Sauces and Marinades

Green Chile Grilling Marinade

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We usually just put various seasonings on steaks a couple of hours ahead of the barbecue, not marinades. But I wanted to do something special for Margie’s birthday, and here it is. As noted below, this also isn’t just for steak, but anything you would like to grill.

Ingredients

  • ½ lime’s worth of juice
  • half-dozen sprigs of cilantro (to taste)
  • 8 oz. green chiles (jar, jug, whatever)
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. crushed black pepper
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 5-7 cloves of garlic (the little lobes from a head of garlic), peeled and chopped.
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  • 2-3 steaks

Directions

  1. Put the ingredients (except the steaks, of course) in a blender.
  2. Gently pulse the mixture until you get a creamy consistency. If needed to achieve that, add more olive oil.
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  3. Put the steaks in a ziplock bag. Pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and work the marinade around so that all the surfaces (including between the steaks) are in contact with the marinade.
  4. Allow to marinade at least 30 minutes; 2 hours is better; overnight works, too.
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  5. Grill the steaks. You can use marinade from the bag to brush onto the flip sides, or, if you have marinade you didn’t use, you can brush it onto the steaks when you take them off to rest.
  6. If you are the type, you can use chopped cilantro and lime wedges to garnish.

Serves: 2-3

Notes: You can use this on any sort of meat (or vegetable) that you want to grill.

Source: Adapted from a recipe by the Zia Hatch Chile Company.

 

Tarragon Aioli

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Real aioli is a great sauce/dressing/dip made by mixing the mayonnaise from scratch – egg, oil etc.  Not really necessary when we have quite decent mayonnaise in a jar and can easily add a little garlic, lemon and seasoning.  Tarragon goes well with fish, meat, soups and stews, and is often used in tomato and egg dishes.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 pinch kosher salt
  • 1 Tab chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1/2 c mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

Directions:

  1. Crush garlic and salt together in a mortar with a pestle; add tarragon and continue crushing with the pestle until tarragon is pulverized.
  2. Stir mayonnaise and lemon juice into garlic-tarragon mixture until aioli is smooth; season with cayenne pepper.

Serves:   Makes 1/2 cup

Source:  Allrecipes.com Recipe By Chef John

Deonne’s Simple Chocolate Sauce

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You only need a few ingredients to make this Simple Chocolate Sauce and it tastes better than any chocolate syrup you can buy at the store.  Bonus – it keeps for weeks.

Ingredients:

  • 1 c unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 c cold water
  • pinch salt
  • 2 Tab vanilla

Directions:

  1. Mix cocoa powder and sugar in a saucepan
  2. Add water.
  3. Add pinch of salt.
  4. Cook over medium heat 3 – 4 minutes.
  5. Cool a bit.
  6. Add vanilla.

Notes:
The chocolate sauce will be very thin when it finishes boiling, but it will thicken quite a bit as it cools.

Serves:  Makes 14oz of chocolate sauce and can easily be doubled if desired.

Source:  Deonne Moseley, Vi at Highlands Ranch

Oh-So-Easy Caramel Sauce

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This is a rich, sweet caramel sauce that can be made at the last minute.  Wonder what rum extract in it would taste like?

Ingredients: 

  • 1 c packed brown sugar
  • ½ c butter
  • ¼ c milk (I used sour cream)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

  1. Bring brown sugar, butter, and milk to a gentle boil.
  2. Cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Add vanilla extract.

Serves:   8   1 cup

Source:  allrecipes.com – Barb Maxwell

Note: 

Sugar crystallization can cause a grainy caramel sauce giving your caramel sauce a rough consistency. To prevent this, use a pastry brush moistened with water to brush down the sides of your saucepan if any sugar is present on the sides of the pan. Also, avoid any ingredient substitutions.

To fix a caramel that separates or a grainy caramel sauce, you want to add a little water (1 to 2 Tbsp), bring it to a boil, and re-dissolve the crystalized sugar. Once it’s smooth again, remove it from heat.

