Condiment Archives - Craving Home Cooked

Tartar Sauce

Joanna Cismaru — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 23:58:21 +0000

Bursting with lemon, capers, and onions, this homemade Tartar Sauce is perfect for seafood. Ditch store-bought and make it in minutes!

Homemade Creamy Tartar Sauce

Creamy tartar sauce is the ultimate condiment for seafood lovers! Made from a simple blend of mayonnaise along with a few other ingredients like lemon juice, pickles, and capers, most folks buy it in a jar and serve it alongside fried seafood. But did you know that you can easily make your own tartar sauce?! It’s ridiculously simple to whip up!

Plus, the best part is that you can customize it any way you like! Whether you’re serving kid-friendly fried fish and chips, fancy crab cakes, or classic fish sandwiches, you can adjust the recipe to suit any dish. All you need is some mayo and a few other basic ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This Tartar Sauce

Quick and Easy! Making your own tartar sauce has never been easier! With just a few simple ingredients and very little effort, you can whip this recipe together in no time!
Nothing Beats Homemade! No more settling for store-bought tartar sauce. With the perfect creamy texture from the mayo and the tangy flavor of the pickles and capers, this homemade version is sure to elevate your seafood dinners to new heights.
Versatile Condiment! While tartar sauce is famously paired with fried seafood, don’t limit yourself. This delicious tangy sauce complements a variety of dishes, including juicy burgers, refreshing shrimp salads, and even crispy chicken nuggets.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Mayonnaise – The creamy base that gives the sauce its richness and texture. Both store-bought and homemade mayonnaise work well. For a plant-based variation, you can use vegan mayo.
Sweet Pickle Relish – Provides a delightful hint of sweetness and a satisfying crunch. If you don’t have pickle relish, finely chopped sweet pickles will work as well. For a different twist, you can also use dill pickles or butter pickles.
Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice infuses it with a zesty kick that brightens the sauce.
Fresh Parsley – Chopped parsley adds a burst of freshness and a pop of green color to the sauce. Fresh dill, tarragon, and chives are also wonderful herbs in tartar sauce.
Capers – These tiny wonders pack a briny punch of flavor that makes the sauce.
Onion – Finely chopped brown onion brings a sharp and pungent note. For a milder flavor with a touch of sweetness, shallots are a great second choice.
Seasonings – Salt and black pepper are needed to season the sauce and enhance its flavor.

How To Make Tartar Sauce

This homemade tartar sauce recipe is super quick and easy! With just a handful of simple ingredients that you likely already have on hand, you can make this tasty condiment in just a few minutes.

Make The Sauce

To begin, mix the mayonnaise and pickle relish together in a small bowl. Then mix the fresh lemon juice into the mixture until it’s well combined. Finally, add the finely chopped fresh parsley, capers, and onions. Now, stir everything together until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Season To Taste

After you’ve made your sauce, give it a taste and then season it with salt and black pepper to your liking. You may find that it doesn’t need much salt as the mayo, relish, and capers are all fairly salty ingredients. Keep in mind that you can also add more salt later, but you can’t remove salt.

Chill And Serve

Once the sauce is seasoned, cover it with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. Then put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and intensify. This step is important for the tartar sauce to reach its full flavor potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I add to the tartar sauce?

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Joanna Cismaru — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 22:32:00 +0000

This made from scratch Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table! A quick, sweet, tart, home made ruby red sauce, exploding with flavor makes ready in just 30 minutes.

Am I allowed to say “Tis The Season!” yet? Because believe it or not Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner! I know, kind of crazy! And the closer that we get to the holidays the more I keep thinking about essential holiday recipes for all of you!

You truly can not go wrong with a homemade cranberry sauce. It’s harvest season around these parts of Canada and I cannot even begin to describe the flavor that is, fresh cranberries. This cranberry sauce is made in one pot, with a little bit of nutmeg and some orange zest – and let me tell you, it’s a home run!

Ingredient Notes

Cranberries – The most important ingredient in this recipe. I am using 1 bag of fresh cranberries today but frozen cranberries work just as well.
Orange – We’re using the juice and the zest, this will help to add acidity and will also brighten our sauce.
Sugar – Simple, granulated white sugar is all that’s needed.
Nutmeg – This is going to help round out the sauce – if you don’t have any on hand, cinnamon will work just as well.
Vanilla – The secret ingredient! Only a little splash in needed to bring all these flavors together!

How to Pick Out the Freshest Cranberries

If you’re really going the extra mile for this cranberry sauce and picking out individual fresh cranberries, there are a couple things you want to look for.

