Tex Mex Paste
Servings: 15
Calories: 23kcal
Equipment
- 1 Immersion Blender
- 1 Food Processor
Ingredients
Spices
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoons Cumin
- 1 teaspoons Paprika
- 1 teaspoons Onion Powder
- 1/2 teaspoons Coriander
- 1/2 teaspoons Oregano
Paste Ingredients
- 1 Head of Roasted Garlic
- 1 White Onion Diced
- 14.5 ounces Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 4 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 3 teaspoons garlic chili paste
- 3 teaspoons Sugar
- 4 teaspoons Cocoa Powder
Instructions
- To roast your garlic, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Cut the top off the head of garlic and remove any excess skin or dirt. Place it in a shallow baking dish with a tablespoon of olive oil, then cover the dish loosely with foil. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until the cloves are golden and soft to the touch. Once cooled, squeeze out each clove and set aside.
- To make the spice blend, measure all individual spices such as paprika, ground cumin, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder into a shallow plate or bowl. Stir with a fork until everything is nicely combined and set aside.
- Place your roasted garlic cloves as well as one small chopped onion into a food processor and pulse several times to puree them together. Add in one can of fire-roasted tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and 2 chipotle peppers (from the can) that have been diced up into small pieces beforehand. Pulse again until you obtain a smooth mixture before transferring it to a medium pot on your stovetop.
- Add in rice vinegar, chili paste, sugar, cocoa powder and your previously prepared spice blend mix. Stir everything together until all ingredients are well mixed; although you should still expect some chunkiness in texture due to all the different types of ingredients present in this paste. Finally turn up the heat on medium-low temperature and slowly simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After carefully removing the paste from the heat and allowing it to cool slightly, using an immersion blender will help to reach a smoother consistency. Once you have your desired texture, let the paste completely cool down. It's important to remember that as it begins to cool, the paste will thicken and become more solid.
- Now that your paste is ready, there are endless uses for it! Enjoy it in your favorite Tex-Mex dish or store it away in the refrigerator or freezer for later use
Notes
Roasting garlic: is an important step for this recipe in order to get the maximum flavor and aroma out of it. The cloves will become soft and fragrant after 30 minutes in a preheated oven. This can be adjusted depending on the type of garlic being used, as certain varieties require different amounts of time and heat. To ensure that it doesn't burn, keep an eye on your garlic while it roasts so you can determine when it is ready.
Chipotle peppers: they can be added in a variety depending on how much "heat" you want in the dish. I suggest starting with ¼ cup if you are looking for more of a milder flavor. For those who really like spicy dishes, try adding more than ¼ cup or experiment with other types of peppers like jalapenos to create a hot and zesty combination.
Immersion blender: you can still make the recipe by using a regular blender but it is important to allow the mixture to cool slightly before blending. It's optional, but I like to use the immersion blender at the end of the recipe in order to achieve a silky paste with no chunks. Remember that as it cools off, your paste will begin to firm up, so keep that in mind when deciding if you have reached your desired consistency. The immersion blender is great for making sauces and purées because its blades are powerful enough to break down even harder ingredients such as ice cubes or raw vegetables. It is also very easy to clean - just rinse off with warm water and some soap or place in your dishwasher for easy cleaning. It is one of my favorite kitchen tools and allows me to quickly make delicious dishes with minimal effort!