Sweet Chili Sauce

I bought a Thai chili pepper plant at the Farmer's Market recently. No chilis are ready yet (but they're there!), but it's made me crave sweet chili sauce while I'm waiting for them to mature... There are lots of recipes for sweet chili sauce with similar but slightly varied ingredients, but here's a good basic recipe to use as a spring board for personalizing the flavor. Great as a dipping or finishing sauce for lots of Southeast Asian dishes.

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper

1-2 cloves garlic

½ C sugar (I like using brown sugar, but white is more traditional)

1/3 C vinegar -- distilled white or apple cider

2 t sriracha or sambal oelek (use more if you like more spice!)

½ t salt

1 t fish sauce or oyster sauce

Directions

Remove stem and seeds from bell pepper; coarsely chop. Pulse pepper and garlic in food processor or blender until finely chopped.

In small saucepan, combine pepper & garlic with ½ C water, sugar, vinegar, sriracha/sambal oelek, and salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking about 10 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened.

In small bowl, create a slurry with cornstarch and fish or oyster sauce.  Add to mixture in saucepan, stirring constantly for about a minute until sauce thickens.

Rhubarb Salsa

This is a pretty pickle-y, vinegary salsa...a little more relish-like. But since I love pickles, I like it!! I had it over a sautéed chicken thigh with some extra lime-honey pan sauce, but it would also be good on pork or fish, or used as a relish on sandwhiches or burgers too. Personally, I choose to leave out the cilantro (I'm not a fan!) and use a very small jalapeno.

Ingredients

1 T honey

1 t olive oil

1 lime

1 C rhubarb

½ red bell pepper

2 T red onion

salt & pepper to taste

optional: 1 small jalapeno, 1 T fresh chopped cilantro

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, oil and the juice and zest of the lime.

Small dice (¼ inch - or smaller) the rhubarb, bell pepper and onion (and jalapeno, if using; and chop cilantro, if using). Add to honey-lime mixture, stirring to combine. Season with salt & pepper.

Cranberry Curd

A holiday twist on lemon curd. Not quite as good as I'd hoped; but not bad and worth making again...making tweaking it in hopes of improving it. I'd like a little less sweetness and a little more acidic cranberry punch.

But...not bad for a holiday flavored bite -- with a little cream cheese on a pumpkin roll!

Cranberry Curd Recipe

Chimichurri Sauce

I think I first fell in love with chimichurri sauce when I made it at Bellingham Technical College's Summer Educator's Institute a few years ago. This isn't that same, exact recipe; everyone has their own personal favorite blend of herbs for chimichurri sauce, so feel free to play around with it. But here's a good starting point...





Ingredients
¼ C olive oil
2 T lime juice
1 oz (2 T) sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

¼ C green onion, rough chopped
2 garlic cloves; smashed

½ C Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 T each chopped fresh basil, oregano, cilantro
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
s & p to taste (~ ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper)

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender (mini 'bullet'-style blenders work great, but if you don't have one...don't bother with a full size blender, just do a good job of chopping everything and stir it all together in a small bowl); whirl or pulse until consistency is salsa-like with chopped herbs still in chunks. Salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve chimichurri sauce as soon as you make it, but the flavors blend and it gets even better if it sits for at least a couple hours (or overnight).

Stir chimichurri sauce into rice or pasta; spoon over chicken, pork, fish...

Pickled Red Onions

On burgers, sandwiches, salads...pickled onions add a tartness and subtle crunch! You can play around with seasonings, but here's the basics.

Ingredients

2 red onions

1 C vinegar (white or apple cider typically)

1 T sugar (white or brown)

1 T salt

Optional seasonings (NOT all at once): 2-3 T lime juice, ¼ C orange juice, 1-2 garlic cloves, half a dozen black peppercorns, half a dozen allspice berries or cloves, a bay leaf or two, a few sprigs of thyme, a slice or two of lemon...

Directions

Slice the onions as thin as you can. Fill glass jars or any other heat-proof containers if you'll be using your pickled onions in a week or two with sliced onions. (If you plan to keep your onions longer than 2-3 weeks, use sterile canning jars to seal them air-tight.)

