Courses: Sauces and Dips

Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning Mix

Buttermilk Ranch Seasoning Mix

Super simple and oh-so-satisfying, this buttermilk ranch seasoning mix can be used to make dip, dressing or to season meat and vegetables! This is a dry mix made using buttermilk powder which you can find online or occasionally in baking sections of your grocery store. 

Greek Feta Dip

Greek Feta Dip

We’re heading to a Superbowl gathering this Sunday and I had to look up which teams are playing…ha! That’s how I roll when it comes to sports. Unless my kid is in it, I’m blissfully unaware of the sports world in most cases.  I may 

Vidalia Onion Dijon Mustard

Vidalia Onion Dijon Mustard

Spicy, zesty, sweet, whole grain mustard goodness is simply a gift of the gods. I even named one of my new chickens Dijon since mustard has become my new favorite condiment. This spring, I learned to make mustard completely from scratch! There are so many variations you can make from sweet to spicy and everything in between. This vidalia onion Dijon mustard is no different with just a bit of sass from the whole grain mustard seeds combined with the traditional white wine base. Homemade mustard starts with whole mustard seeds or mustard powder which is just the seeds ground up into a fine powder. This whole grain version of Vidalia onion dijon mustard uses both yellow and brown mustard seeds as well as a bit of mustard powder for a slightly smoother texture while still maintaining the whole grain bite.

One thing I’ve learned in my adventures in mustard making are how to mellow the spiciness. Mustard seeds are powerfully spicy at times and the brown ones can get a sharp spiciness to them similar to horseradish. To mellow these out a bit, I always soak the mustard seeds and powder in a warm liquid, white wine in this case, for a few hours before adding the vinegar. If you like it spicier, you can certainly add the vinegar right away.

You can vary the thickness of your mustard by adding more vinegar or water to the final blend. I like it somewhere around the consistency of ketchup or jam. That way, the mustard is still spreadable and equally dippable. Dijon mustard, at least for my tastes, is better mellowed for a bit so you can really taste the sweetness of the vidalia onions coming through. The mustard will continue to mellow over the next few weeks and develop a more unified complex flavor so it’s best consumed at least 2 weeks after preparing and will last quite a long time in the fridge thanks to the vinegar content it contains. I often make these in a larger double batch and waterbath can them. When canned, they are shelf stable for at least a year so directions for canning are included as well since vidalia onion Dijon mustard makes a perfect gift.


5.0 from 1 reviews
Vidalia Onion Dijon Mustard
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Sauces and Dips
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups dry white wine
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 vidalia onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup whole yellow mustard seeds
  • ¼ cup whole brown mustard seeds
  • ½ cup mustard powder
  • 1 cup white wine vinegar
Instructions
  1. In a saucepot, combine wine, water, onion and garlic and bring to a boil.
  2. Simmer about 15 minutes until the onions have softened.
  3. Use a stick blender (immersion blender) to blend together the onions and wine mixture.
  4. If you don't have a stick blender, let the mixture cool slightly and gently pour into a regular blender or food processor to puree.
  5. Add mustard seeds and mustard powder to the liquid and stir to combine. Mixture will be fairly thick.
  6. Let sit to mellow about 4 hours.
  7. Add white wine vinegar and blend with a stick blender (or regular blender/food processor and transfer back to a stockpot if canning).
  8. If mustard is too thick, add a small amount of water at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
  9. If you're not proceeding to can the mustard, store the mustard in an airtight container in the fridge. You're done!
  10. FOR CANNING:
  11. Prepare and sterilize 4oz or 8oz canning jars and lids. Keep hot.
  12. Prepare a waterbath canner with boiling water.
  13. Heat the mustard mixture in a saucepan over medium heat while stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
  14. Ladle hot mustard into hot jars leaving ½ inch headspace.
  15. Wipe rims of the jars and add lids. Secure with ring until finger tight.
  16. Place jars into the canner, return water to a boil and process 10 minutes.
  17. Transfer jars to a towel lined counter or wire cooling rack and allow to cool overnight without disturbing.
  18. Label jars and store in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2 Tbsp Calories: 91 Fat: 3g Carbohydrates: 4g Sugar: 1g Sodium: 7mg Fiber: 1g Protein: 2g

 

 

 

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

Whoa. I just need life to slow down right now. My hubby has been home nursing a back injury for a few weeks and all my kids have been home being actively involved in summer activities like swimming lessons, building forts in the woods, and 

Eggplant Hummus (Baba Ganoush)

Eggplant Hummus (Baba Ganoush)

  Eggplant is one of the few vegetables that I remember my dad eating as a kid. That, and parsnips. I’ve never really been fascinated by the taste of eggplant but then again, I never tried it roasted or in a dip. Roasted eggplant is 

