Archive for the ‘CONDIMENTS’ Category
Vietnamese Pickled Carrot & Daikon (Đồ Chua)
These are commonly used in banh mi sandwiches, and can be made with any vegetable, and carrot and daikon (white radish) are commonly used. You can use rice vinegar or white vinegar. Rice vinegar is more mild. The carrot and radish is pickled in as little as 30-45 minutes, and stored in the fridge for months. I have added a second method to make these, but takes 1-2 days before they are ready.
Ingredients
First Method
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1 medium white radish, julienned
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼-½ cup rice vinegar, or white vinegar
Second Method
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1 medium white radish, julienned
- 1 empty jar with lid
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh peppercorns
Instructions
First Method
- The measurements are just a guideline, if you are cutting up a large carrot and radish, you may need a bit more sugar, salt, and vinegar.
- Spread out the julienned veggys in a small glass baking dish, sprinkle enough sugar for just a light coating, sprinkle a pinch or two of salt over the veggys, and add the rice vinegar to submerge half of the veggys.
- Every 15 minutes stir the veggys around so the vinegar is mixed in well. In 30 to 45 minutes, you can use, store excess in a jar with all the liquid from dish, and top up to cover them with either more rice vinegar or if you used white vinegar, top up with water to dilute the strength. Store unused in the fridge.
Second Method
- Carrot and white radish (Daikon) julienned and ready for pickling.
- Fill the jar about halfway with very hot water and dissolve the salt in the water. Add part of the peppercorns and vinegar to the hot saltwater and stir.
- Add the julienned carrot and radish to the jar, pack in as much as you can. Add more water as needed to fill the jar and completely cover the carrot and radish.
- Let the jar cool down to room temp, put the lid on and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days before use.
Notes
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
- Cha Lua Kimbap.
- Vietnamese Sandwich (Banh Mi Cha Lua), made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Nước Chấm (Vietnamese Vegetarian Fish Sauce).
Tartar Sauce II
Another version of Tartar Sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayo
- 1½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine everything in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until use.
Notes
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
- Tuna Burgers.
- Crab Cakes I, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Lebanese Garlic Sauce (Toum)
This sounds like an excellent sauce. There is many recipes on the internet for this and nearly all claim to be the best. The sauce comes highly recommended by a good friend and is the first recipe he sent me, I will try this one and post results. If you double the batch, don't double the salt, use just 1½ tablespoons.
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic, cloves smashed and minced
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup oil, neutral tasting oil
- 1 cup olive oil, NOT extra virgin
Instructions
- There is 3 ways to prepare this.
Immersion Blender
- Place everything in a quart-sized jar. Submerge an immersion blender in the mixture to the bottom of the jar. Mix with the blender resting on the bottom of the jar until the ingredients thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Angle the mixer to pull ingredients from the sides of the jar and lift it toward the top to better combine. Continue blending until the mixture reaches a texture similar to mayonnaise.
Electric Mixer
- Mix the garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a mixer to a creamy mix, 20-30 seconds, pour into a mixing bowl. Then use an electric mixer and slowly add in the oil and olive oil in a very narrow stream until the sauce thickens, 2 to 4 minutes.
Blender
- Mix the garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a blender to a creamy mix, 20-30 seconds, then slowly add in the oil and olive oil in a very narrow stream until the sauce thickens, 2 to 4 minutes.
- Serve with grilled meats as a dipping sauce, in a chicken salad sandwich, you get the idea.
Homemade Labneh (think Sour Cream)
This is a Middle Eastern item made from strained yogurt. That's it! With strained plain full fat yogurt, you can make several items, and the item I am going to concentrate on is soft labneh which is basically sour cream. I have it from a good friend that has made this and it is a very close to sour cream. As my friend states "Can't have Mexican night without sour cream." I made this on 6 June 2017, and soft labneh is very close to sour cream, it is excellent and will be my Go-To recipe for sour cream. This makes about 800 g (28 oz) of sour cream.
Equipment
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 8 containers plain yogurt, 135 gram (4¾ oz) each
- pinch salt, optional
Instructions
- For the yogurt, use plain, unflavored, full fat yogurt, NOT Greek yogurt. I used 2 packages of 4 containers each of Dutchie Original Yogurt, each container is 135 grams, so in total I used 1,072 grams of yogurt.
- Line a sieve with 2-3 layers of cheesecloth. Place the sieve on a large bowl. Add the salt, if using, to the yogurt and stir until smooth. Pour into the prepared sieve.
- Gather the edges of the cheesecloth together, twist and tie securely with string or a plastic clip and hang it above a bowl or let it just in the sieve. Cover the top of the bowl & sieve with plastic wrap.
- Place this into the fridge to allow the whey to drain out. How long you let it drain will determine what particular style of labneh you are making.
For Soft Labneh (think Sour Cream)
- Strain for 8-14 hours. This would provide a soft type of labneh with a consistency to that of Sour Cream. Check the consistency and taste during the time stated and make note of the time for future times you make this. When the consistency is good, remove from the fridge and place all the labneh in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week. Use in place of sour cream in recipes.
For Firmer Labneh
- Strain for 24-48 hours will result in a Cream Cheese like consistency. Remove from the fridge and place all the labneh in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week. This sounds like it would be good on a sandwich.
For Yogurt Cheese
- Strain for 48-72 hours will result in Yogurt Cheese, which is normally rolled into small balls, coated with herbs or spices and stored in olive oil. Store in the fridge for several weeks. These sound like they would make great appetizers.
For Greek-style Yogurt
- Strain for 3-4 hours will result in a Greek-style of yogurt. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, use in recipes calling for Greek yogurt.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Chicken Liver Stroganoff.