Butterscotch Sauce

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Pretty basic, but I like it a little thinner so I added another 1/4 cup of sour cream.

FYI:  Butterscotch vs Caramel
The flavor of caramel is characterized by caramelized white sugar independent of molasses, butter or even salt. Butterscotch sauce is made with dark brown sugar, butter, salt, and some cream. Caramel sauce does not have to include butter, but butter is an integral part of butterscotch.

Ingredients:  

  • 1 c brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 2 Tab butter
  • 1/4 c sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

  1. Mix the brown sugar, butter and sour cream together in a medium saucepan.
  2. Cook the mixture on low heat.
  3. Constantly stir the mixture for about 5 minutes or until the mixture has melted and is bubbling.
  4. Remove from heat.
  5. Add the vanilla.
  6. Pour over dessert of your choice.

Servings: 4

Source:  Daisy.com

Sweet Balsamic Reduction

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Balsamic vinegar, occasionally shortened to balsamic, is a very dark, concentrated, and intensely flavored vinegar originating in Italy, made wholly or partially from grape must. Grape must is freshly crushed grape juice with all the skins, seeds and stems.  Balsamic reduction is decadent! Use it on everything – vegetables, fruit, meat, even ice cream.

Ingredients:

  •  1 1/2 c balsamic vinegar, good quality
  •  1/3 c sugar

Directions:

  1. Put the balsamic vinegar and sugar into a small saucepan.
  2. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the vinegar is reduced to ¾ cup. It should be the consistency of warmed honey and will have a caramelized sweet-tart flavor. This takes approximately 20 minutes. (You can refrigerate and store this reduction for up to 2 weeks.).

Serves:  3/4 cup

Source:  Obrigado Brazil! – VPWL November 2014

Green Goddess Mint Dipping Sauce

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This is not a creamy dipping sauce.  It could be if you added some sour cream, yogurt or cream cheese.  This was served with the Vegetable Christmas Tree.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch scallions
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 2 bunches mint leaves
  • 14 macadamia nuts
  • 1/2 c white balsamic vinegar
  • 4 oz extra-virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Place scallions, cilantro, mint leaves, macadamia nuts, vinegar, olive oil, and 1/4 cup water in the jar of a blender.
  2. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Blend until pureed.

Source:  Taste of Australia VPWL December 2014

 

Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise

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Roasting asparagus ( or any vegetable) is sooo much more delicious that steaming or boiling!

Ingredients:

  • 12 Tab unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
  • 4 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 3 Tab freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
  • 2 pounds fresh asparagus
  • Good olive oil

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
  2. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan.
  3. Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper and cayenne in the jar of a blender.
  4. Blend for 15 seconds.
  5. With the blender running, slowly pour the hot butter into the blender and blend for 30 seconds, until the sauce is thick. (You can leave it in the blender at room temperature for up to 1 hour. If it is made in advance, add 1 tablespoon hot tap water and blend for a few seconds before serving.)
  6. Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they’re thick, peel them.
  7. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet.
  8. Drizzle with olive oil.
  9. Toss to coat the asparagus completely.
  10. Spread the asparagus in a single layer.
  11. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
  12. Roast the asparagus for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but still crisp.
  13. When plating, puddle a bit of hollandaise under the veal and over the asparagus spears, pass any leftover hollandaise sauce

Serves: 8

Source:   VPWL Guess Who is Coming to Dinner

Brandied Cranberries

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You can use this as a topping for ice cream, pound cake, crepes, or cheese cake.  Use your imagination!  Surprise your guests at Thanksgiving with a not-so-ordinary cranberry sauce.

Ingredients::

  • 12 oz cranberries
  • 1 ½ c sugar
  • ½ c brandy
  • 2 Tab orange zest

Directions:

  1. Mix in 8 or 9 inch square baking pan.
  2. Bake uncovered at 350° for 1 – 1/1/4 hours, stirring occasionally.
  3. Chill.  It will keep, covered for up to two weeks.

Serves: Makes 2 cups.

Source: Simply Recipes