Vanilla Dipping Sauce

Directions:

• 1 cups heavy cream
• 1 cups whole milk
• 1 vanilla beans, split and scraped
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and milk to a simmer and add the vanilla beans.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until they become a pale yellow color, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. When the milk/cream simmers, pour it gently over the egg yolks and whisk to blend.
4. Pour the entire mixture back into the pot and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens slightly, 5 to 8 minutes.
5. The sauce should register about 170 degrees F on a thermometer and still be smooth. Strain into a bowl, stir in the vanilla and allow to cool slightly before refrigerating.

Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

Not too long ago, my best friend/roommate and I had a petty argument about the quality of store-bought red pasta sauce. She loves Classico, I love Prego. We ended up agreeing to disagree, mostly because the reason we disagreed was because she likes her sauce chunky, and I'm not a huge tomato fan.

I mean... I like tomatoes, but they have to be in the right setting. I used to hate tomatoes altogether, but I've mostly gotten over that (Baby steps, right?). 

The residual damage of my former tomato aversion is that I'm pretty picky about dishes that include tomatoes. In the last couple years of my more recent culinary adventure, I've forced myself to cook with and enjoy tomatoes, and I've been pleasantly surprised... and yet still very, very picky.

Today I took my last midterm of the week, during one of the most intense quarters in college that I've ever taken. I got out of class early, went to the grocery store, and literally spent an hour on my smartphone researching how to make smooth pasta sauce out of fresh tomatoes. 

When I got home, I spent my first afternoon cooking without midterm studying or homework hanging over my head.

I made my first red pasta sauce from fresh ingredients. And I do believe I nailed it.

(Makes 80 ounces of sauce. This equals about 4 average-sized jars. We freeze this sauce in big Ziplock bags!)

Ingredients:

• 5-6 lbs Roma tomatoes
• 1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
• 4 teaspoons garlic, minced finely
• 2/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup red wine

Directions:

1. Peel tomatoes. There are a few different methods for this, but I like to roast mine. Spear one tomato with a fork and roast it over a stove burner on high for 30 seconds to one minute. Let it cool enough to handle and then peel the skin off.
2. Quarter skinned tomatoes and put them in  a food processor or blender until they're smooth. (We have a mini 3-cup processor, so I had to do 3 or 4 batches)
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
4. Saute garlic and onions until soft and fragrant.
5. Add parsley, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, pepper flakes, italian seasoning, brown sugar, broth, and wine. Simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Simple Garlic Butter

It's a really good idea to have a solid and easy garlic butter recipe in your back pocket. Garlic butter is so versatile; You can use it on bread, steaks, wraps, and more. And the best part is that it lasts in the fridge or freezer for a long time (One month after the sell by date in the fridge, or 6-9 months in the freezer)!!


Ingredients:

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

• 3-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced

• salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

Directions:

1. Mash ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
2. Store in refrigerator until you're ready to use it!

Note: If you have a food processor, you can skip mincing the garlic and throw all of the ingredients in there!

Balsamic Reduction Sauce

All I can say is thank jeebus for Giada. I have no idea where I would be without some of her staple recipes.

This sauce is one I use on a lot of things. It's great on grilled vegetables, grilled fruits, steaks, chicken, bread, and pretty much all things. In fact, you'll probably find links to this recipe on a lot of my other recipes that call for it. So good it should be illegal.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Boil balsamic vinegar and sugar in heavy, non-reactive saucepan over medium heat until it has reduced to about 1/3 cup of liquid. This should take about 18 minutes. (Be VERY careful. Taste it every few minutes. Once it has reached a syrupy consistency, it's done. I have ruined this sauce a few times because I over reduced it and it turned into a burned-tasting, sticky mess that hardened as it hit a cold plate.)
2. Drizzle and enjoy!

Red Wine Reduction Sauce

Here's another easy sauce that goes well on all kinds of things! It's very similar to balsamic reduction sauce, but with a sweeter taste. It goes great on anything with bacon.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups red wine 
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Boil wine and sugar in heavy, non-reactive saucepan over medium heat until it has reduced to about 1/3 cup of liquid. This should take about 18 minutes. (Be VERY careful. Taste it every few minutes. Once it has reached a syrupy consistency, it's done. I have ruined this sauce a few times because I over reduced it and it turned into a burned-tasting, sticky mess that hardened as it hit a cold plate.)
2. Drizzle and enjoy!

Beurre Blanc Sauce

Beurre Blanc, based on a recipe by Alton Brown

 Ingredients:

1/4 cup yellow onion, finely minced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 cup white wine, like a sauvignon blanc

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 T heavy cream

12 T butter, cold and cut into 12 pieces

Salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:  

Combine the onions, garlic, white wine, and lemon juice in a non-reactive saucepan over high heat and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Add the cream to the reduction.  Once the liquid bubbles, reduce the heat to low.  Add the butter, one cube at a time, whisking first on the heat and then off the heat.  Continue whisking butter into the reduction until the mixture is fully emulsified and has reached a rich sauce consistency.  Season with salt and white pepper.  Serve.

Balsamic Garlic Aioli Sauce

I've never been a huge mayo fan, so I'm constantly trying to find interesting ways to keep myself from eating dry sandwiches.

Aiolis are a really great way of disguising mayo and giving it a facelift.

The recipe for this one was really something I just threw together one day when I really wanted a sandwich.

And, yes, I have accepted the fact that garlic, basil, and balsamic are my go-to ingredients. And why shouldn't they be? they're delicious!






Balsamic Garlic Aioli




Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 3 cloves garlic, minced finely
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients until smooth.
2. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Mock Montreal Steak/Chicken Seasoning

Spices are really expensive. I love Montreal seasoning, but a bottle of it will run you around five bucks. If you already have a bunch of other seasonings at home, like we do, it can definitely be cheaper to just make it yourself. Here's a mock recipe for it:

1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns

1 tablespoon white pepper

1 tablespoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds (cracked in mortar)

1 1/2 teaspoons dry oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes