Olive Oil-Balsamic Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Makes 6 servings

Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot Fudge Sauce

This is a deep, dark fudgy bittersweet sauce that firms up on ice cream.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon rum (or other flavoring, such as a flavored liquer or vanilla extract)

Melt the chocolate and butter very slowly in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently until combined. Meanwhile, heat the water to boiling in the small, heavy saucepan. When the butter and chocolate have melted, stir the mixture into the boiling water. Add the sugar, corn syrup and salt and mix until smooth. Turn the heat up and stir until mixture starts to boil; adjust heat so that sauce is just maintained at the boiling point, stirring occasionally. Allow sauce to boil for nine minutes.

Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Stir in the rum and serve warm over ice cream.

Do ahead: Sauce can be easily and quickly reheated in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds. Stir and it will be shiny and even again.

Yields 2 1/2 cups

(smittenkitchen.com)

Steak Au Poivre

It's a conundrum. A mystery. An enigma. This awesomely delicious and totally easy dish has a French name and French roots. Then again, so does Texas. Nonetheless, Steak au poivre is one of the most delicious ways to eat steak, and the methodology is simple.

Steak au poivre (pronounced [OH-PWAHHV]) is translated as Pepper Steak. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It is. The name comes from the use of cracked peppercorns directly on the underside of the steak as it cooks. Typically, the dish is accompanied by a pan sauce, which is made with the drippings, or fond, from cooking the steak.

Yes, I know that you probably think that steaks should only be cooked over a grill, but here's a big secret. Many steak restaurants do their steaks in pan, just like this.

I played a hunch when cooking this dish and added little bit of dried thyme to the pan sauce. It added a wonderfully bright flavor that complimented the cognac well.

Ingredients:

• 2 strip steaks about 1-inch thick
  
• 3 TBSP Butter
  
• salt & pepper (for seasoning the steak)
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable or beef broth
  
• 1/2 cup half and half
  
• 1/2 cup cognac
  
• 1 TBSP cracked black pepper
  
• Pinch of thyme

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season your steaks with salt and cracked pepper. Be generous with the pepper. Add the butter to the skillet and wait for it to melt. Now sear the steaks on each side about 3-4 minutes, depending on how done you like your steak. Remove the steaks from the pan and tent with foil while you make the sauce.

Add the broth to the pan right away and begin stirring with a whisk to scrape off the fond stuck to the pan. Continue cooking until it reduces slightly. Now add the cognac and ignite with a lighter or match. Be careful not to burn yourself. You just want to burn off the alcohol fumes. After the flames extinguish, continue whisking and stirring until the sauce reduces by half. Add the cracked pepper, thyme, and half and half. Give it a quick whisk then sit back and let it reduce to a nice medium-thick sauce while stirring occasionally.

Taste before serving and adjust the flavor with salt. Serve over the steak.

(meninaprons.net)

Shallot Butter Bacon Sauce

I do believe this could be the most well-named and delicious sounding sauce ever contrived. The only way it could have been better and more appropriate is if it were called the Porky Pork Fat Fatty Porky Pork Pork Butter Cholesterol Sauce. But that might not sell as many copies.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. peppered bacon 1/4 cup shallots, diced 1 Tbsp. chives, chopped 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. heavy cream 1 cup cold butter, cut into chunks Salt and pepper, to taste In a heavy skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, reserving 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease; drain any remaining grease from the pan. Coarsely chop bacon; set aside. Return 1 Tbsp. bacon fat to skillet. Add shallots, chives, white wine, and white wine vinegar; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce liquid to 2 Tbsp. Add cream and bring to a boil. Whisk in butter until melted, add in chopped bacon and continue stirring until sauce is hot. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Store sauce in refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat to serve. (meninaprons.net)

Big Mac Sauce

Big Mac Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French dressing
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon finely minced white onion
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well.

Place sauce in a covered container and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, so that the flavors blend. Stir the sauce a couple of times as it chills.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Arby's Sauce

Arby's Sauce

1 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons water
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco pepper sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce begins to boil, 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat. Cover and allow to cool.

Pour into a covered container for storage in your refrigerator. Keeps for a month or two.
Makes 1 cup

Blue Cheese Butter

Blue Cheese Butter
Tried & True - A very tasty topping for potatoes, steak, anything you like

6 TBSP butter softened
6 TBSP crumbled blue cheese
3 tsp chopped fresh chives

Combine in a small bowl and mash together with a fork until well blended. Keep refrigerated. Will last for several weeks if you don't eat it all right away.

We had this "Blue Cheese Butter" the other night at a friend's house with dinner. It was SO good, dh insisted that I ask for the recipe. It's not much of a recipe, but it's REALLY good. We had it on top of our BBQ'd steak and baked potatoes. She said she doubled or tripled the recipe.

Best Ever Guacamole √

Best Ever Guacamole
Tried & True! I make this Guacamole all the time. It's SO yummy!

3 avocados
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Pit the avocados. Scoop out the avocado meat with a large spoon and place in mixing bowl. Add the lime juice, garlic powder, olive oil and salt. Mash avocados with a large fork. Chill for 30-60 minutes. Guacamole does not keep very well. Eat up!

Tips: You can use 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced/chopped garlic if you prefer. I like it better with garlic powder. The garlic powder I use is VERY powdery, the same consistancy as baby powder. You may add 1/2 cup pico de gallo or chopped tomatoes and onions if desired.

Ripe avocados: A ripe avocado is relatively firm, but will yield to gentle pressure when held in the palm of the hand and squeezed. Color cannot always be trusted to determine whether or not an avocado is ripe. Indeed, the squeeze test is the most accurate.

If you plan to use avocados immediately, buy ripe ones. But if you want to buy them a few days before you plan to use them, you can buy them when they are hard and do not yield to squeezing. Then just set them out in a cool place and wait for them to get ripe.

But what if you want them to get ripe faster? A good trick is to put the avocados in a brown paper bag. Putting an apple in the bag with the avocados speeds the process even more.

Pesto

Pesto

* 2 1/4cups lightly packed basil leaves (preferably Genovese Basil),
*washed 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano, is recommended)
*2-3 cloves garlic
*1/4 cup pine nuts
*1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
*2 tablespoons butter, softened
*Pinch of salt

Make sure the basil is free of stems and flowers. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Serve with fettuccine or linguine and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Note: to store, pour a film of olive oil over pesto's surface and keep, airtight, in refrigerator for a week or so; or freeze. Can be frozen for up to seven or eight months. Thaw frozen pesto at room temperature, and serve. Do not heat. Yield 1 1/2 cups