Creamy blush sauce

This sauce is a little spicy, but you could leave out the pepper or adjust it to suit your taste.  It calls for vodka, but I have also made it with white wine and it is just as good.  You could skip the alcohol all together and just add more chicken broth too. 

2 TBSP olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine ( original recipe calls for vodka)
1/2 c chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, untrained
1/2 c heavy cream
Thinly sliced fresh basil


Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion to the pan and sauté until tender. Add 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and garlic; sauté for another minute. Add wine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 4 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.  Stir in 1 tsp salt, broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 8-10 minutes.  Carefully ladle the sauce into a blender (remove center and cover with a clean towel) pulse until sauce is smooth. Return to pan and add the heavy cream until heated through. Add basil.  Enjoy over your favorite pasta. 

Peppery Pesto

Pesto is a wonder condiment. Of course I love it on pasta, but it is awesome As a spread on a sandwich! And even more so on a grilled sandwich. Also an excellent topping for a broiled fish, it is just wonderful.  I do love my traditional pesto, of basil and pine nuts, but this peppery mix of arugula and basil has just the right amount of kick to make it stand out.  I am lucky enough to have a Bendtec blender that I make my pesto in, but if you have a food processor, use that. Even those little mini choppers work fine. 


1/2 c. Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 c. Arugula
1 1/2 c. Basil
1/8 c. Pine nuts
1/2 c. Grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Add oil, garlic, arugula and basil to blender(processor) secure lid and pulse 6-8 times until roughly chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and secure lid. Pulse again 4-6 times until coarse purée texture is reached.
Keep in fridge upto 3 days.