Extra’s
Here’s a bunch of stuff that will give your dishes that extra something something.
This pasta sauce is very simple and easy to make. It's always a hit at home and it there is always leftovers for lunch the next day. Because the ingredients are simple and few, it's important to get the best stuff.
Ingredients
- 1 - 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 - 15oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 - 12oz can of to chicken broth
- 6 large cloves of garlic, sliced thin
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, grated fine
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1-2 tsp oregano (I never measure)
- 1-2 tsp basil (there about)
- 2 Tbs Olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
Steps
- Take a large pot and heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. When heated add the sliced Garlic and stir till starting to brown. Immediately take out all the garlic and set aside. This is important and will give your whole sauce fabulous garlic flavor.
- Add the onions, shredded carrot and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium and sweat the veggies till translucent. Add back the garlic and continue to stir.
- Add the flour and stir till combined. You are making a roux here. Cook the roux-veggie mixture till it starts to take on a light brown color and then deglaze the pot with the chicken broth.
- Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil stirring continuosly.
- Add the oregano, basil, cayenne and cracked pepper at this point.
- Boil till the mixture gets really thick.
- Add the can of crushed tomatoes and the can of diced tomatoes.
- Cook for 30-45 minutes on very low heat uncovered.
- season to taste.
Notes
I've been known to add other ingredients to see how it'll affect the final flavor. Here are some good additions
- Tabasco
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Capers
- Olives
- Wine, Red or White (switch out the chicken broth and add white wine for a really great flavor!)
- Parsley
If you have it in your fridge and you think the tastes go together, give it a try and see how it tastes. Your options are unlimited!
Tags: Garlic, Onions, Tomatoes
Delicious and fresh Guacamole recipe. Very easy and ALWAYS a hit. Serve with some chips, or add it to a sandwich for a tasty twist.
Ingredients
- 4-6 ripe Avocados, diced chunky
- 1 medium Red Onion, diced small
- 1-2 medium Tomatoes, de-seeded and diced small
- 1 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro, Chopped fine
- 1 head of Roasted Garlic
- 1 lime, juiced
- Crushed Red Pepper, optional
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Assembly
- Start by roasting the garlic in the oven.
- Dice the Red Onion, Tomatoes and Cilantro and place in the serving bowl. Add the Lime juice and stir a little. Add crushed red pepper, if you want.
- Add the avocados and roasted garlic to the bowl. Mix until you get the consistency you want. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Lime juice is very important because it will stop the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown. Once made, it'll keep in the fridge for a day or two if you plastic wrap it leaving no air between the wrap and the guacamole.
Tags: Avocado, Cilantro, Crushed Red Pepper, Limes, Red Onion, Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes
PRE-PREP:
- Place oven rack in middle of oven
- Preheat oven to 350
- Grease bread pan
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ cup bran/wheat germ (optional)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 Tbsp milk (optional)
- 3 bananas, ripe/mashed (about 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups mashed banana)
- 1 cup blueberries
- ½ cup chopped nuts walnuts/pecans
DIRECTIONS:
- Sift the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg) in a bowl.
- Add bran/wheat germ to the sifted ingredients and set aside.
- Mash the bananas in a large bowl and mix in the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla & milk.
- Add the flour ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir in, mixing well.
- Add the blueberries & nuts if you are going to use them.
- Spoon the batter into the greased bread pan.
- Bake 1 hour at 350. Always set the timer for 45 minutes and start looking at it through the oven window to avoid burning it. Bread is done when a toothpick or butter knife inserted in top comes out clean.
- Let bread sit in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out.
- Banana bread freezes well, so you can make them as you have ripe bananas and store the loaves!
Tags: Bananas, Blueberries, Bran, Cinnamon
Gaby - Sorry, but I have no specific recipe for applesauce.
I do know, thanks to Nathan putting garlic powder in the pot when I was cooking it once (he was much younger and had a lot of enthusiasm, but less cooking savvy) that garlic powder is NOT a good ingredient for your normal applesauce…
I usually am inspired to make applesauce because I have apples that have been in the refrigerator a little too long and are no longer crispy enough to eat raw.
