Tzatziki Sauce

Pita with tzatziki, tomato, cucumber, and zuchini

So, funny story; when I initially posted this recipe two years ago, I included instructions on how to strain regular plain yogurt to make Greek yogurt.  Back then,  Greek yogurt wasn't something found in all grocery stores.... Now folks can't get enough of it, to the point that producers are paying to get rid of the waste product.  The operations manager in me is totally fascinated by the business-aspect of the food industry, sorry for nerding out... Anyhow, regardless of the environmental and economical impact of Greek yogurt, tzatziki is delicious, and I recommend spreading it liberally on most edible surfaces.

Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing

So, I have this sister-in-law and she's magic. Seriously. I like ANYTHING she feeds me, even things that have spent decades on my list of least favorite foods.  She's converted me to mayonnaise (although I still won't spread it on a sandwich), mustard (which I eagerly spread on sandwiches), enchiladas,  pasta salad, and a bunch of foods I previously considered offensive for one reason or another.  This conversion isn't a small feat either, I was the pickiest child in the world.  I basically lived on refried beans and plain noodles as a kid--gourmet, I know.
Ever since I discovered mustard is actually really good, I've been finding ways to include it in everything and even made my own (which despite the simplicity of making mustard was a total fail, 4 entire cups of total fail that are still sitting in my fridge, to be precise...).  My new favorite use for mustard, however is this creamy, tangy, sweet and surprisingly healthy salad dressing.  Its great on lettuce (or should I say with lettuce... I practically use a 1:1 ratio...), as a dressing for pasta salad, or as a veggie dip.  You should probably try it :)

Bacon Jam

I know, I know, I'm way late on this outrageous foodie trend.  I've been meaning to try it since I saw a food truck that used it on their burgers featured on Food Network practically a year ago, I'm just an incredibly skilled procrastinator.  I'm telling you, if procrastination was a more marketable skill, maybe I wouldn't be so unemployed.  Since it's not, I should probably start making this stuff in huge batches and bringing it with me on job interviews, because that way even if they won't hire me, maybe they'll call me back for another jar of this smokey, sweet, salty goodness.

Honey Tahini Dressing

I'm currently facing a dilemma--an utterly disastrous dilemma.  I have no bread. [Unless you count the soft pretzels I made on Sunday as bread... but let's face it I can't really make a PB&J with a soft pretzel...]  I also don't have much other food, since my time in Bloomington is coming to an end I'm trying to let my pantry dwindle (and it's taking a serious amount of self-control at the grocery).  I do have lettuce, lots of freezer food, and some incredibly stale pita bread, which lent itself perfectly to a deconstructed felafel salad :)  This creamy dressing tied it all together, the rich tahini harmonizes perfectly with the sweet honey and acidic lemon striking a refreshingly satisfying balance.  I found myself scraping the left over salad dressing off my plate with the pita chips and tomatoes--it was that good.

Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

There are a few food words that make me feel fancy: ganache, coulis, aioli, compote... I like'm.  And if I can toss them into the description of whatever I am making, I suddenly feel like a legitimate cook.  (I won't even venture to use the word chef, that's simply laughable.)  Pesto is one of these words.  For some reason pesto just sounds kinda fancy, you know?  And while I'm at it I'll toss my pesto on some bruschetta or capatavi or oriochette.  Or in english- this stuff tastes great smeared on some toast, or over a bowl of funny shaped noodles.  Personally, I enjoy mine with wheat rotini and sauteed veggies.

Spicy Mayonnaise

• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise (Homemade reccommended)
• 2 Tbs gochujang (korean red pepper paste)

 Mix ingredients thoroughly.

This stuff is delicious on sandwiches, as fry sauce, or to spice up a standard cole slaw.

Yields a generous 1/2 cup.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Aside from Ketchup and Barbeque sauce, I basically despise condiments.  I find mustard unappealing, and mayonnaise practically repulses me.  Seriously, egg salad, potato salad, and cole slaw- basically the staples found at every picnic and potluck- kind of make my skin crawl.  I have had a life of discarding half of my sandwich because the waiter didn't hear my clear qualification of "NO MAYONNAISE".  It's a pathetic existence.  This inexplicable hatred was quelled this weekend however, when I made Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches.  All the recipes called for mayonnaise, but I couldn't bring myself to allow my dinner guests to spread that nasty goo on such perfectly good sandwiches.  The thought of it was almost insulting, so instead of giving them a jar of hydrogenated oil, soy lecithin, and preservatives, I decided to make my own.  And- It. Was. Good.  Call Channel Five News, folks, this hater has been converted.  Not only was it good- but super entertaining to watch.  I think I'll give mayonnaise for Christmas this year, just so I can make a ton of batches and observe the magic unfold, over and over.