Look for cranberries that are deep red in color, and
They should also be plump, and firm to touch.

You will know they are fresh if you can bounce a couple off the floor (I’m not kidding, try to be discrete!).

How to Make Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

Assemble the sauce: In an instant pot or pressure cooker, add 8oz of the cranberries, orange juice, and orange zest. Lock the lid into place, turn the valve to sealing. Select manual/pressure cook and adjust pressure to high; set the timer for 15 minutes. When cooking has finished, let the pressure release naturally and then turn the valve to venting in order to release any remaining pressure.
Finish the sauce: Remove the lid and add in left over portion of cranberries, as well as the sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla. Stir until sugar is dissolved and the last berries begin to burst – which should be within 3 minutes. And voila!

NOTE: If the sauce is too thick, you can add water (not too much!) in order to thin the sauce to better suit your liking!

What Else Can I Add to My Cranberry Sauce?

You can add lots! Cranberry sauce is a bit of a blank canvas, here are a few suggestions:

Nuts – Any of your choice – chopped pecans would be delish!
Spices – Different spices such as allspice, cinnamon, or cloves.
Raisins
Candied ginger
Pomegranate molasses

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Versatility you guys! Don’t limit yourself to only making this sauce a couple times a year – there are so many ways to use this cranberry sauce that are not dependant on whether or not it’s a holiday!

Jam – Use it like a jam, on fresh breads, paninis, pancakes and waffles.
Flavor – Add it to yogurt, smoothies, cream cheese spreads, or even whipped cream.
Baking – This is a no brainer! Put it in tarts, muffins, pastries and so much more!
Glaze – Add it onto poultry or meat for a little zingy topping!

Leftovers

If you store cranberry sauce in the fridge in an airtight container it will actually last up tp 2 weeks! It freezes really well too making it super helpful for preparing ahead of time!

What To Serve With

Craving More Holiday Sides?

Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce

This made from scratch Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce is a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table! A quick, sweet, tart, home made ruby red sauce, exploding with flavor makes it a perfect holiday essential.

Course Sauce, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

NPR 10

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 78kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

Instant Pot – 6 quart

Ingredients

12 ounce cranberries fresh (1 bag)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar granulated
2 tablespoon orange zest
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Add 8 oz of the cranberries, orange juice and orange zest to the Instant Pot. Lock the lid into place and turn the valve to “sealing.” Select Manual or Pressure Cook and adjust the pressure to High. Set the time for 15 minutes. When cooking ends, let the pressure release naturally for 7 minutes, then turn the valve to “venting” to quick release the remaining pressure.
Unlock and remove the lid. Select Sauté mode. Add remaining cranberries, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla extract. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the last berries begin to burst, about 3 minutes. Add a bit of water to thin the sauce out if it gets too thick for your liking.

Notes

If you store cranberry sauce in the fridge in an airtight container it will actually last up tp 2 weeks! It freezes really well too making it super helpful for preparing ahead of time!

Nutrition

The post Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.

Homemade Hot Sauce

Joanna Cismaru — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 19:52:16 +0000

Hot Sauce – A fiery homemade hot sauce sure to spice up any dish. With only a handful of ingredients, including fresh hot peppers, this sauce is made in a flash. No more store bought hot sauce here!

While I may not be a spicy food fanatic yet, the heat is growing on me. I do have a plethora of different hot sauces in my fridge but I love the kick this homemade sauce adds to my dishes!

I love making my own hot sauce at home because it allows me to control the heat level! Since this sauce is made with fresh peppers I can keep in as many or as little seeds as I want and use whatever peppers I choose, therefore allowing me to create either a spicy fire sauce hot enough to make a dragon cry, or a milder sauce for just a little added heat. But for this recipe, let’s spice things up – shall we?

How hot is this hot sauce?

In this recipe I went for fresh cayenne peppers. Cayenne peppers are considered somewhat of a hot pepper, ranging from 30,000 – 50,000 Scoville Heat Units on the Scoville Scale, comparable to a serrano pepper.

If you compare that to a typical jalapeno pepper, (around 5,000 SHU) the cayenne is about 10 times hotter.

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

Only a handful of ingredients for this recipe!

Hot Peppers – Fresh hot peppers – Cayenne or Fresnos.
Vinegar – I used white vinegar.
Spices – We are using salt, garlic powder, and paprika for added kick.

How to make hot sauce

Easy as 1, 2, 3 … Literally.

