Gourmet Guacamole

Ingredients: (measurements are approximate)
4 avocados, diced
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
4 T cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
2 T lime juice
salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Tip: Retain one of the avocado seeds and push it into the top of the finished guacamole. It will help keep the avocado from turning brown. (Do not eat the seed.)

Ketchup

1 12-oz can tomato paste

1/2 c cider vinegar

1/2 c water

1 t salt

1 t oregano

1/8 t each of cumin, nutmeg and pepper

1/2 t mustard powder

dash garlic powder

Mix all ingredients well. Makes 2 cups.

Dipping Oil

This is a great recipe for a fancy dinner in which you have french bread and want to provide a dipping oil for it.  This goes well with Greek or Italian food.

Combine the following ingredients and blend well.

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup diced, rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 t diced garlic

1 t thyme

1 t rosemary

1/2 t cracked peppercorns

1/2 t garlic oil (if available)

1/4 t sea salt

Serve with fresh French Bread or similar type.

Homemade Butter

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 baby carrot or a marble or other such object
1 jar with a tight lid
1-3 children

Pour whipping cream into the jar and add the small object (which will simply assist in the agitation process.) Screw lid back on jar securely and give it to the child. Have the child agitate the jar (no, not by pointing at it and calling it names), but by shaking it, rolling it and otherwise mixing up the whipping cream until it begins to separate. If you have several children, let them take turns. In about twenty minutes or so, the cream will begin to separate into butter and whey. When the butter is to the desired thickness, pour off the whey, remove the object and refrigerate. It's absolutley delicious!

Cheesy Chip Dip

1 lb ground sirloin, browned and drained
1 jar salsa
8 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
Tortilla chips

Mix together first 3 ingredients and melt in microwave or in a heavy saucepan. Serve with tortilla chips.

Honey Mustard Dip

1 c mayonnaise
2 T honey
1 T prepared mustard
½ t coriander
1/8 t ground red peppers.

In small bowl, mix together all ingredients. Good as a chicken or pork marinade or as a dip for breads and veggies or on sandwiches.

Apple Butter

12 c. applesauce
6 c sugar
2 t cinnamon
2 t allspice

Cook on low of a crock pot all night.

Sour Cream

1 c cottage cheese
1 T lemon juice
2 T oil
2 T mayonnaise
½ t salt
¼ t tarragon
¼ c buttermilk
1 t vinegar
2 T chopped chives (optional)

Mix all ingredients except chives in a blender until smooth and creamy. Add chives. This is low in saturated fat and great on baked potatoes, borscht, potato pancakes or black bread. Makes 1 ½ cups.

Ketchup

3 small cans tomato paste
1 c brown sugar
Salt
Pepper
1 t allspice
1 grated onion (very fine)
1 c water
1 clove or more of garlic
1 c vinegar (rice or apple cider flavored)
1 T dry mustard (or prepared)
Mix together all ingredients and boil in a crock pot for 3-4 hours or on low heat, stirring often.

Mayonnaise

1 egg
½ t salt
½ t mustard powder
2 T cider vinegar
1 c oil

Put egg, salt, mustard & vinegar in blender with ¼ c oil. Blend on low, uncover and slowly but steadily pour in remaining oil. Atmospheric conditions will occasionally cause mayonnaise to curdle as you’re making it. If this happens, remove it from blender, put another egg in blender, turn it on and slowly pour in curdled mayonnaise.