My Favorite Recipes

I found another Rick Bayless recipe that rocks.  As a fiftieth birthday present, I received an garden pot full of herbs and on top of the pot a habanero pepper plant.  I used a pepper here and there in some salsa, but soon I had a bumper crop and I needed to use them quickly.  Searching my recipe library, I found this habanero hot sauce which uses a full dozen habaneros in making about two cups of hot sauce.  Now 12 sounds like a lot, but you only use a few drops of the sauce.  What sets this apart from other hot sauces, is the floral character that hits you before the heat gets you.  Keep this in the refrigerator for some kick and pizzaz.

Ingredients

• 5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 1/2 cup peeled, roughly chopped carrot (about 1 medium)
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion (about 1/2 of a small onion)
• 12 medium (5 ounces) orange habanero chiles, stemmed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar

Procedure

Notes

Try the sauce on the following items:

• Eggs
• Mac and cheese
• tacos
• enchiladas
• Add to some sour cream with lime juice for a topping for mexican food

I found this recipe in Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cook book. After I made it, I realized I had nothing to use it with. Later in the week, we made a pork tenderloin with a Jamaica Jerk rub (see note) and the sauce matched perfectly with the pork. We added a simple papaya salsa, and wow, this was on great meal.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbl canola oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3 ripe mangoes, peeled pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 habanero chile, chopped
• 2 to 4 Tbl of honey
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• water

Procedure

Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.  Add the mangoes, habanero, and enough water to cover, but no more than one cup.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated.  This should take 8 to 12 minutes, depending on your stove.  Add the honey and vinegar and cook on low until the mixture thickens slightly.

Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.  Strain into a bowl and season with salt.

Note

Use the following jerk rub on chicken or pork.  When I first made it, I didn’t have any any onion powder, so I added some extra garlic and ginger.  It still worked.  Mix all ingredients, rub on your chicken or pork and grill to your liking.

• 2 Tbl ground corriander
• 2 Tbl ground ginger
• 2 Tbl brown sugar
• 1 Tbl onion powder
• 1 Tbl garlic powder
• 1 Tbl kosher salt
• 1 Tbl chile powder (ancho, chipotle or regular)
• 2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cloves

My friend and I took a pasta class with the Laguna Culinary School and along with making lots of pasta, they taught us several sauces including this wonderful alfredo sauce. Now alfredo sauce is a rich, heavy, but oh so delicious sauce. This version adds some lemon to lighten the sauce a bit and really allows the sauce to not be so heavy and yet be even more delicious.  Add some grilled chicken or some vegetables like zucchini or broccoli to make the pasta a complete meal.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (See note)
• zest of one lemon
• juice of one lemon
• 6 Tbl butter, unsalted
• 3/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano, grated
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Procedure

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the butter, 1 cup of the cream, the lemon zest and lemon juice. Heat until the butter is melted and then cover and turn off heat. Right before your pasta is ready, return the cream mixture to heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup cream and all of the cheese and the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat until it achieves the desired thickness. Add your pasta and enjoy.

Note

Try to find pasteurized and not ultra pasteurized cream. It creates a thicker sauce. It seems to me the ultra pasteurization thins out the sauce and removes some of the flavor. Trader Joe’s has some as well as Whole Foods.

Bobby Flay calls this the Mesa Grill Steak Sauce. I call this the best sauce to serve with a grilled steak. The nice thing is it doesn’t require any cooking, just mix and serve.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4  cup prepared horseradish, drained
• 1 1/2 Tbl honey
• 1 Tbl dijon mustard
• 1 Tbl pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbl ancho Chile powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure

Whisk all the item together and refrigerate for an hour or so. Bring to room temperature before serving.

This is such a wonderful and simple sauce from Bobby Flay. It is simple and keeps fairly well. Use this sauce with almost any fish or chicken. I know the habanero is a very hot pepper, but it also has a very floral character to it. It adds so much to the sauce. Substituting another pepper just wont do. The only substitution I would use is some chipotle puree. The heat and smokiness would compliment the sweetness, but you will have a different sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Orange Juice
• 1 Tbl Honey
• 1 Habanero, or a tsp of Chipotle puree
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Procedure

Put the orange juice and honey in a small sauce pan and place over medium high heat. If you want a hotter sauce, cut a slit into the habanero and place the pepper in the orange juice. Boil the OJ, honey and habanero until its reduced to about 1/2 cup. If the habanero is starting to hit the bottom of the pan, go ahead and remove it, as its done its job. Once reduced to your desired consistency, add the salt and enjoy.

Uses

This sauce has the classic Bobby Flay combination of fruit and hot chile. Spoon a small amount on a plate and place a piece of fish such as a sauteed tilapia, baked halibut, or broiled salmon. Serve with a vegetable side such as sauteed spinich or broccoli and enjoy.