Homemade Ketchup

For the month of February, I gave myself a challenge: Don't buy any groceries except dairy products for the entire  month.

And then, within just a few days...I had run out of ketchup and I was cursing myself for being so dumb.  WHAT was I thinking?

Then, I realized that trying out homemade ketchup has been on my to-do for a very long time and I just had never gotten around to it.  Now seemed the perfect time since it was either go without for an entire month or get it done.

I got it done. 

And then Matt tasted it.

And now I will probably have to 'get it done' for the rest of my days.

This is a winning recipe...tastes delicious.  Lacks the high fructose corn syrup. Whips up in about five minutes or less.  Uses simple ingredients that you likely already have in your cupboard. 
Makes about 1 1/2 pints.

I give you~

Homemade Ketchup

Ingredients:

• 12 oz can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup honey (you can also just use sugar)
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat; whisk until smooth.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice, to me, is either win or lose. There is no mediocre. This one is definitely a win, and I *think* it has to do with the home-canned chili sauce (which means I will have to get that recipe on here too!). My canned sauce has a sweetness to it that I think would be lacking in the storebought.

Of course, make it with storebought if you must. And hey~if you want to add some sweetness, just add some sugar! Try it and let me know if you like it.

I like to serve Spanish Rice with some cheese quesadilla topped with salsa and sour cream. It's cheap, it's light, and it's muy delicioso.

Here's what you need:

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 small to medium chopped onion
* half a green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can canned tomatoes
* 1 cup water
* 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
* 1/2 cup chili sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 pinch ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown your ground beef and cook your onions in a large, oven safe pot over medium-high heat with a bit of oil. Drain excess fat and turn heat down to medium-low. Stir in the green bell pepper, tomatoes, water, rice, chili sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.

Put the lid on and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add shredded cheddar cheese and put in 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. (Or-in the mid summer, just put the lid on tight and turn heat down low on burner to avoid turning on the oven.)

Bacon and Broccoli Salad

This salad is so good, the flavor sometimes haunts me. I crave it, just like a pizza or fries. I just love this salad.

For Salad:
10 slices bacon
1 bunch fresh broccoli (about 3-4 stalks), cut into bite size
pieces
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup raisins

For dressing:
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sunflower seeds

Directions:
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
3. Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.

OPTIONAL ADDITION: This salad is also excellent with once can of mandarin orange slices added. My hubby requested it this way next time, and he doesn't even like mandarin oranges!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is superb. Simply divine. Don't be skeptical of the ingredients list, just step out in blind faith. Trust me, it will be worth it in the end.

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Creamy Corn Casserole

This is an interesting mix of cornbread and spoonbread. VERY moist, not at all like cornbread, and yet: definitely has a taste LIKE cornbread. OK. I don't know how to explain it. All you have to know is that it is good, right?

I'll never forget: (uh oh, MEMORY ALERT!): It was our first year of marriage. I was a new wifey and had a new home to call my own. If it was nice, it was all me. If it was awful, it was all my fault. I chose to make it nice, although marrying an obsessive compulsive clean guy sorta forced me into that box.

I married not knowing a LICK about cooking. In fact, as a joke, I was gifted an egg boiler thingy because I didn't know how to hardcook eggs. Yeah. Come to think of it, maybe it WASN'T a joke...

Well, had had a few run-in's with food flops (like, every night) but I was determined to fulfill all my womanly roles, and one of them was entertaining. I invited my parents' over for supper, and then worked tirelessly to find some good (infallible) recipes. I cooked, I cleaned, I primped and primed. We sat down to eat after I spent a good portion of time fluttering about the kitchen and on the menu was....THIS. I don't remember what ELSE there was (I mean, sheesh. It WAS six years ago!) but that isn't important anyway. The fact that I remember THIS just goes to show you how...memorable a dish it is.

We sat. We ate. We visited. And then. Moment of truth: I got up to go refill something and as I stepped into the kitchen I heard Dad quietly say something to my mother.

My Dad, southern boy born and raised, said "Now THAT is what cornbread is supposed to taste like!"

No. He didn't say it to ME---that is what made it so special. Because anyone can say "Oh, this is DELICIOUS" out of kindness for your hospitality. And if anyone is going to conveniently and extravagently exaggerate, it will be your dear Dad. The fact that he said it to Mom out of admiration and not to make me feel good was what...made me feel good!

I walked back to my seat just a wee bit puffed up, sat just a wee bit taller, and smiled just a wee bit bigger. A "SCORE" was just what I had been needing after so many strike-outs.

It has been a delicious standby ever since.

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 T. sugar
  
• 1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn bread mix
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14.75 ounce) can creamed corn
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. If you really like sugar, you can sprinkle a wee bit on top too. That is one of my secret tricks. But keep it a secret, will ya?!?
   
3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown.

This is EXCELLENT served with chili, soups, or beef cuts. I usually make it with a meat the first night, and then crumble it on the bottom of our bowls and ladle chili on top. yum.

