cryptic mom pickles

 1 cup sugar

1 sliced  red onion

2 cups vinegar

1 Tsp turmeric 

Bay leaf

Tsp celery seeds

2-3 Tbs Mustard seeds 

Pinch red chili flakes three fingers 

1 TBs Peppercorn

1/4 sea salt

15 gloves of garlic

1/2 cup water 

Up to a quick boil 

Slice pickles (or cucs) just less then 1/4”

Slice onions thin 

Add pickles and onions together, 

In a big bowl pour hot (just to a boil liquid over them ) 

Stir, make sure they are covered in liquid.  Do not cover just let it sit for 30 minutes. 

(Pouring liquid over hot makes faster pickles as it’s cooking them just slightly) 

Slop & Slather BBQ sauce

Sounds funny I know, Slop and Slather....

I decided at the last minute to whip up some BBQ sauce for steak on the grill, and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand for this recipe.... Fast, easy and surprisingly, we all loved it.  

(and I don't like BBQ anyhow, so go figure!)

Sweet, sour, with a mild heat after kick...

1 cup Ketchup

1 cup water

1/2 C chopped onion

1/4 C worchestershire sauce

2 TBS vinegar

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix all together, and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 25 minutes...Stirring often, and it will cook down to about 2 cups... I slathered it on the steaks when I grilled them, and we added more at the table on our portions...  It's a keeper!

From Better Homes and Garden's Grill it magazine issue 2015

edamame dip

1 cup shelled cooked edamame beans

1/2 cup cooked fresh spinach

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp greek yogurt

1 tbs cream cheese

2 cloves garlic

juice of one lemon

wee bit of cumin

Garlicky Cranberry Chutney

Garlicky Cranberry Chutney

We were given this as a gift the last two thanksgivings, and we Demolished the container... Found on NPR website... SO GOOD!!!

Susan Stamberg calls this recipe "my truly favorite cranberry side dish." It's from Madhur Jaffrey's cookbook East/West Menus for Family and Friends(Harper & Row, 1987).

1-inch piece fresh ginger

3 cloves finely chopped garlic

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

4 tablespoons sugar

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1-pound can cranberry sauce with berries

1/2 teaspoon salt (or less)

ground black pepper

Cut ginger into paperthin slices, stack them together and cut into really thin slivers.

Combine ginger, garlic, vinegar, sugar and cayenne in a small pot. Bring to a simmer, simmer on medium flame about 15 minutes or until there are about four tablespoons of liquid left.

Add can of cranberry sauce, salt and pepper. Mix and bring to a simmer. Lumps are ok. Simmer on a gentle heat for about 10 minutes.

Cool, store and refrigerate. ("It will keep for several days, if you don't finish it all after first taste!")

fast homemade ketchup

1 15 oz can of tomato puree

1 TBS onion powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

I mixed all of the above ingredients in a pot, and cooked and simmered for 15 minutes. I was in a desperate fix for ketchup for burgers on the grill...!!! LOL!  Gotta have Ketchup!  This turned out great. made about 1 pint jar of ketchup.

let cool, and keep in the fridge for a week...

terriyaki sauce

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 4 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 7 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring mirin to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar. Season with garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and black pepper; simmer an additional 5 minutes. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.