Category: Condiments and Sauces

Alcaparrado

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 can green olives (drained)
  • 1/2 can black olives (drained) – OPTIONAL
  • 1/2 can Kalamata olives (drained)
  • 8 OZ small capers, chopped (drained)
  • 1 red bell pepper, minced
  • 1/4 C red wine or white vinegar
  • 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper or to taste

STEP BY STEP

  • Blister your red bell pepper over a hot gas flame or in the oven broiler.  Cook until it is at least half blackened.  Wrap in foil and let steam for 5 minutes.
  • Combine all other ingredients and toss to mix.
  • Heat on your stove until just simmering, then remove from heat.
  • Peel your bell pepper (DO NOT RINSE) and chop into pieces.
  • Add bell pepper to your mixture
  • Transfer to small sized canning jars.
  • These will keep for a couple of months.

 

Chinese 5 Spice Powder

  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 2 tsp cennel seeds
  • 10 cloves clove
  • 4 stars atar anise
  • 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
  1. Use actual peppercorns, not a substitute.
  2. Using a spice grinder, grind everything to a powder
  3. If using a coffee grinder, grind 1 TBL rice before grinding spices.
  4. Sieve out larger remainders
  5. Keeps for about 6 months
  6. Use 1 tsp powder for 1-2 LB of meat

Juevos Martajada (eggs with salsa)

We will start with Salsa Martajada, and then extend this into a great egg recipe.

  1. Cook 6 Roma tomatoes and 1/2 onion pieces and garlic cloves coated in oil under the broiler.  About 10 minutes or until blackened
  2. Either put 2 banana peppers and 2 poblano peppers under the broiler as well, or peel them using a flame (which I prefer) Instructions here.
  3. Once all above ingredients have been processed, pulse them in a food processor only until in chunky but small pieces, NOT pureed.
  4. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chile powder or cayenne
  5. This is good just like this for chips, etc.

Juevos Martajada

  1. Lightly (soft) scramble two eggs
  2. Add 1-2 TBL salsa martajada
  3. Serve with a flour tortilla

Grandpa’s Guac

SEE OTHER GUACAMOLE RECIPES

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 very ripe avocados (end stem should fall off easily)
  • Zest and juice from two limes
  • 1/2 sweet onion – thick slices
  • 1/2 red onion – thick slices
  • 1 tomato – thick slices
  • 2 jalapeños
  • 1 serrano pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 12 or more sprigs of fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
  • A dash or two of Choloula

STEP BY STEP

  1. Roast garlic, onions, tomato and peppers over a flame, or broil for 5 minutes.
  2. Dice onion, tomatoes and garlic.
  3. Remove skin, seeds and vein from peppers.
  4. Dice cilantro, tomato and seeded jalapeño
  5. Mix everything except the avocado together in a large bowl
  6. Dice avocado – See Tips and Tricks below

Grandpa’s Salsa

SEE OTHER SALSA RECIPES

CLICK HERE TO ADD RECIPES

Shopping Cart Salsa

salsa-winnerThis salsa was originally named Shopping Cart Salsa. You pick up the items, pulse them, and you are done. This recipe was entered into my granddaughter’ school salsa contest and it took FIRST PLACE! Congratulations Leighann.

Also provided for Yesica for a thank-you for excellent care at JCL.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 tomatillos, peeled, washed and chopped
  • 1/2 vadallia onion – chopped
  • 5 cloves smashed fresh garlic (or to taste)
  • 1 entire bunch chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 TBL lime juice
  • 2 entire bunches chopped scallions (greens only)
  • 4 jalapenos (seeded and de-veined for milder salsa)
    • optional:  substitute de-veined serrano peppers
  • 1/1 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper (to taste)
  • 1 tsp seasoned Rice Vinegar

STEP BY STEP

  1. Prepare as shown above, then combine all ingredients into a blender and pulse for just a few seconds – you still want it fairly chunky.
  2. Store in a medium bowl and mix well.
  3. Cover and refrigerate overnight for best results.

Avocado Hollandaise – VEGAN

This is really simple, and is great on grilled vegetables (eg) Eggplant, asparagus, bell pepper, green onion, carrots, onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, tomato, squash, etc.  This is also a VEGAN / VEGETARIAN recipe.

Put into blender:
1 ripe avocado
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Emulsify 2 TBL EVOO
(drizzle in slowly while blender is running)

Halloween Pumpkin Butter

This is best with sugar pumpkin (aka pie pumpkins) as the sugar content is higher than Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins.  Takes about 30 minutes total.

Ingredients

  • 15-ounce cans pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 TBL honey
  • 2 TBL maple syrup (Grade A is best)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1/4 C apple sauce
  • 1 TBL lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp CinnaSugar®
  • 1/8 tsp ground clove

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a large saucepan or pot over medium-high heat and stir to combine.
  2. Once it begins bubbling, reduce heat to medium and simmer.  You want an active boil, but not frenetic.  Reduce or increase temperature as necessary.
  3. Cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Add more sugar, salt or lemon if necessary.
  5. Transfer hot to clean canning jars.  If using within the next month, a normal jar is OK.

