Sauces
Making Homemade Spicy Catsup and a Visit from the Fire Department
Jan 23rd
I had gotten a jar of this spicy catsup from a client along with the recipe. Once the jar was opened, it didn’t last that long. It was awesome. So my friend Kirstin and I made plans to make it ourselves.
Kirstin and I got together today at her house to make homemade spicy catsup. Well, it was a very exciting day… Before I share the recipe, I wanted to tell you our tale. I hope you don’t skip ahead and just get the recipe because it is kind of humorous. Although maybe at the time it wasn’t that funny.
We got everything in the pot and put it on a low simmer for 2 hours.
Next we put our lunch in the oven to warm up and headed downstairs to watch Downton Abbey. That’s when all of the fun began…
The smoke alarm goes off. Kirstin goes upstairs to see what’s going on and discovers that it is really the carbon monoxide alarm. As she’s looking up what to do on the internet, I call my husband to see if he can help us. The internet said to open the windows to air the house out and my hubby told us to press the button on the alarm to see if it will reset.
A few minutes later not only does the the alarm on the main level go off again but the one downstairs does too. A little nervous and shaky at this point, Kirstin looks for one cat while I put the other cat in the carrier because we gotta get out of there.
She grabs the phone and one cat (we couldn’t find the other one) and we go out back. Luckily we grabbed our coats too because it’s cold….brrr. Now, I too am starting to feel dizzy. Kirstin calls 911.
A few minutes later, we hear the sirens in the distance. Kirstin says, “it’s kind of strange when you hear the sirens and you know that they are coming to your house.” “Yup” was all I could get out.
The next thing we know, they are walking through the front door and head off in different direction. Two come out back and start asking us questions about what we were doing, etc.
Because we said that we were dizzy, they wanted to check us out in the ambulance even though we said that it could be because we were hungry or the power of suggestion for the CO.
As one technician is checking our oxygen and CO levels (both were normal for both of us), another technician comes tells us they can’t really find anything, asks us more questions about what we were doing all while taking our blood pressure which turn out to be a little high. When he found out we were making homemade spicy catsup he perked up. (I think we might have to take them a jar or two).
Now one of the firemen come in the ambulance and says that all the readings are within normal range, but they are puzzled why both alarms went off.
We had to sign our life away ~ really that we refused to go to the hospital for treatment and then they released us because other than our blood pressure readings being through the roof, we were fine. I was actually still feeling a little dizzy but I wasn’t about to tell them that.
Back inside, we put the pot of catsup back on to simmer, ate our lunch and watched Downton Abbey and waited until it was time to put the catsup in the jars.
I will always remember this day of catsup making and being rescued by the fire department.
Homemade Spicy Catsup
Yields: 9 pints or 18 half-pints
Ingredients:
4 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
4 large onions, pureed
1 1/2 Tablespoons pickling spices
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 1/2 Tablespoons horseradish
4-5 large garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes (if you don’t want it too spicy, cut this in half)
1 pint cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups sugar (we used sugar in the raw)
NOTE: All spices should be heaping measures.
Directions:
Puree onions in Food Processor. Put pickling spices in cheese cloth and tie with kitchen twine. Mix all ingredients together in large pot. Simmer for 2 hours uncovered or until desired thickness, stirring occasionally.
Pour into pint (or half-pint) jars and seal them.
Submerge sealed jars in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Let sit in water for additional 5 minutes.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor on burgers, fries or whatever your heart desires.
Garlic Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Sep 14th
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Greek plain yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves
3/4 oz mint leaves (1 big handful)
5 sprigs of Thyme
cilantro leaves, small handful
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts for garnish
Directions:
In small skillet, toast pine nuts for about 5 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Put all the ingredients except the pine nuts in a blender. Puree until smooth. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top and drizzle with olive oil.
Lemon Caper Sauce
Jul 16th
Want a light sauce for your salmon cakes or grilled fish? This lemon caper sauce is sure to please.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Raspberry Lavender Jam
Jul 15th
A few years ago, I was visiting my friend in Seattle and she took me Gray Marsh Farms where you can pick your own lavender, raspberries and blueberries. So that’s just what we did…
We picked lavender
lots of lavender…
We also picked lots of berries … both raspberries
and blueberries
They also had some prepared products for purchase. I bought some of their Raspberry Lavender Preserves. It was so good, I wish I would have bought two jars. I was very sad when I finished the jar…that is until I saw Giada de Laurentiis make Mixed Berry and Thyme Jam on the Food Network. As I’m watching the show, I’m thinking to myself…wow, that looks easy. Maybe I can substitute lavender for thyme and raspberries for the mixed berries. I had frozen raspberries in the freezer and culinary lavender in the pantry. Yup, I thought to myself, I’m going to try it.
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen raspberries
1 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1/2 a large lemon)
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped culinary lavender
Directions:
Place the berries in a medium saucepan. Using a potato masher, lightly mash the berries. Add the maple syrup, lemon juice, orange juice, and lavender. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours (the jam will continue to thicken as it cools). Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
I originally made this recipe back in the summer but recently made it again because I wanted to use some when I made Melissa’s (from ChinDeep) CanCan Tea Cakes (gluten free, of course).
Avocado Cream
Jul 14th
Ingredients
One 6-ounce ripe Haas avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (about 1 large lime)
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1 large lime, zested
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a food processor, blend the avocado, parsley, broth, olive oil, lime juice, garlic and lime zest until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Mustard Chive Sauce
May 16th
Adding sauces to food can make a healthy food, full of calories and perhaps a little less healthy. Here is a low calorie sauce that you can use on fish, chicken, salmon cakes or crab cakes.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup plain, organic Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons local honey (or agave nectar)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, honey, and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and chives. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Have a healthy sauce you like? Please share in the comments.
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Pomegranate Dijon Sauce
Mar 22nd
Ingredients
1 tablesppon hemp oil (or coconut oil)
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 cloves garlic minced
½ cup pomegranate juice
1 cup vegetable stock
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cold Earth Balance buttery spread (or butter)
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)
Salt
Black pepper
Directions
Heat oil in skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until shallots start to soften. Add the pomegranate juice and stock and turn the heat up to high. Simmer until the sauce is reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and whisk in the mustard and Earth Balance buttery spread. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve sauce over chicken or steaks.
Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe
Mar 22nd
This recipe for fresh basil pesto takes about 10 minutes prep time and yields 1 cup.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves
juice from 1/2 lemon (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Special equipment needed: A food processor (Check Amazon.com’s sales on Cuisinart food processors)
Directions
1. Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic and lemon juice, pulse a few times more.
2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.
