Chorizo Vinaigrette →

Served warm or at room temperature, this flavorful vinaigrette adds a subtle piquant note to salads, vegetables, and grilled or roasted protein. It also adds delicious flavor drizzled over hummus or white beans. Use the crisp, crumbled sausage as a garnish. 

Chorizo Vinaigrette
Makes about ½ cup

INGREDIENTS

•  1 ½ ounces cured Portuguese linguiça or Spanish chorizo (not fresh Mexican chorizo)

•  ½ medium shallot

•  3 sprigs fresh cilantro (or parsley if you don’t like cilantro)

•  ¼ cup olive oil, divided

•  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

•  2-tablespoons sherry vinegar

•  ¾ teaspoon honey

•  ¼  teaspoon Dijon mustard

•  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

• Freshly ground black pepper 

PREPARATION

1. Cut the linguiça or Spanish chorizo into quarters lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick pieces (about a scant half cup).

2. Mince the shallot. Finely chop the leaves and tender stems of 3 fresh cilantro or parsley sprigs (about 3-4 teaspoons).

3. Place the sausage in a medium skillet and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is crisp, and the fat is rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. (*See Note)

4. Add the shallot to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until just translucent and fragrant (not brown), about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

5. Add the lemon juice, cilantro or parsley, sherry vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and kosher salt to the skillet and stir to mix. (*See Note)

6. Spoon the warm vinaigrette over salad greens, roasted vegetables, or grilled or roasted protein of choice. Serve with the crispy chorizo garnish. 

RECIPE NOTES
*Optional but recommended: peel the casing off the linguiça before frying. Place the fried sausage in a food processor and pulse a few times to break up the meat and use it as a crumbled garnish. 
*Optional for a smoother vinaigrette: add the contents of the skillet to a blender or food processor along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and blitz until you have a smooth mixture. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
*Storage: Leftover vinaigrette can be refrigerated in a heatproof jar for up to 5 days. Rewarm in a saucepan over low heat or the microwave, then whisk or shake again before using. The cooked chorizo can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

Adapted from: https://www.thekitchn.com/chorizo-vinaigrette-recipe

Avocado Pickles →

Who doesn’t love the delicious, creamy, umami-goodness of avocado? In addition to being wonderful and satisfying to eat, avocados are also a nutritious source of vitamins and healthy fats for your diet. More than a distinctive flavor, it is the creaminess of avocados and how they complement many other more flavorful foods that makes them so appealing, so when I saw this recipe for Avocado Pickles on the Delish.com website, I knew I had to try it. The brilliance of the recipe is while maintaining the creamy avocado texture, the pickling process also maintains the pretty pale avocado green color, and brings all 5 Tastes flavor to the fruit slices making them delicious additions to salads and creamy-tangy garnishes for many appetizers. If you’re an avocado aficionado like me, you should give Avocado Pickles a try.

AVOCADO PICKLES
Ingredients:
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 5 sprigs of cilantro
• 1-2 under-ripe avocados, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. When the sugar and salt have dissolved, set aside to cool.

2. In a mason jar or other glass jar with a tight-fitting top, place red pepper flakes, garlic, cilantro, and avocado slices. Pour the cooled pickling mixture into the jar and seal tightly with a lid.

3. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021
Copy and paste to print the recipe.

AVOCADO PICKLES
Ingredients:
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 5 sprigs of cilantro
• 1-2 under-ripe avocados, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. When the sugar and salt have dissolved, set aside to cool.

2. In a mason jar or other glass jar with a tight-fitting top, place red pepper flakes, garlic, cilantro, and avocado slices. Pour the cooled pickling mixture into the jar and seal tightly with a lid.

3. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54123/avocado-pickles-recipe/

Mango Salsa →

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Sweet, spicey, tart, crunchy, this salsa is a perfect compliment to the richness of grilled salmon. Try it and you’ll be hooked!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 10-ounce mango, peeled, pitted, diced

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 2 teaspoons minced seeded serrano chili

• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in small bowl; mix in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season salsa with salt and pepper.

