A different kind of pizza......continued

Last week, I was working on some sauce recipes for my book and was playing with traditional mole` ingredients.  What I was looking for was a simple sauce with great flavor.  As I looked at various mole`s, I realized that I could significantly reduce the number of ingredients, simplify the sauce and use it for something other than a condiment for roasted meats or tamales.  Now, don't get me wrong..... I adore mole`, it is a complex sauce and I don't always have the time to devote to making it.  So, I came up with the following 2 sauces and strained them to make them nice and smooth.  I know you will enjoy these recipes.

For the red sauce:

1 bag (about 16 ounces) of dried ancho chiles or other spicy red chiles that have been dried.

Remove the seed pods, seeds and the veins, place in a large pan with enough water to cover

Add 1 medium yellow onion, cut into chunks

6 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper

Cover and bring to a simmer, and let cook for 45 minutes

Remove the cover and let cool for about an hour

In a blender, add the solid ingredients to about half way up the container, add 1/2 cup of the liquid, cover and blend until smooth.  You may or may not need a little more liquid

Using a wire mesh strainer over a deep bowl, pour the contents from the blender into the strainer and stir until only the solids remain in the strainer.  Discard the solids and repeat the process with the remaining peppers, onions and garlic.  Stir and taste for seasoning.  If you like a little sweetness to the red sauce, you can add either agave syrup or a touch of honey.  Taste for seasoning.

For the green sauce:

Roast, peel, seed and devein 8 poblano peppers and place them in the blender

1 medium yellow onion, cut into chunks and sauteed in 2 Tablespoons olive oil until soft

3 cloves of garlic, chopped and sauteed in 2 teaspoons olive oil until soft

1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed and chopped

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cracked black pepper

1 cup water

Pour in 1/2 cup of water, half of the remaining ingredients and process all the ingredients in the blender in batches.  You may or may not need a little more water.

Using a wire mesh strainer over a deep bowl, pout the contents from the blender into the strainer and stir to remove any solids.

For the Pizza:

Preheat the oven to 350' F

Using a Mediterranean or Eastern Indian naan, place 1/4 to 1/3 cup of your choice of sauce on the bread and spread it over the surface.  You may or may not need a little more sauce.

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Sliced purple onion

Shredded chicken, cooked chorizo or other choice of meat

Sliced black olives

Crumbled queso fresco

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the pizza crust is crisp and the toppings are heated through.

Drizzle on some crema Mexicana, chopped cilantro and add sliced avocado and enjoy.

From  the heart of my purple kitchen to you!!!

S.