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This is a delicious and healthier spin on the traditional dried soup-mix spinach dip, using fresh vegetables like carrots, onions and garlic instead of dried vegetables from a soup mix — and avoiding chemical additives and an overabundance of salt. Just a little bit more trouble than ripping open a soup packet, the taste is [...]
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Home-made hummus is simple and easy to make, and the taste is fresh and smooth. This recipe, using canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas) is the classic variation, but the garlic and lemon with just a bit of cumin combine into a extraordinary taste, perfect for dipping. It makes a great appetizer, served with flat bread and/or [...]
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If your garden is providing you with an abundance of cucumbers and mint, here is a great way to combine them in a delicious tzatzki sauce that brings out the flavor of grilled meats, especially lamb. Although tzatzki is often made with dill, this version uses mint, along with vinegar, for a very zesty flavor.
1-2 [...]
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Did you know that the Ranch dressing you buy in the grocery store is simply buttermilk, mayonnaise and herbs, with lots of chemicals added to make it “shelf-stable” and supposedly taste better? I didn’t, until I saw a recipe for it in a cookbook (without all the chemicals) and thought, “aha…”
Naturally, I had to make [...]
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There’s something empowering about making your own BBQ sauce. I’ve always been pretty happy with many commercially prepared BBQ sauces but I always wanted to make my own. This is a tangy BBQ sauce that’s super quick to make and has a fresh and spicy flavor. The fresh non-prepared flavor is definitely worth the ten [...]
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This simple and versatile classic marinade provides meats or vegetables with an oregano and garlic-based flavor that goes well with chicken, beef, onions, potatoes, peppers, mushrooms and many other ingredients. And it’s flexible too; add basil, thyme, rosemary or even red pepper flakes to jazz it up.
Enough for about 1-2 lbs. of meat or veggies.
Olive [...]
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Mama Lena’s Italian Kitchen was a legendary Chicago restaurant that operated in the Chicago’s Gold Coast in the late 60s through the early 80s. Unfortunately I never went there, but very fortunately, I found the Mama Lena’s Italian Kitchen cook book, A Pinch of This and Pinch of That at a local thrift store — [...]
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This easy to make seasoning mix tastes better and costs less than commercially-prepared seasoning mixes. Use it with water or any liquid to make a sauce or a marinade. It’s flavorful but not hot or too spicy. You can, of course, adjust any of the spices to suit your taste.
Make a quick single batch for [...]
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This simple Italian marinade recipe works well on chicken, turkey, beef or vegetables. It’s a flexible marinade; similar ingredients can be substituted, but always use olive oil (extra virgin is recommended) for the best Italian flavor.
Olive Oil - 3/4 cup
White Wine - 3 Tblsp. (or substitute lemon juice or vinegar)
Basil - 2 Tblsp. fresh, chopped [...]
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I’ve been experimenting with marinades and came up with this easy and flavorful marinade to use on beef, chicken, pork and veggies. Because it contains beer and lime juice, it will tenderize beef, and the flavor of the cilantro and onions really comes through. I add hot pepper flakes and the heat is perfect for [...]
Continue reading about Tex-Mex Marinade with Beer and Cilantro