Portuguese Red Pepper Paste →

This traditional Portuguese condiment provides a distinctive flavor profile to many Portuguese dishes. Essential for “Porco Alentejana” or Mussels with Linguiça and Roasted Potatoes, and Turkey Kale and White Bean Soup. It is also great used as a marinade spread on grilled chicken or pork, to flavor seafood, or added to soups and sauces. It only takes a few minutes to make, keeps in the fridge in a sealed jar for up to 6 months, and will add an exciting new dimension to your culinary repertoire.

Portuguese Red Pepper Paste
Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika

• 2 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika

• 1/4 cup dry red wine

• 8 to 10 garlic cloves

• 2 crumbled Turkish bay leaves

• 3 tablespoons store-bought or homemade tomato paste or 1 tablespoon double-concentrate tomato paste

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 7 sprigs cilantro

• 5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (16 g)

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

• Few dashes Piri-Piri sauce or other hot sauce to taste

• 1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation:

1. In a food processor, combine the sweet paprika, sweet smoked paprika, wine, garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, salt, pepper, and piri-piri or other hot sauce.

2. Pulse until the garlic and herbs are minced, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

3. With the motor still running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and continue whirring until the mixture comes together in a slick, homogeneous paste, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Use the mixture immediately or spoon it into a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. Best if used within 3 months; keep for up to 6 months.

https://leitesculinaria.com/83003/recipes-red-pepper-paste.html

Pico de Gallo Salsa →

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020

Pico de Gallo literally means “rooster’s beak”. Why it is called Pico de Gallo is open to debate: some accounts say the motion of dipping into the salsa is like a rooster pecking for food; another version says the serrano chile is shaped like a rooster’s beak; another version refers to the rooster’s red crest (“pico” also means “peak”) and it’s colorful feathers. Depending the region of Mexico, it’s also called “salsa fresca” (fresh salsa) or “salsa mexicana” (because the colors of the salsa are the colors of the Mexican flag). Regardless of the origin of the name, this fresh salsa is super easy to make and refreshing with a hint of heat, enjoy it with tortilla chips, on omelets and frittatas, nachos, or huevos rancheros. ¡Picante y delicioso, disfrutes!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored, halved, and seeded (about 2 1/2 cups)

• 3/4 cup finely diced white onions

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

• 2 tablespoons minced, seeded jalapeño or serrano chiles

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Directions:

1. Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch dice and place in a bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.

3. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour for the flavors to meld.

4. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed before serving.

For something less chunky, use a food processor to make a smoother salsa sauce. Pulse to desired consistency.

Pineapple-Mango Salsa →

Pineapple Mango Salsa
Yield about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peeled diced ripe mango

• 1 cup diced pineapple

• 1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper, or cubanelle pepper

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

• 3 tablespoons lime juice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 jalapeno pepper finely chopped

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate at least an hour for flavors to meld.

When visiting family in San Antonio over the holidays, we couldn’t find cranberries to go with our holiday Turkey, so I decided to let the rich Mexican culinary tradition of Texas inspire me. Instead of my traditional cranberry relish, I came up with this colorful Pineapple-Mango Salsa using readily available ingredients from the local supermarket. I chose to use ripe yellow Ataulfo (Honey) mangoes because the larger more common red/orange Haden mangoes were not ripe. If you don’t want to buy and clean a whole pineapple, look for fresh, cleaned, and cored pineapples in the refrigerated fruit section of your supermarket. The sweet-tart, savory taste and crunchy texture with a hint of heat from the jalapeño in the salsa complement rich poultry dishes like roast turkey or grilled chicken. It’s a natural fit with spicy grilled shrimp, barbecue pork spare ribs, or as a side with roast or seared duck. If you don’t like cilantro, fresh mint would be a suitable substitute. Lesson learned: “When cooking in Texas, remember the Alamo and be open to cooking as the Mexicans do.”