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt other seasonings in a saucepan; heat to boiling. Pour over pickled onions.

You can serve them as soon as they cool, but the longer they soak, the more pickled they get. Store in the refrigerator 2-3 weeks.

Tomato Jam

Oh my YUM!! It's like ketchup grew up and became a mature condiment. I've most often seen tomato jam served with cheese and crackers (Food Network did that again in its current magazine, July/August 2020). I was sampling my just-made jam on a clover roll (my photo @ right) since I baked some fresh just yesterday, but I can't wait to spread this on a burger or sandwich!

Ingredients

1 lb cherry tomatoes*

¼ C + 3 T brown sugar

¼ C + 1 T red wine vinegar

3 T fish sauce*

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 T minced jalepeno*

pinch each cumin, coriander, black pepper

* NOTES: Certainly wouldn't have to be cherry tomatoes, but that's what I have growing in my garden just now -- or, to be more accurate, in a large pot on my deck. I think almost any tomato would work - you'd just want to chop larger tomatoes before boiling. The sweetness of your tomato variety might make you want to adjust the amount of sugar; some recipes call for quite a bit more than this! If you don't have fish sauce, you can use soy sauce; it's not the same but most tomato jam recipes I've seen don't call for fish sauce. Still, it might just be why I love this stuff so much...the fish sauce, garlic and ginger all together give it a slightly Asian flavor profile. Also, feel free to add more or less jalepeno depending on how spicy you'd like it to be.

Directions

Combine everything in a large pot (or skillet) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil and continue cooking until the mixture thickens into a loose jam or thick syrup-y consistency -- it will thicken as it cools.

Store refrigerated in sealed containers. Use sterile canning jars for an airtight seal if you plan to store this for longer than 3 weeks.

Orange Mustard Glaze

Credit to FoodNetwork's Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-ins & Dives) who visited Crazee Burger in San Diego where they serve a turkey burger with an orange-mustard glaze. There's a recipe available from Guy...maybe, maybe not (???) the exact recipe from the restaurant. I made my own version of an orange-mustard glaze for a twist on the typical burger (or over beef, chicken, etc)...mine was a turkey burger with Swiss cheese and crispy shallots. Most of the same ingredients in my sauce version, but a little more mustard and a little less heat (I'm a wimp with spicy stuff!).

Ingredients
1 T vegetable oil
¼ C finely diced onion
2 T diced jalapeno pepper (I left the seeds out, but if you like heat, leave 'em!)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ C orange marmalade - with the peel adds nice texture
2 T grainy dijon mustard
pinch each black pepper and chili powder

Directions
Cook onion in a small saucepan with vegetable oil until translucent; add jalapeno and garlic, cooking until softened. Add remaining ingredients; bring just to boiling, stirring to combine evenly.

Sundried Tomato & Herb Compound Butter

This is a great basic recipe - lots of different herbs, lemon zest, dried peppers or pepper flakes, etc. could be substituted in place of the tomatoes, garlic, and parsley to make any variety of herbed butters. Slices of compound butter can be served on hot steak, pork chops, fish,  chicken or over vegetables or smeared on dinner rolls... Lots of options!

Ingredients
1 C butter, softened
¼ C chopped fresh parsley
3 T oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes*
1 clove garlic, minced
s & p to taste

* I use my own oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, from my garden when they're in season

Directions
Whip butter until very fluffy and pale.
Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes of oil; finely chop.
Mix in chopped parsley, tomatoes and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I started with about ¼ tsp each...)

Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on the countertop* and spoon butter into a thick strip; wrap with plastic, gently shaping, as needed, to form a log. Chill at least 2 hours until firm.

Slice into ¼ inch thick servings; Top hot fish, beef, pork, chicken or vegetables (corn on the cob!)  and serve immediately. Also delicious on bread and rolls.



* I have an olive boat that I use - line it with plastic wrap and  fill it with the herbed butter; close the plastic wrap over the 'log', grab it by the loose ends and gently lift it out of the olive boat, roll it back and forth a bit on the counter to round out the log nicely, twisting the ends to seal in the process. 
   










