There’s this sauce my dad would make on taco night that was SO good I couldn’t help but hover in the kitchen sneaking SPOONFULS of it as it simmered down. I loved skimming the skin that forms off the top. Super flavourful. I would totally do this whole act of “…going to chop some cilantro!” just to be near the stuff – my dad SO knew what was going on. Not much gets past that guy. Once it came time to eat our tacos, they’d be swimming in this sauce.
Well, I finally came up with my own version – it’s a little thicker, refined the ‘heat’ slightly, and added a few more tasty herbs + spices. I also used Organic FireRoasted Tomatoes, which are my go-to for canned tomatoes (love them).
One of my favourite ways to eat this sauce is over Wild Rice & Sautéed Kale. I also threw in some Roasted Yam for a lil’ sweetness. Within about 45mins, this seriously flavourful enchilada-like sauce is ready to do some smothering (highly recommend using a bowl). Yep, love me a BIG bowl of warm veggies with a healthy helping of tasty sauce. It also only gets better over time. Perfect for a quick & easy meal for days to come.
One of my favourite ways to eat this sauce is over Wild Rice & Sautéed Kale. Within about 45mins, this seriously flavourful enchilada-like sauce is ready to do some smothering (highly recommend using a bowl).
- 1 28 oz can organic fire roasted tomatoes *crushed
- 1 cup water
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp plant based butter
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 whole serrano pepper – slit down the centre; not halved
- 1&1/2 tsp sea salt *to taste
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tbsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tbsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp hot paprika
- pinch of cayenne
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Add the butter, serrano pepper, garlic, and onion to a pot over med. heat. Stir as the butter melts and comes up to temperature. Continue stirring and cook for about 7mins just until the onion is fragrant and tender. *Turn down the heat if too hot.
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Still stirring, add the cumin, chilli powder, oregano, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne. Cook for another 5mins. It’s important to keep stirring during this time.
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Add the fire roasted tomatoes, water, lime juice, sea salt + pepper. Stir again. If you turned the heat down, now is when you can turn it back up to med. Bring to a boil, and once at a boil, turn the heat to med./low, or to a gentle simmer.
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Simmer for about 30mins; longer if needed (the longer, the thicker the sauce will be). The onions in the sauce should be soft and very tender.
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Remove from heat, carefully take out the serrano pepper, and serve warm.
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Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Good for 3-5days.
~ If you’d like a finer textured sauce, use a handheld blender or standing blender to break things down a little more.