RASKA SAUCE

Raska Sauce is the delicious culmination of Hanna's dedication to health, happiness, and the power of food. Hanna, the Founder and Chef behind Raska, firmly believes that "Health is Happiness, and Food is an important way to obtain that happiness." Her culinary journey began with a profound understanding of the complexities of preparing ethnic cuisine, recognizing the time-consuming and detail-oriented nature of crafting these dishes from scratch.

This realization struck a chord with Hanna as she was raising her two children while simultaneously pursuing a full-time education at Colorado State University while working full time. Her unwavering commitment to providing her family with a healthy lifestyle led to the creation of seven exceptional sauces, drawing inspiration from her Ethiopian heritage and her encounters with related cultures.

In the spirit of a culinary alchemist, Hanna dedicated countless hours to blend, cook, and jar these sauces over the weekends, ensuring they were ready to infuse gourmet flavor into her family's meals throughout the month. Thanks to this ingenious technique, preparing healthy, flavorful dishes for her loved ones became efficient and easy, requiring only half an hour to create a gourmet feast.

As word of these exceptional sauces spread, Hanna began sharing them with friends and soon found herself holding cooking classes in the CSU student housing complex. It was during this time that the seed for Raska Sauce was planted, officially coming to life in 2003.

What began as a gesture of love and care for friends and family has now blossomed into a product available in farmers' markets and stores, allowing everyone to savor the flavors born from Hanna's culinary passion and commitment to a healthier, happier life.

What's in Raska Sauce and How to Enjoy It?

Raska Sauce is a tomato-based delight infused with a harmonious blend of garlic and onion, enriched by a carefully curated selection of herbs inspired by the vibrant tapestry of Ethiopian cuisine.

Crafted with an unwavering commitment to quality, our sauce is all-natural, non-GMO, and gluten-free, promising a versatile and unforgettable culinary experience.

Here's a fun tidbit: we proudly use locally produced sunflower oil in our sauce!

What makes Raska Sauce truly special is its ability to transform its flavor profile depending on the dish it accompanies.

For instance, when artfully mixed with caramelized coconut milk and brown sugar, it takes on the essence of some Thai culinary classics. Alternatively, when harmonized with peanut butter, it evokes the vibrant flavors of West African cuisine.

To savor these delectable dishes, we invite you to visit our restaurant, where our chefs skillfully craft these culinary creations. And for those who are inspired to recreate these flavors at home, we've provided some tantalizing recipes below.

Where to Find Our Sauce?

You can purchase a jar of our signature sauce right here at our restaurant.

However, we also encourage you to explore other local stores where Raska Sauce is available. You'll discover our sauce at esteemed locations like The Fort Collins Food Co-op, Ace Hardware, and The Cupboard - just to name a few!

We also offer shipping options and gift baskets for your convenience!

For more details and inquiries, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at 970-581-3894.

Exciting Sauces on the Horizon!

Currently, Raska Sauce is available in both hot and mild variations. If you're new to our sauce, we recommend starting with Mild.

Pro tip: For an added kick, try enhancing the Mild sauce with a dash of cayenne pepper to suit your taste.

But that's not all – we have an array of other tantalizing sauces that we prepare and serve right here at our restaurant. Soon, these delectable creations will be available for you to take home. Our restaurant-exclusive sauces include:

Green "Zee" Sauce: A fresh and raw delight featuring the flavors of jalapeño, ginger, and garlic.
Raska Peanut Sauce: Inspired by West African culinary traditions, this sauce is a true flavor journey.
Raska Caramelized Coconut Cream: A delightful blend of sweet and savory that's sure to captivate your taste buds.

Stay tuned for updates on when these exciting sauces will be ready for you to enjoy at home!

Recipes

Delicious meals that you can cook using Raska Sauce- Hot or Mild.

Lentils (Misr Wat)

1. Heat 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 jar Raska in a pot until it sizzles, stirring constantly.

2. Add 2 cups water & boil.

3. Add 1 lb. washed lentils; simmer until done (45-60 minutes), stirring occasionally.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve with rice or couscous. Garnish with green onion and a sprig of fresh oregano.

Raska Mushrooms

1. Heat 1-2 Tbsp oil in a frying pan.

2. When oil is hot, add 8 oz. sliced mushrooms and 1/2 onion, sliced or chopped. Saute until done, and remove from pan.

3. Mix in 2 more Tbsp oil to pan and 1/4 cup Raska. Heat until simmering.

4. Serve over rice and garnish with fresh basil leaves, parsley, and sliced yellow and red bell peppers.

Grilled Eggplant

1. Wash, then cut 1 small eggplant into 1/2" rounds.

2. Soak in salt water for a few minutes, then drain.

3. Grill until eggplant slices are nicely browned outside.

4. Stir together in a frying pan until hot:

1 Tbsp Raska Sauce
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp Peanut or other oil
2 Tbsp natural peanut butter

5. Add to sauce:

    1/4 – 1/2 T salt
    3 fresh torn basil leaves
    juice of 1/2 lemon
        (or 1 T. vinegar)
    pinch pepper

6. Stir grilled eggplant slices into Raska mixture. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.

7. Pour into serving dish. Drizzle with lemon juice and garnish with cilantro & lemon slices.

8. Serve over rice or couscous.

Raska Sub-Sandwich

1. Cut a baguette to 6”.

2. Layer with:

spinach
lettuce
sliced red/yellow peppers
alfalfa sprouts
tomato slices
1-2 Tbsp Raska
avocado slices

3. Drizzle with olive oil

Raska Rice

1. In a large pot, boil 6 cups of water mixed with 2 Tbsp Raska Sauce.

2. Add 1 1/2 lbs. Basmati (or other rice) to boiling water.

3. Cook about 20-25 minutes, until all water is absorbed.

4. Stir in 1 cup cooked peas and 6-8 cooked baby carrots.

Ethiopian Chicken

1. Heat together in a large pot, until boiling:

3 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp Raska
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch clove
1/2 tsp cardamom

2. Add 1/3 cup coconut milk; boil for about 1 more minute.

3. Add 1 lb. cut up, cooked chicken pieces. Stir and let sauce thicken (about two minutes).

Grilled Raska Salmon

Eggs, Hashbrowns and Raska

Raska Ethiopian Style Eggs

1. Grill salmon and place on a bed of lettuce

2. Grill 1/4 cup chopped onion, mushroom or both and place on top of salmon

3. Simmer in a frying pan for about 2 minutes, then drizzle on salmon, mushrooms, and onions:

    2 Tbsp Raska
    2 Tbsp butter
    1/4 lemon or lime juice, or both
    salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 2 Tbsp oil and 1/2 jar Raska in a skillet.

2. Stir in 1 lb. prepared hashbrowns or "Tater-Tots”.

3. Add 1/4 –1/2 cups water, as needed, and cook mixture until hot.

4. With a spoon, “dig” 5 small holes into the potato mixture; they need to be large enough to each hold an egg.

5. Crack an egg into each hole and continue to cook mixture until eggs are ready to eat.

6. While egg mixture is cooking, chop:

    2 Tbsp. red peppers
    2 Tbsp. yellow peppers
    2 Tbsp. green onion

7. When egg/potato mixture is cooked through, sprinkle with chopped vegetables.

1. Warm half cup Raska Sauce in sauce pan

2. Add two cups diced tomato

3. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil

4. Add Salt and Pepper to taste, if desired

5. Separately, hard-boil about 6 or 7 eggs

6. Peel eggs when finished cooking and add to the sauce.

Serve over Injera (Ethiopian Bread), Rice, Quinoa, or Cuscus