Vietnamese Chili Lime Sauce

Growing up I did not have broad food horizons.  I would eat Pb&J, butter noodles, or cheese and crackers.  Not even kidding.  Lasagna was pushing it for me.  I was the kid that ordered french fries at the Mexican restaurant.  You get the idea.  Exotic food was unimaginable for me, but then I discovered the Vietnamese restaurant near my house and it changed my life.  Everything there was delicious, and they mixed so many foods together and I didn't die!  What makes everything Vietnamese so delicious is the marvelous sauces, and aromatic fresh herbs.  This chili lime sauce is a standard sauce that goes with anything from shrimp spring rolls, to green papaya salad, to char-grilled chicken and vermicelli.

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

• 1 roasted red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.  VOILA: salad dressing.

(So I played the viola for like 10 years... and have to type the word voila like nine times before I am certain it's right... at least I have mastered "its" and "it's"...)

Yields 12 servings.

Classic Cranberry Sauce

 Nothing like a tart, tangy cranberry sauce to top off all that Thanksgiving goodness.  I grew up with a family who thought those canned cranberries (the kind that you dump out of a can and are still shaped like a can...) were a sufficient compliment to turkey.  After leaving home, and discovering there were bigger and better options for cranberry sauce, I now apologize to all those turkeys I have disgraced with gelatinous cranberry solids. 

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 12 oz fresh cranberries
• 2 cinnamon sticks

1. Sort through cranberries removing any stems or bad berries, set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, dissolve sugar in orange juice over medium heat. Add cranberries and cinnamon sticks.  Cook for about 10 minutes, or until cranberries pop.
3. Remove from heat, and transfer to a serving dish to cool.  Sauce will set upon cooling.

Yields ~2 1/2 cups.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

 This speedy hummus is wonderful with pita chips, piped onto cucumber slices for a quick appetizer, or used as a spread on sandwiches.  Feel free to mix it up, utilizing different ingredients to flavor such as- sun-dried tomatoes and basil, cilantro, or roasted garlic.
 

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas (15 oz) drained
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 whole roasted red peppers
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• pinch of cayenne pepper

1. In a food processor, add garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, and lemon juice.  Process until smooth, then add roasted red peppers, basil, paprika, and cayenne.  Pulse until desired consistency is achieved.  Transfer to a container and chill until time to serve.  Store in the refrigerator.

Yields ~ 2 cups.

Cilantro-Ranch Dressing

This is my rendition of Cafe Rio's house salad dressing- not a promised copy, but it offers similar flavor.

• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup mayonaise
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 envelope hidden valley ranch dip mix
• 3 tomatillos, washed and quartered
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup salsa verde
• ~1 cup fresh cilantro, stems removed

Blast everything in a blender.  It will be a bit runny, pop it in the fridge an hour or so and allow flavors to meld and consistency to thicken.

Notes:

• You can use all mayo or all sour cream, whatever is on hand
• Tomatillos are found in the produce section, often by either bell peppers, or ginger/squash/mushrooms.  Wash your tomatillos first, they are sticky.

Yields about 2 cups.

Almond Pesto

 This pesto is simple, and far better than any store-bought pesto.  It is great on bruschetta, over pasta, or mixed with some sour cream or cream to make a creamy pesto sauce.  Not to mention the almonds lend a wonderful flavor and are far cheaper than pine nuts.

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place almonds on a cookie sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
2. In a food processor, combine toasted almonds, garlic, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Process, streaming in olive oil until a coarse paste is formed. 

Notes:

• Basically any nut (except peanuts) can be subbed for the almonds- walnuts, pecans, and pine nuts are all a very safe bet, so use whatever you have on hand!
• The Parmesan cheese can be omitted to make the pesto vegan.
• To increase volume, the recipe can be doubled and sub out some of the basil with spinach.

Yields approximately 1 1/3 cup

Mango Ginger Dipping Sauce

In a blender add:

• 1 mango, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
• 1 Tbs rice vinegar (regular vinegar works as well, but add only 1 tsp)
• 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs orange juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Blend until smooth. Can be refrigerated and used up to about 3 days after.

Yields 4-6 servings

Pico de Gallo

• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 jalapeño
• 1/2 lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder, or 1-2 cloves fresh garlic
  
• Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño. (I like to dispose of the mainly liquid center part of the tomatoes). Mix with the cilantro, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Juice the lime over the top, and then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes:

• I don't care particularly for onions, so I go light on them, feel free to use a whole onion, and mixing in some red onion as well is a nice flavor.
• I frequently double the jalepeño, or use serranos for a spicier kick.