Yellow Curry Paste

Yellow Curry Paste

Amazingly good and worth the trouble.

Coat lightly with oil, then roast for 45 minutes at 350 degrees:

1/2 - 3/4 c. garlic cloves, wrapped in foil
5 lg. shallots
4" ginger root, thinly sliced and single layered in foil (remove after ~20 minutes)

Process roasted garlic, shallots, and ginger with the following spices until well blended:

3 T. sambal oelek (fresh chili paste)
3 T. lemongrass paste
3 T. turmeric
3 T. yellow curry powder
1 T. pink Himalayan salt
2 t. ground coriander
1/3 c. cilantro

Store in tightly sealed container in refrigerator until ready to use.  I froze 3-4 T. batches in snack baggies for quick use. 

Bacon Jam

Bacon Jam

An accompaniment for just about anything from pork tenderloin to ice cream.  No really.

1 1/2 lbs. bacon

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 T. vegetable oil

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

3 T. liquid smoke

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. water

Cook bacon until tender-crisp (either bake at 350, or dice and brown in skillet).  Remove from grease to drain on paper towels until ready to use.

Heat oil in a skillet.  When very hot, add onionsand saute on high until caramelized (20-30 minutes), stirring often.  To caramelized onions, add the vinegar, liquid smoke, and brown sugar.  Stir until well-blended.  Add water, stir, boil until water evaporates.

 

Stir in bacon, and wah-lah!  Bacon Jam, at your service.

 

USE: in an omelet with gruyere cheese

 

USE: on a croissant with lettuce and tomato for a very special BJLT

 

USE: as a topping for mashed potatoes

 

USE: as a side on a charcuterie tray

 

You get the idea...

Chipotle Lime Aioli

Chipotle Lime Aioli

 1/2 c. real mayonnaise

1 T. garlic, minced

1 1/2 t. lime juice

1 1/2 T. adobo sauce

 

Blend well, then chill.  Use as a garnish for crab cakes, as a spread on a burger, or as a veggie dip.

Creamy Cilantro Goat Cheese

Creamy Cilantro Goat Cheese

4 oz. goat cheese, softened

1/2 c. sour cream

2 t. fresh dill

2 T. fresh cilantro

2 T. lime juice

1/4 c. Splenda (or sugar)

2 T. heavy cream

 

Blend all ingredients in a mixing bowl, then cover and chill until ready to use.  This makes a great garnish or accompaniment for a variety of appetizers and soups!

Simple BBQ Sauce

Simple BBQ Sauce

1/2 c. ketchup

1 T. spicy mustard

3 T. Worcestershire

2-3 T. brown sugar

1 T. vinegar

 

In small saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil for 1-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

 

Use as you would any BBQ sauce!

Lori's Turkey Gravy

Lori's Turkey Gravy
 

Melt in saucepan on Med-High heat:

1 c. butter

Whisk in:

1/2 c. flour

Whisk in:

2 c. turkey pan juices

2 c. water

The more herbs and spices in your pan juices, the more complex and flavorful your gravy will be.  If your turkey has been roasted without these, you may need to add them (rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, garlic, etc.)

Another way to add depth to the flavor (if needed) is to add a couple of tablespoons of broth base.  Turkey, chicken, and vegetable broth all work well.

Sweet Whiskey Reduction

To please my sons, I made an attempt to reproduce TGIFriday's Jack Daniels sauce, and came up with this.  It is not an exact reproduction, but it is good enough to repeat, and the boys were satisfied.

Sweet Whiskey Reduction

1 1/2 c. whiskey (or other suitable liquor - I used the last bit of Glen Livet, the last bit of Jameson, and made up the rest with Old Ezra bourbon...so obviously, we're not talking rocket science here!)

1 1/2 c. fruit juice ( I used apple...some claim the original uses pineapple but I had none on hand)

2 1/4 c. brown sugar

3 cubes beef bouillon

2-3 T. Franks hot sauce

4-5 T. worcestershire sauce

Bring all ingredients to boil in a saucepan.  Let boil for 30-45 minutes, until reduced by about half.

In the meantime, in skillet, sauté on high until soft and slightly charred:

2 T. oil

1 sm. onion, finely diced

2 T. fresh minced garlic

Add to boiling whiskey sauce for 10+ minutes.  

Serve with any beef, pork, or poultry.  Tonight we had it with shredded beef, broccoli, and rice.