Simply Sauce

We love making pizza at home, and each time the sauce and toppings change according to what we have in the house.  No matter what kind of dough or toppings you prefer, the sauce we made last night is sure take your next pizza to another flavor level.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Roasted Garlic Pizza Sauce

Since I can’t seem to find sun-dried tomatoes jarred in oil in the stores near me, I used the dry-packaged kind and reconstituted it.  I suggest using the jarred variety if you can find it, and using the oil from the jar to make the sauce.  The recipe below makes enough sauce for one large pizza.

• 1 small head garlic
• 1 tablespoon plus 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• About 12 sun dried tomatoes
• About 2 cups boiling water
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Cut your unpeeled garlic head in half at its widest part.  Place the garlic on a piece of tin foil and wrap it and seal it.  Place the foil packet in the oven and let it roast for 45 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  

While the garlic roasts, pour the boiling water and vinegar over the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl.  Let sit for about 45 minutes.  If you are using the jarred kind, omit this step.  

Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and place them in a food processor with the regular blade.  Squeeze the soft roasted garlic from its peel into the food processor.  Pour in about 4 tablespoons of olive oil (or the oil from your sun-dried tomato jar, if possible) and process until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and pulse to combine.  The sauce can be made ahead and chilled up to this point.  When you’re ready to cook your pizza, spread it on your favorite dough, sprinkle on your favorite toppings, and bake.

This pizza sauce is sweet and tangy and something slightly different from what we’re all used to.  I topped my pizza with fresh arugula, shredded mozzarella, and dried oregano for the perfect vegetarian dinner.  If you’re feeling like you need a change from the typical tomato sauce, give this recipe a try on your next pie.  Enjoy…

Pig In A Poke

Somehow I have never cooked my own pork tenderloin before last night.  I’m not exactly sure why I’d never tried it until now but I finally decided to buy one, without any clue of what I would do with it .  All I knew was that I wanted my first pork tenderloin to be tender and juicy, and I wanted to top it with a fruit-based sauce.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Apricot and Tomato Chutney

Because stone fruits aren’t quite in season yet, I used dried apricots for this recipe.  If you can find fresh apricots, peel and dice them and use those instead.  Also, I used a fresh tomato that I roasted in the oven, but you can substitute a can of diced tomatoes, drained well (fire roasted canned tomatoes could be a nice addition).  We had a bit more chutney than we needed, so if you don’t use much sauce on your meat, you could cut this recipe in half.  This recipe will feed about 4 people.  

• 1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
• Salt and pepper for seasoning the meat
• 2 teaspoons, plus 1 tablespoons, plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large tomato
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 an onion (I used a yellow onion)
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup diced apricots
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground red pepper to taste
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons fresh, flat-leaf, Italian parsley, chopped

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Cut your tomato into 8 pieces, place the pieces in a small baking dish, drizzle it with the 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice your onion, then cut each slice into halves or thirds.  Place the onion, garlic, and 1 tablespoons of olive oil into your pan and cook over medium heat until the onions are softened, stirring to prevent any burning.  Add the vinegar, water, apricots, raisins, ground mustard, salt, and red pepper and bring to a simmer.  Continue to simmer uncovered until the liquid has absorbed.  Turn the heat to low, add in the sugar, lemon juice, and parsley and stir to combine.  

While your chutney is simmering, heat the final 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large, oven-proof pan until the oil is thinned.  Generously sprinkle your tenderloin with salt and pepper on both sides, and carefully place in the pan.  Sear both sides of the pork, about 2 minutes on each side.  

With the oven still at 400 degrees, cover your pan (with a lid, or with tin foil) and place the entire pan with the pork in the oven to roast for 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.  Let the pork sit for 10 minutes before cutting into it, then slice it cross-wise into 1/2 inch slices.  Serve topped with the apricot chutney.

This is an intense sweet and sour chutney, and it pairs so naturally with pork.  Cooking the tenderloin on the stovetop first gives the outside of the meat a nice sear and it also helps to keep the juices in while it roasts.  We ate this with steamed zucchini and parmesan couscous and I vowed to make this inexpensive and delicious cut of meat a regular part of my diet..  Enjoy…

Mango Tango

I know I’ve been posting a lot of dips and sauces and spreads, but this next one is good all year round and you can use it in so many ways.  The recipe for this next ‘salsa’ is from a friend of my sister, and it was just as delicious as promised.  Dip into it with tortilla scoops, spoon it over seafood or poultry, or use it like I did, as a condiment on my Baja-Style Fish Tacos.

Mango and Black Bean Salsa

Since mangoes aren’t terribly hard to find here in south Texas this time of year I bought a large, fresh mango for this recipe.  If you must use frozen mango (and you can for this recipe), defrost it and dice up about a cup and a half or two cups of fruit, to taste.  This recipe makes about 4 cups of salsa. 

• 1 can black beans, drained and well-rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
• 1 large mango, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 package Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing 
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.  Serve immediately, or let sit in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat.  

This recipe can’t be any easier!  The sweetness of the mango, the crunch of the red pepper, the tang of the red onion, the fresh cilantro, and the tartness of the citrus give this salsa everything you need for a healthy and bright combination of colors and textures.  Enjoy…

Green Means Go

On a recent trip to the grocery store I spotted a pile of fresh tomatillos in the produce section and was instantly inspired.  Although I’ve never made my own tomatillo salsa before, it is one of my husband and my favorites to use in enchiladas, with seafood, or to top anything hot off the grill.  The salsa I made with the fresh tomatillos came out perfectly with very little work in the kitchen.

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa or Salsa Verde

Tomatillos look like green tomatoes with a husk around their skin.  I bought medium to large sized tomatillos, removed and discarded their husks, and rinsed them under cool water.  To add spice to this salsa, I chose serrano chile peppers and I removed and discarded  the seeds (using gloves) but you could use a milder or hotter pepper if you prefer.  This recipe makes 2 1/2 cups of salsa verde.

• About 7 medium-large tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1/2 of a large onion (yellow or white), sliced into rings
• 3-4 cloves fresh garlic cloves, skins removed
• 2 fresh serrano chile peppers, halved with seeds removed
• 1/4 cup water
• Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Set your oven to broil.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place the tomatillos on the foil.  Broil the tomatillos for 10 minutes, flipping them with tongs after 5 minutes.  Reduce the oven heat to 400 degrees.  Place the onion rings and garlic cloves on a second baking sheet, and put both of the baking sheets back in the oven.  Roast the vegetables for another 15 minutes, stirring the onions and garlic every 4-5 minutes to avoid burning.  

In a food processor, process the serrano peppers until finely minced.  Add the roasted onions and garlic and process again until finely minced, scraping down the sides as needed.  Add the roasted tomatillos to the food processor and blend again.  Pour in the water and lime juice, and season with salt and sugar and blend once more to mix thoroughly.  Stir in the cilantro and refrigerate.

Tomatillo salsa is runnier than a red salsa; although you can dip into it with a chip, it is most often used as a sauce to pour over tacos, enchiladas, or sliced meat.  Roasting the vegetables before processing them brings out a deeper flavor from the tomatillos, and helps to mellow out the onion and garlic.  This salsa verde is far beyond any jarred variety, and it will last for many meals to come.  Enjoy…