HomeMade sriracha

Homemade Sriracha
4 (or more) habaneros
2 red bell peppers ( 3/4 pound), roughly chopped
5 (or more) garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar or Chinese vinegar (which is sweeter and saltier)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
Combine all ingredients in a small pot over medium-high heat. Once mixture is simmering, reduce heat to low, cover and continue to simmer until peppers are tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Do not inhale vapors; they will sting. Allow to cool. Transfer mixture to a blender and purée. Pour into a medium jar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for two or three days to cure. Keep stored in refrigerator; sauce will last for several weeks or months. I’ve never had a batch go bad.

Fish baked over Salsa

Homemade salsa
2 8 oz. pieces of firm white fish, like cod or hake
Juice from 2 limes
Jalapeno, seeded veined and chopped
Salt
Capers

Marinate fish in lime juice and salt while you make salsa

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

spread salsa on bottom of baking dish. Add capers and place fish pieces on top of salsa.

Cover dish with aluminium foil.

Bake covered for 15 minutes, remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until fish is cooked through.

Sprinkle raw jalapeno over fish. Serve

Easy homemade salsa

1 28 oz can whole peeled Italian tomatoes
1-2 Jalapenos
1 small sweet onion (like Vidalia)
cup of chopped Cilantro, stemmed and washed carefully
Juice of 1 lime
Salt

Squeeze juice from tomatoes in can. Pour into bowl large enough for all ingredients.
Chop tomatoes into small pieces. Add to bowl.
Chop onion finely. Add to bowl
Split jalapenos lengthwise and scrape out ribs and seeds (this is where the heat is). Chop finely and add to bowl.
Juice lime and add to bowl.
Chop cilantro finely and add to bowl at last minute,
Slat to taste

Portobello Parmesan

Portobello mushroom are very meaty and have a steak like flavor, but are not that expensive. you can grill them if you have a grill

3 TBS olive oil,
2 Portobello mushrooms Stemmed and washed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Lonely Guy spaghetti sauce (or store bought marinara sauce)
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 TBS cup grated Parmesan

Place a pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over both sides of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and lots of pepper. Sauté/ Grill until the mushrooms are heated through and tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place the grilled mushrooms on top of the sauce and top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the cheeses and top with the butter pieces. Bake until the cheese melts and the top is golden, about 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with a nice salad or on top of cooked pasta.

1 serving

1 half hour

Plain Brown Stew

This is adapted from a Julia Child recipe. Nothin’ plain about it, but that’s her title

One slice of bacon or slice of pancetta (deli counter) cut into ¼" slices
Cooking oil
2 lbs. stew beef
½ cup carrots (salad bar)
1 onion chopped
2 cups red wine (I know, I know)
1 can beef broth
Bay leaf
½ TSP thyme
½ TSP dried orange peel
1 TBS tomato paste (from tube)
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a Dutch oven or other heavy pan, render bacon/pancetta in oil over moderate heat for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from pan.

Heat fat until smoking and brown beef in batches (so you don’t crowd) on all sides until richly brown. Remove and put with bacon in bowl.

Add carrot and onion and sauté for three minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Add wine to pan scrapping bottom and bring to boil until winey smell is gone. Add broth, meat and bacon along with tomato paste and herbs.

Return to boil. Cover top of pan with foil and put lid on. Place in oven for two hours.

Remove from oven and let rest for 1 hour.

Strain stew through colander into another pot.

Wash original pot. Melt butter in pot and stir in flour, browning a little. Add broth ladle by ladle to butter mix, stirring to dilute. Add meat to gravy.

Press any liquids out of veggies and add to broth. Discard veggies. When stew is warm, serve over noodles.

4-6 servings

3 hr

This freezes well for leftovers

Pita Pizza

Quick in-the-toaster-oven homemade “pizza”

Pita bread split in half (could also use English muffins)
Jar of pizza sauce (try them until you find one you like)
Packaged Mozzarella
Olive Oil

Heat Toaster oven.

Broil pita until is brown on edges.

Put TSP of oil on Pita and spread

Spread small amount of Pizza sauce on pita, spreading with back of teaspoon

Add cheese as desired

Broil in toaster oven until cheese begins to melt


Yields as many as you make

10 minutes

Variations:
Add cooked onions and/or garlic
Add slices of pepperoni or ham
Add other veggies form salad bar

Peas and Spinach

This is a really interesting combination.

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen peas
1/4 cup water
1 package spinach, washed
salt
pepper


Cook garlic in oil and butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in the peas and water and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, tossing, until spinach is just wilted, about 1 minute.