Individual Serving of Gravy

Gravy packets are usually stuffed into the body cavity of your frozen turkey.

Ever wonder what to do with that gravy packet that comes with your frozen turkey when nobody at your dinner really eats gravy – but you do.

Here is an answer:

  1. Mix the gravy packet with 2 C of pan drippings
  2. Add whatever gravy seasonings you like.  I added 1 TBL Thunder Powder.
    Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder
  3. Ladle into cupcake silicon liners.  Don’t use paper, it will essentially dissolve.  You can use it, but be careful when thawing.
  4. Freeze overnight
  5. Put into a bag with a link to these instructions.

www . grandpacooks . com / recipes / gravy

When you are ready to make your gravy, do this:

  1. Put one or two gravy cupcakes into a pan.
  2. Let melt for about an hour on the counter.  No longer.
  3. If you are ready to cook now, microwave 15 seconds at a time breaking apart with a spoon until thawed.  It doesn’t need to be completely thawed, just mostly.
  4. Start to heat the gravy on the stovetop.
  5. Mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 TBL water PER CUPCAKE.
    That is, if you are making two, use 2 tsp and 2 TBL.
  6. As soon as you see the first sign of steam, TEMPER the hot liquid into your cornstarch, 1 TBL at a time.
  7. After 4 TBL into your cornstarch, slowly drizzle the cornstarch into your gravy whisking continually.
  8. Stir until it thickens.  That’s it !

ALTERNATE PREPARATION

  1. Starting with your melted gravy, heat in microwave 30 seconds.
  2. Remove and stir in 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 TBL water PER CUPCAKE.
    That is, if you are making two, use 2 tsp and 2 TBL.
  3. Heat another 30 seconds
  4. Remove and stir.
  5. Repeat “remove and stir” at 10 second intervals at this point.  If you try to increase time to, let’s say 20 seconds, you will find that your gravy has developed clumps.
  6. When it has thickened enough for you, it is done.

CinnaSugar ®

This is a powder that I mix up and keep on hand.  It is good for many things, but mainly French Toast.  It used to be called French Toast Powder, so you may see it call that in other recipes.

  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1/4 C ground cinnamon
  • 1 TBL nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt

For French Toast, add

  • 1 TBL seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp corn starch
  • 1 TBL granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 TBL milk (not skim)
  • 1 TBL emulsified butter or canola oil

Homemade Butter Spread

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 stick Tillamook or Fleishman’s (high quality) butter
  • 2 TBL whole milk – DO NOT use skim or low-fat

STEP BY STEP

  1. Let butter come up to room temperature
  2. Put into mixing bowl (not a food processor – too fast)
  3. Add warm milk
  4. Whip with a mixer at low speed for 1-2 minutes
  5. Increase speed to high for 2-4 minutes until light and creamy
  6. Store in the refrigerator when not in use.

NOTES

  • The first mixing at low speed is to mix the ingredients well.  The higher speed will incorporate some air bubbles into the butter spread
  • Ten seconds in the microwave is an additional step the I take
  • Cover tightly in the fridge.  Tupperware works very well.
  • Butter will keep for a couple of weeks, but will tend to get harder (due to evaporation) the longer it sets.
  • If you are serving this with French bread, mix 1 TBL powdered garlic into the spread right at the very beginning.
  • If you are looking for a dessert spread, mix 1 TBL cinnamon and 2 TBL sugar in right at the beginning.
  • A citrus butter is good with muffins, waffles or pancakes.  Mix in the zest and juice from one orange – skip the milk

 

Refrigerator Jam

  1. Boil 3 C fruit for 30 minutes
  2. Peel, pit, core, mince – etc – depending on the fruit you are using
  3. Puree in blender or food processor
  4. Add 3/4 C white grape juice
  5. Add 1 packet (or 3 TBL) pectin
  6. Add 1 TBL lemon juice
  7. Put above into a sauce pan with 3/4 C sugar
  8. As soon as it starts to foam, add 2 tsp Grandpa’s CinnaSugar®
  9. Heat until it reaches a full boil
  10. Pour into sterilized canning jars
  11. Keeps for many months

Rajas

Rajas simply means STRIPS in Spanish, so you can actually use any pepper – but I prefer to use prepared Poblano peppers. For MY recipe, the peppers are always prepared the same way. The difference is what you do with them. Read on…

Preparing your Poblanos

  1. If you have a gas stove, blister/blacken 8 poblano chiles over a medium-high flame.  If you have an electric stove, put them under the broiler until mostly blackened.
  2. Wrap them immediately in a paper towel and put into a zip-lock baggie for 8-10 minutes.
  3. The skin will peel off easily.  Discard the skin.  Some people (the crazy ones) will rinse their peppers.  I recommend that you do not wash away the wonderful smoky flavor.  Just peel them.
  4. Split the peppers open and scrape out the seeds, and discard the seeds.  Leave the peppers as whole and intact as possible.
  5. You are now ready to create your Rajas.