Prep Peppers – Clean peppers and slice off the stems. Remove the seeds to reduce heat (taste test peppers for heat level). Roughly chop peppers and add to a large saucepan.
Mix and Boil – Add all other ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Peppers should be soft and pliable.
Cool and Blend – Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add to a blender and blend until smooth.

Note for your homemade sauce:

Simmering vinegar and hot peppers will cause your kitchen to be a bit uncomfortable on the lungs. Open a window if possible!
Be careful when cleaning the hot peppers of their seeds. Because they are very hot, chili peppers can sting your eyes, neck and nose.
You can protect your hands by putting on gloves.
This recipe should yield around 1 1/2 cups of sauce, or 24 tbsp.

How to serve

This sauce can be served on any dish or item you want to add a little kick to! Try it on:

And more! This homemade hot pepper sauce will be a sure FIRE way to add a little heat and spice up your meals, see what I did there?

How to store

Homemade hot sauce should be tightly sealed and stored in the refrigerator.

You can safely store hot sauce in your pantry or cabinet at room temperature because of its high vinegar and relatively high salt content (both prevent bacteria from growing) but with that being said, I prefer to refrigerate my hot sauce.

Refrigeration will slow down the oxidation, therefore preserving the color and flavor of your hot sauce for much longer! Your hot sauce will safely store in your fridge for 3-5 years!

More delicious sauce recipes to try:

Hot Sauce

Hot Sauce – A fiery homemade hot sauce sure to spice up any dish. With only a handful of ingredients, including fresh hot peppers, this sauce is made in a flash. No more store bought hot sauce here!

Course Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine American

Cook Time 15

Cooling time 10

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 17kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

Vitamix Blender

Ingredients

18 red hot peppers Cayenne or Fresnos
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prep Peppers – Clean peppers and slice off the stems. Remove the seeds to reduce heat (taste test peppers for heat level). Roughly chop peppers and add to a large saucepan.
Mix and Boil – Add all other ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Peppers should be soft and pliable.
Cool and Blend – Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add to a blender and blend until smooth.

Notes

Simmering vinegar and hot peppers will cause your kitchen to be a bit uncomfortable on the lungs. Open a window if possible!
Be careful when cleaning the hot peppers of seeds. Because they are very hot, chili peppers can sting your neck and nose. Keep a window open. You can protect your hands by putting on gloves.
Should yield around 1 1/2 cups of sauce, or 24 tbsp.

Nutrition

The post Homemade Hot Sauce appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.

Buffalo Sauce Recipe

Joanna Cismaru — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 22:10:00 +0000

A homemade Buffalo Sauce Recipe made from 5 simple ingredients you will have in your kitchen already! This sauce can be kept for up to a month and is perfect for wings, dips, and more!

Buffalo Sauce is essentially a more lavish version of hot sauce, enriched with melted butter. It’s extremely easy to make, and is perfect on just about anything! Especially, my favourite, chicken wings! This flavorful sauce adds a nice kick to any meal you see fit.

Made with your favourite hot sauce (I used Frank’s because I am a die-hard fan), melted butter, savory worcestershire and a hint of garlic this sauce is the ideal combination of flavors to incorporate into your favorite dishes. In only a matter of minutes you can have a homemade sauce that can be kept for up to a month! Say goodbye to store bought, let’s get started and add a little kick to your life!

What is buffalo sauce?

The original buffalo sauce is a combination of melted butter, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper. Traditionally tossed over deep fried wings or served on the side as a dry wing dip. “Buffalo” is now attached to a variety of other items, such as buffalo shrimp, buffalo cauliflower or buffalo pizza to name a few.

Hot Sauce Vs Buffalo Sauce

The difference is in the texture and taste! Even though hot sauce is one of the main ingredients in buffalo sauce – there is a difference! Hot sauce is made up of hot peppers, salt, and vinegar, whereas buffalo sauce is much thicker and has more of a buttery, garlic flavor.

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

Hot Sauce – I strongly recommend using Frank’s Red Hot Sauce for this one! But you can use your favourite.
Butter – I used unsalted to control the sodium levels.
Worcestershire Sauce – To add to the rich, savory flavor.
Garlic Powder – Because everything is better with garlic.
Salt – To taste.

How to make the best buffalo sauce

Combine and Heat Ingredients – Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk often until the butter melts and sauce comes to a simmer. Once the sauce is simmering remove from heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt if necessary.
Cool and Thicken – Allow the sauce to cool slightly. You’ll notice the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Store – Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for future use.

