Do you ever psych yourself out about life? Like all of the sudden, you feel like you’re not doing something right – even though yesterday you felt totally on top of it? Yeah, that feeling sucks.
How do you shake it?
My food processor is a surprisingly useful tool in dealing with these situations of mental stress. If something edible, and I daresay delicious, comes about because I decided to put a bunch of things in that food processor – things suddenly feel a little better. I’m on the right track. I’ve restored some sense of control.
It might be a combination of the simplicity of preparation, the loud noise it makes, and watching pieces of food get pulverized. I’m not sure.
I was looking to use some extra coriander and limes I had when I found a chilli sauce on Nigella Kitchen that fit the bill.
It’s similar to a typical fresh salsa with a spicy punch and a citrus zing, but has a smokiness from the roasted red peppers.
I omitted most of the oil that Nigella used in her version because I thought the sauce was the right consistency without it. It clings to a chip properly, without being too thick or sludgy.
It’s perfect for bringing to a party and scoring bonus points for making something (when you barely did anything.)
Or for enjoying alone while watching old episodes of Nigella, drinking a frosty beer, and taking a moment to breathe.
Jumbo Chilli Sauce
adapted from Nigella Lawson
- 3 whole roasted red peppers (jarred, to make it easy)
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled
- 2 hot chilli peppers (I used one red and one green) with seeds in tact but top stems removed and cut in half
- 1/2 cup coriander stems roughly chopped
- Zest of one lime
- Juice of one lime
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
Drain the red peppers of any excess liquid.
Place roasted red peppers, garlic, chilli peppers, coriander stems, lime zest and juice in a food processor and puree until finely chopped and almost smooth. Add salt, olive oil and coriander leaves and blitz again until everything is blended and smooth.
Serve with tortilla chips.
