Green Skhug Sauce also called Yemenite Sauce

Skhug Sauce also called Yemenite Sauce is made up of Spicy peppers, Garlic, Fresh parsley and or cilantro and a variety of spices.  This sauce can be made red with the use of red peppers or brown with tomatoes but at the moment I’m liking the green one best.

I never knew what I was missing till I was first served Skhug Sauce with my Falafel, Hummus Combo Plate that I like to get at those Mid East kind of Eateries.

The Skhug sauce adds life to food. The Spices are complex and lingering. Hummus and Falafels are boring to me now with out Skhug Sauce.

I developed my own recipe after experimenting with it for a while and this is what I came up with. I DO WARN YOU a little goes a long way this sauce is very spicy!

Green Skhug Sauce

1/2 Bunch Fresh Cilantro rough chopped including stems (Some people like more like a whole bunch but for me 1/2 taste good in this recipe. Some people only use parsley and some use 1/2 and 1/2. I’m not the biggest fan of Cilantro but in this sauce it shines.

12 Cloves Garlic Chopped

6 Thai Chilies (Rough Chopped)

4 Jalapeños (Rough Chopped)

2 t. Cumin

2 t. Coriander (Heap them a little I go a little heavy on the Coriander)

1 t. Black Pepper

2 t. Cardamon (I fresh grind mine and never go over on this one or it’s too much)

1/4 t. Cloves

1/4 t. Caraway Seeds

1/2t. Kosher or Sea Salt

Juice of one small or 1/2 large Lemon

About 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Enough Water to get it Processed in your Processor or Blender.

I usually make it slightly thicker than what I just made. It should be a little chunky. A little goes a very long way.  Sometimes I use a little Green Skhug to flavor dressings or Mayo for a spread on a sandwich or Burger.

If you like Spicy and Hummus you’ll be hooked on Green Skhug Sauce!

This Batch is a little different. I made it more relish style and made with the same spices but I used different peppers, and brine from some jarred Cherry peppers instead of Lemon Juice. I also added some fresh mint. The Peppers I used were Shishitos, Cherry Peppers and a few Thai Chili’s.

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3 Hour Onions

3 hour Onions are very jammy and sweet and almost melt on to grilled meats or sandwiches. You take your pealed onions cut in half and slice and place in pans. Just sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and let them roast at 350 degrees for three hours.

Onion Syrup

After three hours, besides the delicious onions you get this really delicious onion syrup to use in pan sauces or just brush on meats or sandwiches.

3 hour onions are similar to confit onions. Confit onions should be cooked at 200 degrees for 8-12 hours along with butter wine and bay leaves.

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Italian Style Inspired Tuna Salad

As a child the only way my mother would make tuna salad was simply just canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise or a mayonnaise substitute. It was OK to me at the time served with that blue box macaroni and cheese that most young kids eat still to this day.

I am much older now and discovered a different way to eat tuna salad that taste much more delicious and is healthier too. Basically Italian Tuna Salad is really made with Italian Tuna in Italian oil with vinegar and Lemon.

I don’t usually use Italian Tuna or even tuna in oil.The addition of fruit with Briny Olives, Onions, Artichokes and capers is a nice play against each other. I don’t measure exactly but I think you will get the idea of how to put it together from these ingredients.

For about 4 servings.

About 10 oz. Tuna

Juice of one lemon and it’s grated zest.

About 1/4 chopped fine onion.

Either one small Asian Pear, Small or 1/2 Apple or a small bunch seedless grapes chopped into small cubes. I note Italians wouldn’t use Asian Pears but at the moment I’m liking them in this dish.

About 15 Olives chopped fine

About a Teaspoon of Capers

About a Cup of Chopped Artichoke. Fresh already cooked and cleaned is best but that’s a pain so the next best is frozen artichoke but in a pinch canned is fine.

Almost 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

About 1/4 Cup Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A very small amount of crushed Sea Salt

Some Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Now serve on top of mixed greens or in a sandwich or use as an appetizer filling.

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I love this delicious not too popular dip or spread called Muhammara. I first enjoyed it dining at a Lebanese Restaurant. After much research developed my own recipe. It is basically Roasted Red Peppers with Nuts, Exotic of Seasoning and Pomegranate. It’s very easy to make you just combine ingredients and process. Your mixture should be lumpy not smooth. Muhammara is so delicious I promise you that you will enjoy it!

Muhammara

5 fresh Roasted Red Bell Peppers Cleaned and Pealed with saved about of half cup of the pepper juice and make sure you get the really thick caramelized juice or reduce it till thick like maple syrup.

I Cup Roasted Almonds or Walnuts (I strongly prefer Almonds but Walnuts are more traditional)

One Pomegranate Fresh Roasted cleaned and juiced with a Ricer (or you can cheat and just use 2 Tablespoons of Pomegranate Molasses.

Juice of one Meyer Lemon

2 Red Thai Chili’s (use less if you don’t like spicy or don’t use but this dip should be spicy)

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil a good quality one.

1 large garlic clove or 2 small

1 t.Cumin

1/2 t. Coriander

1 t.Paprika

1/2 t. Chili Powder

1/4 t. Nutmeg

1/4 t. Cardamon

1/4 t. Cayenne

1/4 t. Kosher or Sea Salt

1/4 t. Black Pepper

Some people do like this thicker and add one or two slices fresh bread or about 1/2 cup bread crumbs to mixture but I don’t like it that way. Many people add sugar or honey to the mixture but by using the concentrated pepper juice and by my method of roasting a pomegranate brings out natural sweetness that I prefer.

You just blend it up and your ready to dip or spread on a pita or a kabob or even a sandwich.

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