Italian Bread Dipping Sauce

I love this stuff. Its simple and makes a great snack, especially with some sliced Roma tomatoes.

Just make sure to remember that 2-3 Tbsps of oil/fat a day (saturated or unsaturated) is what the average person should be getting. (most people get much more than this) So its not a good idea to eat a whole bread loaf with this stuff. But the serving you see there is barely half a Tbsp, and I didn't even use the whole thing up when I was eating. It's also a lot easier to control your fat intake when you make foods from scratch than it is when you eat processed and canned foods, so learning how to cook with fresh foods is one of the best things you can do.

Ok, no more tangent, here's the recipe:

1 cup oil
Basil, Parsley, Oregano,
Minced Garlic, Black Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper
Anatto, Rosemary

1.) Mix all the ingredients up in a jar, bottle or bowl.
2.) Let it sit together over night so the oil will get infused with the flavors.
3.) Eat with some bread and tomatoes or cheese if you like.

The oil is good for about a week. After that botulism can start to accumulate in the oil, and getting the black death from your food can't be good.

Sofrito

OK, since I'm Puerto Rican and use sofrito a lot (and it will consequently be in many of my dishes on here) ...I decided to post a recipe for it. Most people just buy the stuff in cans at the store, but if you live someplace like Wyoming or Ohio (or even most of Europe and Asia) it might not be available. So here's how to make it yourself.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic cloves
1 onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1 dash salt
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cilantro
1 teaspoon annatto
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 dash pepper

1. Chop onion and bell pepper, mince garlic clove
2. Heat oil in skillet and add onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
3. Cook until onions and peppers become soft then add the remaining ingredients.
4. Cook this mixture until it turns a dark red color.
5. Put the Sofrito in jars or plastic containers. It keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge or months in the freezer.
6. You can add more spices to the mix, olives, or sausage to add more flavor. To make more just multiply the recipe.