 You could get fancy and press tablespoon servings of herbed butters into individual molds before chilling.

Caramelized Onion Dip

Ingredients
1 T oil
1 large sweet onion
8 oz cream cheese, softened
¾ C sour cream
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ t garlic salt
½ t onion powder
pinch pepper
1 scallion

Directions
Thinly slice the onion. Sauté the onion in oil until it browns (5-7 minutes). Stir in ½ cup water, gently scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Continue to cook until onion is golden brown, translucent and very soft.

While the onion is cooking, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, Worcestershire, garlic salt, onion powder and pepper. Stir until creamy. Stir in onion. Chill until serving. Before serving, slice green part of scallion; top dip with scallion slices. Serve with chips or fresh veggies...

Mustard

Cleaning out the kitchen, I found that I had two jars (both almost full) of powdered/ground mustard. I use it in few things I can think of off the top of my head, but two full jars is more than enough for quite some time. Had to dig a little, but found a recipe I had tucked away -- ripped from a Cook's Country. This is slightly adapted. It's got a good tang to it.

Ingredients
4 T mustard powder
4 T white wine vinegar
3 T brown sugar
2 T cornstarch
1½ t salt
¾ C water

Directions
Whisk together all ingredients in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until thickened. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to reach spreadable consistency -- but keep in mind it will thicken as it cools.

Maple Onion Jam

My own spin on a recipe (Cooking Light, last December I think; find the original here), that starts with 5 pounds of onions. A bit more than I wanted in jam form! This is close...

Ingredients
2 lbs yellow onions
4 T brown sugar
¼ tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cardamom
pinch pepper
1½ tsp maple syrup
¾ tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions
Rough chop onions into large pieces. In a crock pot, stir together onion, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH until onions are very soft and mixture is soupy (8 hours or more).

Remove lid; continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated (approx 1½ hrs)*. Turn off crock pot; stirr in syrup and vinegar. Cool 30 minutes.

Transfer mixture to food processor. Pulse until chunky but spreadable (or desired consistency). Divide into canning jars or airtight containers. Store in refrigerator.

* If mixture is still very soupy, pour off liquid into small saucepan; add syrup. Cook over high heat until reduced and thickened to a very thick syrup. Return to onions; stir in vinegar and cool completely.

Tomato Butter

Ingredients:
½ C butter
2 plum tomatoes
2 t olive oil
1 t fresh thyme leaves
½ t salt
1 clove garlic

Directions:
Seed and quarter tomatoes. Toss tomatoes and garlic with oil, thyme and salt. Spread on baking sheet and bake at 375˚ about 35-40 minutes -- until tomatoes are soft and garlic is golden. Let cool. Puree with butter. Serve on bread, corn on the cob, chicken, steak...

If you're short on time, you can make a similar compound butter using jarred, sun-dried tomatoes, which are typically already seasoned with garlic and herbs/spices.

Watermelon Rind Pickles

I grew up attending a small, conservative, evangelical, community church where we regularly had old fashioned potluck suppers in the 'fellowship hall' (making me something of a connoisseur of noodle casseroles by the time I was ten). I don't remember who, if I never knew, but someone there would often bring watermelon rind pickles.

Ingredients
4 C watermelon rind, pink flesh and dark green outer skim trimmed off
8 C water
2 T, and 2 tsp salt, divided
2 C sugar
1¼ C apple cider vinegar
8 cloves
8 whole black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp mustard seed
¼ tsp dill
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ginger

Directions
Place rinds, water and 2 T salt in large saucepan; boil for 5 minutes. Strain and place rinds in a clean bowl.

Combine remaining 2 tsp salt and all other ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour over rinds; cover with plate or plastic wrap to keep rinds submerged. Chill 8 hours or overnight.

I taste tested at this point. I love pickled things, even fairly strong pickle flavor and these tasted great even after ONE brining. Unless you like it really strong, once may be plenty. But the recipe says to...

Return brine to saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour again over rinds; chill 8 hours or overnight.

