July is nearly all gone and for me it went way too quickly. I had a nasty cough for most of the month and was bogged down with work. However, I did go to a baseball game, watched a drive-in movie from the back of a pick-up truck and drank beers on a sunny patio. Also, for the first time ever, we watched every single stage in the Tour de France, which was silly, exciting and just plain fun to watch. So what did I end up doing when faced with a screen filled with fit cyclists attacking the Pyrenees mountains by brute force and sheer athletic ability? Well, I ate coffee ice cream topped with this deliciously evil drunken caramel sauce.

This sauce is dangerous. Not only is it boozy and has a good pinch of salt to counter the sweet, but the number one factor that makes it a true killer is that it’s way easy to make. In fact, I’m pretty sure you already have every single ingredient needed to dig into a bowl right now. It’s obviously great over ice cream (especially topped with roasted almonds and cocoa nibs), but I can see this being a brilliant topper over an apple pie or a peach tart. If you’re not into the booze, you can just leave it out and it will still be fantastic. And it’s vegan as long as you choose a good non-dairy margarine. See, I told you this caramel sauce was pure evil.

Don’t worry too much about this little indulgence because my next post will be about turnips.

Elsewhere: I’m using umeboshi vinegar again over at Poppytalk. Check out my recipe for an orzo pasta salad with baby bok choy. Over at ReadyMade I’m sharing the Community Sponsored Agriculture love – what do you make with your haul?

totally evil drunken sauce
(adapted from Salty Sweets by Christie Matheson)
1/2 c unsalted butter (use a non-dairy margarine for a vegan version)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 – 1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t cinnamon
2 T dark rum (or whiskey or bourbon)
2 t vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cinnamon and salt and mix until the sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rum and vanilla. Cool slightly and serve. Any leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or by placing the bowl in hot water and giving things a stir until the sauce melts.

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• cranberry rosemary apple sauce

Now what you are looking at may not look pretty, but boy oh boy, eating this made me feel like I unlocked some ancient life-changing secret. This is a peanut sauce and while I’ve made quite a few delicious peanut sauces, this one knocked my socks off. When I set out to make this sauce, I was just thinking of adding something simple to the tofu and veggie stirfry that I was making for dinner. An almost empty jar of peanut butter in the fridge held my attention. And while I didn’t set out to re-create something magical, it just happened that way.

You see, there’s a local unassuming Chinese restaurant in Vancouver called Szechuan Chongqing and they have a wonton dish in spicy peanut sauce that is my absolute most favorite thing to order. The sauce is spicy and peanutty and oh-so-perfect and never in my right mind did I think that I could create that kind of magic at home in my dingy little kitchen. But somehow this sauce was revelatory. It was just like the version I know and love. Better even, because my peanut sauce wasn’t greasy like Chongquing’s version. So toss this up a sauce to mix in with your stir fry or use as a dipping sauce with chicken or tofu. Or go all out and use as a sauce for some pork-filled wontons and let the magic happen to you.

magic spicy peanut sauce
3 T chunky natural peanut butter
1 T sriracha
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 c water + more
2 T chili garlic sauce
2 T honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T soy sauce

In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients over med-high, adding extra water by the tablespoon when or if it gets to thick. Don’t use sparingly.

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• ravenous like a tiger: my spicy peanut sauce
• cabbage, spinach and tofu on noodles with peanut sauce plus butter tart squares

The sauce itself was really easy to prepare. I just gathered the ingredients together and whizzed them up with my immesion blender. In less than a minute, I had a heavenly scented sauce that tasted like the heat of summer. It’s a really fresh-tasting condiment that tastes as green as it looks (in a very, very good way!)

chimichurri sauce
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch cilantro
4 cloves garlic
1 hot pepper, de-seeded
lemon zest & juice of 1/2 lemon
large pinch of salt
1 – 3 large glugs of olive oil
1 shallot, roughly chopped
water, if needed to thin things out

Whizzz up all ingredients in a blender. Taste and adjust seasonings & measurements if necessary. Done. Makes almost a cup of sauce.

