Pizza Sauce
It is so easy to make your own sauce and it tastes much better than store bought. Use the tomatoes that you already love. The sauce doesn’t need cooking because the tomatoes are cooked when they are canned and the sauce cooks in the oven. Don’t use too much as the sauce should just kiss the dough. For an eight to ten inch pizza use just ¼ cup of sauce.
INGREDIENTS
28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 ½ Teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar
½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ Teaspoon Dried Basil
¼ Teaspoon Dried Oregano
¼ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Cup Water
Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the salt and water in a medium size bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup of the water and ¼ cup of the salt. If you need more water to thin out the sauce then use a little more, but be careful not to thin out the sauce too much. You also don’t want the sauce to be too pasty. The sauce should easily spread over the dough. Makes 3 Cup
Cranberry Sauce
Forget the canned stuff and make homemade Cranberry Sauce. Tastes so much better and super easy to make!
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Fresh Cranberries
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Orange Juice
In a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat dissolve the sugar and orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook for 10 minutes until the cranberries start to pop. Remove from the heat and place the sauce in a bowl. The Cranberry Sauce will thicken as it cools. Refrigerate until time to serve. Serves 10
Turkey Giblet Gravy
Many people are afraid to make gravy, but it is actually pretty easy to make. Here are simple steps to make perfect Turkey Giblet Gravy!
INGREDIENTS
Turkey Giblets & Neck
Roast Turkey Pan Drippings
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the giblets, neck and water to boiling over a high heat. Reduce to a low heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the broth into a large bowl. Pull the meat from the neck and throw away the bones. Coarsely chop the neck meat and giblets. Cover and refrigerate the meat and broth separately. Next, remove the rack from the roasting pan. Pour the drippings through a sieve into a 4 cup measuring cup. Add 1 cup of the broth to the roasting pan. Stir until the brown bits are loosened. Pour the drippings into a cup. Let the cup full of drippings stand until the fat separates from the meat juice. Spoon 2 tablespoons of frat from the pan drippings that were in the cup, into a 2 quart saucepan. Skim and throw away the remaining fat. In the saucepan, stir in the salt and flour. Stir constantly until golden. Add the remaining broth and enough water to the pan drippings, in the cup, to equal 3 ½ cups. Gradually stir into the saucepan. Cook and stir until the gravy thickens and boils. Stir in the reserved meat. Heat through. Makes about 4 cups.
Teriyaki Sauce
Why buy bottled Teriyaki Sauce when you can make your own? Teriyaki Sauce is a simple blend of Japanese wines, soy sauce and sugar. This salty & sweet condiment gives a glossy sheen to grilled or broiled fish, chicken and meats. If you are using on meats then make sure to baste near the end of cooking to avoid burning. You can also use as a marinade to give the meat a delicious flavor and tenderize too. This Teriyaki Sauce goes well with noodle and rice dishes as well and is perfect for those who like a sweet and tangy taste at one time.
INGREDIENTS
¼ Cup Cold Water
1 Cup Water
6 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
5 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Minced Garlic Clove
3 Tablespoons Fresh Grated Ginger
In a medium saucepan and over a medium heat pour in 1 cup of water. Stir in the brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Bring to a boil. Stir constantly. In a small bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the ¼ cup of cold water. Wisk the cornstarch until completely dissolved. Add the cornstarch & water mixture into the sauce. Stir and allow the sauce to thicken. Remove from the heat and let cool. Store in a jar or container in the fridge. Keeps for two weeks. Makes 2 servings
Béchamel Sauce
Béchamel Sauce, also known as White Sauce, is one of the “mother sauces” of French cuisine. Also used in many Italian recipes such as lasagna. This sauce is also used as a base for other sauces mainly Mornay sauce, which is Béchamel with cheese.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 ¼ Cups Heated Milk
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and stir in the flour. Stir constantly and cook for two minutes until the mixture bubbles just a bit. Do NOT let the mixture brown. Add the mot milk and continue stirring as the sauce thickens bringing it to a boil. Add the salt and pepper and lower the heat and cook for 3 more minutes. Remember to constantly stir and don’t leave unattended. Remove from the heat and cool if you are going to use this sauce later. A good tip for storing this sauce for later use is to pour a film of milk over the mixture before storing. This will prevent a skin from forming. If you decide to make this into a cheese sauce just stir in ½ cup of grated cheddar cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking along with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Makes 1 cup
Hollandaise Sauce
Hollandaise Sauce is used to prepare eggs Florentine. It also pairs nicely with poached fish and roasted or steamed asparagus.
INGREDIENTS
4 Egg Yolks
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon & Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Water
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
¼ Freshly Ground White Pepper
2 Sticks Melted Unsalted Butter
Set a bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water. Combine the egg yolks, lemon and lime juice and water. Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. You must not turn your back on this process and make sure to whisk constantly. Whisk another minute more. Remove the bowl from over the saucepan. Add the salt, cayenne and white pepper. With a blender mix while slowly pouring in the melted butter for two minutes. Cover and keep warm over a very low heat until ready to serve. Makes 2 cups
Bearnaise Sauce
It is useful to have basic sauces up your sleeve to dress up any dish. Bearnaise Sauce is a rich yet tangy topping for steak, grilled chicken, vegetables or poached eggs. If you don’t have tarragon vinegar then use white wine vinegar and toss in an extra tablespoon of fresh tarragon.
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Tarragon Vinegar
1/3 Cup Dry White Wine
2 Finely Chopped Shallots
3 Large Egg Yolks
¼ Cup Water
1/8 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Stick Cold Butter – Cut Into Pieces
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Tarragon
¼ Teaspoon Salt
In a (nonreactive) saucepan, combine the vinegar, wine and shallots. Heat to boiling over a high heat. Boil for 7 minutes until the liquid has reduced to ¼ cup. With the back of a spoon, press the mixture through a fine sieve into a medium bowl or on the top of a double boiler. With a wire whisk, beat the egg yolks, water and pepper into the vinegar mixture. Set the bowl over the saucepan of the simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, for 10 minutes until the egg yolk mixture bubbles around the edges and has thickened. Reduce heat to a very low. With a wire whisk, whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, until each addition is incorporated and sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the tarragon and salt. Makes 1 cup