We ate at...

the other night and it was the BOMB!!! OMGosh, it was soooo good!!!! I had the Stuffed Sopapilla filled with Fajita Steak meat, beans, and cheese. It was topped with their Ranchero sauce!!! Now I can't quit thinking about that Ranchero sauce!! I've been searching all over the web trying to find a copycat recipe. If you have found it - PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send it to me!!!! I promise I'll love you forever!!! ;) The only one I could find today was from Sustenance...


Ranchero Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups vegetable broth
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces tomato paste (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the next 6 ingredients and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and tomato sauce and cook until sauce starts to thicken, stirring frequently. Taste and season the sauce with salt. If you prefer a more "tomato-y" sauce, stir in the 4 ounces of tomato paste (1/2 a small can). Cook for about 15 more minutes. If the sauce is too thick, you may add a little bit of water to thin it out. Stir in cilantro.




If any of you have eaten at Chuy's, you know they are famous for their Jalapeno Ranch dip that they serve with their tortilla chips. Here's a recipe I found for that from the Lubbock online newspaper...

JALAPENO LIME SAUCE

(Yield: 31/2 to 4 cups)

3 cups commercial Ranch dressing

1/4 cup roasted green chilies

1/4 cup pickled or marinated jalapeno chilies

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 bunch fresh cilantro

1/2 Roma tomato, diced

1. Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Chill and use as a salad dressing or dip for tortilla chips.