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Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Sauce, Toppings, Vegetarian

I remember the first time I had a salsa made from tomatillos, I was in my teens. It awoke my senses, and I remember thinking wow, why haven’t I known about this before. The sweet, acidic flavors were a change from the typical jarred tomato salsa that I had grown up with. For years I […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Sauce, Spreads, Toppings, Vegetarian

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto is easy to make. I used to use a food service brand Sun Dried Tomato Pesto and I always liked the balance of flavors that particular brand had. I have done different variations over the years, one was heavy on lemon zest that was good as a base for a seafood […]

Condiments, Recipes, Spreads, Toppings, Vegetarian

Tapenade is a classic French appetizer from the region of Provençal. This version does not have some of the traditional ingredients such as, anchovies and capers but this version is a nice balance of olives, garlic and herbs to give you a nice appetizer spread on a charcuterie board and is delicious on Sandwiches as […]

Dressings, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Vegetarian

Balsamic Vinaigrette is a classic vinaigrette that goes well with many salad variations. It works well as a marinade on vegetables, use on Portobello Mushrooms to impart flavor before grilling for a sandwich or a pasta dish. Marinate a flank steak or tri tip overnight and grill for dinner the next day. The marinade will […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Sauce, Toppings, Vegetarian

Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce that is served cold with hot meats. Great with grilled beef, chicken and seafood. Try it tossed on some potatoes and roast in the oven for a great flavor on the potatoes. Traditionally oregano is used in place of the cilantro in the recipe but there are variations of the […]

Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Tabbouleh is a Mediterranean Salad that is easy to make and is delicious. Goes well with Chicken Shawarma or Beef Shawarma. It is a dish that originates from Lebanon and Syrah regions. It is used around the Mediterranean and can be modified in different ways. This recipe is a quick and easy, give it a […]

Condiments, Dressings, Recipes, Vegetarian

Blue Cheese Dressing can be used as a dip as well. The buttermilk can be reduced to make it thicker. Great on a crudite tray with crumbled blue cheese on top. On the West Coast there are many cheese producers, many have at least one variety of a blur cheese. If you are a blue […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Sauce, Spreads, Vegetarian

Tzatziki is a traditional Greek sauce and dip made from cucumber, yogurt, and lemon being the main ingredients but is flavored with garlic, dill and or mint depending on who you ask. And don’t forget it wouldn’t be Greek without olive oil.

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Spreads, Toppings, Vegetarian

Chipotle Aioli gives a great smokey, spicy addition to any sandwich. Can be used on fish tacos instead of a Cilantro Lime Sauce. Give it a try and play with the ingredients, you can dial it in to the flavors you like.

Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

This recipe is great to make for family gatherings, potlucks, picknics or just to have in the fridge for meals throughout the week. What makes this a great recipe is the flexibility to change what you want. If you don’t have rainbow rotini pasta, use bowtie. Don’t like artichokes, use what you have, roasted broccoli? […]

For many people, the thought of Kung Pao brings to mind hot dried chilies added to a chicken or shrimp dish with peanuts. But this sauce doesn’t have any spice added to the sauce. You can add dried chilies or chili flakes to the wok or pan when you are sauteing garlic, this allows the oils in the chiles to be released. Then proceed with assembling the dish. See the Kung Pao Shrimp recipe for more details.

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This sauce is a good base for different dishes such as Kung Pao, Fried Rice, Chow Mein, or other favorite stir fried dishes you usually make. Add garlic, ginger, chili flakes or dried chilies to impart different flavors in the sauce as you cook to develop a different flavor profile.

For a Thai twist, add garlic, ginger, lemongrass, a few dashes fish sauce, a few slices of thai chilies, & scallions to the sauce and use it as a marinade. Be generous with the above ingredients in the marinade, and let sit overnight to get a good marinade on the on steak or chicken. I recommend grilling the meat after the marinade, the sugars in the sauce to caramelize. You can broil to get some char as well. Marinated meat can be sliced across the grain to use in a stir fry.

This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce. Serving size is an estimate on how much you are using for your recipe. The sauce can be increased and saved for later use in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Use for Kung Pao Chicken, Fried Rice, Chow Mein Noodles or other stir fry dishes. Can be thickened with cornstarch when cooking to glaze the final dish.

I recommend using the ingredients as listed, if needing to switch out the substitutions the flavor of the sauce will vary. Example dark soy is sweeter than mushroom soy so sauce may be sweeter than the original recipe. You can omit an ingredient but the flavor will vary as well.

Desserts, Gluten Free (GF), Holiday, Recipes

Flourless Chocolate Torte is an easy recipe to make, don’t let the length of this recipe deter you from making it. The fact it is Gluten Free also should not scare you off, there are many classic tortes that are baked with little to no flour. This torte is always a crowd favorite when I […]

Baking, Desserts, Recipes

This scratch brownie recipe is a family and friend favorite. It is a rich, chocolatey brownie which will fill that sweet tooth as a snack or as a dessert. Make it a brownie sundae, top with ice cream and some caramel sauce. The kids will be asking you to make them again.