- Creamy French Dressing.
- Creamy Cucumber Salad, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Cottage Cheese Chicken Enchiladas, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas.
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas.
- Shchavel Borscht (Sorrel Soup).
- Mushrooms in Sour Cream Sauce, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Buffet Layered Salad.
- Herbed Zucchini Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Creamy Beef Gravy, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Hamburger Helper Shortcuts, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Best Chicken Enchiladas, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Cream Cheese Frosting, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Chicken & Stuffing Casserole.
- Tater Tot Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Quick Quesadillas, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Meatballs & Gravy III, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Creamed Corn Cornbread, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Pear Pie, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Swiss, Ham & Noodle Casserole.
- Noodles Romanoff, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Cucumber Radish Salad, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Russian Mushroom Julienne.
- Creamy Ham & Egg Casserole.
- Sausage Stroganoff.
- Russian Red Radish Salad.
- Chicken Ritz Casserole.
- Aush (Afghani Chili) (Slow Cooker).
- Ground Beef Stroganoff, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Brian's Ranch Dressing.
- Indian Butter Chicken.
- Sinfully Delicious Chicken Casserole, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Chicken Paprikash.
- Olive Cheese Bread.
- Dill Pickle Bread.
- Mexican Deviled Eggs.
- Hungarian Gulyás.
- Ultra Creamy Mac & Cheese (Slow Cooker), made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Fruited Salad Mold.
- Chicken Casserole (Slow Cooker).
- Fancy Chicken Salad, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Macaroni Frank Salad Bowl.
Thai Green Chili Sauce
Sounds good, will have to try this.
Ingredients
- 75 grams fresh green chilies, stem and seeds removed, (2½ oz)
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1½ cups white vinegar
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Use a mortar and pestle to pound the chilies and garlic into a rough paste.
- Cook the vinegar, sugar, and salt on medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Increase the heat and bring to a boil, once it is boiling, add the chili and garlic mixture. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir, simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce reaches your desirable thickness.
- Remove from heat and pour the sauce into a sterilized jar. Let it cool down to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Can be stored in the fridge for up to a month.
Notes
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
Oyster Crackers
For starters, there is no oysters in oyster crackers, never was, never will be, the name was started by the use of these crackers used with oyster stews and clam chowders. I like the taste of oyster crackers and have eaten them when I was growing up with a hearty bowl of chili. I have seen oyster crackers here one time, and they were pricey to say the least.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 1/3 cup ice water, plus as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to heat oven to 190 C, oven rack in the middle position. Measure flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add butter and using a pastry cutter, large sturdy fork, or fingertips, work into flour until it resembles coarse meal. Add water and lightly mix dough until it comes together into a ball.
- Set dough on a lightly floured surface and cover with an overturned mixing bowl. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Roll dough out on a well floured surface to a thickness of 1/8th inch. Cut dough into 1/2 inch squares, rectangles, or diamonds. Transfer pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet and space the shapes out as much as possible.
- Bake until crackers are showing color around the bottom edges, about 15 minutes. Turn oven off and crack the door open about eight inches. Leave crackers inside to cool and continue to crisp, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, season with salt, and allow to cool completely. Crackers can be stored in a sealed container for up to a week.
- Serve with a hearty chili, oyster stew of course, and clam chowder.
Notes
Low cost.
Next time I make a pot of chili, I am making these!
Variants: Make this your own, add some black pepper or herbs of your choice to the dough.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Cool Minted Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Perfect dipping sauce for Tandoori chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped, heaping
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl, and add in a couple of good pinches of salt to taste, mix with a fork, and use immediately, or keep covered and in the fridge until ready to use.
Notes
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Au Jus Substitute
I needed this cheater recipe for another recipe that called for a packet of dry au jus mix. I have never seen that available where I live so the next best thing is a bit of research and I found this.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons beef stock powder
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons corn starch
Instructions
- Put everything in a blender and mix for about 30 seconds to make a fine powder. Store in a airtight container.
- To prepare a "packet" of au jus, mix 4 1/2 teaspoons of the mix with 2 cups of water and heat for about 15 minutes until hot and slightly thickened.
- To use a "packet" of au jus in recipe, simply use 4 1/2 teaspoons for each packet called for.
Notes
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak III,
French Onion Dip Sandwiches II Adapted from an internet recipe.
Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak III,
French Onion Dip Sandwiches II Adapted from an internet recipe.
Spicy Vinegar
This is a Filipino vinegar used extensively there and can be used to marinate raw fish or as a dipping sauce. The longer you let this sit, the spicier it becomes.
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup Bird's Eye Chilis, fresh, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons ginger, sliced
- 1 head garlic, skin removed, crushed
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Instructions
- Add the chilies, ginger, garlic, onion, and peppercorns to a large jar, cover and shake them up a bit to mix them. Pour in vinegar to fill the jar or at least cover the ingredients. Cover tightly and store for at least 3 days before use but it can be stored for longer and will get spicier.
Texas Roadhouse Butter
I have never heard of this, the restaurant chain seems to be huge from central Texas to the east coast. But then again, it has been a while since I was back in the states. Anyways, this sounds good and can be used on dinner rolls, corn on the cob, you get the idea.
Ingredients
- 1 block butter, this is a standard 227 grams
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Remove the foil from the butter and place in a mixing bowl to come up to room temperature.
- Add the rest of the ingredients when the butter is at room temperature using a hand mixer or electric mixer, mix to your consistency and serve or refrigerate until use. Serve with dinner rolls, corn on the cob, etc.
Notes
Low cost.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
United States.