What to serve with your homemade sauce

When I hear buffalo sauce, all I can think about are BUFFALO WINGS , but, this tasty sauce can be used for a variety of different dishes! I love putting it on top of tacos, avocado toast, quesadillas, basically anything I want to add a flavorful kick to! Try using your homemade buffalo sauce in:

How to store

After your sauce has cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to one month!

Did you like this homemade sauce recipe? Try these!

Buffalo Sauce Recipe

A homemade Buffalo Sauce Recipe made from 5 simple ingredients you will have in your kitchen already! This sauce can be kept for up to a month and is perfect for wings, dips, and more!

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings

Calories 35kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

4-Quart Saucepan

Ingredients

1 cup hot sauce strongly recommend Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/2 cup butter unsalted
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk often until the butter melts and suauce comes to a simmer.
Once the sauce is simmering remove from heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt if necessary.
Allow the sauce to cool slightly. You'll notice the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge.

Notes

Should yield around 1 1/2 cups of sauce, or 24 tbsp.
Nutritional information is per tbsp.
After your sauce has cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to one month!

Nutrition

The post Buffalo Sauce Recipe appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Joanna Cismaru — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 00:41:54 +0000

Sweet And Sour Sauce – a homemade version of the popular, tangy sauce. With only a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes of your time, this sweet and sour sauce beats any store bought or take out you can find.

Sweet and sour sauce is one of the most common sauces used in Asian, American and European cuisine. Dating all the way back to the middle ages, it is still one of the most popular and well known sauces to date. Extremely versatile and easy to make – this is a recipe you’ll want on hand.

In the same time it would take you to get in your car, drive to the store and spend excess money on a generic sauce, you can have this sweet and tangy wonder whipped up with ingredients you most likely already have at home! This sweet and sour sauce will become your new favourite! Even better; you have bragging rights, you made a wondrous sauce from scratch – all by yourself.

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

Sugar – Granulated.
White Vinegar – For the sourness. Lemon or lime juice are the two most common substitutes for white vinegar. You can also use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar but the taste of your sauce might be a tad different.
Water
Soy Sauce – I used low sodium.
Ketchup – I used store bought.
Cornstarch – Used as a thickening agent. It can be substituted with flour, arrowroot, potato starch, or tapioca.
Pineapple Juice – Canned, boxed or fresh.

How to Make Sweet and Sour Sauce

Making this sauce could NOT be any easier!

Mix Ingredients – Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until combined.
Stir & Finish – Stir continuously until the mixture thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust with sugar, salt or vinegar as needed.

How To Serve It

Sweet and sour sauce is extremely versatile and can be used in many ways such as a marinade, dip or glaze. It is the perfect sauce to toss with meatballs, chicken, tempura, or even over rice! Slather over ribs, use on chicken or pork to create a beautiful asian inspired dish or use it as a dip for chicken fingers, nuggets, gyoza or dumplings! The possibilities of this sauce are endless.

Can I Make This in Advance?

Yes! Another bonus of this fabulous sauce is you can make it in advance! Since it won’t have any preservatives, the vinegar will help it keep its shelf life for longer. Store in an airtight container or jar in your fridge for up to a week!

For a longer shelf life, store your sauce for up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure to store it tightly secured in an airtight container. Take it out and defrost when you are ready to use.

How to Store

Make sure to store your sauce in the fridge immediately after use. Don’t leave it out in the open or it will lose it’s coloring, aroma, and flavor. Homemade sweet and sour sauce won’t last as long as store bought because it doesn’t have any preservatives in it – so make sure to use it up!

Did You Like This Recipe? Try These!

Sweet And Sour Sauce

Sweet And Sour Sauce – a homemade version of the popular, tangy sauce. With only a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes of your time, this sweet and sour sauce beats any store bought or take out you can find.

Course Condiment

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings

Calories 65kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoon soy sauce low sodium
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup pineapple juice

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until combined.
Stir continously until the mixture thickens. Adjust with sugar, salt or vinegar as needed.

Notes

Should yield about 3/4 cup sauce.
Store for a week in an airtight container or jar.

Nutrition

The post Sweet and Sour Sauce appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.

Balsamic Glaze

Joanna Cismaru — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 00:39:56 +0000

This Balsamic Glaze recipe, aka balsamic reduction, is the perfect addition to your dinner table. It’s as versatile as salt & pepper! Add a drizzle of this perfectly balanced sweet and tangy glaze to take your culinary creations to the next level.

