Homemade Enchilada Sauce

 

So I've been trying  to stay away from as much processed foods as possiable. In some case you cannot avoid them, but in most cases you can. Today I made homemade enchilada sauce. It was so easy and to be honest it so much cheaper making it at home than it would be buying a can on the ready made. So this mommy, will not be buying the canned stuff again.

Also great thing about this recipe is that you can make a larger batch and freeze the sauce for another time. Nothing more helpful when rushing to put something together last minute.

Like always....Happy Cooking!

Inspired by: Emeril Lagasse

 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 3 tablespoons of Vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 10 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

In a medium saucepan heat oil and then add flour and stir with a wooden spoon.  Cook for 1 minute.

Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds.

Add stock, tomato sauce, suagar, salt, and cumin. Stir to combine.

 Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.

The sauce will thicken and smooth out.

 Serve atop your favorite enchiladas. 


 

Chimichurri Sauce

About a year ago while traveling for work I stopped one night at one of the local restaurant's and while looking over the menu I came across a steak that was covered in a Chimichurri Sauce.  I had no idea what that was and the waitress said I had to tried it.  It was one of the best items on the menu, she even went as far to say if I didn't like i, then dinner would be on her.  How could I turn that offer.

 

So the steak comes out, and the sauce was on the side and I dig in to one of the best steaks I ever had.  She was right.  That was one delicious sauce.  One night while watching the food network, someone was making this and my husband was like OMG!  "I want that steak right now!"  apparently she had, had this before and loved it as well.  So next time I grilled some steaks, what do you think I drizzled over it?  That's right this amazing sauce. 

 

This really is a great and easy sauce to make.  I suggest making it next time you grill some nice steaks. 

 

Recipe adapted from the food network

 

Like always, Happy Cooking, or in this case Happy Saucing!

 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 2 cups fresh parsley firmly packed
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
• 8-9 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2tablespoon lime juice 
• Kosher salt and red pepper flakes to taste

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

• Pulse the garlic and onion in the food processor until finely chopped.
• Add the parsley and oregano and pulse briefly, until finely chopped.
• transfer mixture to a separate bowl.
• Add the olive oil, lime juice, and vinegar, and stir. (Adding the liquids outside of the blender gives the chimichurri the correct texture. You don't want the herbs to be completely pureed).
• Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste.
• Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Do not heat up before serving. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Mango Habanero and Fresno Sauce

My husband is a long time fan of wings and spicy dipping sauce. About three years ago my husband was introduced to BWW (http://www.buffalowildwings.com. On that day he fell in love with their Mango habanero wings. The good news is you can buy bottled sauces in house, the bad news is since we've moved, BWW is way out of the way for us. So no more wings for the hubby.

The other day Mangos were on sale so I decided I would pick up a couple. When I got home all I could think about was the fact that I bought mangos and they weren't in season (what the hell was I thinking) this means they are going to be tasteless.

At this point I had to come up with some type of recipe so I didn't waste them. I had wings defrosting and it came to me...why not make a mango sauce for the next time I baked wings...and thus Mango Habanero Fresno pepper sauce was created.

I do caution you all, it's really spicy, but so yummy. Great for people who like spice, and definitely NOT a recipe for toddlers. Sorry Jonathan looks like you're going to have to wait a few more years before you are able to have this. =)

Recipe inspired by BWW

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small Spanish onion, cut into chunks
2 whole cloves of garlic
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 habanero, chopped
1 Fresno pepper
1 cup white wine vinegar
a splash of water (about 1 tablespoon)
Salt
2 tablespoons of honey (to mask the acid of the vinegar)

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add onions, garlic, mangoes, habanero, fresno pepper, and vinegar and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Place the mixture in a blender add honey and water, then blend until smooth.

If the mixture is too thick, add a few tablespoons of warm water or vinegar.

Season with salt.

Yield: 4 servings

Salsa

For this year's New Year Eve we decided that we would just stay in, and have a bunch of appetizers for dinner. The reason for this is we are having company over the two days following, and I have two large meals planned.

My goal was to make a bunch of things that we could pick at all night and I wanted something that we could much on while I prepared everything else. So I ask you what is better than making homemade Salsa?....NOTHING this was so good, that I will never go make to buy salsa again.

Happy New Year everyone!

Inspired by Better Homes and Gardens

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
3 Tomatillos, husked. rinsed, and chopped
6 Firm tomatoes
1/4 Cup of finely chopped red onion
2 Habanero pepper finely chopped (leave seeds and inner pepper ribs for more heat)
Lime juice from half a lime
2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped Cilantro
Salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
4 Cloves of garlic finely minced

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO:

In medium bowl stir together tomatillos, tomatoes, onions, peppers, lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Once combined cover, for best results chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Salsa is best if consuming within 2 days.

Nutrition Facts serving size 2 tablespoons,
62 cal, 6g of fat, 132mg of sodium, 1g of carbs, 2 g of protein

Bobby's Flay's Tomato Sauce

Being that it's August and tomatoes are in season this time of year I thought this would be the perfect time to try to make my own sauce. I have to say that I don't regret taking the time to make it.

This is by far the best sauce that I have ever had. The favor in this recipe is out of this world. Another thing that makes this recipe a winner is the fact that it's not watery and becomes a nice think smooth sauce.

I will never go back to using jarred sauce again. Thanks Bobby!

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay


WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed with some kosher salt to make a paste
2 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and their juices, pureed in a blender
1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add onions and garlic and cook until soft.

Add pureed tomatoes with their juices, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup water, bay leaf, parsley, and bring to a boil.

Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf.

