Sauces & Dips – Mark's Recipes

English Pub Spread

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Course Appetizer

Ingredients

250 g cream cheese
250 g cold-pack cheddar cheese (usually Imperial brand)
50 ml butter softened, ¼ c
5 ml Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp
5 ml horseradish 1 tsp
2-3 drops Tobasco
1 ml black pepper ¼ tsp
50 ml ale brown ale preferred, ¼ c
2 ml garlic crushed, ½ tsp

Instructions

In a food processor, blend all ingredients together until smooth. Add more beer if the mixture seems too thick.
Pack in ceramic crock or bowl, garnish top with a sprinkle of paprika and some chopped walnuts, if desired.
Cover, and chill for at least an hour before serving.

Whisky Peppercorn Sauce

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Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter
2 shallots, large finely chopped
1/4 c Whisky mid-range whisky or bourbon works well.
3/4 c beef stock
1/2 c heavy cream
2-4 tsp black peppercorns freshly crushed
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste

Instructions

Prepare the peppercorns: Place the peppercorns in a resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pan to crush them. You want a coarse grind, not a fine powder.
Sauté the aromatics: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
Deglaze the pan: Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully pour in the whisky. Return the pan to medium-high heat and allow the alcohol to burn off and the whisky to reduce by half, about 1–2 minutes.
Add liquid and thicken: Stir in the beef stock, crushed peppercorns, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it reduce for about 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
Finish the sauce: Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the heavy cream. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Do not let it come to a full boil after adding the cream.
Enrich and season: Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Serve: Pour the sauce generously over your grilled steak, pork chops, or chicken.

Mark’s Chow Mein Sauce

a tweak of several recipes, for me. Chow mein for me.

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Course Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Ingredients

1/4 C oyster sauce or hoisin sauce
1/3 C low-sodium soy sauce
2 T sesame oil
1 T rice vinegar
1 t corn starch
1 t garlic chili sauce

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients together and let sit.
Make double the recipe, and keep in fridge.

Keto Tzatziki

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Ingredients

1.5 c Sour Cream high fat content, if you can find it
1 medium Cucumber grated and squeezed to drain
3 cloves Garlic finely diced
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Fresh Dill finely minced
2 tsp Salt

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. For best results let it chill overnight so the flavors have time to develop.

Mark’s Guacamole

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Ingredients

6 avocados ripe
1 yellow onion small, finely diced
4 cloves garlic minced
4 Roma tomatoes diced
1 fresh cilantro bunch, finely chopped
1 serrano pepper seeds removed and finely diced, or more to taste
2 limes juiced
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Slice avocadoes, remove pit and skins, place in large bowl.
Mash avocado with a fork until it reaches desired consistency. I prefer it fairly chunky.
Add remaining ingredients and stir together. Adjust salt or lime as desired.
Serve, although it gets better after an hour or more in the fridge.

Mark’s Salsa

Pico de Gallo

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Ingredients

1 c red onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 serrano pepper seeded and finely chopped
2 Tbsp lime juice or juice of two limes
4 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped, or 5
1 bunch cilantro finely chopped
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Combine onion, garlic, pepper, and lime juice. Let sit 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes, cilantro, and salt. Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit in the fridge at least 15 minutes, up to 3 hours for best flavour. Drain excess water before use.

Blue Cranberry Sauce

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Ingredients

1 12 oz bag cranberries
1 c water
1/2 c sugar or erythritol / monksfruit
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
2 c blueberries

Instructions

Wash and pick over cranberries. Place in saucepan with water and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, stir, and simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.
Slightly mash the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon until all skins are broken. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix well.
Remove from heat, and mix in the blueberries. Stir, breaking up some of the blueberries, but don't over mash them. Sauce will thicken as it cools.
Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating until chilled.

Pizza Sauce 2

Sugar-free, and doesn't need to be cooked.

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Ingredients

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes or two small cans, good quality
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp butter melted
2 Tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp pesto
1/4 c Parmesan cheese finely grated
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

Place everything in a large bowl and stir with a whisk until well mixed.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Sugar-Free Russian dressing

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Ingredients

1 Tbsp onion powder
1 c mayonnaise homemade, or high quality
1/4 c sugar free ketchup
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Instructions

Blend all the ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
Whip until thoroughly combined.
Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Cover and store in a tightly covered container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Easy Low-Carb Cheese Sauce

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Ingredients

1 1/4 c whipping cream
2 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp pepper
6 oz cheddar grated
3 oz Gruyere grated

Instructions

Add the heavy cream, cream cheese, and butter to a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the butter and cream cheese have melted.
Whisk in the ground mustard and pepper.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheddar and Gruyere until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Serve immediately as the sauce will thicken as it cools.

Notes

To reheat, add a splash of cream and microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and hot.

If your cheese sauce is too thick or too thin for your preferences, add additional cheese to thicken or additional cream to thin.