Who knew just two ingredients could create such a drool-worthy condiment that you’ll want to put on everything? I haven’t been able to stop using this delicious glaze since I whipped it up.

You can use it as a finishing touch to anything from steak or chicken to salads and fresh fruit. I even like to treat myself like royalty by drizzling this balsamic glaze on my mid-day cheese and crackers snack. I’m sure you already have everything you need to make this simple recipe. It’ll be done faster than if you ran to the store to buy a bottle of pre-made glaze!

Ingredients

Get ready for, possibly, the easiest recipe you’ve ever made. This ingredient list is so small you might miss it! Keep scrolling for the full recipe and ingredient amounts.

Balsamic vinegar – Find yourself a nice, good quality, traditional variety of balsamic.
Brown sugar – You can substitute brown sugar with 3 tbsp of honey or maple syrup.

Can I Make Flavored Balsamic Glaze?

This recipe is so simple, you can switch it up and create a different beautiful flavor every time you make it! To flavor your balsamic glaze, add your flavoring ingredient(s) in step 1 with the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Remove the pieces or pour the glaze through a sieve once it’s done thickening.

1-2 cloves garlic
Fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano.
Hot peppers, dried or fresh
Peppercorns
Citrus peel such as orange or lemon
Figs
Berries or cherries

You can also mix in liquid flavors. Pomegranate juice, truffle oil, or espresso would be amazing! Keep in mind you may need to reduce a bit longer with added liquid.

How to Make Balsamic Glaze

Reduce the glaze: Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves. Bring the heat down to low and simmer until reduced by half, about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool full before storing.

That’s it! You can’t find an easier recipe than this. It’ll turn any meal into a gourmet experience!

How Do I Know When My Glaze Is Done?

Use a metal spoon to test your glaze. It should coat the back of the spoon easily, and pour off it with the consistency of warm honey. ‘

This, of course, can be changed based on your personal preference. You can take the reduction off the heat sooner if you like a thinner glaze, or you can leave it on longer for a thicker consistency. Make sure to be stirring regularly to make sure the glaze doesn’t burn.

How To Store It

Transfer your glaze to a jar or sealable bottle and store it in the fridge. It’ll last you 3-4 weeks. If you’ve added any extra flavors, keep an eye on it as they may affect how long the glaze can be stored.

What To Use It

This glaze can be kept simple served alongside a charcuterie board, drizzled over caprese salad, or some fresh strawberries. It’s a great way to amp up your favorite fresh bites.

Give some of these recipes a boost with your homemade balsamic glaze!

More Homemade Recipes To Try:

Balsamic Glaze

This Balsamic Glaze recipe, aka balsamic reduction, is the perfect addition to your dinner table. It's as versatile as salt & pepper! Add a drizzle of this perfectly balanced sweet and tangy glaze to take your culinary creations to the next level.

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 54kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar packed

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to a small saucepan and mix over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved.
Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a low. Continue simmering until the glaze is reduced by half, should take about 15 to 20 minutes.
Glaze is done when it coats the back of a spoon. Let it cool, then transfer to a jar with lid. Store in the fridge.

Notes

Transfer your glaze to a jar or sealable bottle and store it in the fridge. It’ll last you 3-4 weeks. If you’ve added any extra flavors, keep an eye on it as they may affect how long the glaze can be stored.

Nutrition

The post Balsamic Glaze appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.

Homemade Apple Butter

Joanna Cismaru — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 23:43:48 +0000

Homemade Apple Butter is the perfect spread for once the leaves change and things get decidedly more chilly. Packed full of those fall flavors we all know and love – plus it’s homemade, does it get any better?

I love a good homemade apple butter – what can I say? It’s such a thoughtful and flavorful addition to any good spread. And it’s a great homemade gift if you’re feeling like being a little more crafty or budget friendly this holiday season.

Cinnamon-y, sweet, syrupy, packed full of complex spices, what doesn’t this apple butter have going for it? It truly is the most festive thing in my fridge year round mostly because so many apple varieties are perfect for it – it’s constantly an in season spread!

Apple Butter Versus Applesauce

But wait a second – this all sounds quite familiar, aren’t we talking about applesauce right now? Well I mean you’re not far off, the two recipes are quite similar but they do differ in one key way. We’re going to cook our apple butter past that apple sauce stage, till it’s caramelized slightly and has become glossy and darker in color.

We’re also processing our apple butter to a finer and more silky texture than you typically would for an applesauce – although you can still use this butter in place of applesauce in recipes that call for it, you’ll still achieve that sweet and spiced flavor profile.