I guess tart apples like Granny Smith are better if you are going to buy new apples, but honestly I don’t think it matters. However, I never buy Red Delicious for anything.
So, peel however many apples you have – let’s say 6 apples - quarter them, and then cut them into little chunks. I do this directly into the pot I am going to cook the applesauce in.
Add say ¼ cup sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, dash of cloves & 1 tsp vanilla. (You can always add more of these things, but you can’t take them out, so don’t put too much.)
Maybe add maybe ¼ cup or so of water so you don’t scorch the pot when you first start cooking it. Apples make their own liquid once they start cooking.
Bring to a boil and turn to a low heat.
Cook for a few minutes and taste, at this point test for flavor and add sugar or spices if necessary.
Continue cooking until the apples are the texture you like them – maybe 15 to 30 minutes or so – don’t let them dry out. Add water if you need to.
Be careful, because once you get the apples & sugar cooking, it can be like molten lava!
There you have it. XXOO
Tags: Apples, Cinnamon, Cloves, Sugar
These are delicious and easy to make. Just stick to a couple basic techniques and you will have fluffy biscuits each time! Plus they make the whole house smell fantastic!
The most important thing about making biscuits, is to keep the ingredients as cold as possible before putting them in the oven. The butter has to stay cold throughout or you wont get flaky biscuits!
Ingredients
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbs Sugar
- 3/4 cup Cheddar, grated
- 1/4 cup Parmigian, grated
- 1 stick butter, cubed and kept cold
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk, kept cold
Directions
Preheat oven to 450F and line a cookie sheet with some wax paper.
Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl(Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Sugar). If you have a Kitchen Aide mixer, that's the best. Add the cold cubed butter into the mixing bowl and mix with the Kitchen Aide wire mixer until the butter has been incorporated into the flour. It is very important that the butter is added cold and kept cold. After the butter has been cut into the flour, set aside in the fridge to keep it cool. If you don't have a Kitchen Aide mixer, you can cut the flour with a fork using some muscle.
Grate the cheddar and mix it with a little flour so that it wont stick together into a small bowl. Add the grated Parmigian into the bowl.
Combine the dry ingredients with the cheese and mix briefly with a wooden spoon. With the kitchen aide bread attachment mixer add the cold buttermilk to the dry ingredients until a bread ball forms. Or mix them together with a wooden spoon and again some muscle. You want to mix till it just until a bread ball forms. Do NOT over work the dough as it will melt the cold butter.
Take the ball and knead on a floured surface for just a minute or two. Roll the dough so the dough is evenly spread out about 1/2 an inch thick(no one is measuring). Then either cut it into squares or take a glass cup and make circular biscuits.
Place biscuits on the cookie sheet with the wax paper. Brush a little cold water on the top of each biscuit and sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Take out and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. You can keep it warm by placing it in a hand towel lined bowl, covered.
Delicious.
Tags: Butter, Buttermilk, Flour, Parmesan
Nothing better for the holidays then some homemade 'nog. Impress them with your holiday cheer and you'll have them come back for more!
Ingredients
- 12 egg yolks
- 12 egg whites
- 1&1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 quart bourbon
- 1 pint rum
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 1 quart milk
- nutmeg
Instructions
Beat 12 egg yolks until light. Gradually add 1&1/2 cups sugar and beat until mixture is thick and pale. Chill, then slowly beat in 1/2 quart bourbon and 1 pint rum. With a wire, beat in 1 quart each of heavy cream which has been whipped slightly and 1 quart milk. Fold in 12 egg whites, stiffly beaten, and sprinkle the surface of the eggnog with nutmeg.
Thick and rich like ice cream. Has a real Kick!
Tags: Bourbon, Cream, Eggs, Milk, Nutmeg, Rum
This is a greek sauce and is absolutely fresh and fantastic. The cucumber realy adds a great fresh flavor.
Ingredients
- 32 oz Whole Milk Yogurt, greek style if you can find it.
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled
- 2 cucumbers
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 2 or 3 cloves garlic minced as fine as you can
- 1/4 Tbs Coriander
- 1/4 Tbs Cumin
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Some chives(optional)
Instructions
- Start off by taking the onion and shredding it with the finest side of your grater, practically juicing it into the bowl that you will make the Tzatsiki sauce in. Then take 1 cucumber that is peeled and seeded and do the same.
