Category: SAUCES, SEASONINGS, DRESSINGS, DIPS, RELISHES, GRAVIES & RUBS

RUSTIC APPLE DUMPLINGS with MOCHA CARAMEL SAUCE

I made a less than appetizing dinner the other night trying to clean out the refrigerator and while hubby was as diplomatic as possible, I felt bad. He has always been a wonderful guinea pig. So I had 2 apples and a can of refrigerator biscuits that all still needed to be used. Here is what I made:


RUSTIC APPLE DUMPLINGS with MOCHA CARAMEL SAUCE

I peeled, cored and chopped the apples. Next time I’ll add rum soaked raisins.
Then I sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar and tossed them well.

I flattened each of the biscuits with a little additional flour.
Topped 5 of them with the apple mixture.

Then draped the apple mixture with another flattened biscuit.
I brushed each one with butter, sprinkled with a little cinnamon sugar and baked 10-12 minutes.

After they were baked I topped them with Mocha Caramel sauce and voile’ my family loved me again. Next time I will also add a creme chantilly sauce.

CREME CHANTILLY SAUCE
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon apple brandy 
1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons sugar

  • Beat cream in medium sized chilled bowl with chilled beaters until soft peaks form.
  • Ad brandy and sugar to taste, beating until stiff peaks form. DO NOT OVER BEAT!
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.

MOCHA CARAMEL SAUCE

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

  • Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat.
  • In a medium saucepan cook the corn syrup over a medium heat until bubbly. Fold in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to cook until the edges begin to turn a light amber color. Add in 1/4 cup sugar more and repeat until all the sugar is blended in. Continue cooking until amber color darkens stirring constantly.
  • Remove from the heat and carefully fold in the cream mixture.
  • Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until caramel is bubbling.
  • Toss in the milk chocolate chips and blend until smooth.
  • Serve warm.

Chicken & Tomato Spinach Salad w/ Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

Chicken & Tomato Spinach Salad w/ Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
8 ounces baby spinach leaves
2 tomatoes, wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch green onions, halved and sliced thin
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons safflower oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon  rice wine vinegar
2 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon basil paste
salt and pepper to taste

  • Whisk together the safflower oil, Juice of 2 lemons, tarragon vinegar, rice wine vinegar, minced thyme, garlic and basil paste. Set aside.
  • Over a medium high heat melt butter.
  • Saute chicken pieces, salt and peppering to taste until tender and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
  • Toss together spinach leaves and onions with the dressing.
  • Add chicken and toss again.
  • Arrange salad in bowl and top with tomato wedges.

Bleu cheese crumbles add another layer of flavor.

SWEET & SOUR CITRUS SALAD DRESSING

SWEET & SOUR CITRUS DRESSING
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup peanut oil

  • Blend all ingredients except the oils until smooth and well mixed.
  • Slowly add the olive and vegetable oils until well blended.
  • Toss with salad.
  • Store remaining dressing in the refrigerator.

CAJUN COCKTAILS SAUCE and a CUTE way to serve it

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon (save your rind to make the cute serving dish)
2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Frank’s red pepper hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste

  • I use my mini food processor to mix it all in until well blended.
  • Chill for a day or so before needed to allow flavors to meld together.

BALSAMIC BERRY SAUCE

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup fresh blackberries, pureed large
8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained slightly
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the berries, pineapple, sugar, and balsamic vinegar.
  • Cook until the strawberries are heated through and darkened to a deep purple.
  • Spoon berries over shortcake or ice cream and serve.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

 CRANBERRY SAUCE
1/2 cup orange juice with pulp*
1/2 cup pineapple juice*
1 bag cranberries
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange peel
  • Wash cranberries and drain in colander. 
  • Mix orange juice and sugar in saucepan until dissolved. 
  • Add cinnamon and orange peel. Stir well.
  • Add the cranberries and simmer over medium high heat until bubbling, stirring often. 
  • When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat. 
  • Cook uncovered or until all cranberries have ’popped’. 
  • Sauce will thicken as it cools. 
  • Can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for future holidays.

Yields: 2 cups
*You can use ALL orange juice if you prefer

***I like to make a double batch at Thanksgiving and freeze half for Christmas.
 

ARTICHOKE HEART VINAIGRETTE

I can see the headlines now, A YUMMY FIND at the thrift store yields great recipes!  Now I have modernized them to my family’s likes, but they were pretty good to begin with.
ARTICHOKE HEART VINAIGRETTE
1 can (1 lb) artichoke hearts 9 ounce baby artichoke hearts
1/3 cup white vinegar champagne vinegar
2/3 cup salad oil 1/2 cup light olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
dash pepper 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon parsley
1 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • Drain artichoke hearts.
  • Combine remaining ingredients and shake until well blended.
  • Puree’ artichoke hearts.
  • Pour over artichoke hearts, cover and place in refrigerator to marinate several hours. 
  • Add all other ingredients and puree’ until well blended. 
  • Chill.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup water

  • Mix all the dry ingredients together and use with your taco meat. 
  • Pour the water in the pan and cook just like you would for tacos. 
  • The amount above is the same amount that is in one packet of taco seasoning mix at the store.