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So while the main reason for the making of the chimichurri was as a marinade and sauce for the steak, I had sauce left over and decided that it would make perfect salad dressing. I was right. Once, the dressing is prepared, the rest of the salad is a breeze. I decided to peel the carrot into ribbons and it was a nice touch, though you could easily dice them for a different texture.

chimichurri chickpea salad
1 can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 spicy red pepper, minced & deseeded
1/4 c chimichurri sauce (recipe above)

Mix up all the ingredients and serve in a pretty dish. Serves 4. Easy.

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Okay, now for the main event! If you are a meat-lover, bask in this meaty love, please. If you are not, there’s a reason I stuck this at the end of the post! Avert your eyeballs! The secret to a good steak? Start with a good steak! Really, don’t buy some cheap-ass cut from your supermarket. Splurge and get one really nice steak, grass-fed organic if you can afford it. You really don’t need a steak each…just share one steak. Trust me, with some wine, a nice loaf of bread and a salad, you’ve got a perfect meal and no one will want for more. But back to the chimichurri sauce for one last time…the quick marinade packs a punch. Reserve some of it to serve as a sauce to drizzle over top. You won’t regret it.

chimichurri rib-eye steak
1 T butter
1 rib eye organic grass-fed steak (or other fine cut)
1/4 c chimichurri sauce (recipe above) + extra for serving

Slather sauce over rib eye and let sit for a few minutes. Heat up butter in a cast iron pan. When it’s good and bubbly, add steak. Cook on 1 side for 6 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let rest for 8 minutes (I just made up that amount but it sounds about right). Dig in and serve with remaining chimichurri sauce. Serves 2.

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enchiladas with chorizo, corn and zucchini
(adapted from The Rebar Cookbook)
3 chorizo sausages, uncooked
1 recipe “mesa red sauce”
2 T vegetable oil
1 red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t salt
1 t coriander
1 t cumin
1/4 t red chili flakes
1 red pepper, diced
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 c zucchini, diced
3 c frozen corn
1/2 t cracked pepper
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
3 c cheddar cheese, grated
20 corn tortillas

1. Begin by preparing the mesa sauce. Next crumble and fry up the chorizo sausage until cooked. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.

2. Heat oil in the skillet used for the sausage and saute the onion until soft. Add in the garlic, salt, coriander and chili flakes. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peppers, jalapenos, corn and zucchini and saute until tender. The goal is to keep the vegetables firm. Turn out the vegetables into the bowl with the chorizo and let cool. Add in 1/2 of the grated cheese.

3. Heat skillet over medium heat. Brush each tortilla with oil and place one at a time in the hot pan. Flip when small bubbles appear on the underside and heat the other side briefly. Transfer to a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

4. Pre-heat oven to 350. Lightly oil a 9×13 glass baking dish. Ladle just enough mesa sauce into the pan to cover the bottom. Lay one or more tortilla out before you. Spoon about 1/4 cup filling into the centre of each tortilla and roll to form a cylinder. Place seam side down into the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spoon mesa sauce over the enchiladas, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese over top and bake until cheese is melted and golden. Serve hot.

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mesa red sauce
(from The Rebar Cookbook)
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 T masa harina (or flour)
4 T ancho chile powder
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t cayenne
1 t salt
1/2 t cracked pepper
1 T oregano
4 c vegetable stock, heated
2 T tomato paste
1 t brown sugar

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the masa harina and stir constantly as it cooks and turns golden.

2. Add the spices and oregano and stir for another 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the warm stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and whisk in the tomato paste and sugar.

3. Simmer partially covered for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Season to taste.

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green rice
(from The Rebar Cookbook)
1 bunch spinach, stemmed
1 bunch cilantro,
1/2 bunch Italian parsley
2 jalapeno peppers, one seeded
1 t salt
2 1/4 vegetable stock
2 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c long grain rice

1. Carefully wash spinach, cilantro,parsley and jalapenos. Place in a blender with salt and 1 cup of stock. Blend to liquify and set aside.

2. Heat a rice pot at medium-high and add the oil. Heat and add onion with a pinch of salt; saute until translucent. Add the garlic and rice and saute for a few minutes, stirring often, until the rice turns lightly golden. Add the contents of the blender and the remaining stock to the rice; stir well to combine. Turn up th eheat and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to very low and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let the rice stand covered for 10 minutes. Gently fluff the rice with a fork and serve immediately.

