Tartar Sauce

                                                 Tartar sauce


Ingredients:
4Tbl. minced white onion
4Tbl. dill relish or minced dill pickles
1Tbl. Sweet pickle relish
3Tbl. real mayo
3Tbl. miracle whip
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill at least 30 minutes, to blend the flavors.
You could pulse it in a food processor, if you prefer it smoother.

A nice harvest for a drought. It's time to make Cooked Salsa

                                      Cooked Salsa-finally!
It's been a tough year for gardeners, not to mention farmers. The government declared 90% of Illinois corn crops were lost. We use a well for our water, so we have to be very conservative, only watering the garden once a week. But my husband harvested a nice batch today. If you want to make this hotter, add 2 cayenne, if you want it very hot, add a habenero.

It looks like I can finally make some salsa. The main reason I garden! I love both the cooked and un-cooked versions.( Pauls perfect salsa cruda)

                                                An Okra flower.

Ingredients:
1tsp. oil
 1cup diced tomatoes (I prefer romas but any tomato will work)
1 bell pepper-diced
2 jalapenos- minced
1 small onion diced
1tsp. minced garlic
1tsp. white vinegar
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp.sugar
1/2tsp. chopped cilantro (dried is fine too)

Preparation:
I prefer to puree the sauce after cooking, but you can puree first, if you like.
Heat the oil in a sauce pan.
Add all other ingredients and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated.
Puree in a blender, I like to leave it a little chunky, for texture.
Allow to cool. I think this tastes best at room temp. Use as a serving sauce or serve with tortilla chips. This makes 2/3cup.

Homemade Honey-mustard Salad Dressing

  Homemade Honey-mustard salad dressing with Grilled butterfly porkchop sandwich
 I love this recipe, perfect. Makes 1/2 cup.

Ingredients:
2Tbl. honey
2Tbl. Dijon mustard
2Tbl. cider vinegar
2Tbl. sugar
1/4 cup salad oil
Preparation:
Add everything except the oil to a blender, blend on low for a few seconds.
Add the oil, pouring it in very slowly, while blending.
Replace the lid and blend on high for five minutes, to blend in the oil.
Chill and serve.

Sweet Onion Salad Dressing

Sweet Onion Salad Dressing - Really close to Ken's Steakhouse Sweet Vidalia dressing

I have been working on this for 2 years, finally got it. Not only is it a great salad dressing, but also good in recipes. Sweet onion teriyaki wraps

Ingredients:

For the caramelized onion 
1 small yellow onion- diced
1Tbl. butter

You will also need
6Tbl. salad oil
5Tbl. cider vinegar
4Tbl sugar
2Tbl honey
2Tbl. water
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. celery seed

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a sauce pan on a very low flame.
Add the onion and cook, stirring, until caramelized. Cool.
Add the onions and all other ingredients to a blender.
Pulse a few times, then blend about 5 minutes.
Chill before serving.

                              Caramelized onion- It takes about 15 minutes.

Cocktail Sauce

 I really don't care for the bottled cocktail sauces. This tastes much fresher, and so simple, it would just be a waste of money.

Ingredients:
1cup ketchup
1-3 Tbl. prepared horseradish-(to taste)
Mix to blend, and serve.

Pumpkin Dip with Cinnamon Chips

                                        Pumpkin Dip with Cinnamon Chips
In the middle of a hot summer, I had a craving for pumpkin pie.
Too hot to bake, I threw this together and was really surprised, it tastes exactly like it. It's also a fun way to add vitamins to your kid's diet. Give the kid's something they can dip, and I swear they will eat anything.
11% fiber, 8% iron, 4% calcium, 19% vitamin C,  245% vitamin A, and 2g protein.

Ingredients:

For the dip:
1 can solid pumpkin
1/4cup sugar
1tsp.cinnamon
1/4cupmilk

For the cinnamon chips:
tortillas cut into wedges
4Tbl. sugar
1tsp. cinnamon
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:
In a bowl, mix together all dip ingredients. Chill.
For the chips. Mix together cinnamon and sugar.
I keep a large old spice container full of cinnamon and sugar mixture, for these and cinnamon toast.
Fry the wedges until lightly browned, less than a minute.
Sprinkle with the cinnamon mixture, or toss them in a bowl of the cinnamon mixture while they are still warm.
Serve.

Guacamole

                                              Guacamole

Guacamole recipe:
2 ripe avocados-peeled, pitted, mashed
1/2 cup of the salsa recipe
Mix, cover and chill.serve with tortilla chips.


Salsa recipe:

2cups finely diced roma tomatoes
1-1/2cups finely diced white onion
2/3cup green bell pepper finely diced
1/2cup jalapeno finely diced-optional
1/4cup cayenne finely diced-optional
3-1/2 Tbl. minced garlic
Salt to taste-should taste somewhat salty

Mix all ingredients and chill.

Mexican Layered Dip

Mexican Layered Dip

Ingredients:
1 small can re-fried beans
1cup homemade salsa-(recipe below)
1cup guacamole-(recipe below)
1 can chilli- or coney-dog sauce (Homemade Coney Sauce)
8oz, shredded cheddar or Colby-jack
2cups sour cream
2cups shredded leaf lettuce
Directions:
Spread the bottom of a 13x9 serving dish with the re-fried beans.Spread the guacamole over that, then Spread the chili,followed by the salsa, shredded cheese sour cream, and top with lettuce.
Serve with tortilla chips or ritz crackers

Salsa recipe:

2cups finely diced roma tomatoes               
1-1/2cups finely diced white onion
2/3cup green bell pepper finely diced
1/2cup jalapeno finely diced
1/4cup cayenne finely diced
3-1/2 tbl. chopped garlic
salt to taste-should taste somewhat salty
Mix all ingredients and chill.

Guacamole recipe:
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup of the salsa recipe
Mix, cover and chill.

Chilli Cheese Dip

                                              Chilli Cheese Dip

This has become a staple at every get together. I have not met a person yet who doesn't love it.
I usally double this recipe, at least.

Ingredients:
1-8oz.package of cream cheese softened
1 can of chilli with beans
1-4oz.package of shredded cheddar,or colby-jack
Heat oven to 375*
Directions:
Spread the softened cream cheese in the bottom of a small baking pan (such as a pie tin)
Pour/spread the canned chilli over the cream cheese
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over all and bake until cheese has melted and is nice and gooey. cool slightly, serve warm with tortilla chips, bugles, or ritz crackers

Paul's Perfect Salsa Cruda

                                      Salsa Cruda or Fresca
This is so addictive! You can find pretty good roma tomatoes during the winter, so we make this all year long. But, Fresh from the garden, makes the best salsa.

Ingredients:
2cups finely diced roma tomatoes
1-1/2cups finely diced white onion
2/3cup green bell pepper finely diced
1/2cup jalapeno finely diced
1/4cup cayenne finely diced
3-1/2 tbl. chopped garlic
Salt to taste-should taste somewhat salty

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients and chill for at least 1/2 hour. serve with tortilla chips. My family loves this with bugles.
I also like to top my hamburger with this.