Date & Raisin Chutney

(Khajoor & Kishmish Chutney)

Ingredients

2 C pitted dates

½ C raisins (dark or golden)

¼ C tamarind pulp

½ C brown sugar

½ inch fresh ginger, minced

1 tsp salt – adjust to taste

2 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp red chili powder – adjust to taste

2 black cardamom pods

1½ C (about) water

Directions

Soak raisins in water for about ½ hour. Chop dates into ½” pieces. Remove shell from cardamom pods; crush seeds.

In saucepan, combine water, tamarind, sugar, salt, black pepper, red chili powder, cumin and cardamom. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes.

Add dates, raisins, and ginger. Return to boil, then remove from heat. Let sit at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature.

Chutney can be refrigerated for up to a month.

I used this as a marinade and condiment over a pork loin I roasted recently. Delicious!

Cranberry-Mint Chutney

Still using up cranberries...I made this chutney and used it as a marinade for an elk steak. The stronger flavors balance well with the game meat; elk has a relatively mild flavor as game meats go, and this was good.

Ingredients
1 C cranberries
¾ C sugar
¾ C water
1 C dried cranberries, divided
pinch salt
¼ C chopped mint
2 Tbls cider vinegar

Directions
Bring fresh cranberries, sugar, water, ½ C dried cranberries, and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer util berries pop and chutney thickens (about 10 minutes). Cool slightly. Stir in remaining dried cranberries, mint and vinegar.

Pickled Peppers

Good on sandwiches and salads...

Ingredients:
4 C peppers (or chiles)
1½ C vinegar (white or apple cider)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T black peppercorns
2 T kosher/coarse salt
4 T sugar
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp coriander seed

Directions:
Slice peppers into thin rings; pack into a 1 quart jar (or 2 pint jars).
Bring vinegar, 1 cup water, and remaining ingredients to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Pour hot brine over pickles; seal jars.
Let cool, then refrigerate.

Basil Salt

If you have extra basil you don't want to go to waste -- from your own garden, or leftover from a recipe -- try making basil salt; it'll keep much longer.

basil leaves
coarse, kosher salt

Pulse equal parts kosher salt and packed basil leaves in a food processor. Spread on a baking sheet; bake 30 minutes at 225°, tossing once halfway through. Cool; pulse again to make a fine powder.

Use it on fresh tomato, lightly sprinkled on bruschetta or pasta...

Pepper-Onion Relish

Harry & David sells a delicious pepper and onion relish. Here's a homemade version. :) This is a fine sweet-spicy relish to use on sandwiches and burgers. A softened brick (8 oz) of cream cheese mixed with ½ cup (or a little more!) makes a great chip dip, too.

Ingredients:
1 sweet onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes
½ C sugar 
½ C brown sugar
¾ C vinegar
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt (or a little more, to taste)
2 Tbls corn starch

Directions:
Remove stems and seeds from peppers. Finely chop onion and peppers.

Mix all ingredients except corn starch in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer. Gently simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Scoop or pour about half the mixture into a blender; purée with cornstarch (2 rounded tablespoons). Return purée to saucepan; bring to boil again. Remove from heat.

Immediately transfer to canning jars for long storage, or...
Let cool, then transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate for more immediate use (within 2-3 weeks).

Flavored Butters

Honey butter and garlic butter are delicious, but...nothing new. Still, flavored butters are an easy way to dress up a meal! Use them on breads, veggies, potatoes...

Soften butter to room temperature. Add ingredients to taste.
Here are some other flavor combinations to get you started:

* sun dried tomato and caper butter
* chile-lime-tequila butter
* curry butter
* diced, caramelized mushroom & shallot butter (pictured)
* rosemary and thyme butter
* cardamom-honey butter
* tarragon and lemon zest butter
* cabernet-gorgonzola butter

To really go all out: Roll butter into a log; chill, then slice into ¼" pieces before serving.

Maple Vinaigrette

1/4 C cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 C olive oil
3 Tbls maple syrup
1 Tbls Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; whisk.
Keep refrigerated. Stir or shake before serving.