Ingredients

Apples – Something like gala, honeycrisp, or golden delicious. We’re not using more tart apples like we would in an apple pie.
Spices – Cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg.
Sugar – Grab some brown sugar, we want those rich molasses notes.
Cider – Why not up the flavor? Adding a bit of apple cider is my secret ingredient to a truly spectacular apple butter.
Vanilla – Just a bit of extract goes a long way in rounding out all those flavors.
Salt – Just a bit of seasoning – everything needs a hit of salt including the sweet stuff!

Which Apples Work Best

You want softer variety apples for our recipe today as we want to achieve a relative apple mush in texture – and softer varieties cook down faster and easier! We want something that is mellow and sweet, I used Golden delicious today but something like McIntosh would also work in a pinch!

How To Make Apple Butter

Prep the apples: Peel the apples and cut into 1-inch cubes, you should get about 9 cups.
Cook the apples: In a saucepan add the apples, cider, sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a medium and simmer covered until the apples are very tender. Should take about 20 minutes, stirring occassionaly.
Blend the mixture: Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Return this mixture to the saucepan and stir in the cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla. Cover and simmer until thickened, for another 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Let cool completely then transfer to jars. You should get about 4 1/2 cups of apple butter.

Making Apple Butter In The Crock Pot

If you’d like to set it and forget it then whipping this together in the crock pot works just as well! Follow the directions stated above but rather than placing your ingredients in a pot on the stove, instead place them in your crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours.

Remove the mixture and blend as directed above before placing the apple butter back in your crock pot and cooking for an additional hour, stirring occasionally.

How To Serve

This little spread has so many uses, more than you’ll find time for before your precious jar is empty! Whipping this together might become a weekly tradition around your house, I mean worse things have happened!

Slather it all over toast – yum
Sub it in for the jam on your PB & J sandwiches
Stir a big spoonful into your oatmeal
Put a dollop into your smoothies for a festive fall flavor
Use it in place of maple syrup on your pancakes and waffles, it’s great with a dollop of Greek yogurt to add some protein and tang
Include it in your next charcuterie board
Add it to your apple pies or apple cakes – or any number of batters that can use a little pizzazz!

Storing Leftovers

This apple butter will keep for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container in the fridge, just be sure to date your jar after you’ve allowed it to cool on the counter.

Freezer

Seal this sauce in an airtight container and it will freeze beautifully for up to 3 months! Just allow it to thaw on the counter when you’re ready to feast.

More Delicious Apple Recipes To Try:

Homemade Apple Butter

Homemade Apple Butter is the perfect spread for once the leaves change and things get decidedly more chilly. Packed full of those fall flavors we all know and love – plus it's homemade, does it get any better?

Course Breakfast, Condiment

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 92kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

9 Cup Food Processor

Ingredients

4 pound apples such as Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp or Gala
1 1/4 cup apple cider
2/3 cup brown sugar packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prep the apples: Peel the apples and cut into 1-inch cubes, you should get about 9 cups.
Cook the apples: In a saucepan add the apples, cider, sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a medium and simmer covered until the apples are very tender. Should take about 20 minutes, stirring occassionaly.
Blend the mixture: Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Return this mixture to the saucepan and stir in the cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla. Cover and simmer until thickened, for another 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Let cool completely then transfer to jars. You should get about 4 1/2 cups of apple butter.

Notes

Recipe will yield about 4 1/2 cups.
Nutritional information is based per 1/4 cup.
This condiment will keep for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container in the fridge, just be sure to date your jar after you’ve allowed it to cool on the counter.
Seal this sauce in an airtight container and it will freeze beautifully for up to 3 months! Just allow it to thaw on the counter when you’re ready to feast.

Nutrition

The post Homemade Apple Butter appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.

Marinara Sauce

Joanna Cismaru — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 21:35:13 +0000

Marinara Sauce is a super basic staple of any kitchen worth its stuff. A simple sauce made up of bright tomatoes, lots of garlicky goodness, and just a zip of heat, you’ll never use it from the jar again!

Marinara sauce is a super basic staple sauce in any kitchen, not just
nonna’s! We’re using whole peeled tomatoes, some nice olive oil, super fragrant
garlic, and bright herbs. Believe me you’re familiar with this sauce – whether
you recognize it by name or not.

This red sauce is widely used in Italian American kitchens, it’s simple, fresh, and a super strong basic sauce. It’s great spooned over pasta, rice, used in dips, and added to any dish that needs a bit of acidity. You’ll never use jarred again!

