Cue the canned tomatoes. I actually got the idea of using canned tomatoes in salsa from my sister Rachel, she figured out that the consistency of a canned tomato makes restaurant-quality salsa. You know the kind of salsa I'm talking about- the salsa you keep getting refilled at your favorite Mexican restaurant. And then you find that you have wolfed down more tortilla chips than you can ever imagine eating in one sitting.
I love homemade salsa. Last summer, I was obsessed with taking the time to finely chop all the salsa ingredients and mixing them together: tomatoes, onion, peppers, cilantro, jalapenos... WHEW! This summer, I am exhausted just thinking about all that chopping.
Cue the canned tomatoes. I actually got the idea of using canned tomatoes in salsa from my sister Rachel, she figured out that the consistency of a canned tomato makes restaurant-quality salsa. You know the kind of salsa I'm talking about- the salsa you keep getting refilled at your favorite Mexican restaurant. And then you find that you have wolfed down more tortilla chips than you can ever imagine eating in one sitting.
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Pesto seems so fancy, right? I remember buying jars of pesto before I learned how to cook for myself- I wasn't sure what was even in the jar, I just knew it was delicious.
With a bit of experimentation, I found a way to make pesto at home that is easy, healthier, and a *little* less expensive. Most pesto recipes I see call for pine nuts, so the first time I made pesto at home I splurged and bought some pine nuts at the grocery store. Umm.. the bag of pine nuts was TINY and super expensive. No thank you. When I tasted a pine nut, I realized it tasted a lot like a walnut- which I buy anyway to make workweek granola bars. I also knew that I wanted to reduce the amount of oil in my pesto- using a ton of olive oil didn't seem like a good idea, especially because Matt & I typically eat an entire batch of pesto in one meal. Here is what I came up with: recipe after the break. Lately I have been discovering that if I make homemade sauces I love, meals that would otherwise just be okay can turn into something delicious. Take for example, a few nights ago. I ate brown rice with broccoli, snap peas, and onions; and I literally gobbled it up. How is it possible to want to lick the bowl after eating brown rice and vegetables? Easy Thai Peanut Sauce.
This avocado tahini sauce is officially a new favorite. It is right up there with charmoula sauce when it comes to level of obsession. I have been making Greek Chickpea Pitas a lot lately, and I was looking for something to give them a little more zing. I got the idea for this sauce when I stumbled across this avocado tahini dressing recipe; except I knew that I wanted a thick, creamy sauce instead of a dressing. Did I mention I'm obsessed with this? This is one of those recipes that even my meat & potatoes loving husband, Matt, has been saying he can't get enough of. For those of you who are new to the idea of using tahini- I think you'll find it's a great addition to your pantry. Tahini is just ground up sesame seeds, and it's what makes my homemade hummus so creamy and delicious. It's not cheap- I think the jar is around $8, but it seriously lasts forever because you only use a couple spoonfuls at a time. In my grocery store, the tahini is next to the peanut butter in the natural foods section. Avocado Tahini Sauce:
Ingredients: 1 avocado 2 T tahini 2 T lemon juice 2 T water (or more) 1 garlic clove salt to taste Cut open avocado, scoop out the flesh & spoon into your food processor. Add all other ingredients & pulse until it forms a uniform sauce. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add more water until it reaches your desired texture. I usually use 2 or 3 tablespoons of water. Makes 4-6 servings. Almost everyone loves hummus- it's flavorful & good for you. If you have a food processor, it's also incredibly easy to make. A carton of hummus costs, what, $3 or more? This you can make for a fraction of that. The most expensive element to the hummus is the tahini, but you only use a little bit of it at a time, so the jar lasts awhile.
This is a basic recipe, so feel free to add whatever flavor enhancers you want. For the batch pictured here, I made the hummus immediately after I made charmoula sauce, so I just left a little charmoula in the food processor to flavor the hummus. I have also made hummus after making pesto & it turned out great too. Another favorite flavor enhancer of mine is roasted garlic. Ingredients: 1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed 1 hearty tablespoon tahini 2 or 3 T olive oil 1 or 2 T water salt & pepper to taste Add chickpeas, tahini, salt & pepper to food processor. Start by adding 2 T olive oil and 1 T water, then pulse. Add more oil or water if needed & continue to pulse until hummus is the consistency you like, scraping down the sides occasionally. If you're using a flavor enhancer that's already oily, like charmoula, you may not need as much oil. Discovering charmoula sauce was a game changer for me. It is SO good, and can add flavor to many dishes- I used it in my Tofu with Quinoa & Avocado Salad, as a salad dressing substitute in Kale & Beet Salad, or just as a topping on salmon.
I first saw charmoula in my Grill This, Not That! cookbook, and after doing some internet searching, learned that people use the same basic charmoula ingredients in different ratios. Here is what I do to make this sauce- turns out great every time. Ingredients: 1 packed cup cilantro leaves 1 packed cup parsley leaves 2 garlic cloves 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cumin 1 T lemon juice 1/2 cup olive oil salt & pepper to taste Put all ingredients in food processor, blend until herbs are incorporated & sauce-like. Enjoy! A few weeks ago, I wanted to make ranch dip so I went to the grocery store planning on buying the packet of Hidden Valley Dressing mix. I picked up the packet, looked at the ingredient list, & saw the first ingredient was "malodextrin." What even is that? Ugh.
Change of plans: I decided to search the internet to find an easy dip recipe, and found the Pioneer Woman's delicious Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe. Such a better choice. She has a lot of optional ingredients listed, so here the combo I used: Ingredients: 1 clove garlic 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley 2 hearty tablespoons chives 1 cup Canola Oil Mayo 1/2 cup light sour cream a few dashes worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp paprika black pepper to taste Chop your garlic clove, then mix with salt & mash with your knife until it gets paste-like (see the original recipe for a tutorial of this process). Finely chop herbs, then mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Chill for several hours before serving. Good with chips, veggies, or other favorite dippers. |