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vegetable slaw with jalapeno-lime dressing
(from The Rebar Cookbook)
dressing:
juice and zest of 1 lime
3 T rice or cider vinegar
1 T honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t salt
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/2 t coriander
1 c olive oil

salad:
1/2 head green cabbage
1/2 head red cabbage
1 small jicama, juilienned
2 carrots, grated
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and chopped

1. Blend dressing ingredients in a small jar, adjust seasoning and set aside.

2. Core the cabbages and finely shred them. In a large bowl, add in the cabbage, jicama, carrots, peppers, onions and cilantro and toss. Stir in the dressing, let sit for 30 minutes and then toss again before serving.

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• brown rice bowl with vegetables & roasted chickpeas

When it comes to ice cream, I’m more of a purist. I like my ice cream hard and icy without much fuss or muss. And while I appreciate the asthetic retro charm of a nicely composed sundae, I can do without the overly sweet sauce and day-glo cherry. Cornelius, on the other hand, keeps his sweet tooth at the ready all the time. So when I had a small amount of leftover whipping cream in the fridge, I figured I would do my best to meet his sweet tooth half way. Spying a recipe from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet, I figured I would do my best to make an ice cream topping worthy of the prettiest ice cream sundae. Although, I made a few changes to the recipe to cut down some of the fat and sugar, the recipe didn’t suffer from the changes. Cornelius downed his first bowl in record time and while eating his second bowl of hot fudge topped ice cream, demanded that we buy larger bowls! Rich, sweet and guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth.

world’s best peanut butter – hot fudge sauce
Recipe adapted from Didi Emmons’ Entertaining for a Veggie Planet

1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c milk
2 T unsalted butter, cut into small peices
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c good quality cocoa powder
1/4 c natural crunchy peanut butter
pinch of salt

1. In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream and butter over medium heat. When the mixture simmers, add the sugars and stir until dissolved.

2. Reduce heat to low and add the cocoa powder, peanut butter and salt. Whisk until smooth. If you find it too thick, add some more milk and combine until smooth. Remove from heat. Serve immediately or keep warm.

This sauce can be kept for up to 3 weeks in the fridge. Reheat in microwave or in a heavy saucepan over low heat, adding water if too thick.

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spicy squash pasta
1 acorn squash
4 large cloves of garlic still in their papery skin
2 T olive oil
salt & pepper

Cut squash in half, remove seeds and place on cookie sheet. Add 2 cloves of garlic to each half and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake at a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until tender. Let squash cool slightly and then scrape out the fleshy insides and discard skins. Remove skins from garlic and set aside.

1 lb pasta (I used fresh tortalini)
When the squash is out of the oven, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt. Add pasta; cook until al dente. Drain well.

2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt
1 t rosemary
1 t sage
1/2 t red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1/3 c prepared tomato sauce
1/4 c light cream

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, a large pinch of salt, red pepper flakes, and a teaspoon each of sage and rosemary. Cook, stirring, until garlic is golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add squash; cook, stirring and mashing with a spoon, until heated through. Add the tomato sauce and cream and stir until combined and smooth in texture. You may need to add a bit more sauce or cream if you feel the sauce is too thick.

I loved this sauce and I kept it rather thick. I served this along with some steamed broccoli and I just loved dipping the broccoli into the squash sauce! So tasty!! I’m definitely making this again my way….and I just might try ol’ Ms. Stewart’s version one day soon.

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I was tagged by culinary in the desert to do the 23rd post meme thingy. I felt kind of silly after counting out all my posts to discover that my polenta post from a couple posts down was actually my 23rd post! I guess I’ve got a long way to go. Luckily the cooler weather is here and I can bake and cook to my hearts content. Be forewarned, that there will be lots of squash recipes in the near future. I’ve got some butternut squash and a few cans of pumpkin to play with! Heck, I’ve got some yams to throw in there as well. Enjoy autumn, I think I will. Well, once I can get used to the idea of bike riding in the rain again.

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