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Category: Condiments

  • Salsa Verde Take Two

    You know the drill! We tweak this salsa verde recipe constantly because we have not quite reached the goal, which is to duplicate the amazing flavor of the famous Santana’s salsa verde. This time I roasted all of the ingredients under the broiler, including the garlic!

    1 Lb (about 10) tomatillos
    2 Roma tomatoes
    3/4 Cup of fresh cilantro
    4 Cloves of garlic (peeled)
    1/4 Tsp kosher salt
    1 Jalapeno pepper
    1/2 Large white onion
    2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

    Peel husk from tomatillos and wash thoroughly. Place tomatillos, tomatoes, sliced onion and garlic cloves on cookie sheet or broiler pan. Place under the broiler for about 8-10 minutes or until the skin of the tomatillos is blackened. EVERY broiler is different, so keep an eye on the tomatillos after about 5 minutes just to make sure. Remove ingredients from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

    Combine the ingredients in food processor and blend. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the food processor to make sure everything blends evenly. Pour contents of the food processor into a bowl and let cool. Salsa is ready to use after it cools, however, we have found that flavor improves if the salsa is refrigerated over night.

  • Papaya-Avocado Salad with Papaya Seed Dressing

    This recipe is adapted from an recipe originally seen in “Big Small Plate” by Cindy Pawlcyn with Pablo and Erasto Jacinto

    1 Pound Mexican papaya
    3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
    3 Tbsp Rice vinegar
    1 Tsp sweet paprika
    1/4 Tsp salt
    1/4 Tsp toasted ground cumin seeds
    2/3 Cup olive oil
    1 Tsp freshly ground pepper
    2 Cups of spinach
    2 Avocados, pits removed and skin removed, sliced
    2 Tbsp toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

    Cut the papaya in half, lengthwise. Remove seeds, reserving 2 Tbsp for dressing. Cut the papaya halves into quarters. Now, carefully, hold fruit firmly to a cutting board and run a thin knife between the fruit and skin to separate. As always, take care to NOT cut towards yourself. Now cut the fruit on the short side and create 1/2 in thick slices and refrigerate.

    Place the papaya seeds, lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, paprika, salt and cumin in a blender. Blend and slowly add the olive oil, until smooth.

    Either using one large serving dish or individual salad plates, and lay a bed of spinach as a base on the plate or plates. Dress the greens with a few Tsp of the dressing. Build the salad by alternating slices of papaya and avocado across the greens. When complete sprinkle the salad with some toasted nuts, drizzle with some additional dressing and freshly ground black pepper. Place remaining dressing on the table for service.

  • Lemon Basil Curry Aioli

    The quantities used in this recipe are based on 2 – 4 people.

    1/2 Cup light/canola mayonnaise
    2 Tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
    2 Fresh basil leaves, minced
    1 Tsp of Curry powder (adjust to taste)

    Add lemon juice, curry and basil leaves to the mayonnaise and whip the ingredients together. Refrigerate to chill and let the flavors develop.

    We love this aioli with artichokes, asparagus, broccoli…essentially great with your go to green veggies!

    Lemon Basil Curry Aioli
    Lemon Basil Curry Aioli

  • Fresh Mint Sauce

    3 Cups of fresh mint leaves
    3 Tbsp of granulated sugar
    4 Tbsp of white balsamic vinegar (or your preferred vinegar)
    1 Tsp of olive oil

    Wash fresh mint and add to the food processor along with sugar and pulse several times. Heat vinegar over low flame until warm and add to the food processor along with the olive oil, scraping the sides with a spatula to mix the mint and sugar with the vinegar. Pulse the mixture several more times and transfer to a bowl. Sauce can be served warm, or chilled. We suggest storing in the refrigerator for at least an hour so the flavors can blend together.

  • Hoisin Sauce

    Hoisin Sauce

    We love using Hoisin sauce to flavor tofu in our stir-fry dishes, or as a dipping sauce for pot-stickers or won-tons. It is always a nice sweet alternative to the spicy Sriracha.

    Courtesy of Wikipedia:
    Mandarin-style Hoisin sauce ingredients include water, sugar, soybeans, white distilled vinegar, rice, salt, wheat flour, garlic, red chili peppers, and several preservatives and coloring agents. Traditionally, Hoisin sauce is made using sweet potato. Despite the literal meaning of “seafood,” Hoisin sauce does not contain fish.

    Hoisin Sauce
    Hoisin Sauce

  • Salsa Verde

    We tweak this salsa verde recipe constantly because we have not quite reached the goal, which is to duplicate the amazing flavor of the famous Santana’s salsa verde. Now this is a good problem to have since it means we have salsa verde on hand at all times for use on everything from tostadas, or pork tacos or heuvos rancheros.

    Please let us know how yours turns out!

    1 Lb (about 10) tomatillos
    3/4 Cup of fresh cilantro
    2 Cloves of garlic (peeled)
    1/4 Tsp kosher salt
    1 Jalapeno stemmed, seeded
    1 Habanero stemmed, seeded
    1/2 Large white onion
    2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

    Peel husk from tomatillos and wash thoroughly. Slice tomatillos in half and place flat-side down on cookie sheet or broiler pan. Place under the broiler for about 10-12 minutes or until the skin of the tomatillos is blackened. EVERY broiler is different, so keep an eye on the tomatillos after about 5 minutes just to make sure. Remove tomatillos from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

    Combine the cilantro, garlic, habenero, jalapeno, onion, lime juice and tomatillos in food processor and blend. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the food processor to make sure everything blends evenly. Pour contents of the food processor into a bowl and let cool. Salsa is ready to use after it cools, however, we have found that flavor improves if the salsa is refrigerated over night.

  • Tapatio Salsa Picante Hot Sauce

    Tapatio is a staple condiment for us here at TPF. It works well with eggs (any style), a great addition to pinto or re-fried beans and of course with carne asada, pollo asado or fish tacos. Tapatio also adds a nice kick for bloody marys and dirty martinis.

    Tapatio is not the only hot sauce we use, but for salsa picante it is delicious!

    Tapatio Salsa Picante
    Tapatio Salsa Picante

  • Huy Fong’s Sriracha Hot Chili Paste

    Huy Fong’s Sriracha Hot Chili Paste

    Sriracha “Rooster” Sauce is a favorite with our crew. Sriracha tastes great with fries (regular or sweet potato), soup or broth, and as a dip for grilled meats. Use sparingly at first until you have an idea of the heat intensity that Sriracha has, but once you know, you will find a groove for the flavor and add a spot for Sriracha in your fridge.

    Check out your local Vietnamese restaurant and you will usually find Sriracha on the table; one great use of Sriracha is adding it as a spice kick to the broth for Vietnamese Pho Tai.

    Sriracha is a product of Huy Fong Foods in Rosemead, CA.

    Huy Fong's Sriracha Hot Chili Paste
    Huy Fong’s Sriracha Hot Chili Paste