Zesty Guacamole

Guacamole is an amazingly easy side dish to make yet it adds a hearty authentic texture to Mexican food. Avocados have a buttery flavor that makes for a great chip dip, or as a condiment on tacos or enchiladas.

Unlike bean dip, which can be bought in a store with high quality, guacamole really needs to be freshly made. Never fear though, as long as you can find a ripe avocado, this dish only takes 5 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 Ripe Avocado
• 1 Plum Tomato, diced.
  
• 1/4 Medium Spanish Onion, chopped.
• 1/2 Tsp Paprika
• 1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (Adjust to Taste).
• 1 Large Lime, or 2 Key Limes.

Directions:

1. If the Avocado is not fully ripe, dice it into small cubes.
   
2. Add the spices and squeeze the lime onto the Avocado
3. Mash thoroughly with a fork.
   
4. Mix in the onions and tomatos. You can skip this step if you are using this dish as a condiment for Tacos since you will be adding other stuff to it.
5. Serve with tortilla chips and Salsa.
   

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Light and Healthy Vegetarian Marinara Sauce

This is a staple at our house. Whenever we need to throw together a quick meal, we often use the sauce to make the meal come together. We use to make a quick chicken marinara pasta or chicken parmesan. River recently used it to make a Shrimp fra Diavlo, you can also serve it as a dipping sauce for polenta.

I put extra veggies to make it even tastier as well as healthy too. This sauce is rich in vitamins and antioxidants, not to mention a healthy dose of vegetable fiber.

I make a "vat" of this sauce but it just doesn't seem to last too long. You can freeze this sauce for up to six months. I recommend you freeze it in 1-2 cup portions so that you can use as little as you want, it thaws quicker too.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of chopped herbs (parsley, basil, oregano). The mix just depends on what you might have or your personal taste.
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium carrot or 2 small carrots coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks of celery coarsley chopped
• 3 cans(28 oz. each) of whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp of dried oregano
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 cup of white zinfandel wine
• ground black pepper to taste
• pinch of sugar

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, finely grind the carrots and celery.
2. Coat the bottom of a large sauce pan with olive oil With the heat on medium, heat oil until it starts to shimmer, add the onions and cook until lightly brown and wilted.
3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
4. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add the 2/3 of the herb mixture, the dried oregano, and bay leaves. Mix them in and cook for a few minutes.
6. Add the wine which will quickly evaporate. Turn the heat down to low.
7. Add a can of the tomatoes one at a time. Use a spatula or potato masher to break up the tomotoes slightly.
8. Add the salt and let the sauce simmer on low. Do not allow the sauce to boil.
9. The sauce tastes best when left to simmer for a few hours. Stir periodically.
10. Towards the end of the cooking, add the remainder of the herbs and continue to simmer.
11. This is optional, but if you want a more smooth sauce, use a hand blender and puree until smooth.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Tasty Croutons and Breadcrumbs

We love fresh baked bread and we buy it almost daily. Our favorite is the baguette. Nothing is more tantalizing than the smell of the baguette as it is being taken out of the oven. We often tend to accumulate bits of old bread. So, instead of tossing out the old bread I turn it into something more appetizing, like croutons and breadcrumbs. My suggestion is to collect the odds and ends in a paper bag. If you have a cloth bread bag, the just leave the pieces in there to dry thoroughly. I don't recommend leaving the old bread in a plastic bag because if there is any moisture left, the bread will become moldy. Once you have collected a reasonable amount, then follow the recipe and you will have great tasting breadcrumbs and croutons which will keep for a long time in the refrigerator. While we use french bread, any bread will do. The croutons are so tasty that my kids have taken to eating them as a snack. It seems that I make croutons about once a week. We use up the croutons quite quickly and take our time using up the breadcrumbs. Originally, the primary reason for the recipe was making flavored breadcrumbs, but now I make it for the flavored croutons and the breadcrumbs are the bonus.

INGREDIENTS

• old bread -enough to cover a cookie sheet
• 2tsp of garlic powder
• 2tsp of onion powder
• 1 tbsp of dried oregano
• 1 tbsp of dried italian parsley
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil (will give you a really rich taste)
• 1 gallon size ziplock bag or larger
• meat tenderizer gadget or mallet
• one cookie sheet covered with heavy foil
• food processor