Maple Cream

Delicious creme to accompany fruit!


1 oz. cream cheese
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 T. confectioners sugar
1 t. Maple extract (or maple syrup)

Beat cream cheese until smooth in consistency and then add heavy whipping cream. Beat this until thickened a bit. Add 1 T. confectioners sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Then add 1 t. Maple flavoring.

For an extra special presentation, cut strawberries into quarters being careful not to cut the whole way through and fill with creme.

Dressed Up Rice

In a saucepan, combine 4 cups water, 2 cups dry rice, and 1 T. butter. Bring to a boil. Turn to low heat. Cover and Simmer 2o minutes or until all water is absorbed.

Shred about 1/2 c. SHARP or extra sharp cheddar cheese~ add to rice.

Add 1/8- 1/4c. black olives~ sliced.

Add 1/2 c. canned or frozen spinach.

Season with a bit of salt and pepper, and serve as a side dish.

Matt suggested this would be very good with seafood bits: oysters, clams, mussels, etc. I wouldn't know because the mere THOUGHT of those things turn my stomach! But-if they do not affect yours that way-try it out! ;-)

Candied Acorn Squash

A tasty accompaniment to any autumn meal, this candied acorn squash gives you the traditional acorn squash taste in a delightfully sweet and spiced glaze.

1 medium acorn squash
3 T. brown sugar
1 T. butter
1 t. lemon juice or water
1/8 t. cinnamon

Cut squash into four rings-discarding seeds. Place rings in a single layer in a greased, shallow baking dish.

Bake, covered in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile~ combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and cook (stirring frequently) until bubbly. Spoon glaze over squash and bake another 10 minutes uncovered, or until tender making sure to baste often.

Makes four large servings, could easily feed eight if halved. It is after all, a side dish.

Herb garden potatoes

Matt is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Since I have been married to Matt, I have learned how to make potatoes in every transformation possible: home fries, fench fries, twice-baked, mashed, au gratin, scalloped, has browned...YOU NAME IT.

Here is one tasty version.

Serves 4 sidedish portions. To make more-just multiply ingredients.

Rinse and slice 4 potatoes. (We keep skins on here~ part laziness, part taste, part nutrients. If you are NOT lazy, do NOT like the taste, and don't CARE about the nutrients~peel away!)

Add to skillet with about 3 T. olive oil, heat over medium heat.

Slice an onion (half an onion, a few slices-dependent upon size and taste) into rings and saute them with potatoes and add 1 T. garlic.
Add one teaspoon butter and one splash white wine. Cover with lid and let cook. (Make sure to stir every now and again so the pieces don't get burned.)

Go to herby garden and pick

4 sage leaves
4 springs of Oregano
1 dill head

Peel all the leaves off of the springs of oregano. Cut sage into pieces. Break apart dill. In mortar and pestle, crush them all up and add to skillet.

Season with salt and pepper.

When potatoes are tender, you are set!
If you would like to use MORE of your herbies...you can add snipped chives before serving. :-)

Dipping Oil

Ever been to an Italian restaurant that served oil with bread? I never liked that concept-or at least, their version of it. It was 95% oil and 5% spices. IF that. So, I made up my own version that is nearly the opposite. It is DELICIOUS. A great, simple but impressive addition to any meal. If you have the crusty bread, you should DEFINATELY make this.

In a small dipping bowl, add:

3/4- 1 cup olive oil (depending on size of party)
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
2 shakes onion powder
a pinch of Thyme-crushed
2 shakes Oregano

Mix well.

Add two sage leaves...but be sure to pinch or rub them first, as this allows the flavors to meld a bit more.

Then just dip away!

This is very garlicy-just how I like it. Only eat it with those whom you love. Or especially DON'T like and won't be in close proximity to. If you like less garlic, by all means, change the proportions.

Moist Poultry Stuffing

This is the first time I have made sutffing from scratch and I will not go back. It was so easy and delicious! I just experimented so amounts are not exact.

Cut up bread in cubes (I used about 1 1/2 loaves) and let rest on counter for a few days (OR) put in oven at 300 until crisp. Put in a bowl. Add to bowl...
Parsley
Garlic powder
Thyme
Minced and rubbed fresh sage (or dried)-Six leaves
Pepper
Salt
Lemon & Pepper Seasoning

...and toss with bread crumbs to coat. (I started with about 1/2 t. of each and then I just kept adding spices until all the bread looked spiced up...)

Meanwhile,

Sautee 1-2 onions, chopped
3-4 stalks of celery, sliced
1 or 2 cans mushrooms, sliced
2-4 T. butter

When onions are translucent, add to bread bowl.
Then add 2-4 c. broth (you can use turkey broth, chicken, vegetable, or even just water... I used 1 14 1/2 oz. can vegetable broth and an additional 1 1/2 c. water all mixed with chicken bouillion-but the same affect can be had by using cans of chicken broth.

Transfer mixture to a greased pan and bake, covered, for 45mins to an hour at 350.