Cranberry Sauce

Testing...

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz cranberries
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Optional: pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg

PREPARATION:

1. Over medium heat dissolve sugar in orange juice and bring to a boil. 
2. Add cranberries and cook until they burst. Continue boiling for a few minutes and remove from heat. Sauce will thicken upon standing. 

Lola's Kopanisti Spread

So during the summer we spent in Portland we took a few days (due to a wonderful gift from some great friends) and spent sometime in downtown Seattle. One of the things we enjoyed the most was lunch we had at this Greek restaurant, Lola. It was sooooo great! Everything was wonderful, and we had a really great appetizer. Of course, I scoured the internet and hunted down a recipe similar to the Kopanisti dip we had. I tweaked it a little for our taste (the original recipe calls for wine, which I don't tend to use when I cook). Apparently this isn't a traditional Kopanisti style dip but this, at least ingredient wise is the closest to what we had! Can't wait to make it! Wonderful memories, and if you ever find yourself in the area-check Lola's out. It's fantastic! You'll probably need to make reservations... ;)

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz feta cheese
• 2 oz bleu cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Blackberry/Marionberry Syrup
• chopped pistachios
• fresh mint infused oil (optional)

PREPARATION:

• Blend first 5 ingredients in a food processor.
• Slowly add olive oil until you've reached desired consistency - you want it to be creamy and smooth.
• Top with as much or as little syrup, chopped pistachio nuts, and fresh mint infused oil as you'd like
• Serve with the breadstuff of your choice - warm crostini, chunks of french bread, or our favorite, wedges of pita.

SERVES/MAKES: 1 1/2 cups approx.

Char's Hot Fudge Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3-4 heaping tablespoons of unsweetened powder cocoa
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 small can or 1/2 large can of evaporated milk
• 1 tsp of vanilla

PREPARATION:

Melt first 2 ingredients together, mix thoroughly. Add next three ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer until mixture reaches thread stage (for our altitude around 215F). Test in a glass of ice water. I usually stop before I get to this point. I just let it simmer stirring almost constantly for 5-7 min. After fudge reaches soft ball stage remove from heat and add vanilla. Keeps in fridge for a couple weeks.

Ginger and Green Onion Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 thumb-size pieces of ginger root
• 2 bundles of green onion
• 1/3 cup oil (veg. or olive)
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. salt

PREPARATION:

• Peel and chop ginger until very fine (you can use a zester or a food processer)
• Wash and thinly slice green onion
• Heat oil in a warm pan until almost boiling
• Add ginger and onion to oil—be very careful when doing this step as it has a tendency to splash
• Stir until thoroughly incorporated and then add salt.

Note: Traditionally served with Chicken!

Clam Dip

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
• 2 TB mayonnaise
• 1 pint = 16 oz cottage cheese--small curd
• 1 tsp grated onion
• 1 6-1/2 oz can clams--minced, drained, reserve juice

PREPARATION:

• Use an electric mixer or blender,combine cheeses, blending until light & creamy.
• Add freshly grated onion & mayonnaisewith wooden spoon, blend in drained clams.
• Add clam juice for desired consistency.
• Add garlic powder if desired--just a sprinkle

Aurelia's Note: Recipe is usually doubled using 3 cans of clams, instead of just 2. Add more if you like really clammy! Also beware of using fat-free cottage cheese/cream cheese-they tried it and it's not good. Best to go with regular or low fat.

Honey Mustard Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 1-2 tsp orange zest (optional)

PREPARATION:
Whisk till smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cool. About 11/2 cup.

Mom's Note: It is good for ham or whatever you want to use it for. I usually one and half the recipe and use a lot more mustard. I strain the eggs through a strainer so that the sauce will be smooth without other stuff!

Sweet and Sour Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar (Lately we've just been doing white sugar)
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• Red food coloring (optional)
  

PREPARATION:
Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes stirring continuously. Let stand to thicken then serve!

Honey Butter

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

PREPARATION:
Whip butter with electrical beater until light, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Gradually add honey, cinnamon and vanilla.