Category Archives: sauces

avocado mojo ‘picón’

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This is from an insta recipe I came across the other day as I was doing some last minute lazy scrolling before getting up and I immediately thought… lunch! Especially as I had an avocado that needed using up STAT. Mojo picón is a spicy red pepper and pimentón sauce from the Canary Islands that is traditionally served with their famous papas arrugadas, but these days you find variations of mojos all over the place. For example this one was called an avocado mojo picón even though there was nothing spicy (piquante) in their recipe. I’ve added the option of a splash of tabasco at the end for a bit of heat. Also important to note that the green pepper used is the sweet Italian version (a bell pepper would be too strong) and I found that half a pepper was enough. Also, I happened to have some fresh cilantro as well as parsley so added both – recommended!

My potato option was the riff I do on Nigella’s perfect roasties… my air fryer version. And I have to say it was damn tasty. Try it! But I think it’s quite versatile. For example, it would make a great dip for veggies or nachos (I tried it in a cheese toastie and… success!).  I’ve also had it on the side with chicken and swordfish. And I added some mayo to a bit I had leftover and it made a great burger topping with arugula.

Ingredients and instructions below…

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solomillo al “whisky”

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While writing a recent article on the curious history of solomillo al whisky I realised that the recipe I had originally posted here back in 2011 needed updating, so here it is. And yes, there is no whisky in it. Click on the link to read the origin story of this quintessential sevillana tapa.

My favourite version of this sauce has a nice lemony zing to balance out the richness of the butter and olive oil. It’s also quite versatile. In many tapas bars they also serve it over warm tortilla de patatas, and of course in a mantecaíto, which is basically a solomillo al whisky tapa (sauce, chips and all) in a bun.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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Nigella’s cilantro & jalapeño salsa

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The other day I was excited to see Nigella was back on Blue Sky, giving it another go. And then I saw this recipe! A simple salsa but omg it’s good. And once I saw “roughly chop the cilantro stalks and all” I was in (for me picking cilatro leaves is right up there with peeling garlic). Anyhow, the amount of fresh cilantro in the original recipe (100 grams) was more than I had and so, as usual, I improvised a bit. I also didn’t have any fresh jalapeños so used a few slices of pickled ones. Trust me, once you try this you’re always going to want some on hand. Check out the link here for the original recipe and also for tips on storage, usage, etc…

Nigella’s Cilantro & Jalapeño Salsa

Ingredients and instructions below…

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pico de gallo

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Once again while scrolling through Instagram recipe reels – it’s becoming a thing! – I came across one for pan-grilled calamari topped with pico de gallo and I realised that I had never made pico de gallo before. Mostly because dicing veg is not a favourite pastime. Then I remembered how YEARS ago back in Toronto I had this a handy manual veg chopper (I think it was Braun) where you put an onion or pepper on a cutting board, placed the chopper over the veg and went BAM BAM BAM until everything was finely chopped. So I wondered if such a thing still existed and that very day found one (on sale!) at El Corte Inglés. Different brand, same simple mechanism. So I bought it!

For any of you wondering what pico de gallo is, it’s a type of fresh salsa typically used in Mexican cuisine. Main ingredients include tomato, peppers and onion, with many variations on that theme. For this one I used tomato, two types of peppers (red bell and italian green), sweet onion and a few jalepeños. For herbs I went with a mix of fresh parsley and cilantro, and dressed it with lime juice and olive oil (salt and pepper to taste). Some recipes I saw don’t use olive oil, others add this and that, or only use green peppers… but really it’s up to you! So this is kind of a non-recipe in the sense that it is up to you to choose which ingredients sound good to you. Re: quantity, again up to you but equal parts of each veg ingredient is a good rule of thumb.

This version was fabulous and I will make it again very soon, and probably quite often. It’s an easy and simple way of adding freshness and a bit of zing to pretty much anything. And now that I have my new chopper it’s also extra easy to make.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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tomato sauce by marcella hazan

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Marcella Hazan’s classic 4-ingredient tomato sauce is apparently world renowned but I only came across it by chance on Twitter when a pal there mentioned he was going to try making it for the first time. So I did too! And yes, it is simplicity itself, and yes, it’s lovely and rich and so flavourful. The original recipe I found online called for whole tinned tomatoes, but for sauces I prefer using the chopped ones (so I did). And I started off with a teaspoon of salt, which was enough for me, but you can always add more later. It also says to cook the sauce for 45 minutes, but I think an hour gives you a bit more texture. In fact, I fell asleep while it was cooking (low and slow) and the onions ended up falling apart, making them difficult to fish out. I think I got maybe 3/4 of it out, but other friends told me they sometimes just blitz the onion in at the end. Really this is so easy it almost makes itself. Just don’t fall asleep!

Ingredients and instructions below…
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tzatziki

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So I hadn’t made tzatziki in probably, ohhhh, 35 years? But it got suddenly hot in Sevilla (42º) and it seemed like a nice fresh snack to have on hand. I used to always make this with plain greek yoghurt but since discovering the joy that is labneh, I decided to use that instead, though you need to plan ahead as the labneh needs a day or so in the fridge. Worth it if you have time as it gives the tzatziki a lovely creamier texture. I also prefer “half peeling” the cucumber (see pic below) as the skin can sometimes be a bit too chewy. And fresh herbs are a must. I did try a version with dried dill and… meh.

Ingredients and instructions below…
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