Marinara Versus Spaghetti Sauce

The differences between the two sauces are super simple. Firstly marinara sauce is
just tomatoes, herbs, and some spices – that’s it. Where as spaghetti sauce
typically involves some veggies like carrot and celery as well as some meat.

Ingredients

Tomatoes – We’re using canned tomatoes today – believe me it’ll be far easier than fresh! Grab whole peeled tomatoes in the can.
Herbs – Dried oregano and fresh basil for brightness and some herby deliciousness.
Onion – Yellow onion as we want something a bit sweeter and mild that ill cook down nicely in our sauce.
Garlic – Fresh garlic, we’re using 3 entire cloves today. If jarred is all you have on hand just keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 fresh clove.
Red pepper flakes – For just a touch of heat, if you’re spice averse feel free to use a smaller amount.
Seasoning – Salt.

Want To Use Fresh Tomatoes?

Well you’re certainly feeling ambitious, or maybe your garden was abundant
this summer and you need a way to use up some of those veggies! Take about 6
pounds of tomatoes and peel, seed, and dice them up. Cook them down in a large
sauce pan before continuing on with the recipe as normal.

How To Make Marinara Sauce

Combine the sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes (includes juices), onion halves, garlic cloves, olive oil, oregano and red pepper flakes.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to a low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally using a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes against the bottom of the pot.
Blend the sauce: Remove the pot from heat and discard the onion. Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor or an immersion blender and smooth it out to your liking.
Finish the sauce: Stir in the chopped basil and adjust seasoning, with salt and pepper as necessary.

Be Careful When Blending

If you decide to pop your sauce in a blender to smooth it out – be careful!
Blending a hot sauce with the lid on your blender can cause the lid to pop off
and sauce to splatter all over the place. Instead lay a towel over top the
blender instead of the lid.

How To Serve

You want something that soaks up all that rich, hearty marinara sauce. You will love the final
outcome, no matter how you slice it!

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Creamy Polenta
Fluffy white rice
Spaghetti, to twirl around in your beautiful rich sauce!
Thrown together with some meatballs

Storing Leftovers

This marinara sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3
days and in the freezer for up 3 months. Pull the sauce
from the freezer the day before you’d like to use it to allow it to thaw fully
before reheating on the stove.

More Incredible Recipes To Try:

Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce is a super basic staple of any kitchen worth its stuff. A simple sauce made up of bright tomatoes, lots of garlicky goodness, and just a zip of heat, you'll never use it from the jar again!

Course Sauce

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 36kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

28 ounce whole peeled tomatoes 1 whole can
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion peeled and halved
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoon fresh basil chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine the tomatoes (includes juices), onion halves, garlic cloves, olive oil, oregano and red pepper flakes.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to a low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally using a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes against the bottom of the pot.
Remove the pot from heat and discard the onion. Transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor or an immersion blender and smooth it out to your liking.
Stir in the chopped basil and adjust seasoning, with salt and pepper as necessary.

Notes

This tomato sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3
days and in the freezer for up 3 months. Pull the sauce
from the freezer the day before you’d like to use it to allow it to thaw fully
before reheating on the stove.

Nutrition

The post Marinara Sauce appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.

Easy Hummus

Joanna Cismaru — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:55:27 +0000

This Easy Hummus is homemade and super quick to put together. It’s creamy, rich, garlicky and super fresh, totally dip worthy!

Easy Hummus

One of my favorite dips or spread for wraps is hummus. This recipe is a pretty classic basic recipe, one you cannot go wrong with. All you need are a handful of ingredients and a food processor, can it get any easier?

It really is one of the easiest dips you can make and it’s so delicious with fresh ingredients. Homemade hummus is the way to go because you know what you’re putting in it and you can adjust it to your taste buds. That’s the beauty of making it yourself, you can play around with the recipe, add a bit more lemon juice, a bit more garlic, less paprika, more cumin, it’s all up to you.

What Is Hummus

Hummus is a Middle Eastern spread or dip that is made from chickpeas and tahini as the base. Other ingredients are added to it to flavor it such as lemon juice, garlic and cumin. Not only is hummus delicious and versatile but it’s packed with lots of nutrients, so it’s good for you as well as being the tastiest spread around!

What Is Tahini?

Tahini is essentially a condiment or a sauce made up of ground sesame seeds and oil. It’s popular in some Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and North African cusines. You’re going to want to look for tahini that pours. Pourable tahini is higher quality more authentic tahini!