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Sauce, Toppings, Vegetarian

I remember the first time I had a salsa made from tomatillos, I was in my teens. It awoke my senses, and I remember thinking wow, why haven’t I known about this before. The sweet, acidic flavors were a change from the typical jarred tomato salsa that I had grown up with. For years I […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Spreads

Roasted Garlic Aioli is a delicious spread that enhances any sandwich, panini or a grilled burger instead of plain mayonnaise. The name Aioli comes from France and the Mediterranean region. It literally means Olive Oil and Garlic but today we have become accustomed to the work Aioli meaning almost any mayonnaise that has been enhanced […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Sauce, Spreads, Toppings, Vegetarian

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto is easy to make. I used to use a food service brand Sun Dried Tomato Pesto and I always liked the balance of flavors that particular brand had. I have done different variations over the years, one was heavy on lemon zest that was good as a base for a seafood […]

Condiments, Recipes, Spreads, Toppings, Vegetarian

Tapenade is a classic French appetizer from the region of Provençal. This version does not have some of the traditional ingredients such as, anchovies and capers but this version is a nice balance of olives, garlic and herbs to give you a nice appetizer spread on a charcuterie board and is delicious on Sandwiches as […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Marinades, Recipes, Spreads

Garlic Confit is easy to make. Traditionally the term Confit is the process of cooking in oil at a low temperature, think Duck Confit where duck legs are cooked at a low and slow temperature in duck fat as a method of cooking and preservation. Before the days of refrigeration this was one method that […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Sauce, Toppings, Vegetarian

Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce that is served cold with hot meats. Great with grilled beef, chicken and seafood. Try it tossed on some potatoes and roast in the oven for a great flavor on the potatoes. Traditionally oregano is used in place of the cilantro in the recipe but there are variations of the […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Spreads

Hummus is a great dip, spread in a wrap, a great addition to a crudite tray and is a condiment for Shawarma. Easy to make and great on bagel chips.

Condiments, Dressings, Recipes, Vegetarian

Blue Cheese Dressing can be used as a dip as well. The buttermilk can be reduced to make it thicker. Great on a crudite tray with crumbled blue cheese on top. On the West Coast there are many cheese producers, many have at least one variety of a blur cheese. If you are a blue […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Sauce, Spreads, Vegetarian

Tzatziki is a traditional Greek sauce and dip made from cucumber, yogurt, and lemon being the main ingredients but is flavored with garlic, dill and or mint depending on who you ask. And don’t forget it wouldn’t be Greek without olive oil.

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Spreads, Toppings, Vegetarian

Chipotle Aioli gives a great smokey, spicy addition to any sandwich. Can be used on fish tacos instead of a Cilantro Lime Sauce. Give it a try and play with the ingredients, you can dial it in to the flavors you like.

Asian, Beef, Recipes

Chow Fun Noodles just sound FUN don’t they! This recipe is cooked on a Kamado Jr to grill the marinated flank steak and the noodles are cooked on a wok on a Kamado Big Joe with the center ring attachment. But don’t let that deter you from making it! You can cook the dish on […]

Beef, Gluten Free (GF), Grill, Recipes

Santa Maria style Tri Tip originated in the mid-19th century where ranchers would host Spanish style open fire feasts over coastal live oak in the Santa Maria valley near Santa Barbara, California. The rancher’s cowboys or vaqueros ,as they are known in the Southwest and Mexico, would have this feast in the spring to celebrate […]

Condiments, Gluten Free (GF), Recipes, Spreads, Toppings, Vegetarian

Chipotle Aioli gives a great smokey, spicy addition to any sandwich. Can be used on fish tacos instead of a Cilantro Lime Sauce. Give it a try and play with the ingredients, you can dial it in to the flavors you like.

Panini and Sandwiches, Pork, Recipes

Taking a page from many Italian delicatessens across the country, this version doesn’t stray far from the classic ones you will find in your corner of the country. Grilled bread with Culinary Seasons House Vinaigrette, Columbus Craft Meats Hot Sopressata, Boar’s Head Uncured Sopressata and Genoa Salami along with Provolone gives the Italian Sub the […]

BBQ, Pork, Recipes

Pulled Pork is very versatile and one of my favorite uses in a taco or burrito. This recipe has links to other recipes, fresh Tomatillo Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Chipotle Aioli and Pellet Smoker Pulled Pork. All the items you need to put this together. Who doesn’t love TACOS? Using leftover smoked pulled pork is […]

BBQ, Pork, Recipes

Pellet Smokers offer a set it and forget it smoking experience. (Well, sort of) There can be some learning curve with the pellet smoker if you haven’t used one before, but don’t be afraid to experiment with the recipe to try other ingredients or variations to get different results.

Condiments, Pork, Recipes

Crispy Prosciutto is a great alternative to bacon on a salad. Easy to do and gives a salty addition to any dish as a garnish. Try on grilled baguette with bruschetta topped with fried prosciutto.