to cool immediately.

Stir 1-1/2 teaspoons [or more!] of horseradish into each 1/2 cup of tomato sauce*.  This full recipe makes about 1 cup of sauce.  Season with salt + pepper to taste, if necessary.

Arrange on a platter + chill both the sauce + shrimp for a couple hours.  Serve cold.

*If you choose to make fewer shrimp, the tomato sauce is perfect for over pasta or as a dip with oven fries. Just add the horseradish to the portion you’re serving as cocktail sauce + save the rest for another dish.

Mushroom Gravy

2 cups Vegetable Broth
1/4 oz Dried Porcini Mushrooms [broken into very small pieces]
8 – 10 Crimini Mushrooms [sliced thinly]
1 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves [minced]
1 tsp+ Corn Starch [mixed into 1 tsp water]
Fresh Rosemary [chopped, to taste]
Salt + Freshly Ground Black Pepper [to taste]

Bring broth to a boil, stir in dried mushrooms. Cover + reduce heat to a very low simmer.

Meanwhile, in a high walled saute pan, saute garlic + mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add broth and mushrooms to saute pan and allow to simmer for 5 more minutes. Increase the heat and stir in the corn starch + water mixture to thicken. Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper + rosemary.

Mustard Sauce

2 Tbs Dijon Mustard
2 Tbs Whole Grain Mustard
2 Tbs White Wine
1-2 Garlic Cloves [minced]
2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Herbs [fresh chopped chives + thyme]
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Heat olive oil over medium low heat in a small skillet. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes [do not allow garlic to brown]. Add white wine and simmer for 2-5 minutes, until alcohol is cooked off. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in mustard. Add herbs and season.

About 4 servings as a topping for grilled or broiled salmon. Can be easily scaled up or down. Experiment with other herbs like tarragon, marjoram and oregano.

Butternut Squash Sauce

12 oz Butter Nut Squash [peeled + chopped into 1″ cubes]
5 Garlic Cloves [minced]
1 Butternut Squash [chopped into 1/2″ cubes]
Salt + Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 cup Vegetable Broth
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1-2 Tbs Basil + Thyme [fresh, chopped]

Saute garlic in olive oil for 1 minute in a large saute pan with a lid. Add butternut squash + saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes until squash starts to brown. Add vegetable broth + scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan into broth. Cover and simmer squash until very tender, about 10 minutes. Mash with a fork, stirring to incorporate broth.

For use as a pizza sauce, simmer sauce over low heat, stirring frequently till desired consistency, about 5-10 minutes, then stir in herbs.

For use as a pasta sauce, thin with a small amount of unsweetened almond milk, simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in herbs. Serve over penne or other tube shaped pasta.

Arugula Pesto


5 oz Arugula
2 Garlic Cloves [smashed + peeled]
1 Lemon [juice only]
6 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt + Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/4 cup Pine Nuts [toasted]

Blend all in a food processor till smooth.

Spicy Sandwich Spread

4 Tbs Mayonnaise [organic]
1/2 tsp Smoked Spanish Paprika
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
dash White Wine Vinegar

Mix all ingredients together + allow to stand 1 hour before serving.

Pesto

3 cups Basil
3 Garlic Cloves
1/2 cup Pine Nuts
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
Lemon Zest [1/2 small lemon]
Salt + Freshly Ground Black Pepper [plenty, to taste]
1/2 cup Olive Oil [+/-]

Process all in a food processor, adding olive oil last and slowly till desired consistency.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Cilantro Pesto

Filling:
1 lb. Butternut Squash [halved, seeds and strings removed]
1 Onion [small, chopped finely]
2 Garlic Cloves [minced]
Cayenne Pepper [just a dash]
Salt + Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Roast the squash face down in a glass baking pan for 1/2 an hour at 375F. Flip over and roast until browning around the edges, about 10 minutes more. Scoop out meat from squash and mash till smooth. Meanwhile, sauté the onions until just beginning to brown, then add garlic and cook till tender, about another 2 minutes. Add onions + garlic to mashed squash and season with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Pesto:
1/2 c. Cilantro Leaves [packed]
1 Tbs. Squash Seeds [toasted and hulled pumpkin seeds or your butternut squash seeds if you have time and patience to hull them yourself!]
1 Tbs. Almonds [toasted]
1 Garlic Clove
3 tsp . Lemon Juice [squeeze 1/2 a fresh lemon]
2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt + Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste

Combine all in a small food processor or blender and puree till well minced.

Pasta:
1 1/2 c. Semolina Flour
2 Eggs [free range, beaten]
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbs. Water
1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Add salt to flour, then eggs, water and olive oil. Kneed till smooth and elastic. Let rest for 10+ minutes. Roll out fine sheets using a pasta maker. Lay pasta flat and place 1 tablespoon of filling ever inch or so. Cover with another layer of pasta and press pasta together around filling, cut apart leaving about a 1/2 inch border on each ravioli. Gently press edges of ravioli together with a fork.

Boil in a single layer in salted water for about 3 minutes or until the ravioli float. Serve with a small spoonful of pesto on top of each ravioli.

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