Ingredients In Easy Hummus

Hummus

Chickpeas – You’ll only need 1 can of chickpeas for this, so I recommend buying the best chickpeas you can afford, such as a can of good organic chickpeas.
Olive oil – We’re busting out some nice stuff today, since we’re not cooking this dish and it’s super simple, we want quality.
Spices – Ground cumin and smoked paprika.
Garlic – I love garlic in hummus, it really does give it a great flavor, so feel free to double the garlic if you love it as much as I do!
Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed is always best!
Tahini Paste – this is a paste made from sesame seeds. I recommend buying a good quality tahini, especially if you plan to make hummus often. Look for runny tahini that can be poured.
Water – you need water to adjust the consistency and texture of your hummus. If it’s too thick add a bit more water to smooth it out.

Toppings

Garnish – Smoked paprika, a drizzle of olive oil, and chopped fresh parsley.

How To Make Easy Hummus

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Prepare the chickpeas: Reserve the liquid from the chickpeas as you will need to add some to the hummus to thin it out a bit as necessary.
Assemble the hummus: In a food processor add all the ingredients except the liquid from the chickpeas and pulse until smooth. Add a tbsp of the chickpea liquid at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.
Finish the dish: Transfer hummus to a dish and drizzle some olive oil over it, then sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Want To Make Your Own Tahini?

If you haven’t got any of the stuff lying around, all you need is some sesame seeds, oil, and salt to make it happen!

Toast your sesame seeds, preferable unhulled in a hot dry pan. Allow it to cool fully before placing in your food processor.
Blend the seeds in your food processor and slowly add 2 – 4 tablespoons of light olive oil or canola oil.
And just like that it’s done! This sauce will keep for 1 month in the fridge, just imagine all the hummus.

How To Serve Hummus

This will be your new go to handy dandy dip. It is so delicious, mild enough to pair with anything, and packed full of good for you ingredients. Here’s some of my favorite ways to snack on hummus:

With naan or pita chips, crackers, chips or vegetables as a dip. Cucumbers are my personal favorite.
Smeared on wraps like chicken shawarma
Sandwiches – spread it on bread instead of mayo or mustard
Make hummus deviled eggs – mash the egg yolks with hummus, they’re incredible!
Serve it with falafels.
Turn it into salad dressings! Blend hummus with olive oil and a bit of lemon juice and drizzle it over your favorite salad!
I like to top my Chicken Shawarma Tabbouleh Salad with a big dollop of the stuff

Tips For Making The Best Hummus

There are many techniques as well to making hummus, such as removing the skin from the hummus which will result in a smoother hummus. I omitted this step today because I wanted something quick.
If you want a smoother hummus you can mix it longer in the food processor until you get the consistency you’re looking for.
This recipe is very easy to modify based on personal tastes. Other than the chickpeas and tahini, feel free to add or subtract amounts of the ingredients to suit what you like.

Want To Make This Dish Ahead?

Yes you sure can! This dish stores well in both the fridge and the freezer.

Fridge

Stored in an airtight container this hummus will keep for 4 – 7 days any longer than that and you run the risk of the garlic going off.

Freezer

Store it in airtight containers, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top of the hummus to preserve moisture, then freeze for up to 4 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. No need to reheat this recipe, once it’s thawed stir it up and serve!

More Delicious Recipes To Try:

Easy Hummus

This Easy Hummus is homemade and super easy to put together. It's creamy, rich, garlicky and super fresh, totally dip worthy!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 0

Total Time 5

Servings

Calories 345kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

9 Cup Food Processor

Ingredients

15.5 ounce chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 1 can, reserve liquid
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice fresh
1/2 cup tahini paste *
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Toppings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fresh parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Reserve the liquid from the chickpeas a you will need to add it to the hummus to thin it out if necessary.
In a food processor add all the ingredients except the liquid from the chickpeas and pulse until smooth. Add a tbsp of the chickpea liquid at a time until you achieve desired consistency.
Transfer hummus to a dish and drizzle olive oil over top it, then sprinkle with smoked paprika and fresh parsley.

Video

Notes

This recipe is very easy to modify based on personal preferences.

Other than the chickpeas and tahini, feel free to add or subtract amounts of the ingredients to suit what you like.

* Tahini paste is a condiment made from toasted sesame seeds and oil. It's a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.

Stored in an airtight container this hummus will keep for 4 - 7 days any longer than that and you run the risk of the garlic going off.

Nutrition

The post Easy Hummus appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.