Rajas en Escabeche (in Vinegar)

  1. Slice a sweet onion in thin slices
  2. Saute over low heat in 2 TBL olive oil and 2 TBL butter
  3. Add 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic
  4. Add 3 bay leaves, 10 black peppercorns, 5 cloves, 1 tsp crushed oregano and 1 tsp thyme
  5. Add 1 tsp brown sugar and 2 tsp salt
  6. Add 1/2 C rice wine vinegar and 1/2 C white distilled vinegar
  7. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 10-15 minutes
  8. Meanwhile peel your poblanos and cut into strips – removing seeds (SEE ABOVE)
  9. When reduced to about half gently toss in your poblano strips
  10. Move the mixture to a jar using a slotted spoon, and pour hot liquid over the top
  11. Refrigerate for 2-3 weeks

Rajas de Queso aka Rajas con Crema

Prepare as above, but after Step 5, proceed as follows:

  1. Mix in strips of poblano chilies and toss gently
  2. Optionally add 1 can of whole kernel corn
  3. Remove from heat and add in 1/2 C crema Mexicana or sour cream
  4. Mix well, then add 1/2 C shredded Asadero cheese or Oaxaca cheese
    Alternately you can use Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese
  5. Serve immediately with corn tortillas or taco shells
    Can keep for up to a week, but it is much better fresh

 

 

Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel Sauce – best to prepare ahead of time and chill

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole milk
  • pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
  • 2 TBSP white wine
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 TBSP melted butter whisked
  • 2 TBSP all -purpose flour

Step by Step

  1. Start with butter and flour
  2. Heat on medium heat until flour starts to brown slightly
  3. Slowly add milk with nutmeg, wine, salt and pepper
  4. Continue to whisk and bring milk mixture back to boil.
  5. Lower heat to simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, making sure to stir nearly continually.
  6. Remove from heat
  7. Strain through fine sieve and allow to cool.
  8. Place plastic directly over sauce to prevent crust from forming.
  9. May be prepared 2 days before and stored in fridge.

 

Kansas City Sweet BBQ Sauce

  • 2 C Sir Kensington ketchup (or Heintz)
  • 2 C tomato sauce (Hunts Basil, Garlic and Tomato is good)
  • 1 1/4 C brown sugar
  • 3/4 C red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 C Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 C apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 C Grandma’s unsulfured molasses
  • 3 tsp hickory-flavored liquid smoke
  • 2 TBL Tilamook butter
  • 2 cloves grated garlic
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard or dry mustard
  • 1 TBL grated Vidalia onion
  • 1 TBL Grandpa’s Thunder Powder
  • 1/2 tsp celery seed
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground clove
  • Juice from one lemon
  1. Put into blender and puree.
  2. Start on low
  3. Brush onto meat during the last 5 minutes

Jack Daniels Savory BBQ Sauce

aka Tennessee BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1/2 C Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey plus 1 TBL
  • 4 cloves garlic – minced or grated
  • 1/2 C Vidalia onion – minced or grated
  • 2 C Sir Kensington ketchup (or Heintz)
  • 1/3 C white vinegar
  • 3/4 C fancy molasses
  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 4 Roma tomatoes (oven baked)
  • 3 TBL Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Liquid Smoke
  • 1 tsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce – Cayenne Pepper sauce
  • 1 TBL Grandpa’s Thunder Powder
  1. Put roma tomatoes halved and face up on baking sheet
    . Drizzle with oil and Sprinkle with salt
  2. Add entire head of garlic . Cut off top
    . Drizzle with oil and Sprinkle with salt . Wrap in foil
  3. Add large quartered onion
    . Drizzle with oil and Sprinkle with salt . Wrap in foil
  4. Bake all at 350° for an hour
  5. Blend with 1 TBL Grandpa’s Thunder Powder and Cayenne Pepper sauce
  6. Run through a food mill or sieve to remove solids
  7. Transfer liquid to a heavy sauce pan
  8. Add the following
    • 1/2 C lemon juice with zest
    • 1/2 C Jack Daniels
    • 1/2 C brown sugar
    • 1/4 C Grandma’s Unsulfured Molasses
    • 1 TBL Worchestershire sauce
    • 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
    • 1 TBL  dried mustard powder
  9. Bring the contents to a slow boil, then reduce heat and simmer (uncovered, on low) for 20-30 minutes
  10. Stir in 1 TBL Jack Daniel’s and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
  11. Brush onto the meat, poultry, seafood of your choice for grilling.

Fresh Pepper BBQ Sauce

Fresh Pepper BBQ Sauce

Chipotle *
Pasilla *
Hatch, New Mexico *
Anaheim or Poblano *
1 onion – chopped small
1 entire head of garlic
* peppers should be blackened and skins, seeds and stems removed
1/4 C molasses
1/4 C brown sugar
1 C bourbon
3 C ketchup
1/3 C apricot jam (or fresh apricots with skins removed)
Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes
Blend – For smoother sauce, put everything through a food mill

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