Serve hot over pasta of let cool before storing.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

I know, I have said it before...but this is one of the best recipes I have ever made. This is now my husband and my new favorite steak recipe. My husband isn't a picky eater, in fact he always tells me that dinner is good, but tonight he went beyond that and told me that my flank steak was the best he has ever had, and that includes the steaks from any steak house. He enjoyed it so much that he kept telling me to blog about it so I wouldn't forget the recipe, and he never nags me to go write a recipe down before I forget it. Needles to say, the way he reacted to the recipe totally made my night.

This recipe was inspired by the miscellaneous things I had on hand, and also me wanting to experiment with different things. Lucky for me, it turned out to be a huge success and this new marinade will surely be used over and over again in our home.

FYI... This marinade will be REALLY spicy if you try it...but once you cook the steak you wouldn't taste the heat, what you will taste is the sweetness from the honey with a very mild tang. I hope you all enjoy this recipe, and if you do try it please let me know how it turned out for you.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1.25-1.5 lb Flank Steak
1 Lemon (juiced)
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
3 Cloves of garlic
1/2 Teaspoon of ground cumin
2 Tablespoons of honey
2 Dried whole Pasilla Chili with seeds (this is a mild pepper used in Latin cooking)
1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
1 Tablespoon of worcestershire sauce
1 Teaspoon of roasted red chili paste (any Asian brand)
1 few drops of green habanero chili sauce
Salt and pepper to taste


WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO:

Add all the above ingredients (besides the steak, salt and pepper) into blender, and blend until you have created a nice smooth sauce.

Next take your flank steak and trim off excess fat.

Place in a sallow dish and season with salt and pepper.

Add the sauce that you prepared in the the blender and refrigerate over night.

Remove steak from refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling, allow it to come to almost room temp.

Heat your grill on high for about 5 minutes.

Once hot place your flank steak on the grill and cook 3 minutes per side for medium.

Remove from heat and let sit for about 3-5 minutes before serving.

Next step...Enjoy your juicy steak!

Grilled Pork-Chops with Weight Watchers Mushroom Sauce

I sometimes wonder if anyone else ever gets sick and tired of having the same thing over, and over again. I know, I sure do. When it comes to dinners I try to change things up as much as possible, especially when it comes to pork.

My husband is not a picky eater, however he also isn't a big fan of pork. He states that it tends, to be dry and tough, and in some cases, he is right. Which brings me to my point of how glad I am to have come across this recipe for mushroom sauce. It adds that extra something, and is a great alternative to the usual red sauce.

One of the great things about this sauce is that it's weight watchers recipe. It is packed with flavor, and is so easy to make. I hope that if you try it, that you all enjoy it as much as we did. Happy Cooking!

Mushroom sauce adapted from the Weight Watchers Cookbook

Makes 4 servings:

WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO NEED FOR THE SAUCE:

1.5 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 shallot finely diced
2 garlic clove
4 cups of thinly sliced mushrooms (to save time you can buy the mushrooms already sliced)
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of salt (or more to adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons brandy (I didn't have brandy so I used some Portuguese Port wine)
1 1/2 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup fat-free milk (you might need to add a little extra milk while cooking to thin out the sauce)
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream (A must have it makes the sauce creamy and makes the sauce taste really good.)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THE REST OF THE DISH:

2 bone-in Pork-chops (doesn't need to have bone, and be center cut)
half box of your favorite Whole Wheat pasta
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of olive oil


WHAT TO DO:

In a stockpot bring water to a boil, and cook pasta as directed by package.

Season pork-chops with salt,pepper, and garlic powder.

Pour olive oil onto a hot grill pan, and place pork-chop to sear the meat. Once the meat is seared reduce the heat and let cook (about 5-6 minutes on each side depending on thickness of the pork.)

While pork is cooking, melt butter for sauce in a large skillet.

Saute the shallot until soft, it will take about 2 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Stir frequently until mushrooms are tender. (This will take another 5-6 minutes.)

Increase the heat to high, and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated.

Add brandy (or Port) and cook another minute.

Stir in flour, and stir constantly until smooth.

Stir in milk, reduce the heat and simmer stirring constantly until thickened. (this will take about 7 minutes)

Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.

Serve over your favorite pasta or protein!

Serving size for sauce is 1/2 cup....79 cal, 2g fat, 1g sat fat, 7mg chol, 187mg sodium, 11g carbs, 1g fiber
weight watchers points 2 for sauce only

Weight Watchers Pesto sauce

When I was pregnant I just had to have Penne pasta in a creamy pesto sauce topped with grilled chicken. I will admit that there was a time when I had a hard time trying new recipes and pesto was one of them. I always wanted to try something new, however I was always fearful that it would be so awful that I would never want to eat it again.

Once a week (for lunch) I would always order penne pasta with grilled chicken and pesto sauce. I had it so much that the restaurant owner would just ask me if I would be having my usual. LOL! I no longer work at the same place so next time I become pregnant I will have no choice but to make it myself. It's so nice to know that I can still have pesto sauce and not feel bad about it later since I am using a weight watchers recipe.

Makes 6 servings:

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

2 Cups of fresh basil
3 Tablespoons pine nuts
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Garlic cloves crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons of water
1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

WHAT TO DO:

In a food processor combine the basil, pine nuts, oil, garlic, salt, and water.

Puree, and then add cheese and puree additional 30 seconds.

You have use this to make chicken pesto pannis, or my favorite use mix it in with some whole wheat pasta and grilled chicken.

Serving size 3 large tablespoons... 88 cal, 7g fat, 2g sat fat, 6mg chol, 253mg sodium, 2g carbs, 1g fiber WEIGHT WATCHER POINTS 2