Kristen's Recipes

1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

½ cup cream cheese

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. hot sauce

½ tsp. garlic, minced

2 lbs. white cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups piquillo peppers, diced and drained

¼ cup pickled red onions (recipe follows)

1 bunch chives, thinly sliced

Pinch black pepper

 

pickled red onions (Yield: ¼ cup)

 

¼ cup water

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. sugar

¼ cup red onions, diced

 

Make the pickled red onions: In a small pot, bring water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a boil, then pour in the red onions. Cover with a paper towel to keep the onions submerged, and pickle for at least ten minutes. Drain the onions and let cool. Pickled onions can be made up to one month in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight container. In a food processor, puree mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and garlic.  Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Ways to use:

1. Serve on small baguette rounds
2. Spread on half and English muffin and broil until cheese bubbles
3. Add to a grilled burger
4. Tuck it inside a baked potato
5. Add to a BLT
6. Pimento Grilled Cheese Sandwich
7. Add a dollop to the top of a small biscuit, garnish with a bit of prosciutto and a piece of baby arugula or microgreens
8. Replace some of the mayo in deviled eggs with pimento cheese
9. Spread on celery sticks

1 cup silky tofu, drained (about 9 ounces)
1/3 cup peanut butter
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons lime juice

Place all ingredients in jar of blender or bowl of food processor. Blend or process until smooth. Add a few teaspoons of water if necessary. Store in refrigerator

Yield: 1 ½ cups; 12 (2-tablespoon) servings
Calories: 67
Fat: 5g
Fiber: .5g

1 T. olive oil
1 C. chopped onion
2 tsp. chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 C. dry white wine
2 T. white wine vinegar
1-2/3 C. chopped pitted green olives
1/3 C. pitted picholine olives (about 15 olives)
1/4 tsp. freshly round black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cook 8 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Stir in thyme and garlic; cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in wine and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook 8 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Place the onion mixture in a food processor. Add the olives and the black pepper, and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of bowl.

Yield: 1 3/4 C.
Serving Size: 1 T.

Calories: 19
Fat: 2g
FIber: 0g

1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. granulated sugar
2 T. dark chili powder
2 T. paprika
1 T. dry Mexican oregano
1 T. dry thyme
1 T. dry sweet basil
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T. granulated garlic

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Generously rub on steak and grill as usual.

7 – 8 lb. firm, ripe Roma Tomatoes
1 T. Italian Seasoning
2 tsp. Salt

Rinse tomatoes and wipe off moisture. Cut off the stem and the hard portion of the core underneath the stem. Halve the tomatoes if they are less than 2″ long. Quarter them if they are larger. With the tip of a knife or index finger, scrape out most of the seeds without removing any pulp. Arrange the tomatoes, cut surface up, on nonstick cookie sheets. Combine the Italian seasoning and salt and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Dry the tomatoes with one of the following methods. They are done when dry, but still slightly pliable, about the texture of a dried apricot.

Oven-drying: Bake in 170 degree oven for 3 hours. Leave the oven door open about 3 inches to allow moisture to escape. After 3 hours, turn the tomatoes and press flat with hand or spatula. Continue drying, turning and pressing every few hours, until the tomatoes are dried. This could take as long as twelve hours, depending on the on the moisture content of the tomatoes.

Dehydrator Method: Place the tomatoes onto dehydrator trays. Adjust dehydrator to about 140 degrees. After about 4 or 5 hours, turn the tomatoes over and press flat. After a couple more hours, turn tomatoes back over and continue drying. Total drying time should be about 8 hours.

