Homemade Enchilada Sauce

This is so easy and delicious...you'll never buy enchilada sauce again!

Enchilada Sauce

2 T olive oil
1 c diced onion
1 1/2 T garlic, more or less depending on your taste
1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder

1 quart drained tomatoes (diced, whole, or crushed, - they all work just fine)
2 T canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (more = more spicy, less = less spicy; adjust to your taste, 2 T will make a medium sauce)

In a heavy skillet, saute onion until soft, add salt and garlic and saute for 1 - 2 min longer, add spices, tomatoes, chipotle peppers and bring to a medium simmer. Cook on med for approx. 15 - 20 min. Adjust simmer time depending on how thick you like the sauce - cook longer for a thicker sauce. 

Use immersion or regular blender to puree ingredients. Sauce will last 10 days in fridge. I haven't frozen it, but I imagine that wouldn't be a problem. Yields 3 1/2 c. 

Caesar Salad

  Caesar salad with a homemade bagel after a nice bike ride. Sounds like a good day to me.... 
1 T fresh chopped garlic
1 egg
1 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 T mustard seed, any color (you can sub plain ole' mustard, I recommend a grainy mustard, not your typical French's mustard)
3 T lemon juice
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper
3/4 c olive oil
parmesan cheese

If you have an immersion blender, use it...I have this one and it has changed my life... OK well that might be a slight exaggeration, but it's totally awesome and makes blending hot soups or making salad dressings so much easier than using a blender...

blend everything but the oil, when it is all mixed well, slowly pour in the olive oil. taste and adjust seasoning. mix with romaine lettuce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. this will keep for at least 1 week in your refrigerator. enjoy!

Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce (recipe below...) and Fresh Rolls (recipe to come...)


Peanut Sauce adapted from David Lebovitz

2 cups dry roasted peanuts

3/4 cup  hot black tea

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 T peeled and minced fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 small chiles, seeded and finely chopped or 1 tsp chili flakes

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 T brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground Szechuan pepper (if available)

1/4 c fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons chili paste (Rooster sauce) or chili oil

2/3 cup packed cilantro 

1 tablespoon fish sauce

put the peanuts and hot tea in blender. whip it up and add the rest of the ingredients. use within a week. YUM!

Why buy it when you can make it?

This salad dressing is delicious. It can be modified to suit your taste. I like mine a tad garlicky and it would be great with the addition of some roasted garlic. I think I'll try that next time. 

our version of ranch


1/2 c plain greek yogurt, or if you don't have greek, just strain plain yogurt (put paper towel in strainer, place over bowl, dump in yogurt, refrigerate for a couple hours and there you go...greek yogurt)
1/3 c buttermilk
3-4 T mayo
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 - 1 tsp onion powder
fresh chives to taste
s + p


put all ingredients in glass jar. shake it up. kind of hard to take a picture of salad dressing, so the one above will have to do...
if this is a little too thin, simply add more mayo or yogurt.