Dani Goes South

I. Love. A. Double. Down. In this case, a triple-down. Today, we talkin' sauce. Well, sauces, dips, and marinades (oh my), to be exact. These bad boys also work their way into this Friday's recipe, so if you're a planner who semi-trusts me, this just might come in handy for you.

First, we have a hearty Romesco, which, if you're unfamiliar is a roasted red pepper dip originating from Spain, that has a base of toasted almonds and white bread. It's roasty, tangy, bright, and makes a delicious accompaniment to crudites, sauce for pretty much all meat and seafood, and, in this weekend's case, marinade for some chicken wings.

Since I am inching my way towards wing-ville, you best believe I have dips on the brain. A lemony Za'atar yogurt sauce makes such a delicious compliment to Romesco-rubbed wings, or the perfect dip partner for a pretty produce board. It would also be really delicious drizzled on falafel, or a gyro situation. Za'atar is a Mediterranean spice blend that only made its way into my cabinet repertoire recently, but I am oh-so glad it did. It's a blend of oregano, Sumac, cumin, and sesame seeds. Save yourself a trip to Whole Foods (Seriously, they were out when I went, ha!), and whip some up at home.

To make your Romesco sauce, preheat your oven to 375F, and slice two red bell peppers into quarters. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, and slightly charred on each side, about 20-25 minutes, flipping once 15 minutes through.

Toast one half cup almonds in a dry pan over medium heat, and add to a food processor. Next, add one slice of good quality bread, roughly torn, along with your 2 garlic cloves, and blend until almonds are coarse crumbs. Add your roasted red peppers, zest and juice of one lemon, your red wine vinegar, chopped parsley, salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Switch to puree mode, and slowly drizzle in your olive oil. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt, and pepper, if necessary. It can be stored in your fridge in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Just add an extra drizzle of olive oil on top so it doesn't dry out. At this point, if you're planning on following along with Friday's wing recipe, add about 7 teaspoons of your Romesco sauce to a pound of chicken wings that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, and Za'atar seasoning. Rub into the chicken wings, and set in the fridge (love a freezer bag for this situation) for up to 24 hours before you're going to make them.

For the lemony Za'atar garlic yogurt sauce, simply combine 2 1/4 cups plain yogurt with 3 minced garlic cloves, 3 chopped scallions, 3 1/2 tsp Za'atar, zest of 1 lemon, plus juice of 1/2 a lemon, a handful of freshly chopped parsley, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Puree to combine. Taste for seasoning. I definitely added a fair amount of salt and pepper at this state. Cover with plastic wrap in the fridge until ready to serve.

To make your Romesco sauce, preheat your oven to 375F, and slice two red bell peppers into quarters. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, and slightly charred on each side, about 20-25 minutes, flipping once 15 minutes through.

Toast one half cup almonds in a dry pan over medium heat, and add to a food processor. Next, add one slice of good quality bread, roughly torn, along with your 2 garlic cloves, and blend until almonds are coarse crumbs. Add your roasted red peppers, zest and juice of one lemon, your red wine vinegar, chopped parsley, salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Switch to puree mode, and slowly drizzle in your olive oil. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt, and pepper, if necessary. It can be stored in your fridge in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Just add an extra drizzle of olive oil on top so it doesn't dry out. At this point, if you're planning on following along with Friday's wing recipe, add about 7 teaspoons of your Romesco sauce to a pound of chicken wings that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, and Za'atar seasoning. Rub into the chicken wings, and set in the fridge (love a freezer bag for this situation) for up to 24 hours before you're going to make them.

For the lemony Za'atar garlic yogurt sauce, simply combine 2 1/4 cups plain yogurt with 3 minced garlic cloves, 3 chopped scallions, 3 1/2 tsp Za'atar, zest of 1 lemon, plus juice of 1/2 a lemon, a handful of freshly chopped parsley, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Puree to combine. Taste for seasoning. I definitely added a fair amount of salt and pepper at this state. Cover with plastic wrap in the fridge until ready to serve.

And with that, bangarang! Two dips that also work as sauces and marinades. What's your favorite multi-functional kitchen hack? I'd love to know! Hope to see you back here this weekend for wings two-ways. It's a good one ya'll. May your hump day be a real beaut.

Romesco Sauce

2 roasted red bell peppers

2 garlic cloves, minced

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 c. toasted almonds

1 slice good bread, roughly torn

3 tbs. red wine vinegar

1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 c. olive oil (plus more to drizzle)

Salt and crushed red pepper to taste

Lemony Za'atar Garlic Yogurt