Serving Size: 1/2 Tomato
Calories: 20
Fat: 0g
Fiber: .8g

2 – 3 heads of Garlic (about 30 cloves), finely minced
3 C. Virgin Olive Oil

You can add the garlic to a food processor instead of mincing by hand. Add garlic to a saucepan, add the oil, and heat over medium heat until you begin to see tiny ubbles starting to drift up from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and let it steep for 2 hours. Don’t let the oil simmer or the garlic may develop a bitter flavor. After two hours remove the pan from heat and allow to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Pour oil through a fine mesh seive lined with cheesecloth or coffee filters into clean sterilized jar(s) and cap. Well-strained oil will keep at room temperature indefinitely, but may also be stored in the refigerator for optimal storage. It will turn cloudy when chilled, but clears up once returned to room temperature. Note: it is very important that no garlic bits are left in the oil in order to safely store it at room temperature.

Chili Variation: Instead of garlic use 3 C. finely minced chilis (use a single kind or a variety from mild to hot, as your taste dictates). Follow directions for garlic. Recommended that you wear gloves when handling fresh chilis

Yield: 48 servings
Serving Size: 1 T.
Calories: 105

1 C. finely diced fresh pineapple
1 large ripe mango, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1/2 C. finely diced tomatillos
1 small jalape�o chile pepper, seeded and minced
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 C. minced red onion
2 T. minced cilantro
1 tsp. olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl. Let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 75
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 2g

2 C. Cooked packed fresh Spinach leaves, cooked, drained and finely chopped
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 T. minced fresh Parsley
1 tsp. minced fresh Chives
1 1/2 tsp. minced Tarragon (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
2 C. reduced fat Mayonnaise

To make mayonnaise combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Yield: 2 1/2 C.
Serving Size: 2 T.

Calories: 70
Fat: 7g
Fiber: 0g

1 1/4 C. Water

3/4 C. Sugar

5” branch Tarragon

2 C. Dry White Wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, or Champagne

1 T. minced Tarragon Leaves

1/3 C. minced Red Onion

 

Combine water, sugar and tarragon branch in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Boil 30 seconds; remove from heat and cover.  Let stand and steep at room temperature until sugar syrup is completely cool.  Remove and discard tarragon.  Combine syrup with wine.  Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.  Just before it is frozen, add minced tarragon and onion.

2 T. fresh mint, chopped
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T. Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 C. small red onion, chopped
1 pomegranate, skin and light-colored membrane removed
6 T. fresh lime juice
2 tsps grated lime zest
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 serrano pepper, chopped
11/2 C. large tomato, diced
1 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

In a medium bowl, toss together mint, cilantro, Italian flat-leaf parsley, red onion, pomegranate, lime juice, lime zest, jalapeno pepper, serrano pepper, tomato, and olive oil. Season with salt and white pepper. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 77
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 1g

12 oz. fresh cranberries
1 C. water
3/4 C. Splenda pourable

In a saucepan mix Splenda and water. Stir to dissolve the Splenda. Bring to boil, add cranberries, return to a boil, reduce heat. Boil gently for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate. You can simmer the cranberries in apple juice, orange juice, etc. Add ins are raisins, zest. Add whole cloves or cinnamon sticks while simmering. Sugar-free cranberry sauce will not keep as long as the high-sugar kind because sugar acts as a preservative. However, if refrigerated, it will last at least a week, usually more.

Calories: 40
Fat: Trace
Fiber: 2g

2 large pomegranates, seeded (about 2 C. seeds)
1 1/2 C. sugar

Combine seeds and sugar in a non-aluminum saucepan; stir to mix, crushing well, until you have a wet mass. Cover and let stand 12 to 24 hours. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Lower heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Strain out seeds, pressing down to extract juice. Pour into a hot sterilized jar. Cover with a piece of cloth or a clean towel until cooled. Cap tightly and refrigerate.

Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1/4 C.

Calories: 171
Fat: 0g
Fiber: 0g

8 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Ground Mustard
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Ground Red Pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 C. beer
1 tsp. Parsley Flakes

Combine all ingredients, except parsley, in food processor. Blend until smooth. Add parsley and mix just to blend. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. A mixer may be used in place of the food processor. Follow above directions except blend for about 10 minutes, or until smooth, and then add parsley.

Yield: 14 servings
Calories: 46
Fat: 8g
Fiber: 0g