- Put the yogurt into the bowl and add the lemon juice, garlic, coriander and cumin. Stir and mix.
- Peel and take the seeds out of the other cucumber as well. Cut the cucumber into small chunks and add to the Tzatsiki along with some chopped chives.
- Salt&Pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving so the flavors have time to come together.
Tags: Coriander, Cucumber, Cumin, Garlic, Lemon, Onions, Yogurt
This is a great drink that's got a small kick, depending on how much tabasco you add. I advise very little at first and then taste it to see if you personally want more. Once you add it....you can't take it back!
- 1 part White Tequila
- 1 part Vodka
- 2 parts OJ
- 2 parts Lemonade
- 2 parts Sprite
- 1-Dash Tabasco
Just stir and drink! The better the ingredients, the better the drink!
Salud!
Tags: Lemonade, Orange Juice, Sprite, Tabasco, Tequila, Vodka
1 Bag Bridgford Frozen Bread (3 Loaf pack)
Pam or any other pan spray.
Method:
Take the bread from the package and put it on a spray coated backing sheet and spray the frozen loaves as well. Let the bread sit until it is soft enough to cut then cut the loaf into 6 even portions. Place the bread pieces back on the baking sheet with the coldest side up and spray it again to keep the bread from getting a crust. Cover the dough pieces loosley with plastic wrap and let them set until they rise.
Take a risen dough ball and press it out on the back of an oiled dough sheet, spreading out the dough evenly. When you have the dough pressed out flat, spray it.
Heat a large skillet to a medium high heat. Pick up the bread dough by the edges and place it, spray side down into the skillet. Spray the top of the bread and press it down with a spatula. Check the bottom of the bread, if it looks good, flip it over and press it one more time. If it looks good, turn the bread out onto a plate or serving platter.
This all goes very quick once you have the method down but you will still burn a few. I cook them last so that they are hot and VERY fresh.
Suggestions:
Spread toppings on the hot bread, like Pesto, Garlic Butter, Tomato Sauce, you name it!
You can serve these with tappas or an assortment of spreads.
They also make great pizza crusts!!
Makes 18 Portions
Tags: Bridgford Frozen Bread
You can make this sauce in less time then it takes to cook the pasta!
Ingredients
1 Jar Your favorite Prepared Pasta Sauce
1 Sm. Carton Heavy Cream
1 5or6 Oz Tub Asiago Cheese (grated or shredded) You can sub Gorganzola for Asiago!
Method:
In a 2 Qt. sauce pan add pasta sauce, cream and cheese. Cook the mixture over medium high heat, (stirring the whole time), until the cheese has melted.
Serve over 1 pound of any cooked pasta you wish!
To make this sauce deadly, add Baby Peas and Diced Ham!
Try it with cooked Sausage, Chicken or Seafood as well.
Garnish with fresh Basil!
I call this a Blushing Alfredo Sauce as well.
Serves 6
Tags: Asiago Cheese, Cream, Pasta Sauce
These margaritas are a surefire hit. Loaded with good cranberry juice, these will get any party started. This recipe is really for about 1-2 drinks. I like to make a lot and put it into a big pitcher to serve when needed from the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 parts good tequila
- 1 part fresh lime juice
- 1 part orange liquor(triple sec, grand marnier)
- 1 part 100% cranberry juice(do not use cocktails)
- 1/2 part simple syrup
- lime wedge for garnish
- lots of ice
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Serve with or without ice and a lime garnish
NOTE: Do NOT use cocktail mixture for the cranberry juice. Use only those that say 100% cranberry juice. If the ingredients has corn syrup and you use it, you will be sorry.
NOTE: When making the simple syrup I recommend adding lime zest to it so that it enhances it's flavor. Just make sure to strain it before using.
NOTE: The more simple syrup you add the sweeter it will be. My advice is to test it out with a little and if you need more add more to your liking.
Tags: Cranberry Juice, Limes, Orange Liquor, Tequila
Ingredients
|
|
3 cups
3 Tbsp
12 oz.