Roasted Red Pepper Three Cheese Dip

Roasted Red Pepper Three Cheese Dip

roasted red pepper cheese dip

This weekend is a big weekend for Minneapolis. The Superbowl is being hosted here so there’s been a lot of cool happenings downtown. In other news, Jimmy Fallon wants to have dinner at someone’s house to sample a home-cooked Minnesota dinner. Being the native Minnesota nice gal that I am, I invited him over for a braised venison meal with a side of mushroom wild rice. Not that I’m expecting he’ll actually be joining us but thought I’d extend the offer. He could even forge his own bottle opener in our backyard blacksmith shop and use it to open a classic Minnesota Grain Belt beer. I’m sure that would be exciting… but alas, that is most likely not happening. What IS happening, however, is this roasted red pepper cheese dip made with three cheeses which makes a perfect appetizer for Superbowl Sunday.

roasted red pepper cheese dip

This is one of the easiest, creamiest dips. I’m obviously forgoing my normal dairy free food trend with this one. It’s over the top dairy, super delicious and incredibly addictive. This combination is one that a local restaurant serves up baked in a wood fired oven alongside fire baked flatbread and it’s to die for! I had a good guess as to which cheeses were combined with the roasted red pepper and one of the waitstaff was kind enough to confirm without giving me too many specifics. I mean, they’d hate for anyone to figure out the recipe and then be making it at home… well, a few little experiments later and I had the taste that I was looking for!

Roasted red pepper cheese dip uses cream cheese, chevre (goat cheese) and monterey jack. This dip can be made in a small crock pot or you can place it all in an oven save dish. I used a small cast iron pan and broiled it. Doing this, the very top gets all nice and browned and you can stir it in for that roasted toasted goodness while the middle of the cheese stays warm and creamy. Serve this melty mouthful of amazingness with veggies, toasted naan or any other dippers for a tasty treat. Fair warning: you might want to make a double batch!

roasted red pepper cheese dip

Roasted Red Pepper Three Cheese Dip
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Sauces and Dips
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 4 oz plain goat cheese
  • 4 oz monterey jack cheese, shredded
  • pinch of garlic powder
  • 1 roasted red pepper, pureed (or an equivalent amount from a jar of roasted red peppers)
Instructions
  1. Melt the cheese together in a small saucepot and stir in the pureed red pepper and garlic.
  2. Pour the dip into an oven proof dish and broil until the top is starting to brown.
  3. Remove from oven and serve hot!
  4. Alternately, place all of the ingredients in a small slow cooker and turn on low until perfectly melted!
  5. Serve with veggies, toasted naan or any other dippers.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ cup Calories: 164 Fat: 14g Carbohydrates: 4g Sugar: 3g Sodium: 302mg Protein: 7g

 

Pineapple Salsa

Pineapple Salsa

We usually do a large firework display in our culdesac with friends and neighbors for Independence Day. This year might be a little less fancy as we weren’t able to get any really good fireworks from the next state over. Instead, I’m going to let 

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Gimme a huge scoop of this black bean and corn salsa and I’m instantly transported into a beach chair with my feet in the ocean fronting the Riviera Maya. So colorful, and SO extremely delicious, this black bean and corn salsa is the perfect compliment 

Easy Enchilada Sauce

Easy Enchilada Sauce

Yowza. The past few days have been a struggle. The wonderful hubby was traveling most of the week and lucky me managed to find the last remnants of old construction trash (previous owner’s) that had been discarded in our grove of trees… by getting a nail halfway imbedded into my foot.  My daughters have been amazing helpers since I’m hobbling around and can’t put continuous weight on it just yet. It’s been a good excuse to make easy meals and this easy enchilada sauce. This sauce is just a few simple ingredients and will take you 5 minutes to make leaving no excuse not to make it.

I do make a more authentic style enchilada rojas sauce which I’ll post in the future but this one has all the taste in significantly less time leaving you with the ability to have a fast easy meal on the table in less than thirty minutes. This easy enchilada sauce  is perfect for smothering over enchiladas, used as a taco sauce, as a marinade for steaks or chicken and for amazing huevos rancheros!

Easy Enchilada Sauce
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Sauces and Dips
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 4 cups
Ingredients
  • 2 cans organic fire roasted diced tomatoes (about 3½ cups) *
  • 3-4 chilis in adobo sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (or you can use 1 small clove, minced)
  • pinch of cumin
  • salt to taste (optional - omit for low sodium)
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
Notes
Makes enough to cover 8-10 enchiladas - about 4 cups of sauce.

*for low sodium version, use no salt added diced tomatoes or fresh diced and roast them yourself under a broiler until the skin blisters = 46mg sodium per ½ cup serving
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 70 Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 14g Sodium: 178mg* Fiber: 2g Protein: 3g

 

Chocolate Dessert Hummus

Chocolate Dessert Hummus

Happy New Year! I’m so excited… my awesome hubby gave me a new camera for Christmas to replace the one I’d been using that’s 10 years (or more??) old and starting to be a bit dated in functionality. My new camera has a neat food