A while back we had dinner over at cousin Paul's house. He and Susie were in the middle of a 3-week diet called New You in 22 - The Metabolic Meals Blueprint by Jonny Bowden, Phd, CNS. What they served was simple BBQ chicken thighs that were elevated to OMG status with a chilled chutney made from tomatoes, peppers and basil. Really easy to make, this stuff packs a punch of fresh that caused the Reilly's to make yummy noises. Carolyn and I both thought it might be equally exciting with some fresh cod, so we tried it....
In a nutshell... a new family favorite was born...
Ingredients:
- 4 ripe tomatoes, quartered
- 2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut up
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, well drained
- Two handfuls fresh basil (I used lemon basil with the fish)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp each salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Preparation:
Just so you know, the above ingredient list is a double batch because I loved it THAT MUCH and knew I'd find varied uses for it during the week ;-) I also used olive oil in lieu of coconut oil... well I just forgot to pick some up LOL Trust me... a good olive oil works equally well!
First, get out your food processor. Cut up the tomatoes and peppers and crush the garlic.
Measure out a cup of sundried tomatoes and drain for a few minutes in a colander.
Add all ingredients to the food processor a little at a time. You'll notice there are no pics of the basil... That's because I used frozen lemon basil from last year's garden and...well... it just didn't live up to my photo standards...... ahem ;-) Pulse a few times to break up the larger pieces, then process steadily, until the mixture forms a "sauce" that is mostly smooth.
If the mixture is too thick, add a little more oil, but make sure it doesn't get runny. You want the chutney to be able to stand alone as seen here with the baked cod and steamed string beans.
Like I said, the chutney was originally recommended with chicken. The fish worked really well, and I bet it will compliment the other white meat nicely as well! It's just an amazing little blend that I'm sure will prove quite versatile in the future... ENJOY!
Blessed be... and happy cooking!