¼ cup
|
Flour, self rising
Sugar, white
Beer, room temperature
Margarine, melted
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Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 325o.
-
Grease & flour a loaf pan.
-
Mix flour, sugar & beer together (original recipe says to mix them IN the loaf pan) and place in the loaf pan.
-
Bake for 40 minutes
-
Melt margarine and pour over the bread mixture, and bake 15 minutes longer.
NOTE
- Use a light colored beer – this recipe was written before microbrewery beer became popular!
- You can make this with wheat or rye flour using 2 cups of wheat/rye flour and 1 cup of the self rising flour.
Tags: Beer, Flour Self-Rising
Ingredients:
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate morsels
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt (omit if you use salted butter)
- 1 1/2 cups flour
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350
- Smash bananas with fork and mix well with melted butter in a large bowl
- Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt
- Next mix in the flour and finally add in the mini morsels
- Bake for 50 minutes- bread is done when toothpick comes out dry
- Let cool and enjoy!
Donna tip: Try slicing and freezing individual pieces. Microwave for 30 seconds for a great treat anytime!
Tags: Bananas, Flour
Ingredients
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|
1 cup
2 cups
2 cups
3
1 Tbsp
½ cup
3 cups
1 tsp
1 tsp
¼ tsp
1 tsp
|
Oil
Sugar
Zucchini, grated
Eggs
Vanilla
Nuts, chopped
Flour
Salt
Baking soda
Baking powder
Cinnamon
|
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 325o.
-
Grease & flour 2 loaf pans.
-
Combine oil & sugar and let stand 10 minutes.
-
Combine & add wet ingredients: zucchini, eggs, vanilla & nuts, and mix by hand.
-
Combine & sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, & cinnamon, then add to the wet ingredients and mix by hand.
-
Pour mixture into two loaf pans and bake for 1 – 1 ½ hours.
Tags: Eggs, Flour, Zucchini
Ingredients
|
1 cup
¼ cup
2 ½ cups
1 Tbsp
½ tsp
½ tsp
¼ cup
3
1 ½ cups
1 cup
¾ cup
|
Onion, chopped
Margarine
Bisquick
Snipped parsley
Dried basil leaves
Dried thyme leaves
Milk
Eggs
Zucchini, shredded
Cheddar cheese
Toasted almonds
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Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400o.
-
Grease & flour 9 X 1 ½" round pan (or square) pan.
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Saute onion in the margarine until tender & cool slightly.
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Combine onion mixture, Bisquick, parsley, basil, thyme, milk & eggs and beat vigorously, by hand for about 1 minute.
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Stir in the zucchini, cheddar cheese & almonds.
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Spread mixture in the baking pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean – about 40 minutes
-
Cool slightly & remove from the pan.
-
Best served warm though.
NOTE
You can substitute a small amount of shredded carrots for an equal amount of the zucchini if you want.
Tags: Cheddar Cheese, Zucchini
Cousin Fred gave me this recipe in 1973
Ingredients
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3 cups
4-6
5 cups
4 oz.
1 pint
½ gal
|
Water
Vanilla beans, whole
Sugar, brown
Coffee, instant, dried
Brandy
Vodka
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Instructions
-
You are going to need 4-6 bottles of some sort to pour the mixture in.
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Split the vanilla beans lengthwise.
-
In a large pot, bring the water, sugar & vanilla beans to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
-
Mix the coffee in while the mixture is still hot.
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Take the pot off the stove and cool before adding brandy & vodka.
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Put one of the vanilla beans in each bottle and pour the mixture over it.
Tags: Brandy, Coffee, Vanilla Beans-Whole, Vodka
Ingredients
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|
1 16oz. can
1 16oz. can
1 lime
1 med
1 lge bunch
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Diced Tomatoes w/Zesty Jalapenos
Medium chunky salsa
Juice from one lime
Red Onion, diced
Cilantro, washed, dried & diced
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Instructions
-
Just combine all the ingredients and enjoy!
-
Keep refrigerated.
-
Worth the effort because the extra ingredients make it is so much better than plain salsa out of the jar.
