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 Aioli →

Lemony fresh aioli mixed with creamy ripe avocado and a touch of heat from jalapeño. Excellent on sandwiches or to use as a dip for crudites or a spread on crackers. Delicious!

Avocado Aioli
Yield about ½ cup

Ingredients:
·  1 small, grated garlic clove
·  1 small or medium egg yolk
·  1- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
·   ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
·   2 tablespoons good quality virgin olive oil
·   1-2 teaspoons canola or avocado oil
·   1 ripe avocado
·   1 teaspoon minced pickled jalapeño
·   salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1.  Micro-plane or mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.
2.  Whisk the yolk, lemon juice, and mustard in a bowl.
3.  Combine the oils and add a few drops at a time to the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until the oil is incorporated, and the mixture is emulsified. (If the mixture breaks and separates, stop adding oil and continue whisking until the mixture comes together and is smooth, then continue whisking in the remaining oil.)
4.  Whisk in the grated garlic and salt and pepper to taste. If the aioli is too thick, whisk in a drop or two of water.
5.  Add the aioli to a small blender and spoon in the ripe avocado and jalapeño. Process until well incorporated and smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled steak sandwich with tomato, lettuce, and avocado aioli.

Use as a dip for crudites or a topping for sandwiches.

Steak sandwich.

*Note: if you don’t want to take the time to make aioli from scratch, use my recipe for Quick Aioli and add the avocado and jalapeño as above.

Quick Aioli →

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1-2 garlic cloves (finely minced or grated and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt)

• 1 tablespoon good quality olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

• 3-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)

• Pinch of salt (to taste)

• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Combine the ingredients and mix well.

Air-fried Crispy Shiitake (Vegetarian "Bacon") →

A friend recently told me that even after 50 years as a vegetarian she still misses bacon. Here’s a recipe for anyone who loves umamiful, crunchy, chewy bacon. Air-frying thin slices of shiitake mushrooms tossed with a bit of olive oil and dusted with corn starch produces a vegetarian “bacon” that even avid bacon lovers say tastes like bacon. Use crispy shiitake as a garnish for pasta dishes, or atop your favorite salad, or soup, or baked potato...anytime you would use bacon bits. The crispy slices are also great snacks! “Where’s the bacon?” Crispy shiitakes! Prepare to be amazed!

Air Fried Crispy Shiitake
Yield about a cup

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms stems removed, sliced very thin

• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (you can also just spray the sliced mushrooms with Pam or olive oil)

• 2 teaspoons of corn starch

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Method:
Preheat your air-fryer to 400 F.

1. Toss the sliced mushrooms with olive oil (or spray with Pam) and salt.

2. Sprinkle on the corn starch and toss gently to coat the slices. Don’t break up the mushroom slices.

3. Spread the sliced mushrooms in your air fryer basket so you have a single layer of slices.

4. Air fry for 15 minutes and check. The sliced mushrooms are done when they are golden brown and look crunchy. If you need more time, air-fry the slices for an additional 5 minutes or more until they are golden and crunchy.

5. Cool the golden crispy slices to room temperature. They will become crunchier as they cool.

The crispy mushroom slices can be used in place of bacon as garnishes for salads, pasta dishes, or soups. Enjoy!

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021 Spinach Ravioli with Brown Butter and Crispy Shiitake

Quick and Easy Pizza Sauce →

There is a debate in the pizza-world on the topic of uncooked vs. cooked pizza sauce. I grew up with fresh uncooked sauce, so that is my preference, but it ultimately comes down to your own individual taste. Uncooked sauce will be a bit brighter and more tangy and have more “fresh tomato taste”. Cooked sauce will have a bit more depth. Either way, the oven will cook the sauce. Experiment and decide which is your personal preference. This is the flavorful sauce I use on my Roman Style Pizza. Roasting or micro-waving the garlic is optional, but buttery, roasted or micro-waved garlic adds a wonderful taste to the sauce. If you don’t want to bother roasting the garlic, minced fresh garlic works just fine, but don’t let it scorch or burn or it will be bitter. Adding anchovy paste or a couple of anchovy fillets adds a nice flavor note to the sauce but is optional. If you use anchovy, reduce or omit the salt in the recipe. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the pizza and add your toppings. Cooked sauce, or fresh sauce…? You decide. Mangia e buon appetito!

Easy Pizza Sauce
Enough sauce for several pizzas

Ingredients:

• 1-28 ounce can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes crushed

• ½ head of garlic roasted (or 3-4 cloves finely minced and sautéed)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1-2 tablespoons of fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dry basil

• 2 teaspoons oregano

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional; if you use, omit the salt)

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

For uncooked sauce:
If you prefer the tanginess of fresh uncooked pizza sauce, mix the ingredients in a food processor without cooking and omit the anchovies if you don’t like anchovies. You can add additional spices to taste when you assemble the pizza prior to baking. Process to your desired consistency (smooth or chunky); adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.

Preparation for cooked sauce:

1. If you roast your garlic, remove the extra papery skin; drizzle a little olive oil over the cut faces of garlic; wrap in a foil pouch, and roast in a preheated oven at 375 for about 25 minutes. Alternatively, you can wrap the garlic in a paper towel and microwave it for about a minute until soft.

2. If you’re using fresh minced garlic, preheat a saucepan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil; wait 30 seconds, and add the minced garlic, stirring constantly until it just begins to brown. (don’t let it burn!)

3. If using roasted garlic: squeeze the cloves out of their skins into the hot olive oil and mash with a fork.

4. If using anchovy, add the fillets or paste and stir for a few seconds.

5. Immediately add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Stir and simmer for 15 minutes and remove from the heat.

6. Allow the sauce to cool a bit and add to a food processor and process on low until medium smooth. (Note: if you like your sauce more chunky, process less; if you want your sauce very smooth, process longer until you reach the consistency you like.)

7. Leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for about a week in a glass container with a tight top.

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

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.

Chicken Marinade →

This marinade comes from the Weber Grill Cookbook It is a great marinade for grilled chicken. Remember, to prevent flare-ups when grilling, pat the chicken dry with paper towels before placing on the grill.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup red wine, sherry, or balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon oregano (see note)

• ½ teaspoon sweet basil (see note)

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder or two cloves of garlic crushed/minced

• ¼ teaspoon pepper

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

*Note: substitute 1 ½ teaspoons Herbes de Provence for oregano and basil, or 1 teaspoon each of ground dried thyme and dried rosemary.

Herbes de Provence- from Emeril Lagasse

• 2 tablespoons dried savory

• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary

• 2 tablespoons dried thyme

• 2 tablespoons dried oregano

• 2 tablespoons dried basil

• 2 tablespoons dried marjoram

• 2 tablespoons dried fennel seed

*Note: grind the dried herbs with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Spice mix keeps well stored in an air-tight container. Excellent used on Roast Chicken.