Wonder Paste

Sounds like Shake n’ Bake, right? There has got to be some authentic name for the magic, flavor paste I’m about to introduce you to, but I’d prefer to liken it to that time saving, multi-meat covering, invention of the 1960’s.

Like Shake n’ Bake, Wonder Paste is a blunt culinary tool that can dramatically alter food stuffs with very little effort or skill. It also saves time, has multiple uses and tastes good with chicken or pork-- or tofu, or rice or veggies or whatever.

Here’s what you have to do: Put about 50 cloves of garlic in a blender (Do yourself a favor and buy the pre-peeled stuff), add 1 cilantro and 1 parsley bunch (with the bottom half of the stems removed), toss in a 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, add ½ cup of olive oil, and blend. If your blender is kinda crap like mine, you will have to jab at the mixture to keep it moving while the blender stutters and whirls. If you’re like me, you’re into mad scientist stuff and won’t mind the minute danger one bit.

The result should be a pesto-like paste that drags people to your kitchen by their noses. The closest culinary cousin to Wonder Paste is Puerto Rican sofrito. Their paste of garlic, peppers and onions is often used in soups, rice and bean dishes, and Wonder Paste can be used the same way.


Black Beans: Add 1 ½ tablespoons to a can of black beans with 1/3 cup of water and simmer.

Rice: Add 1 tablespoon for every cup of uncooked rice-- otherwise following cooking instructions listed on packaging.


Soup: Add ½ tablespoon for every cup of broth then add whatever meat or vegetables you like.

This is my first week with Wonder Paste, but I’m sure there is a infinite number of uses.

Keep in mind that the garlic in Wonder Paste needs to cook some before you can get an accurate flavor profile of your dish, so give it a few minutes before you begin to adjust seasons.

Wonder Paste freezes wonderfully.

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36 comments:

  1. Vegan month is the perfect time for this paste because it distracts me for the fact that I haven't had meat, cheese, or ice cream in 17 days!

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  2. I like the idea of wonder paste, it's like a vegetable bouillon to flavor every dish. Looks great!

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  3. I call this flavor punching food, so people like me with HB can eat tasty food with out using salt! Love your post, and Devon you always crack me up with little subtle lines like 'crap like mine'...I think we all have gadgets that need a poke now and then LOL!

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  4. I liked the idea of this wonder paste, and then can be used several different ways...yumyyyy..its perfect....you have a wonderful space here...

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  5. I love the colour of the wonder paste. I believe strongly that if food looks good one is more likely to indulge. You do lovely things here and I visit again real soon.
    Warm regards,
    Simone

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  6. This sounds great and something usable all over the kitchen thanks.

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  7. Amazing paste and the colour is awesome.I think it would work well as a marinade for veggies to be barbequed.Thanks for dropping by my blog hope to see you there again soon.

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  8. this wonder paste is amazing and the coincidence is that I have some in my fridge right this very minute..I will photograph it and post it to show you...

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  9. This totally makes sense to me. Thanks for sharing. 50 garlic cloves, huh?

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  10. Devon, this a "slap your momma" paste-Whew, the garlic!!! Love it.

    I have a crap blender too, and I love to make pesto but, this stuff, this is killer. I have bookmarked it.

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  11. Don't you think all blenders hate it when you dump in herbs and parsley? Eventually, it blends. Sometimes I find it simpler to use my food processor, which doesn't seem to have as many temper tantrums.
    I love your pesto-type combination and think it's fun you call it Wonder Paste! All that garlic...WOW. Can think of lots of ways to use it too. Super recipe, Devon.

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  12. DoggyBloggy,
    What do you use your paste for and what do you call it?

    Fellow Cooks, The amount of garlic seems staggering, but...well yeah it's a lot.

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  13. Well, anything with this much garlic has to be great! I've never heard of this. Boy, have I been missing out!!

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  14. 50 garlics..whoa! I love garlic and am tempted to try this out...

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  15. It's so colorful, I like that green!!!! Very good recipe!

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  16. Is you vegan diet still on? This looks good!

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  17. This is such a great idea to keep in the fridge - looks & sounds yummy, too !

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  18. Daaaaaaaahling, you really should market this, you will be a millionaire :), then you can take me out to dinner (i eat a lot) LOL.
    *kisses* HH

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  19. Happy New Year Dev! This looks great -- I wonder what a little fresh lime juice would do to it. I always think of lime juice when I hear cilantro. Two of my favs. Will try it without first, then maybe do a little side experiment.

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  20. This sounds very interesting and I love the color :-)

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  21. You are so funny! I can just see it now with you as the "mad scientist" and the temperamental blender! It kind of reminds me of the Green Seasoning they use in the Caribbean. Yours sounds wonderful! How long should you store it?

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  22. Wow...that sounds yummy..

    Thank u for u r comment in my blog....the veggie u can in that picture is Indian Brinjal....

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  23. I like the wonder paste- pesto surely is wonderful.

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  24. oh i could see myself using something like this all the time, delicious!

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  25. I am a huge flavor fan :)That sounds incredible!

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  26. i love your wonder paste! looks so delicious!
    yes, you should cook the whole tin for 3 hours. the tin musyt be always well covered with water. it looks strange but tastes soooo good!
    have a nice day and thank you for your visit!
    justyna

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  27. I would love to try this wonder paste, it sounds amazing!

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  28. "Wonder Paste" is going to be used here often!! Thank-you!!!

    Laura

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  29. Wonder Paste looks super-cool! And yes, I bet it spices up Vegan month nicely!

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  30. Wow, this looks fantastic! I use garlic, cilantro and parsley in so many things and you've combined them into one. The ingredients for wonder paste are on my shopping list. Thanks.

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  31. I want wonder paste - NOW! Wow, I love everything about this - cilantro is probably my favorite herb - thank you for this!!

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  32. I use it the same way - in soups or in beans - it is like a sofrito and like a pesto but I dont really call it anything...time to name my paste.

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  33. This is definitely going to drag people to your kitchen alright! I love garlic and it's great to know that wonder paste freezes well.
    I was thinking maybe rub it onto some fish with other spices and grilling it?

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  34. Looks amazing. Thanks for the link on the bottom -- it's great.

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FOOD IS ONE OF THE MOST VISCERAL ASPECTS OF A CULTURE; IT CAN BE EXPERIENCED WITH NO LANGUAGE SKILLS, NO GUIDE, AND MOST TIMES WITH VERY LITTLE MONEY.