Super Heros – Kitchen Confessional Style

In the Steele household we have a long tradition of Superman affection. Everyone, from the three month old baby to ManO (get it, Man Of Steel) has a Superman  tee-shirt or two or four.  Don’t ask us to choose our favorite Superman either.  The comic version, George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Smallville. We have loved them all. Except for the latest guy. They changed his uniform.  Don’t mess with the uniform. Why you say?  I have a shirt that says why! "The chicks dig the uniform."

Of course the kids expanded their superhero love to include the X Men, Wonder Woman, and others. Last weekend was a certain boy’s five year old birthday celebration. He requested everyone come in SUPER HERO costumes or at least a super hero tee shirt. Face it,  superheroes make play time better.  

When it comes to cooking there are certain foods like blueberries, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach and walnuts that make our health better. They've earned the Super Food label because they contain the concentrated antioxidants, omega oils or vitamins our bodies need. Google and you will find varying lists of what is a superfood is and what might be best for certain health conditions or goals. Eat these and your body will thank you.

But then there are other foods that I consider my Kitchen Super Heroes, foods that aren't quite as  healthy. They make dishes special, take them up a notch.  Some of my faves include sprinkles, bacon, cheese, and chocolate. Add any of these and something plain goes fancy.

But my favorite Kitchen Super Hero of the moment is my Super Sauce/Dressing.  I have a base of ingredients I use to create a cold sauce, perfect for meat, seafood or even plain veggie salad.  It turns leftovers into a special meal without heating the kitchen. Depending on what I am serving, I add or subtract ingredients. 

This week, I roasted the last of the season's red peppers at 425 for 20 minutes until they turned black.

Food stylists know better than to put a food item on a clear dish. Sigh.

I took them out of the oven and covered the dish with aluminum foil. They steamed themselves for thirty minutes. I removed the skins and chopped them up. 

I pureed them in an immersion blender and added them to the base. Oh, may I sing a love song about my hand held blender?  Now there is a Super Hero appliance for you. Trust me, it looks plain and small, kind of like Clark Kent. BTW, did you know Clark Kent was named after Clark Gable? But man does it come to the rescue more times than not in my house!

And then I served it over sliced chicken and a bed of lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Luscious.

Super easy and super delicious!

Here is the recipe for making your own Super Sauce base, along with a few suggestions for complimenting different main ingredients.

Super Sauce/Dressing Base:

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup olive oil (add more or less if you want a sauce consistency or a dressing)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Super Sauce/Dressing Add-ins:

For seafood:  Add 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning and juice of one half lemon

For beef: Add 1 tablespoon brown mustard, minced onion and a dash Worcestershire sauce

For Thousand Island type dressing: Add 2 T ketchup and minced pickles

For Blue Cheese: Add 1/4 blue cheese crumbles and dash Worcestershire sauce   

For Taco Salad:  Add 1 T salsa seasoning, diced tomatoes or chilis

Blending Instructions:

Blend base ingredients with a whisk, food processor or immersion blender. Add other ingredients and stir. Chill a few hours, best if overnight.  Serve over cold meat or veggies.

So what do you consider YOUR Super Hero or Super food? Do you have a simple addition to any recipe or meal that makes it special?