Tags: Cilantro, Limes, Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 tbs Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Diced Onion
- 3 tbs Chopped Garlic
- 1 tsp dried Oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3 tbs Flour
- 5 tbs Hot Chili Powder
- 1&1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 square semi sweet chocolate(1oz)
- 14 tsp ground cinamon
Instructions
- Saute the onion and garlic in the oil along with the cumin and oregano.
- Stir in flour and chili powder to make a quick roux.
- Whisk in the broth and add chocolate.
- Once the chocolate has melted, you can blend the sauce with a hand blender to get a smooth sauce.
Tags: Chicken Broth, Chili Powder, Chocolate
Ingredients
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4
4 sets
1 quart
1 quart
½ cup salt
16
12
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Quart sized mason canning jars
Lids with sealing rings
Water
Vinegar, cider
Salt
Bell peppers, sliced lengthwise
We always used green bell peppers
Garlic, whole cloves
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Instructions
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Prepare 4 quart jars w/ring seals – Keep hot so they are sterilized. Grandma always kept her big, black metal baking dish on a burner, with water simmering in it. She turned the jars upside down inside the pan, along with the lids & rings, and kept them there on a very low heat until they were packed.
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Boil the water, vinegar & salt together for 1 minute and then keep hot and ready.
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Wash & slice the bell peppers, then pack tightly into 4 hot-sterilized quart jars, putting 3 whole garlic cloves in each jar. Kind of tricky because the jars are hot.
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Pour hot water/vinegar/salt solution over the bell peppers.
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Seal jars immediately with ring lids. NOTE: I don’t know how long it takes for the bell peppers to be considered “pickled”.
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These are served along with dinner in Italian households.
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In the “Olden Days” the whole family worked on this together. Grandpa even helped by packing jars. He usually was able to get a box of bell peppers from a local farmer. The kids either cut the peppers or packed the jars, but grandma always did the pouring & sealing.
Tags: Bell Peppers, Garlic, Vinegar-Cider
Ingredients
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2 cups
1/2 cup
2 Tbsp
2 cloves
1 tsp
½ cup
2 Tbsp
3 Tbsp
|
Basil leaves, fresh
Olive oil
Pine nuts
Garlic, minced
Salt
Parmesan cheese, grated
Romano cheese, grated
Butter
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Instructions
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Blend or process until almost smooth: basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic & salt.
-
Add: parmesan & romano cheeses.
-
At this point, you can freeze the mixture, if you want.
-
To serve over pasta: Stir the Pesto mixture, plus the butter into pasta, adding 1 Tbsp of the warm pasta water, which helps blend the pesto sauce in.
Tags: Basil, Olive Oil, Parmesan, Pine Nuts
Ingredients
|
??
??
7 cups
1 cup
5 cups
1 6oz. pkg
|
Small canning jars
Lids w/sealing rings
(or use paraffin if you are brave)
Rhubarb, peeled & cut into small pieces
Water
Sugar
Strawberry jello
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Instructions
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Prepare jars w/ring seals – Keep hot so they are sterilized. Grandma always kept her big, black metal baking dish on a burner, with water simmering in it. She turned the jars upside down inside the pan, along with the lids & rings, and kept them there on a very low heat until they were packed.
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In large pot, boil the rhubarb, water & sugar for 8 minutes.
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Remove from heat and immediately add the package of strawberry jello, stirring well.
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Pour into waiting hot canning jars & seal.
-
Tip sealed jars upside down on a cloth on the counter.
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If you use paraffin: Melt paraffin in a pot. While hot and liquidy, pour a layer ¼” thick over the hot jam in the jars. When the paraffin has cooled/hardened, pour another ¼” thick layer over the first layer, tilting slightly to make sure the paraffin completely covers the jar and touches all sides of the jar to get a good seal.
NOTE:
Note on the use of paraffin: This was how Grandma burned parts of her kitchen. She was melting the paraffin in the pot and got sidetracked by something else. When she returned to the kitchen, the paraffin was in giant flames in the pot, and the kitchen was engulfed in smoke. When Grandpa came home, he found grandma sitting on the front steps crying. I believe that the insurance payed for painting the kitchen, a new stove top, and some sort of refinishing of the cabinets.
Tags: Rhubarb, Strawberry Jello, Sugar
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