TOASTED CREAM CHEESE CROUTONS with MIXED GREEN SALAD

I found the recipe for the croutons in some magazine. It was from Kraft, but fell in love with it and immediately adapted to our favorite salad. You can also make lots of the cream cheese croutons in advance and just pull out as many as you need each meal.

Romaine hearts, chopped

grape tomatoes, halved
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
English cucumber, sliced & chopped
kiwi, chopped
pomegranate seeds
Philadelphia cream cheese
walnuts, finely chopped (I used my mini food processor)
cream cheese croutons

  • Cut the cream cheese into 1/2 inch cubes.
  • Coat cream cheese cubes with the walnut pieces.
  • Freeze overnight or up to 2 months.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare salad.
  • Spray cookie sheet with PURE.
  • Remove as many cream cheese cubes as you need 5 minutes before baking them.
  • Spread out the cream cheese cubes.
  • Bake for 5 minutes until golden brown.
  • Toss salad with vinaigrette and top with croutons.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green onion, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
3/4 cup olive or peanut oil

  • In a dressing bottle combine the garlic and onion. sugars, salt and pepper.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, oil, sugars, salt and pepper.
  • Pour over the garlic and onion.
  • Shake well to combine until well blended.

HERB BUTTER

HERB BUTTER
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
dash cayenne pepper

  • With an electric mixer blend together until well blended.
  • Form into shape and chill until firm.  (I use an old Tupperware butter tray lined with plastic wrap)
  • Transfer to your decorative tray and serve.

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN with PEPPERED GRAVY, Family Favorite Mashed Potatoes and Sugared Carrots

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN
2 large boneless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2-4 tablespoons butter (enough to keep chicken from burning~add as necessary)

  • Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts.
  • In a shallow glass pan, pour buttermilk over chicken 1-2 hours prior to cooking.
  • Make sure to coat chicken well and turn at least once during soaking.
  • Drain, but do NOT rinse the buttermilk off.
  • In a medium sized fry pan melt the butter over medium heat. As butter melts and begins to very slightly sizzle, prepare breasts.
  • In a small ziploc bag mix together the flour, salt and pepper.
  • One at a time, put each chicken breast in bag and coat well with flour mix and then into sizzling butter.
  • Cook on one side until edges begin to bleed and then turn.
  • About 6 minutes each side depending on plumpness.
  • Keep chicken warm.

PEPPERED GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper + (to taste)

  • Melt butter into bottom of pan you just cooked the chicken in.
  • Scrape up any of the chicken pieces and mix into new butter.
  • Add flour slowly, stirring until absorbed by butter and golden brown.
  • Slowly add first the milk and then the cream.
  • Stir constantly until thickens.
  • If necessary sprinkle in more Wondra until desired thickness is reached.
  • Serve over chicken and mashed potatoes.

FAMILY FAVORITE MASHED POTATOES
4 large Yukon potatoes, peeled & quartered
4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/4 + buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter
salt & pepper to taste

  • Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender.
  • Drain.
  • Mash all together salt and peppering to taste.

SUGARED CARROTS
1 small bag baby carrots, washed
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons PURE maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Blanche carrots in sugared water until just tender.
  • Drain.
  • Blend together brown sugar, maple syrup and butter.
  • Toss with carrots.
  • Bake 20 minutes.

GOURMET SLIDERS w/ TARRAGON CREAM SAUCE & BROWN BUTTER BEANS

GOURMET SLIDERS  w/ TARRAGON CREAM SAUCE & BROWN BUTTER BEANS
SLIDERS
3 pounds ground beef
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 small garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces Havarti, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • Gently combine meat, eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper with your hands. (Do not over mix).
  • Form scant 1/4 cupfuls of meat mixture into about 30 meatballs. Push a cheese cube into center of each ball and encase meat around cheese, then slightly flatten each ball to a 2-inch diameter.
  • Grill on each side to desired temperature.

SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
3 green onions, minced

  • Melt butter until sizzling.
  • Add onions and tarragon sauteing until onions are opaque.
  • Add wine and vinegar, bring to a slow boil.
  • Reduce heat, add heavy cream and cook until sauce thickens.

BROWN BUTTER BEANS
4 cups trimmed green beans
2 green onions, minced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup grape tomatoes halved
salt and pepper to taste

  • Blanch beans for 3-5 minutes in a pan of boiling water.
  • Drain and set aside.
  • Melt butter in sauce pan until sizzling.
  • Add onions and garlic and stir until fragrant.
  • Add lemon juice to deglaze pan.
  • Add beans and tomatoes, toss to coat.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.