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

Habanero Hot Sauce →

Photo c. foodblogchef 2020

This is my first batch of hot sauce with many more to come. My brother-in-law grew and sent me a bunch of Habanero peppers along with his recipe for making hot sauce. I compared the finished sauce to two good store-bought brands and was pleased. This hot sauce is a bit fruitier with less vinegar upfront and finishes with a nice slow burn. My beta-tasters are giving it good reviews. For capsaicin kings and queens who like a hotter sauce, leave in the seeds, or substitute a couple of Ghost peppers or Scotch Bonnets for Habaneros. For hot sauce lovers, experiment, and this will become a family heirloom recipe! Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 10-12 Habanero peppers (use rubber gloves to seed the peppers or suffer the painful capsaicin consequences)

• 4-6 carrots chopped

• ½ onion chopped

• 4-5 roasted garlic cloves

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• juice from ½ lemon

• 1 bay leaf

• ¼ teaspoon each of cumin and coriander (optional)

• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt to taste

• 2 teaspoons of honey

Preparation:

1. Roast the garlic until soft and set aside (a cast iron skillet on your stove top works well

2. Saute the cider vinegar, lemon juice, carrot, onion, spices, bay leaf, and peppers

3. When carrots are soft, remove the bay leaf, and put everything including the roasted garlic into the blender.

4. Add the salt and honey to taste.

5. Blend until smooth, add enough water to make the consistency you want.

6. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Cool and bottle. (keeps refrigerated for up to a year)

To bottle:

1. Put your bottles into boiling water for ten minutes.
2. Remove from hot water and cool.
3. Fill with sauce and cap.

Savory Raspberry Sauce →

This savory sweet-tart sauce works well with chicken or pork.

Photo c. foodblogchef 2020

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup raspberries (preferably fresh, but frozen will work)

• ¾ cup chicken broth

• ¼ cup Sherry Vinegar

• 1 tablespoon minced shallot

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or a heaping ½ teaspoon dried thyme)

• 2 tablespoons honey (divided)

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)

  Preparation:
  1. In a small saucepan, saute the shallot until just translucent (before it begins to brown)

  2. Add the chicken stock, vinegar, raspberries, thyme, and 1 tablespoon of honey and bring to a boil.

  3. Lower heat to a hot simmer and reduce by 2/3. (You will have less than a half-cup of liquid.)

  4. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve to remove the solids.

  5. Return the reduced liquid to the saucepan over low heat. Adjust the sweetness if needed by adding the reserved 1 tablespoon of honey.

  6. If the sauce is too thin, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water or chicken stock and add the slurry to the hot liquid while stirring.

  7. Add a pinch of salt and pepper if desired.

  8. Set aside. You can rewarm the sauce just before serving it with the chicken or pork.

  1. *Note: for more sauce, double the ingredients.