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the bread pieces in the ziplock bag(s) and zip the bag(s)
2. Place the bag(s) on a cutting board, break the bread using the meat mallet. Use the flat part. You will need to turn the bag(s) at least once to get all the pieces broken. The goal is to get the pieces to about bit size. The rest of the work will be done by food processor for the bread crumbs.
3. Transfer the pieces and crumbs to a large mixing bowl.
4. Thoroughly mix the garlic, onion, oregano and parsley all together in a small bowl.
5. Sprinkle the mix over the bread pieces. Use a spatula and mix the seasonings into the bread
6. The olive oil needs to be sprinkled a bit at a time into the bread pieces. If you pour it or spread too much over too little bread, then some of the croutons will be too oily and the other pieces too dry. As you sprinkle the oil, keep turning the mixture to ensure uniform coating of the bread. Not all the pieces will be coated, but there will be enough oil that as the mixture sits, everything should be coated enough.
7. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes and give it a few turns during this time.
8. Heat the oven to 400F.
9. Place the bread on the cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. if you have a timer, I would recommend using it since the croutons can burn quite quickly if you don't keep an eye on them. Take it out and mix the bread around.
10. Return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes. The length of the baking will depend on how brown you like the croutons.
11. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool.
12. For the croutons, remove the large pieces and store in a air tight container. Use as needed.
13. To make the breadcrumbs, place the leftover pieces in the food processor and grind the pieces up. Use the pulse mode and check the consistency of the breadcrumbs. You don't want to over process the breadcrumbs or you will have mush.
14. Remove from the food processor and place in an airtight container.
15. Store them in the refrigerator.
16. If the bread covered the cookie sheet, this will yield about a quart of croutons and one quart of breadcrumbs.
17. I use these breadcrumbs for my Italian turkeyball and mushroom sauce turkeyball recipes.
18. I use the croutons for salads especially the cesar salad.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Herb Dijon Mayonnaise Sauce

This is a great sauce to serve on fish sandwiches , it is also great for dipping fried shrimp, chicken tenders or French fries. It has a tangy flavor with just the right amount of zing from the garlic and pepper.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Dijon or brown mustard
• 1 Tbsp of light mayo
• 1 tsp dry or fresh oregano depending on the season. We dry fresh oregano from the garden in the summer to have over the winter.
• 1/2 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. You should prepare this at least 30 minutes prior to serving so the flavors have time to blend.
2. Mix the mustard, mayonnaise, oregano, garlic and pepper in a bowl
3. Drizzle in the oil and vinegar and keep stirring until smooth

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Chunky Spicy Salsa

Chunky Spicy Salsa

Salsa is a mandatory ingredient for the total enjoyment of Mexican food. There are lots of good salsas out there, but I like to make it fresh, especially in the summer when the ingredients are all fresh. This salsa is easy to make and much better than anything you can buy. You can use a food processor if you want, but I think that the food processor abuses the ingredients too much. I also enjoy the chunky texture that hand chopping affords.

I use this salsa with my healthy tacos recipe and also for my quick and easy enchilada recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 Large juicy tomato, diced
• 1 Tbsp chopped green olive
• 1 Tbsp dry cured Moroccan or French black olives, chopped
• 2 Tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 small chopped red onion
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper, increase for more zing
• 1 Juicy lime
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 shake of salt
• 1 turn of fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix the ingredients.
2. Squeeze the lime into the mixture.
3. Stir thoroughly.
4. Let stand for about 15 minutes, stir again and server.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Mediterranian Dry Rub

Mediterranean Dry Rub

Dry rubs are a great way to pre-treat meats prior to grilling, frying, or baking. Made from a combination of spices, this mixture captures the essence of Mediterranean flavor. The taste will remind you of foods from Egypt, Lebanon, or Greece.

I usually prep steaks or lamb chops one day prior to grilling. This works great with pork ribs as well.

I used this spice mixture to flavor the meat in my Stuffed Grape Leaves and to prep the lamb in my Spring Grilled Feast. You can make a jar of this in advance and store it indefinitely. Then you can use it to give a Mediterranean taste to any dish.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Dry Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 Tablespoons Hungarian Paprika
• 1 Tablespoon sea salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground coriander
  

Directions

1. Force the oregano through a strainer with a spoon to grind it extra fine. This will release the flavor and aroma.
2. Mix all the rest of the ingredients.
3. Use on meats, in soups, or to make yogurt dip.

Copyright © 2007 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Mustard-Oregano Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients:

• 
  
  1/4 cup of dijon or grainy brown mustard
• 1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh oregano
  
• 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar (may need additional to get desired consistency)
  
• 1/4 cup of first pressed olive oil
  
• 1/4 tsp of salt
  
• 1 tsp of garlic

Instructions

1. 
   
   Place mustard in a small mixing bowl.
2. 
   
   Add oregano and garlic, mix thoroughly with mustard.
3. 
   
   Slowly whisk in vinegar. Check consistency as you go. If you like it on the thinner side, add more vinegar.
4. 
   
   Once the vinegar is thoroughly incorporated, beginning to whisk olive oil, by drizzling it as you whisk.
5. 
   
   Check for consistency as you go. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
6. 
   
   Keep refrigerated and it will stay fresh for about 5 days.

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Chinese Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1tsp fresh grated ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp Chinese sesame oil
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground cayene pepper, reduce for a less spicy sauce
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Use a fine cheese grater to grate the ginger root into a mixing bowl
2. Mix garlic, green onions, and cayene pepper with the ginger. Stir thoroughly.
3. Add sesame oil, soy, and vinegar. Stir thoroughly.
4. Serve with Chinese dumplings, pot stickers, egg rolls, or any other Chinese food.

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