Our Veggie Kitchen

I grew up in a small town with a good sized Hispanic population. With that, came an amazing variety of delicious Mexican food. At one point, I worked next door to my favorite restaurant in town. And, while I added a healthy sum of padding around my belly, I spent my lunches in culinary bliss. My favorite dish was arroz con pollo, chicken, rice and mushrooms and a mild red sauce that would make all your worries fade with just a bite.

This sauce pays homage to that vivid memory. It's a mild sauce that starts with with annato seed and built upon tomatoes, peppers and cilantro. This sauce wasn't as good as it's inspiration (you can't best perfection), but it was very good. And it made for a winning plate of Tofu Enchiladas.



Sofrito - Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce
1 tsp annatto seed
2 tbs olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
12 oz beer
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lime, juiced

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the annatto seeds and saute until the oil turns orange. Add the onions, and peppers and saute until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, then cook the tomato and cilantro until the tomato softens. Add the beer and wine. Boil rapidly for about 15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by about a cup. Add the lime juice and salt. Blend thoroughly the push the contents through a strainer. Makes about a quart.

5 Servings: 145 cal (6g fat, 15g carbs, 2g protein)