Imagine a smoky, savory sauce that you could spread on top of anything and make it taste like a sunset in New Mexico–a veritable Tex-Mex fiesta in your mouth. I literally don’t have words to describe it, so I’ll stop trying. Just make this sauce and put it anything remotely Mexican. Prepare for your mind to be blown.
Ingredients:
- 16 oz bottle of ranch dressing (I recommend Hidden Valley)
- 1 can chipotle peppers (check the Mexican aisle)
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1/2 fresh lime
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. chili powder
Empty about half the bottle of ranch into a blender, then add the entire bunch of cilantro (stems and all). Blend until the mixture is homogenous and all the cilantro is pureed.
Remove the seeds and stems from 3-4 chipotle peppers. (I do this by holding them under softly running water and rinsing the seeds off.) Add the peppers to the mixture, and puree again. Add the rest of the ranch. Squeeze the juice of the lime into the mixture. Add approximately 1 teaspoon each of chili powder and cumin. Blend all together.
Add additional peppers, seasoning, and ranch to taste. This is an art, not a science.
Pour the mixture into a larger bottle (as the volume will have expanded a bit). Keep it in the fridge and use it generously on anything that moves slowly. It will last forever.
Common Cook 