Chef Michele's Adventures: condiments

Showing posts with label condiments. Show all posts

Jun 2, 2007

Homemade Salsa

Salsa is one thing I make very often. We love Mexican food and the stuff in the jar just does not compare to fresh homemade salsa. Normally I like to use fresh tomatoes for this salsa, but I have listed here my recipe using canned tomatoes so that you can prepare this any time of year. For fresh tomatoes, just substitute about 2 cups, chopped. When using fresh I prefer to use Romas .

Homemade Salsa

1 (28 oz. can diced tomatoes) preferably organic or fire roasted for maximum flavor
1/2 can of diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic
4 scallions
2 handfuls fresh cilantro (use leaves and stems)
juice of one key lime or half a regular lime
1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste

Put all ingredients in the food processor or blender and process until slightly chunky but mostly smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This is always better the second day as it gives the flavors time to develop as it rests in the refrigerator.

May 23, 2007

Garlic Olive Oil Bread Dip

One of my husband's favorite restaurants is Carabba's. They serve nice warm sourdough bread with this amazing bread dip that keeps you coming back for more. The last time we had spaghetti I tried to duplicate this dip. The attempt was a success and now I make it as often as we have something to dip. Last night I made it to go with Stromboli and it was excellent. For the Strombolli I just used me pizza dough recipe, made two 8 x 12 rectangles, topped it lightly with sauce and toppings, rolled it up, pinched shut and baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Here's the recipe for the bread dip.

Garlic-Olive Oil Bread Dip

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. course grind black pepper (or freshly ground)
3 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients and mix well. the longer this is allowed to set the more intense the flavor. It can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, but let it come to room temperature before serving. Serve with nice crusty bread or any Italian type bread. It is also wonderful drizzled over pizza or spaghetti.

Dec 17, 2005

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Life would not be complete without ranch dressing... at least not in our house! It's not just for salads. It is a must for pizza, the kids chicken nuggets or just for a dip for chips. I usually buy the bottled variety but homemade is so much better. This recipe is adapted from a Penzey's recipe I found in one of their catalogs.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. water
2/3 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. mayonaise
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Put water in a small bowl and add spices and herbs. Whisk and allow to set for 5 minutes. Pour buttermilk and mayonnaise into a bowl and whisk well. Add water/herb/spice mixture, vinegar, mustard, sugar and salt. Whisk well until smooth. Pout into a jar and shake well. Store in refrigerator for one week.

Nov 16, 2005

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Apple Butter is so easy to make and freezes very well. We love on toast, muffins, bagels or even on pancakes. This will keep for a week in the refrigerator so pack it in small containers and store in the freezer. You can also can this for gift giving.

Crock Pot Apple Butter

4 lbs. cooking apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
3 c. sugar
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice

Put apples and vinegar in crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours. Stir in sugars and spices. Reduce to low, cover and cook 4 more hours. Cool and store as desired.

Jul 16, 2005

Gotta Love Safeway :)

I must sound like a giddy child, LOL! I am still so excited about having our groceries delivered. I did really great this time! All food, paper goods, toiletries, diapers and cleaning supplies for $230. Food was $150 of that and I won't shop again for 2 more weeks.

Tonight I made a beef stir fry for dinner. My 5 yo loves vegetables (praise God!). I made the sauce myself, it was really good.

Stir Fry Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. corn starch
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
dash black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Stir fry lean beef or chicken strips in small amount of oil. Add frozen Japanese Mixture vegetables. Pour in sauce and cover a few moments to allow vegetables to steam. Serve over rice.

Jun 17, 2005

Pico De Gallo

Literally translated, Pico de Gallo means "Rooster's Beak". I prefer this kind of chunky chopped mixture as opposed to the more liquid type of salsa.

Pico De Gallo

5 large tomatoes, chopped
4 scallions or 1 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 small can diced green chilies, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
dash of cumin
juice of half a lime
splash of white vinegar
salt to taste

Combine all in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate at least one hour to allow flavors to develop.

Jun 16, 2005

Guacamole

Guacamole is one of my favorite Mexican condiments. It can be used as a dip for corn chips, to top tacos, on the side with burritos to name a few. This is my mom's recipe, not traditional but very tasty! An easy way to remove the pits from avocados is to cut them in half, twist apart and hit the seed with the blade of a chef's knife. Just a quick twist and the seed pops right out. Then just score the flesh of the avocado, turn it inside out and scrape into a bowl.

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados, peeled and pit removed
1 8 oz. carton sour cream
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp. garlic salt

Mash flesh of avocados along with sour cream, adding sour cream a spoon full at a time. The consistency should be thick, you may not need the entire carton of sour cream. Stir in lemon juice, cheese and garlic salt.

Chef Michele's Adventures